Page 79 of Shadowblood Souls: The Complete Series

“You seemed like you were going to hit me,” I mutter, but I know that’s a weak excuse. This guy’s boss—or whatever Rollick is to him—just warned me minutes ago that I’d be tested this way.

The Grim Green Giant doesn’t appear to be bothered by my excuse. He shrugs and motions me onward. “Try to do better next time.”

The next shadowkind that leaps at me shouldn’t scare me at all. It’s the flirty woman who barely looks older than her teens that we met last time.

But she appears floating in mid-air with a swish of blond curls and her knee ramming toward my face, and my pulse jolts all over again. The next thing I know, I’ve wolfed out for a second time.

As she lands on the ground with a patter of her feet, I growl and contract my wolfish features. All this “test” is doing is pissing me off.

The girl—succubus?—whatever—cocks her head at me with a coy smile. “I’m honored that you think I’d need that much beast to take me down.”

I scowl at her. “I couldn’t help it.”

She studies me with a vaguely curious air. “You don’t like it, do you? Shifting like that?”

“What’s there to like about it?”

“It makes you powerful.” She laughs lightly. “Just FYI, from what I’ve seen in my experience, trying to avoid something your body actually wants to do means the urge will come roaring to the surface even faster when you can’t help it.”

She blinks out of sight again, leaving me frowning at the spot where she was standing.

Could that really be part of the problem? I’m fighting the wolf-man so much that it’s become harder for me to control it?

What if I assumed that I was going to wolf out? What if I accepted at least a partial shift as inevitable, but as a tool I want to keep in my back pocket until it’s totally necessary?

As I amble on through the parking garage, I reach inward to the parts of me that activate when I transform. I feel the shape of that monstrous face lurking behind my own.

Possibility coils through my muscles and under my skin. I’m ready. If I really need to, I’ll go full beast on any threat.

My gut twists, still not totally happy with the idea. But when the slim electric woman, Cinder, leaps from the shadows at me with a shower of sparks, my flinch isn’t half as bad as before.

My fangs spring free. A few tufts of hair burst from my flesh. But my face stays almost entirely human.

I could have, but this wasn’t a situation that needed it.

I glance down at my hands as my claws sink back into my fingertips. I decided I could bring out the wolf-man… so I also got to decide when I didn’t .

Cinder gives a brisk nod, not looking particularly pleased despite the sign of approval. “That wasn’t bad. If I were one of those dim humans, I’d probably have assumed I imagined the little bit of a shift you showed.”

As she slips away, Rollick’s voice rings out through the parking garage. “Okay, I think our would-be banshee needs a little intensive attention. The rest of you, take a break.”

I turn to see Riva stalking over to join him with a shadowkind man I haven’t seen before walking next to her. From her peeved expression, she didn’t ask for any special training.

My protective instinct tingles under my skin. I wander closer, wanting to keep her within reach of a short sprint.

The other guys drift to join me. Dominic peers at Riva over his shoulder.

“You can let her out of your sight for a few seconds,” Jacob says in an icy tone. “You’re not the only one who can take care of her.”

Dominic yanks his gaze back to us. Something in me bristles at the tightening of his expression, like he’s going to insist that actually he is.

But it fades just as quickly, and his mouth slants at an awkward angle.

“You know,” he says haltingly, “last night—it wasn’t something either of us planned.”

Andreas offers him a smile that looks a little sad to me. “It’s overwhelming. The first time, anyway. I don’t know… Something about our blood.”

Dominic holds his gaze, a mix of guilt and relief playing across his features. “Yeah.” His attention slides back to Jacob, and his back draws up straighter. “I’m not going to apologize. We didn’t do anything wrong .”

Jake blinks at him. Then his stance droops, just slightly but noticeable on a guy who never backs down.

He flicks his eyes downward. “I know,” he says tightly. “It’s good that she trusts at least one of us.”

A chilly shiver passes through me. What would have happened if she kept being wary of all of us? Would she have left?

I can’t have her like that, but I still want to be with her in every way I can. As much as I can without fucking it up.

I might have said something to try to reassure Dominic that I’m not pissed off with him, but right then Riva raises her voice. My attention jerks to her.

She’s hugging herself and glaring at Rollick. Five other shadowkind have gathered around her, close enough that my wolf-man self niggles at my nerves.

“I told you I don’t want to,” she says. “So leave it alone. Just because you’re helping us doesn’t make us your slaves.”

Rollick looks vaguely amused, which only irritates me more. “I hardly think my suggestion was anything close to slavery . You asked for strategies to control your inner monster. We can’t find ones that will work unless?—”

“No,” she interrupts firmly. “Forget it. What I’ve already tried was bad enough. There’ve got to be other ways.”

“Look, if you’d just?—”

I don’t wait to hear the rest of his appeal before I’m marching over, anger coiling through my muscles. The other guys hurry with me, tension thrumming between us, all aimed at a source where we’re much more comfortable directing it.

My voice comes out in a growl. “She said no. You have to?—”

A screeching sound drowns out my voice—and a grid of lights overhead breaks off the ceiling and plummets straight at our heads.