3 Chapter 3: You Left Your Knife

Hannah and Nathan informed me that they are pushing their wedding back until this threat has blown over, they didnt want a wedding to distract everyone from a war we're facing. We spent day in and day out debating what to do. Three days of not sleeping was definitely starting to attack me. Everyone was looking to me to make decisions; to come up with ideas.

I guess the thought of dying was wreaking me. Everyone else has died before, at least once. Everyone but Clay, Gray, Aspen, and Dylan.

"Dylan why are you even in here?" Madelyn snapped.

I rolled my eyes and defeatedly pressed my forehead to the tabletop. We had been bickering with eachother for three days. Even Carter was snapping at me at this point. None of us had slept. Joey was gracious enough to bring breakfast, lunch, and dinner to us. The stress of everyone was driving me off the wall crazy.

"Can you explain, why you think that my lack of power means I shouldn't be in here?" Dylan snapped.

Madelyn fell silent.

"We need to join together and stop fighting," Hannah softly explained while Joey passed out our lunches.

"I'm sorry, am I not allowed to be stressed about the possibility of one of my best friends dying?" Carter snapped at Hannah.

"Carter!" Nathan growled, "She doesn't deserve the attitude."

"ShE dOEsn't dEsErvE thE AttItUdE," Kathy mocked while moving her hand like it was talking.

I rolled my eyes again.

"If you keep rolling your eyes they might get stuck looking at the emptiness inside your skull," Kathy snapped.

I could feel my face turn an angry red. My nerves tingled like I've been electrocuted and my fists started to shake under the table.

Joey came behind me and set his hand softly on my shoulder to chill me out while setting my food down infront of me.

"Carla they have Alpha standards right?" Clay asked softly.

I snapped out of my anger and looked across the table at Clay, "Yes."

"Then why don't you challenge him?" Clay asked, "They call you Crowned Lioness, that means they see you as the leader."

"We already what would happen if Carla was the leader," Madelyn groaned.

"We'd need more fire extinguishers," Kathy chimed in.

I stayed quiet and ignored them.

"If Carla were to challenge their Alpha she'd lose," Rachel sighed.

"You don't know that," Joey chimed in, "I bet she'd win."

"What would you know? Wait why are you even here, get out," Rachel snapped. A few seconds later she whispered to herself, "Flipping traitor."

Rachel was the only other person who knew Joey's identity.

Joey left the room quietly. I felt bad, he was the only person not snapping at anyone and he was sent out by my bratty child who is older than me because she's from the future.

Carter left the room quietly a few minutes later.

I took a deep breath and started to take a bite of my sandwich when Kathy started talking.

"Carla I don't think you deserve to eat lunch, you haven't contributed what so ever," Kathy snapped.

"I really don't care what you think," I sighed as I took a bite of my sandwich. Before I knew it Kathy threw an unopened water bottle at my head. Immediately bursting on impact and soaking my light blue shirt.

I stood up quietly and looked down at my shirt. I looked at Kathy who looked content with herself.

Everyone else looked terrified.

"What are you gonna do now princess?" Kathy mockingly asked, "Now that your body guard isn't here."

Daisy, who was sitting next to me stood up. I very quickly and gently pushed her back into her chair.

I put my hand over my knife holster as I looked down across the table at Kathy. She stood to her feet.

"Kill me then, try explaining that to Carter when he gets back," Kathy growled.

Eclipse legitimately growled under his breath and looked over at Aspen who was trying to calm him.

Kathy started warming up one of her energy blasts.

"I want to be Alpha," Kathy growled, "You're not fit."

"Kathy sit down," Liam gently tried to convince her.

"Man, that, it was a waste of a good waterbottle," I said angrily.

Nathan tried to physically sit her down but Kathy wouldn't budge.

"For your information punk," I growled, "I do not need Carter to be at my side to make decisions."

"Kathy sit down," Rachel urged her.

Daisy stood up and walked around the table, standing with Kathy.

"See someone else agrees," Kathy growled.

Daisy put her hand on Kathy's shoulder and Kathy immediately collapsed.

"Yeah, with Carla," Daisy groaned as she walked back around to sit and eat.

I rapidly vibrated my shirt to get the water out.

