Chapter 19: Brothers
So that's what his wolf looks like. Ava blinked, hands still clenched into pathetic fists. Not bad. A little on the dramatic side, but hey, wolves weren't exactly known for their subtlety.
The boy she had oh-so-bravely defended wasted no time. He snuck around her and bolted. Coward, she thought, before realizing she would've done the exact same thing in his position.
Meanwhile, Lucas—big, bad, and currently very furry—stalked toward the trembling boys. His paws pressed into the dirt with an exaggerated thud, his entire demeanor oozing menace. The boys dropped to their knees in unison, heads bowed so low she half-expected them to start kissing his feet.
Ava rolled her eyes. Oh look, the Fearless Leader, demanding respect through sheer intimidation. How original.
Then, before she could mentally compose a full roast, Lucas lunged.
His jaws clamped onto one of the boy's necks and, without so much as a warning growl, flung him against the wall. The sickening crack that followed shattered Ava's confidence into a million pieces.
Her breath caught. "No... no, no, no—Lucas, STOP!"
She barely heard herself over the blood roaring in her ears. Her body locked up, trembling with something between fury and horror. These were kids. Arrogant little brats, sure. But kids.
Lucas turned to her, golden eyes gleaming with something that made her stomach churn. He growled in her face, as if she were the problem here.
And because Ava had a serious inability to shut up when she should, she turned to the remaining boys. "RUN!"
But they didn't. Oh no, they just stayed there—wide-eyed, shaking, stupidly obedient. She swore she saw a smug expression on Lucas's wolfy face, as if to say, See? This is how you rule.