Ember
I wasn't a stranger to magical pranks. In fact, I think I've been the test subject for several of them (I once got hexed with a male voice and ended up skipping school for a week while waiting for it to wear off) but this particular prank felt more personal. More malicious. The pranks in the past were a case of stronger kids picking on weaker kids but now that I was technically their head honcho, them pranking me was the equivalent of a challenge. Challenges could mean life or death when it came to werewolves.
Which meant the person who turned every inch of skin on my body from head to toe red was not Darius. Challenging authority wasn't his thing and his pranks were more low-key. This was a high profile case. The person who did it obviously wanted to humiliate me in front of the whole pack tomorrow.
It didn't matter whether or not Kane was with me, I couldn't meet the pack looking like this. I'd be the laughing stock of the year. They'd make vines about me.
And there was no telling who was the culprit-
"Of course we know who the culprit is," Helen said, stalking out of the kitchen.
I gave Thomas a questioning look. He shrugged. "I have no idea what goes on in her mind and I quite frankly don't want to find out."
I paused at this, studying him more closely. He was biting his nails in an unusually angry manner, dark eyes focusing on the doorway Helen had walked out of.
I grasped the hand his teeth were assaulting, entwined our fingers and patted the back of his hand. "I heard Darius has been bothering you."
"I'm not scared of him. Kane promised me Darius wouldn't dare hurt me."
"I'll talk to Darius anyway." I pointed to the food Helen had been trying to give him. "Do I need to have a talk with Helen too?"
"No," he rushed out, faltering as he stared at my red face in fascination. I suppose there hadn't been any teenagers playing magical pranks in his previous pack. "I know everything. Helen treated you horribly but now she comes around acting like that was her evil twin sister. It's annoying."
I hadn't believed past evils could come around to bite you in the ass but apparently karma did exist. Still, I couldn't find it within myself to be ecstatic about Thomas' lowly opinion of Helen.
"You don't have to dislike her on my account," I said.
He shook his head. "You're not the only person she mistreated. Her personality might not be as bad as Wendy's but I'm sick and tired of unpleasant people."
Helen walked in as he said the last part but judging by the crestfallen quality her expression took, she'd heard everything. Disadvantages of having good hearing. Her moment of vulnerability didn't last long, reaching behind her, she dragged a woman forward, shoving her into the kitchen. Helen threw a bottle- the body wash I'd used today- on the floor. "There's your culprit," Helen said.
I recognized the culprit.
She worked for the cleaning service that cleaned the house five times a week. I'd seen her around and thought she seemed pleasant if not a bit distant- but her disinterest in me was what I'd liked about her. It turned out she wasn't as disinterested as I'd thought.
"Was it you, Beatrice?" I asked, checking her name tag in case I'd forgotten.
I hadn't been wrong. Beatrice appeared to be my mother's age, her golden brown hair pulled back into a bun and her white t-shirt tucked into a pair of skinny jeans I envied. She was measuring me back, and looking less impressed too.
"You're just a kid," she said.
My eyelid twitched. "Yet you're the one playing pranks."
She placed a foot on the bottle, bore down on it till some of the liquid spurted onto the floor. The tiles were a light color but became spotted with red spots where the soap touched, as if someone had accidentally spilled ketchup. "You're lucky turning you red was all I did."
Well. Beatrice didn't like me. While that might've bothered the old me (in fact it still bothered me) what was more important for the stability of the pack was that she also didn't respect me. That was going to have to change.
How though?
"Why did you do it?" I asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" she returned. "You're a snobby spoiled brat- just like your mother told us you were."
I nodded at her, fighting to keep my anger under a mask of calm. I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of seeing me come undone by her words. "This is the first time we've ever had a conversation but you already know everything about me."
She rolled her eyes. "You're not the only thing that's bad for this pack, Kane is selfishly arrogant and immature. His weakness is why we're constantly being targeted. The rest of the pack will realize this soon."
And turning me red would prove how ridiculous I was. That I was a joke. None of them would take me seriously after they saw me like this- but hiding from them would have a negative effect too. Either they'd assume I was being a snob like Beatrice here accused or that I was still shy and how could they trust an alpha who didn't even have the courage to face them?
"Are we done here?" Beatrice asked, throwing down a towel she must've been using to clean.
Weird how she was cleaning at night when she habitually cleaned in the mornings and afternoons...but the pack gathering tomorrow would've made that difficult. Especially if she was also attending.
She'd be here tomorrow.
She'd get to see the effects of her work in person. And probably brag about it too.
If I let her go without punishing her it would be seen as another sign of incompetence. I had to do something.
I glanced at the others. Helen's face was impassive and averted, a lack of interest that sent a clear message: this situation- and the potential fallout- was something I'd have to face on my own.
Thomas on the other hand was hugging himself like his very life depended on it, despaired gaze glued to Beatrice. It took me a beat to figure out why he was so dreadfully scared. Considering how abusive his pack was, I had no doubt he'd witnessed countless scenes where an alpha punished a 'disobedient' pack member. He was obviously being dragged back into painful memories.
I had promised to protect him. And I meant it.
"You can go," I told Beatrice.
Her eyes widened. She'd expected a more violent verdict too. "I can go?"
"To Donna and her friends," I replied. "You appear to share the same views so I think its best you go live with them. You are no longer welcome in our pack."
Once the words had been spoken Beatrice staggered back as if punched her in the gut, her smug expression contorting with an emotion I couldn't completely decipher. Pain? Loss?
Whatever it was she was feeling, I knew what I felt then: the irrefutable snip of pack bonds connecting her to the rest of us. Unlike the first time she came into the kitchen, when I looked at her now my instincts weren't telling me pack, family, my wolf.
There was only one word. Stranger.
It was for the best.
Turning my back on Beatrice and her growing horror, I moved to Thomas. He looked at me gratefully, his hand clinging when I took it.
"Want to go shopping with me?" I asked him, smiling. "We should look our best tomorrow."
Because appearance could be a weapon and mine had been dulled.
It was time to sharpen my sword for the battle ahead.
***
Tyra
The old hag had been right, I'd just brought about their pack's doom. The only defense Jett and his friends had had was gone and although my plan for revenge might do away with Light there was no guarantee it would actually work. Or if it did work, there was no telling who might die by then. Most likely the first casualty would be Kane Wilder.
I felt a pang of guilt.
But maybe I shouldn't feel too bad? I heard about what Kane had done to Ember from Light (he'd been very enthusiastic about detailing Kane's weaknesses) and perhaps Ember would be better off without him. Perhaps the damage I'd caused wouldn't be too substantial.
I knew I'd lost everything.
Light had kicked my parents out of the home I'd danced, sweated and fainted more times than I could count to build.
He kicked me out of Fae, the only home I've known my whole life.
And last but not least, he forbade my parents from communicating with me. If they disobeyed he promised it would be the last thing they did in this life.
My fingers balled into fists at the reminder and I nearly let loose another scream of rage as I've been doing on interval for the past hour, but the flash of headlights cut me short. I blinked at them in annoyance, watching the car turn and park further down the road. Jett got out from the passenger side. His gaze locked onto mine.
I set aside my anger.
I motioned him over, picking up the stack of papers I'd put together.
It was time to put my plan into motion and disengage myself from these werewolves for good.