Arya.
I growled, running towards her in anger as I noticed her transforming. The change was swift, almost seamless, as her dark brown fur melded with the shadows of the forest.
Then she snarled, her lips curling back to reveal a mouthful of gleaming white teeth, and I felt a surge of primal instinct rise within me in response.
I charged forward fiercely, my claws slicing through the air with deadly precision as I closed the distance between us in a matter of seconds.
Alison's eyes widened in shock as she realized my intent, but it was too late.
I was upon her, my claws slashing out in a blur of motion as I struck her left side.
She cried out in pain, stumbling backward as my claws found their mark, and I felt a surge of triumph wash over me in response.
I watched her as she growled angrily. Then, with a snarl of rage, she lunged forward, her own claws extended in a deadly arc as she tried to retaliate.
I dodged her attack with ease, my instincts guiding me with precision as though I had years of training and experience.
But Alison was relentless, her movements fueled by a primal fury that matched my own.
She slashed out again and again, her claws tearing through the air, as she tried to strike at me but failed.
With a swift motion, I lunged forward, my jaws snapping shut with a resounding crunch as I caught her front paw in my teeth.
She cried out in pain, staggering backward and limping as blood welled from the wound, but still she refused to yield.
"Is that all you've got?" she growled and glared at me through narrowed eyes. "You fight like a fucking weakling, Arya."
I snarled in response, the sound low and guttural, vibrating through my chest. My claws flexed, digging into the soft earth beneath me, craving release, craving the satisfying crunch of bone beneath my paws. But I held back, barely, the thin thread of restraint stretched taut, threatening to snap at any moment.
She grinned, a cruel twist of her lips. "Maybe you inherited your weakness from your parents." Her words were like a serrated blade slicing through my restraint. "That's why my father was able to kill them so easily."
My breath caught in my throat, a strangled gasp escaping me. The mention of my parents was like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind from my lungs. Pain and anger surged forth, unbidden and unwelcome, crashing over me in waves of grief and rage.
"No!" I roared as I launched myself at her, my claws slashing through the air like knives. She staggered back, caught off guard by the ferocity of my attack. But she recovered quickly, her own claws flashing in the dim light, meeting mine with a sickening crunch.
"Shut up and fight!" I yelled, my words laced with venom as I prepared to strike again.
But before I could move, Alison was upon me, her claws slashing out in a flurry of motion as she tried to overwhelm me with her speed.
I dodged and weaved, my movements fluid and precise as I evaded her attacks, feeling the rush of wind as her claws sliced through the air where I had stood just moments before. Her movements were wild and uncoordinated, fueled by a rage that clouded her judgment and left her vulnerable.
And then, I saw my opportunity.
With a swift motion, I lunged forward, my claws extended in a deadly arc as I slashed out with all the force of my anger.
My body surged with energy, the muscles beneath my fur rippling with newfound strength as I launched myself towards her.
The impact was jarring, a collision of flesh and fur that sent shockwaves rippling through the forest floor. Alison cried out in pain as I sent her sprawling across the ground, her dark form illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the canopy of leaves above.
"That's for my parents," I snarled. But even as I spoke the words, I could still feel the icy grip of anger tightening its hold upon my heart, all the anger I had held in.
Alison staggered to her feet, her movements sluggish and unsteady as she struggled to regain her composure. But before she could fully rise, I was upon her once more, my claws slashing at her shoulders.
"That's for my wolf," I spat as I watched the realization dawn in Alison's eyes. She had underestimated me, had thought me weak and vulnerable.
Alison's whimper cut through the tense air, her voice strained with pain and fear. "Are you really going to kill me, Arya?" she said. "I know you're incapable of that. Ending a life."
My lip curled in a snarl as her words struck a nerve, igniting a fury that threatened to consume me whole. "You have no fucking idea," I spat. "You still think I'm weak? Your stupidity will be the death of you."
With a swift, brutal motion, I struck her again, the sound of claws meeting flesh echoing in the moonlit clearing. Alison crumpled to the floor, a pitiful heap of broken fur and shattered pride. But she was still alive, I heard the sound of her heartbeat, a relentless drumbeat in the silence that followed.
I moved closer, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I loomed over her. Memories flooded my mind, the pain and humiliation that I had suffered at her hands threatened to overwhelm me. Alison had made me feel less than human, a worthless person deserving of nothing but scorn.
Anger surged through me, threatening to drown out reason. I could feel it coursing through my veins, pulsing with a savage intensity that blurred the edges of my vision. In that moment, all I could see was red.
And then, just as swiftly as it had come, the anger faded, replaced by a cold, steely resolve. Alison had to pay for what she had done, for the countless times she had tormented me and made me feel small.
But before I could act, a sharp, stabbing pain lanced through my side. I gasped in shock, stumbling backward as I turned to face my attacker.
Robert stood before me, his eyes filled with a mixture of triumph and malice. Blood dripped from the blade clutched in his hand, staining the floor beneath us a deep, crimson red.