23. The Party Gets Crashed

**Past**

I started underground fighting accidentally. It was purely coincidental but now that I look back at how it started, I guess Kane did have a small hand in it.
It was the night of Halloween, just past eleven pm to be exact. I was getting off a part-time cleaning job which I hated, the hours were long and the boss was a snarky old man who kept finding invisible spots of dirt I missed. I had to resist the urge to throw the brush in his face whenever he pointed them out.
The pay could be worse though, I thought, staring tiredly after the costumed kids and party goers.
They strolled about, ecstatic (some probably high- the teens not the kids) under layers of freaky makeup and ghoulish masks. I wondered if Ian Morel-my newly found wizard friend- was somewhere in the city engaged in a similar activity. Ian had invited me out this morning but unfortunately there'd been no worming my way out of my shift. I still promised him I'd meet up with him if I finished early anyway. Presently, that promise was forfeit- I felt like a walking corpse. Even fully rested I was awful with parties, I'd only dampen Ian's fun if I went like this. Best to know one's limits. Maybe he'd bring me some of the night's spoils at lunch tomorrow.
I was studying a gory looking mummy hung outside a deli when I heard them. Not exactly close but my ears were attuned to these particular set of voices, like an internal burglar alarm. I could almost see the flashing red lights in my mind, hear the ringing: Alert! Douchebags detected!
I surveyed the street, drowning out the street chatter, honking cars, wheels spinning on gravel until it was just those voices.
"Think I should call the hoop earrings girl or the one with the freckles?" Darius asked.
"Why should I help decide who you hook up with?" Helen snorted.
My footsteps slowed. I found them through the moving bodies, two blocks away. Helen dressed in a elegant red dress, a black witch hat on her straight golden hair. She had her arm looped in Kane's, was leaning over a bit to give Darius an exasperated look. Darius grinned back, showing his fake Dracula fangs.
"I vaz only azking for your imput," he replied in an awful accent.
Helen rolled her eyes, glancing up at Kane for back up but he was staring down at the sidewalk, keeping the same pace as the other two but obviously not listening to them. He wasn't in a costume- didn't need a costume to scare anyone either way. A single glance was more than sufficient- I would know, I've been on the receiving end of his glares ever since that encounter in the hall a month ago.
I felt my back go steel stiff as they grew closer. Another minute and those cool eyes would land on me. His distant eyes would sharpen before narrowing and then he'd quip some remark on how tragic my existence was. The other two musketeers would gleefully throw in some of their own spice, and I'd suddenly become the target of strange looks from the passerby.
I ducked my head, dreading it but at terms with my fate. That's when I saw it. A discarded Minnie Mouse mask. I didn't hesitate, just scooped up the mask, put it on and dashed into the nearest corner. More luck, I walked into an alley- a smelly alley. Urine and garbage hung heavily in the air, enough to mask my scent. I ventured a bit further, hoping the shadows would swallow me up and waited. One minute. Two minutes. The three of them walked past, their voices fading with them.
I breathed out a sigh of relief that quickly turned into a gag. The air really was was revolting here, almost as bad as that time Ian had tried to take out the trash magically and ended up conjuring up a whole dumpster in the kitchen instead.
I breathed through my mouth, so eager to be on my way that I didn't sense anyone behind me until I was being jerked roughly backwards by the hair. Screech. The roots of my braids felt like they were screaming in pain. Behind me, a generous bosom was heaving abnormally against my back. New scents drifted into my nose, sweat, blood, excitement.
Hot sour breath crawled over my ear, a high voice pierced my ear drums. "Well, what do we have here?"
I've seen a scenario like this about a dozen times on TV, seen at least another dozen different reactions from the person being attacked(most of which I'd criticized) but none of that seemed to matter now that it was happening to me. Panic gripped my mind. My hands went frantically to the one that pulled at my hair, my feet tried to go forwards, away from the pain in my scalp. She tugged harder, sending a jolt of pain that cut across my scalp, down my spine and straight to my legs like a thunder bolt. I stopped struggling.
"I'm pretty pissed about losing that fight. Think I'll just kick you around a bit, maybe that'll make me feel better," she said, cackling like an evil maniac.
And in that moment, even as I was acutely aware of the fact that I was in a dark alley that reeked with a lunatic that appeared set on hurting me, two thoughts struck me clearly. One being if she did some serious damage I couldn't go into work tomorrow. The other was bleaker: it hadn't been that long since Kane had passed by, if I screamed loud enough he would definitely hear. Would come save me.
And call me useless afterwards no doubt, call me a weakling even though it was avoiding him that had put me in this situation to begin with. No. I'd rather die.
The strain on my scalp suddenly lessened and I stumbled a few steps forward. My eyes immediately went to the alley's mouth and my feet started toward it- the same second a fist connected with my back. The world blinked out of view. My eyelids fluttered and a toe curling pain stole my breath right out of my lungs. I gasped, realized I was sprawled against the alley wall on my side. I choked on a protest, every pore in my back seeping with fire.
Through a blurry vision, I saw the outline of the woman as she closed in, her villainous laughter ringing in my ears.
I still had the Minnie Mouse mask on, had on a different face but I was still Ember. The omega that never stood up for herself, the girl she(they) could kick around and not worry about being tattled on because even if I wasn't okay, even if the world inside me was crumbling and crashing, I'd never say it out loud. Because I'd learned long ago not being okay didn't matter to anyone besides myself.
So I'd lie here and just let her hurt me.
No.
Her fist was flying towards my face when I grabbed it, frosty rage clearing the fog of pity. This person hadn't attacked me because I was an omega, she was human not a werewolf. She was attacking me because she knew I wouldn't hit back.
But what if I did? What if for once I stopped being docile and let go of all the rage? What if I stopped thinking about everything save the adrenaline, the way it rushed through my veins, singing through my blood with awakening power?
I felt the quickening pulse through the palm of my hand and was struck with a startling thought as I looked at the frightened face before me.
I was the predator now.
I twisted and the fingers beneath mine followed the movement obediently. Turning like a doorknob, I thought as the woman began screaming.
I think she hit me after that, or tried to, I wasn't certain. All I know is I hit back, over and over, fed up with taking crap. I was riding a wave, a scorching one that was sure to reduce me to ash but it was okay to burn. As long as I was the one doing the burning.
Teddy Sanderson(I'd find out he owned the club tucked away further along the alley afterwards) found me sitting in that alley later, gasping, the bloodied hulk of what had been my attacker-breathing but unconscious- lying inches from me. Teddy was a round man with a mean sort of face and I thought I was going to have another go at it- my adrenaline buzzed body wasn't dreading the prospect- when he stuck out his large hand. There were several gold rings on his plump fingers.
"You interested in a job, kid?" He asked.
***
**Present**

