Mad Ember

17: Tensions

"Do you know where he is?" I question. "Corban, I mean?"

"I think he's in his office," Easton says. He points to the building next to the one I stayed in last night. "It's that one just there. If you walk in, his office is straight ahead at the end of the hallway." I nod.

"Want me to show you?" Reagan offers. I shake my head.

"No, it's okay. I'll manage." She nods and walks off with Easton. They would be cute together. I make it to the building quickly, and as soon as I walk in, I notice all eyes on me. It was like a common area, and it was full of shifters. Great.

Some were sniffing the air, and a low growl could be heard as well. I start to walk to the end of the hallway, attempting to not stir up any trouble. It was here when I knew that as soon as I had the chance to leave this place and still be safe, I would take it. A man stands up with a scoff. Catching my attention, so I turn around. He was large and probably in his late thirties. He had a lot of scars and a scruffy short beard. I clenched my fists, waiting for the sting, and when I felt it, I only made them tighter.

"A human? You're a little ways from hell, little girl." I didn't like this man or this situation. I wanted to just lay low until I could get back home, but this man was looking for trouble, and he was going to get it.

"You should have been wiped out along with the rest of your sorry excuse of a species. Now we have problems coming out of our asses all for some wimp of a girl." That did it for me. I stormed up to the man who just spoke and jabbed my pointer finger in his chest.

"Don't ever talk about my species that way! Don't ever disrespect my people who died protecting their loved ones. At the same time, your 'sorry excuse of a species' looked the other fucking way! Hiding in your big fancy homes. You insolent! Conniving! Piece of pathetic shifter trash!" I grow louder by the end, and he stares at me with wide eyes.

I raise my knee right into his balls, and he groans in pain. I jump up, jabbing my elbow into the middle of his neck, and he falls to the floor. I glare down at him and spit in his face. He hastily wipes it off. I turn around with a cocky smirk and dramatically dust off my hands.

Next thing I know, I feel a hard jab to the back of my neck, causing me to spin to confront the face of my attacker. That only encourages him to send me two hard punches to my face.

I stumble slightly back, and before I can regain my balance, I'm shoved to the ground with a kick. I lift myself up, glaring at him. "No, human. Do not disrespect me." He growls dangerously low. I spit the blood that was forming in my mouth aside.

I smirk on the floor and grab his ankle with an iron-like grip and yank my hand back, causing him to go flying to the floor. With my luck, his head smashes directly onto the glass coffee table, and he loses consciousness.

What feels like seconds later, I hear Reagan of all people. "I'm so sorry the crowd was blocking me I couldn't break through till the last second. Are you okay?" I wipe the blood from my lip.

"I'm fine..." I groan, sitting up in a sitting position. A tan hand reaches down to me, and I happily grab it, getting pulled up. I'm met with Easton.

"You're gonna need to be stitched up. Daniel got you good on the back." I take a mental note of the name. Daniel.

"Fantastic." I groan and begin to cradle the back of my head.

"It's this way," Reagan says softly. I take a deep breath and nod, following her and Easton trails behind us. "In here." Reagan gestures opening a door leading to a small room with a single window. I prefer the rooms full of windows. The natural light they offer is refreshing.