27. The Game Begins

I blacked out.
At first there was a blurry version of Alpha's face, gradually zooming out inch by inch- then utter and complete darkness as I floated towards the welcoming blanket of unconsciousness. That cool, dark place our minds go to escape severe pain or shock. And for a while I did stay there. I probably would've stayed there longer too- if it weren't for the noise.
Noise that sounded like it was right inside my head.
It started as a distant echo, so faint it was hard to even make out the sounds- but that didn't last. Suddenly the voice was so loud it felt like someone had placed a stereo inside my brain, plugged it in and cranked up the volume full blast.
WAKEY WAKEY, EMY! THE GAME IS AFOOT! GET UP, TIME'S A WASTING, THE CLOCK IS TICKING-
I'M GOING TEAR YOU APART!
That last one, filled with a mad sort of rage, was what brought me, gasping and blinking to the surface of consciousness again. My mouth closed, opened again as I swallowed something. Something that gurgled and refused to go down.
My own blood, I realized with terror. I was going to choke to death on my own blood.
The game is afoot.
The game seemed ridiculous now, all that bravado I'd tried to exhibit earlier felt bogus. It only got me stabbed in the throat. All I wanted to do now was curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out while waiting for that dark place to sweep me away from the pain again.
Get to the roof in twenty minutes and I won't kill your fae friend.
Aster was in danger because of me- I couldn't climb aboard the train of self-pity. I reached inside me, found a semblance of calm and clung to it, sinking my teeth in it to keep from shrieking as I tried to breathe through my nose.
Get a grip.
I wasn't going to choke to death. I was healing, the fact that I hadn't died already proved that. I raised an imaginary wall against the part of my brain that was running around screeching in torment, forcing my senses to focus on what was going on around me instead. I didn't take inventory of the damage Alpha did, couldn't even move my head to, but I did notice the large hand pressing against my throat, stemming the blood loss. A sobbing sound from somewhere nearby too.
I moved my shoulders so I could look towards the person beside me and found Fred staring down at me with blood shot eyes. Black mascara ran down his tear stained cheeks, his nose leaking a considerate glob of snot.
"W-we thought you were dead," he stammered out.
I tried to reply, not I'm okay, but Why would you cry if I did die? Luckily for me though, all that came out of my throat was a gurgling sound. I turned, spat out blood, pushing his hand away. I replaced it with my own as I got to my feet. The room spun- but thankfully tipped back into place a moment later.
That's when I got a good look at what was left of the party.
The previously neat rows of werewolves were gone, dissolved into clusters and groups as the pack fought men and women dressed in red hoods. The newcomers used knives (swords would've been disastrous in these close quarters) and were obviously well trained. And at an advantage thanks to the weapons. The smell of blood and injury was sour and heavy in the room, and definitely not only theirs. I spotted the woman I'd been facing when this nightmare began, the one in the ruby dress. She was lying on her back, eyes wide and unseeing, a patch of darker red liquid on the chest of her dress. On the floor beneath her.
I didn't know her, but I felt her loss in my chest, like a small light had been extinguished. It wasn't the only light lost either. Fifteen. At least fifteen of my pack members were gone.
I watched a man tripped over her corpse, his palms smearing with her blood but he only got up, unnoticing as he fended off an incoming blade. There were shouts and cursing from all over, as well as a few mournful screams. But there were also growls- some were trying to shift.
There were so many of them, stalking red reapers striking down anyone they came upon. Were they Alpha's people?
Fred grabbed me gently by the shoulder. "I need to get you out of here. After you went down, Kane put on this creepy ring and went berserk."
I attempted to open my mouth, but the sizzling that began with the movement had me rethinking. I flipped a palm out in question instead.
Fred shrugged. "Kane ran the dude that stabbed you through that wall." He pointed to a large gaping hole to the left of the room. "I've heard things crashing around the house ever since but there's been no sign of the two of them. He shifted so fast, it wasn't even three seconds, I think. Totally dope." He sniffed once, wiped his nose with the back if his hand. "I'm glad May left before all this started, I didn't think you were going to make it."
I barely heard the rest of what he was saying. He said Kane had put on a ring. It couldn't be the one Alpha had on...
How long have I been out? A minute? Ten? I had to get moving.
I nodded at Fred, patted him on the shoulder and made shooing gestures. Go.
"You're not fine, you're still bleeding. I'm getting you away from here..."
His gaze jumped behind me and widened. I whirled around just as someone swung a knife at me. Without thinking, I leaned backwards, the blade swiping at the place my neck had been a mere second ago. The muscles in my throat screamed, the bells in my hair rang and my fingers went to them as if answering a call.
The mask began materializing as I leaned forward, ready to swing a kick that would send the person flying- when I caught sight of just who'd tried disengaging my head from my body. It wasn't one of Alpha's henchmen.
Rick Warren, the owner of Crunch, the restaurant I worked at, looked at me from helpless eyes as his fist (a fist I'd seen expertly kneading dough dozens of times) connected with my cheek. My head snapped back and I didn't just see stars, I saw entire constellations.
Strong hands.
"Ember, you have to get away," Rick said, his usually steady voice shaky.
The hand that locked my wrist in a steel hold was contradictory to his pleading tone but I knew even before my vision cleared enough for me to see the smoke drifting from his body that he was under Alpha's control. He wasn't the only one. Both sides were no longer fighting with each other, the red hooded people were shifting backwards, making a quiet getaway. I should've been relieved, but I wasn't. The pack, expressions cringing and fearful- stalked forwards, with purpose.
The game is afoot.
I suddenly wished very badly that I didn't have to play.