A Wolf's Curse (On Hold)

Chapter 9

Kane sprung to his feet—recognizing the urgency in Kay's voice. His heart raced as he broke into a run, weaving through the maple trees.

"Heeelp."

His heart pounded against his chest. Clenching his fists until his fingernails bit into his palms.

Keep fighting. Don't let him win. He exhaled between uneven breaths.

Kane spotted the couple as they struggled with one another. Red spots coated his vision as Kay swung her leg. The man let off a pathetic howl, landing next to her in the fetal position.

Kane's drive to tackle the other guy grew increasingly high, but a much larger battle to contain the convulsion in his muscles was afoot. He needed Kay to fight for her life. To protect herself before he succumbed to the monster within. The creature couldn't take over or the night would become a shit storm.

Kay pleaded but Ryan mounted her again, his aggresion more excessive. Light pounded Kane's vision.

The slap delivered to Kay's face ignited the match in Kane. Images of fire roaring against the night sky filled his mind as voices rang out in unison.

The vengeful blood in his body surged through his veins, shooting a combination of adrenaline and rage straight to his heart. His veterbrae began the instant transformation as his body erupted like a violent volcano. Hairs split his skin like pine needles, spouting forth in gray patches until they covered the majority of his body. The multiple cracks in his skin and bones made him shiver and grunt, despite metamorphising thousands of times.

One glance at the attacker and he stalked toward his target. He didn't hesitate curling his gnarly paws around Ryan's throat, or effortlessly extracting him off of Kay.

A scream left Kay as she scooted back in horror. One glance at her face and Kane's fingers constricted slowly as he uttered a guttural growl. Ryan kicked his legs about, grasping Kane's large wrist as strained gasps escaped his throat.

The same guy who'd caused drama between Kay and the other woman back at the party. Powerful and smug—reveling in his power of hurting others. Kane witnessed Kay's pain from a distance. He despised womanizers. Disgruntled that even some of today's women were still treated no differently than those in the past.

"Kane, you'll kill him!" Red nearly blinded his optics until Kay's silk touch brought him back, slowly diminishing his blinding rage.

"I-I know you're in there," she stuttered. Her pleading, honey-brown eyes threw Kane's ire off kilter. The adrenaline and heat waned, his vision clearing. He let go of Ryan instantly, dropping him to the ground.

Tilting his head to the side, Kane watched as Kay crouched down to check on her former lover.

Aware of his presence, she rose cautiously, inclining her head to meet Kane's eyes. Even with her erect posture—she did her best to camouflage it with bravery, but he caught the slight of shiver in her form. "Thank you," she told him.

For decades, he'd grown used to terror as a reaction to his brutish existence, but not once had another human talked him off the ledge. Let alone, attempt to touch him or look at him in the way she had just now.

Kane's ears picked up the sound of heavy foot steps, and the instant withdrawal of metal.

"The fuck is that?"

"I don't know—fucking shoot it before it kills her," he heard them say.

Kane shoved Kay out of the way as a loud pop traveled in his direction. A gun fired, the bullet hitting Kane with precision in his side. He roared as fire pierced his flesh.