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The first lesson Lace ever taught me was to disarm when disadvantaged. To take out the one obstacle that could take out my employee. Kaleb was almost gone. I couldn’t have Alek massacred, too. I wouldn’t, wouldn’t, wouldn’t.

A masked figure sprinted toward me, the rifle strapped to their chest. There was no planning as their rapid jabs disrupted my balance. No steadying as they pulled out a knife and slashed across the air that was enveloped by a fresh scent. There were two weapons I needed to disarm. The knife came first.

I dodged each strike, my footing unsteadied with every slice. We fell into sync with our attacks. One too familiar.

Arms collided, their strength leveling against mine. I pushed their arms, the knife falling and gliding across the floor. I motioned my body as if I was going to swing, but instead, I lowered and roundhouse kicked. They avoided it as if they knew it was my next step. Thankfully, they were still close enough in reach. I wrapped my arms around their neck and pressed against their throat.

The figure was composed while my body tensed, their airway completely unaffected.

An itch roamed through my skin, and I pulled away their mask. Taking a few steps back, I noticed the dark strands that cascaded. The way they turned to me and towered more than usual. All my strength drowned away as my sight grew hazy. But I could see them perfectly.

“Lace?”

What will you choose?

He wasn’t the best friend of six years I knew. No teasing grin hinted across his flushed face or gleaming brown eyes. Instead, a hollowness shadowed his features. A shadow of bloodthirst that slipped past his serious expression.

Masked figures encircled us with drawn weapons; Lorenzo was thrown into the barren space alongside Kaleb and Alek. My cousin’s expression darkened, Lorenzo’s face harsh with lines against his forehead as his eyebrows met.

“It’s been quite a while since we last brawled.”

A swarm of emotions battled within me as my voice dimmed,herpresence a ghost at my side that whispered.

Call my name.

“What?” I blurted out, fists tightening against my waist as I tried to take everything in— forced myself to see a lying truth. “What’s going on? Why. . .”

“I’ve always liked a harsh brawl when the competition arises. I just never sought one out until now.”

He tilted his head, and guardians stepped forward, two of them gripping my wrists and bounding me to their side. Others brought Alek and Kaleb onto their feet, Kaleb’s body flopping forward as the deep red continued to seep through his suit. The sight watered my tongue, but I forced my teeth to nip against my cheeks. My jaw stiffened as I kept my nostrils from flaring and taking in the aroma.

“Lace,” Lorenzo murmured as his tone grew lower, “What’s all of this?”

“In the beginning, it was all a scheme devised by him,” he pointed the rifle at Kaleb, “But there was a minor twist added by my superior. She thought it would be a great opportunity to achieve what we’ve been planning for so long.”

“What type of bullshit are you spitting?” His claws slowly came out, melding into his skin like a second layer over his nails. Teeth started lengthening into sharp points, and his chest heaved while it expanded.

Lace waved the gun at Lorenzo with inattention. “Ah, ah, ah. I don’t enjoy it when obedient dogs bark back at their owner.”

Lorenzo’s eyes had long erased his natural amber. They were black now, all-consuming and furious.

“What the fuck are you—”

A shot boomed and rang against my ears, a bullet slicing through the air and piercing Lorenzo’s chest.

“No!” I shrieked, my skin burning as I moved to my cousin, my only family member. He tumbled onto the floor with wide eyes and a sunken expression. “Lace, what the fuck are youdoing?”

“I’m finishing a job that should have been done years ago,” he said as he wiped his gun against his chest. “Lorenzo was ordered to be killed by the superior long ago. I, instead, kept him all alive for my benefit. Yet, his feelings proved to be an inconvenience. We couldn’t have an attached hound, now, could we?”

A monster.

His finger pressed against the trigger, but I wriggled away and collided with his body. The gun flew out of his hand, and Lace plummeted across the ground. Metal echoed, and guardians raised all of their guns toward me. A few targeted Kaleb and Alek, who stood trembling with wide eyes.

“Don’t do this! Please!”

“As much as I like it when you beg,” Lace stood and dusted off his black bodysuit, “I can’t do such a thing. What type of friend would I be if I didn’t finish what you started?”

Become what you fear most.