Emerald's POV-
A million thoughts were racing through my head as I walked up the carpeted stairs to Courtney's room. Being thrown in the pool had sobered me up instantly and being so pressed up against August and dancing with him like that had my mind senses so disoriented.
I can't believe I burned him like that. It's never happened before with anyone else. Not even Seth makes my hands heat up like August does. I had both fists clenched tightly as I made my way to the bedroom with the giant pink C on it.
Before I could even reach for the door it opened and two people stumbled out. It was Courtney who's hair was now frizzy and messy and her red lipstick was smudged. She still had her red bathing suit on, but her heels were gone. Standing next to her with his arm around her waist was Keith. His fluffy brown hair was wild and he was shirtless and wearing blue swim trunks. He had red lipstick stains smeared on his mouth and neck and chest.
His warm brown eyes went to mine and then traveled down my wet figure. I used to love the way he looked at me like that with no shame at all about what he was doing. His eyes were so beautiful to me at one point, but now all I see is muddy brown and that warm feeling I use to get when seeing him never appeared.
"Oops! Hope you don't mind Emmy. I figured since you stole my man it would only be fair if I did the same." Courtney said with a proud smile.
I took in a deep breath and smiled at her.
"No way Court! You know you're always welcomed to my leftovers." I said back sounding chipper.
Her smile dropped and she gave me a look that could freeze hell over. She looped her arm around Keith's neck and planted a kiss to his cheek before looking back at me with a grin.
"You can keep that suit by the way freak. No way am I wearing it now." She said in a laugh.
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.
"I just want to get my clothes and then I'll be leaving." I said to her no longer interested in forcing a fake face.
"Whatever freak. Come on Keithy let's go to my parents room." Courtney cooed before dragging him down the stairs.
I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to look back at him and walked into her room and slammed the door shut behind me. She can have him they both deserve each other.
'She called us a freak.' Anala snarled.
I rolled my eyes at her and went into the bathroom to find my dress still on the floor where I left it.
'She called me a freak not you.' I said back to her.
'It's the same thing. Her wolf is obviously threatened by me therefore she hates you.'
I giggled while I slipped off the wet bathing suit and looked for a clean towel to dry off with.
'Threatened by you? I couldn't imagine why.' I said to her sarcastically.
'You're ignorant when it comes to knowing yourself and me. We are powerful and others can feel it. Some are drawn to it and some are threatened by it and that's just the way it is.'
I scrunched my nose up at her words. I didn't understand what she meant by that, but assumed it was because of our ability. Something we weren't suppose to have. Something we were forced to have. It was a blessing and a curse. A defense and a weapon.
It was this part of me that I loved and hated all at once. I wanted to be normal, but at the same time enjoyed having this special abnormal power. I wanted to feel grateful for having it and prideful in my abilities, but I can't.
It's nothing but a reminder of what happened. It's nothing but proof of what he did to me.
It's nothing but a curse that he gave me.
I was pulling my dress down over my thighs when the bathroom door swung open.
I jumped back to see Keith standing in the door way staring at me with that glossed over lust in his eyes that he always gives me. He was leaning against the doorway and had this crooked smile on his face. He must be drunk.
"We never did get to finish talking." He said before making a wobbly step towards me.
My eyes went wide and I took a step back from him. My heart was racing as I realized how dangerous this situation could get.
"Keith your drunk." I said to him.
He chuckled and kept walking towards me until I put my hands up and he stilled his steps.
"Don't. Just don't okay? Go back to Courtney and just let me go home please." I said to him as my hands started to tremble.
He started howling in laughter so hard he had to lean on the sink counter to steady himself. He walked towards me until my hands were on his chest and I tried to keep my arms stiff to keep him back from me.
"You owe me Em and you know it. I was the perfect boyfriend and very patient just like you wanted and now you're going to give me what I've been waiting so long for." He pushed me up against the bathroom counter.
