No, I won't give in

I took a deep breath. There was this prideful side of me that was internally screaming at me to refuse. But this side was conflicting with my increasingly more powerful skinwalker side, who was urging me to accept.

Still, I couldn't give in so easily. I wouldn't let myself get controled and swayed by these irrational instincts...

I grit my teeth and stood up, staring at Dahlia. "I'm not interested. I already told you that I won't wear a woman again. So stop trying to rope me into it."

"Ed-" She started but I interrupted her.

"No, if what you're about to say is related to that, then don't say anything. I made my decision and all I'm asking is for you to respect it."

Dahlia didn't say anything else, she just looked down, disappointed and sad. Seeing her like this hurt me a lot more due to her making this expression with Claire's face... Claire also seemed to feel uneasy due to the tense atmosphere.

"Sorry, I'll take a stroll outside, I'm too pent-up."

I grabbed a jacket and left the flat without looking back, wandering around the district with no clear goal in mind. The air was already cold in normal circumstances, but the skinwalker curse was almost making me feel like we were in the heart of winter already, chills running across my body as the light denim jacket I was wearing wasn't enough to warm me up in any way.

Is this a punishment? Because I'm going against your will? Do your worst, then...

I found myself near a park not too far from where the bar I worked at was located. No one was around due to how late it was, so I went there and found a bench to sit on and reflect on what happened.

These impulses to wear a woman, I needed to learn how to ignore them. I hoped that they would go away after some time, like with other kinds of addictions. I didn't have any other target right now after having exposed my father, so I would take a break and try to tame down these instincts before hunting down someone else.

I heard a lot of footsteps getting closer and I immediately looked up. Six men were approaching me, and, among them, I recognized the two drunks that were harassing Dahlia when we first met.

"It's this guy." declared one of them. "The one who fucked with us."

I understood that they were here to settle the score, they didn't learn anything from our last encounter. One of them seemed more sharply dressed than the others, it seemed to be the leader of the group.

"You are the one who hurt my men, is that right?" the man spoke, his tone more refined than the ruffians around him.

"And you are?" I asked, keeping all of them in my line of sight.

The man bowed and chuckled. "Where are my manners, you can call me Antonio, I am a caporegime of the Amaro family."

So these guys really were mobsters, huh? You were right, Claire...

I stayed alert, analysing all of their movements. Six-on-one wouldn't be an easy fight, even with my boxing training and my enhanced reflexes. I could potentially deal with four and then use my skinwalker spines for the last two to quickly dispatch of them. I didn't know if I could skin two people at the same time, though...

"I imagine that you didn't come just to have a friendly chat, then? Are you here to take **** for your men?"

Antonio held out his hand towards me, a business-like smile on his face. "That, my friend, depends on you. You do seem quite strong and capable, wouldn't you be interested in working for me? I can assure you that the pay is worth it."

The two guys I kicked the asses of stared at him in disbelief while I just raised an eyebrow.

"I beat up your men and you're offering me a job?"

Antonio laughed. "Why is it that surprising? Competent people aren't easy to find."

I contemplated on his offer. I would never truly accept becoming a mobster, but it could give me access more easily to destroy the organisation from within. On the other hand, just the idea of feigning to accept was hurting my pride.