"No, I think this will be interesting.” Hodge put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s time.”
I pushed at him, punching and kicking, anything, and he shoved me back against the wall. He hit me across the face.
"Give up. It’s over."
I spit at him and kept trying to get away. He hit me again.
“There’s nothing you can do. You’re all alone. Stop fighting.”
He advanced this time, I barely noticed. He was right. I was alone.
Alone. I was alone. But not powerless. Not broken. I remembered seeing my red eyes, I felt the rightness. I’m whole. If I tried, could I shift?
I could do this. All I had to do…
“Lucas.” Hodge jostled me, touching me again, holding my arm as if he had a right.
“No,” I said. When I looked up at him, I knew my eyes were red.
“It’s too late,” Hodge said. “You can’t win and you’re still alone.”
"I’d rather be alone than stuck with you."
He moved to strike me down again, I stopped him, eyes flashing once more. I could feel the fox waiting to come out and I welcomed it, encouraged it. I started to shift.
"Even if you shift, you can’t control your power."
If I shift, neither can you.I couldn’t form the words. I began transforming into a fox, a strange energy flooding me and consuming me. My hands were turning into claws, I felt power coursing through me…all I desired was knocking Hodge down, rushing out of here, and finding somewhere safe.
I tried to move…I couldn’t. The bastard was right. What started as a warm rush of energy quickly turned into a raging inferno. The power threatened to consume me.
When I managed to lift myself up, my knees buckled under the force of power. Too much, I couldn’t master it. Just when I thought it would sweep me away, I found a thought to focus on:scratching the hell out of Hodge.
I stood, wobbling but intent on getting to him. He stepped back, I kept coming.
“No,” he breathed. “Impossible.”
He stared at me in horror. He stepped forward and I itched to fight him. The coward threw the brown bag at me and ran out. I caught it without thought. My hands were back, but I still felt the fox at the edge of my skin, the change still close.
The door was stuck, he tried to trap me in here, but with so much energy rushing through me, I slammed myself at the barrier and it gave way enough. I stumbled out into… an empty room with hardwood floors.
As I rushed in one way, Gary rushed in through a different door.
"Gary? What’s going on?"
"Nothing. You know what, I’ll just be on my way." He backed up frantically but didn’t go too far. What?
“We aren’t alone, are we?” I realized.
"No, you’re surrounded by guards," Hodge said.
"And me," Gary added.
"And me." Hodge approached me. “So don’t get any ideas, Lucas. You—"
I swung and punched Hodge in the face. The force of the blow knocked him down. It felt awesome.
A howl echoed in the distance. Was that... Chase and Temple rushed in.