He pressed his weight against me and was crushing my arms against his chest. He had me caged between both of his hands on the counter and started to rub himself up against me. I kept pushing against him and began thrashing around violently and tried to knee him or scratch his face.
He snatched my arms up and gripped both wrists tightly in one hand and pushed his other hand up my dress.
"No! Stop it! Keith please don't!" I yelled at him but he only pushed my arms back and forced my back to arch back against the counter until my head was against the mirror.
The position was uncomfortable and was hurting my lower back. He held me back easily and no matter how much I tried to push back against him or kick him I couldn't budge.
I could feel his fingers make there way up more and he began grouping and pinching any bare flesh he could find. When he moved his hand to the front of my dress that's when I started to have a panic attack.
I started hyperventilating and I could feel the tears cloud my vision as I felt him cup my sex. I was vibrating. I was shaking with fear, adrenaline raced through my veins with just pure panic.
'NO!' Anala growled and I could feel her want to take over.
"PLEASE STOP! PLEASE!" I screamed and I could feel my hands start to heat up together.
That small twitch and faint flicker was felt in my left eye and I could feel Anala push through. She didn't fight him though. She didn't help me force fire at him or snarl and try and bite his face off. She forced me to tilt my head back and she did what she had wanted to do ever since seeing the moon earlier.
She forced me to howl.
So I called to the moon to save me. I called to her desperately wanting her help and wanting her to keep me safe like she had done so many times before.
I called to the moon over and over until my lungs burned. It was ear numbingly loud. I could hear the mirror bust and shatter glass all over the bathroom counter and some shards fell into my wet hair.
I didn't stop howling though because of it. Not even when I could hear the familiar deep growl of August. Not even when I felt Keith's hand stop moving. No I didn't stop howling until the sound of cartilage cracking hit my ears.
August was on top of Keith who's face was now getting swollen and bloody. August was snarling and growling like a wild animal and had his large hands wrapped around Keith's throat and Keith was scratching and clawing at August's hands for release.
"August." I said but my voice was came out soft and scratchy from howling so much.
Keith's hands started to slow down their attempts to get free. His eyes started getting dim and his face was turning pale.
"August." I said a bit louder, but he either couldn't hear me or didn't care.
Keith's movements were going limp and I knew August was going to kill him if he didn't stop.
"August!" I yelled making my throat burn in pain and I felt a metallic taste in my mouth.
His head turned up to me and his eyes were solid black and white. He looked up at me for a minute and I reached down and smoothed his silver hair back. His eyes blinked and his one black eye went back to being blue again.
He let go of Keith and when he did Keith started gasping for air and coughing up blood. He crawled back away from August, but August was too busy looking up at me to notice.
"I want my mom." I whispered lowly to him and the tears started to come back and blur my vision. They fell down my cheeks and I didn't even try and hide how vulnerable I felt right now.
August stood up and wrapped his arms around me tightly. He started leading me out of the bathroom, but the sound of groaning and Keith's inaudible voice hit my ears.
"Em.. I..I'll tell everyone what you are."
August stilled and even though we were almost out of the bathroom he turned and took his arms back from around me. He took two long strides to Keith and grabbed him by the throat again before picking him up off the bathroom floor.
"It's a good thing the dead can't speak then."
He squeezed his grip tighter and Keith started choking and gasping for air again.
"Remember my face boy because I will be the last thing you see if I ever hear about you having her name in your mouth again."
August squeezed Keith's throat tighter and that's when I noticed the blood on his knuckles. It was Keith's blood. He let him go and Keith's limp body hit the floor. My eyes stayed on Keith's chest until I could see for sure he was still breathing. They were small movements, but they were enough to detect that there was still life in him.
My eyes just stayed on Keith's body. His face was unrecognizable. Dark red blood was pouring from his nose and his lips were busted. His eyes were almost swollen shut and he was making horrible grunting noises trying to breath. I couldn't look away.
August did that to him.