"I didn't know you could knock out people," Nathan calmly said with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah," Daisy smiled, "My Atarah Ariella taught me."

I smiled.

"Can we talk about why you knocked her out?" Madelyn snapped at Daisy, "It was unneeded."

"Question her again and see what happens," Gena growled, "They only power you have is your intelligence and you don't use that very well."

Madelyn fell silent.

Carter walked back in the room, "Sorry guys, had to use the bathroom."

"Good, you're back," Madelyn cheerfully said.

Carter's eyes immediately darted to Kathy passed out in her chair. He looked directly at me with a look like death.

I shrugged, "Would you rather her be in the hospital?"

"A word please," Carter asked angrily as he gestured to the door. I stood and followed him out the door.

He pulled out his watch and played a recording.

My voice came over, it was edited.

"I really don't care what you think, I don't need Carter. It's a waste."

Carter was red faced and angry.

"You were bashing me, infront of our friends, what were you thinking!" Carter yelled. The door behind me closed.

"I can't believe you!" Carter added.

"That's not what I said," I mumbled through my words. Carter had never yelled at me before. A sharp pain started to pierce through my chest, as he continued to yell.

"I have it on video! That's exactly what you said!" Carter screamed.

"You think our friendship is a waste?" Carter asked loudly. He was extremely angry.

"No, that's not what I said," I answered.

"Why didnt you come tell me you didnt want to be friends anymore? Huh?" Carter growled.

He started shaking because of how angry he was.

"You could've come to me but you went and cried to everyone else about it!" Carter snapped.

"What so you can call me a drama queen for having feelings? That's not even what I said and you're not letting me say my side of the story. I didnt say any of that like that!" I snapped.

"You know I didn't mean that to be like that," Carter explained, "Why don't you ask ME about this stuff instead of going to our friends ranting about your and I's situations?" Carter screamed.

"What? You want me to tell you everything I've ever thought?"

"What I want is you to stop trashing me to everyone."

"It wasnt meant to trash you but okay."

"But ok? That's how you're handling this?" Carter snapped.

"Yes that is how I'm handling a situation that you're being one sided on."

"I seriously can't believe you."

"I didnt say that."

"I don't care," Carter growled.

"You don't care? Then why are you yelling at me!" I screamed. I was started to shake with how angry I was.

"You say what you want after words to make youself feel better, but it doesn't change what you did. I feel really stabbed in the back," Carter yelled.

"How many times do I have to say that I didn't say it? I wasn't bashing you," I loudly screamed at him.

"I hope we can still be friends once you get over whatever that was happening. You're still my friend. But I don't feel comfortable being more than that anymore..." Carter angrily said.

My heart dropped and I felt it shatter all over the floor.

"I can't believe this right now. I'll talk to you later Carla. Bye," he snapped and then turned to walk out the building.

I fell onto my knees, crying. My face dropped into my hands to cover the sounds of my sobs. My feeble arms started to shake as I tried to cover the sounds of my uncontrollable cries. My body started to feel an all too real numbness. No emotion seeped through as I slowly lifted my head. Joey sat infront of me, an arm outstretched towards me as if he was going to touch my shoulder once more.

"Breathe Atarah Arieh, he'll come around but you have more important things to deal with," Joey softly told me. His bright blue eyes were almost glowing.

I slowly closed my eyes and reopened them. Joey was walking out of the building.

Carla?

It was Daisy mindlinking me.

Kathy's awake.

Good.

I walked into the conference room in a huff of emotionlessness.

"Carla, you're back," Madelyn said slightly shocked. My tears had since dried up. Anger tried to boil in my stomach yet it never reached my head.

Kathy threw a knife immediately, landing right in my collarbone.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked as I pulled the knife out of my collarbone and set it on the table.

Kathy started to warm up an energy blast. She smiled creepily at me.

"Get out," I demanded.

Kathy defused the energy blast and started walking out the door. She started walking down the hallway when I got her knife in hand. Fifty meters away, let's see just how good my aim is. She reached for the doorknob and I loosed the knife from my fingertips. The knife penetrated the wooden door just a hair length away from her knuckle.

"You forgot your knife in my back," I called out before I slammed the conference room doors shut.