Tyler.
I roared in anger as I transformed.
Anger at all the losses I incurred because of his greed and arrogance. For the warriors I lost to him. For Arya.
I felt the shift begin, the familiar tug of transformation pulling at my very essence. My muscles burned with an otherworldly heat, as though molten lava coursed through my veins. Bones groaned and protested, as they contorted and shifted beneath my skin.
I closed my eyes, surrendering to the primal force that surged within me. With a guttural roar, I embraced the change, relinquishing myself to the wildness that lay slightly dormant.
The world blurred and distorted, colors melting into one another as my senses sharpened and expanded. The ground rushed up to meet me, and with a jarring impact, I found myself on all fours, my body trembling with newfound strength. Fur erupted from my skin, a cascade of gray that shimmered in the night.
But even as I transformed, I sensed Ethan's presence nearby. The rustle of fur, the sound of bones snapping and realigning as he, too, surrendered to the call of the wild.
Opening my eyes, I beheld the sight of him, his form sleek and sinewy, a creature of grace and speed. Copper fur adorned his frame, glinting in the night. There was a wildness in his yellow eyes, a feral hunger that mirrored my own, and as he charged towards me, I knew that this would be a battle unlike any other.
I braced myself, muscles coiled and ready to spring into action as Ethan barreled towards me with force. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through my body. I could feel the heat of Ethan's breath against my fur, his teeth snapping dangerously close to my throat.
But then, my instinct kicked in, a primal survival instinct that surged to the forefront of my consciousness.
With a defiant snarl, I pushed back against him, claws unsheathing from my paws, razor-sharp and gleaming. I could feel the weight of them as I slashed out towards Ethan, aiming for any vulnerable spot I could find.
Ethan danced nimbly out of reach, his movements fluid and graceful as he evaded my strikes. But I was relentless, my fury fueling every movement as I sought to gain the upper hand. Finally, my claws found their mark, slicing through the flesh of his shoulder with a satisfying spray of blood.
He recoiled with a pained howl, his own claws flashing in the darkness as he circled me warily.
"Is that all you got?" he snarled as he circled me. "So much for your strength."
With a thunderous howl, I launched myself towards him, my muscles coiling like springs as I prepared to strike. Ethan reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, his claws slashing across my side as he evaded my attack. The searing pain that followed only fueled my fury, igniting a fire within me that burned with a fierce intensity. I gritted my teeth against the pain, refusing to let it affect me.
But Ethan was relentless. With a swift movement, he lunged at me, his claws finding their mark on my back. The impact sent shockwaves of pain coursing through my body, stealing the breath from my lungs as I staggered under the force of his blow. I could feel blood welling beneath my fur, hot and sticky against my skin, but I pushed the pain aside, my focus unwavering.
As Ethan circled me, his eyes glinting with a predatory gleam, I struggled to catch my breath, my chest heaving with exertion. His arrogance grated on my nerves. I straightened, squaring my shoulders as I met his gaze with a steely determination.
"What gives you the audacity to think you could beat me at anything?" he sneered.
I bared my teeth in a feral snarl. "You brag too much for someone who stole my throne," I spat. "Fight me, Ethan. Or are you too much of a weakling to face me like a true warrior?"
Anger flared in Ethan's eyes, his pride wounded by my challenge. With a primal roar, he launched himself at me, his claws slicing through the air with deadly precision. But I was ready for him. With a swift movement, I sidestepped his attack, my claws slashing across his face with a satisfyingly vicious swipe.
He stumbled back, his claws instinctively flying to his wounded face as he fell to the ground, a snarl of pain tearing from his throat.
I stood over him, my chest heaving with exertion as I stared down at him with triumph burning in my eyes.
"Is that all you've got, Ethan?" I growled. "I expected more from the mighty alpha of Crest pack."
Ethan's ferocious roar echoed through the mansion as he lunged at me, his claws extended to attack. Instinctively, I stepped back, narrowly avoiding his strike. His movements were wild, uncoordinated. He was getting weak. But even in his condition, Ethan was a still formidable opponent.
I countered his attack with a swift swipe, the sound of claw meeting flesh reverberated in the night air as my claws sliced through his shoulders with precision. He stumbled, a pained snarl escaping his lips as he struggled to regain his balance. For a fleeting moment, I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
But Ethan was never one to back down easily. With a snarl, he stumbled back, his lips drawn back in a vicious display of teeth.
"After I kill you, Tyler," he spat. "I will mate with Arya right here. Show her how it's done."
His words drove me insane with rage. Arya was my mate, my everything. The mere thought of Ethan laying a hand on her filled me with a primal fury unlike anything I had ever known. How dare he speak of her in such a vile manner?
"How dare you!" I roared. "She's mine, Ethan. Mine!"
Blinded by fury, I lunged at him, my claws poised to strike. But he was faster, his own claws slashing through the air with deadly accuracy. Pain exploded in my shoulder as his attack found its mark, but I barely registered it, my mind consumed by a single, primal instinct.
No. Not Arya.
With a roar of anger, I grabbed Ethan by his throat, my grip like iron. His struggles were futile, mere feeble attempts to escape the inevitable. And then, with a single, decisive thrust, I plunged my claws into his heart.
The world seemed to hold its breath as his body went limp in my grasp, his lifeblood staining the luxury floor beneath us. For a moment, there was only the sound of my own ragged breathing, the taste of victory bittersweet on my tongue.
With a final glance at Ethan's lifeless form, I turned, following Arya's weak heartbeat and disappeared into the depths of the mansion.