With the mask standing as a barrier between me and the outside world, I wasn't the weak omega with a dysfunctional family and financial issues. I wasn't the Ember Yale who got rejected by Kane Wilder. I was an Ember who was free of those weights, the one who could throw a fist without worrying about repercussions or judgment. I didn't wear it entirely because I was afraid of my opponents.
It's nice to know you're not afraid of me anymore.
Outside a fight, I'd never dared strike a wolf more dominant than myself. Especially not without a mask. But I'd done so with Kane- and until he uttered those words I assumed it was the burst of anger I had been feeling at the time. Yet his words punched holes in that theory, flawing it, shattering it. Which was it? Was I so riled up that my body had become detached from the rest of my brain? Or something else- something I didn't want to think about?
I groaned. Why couldn't he just leave me alone?
I skulked back to the ballroom with less enthusiasm than the first time. The party had continued merrily along during my brief kidnapping. The artist had changed to Maroon 5 and I absently tapped my foot, trying to forget about Kane while my gaze wandered.
And then it happened. The room of about a hundred werewolves moved- one single body of working limbs, huddling together in their pretty gowns and suits and leaving all but a ring of space, a semi-circle untouched. I was the only one in that semi-circle.
I was standing alone. The room was suddenly hotter, a trickle of sweat had begun to run down my back. The faces were turned in my direction, their expressions puzzled- as if they didn't understand what was going on any better than I did.
Thud.
Something dropped in the space between me and the rest of the pack. No, not something, I realized with growing horror- someone. A certain she-devil who, even while on the marble floor covered in dirt (and perhaps blood as well from those deep red splashes) was able to trigger my inner burglar alarm.
Or maybe she wasn't the one triggering it, I thought, turning to the slow, sure footsteps echoing to my right. The person stood, hands on narrow hips and for some reason I was both surprised and unsurprised at the face I saw.
Alpha Caldwell grinned at me. "Hello, Emy. Do you like the little present I've brought you?"