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Hammer reveled in the feeling of shifting. His body widened and lengthened. His spine curved and lengthened. His skin became leathery and scaly.
His hair receded into his scalp and was replaced with scaled spikes.
His claws curved from his hands and feet, and he weighed more than a thousand pounds when the shifting process was completed.
Each of his wings spanned ten feet, and they were ridged with spikes.
Smoke curled from his giant nostrils, and his eyes blinked a dangerous yellow.
Ajmal and the soldier took several steps back, and the two leopard shifters looked at one another.
Had they thought they would actually win this?Hammer thought sardonically. He would have raised one mocking eyebrow if he had still been in human form.
At an order from Ajmal, the soldier held his gun up. They wanted to take the first shot. But one of the leopards snapped at them.
But it seemed the shifters would have the first go. They probably thought they would do more damage than a gun.
They were wrong.
Time froze when both leopards pounced. Hammer could see each and every single movement they made. He watched as their muscles contracted and expanded.
Hammer noticed how their pupils dilated when they made first contact. He danced backward, still graceful, even as big as he was.
He allowed his shape to shrink slightly, something he had perfected years ago. He needed to be more fluid.
The leopards fought in unison. One lunged forward while the other circled around the back. The leopard behind him sank its teeth into Hammer’s tail. He flexed the tail and whipped the leopard away. The creature spun through the air, and he landed several feet away, yowling. Hammer faced off with the other leopard, who pounced again.
He moved quickly, sidestepping, and batting it down with his claws. The leopard was hurt but kept coming back.
Just then, Ajmal fired his gun. The soldier followed suit. Ajmal had always been impatient. This time it would be to his detriment.
Hammer took the opportunity to sink his teeth into the leopard’s neck. Then he flung the now-dead creature into the line of fire.
Ajmal jumped backward, glancing at the dead creature. The soldier wasn’t quick enough, and the shifter slammed into his face.
Hammer did not have to look at Ajmal to smell the fear that was oozing off him.
Smoke curled from his nostrils, and a low rumble spilled from him.
Why had Ajmal started this? Why had he been so foolhardy? His fate was decided. He could have just stayed home. He could have let Hammer come to him. His death would not have been so brutal if only he had been patient.
Hammer had not used his heat in dragon form for a very long time. When Ajmal’s bullets hit his scales, his fire exploded from him in a wave. He was in complete control of his powerful flame. Ajmal kept firing, and the rumbling kept falling from him. He sprayed the ground in front of his old ally with his fire.
The flames flickered and danced, yellow and orange and blue. The flames weren’t ordinary either. They couldn’t be doused unless Hammer wanted that.
Ajmal stepped backward and then reloaded quickly. Then he kept firing the weapon.
Bullets sprayed in Hammer’s direction, but none of them touched him. His body would have been filled with holes if he had been human.
Why did these humans create these weapons?Hammer thought.
The fire had spread quickly, surrounding Ajmal. The rich, delicious fragrance of burning meat told him that the fire had met the leopards.
They were no longer of this earth. Poor little cats. They never stood a chance.
Just then, Ajmal abandoned his plan. He chucked the rifle to the side and ran. Leaving only the bewildered soldier behind.
The soldier staggered forward and picked up his rifle.
