Windsor's POV
I couldn't battle him while carrying Pauline on my back.
Mr. Sinclair had age, strength, and agility on his side. Meanwhile, Pauline could barely lift her head. If I set her down, she wouldn't be able to stand her ground. She was too weak to run. Another dose of whatever poison he'd injected might kill her.
I had only one option left.
"Hold on tight," I breathed against her ear.
Then I let the transformation take me.
Agony ripped through every cell in my body. Claws burst from my fingertips, bones cracked and reformed, flesh stretched as fur sprouted across my skin. My clothing tore apart, fabric strips scattering onto the forest floor. My frame expanded, senses exploded into razor-sharp focus, and a fierce growl built in my throat like thunder before a storm. Pauline gasped as her weight redistributed against my altered form, but her survival instincts kicked in. Her fingers locked into the thick fur at my neck.
