Page 4 of Heart Broken Mate

It was a sunny day, and the street was lively. I walked past a man pushing a trolley with used wear looking to sell some. A couple of street kids ran past me; one of them stepped on me and didn’t even stop to say sorry. I turned around to watch them for a while. They swerved around the people squealing and yelling. I knew what they were doing. Some people will get home to find their wallets and wristwatches missing. I smiled at the thought of that. A couple of years ago, that would have been me.

I wondered if I still had that uncanny ability. To look so innocuous and innocent while simultaneously wreaking as much havoc as I could. I stopped walking and decided to see. I looked around to score my mark. I saw a man standing on the side of the road, looking at a diner across the road, deciding whether or not to have his lunch there. I smiled and started towards him, looking at all he had on. His hat blocked out the sun, and my eyes landed on his wristwatch. It was Rolex.

That was a big score.

I continued down the road, and when I was just inches from him, I placed my own foot in my own way and tripped over it, falling down. The man came for me immediately. He caught me before I could fall, and I gave him a sweet smile.

“Thank you,”

“Look where you’re going next time,” he scoffed and said something in a haughty voice that sounded like an insult. I walked away from him with his wristwatch in hand. I had no regret and even was happy I did that. He sounded like an asshole. I looked back at him as he finally made the decision to eat lunch someplace.

Bad choice, I thought, as I threw the watch to a beggar. He caught it and looked up at me, his eyes wild. “Go sell it. Get yourself a room. You deserve it.”

He smiled at me, picked up his little belongings, and walked away. I felt satisfied with myself as I walked into the Palace.

The Palace was James’s sitting building. It was called the palace because it looked like one, and on a street that housed diverse forms of buildings, it stood out in its Victorian form. I walked up the stairs and nodded at the guard posted outside.

Passing through the walkway, I nodded at some of the help who looked busy and were cleaning. Some greeted me back; some didn’t even notice me. I left them to their work and walked into the throne room. I could hear the others behind the door. They were all there, waiting for me.

I knew there would be trouble.

“Why are you always late?” Viper asked. There was an unwritten rule that he was the second in command, and should anything ever happen to James, he was the one set to take over and rule the werewolf community. Viper is a very ambitious person, but I didn’t care for him. He is disrespectful and has had it in for me since my first day in the Palace.

His name suited him right because he has a serpentine quality to his face. It was thin, and his pupils weren’t round. They were thin like those of a snake. People say it was due to an accident when he was younger.

“I’m sorry,” I said, not really meaning it.

I was late because I stayed the furthest away from the palace, and it took longer to reach. Besides, I have it on good suspicion that Viper sometimes delays getting information to me so that I would arrive late.

“You’re always late,” he said, his snake eyes taking on a bit of a glow as he turned around and faced me. I stopped walking and watched him. I welcomed the distraction he was providing. He would take my mind off the pendant even more than I could manage on my own. But I changed my mind. It was better to keep things civil. James would want that.

“I’ll try not to be late next time,” I said.

“Don’t be so sure there’ll be a next time.”

“You’re not in charge,” I told him. “If James doesn’t want me here, he’ll tell me. Not you.”

I tried to move away from him and join the others, but Viper wasn’t having it. He stamped his feet on the ground to stop me from moving.

“I guess etiquette isn’t something they teach people on the street,” Viper said, and that got a couple of sniggers from the others. I smiled at him while reassuring myself that Viper wouldn’t provoke me to a fight today. But in any case, if he starts one, I would fight him right back.

“You don’t belong here,” Viper said.

“Well, brace yourself. I’m here already, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Don’t be so sure,” he said and pushed me away. I staggered backward but held my ground still. When he did that, some people in the crowd joined him. Those were his faction. Yes men ready to do whatever stupidity he was dabbling in.

They all glared their eyes at me, glowing and growling gently.

“You guys, stop it,” one of the others who was watching said, but they didn’t.

“Do you think you can handle us all, Hayley?” Viper asked.

I licked my lips. “You know what I see? Five wolves with the confidence of toddlers. The five of you against me? Where is your shame?”

“It’s not supposed to be a fight, Hayley. It is going to be a mauling,” Viper said.

“Then I think you better get more people on your team,” I said and winked at him, and that jibe got to Viper because heattacked me, throwing a punch. I was ready for that. I grabbed his hand and hit him in the throat before I extended my claws, and showed them to the others. I dared them to come closer to me and get a taste of the same. I held on to Viper with my left hand, and my claw scratched at his neck, drawing tiny drops of blood.

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