August had done that to him because of me.
I know I shouldn't feel bad for Keith, but I couldn't help feeling guilty for putting myself and August in this situation. I could've told Jody no and went downstairs without the swim suit on. I could've listened to August when he said we didn't have to come here. I could've stayed home with him and Helen instead and none of this would've happened.
This is all my fault for acting like such an idiot. Too busy trying to be someone I'm not. Instead I went off acting like a stupid little girl and making a fool out of myself.
Everything that happened afterward was a blur. I could feel August's large hands on my shoulders as he guided me out of the room and downstairs, but my mind was on pause and nothing was getting through or registering.
Not even when we came downstairs and everyone was staring at us. Nobody was dancing and nobody was laughing or talking. They all just stared at me and I could feel all the eyes on me as August pushed me to the front door and back outside. I could hear Jody's voice and then August's, but I couldn't understand anything of what they were saying.
The images of cars and large cabins passed by me as August continued to push me to walk down the road. His hands were heavy and I could smell Keith's blood on his knuckles.
His battered face flashed in my mind again and I blinked a few times to let some loose tears fall.
It wasn't that I thought Keith didn't deserve it. It was just something that could've easily been avoided if it hadn't been for my actions.
Stupid.
Why am I so fucking stupid?
Stupid little girl. Stupid little mutt.
Mutt.
That's all I've ever been is a stupid mutt. A stupid mutt with mangey hair and feral eyes. A stupid mutt who has no idea who she is or where she came from. A stupid mutt who can't even remember her own parents or anything at all before Scout. A stupid mutt who's been away from the one person who willing raised me and loved me. How could I go off all night while Helen is laying in bed wasting away?
Am I that cold? Am I that selfish?
August pushed me into the back seat of the car and I moved over to the other door and held my legs up close to my chest. I laid my head against the window and when the car started moving I could see the moon again.
I wiped the tears from my face so I could see her better. Don't ask me how I know it's a girl, Anala is the one who has always referred to the moon as she/her. I love the moon and I'm not sure if it's because of Anala and the wolf instinct or if it's because the moon and I have known each other for so long now.
I can remember many nights thinking I was alone in the woods. I quickly learned I was never alone really because she was there every night. She would watch over me and shine her moonlight to keep me company. She would keep me safe.
I felt loyal to the moon for so many reasons.
"Emerald."
My shoulders tensed up hearing August say my name. I'm immature I know, but I just can't bring myself to look at him. I felt ashamed and embarrassed by just about everything that I did tonight. August didn't do anything wrong, but I just can't look at him right now.
"Emerald talk to me."
Just keep your eyes on the moon. You're too weak to mask right now. Just look at the moon.
The car came to a stop and I looked away from the moon to see my bike parked outside of my house. I popped the handle on the door I was leaned up against and got out of Jody's car without saying bye and walked straight into the house.
I needed to see Helen. I just needed to be with her. I should've never left her in the first place.
I went through the living room and I walked past the stairs until I came to her room.
Before I could even get through her bedroom door though I slammed hard into something. I looked up to see Alpha Paul and relief washed over me that she hadn't been alone all night.
"Hey what's wrong? It looks like you've been crying." Alpha Paul said and his bright blue eyes were looking at me with worry.
I just stayed looking up at him not saying anything. I can't imagine what I look like right now I'm sure my makeup was smeared from being thrown in the pool. Alpha Paul looked over my head and I didn't have to look back to know he was looking at August.
"Why don't you go up stairs and change for bed while we talk Em." Alpha Paul said in a more serious tone.
I looked past him a minute and went to go walk around him but he stopped me.
"She's fine I promise. Go on now." He said to me in a voice that told me I couldn't refuse.
I turned around and kept my eyes to the floor before sliding past August and went up the stairs. When I got to my bedroom door I opened it and then closed it, but I didn't go inside my room. I stayed close to the stairs and tried to listen in on the two Alphas below me.