Anarchy

VIII

CHAPTER 8,
"POPSICLE STAND."

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❝Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.❞

— Confucius

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Anna stood on the balcony that morning, staring down at the castle garden that was still damp with morning dew. The kids below were singing and dancing joyously, practicing their number for the party after the Coronation to take place later that day. The werewolf rolled her eyes at the cheesy song and their need to plaster a smile on their face, even if it wasn't Duchenne.

Carlos, who had had his back to her like the rest of their friends up to that point turned to look at her and nodded for her to come down. He and Dude were playing croquet, and he wanted her to join him in the next round. She blatantly refused. Her dark eyes cast themselves toward Prince Ben and his parents, who watched on in confusion as their son beckoned Mal over.

"You're not gonna stand up here all day, are you?" Jay asked, coming to stand on her left. "I think it's starting to freak some of them out."

Sure enough, Jane was watching them warily.

Anna turned her gaze to her friend, who was watching her with that knowing twinkle.

"Fine," she replied, "but I'm not playing hammer-ball."

"Croquet," he corrected.

"Whatever."

She followed him down the stairs and walked over to where Carlos stood, trying to get a ball through the wire hoop wedged into the ground.

"Are you gonna play?" he asked her.

"No."

"You're stubborn."

"It's hereditary."

Perhaps she had come down at the right time. For at that moment, the three of them looked over toward Mal. An argument was brewing. A nasty one.

The three of then quickly dropped what they were doing and ran over, like soldiers being called to war.

"And this one's nothing but a cheater and a gold digger!" Chad pointed at Evie.

Anna's blood boiled as she watched the hurt expression that rippled across her best friend's face, "You son of a —!"

She never finished as she cut herself off with a cry of alarm. Carlos and Jay stumbled to a stop as she seemed to trip on air, landing on her stomach with a grunt. A cry of pain followed as she felt one of her bones snap and change places. And another and another and another. When it finished, a fully transformed wolf stood from the ground, dark hackles raised in the sunlight. She shook herself like she was shaking off water before growling deeply at the boy who dare call her friend such a name.

It would appear for the moment that she had let herself go, that she had let the genes take hold and drag her into a dark cave on a high mountain and chain her there. The boy stepped back as she took a step forward, her dark eyes gleaming in the light.