Asher’s glasses must have fallen off during the fight because, in a sudden and horrifying turn of events, Griffin was ferociously punching his own face. The sight froze everyone, their expressions full of shock and disbelief. It was then that Violet realized that Asher had charmed him into doing it.
However, before things could escalate further, Roman stepped in, positioning himself between the two alphas. Even from where she stood, Violet could hear his commanding voice, "Let go of him, Asher. This has to end now."
But Asher’s response was anything but calming. He bared his bloodied teeth, a crazed smile stretching across his bruised and battered face. Violet felt her stomach churn having recognized that look. Asher didn’t want this to end. He wanted it to escalate. Chaos was his element, and he thrived in it. The guy was insane, for crying out loud.
Her attention shifted to Griffin, who had managed to grab his punching hand with his free hand, desperately trying to stop the self-inflicted assault. The struggle was obvious in his eyes, his face contorted with the effort of holding back his own strength. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, the hand continued to rise, inching closer and closer to strike his face again.
Asher’s power was in the psych, giving him control over his opponent’s brain, and in turn, over motor functions. He had willed Griffin to harm himself, manipulating his mind like a puppet. But Griffin was a Cardinal Alpha, his will and strength unmatched by most. Violet couldn’t help but wonder if he was strong enough to resist Asher’s powers.
That wasn’t the only alarming development. Violet’s eyes widened as she noticed Griffin’s body begin to swell, muscles expanding as his mass increased. It shouldn’t have been possible, but nothing was impossible with the Cardinal Alphas.
She wasn’t the only one to notice. Beside her, Dion let out a sharp intake of breath. "Fuck, this is bad."
Violet’s heart raced. "What’s going on?"
Dion’s tone was grave as he explained, "Griffin’s main power is his strength, but it also gives him the ability to rage out. When that happens, he’s hardly in control. It’s not safe anymore." He glanced around, his eyes scanning their surroundings nervously. "We have to get out of here."
Violet had no idea what "rage out" meant but something told her she didn’t want to find out.
Dion wasn’t the only one coming to that conclusion. The once-calm coach now wore a look of sheer panic, his composed demeanor completely gone. He began yelling at the students, his voice booming with urgency. "Get away from here! Get inside right now!"
The students must have understood the sense of urgency now, as everyone began to flee in a chaotic panic, werewolves included. Only a few werewolves remained, keeping their distance at what they must have thought was a safer range.
None of the humans stayed behind, not when their fragile lives were on the line. Violet came to an abrupt halt when a ferocious roar ripped through the air, shaking the ground beneath her feet. A cold shiver ran down her spine as birds erupted from the trees, scattering in alarm at the palpable danger.
Violet turned, and the sight before her knocked the breath from her lungs. She saw Griffin, or rather, what had become of him.
Griffin Hale was now a monstrous, towering humanoid figure, standing over seven feet tall. Violet could only swallow hard as her eyes swept over the impossibly large muscles bulging across his body. His massive arms and legs seemed capable of obliterating anything—or anyone—in their path, and the only thought racing through her mind was how easily he could rip her in two. The gods help her.
His shirt had not survived the transformation, hanging in tatters, while his trousers clung to him in scraps. Whatever beast Griffin had become radiated an aura of pure chaos and destruction, yet Violet couldn’t stop the brief flicker of awe that rose in her chest. Who in the world had created such an abomination?
That sense of awe, however, lasted only seconds. Griffin let out another deafening roar, the sound like rolling thunder, and then he charged forward. His target was clear: Roman and Asher, who stood rooted in place, wide-eyed like two deer caught in headlights.
Violet wanted to scream a warning, to tell that idiot Asher to run, but Griffin closed the distance too fast. He charged like a raging bull, unstoppable and furious. Yet, Asher stood his ground, that wild glint in his eyes as if he already had a plan to neutralize Griffin, despite the immense disadvantage in size.
Roman, however, stepped protectively in front of Asher, taking a fighting stance. But his bravery was short-lived. One powerful punch from Griffin sent Roman hurtling through the air, his body flying so far that Violet was sure he was a dead man.
But to her shock, Roman transformed mid-air. What landed on the ground—and on its feet—was no man. It was a massive, impossibly green-colored yeti, its size rivaling Griffin’s. The creature let out a ferocious roar, a defiant declaration that it had survived.
Violet stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded and overwhelmed by what she was seeing. How could any of this be real? This wasn’t a school—it was a goddamned freak show!
Roman’s transformation proved to be a momentary distraction for the beast. Griffin turned back toward the now-unprotected Asher. He raised his hand, but it stopped halfway, trembling in place. It was clear Asher had charmed him again, using his power to regain control.
For a moment, it looked like Asher had won. Except, to everyone’s shock, Griffin managed to fight through the charm and delivered a brutal punch straight to Asher’s face, sending him flying several meters away.
Great. Idiot.
The yeti roared again from across the field, stealing Griffin’s attention. Their eyes locked, and Violet instantly knew this was going to be a showdown. And judging by the murmurs and stares, so did everyone else.
"Fuck it, Violet, we have to leave now!" Dion’s voice broke through her daze as he grabbed her arm, pulling her urgently.
Violet didn’t need to be told twice. She took off running, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn’t about to stick around and become collateral damage.
But just before she slipped through the doorway, she caught sight of Asher lifting his head from where he lay sprawled on the ground. At least the bastard wasn’t dead.