Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 11

Guys in wolf masks are running through the Shepherd's house, while "Who Let the Dogs Out" plays obnoxiously loudly. I watch as one of the wolves grabs a drink out of some poor girl's hand and throws it to the floor. Three of them pick up a Landor guy who was staggering around and they hold him above their heads, cheering and howling.

I storm into the living area, intent on turning off the music, but a big guy in a wolf mask stops me.

'Who the fuck are you?' I say. 'Get out of this house!'

The guy lets out a howl and then pushes me away from the stereo so I can't change the music. I stagger in my heels, taking a quick step to the side to readjust my balance, but just as I'm about to fall Watson catches me.

I gasp, looking up at him. His usually carefree features are rearranged into a scowl aimed directly at the wolf guy. Watson doesn't let go of me, but just says over my shoulder to the guy, 'What do you think you're doing?'

'Prisleys are taking over this party!' the guy in the mask yells.

I scowl, pulling myself out of Watson's grip. 'This is a Cernette party!' I say.

'We were all invited, Maisy!' the wolf guy says, and I raise my eyebrows.

'Lucas?' I say. 'That's you under that stupid mask, isn't it? Take it off so I can see your guilty face.'

'You'd like that, wouldn't you?' Lucas snarls, and it almost looks as if the furry wolf mask on his face snarls too. I take note that he's wearing a black shirt with a white front pocket so I can recognise him later.

'This is all Duncan's idea, isn't it?' I say. 'Where is that scumbag?'

'Find him if you can, Maisy,' Lucas says. 'I'm in charge of the music now!'

'You're not in charge of anything, Luke,' I say darkly. 'Duncan has you wrapped around his little finger. You think you're a wolf, but you're nothing more than Duncan's little lap dog, and you're so proud you can sit on command. I just wish Duncan had actually toilet trained you, because you're so full of shit. Come on, Watson.'

I drag Watson out of the room, but he's laughing. 'Lucas doesn't know what hit him.'

'Neither do we,' I say, as we walk out to the yard to see the pack of Prisley dogs wreaking havoc.

'Right, what's our game plan?' I say. I spot Ainsley and Jake, who are pulling a Prisley guy away from a bewildered Landor girl. Julian is trying to convince a girl in a wolf mask to put down the bottle of alcohol she's trying to smash against a wall. There's mess and mayhem everywhere, and I can't see Duncan.

'Em!' Julian says, abandoning the wolf girl. 'Harrison is upstairs making sure none of the Prickheads get into the bedrooms. He's worried they're going to start trashing the house. We need to get them out of here, now, bro! This is too fucked!'

'Jules, gather as many Cernette people as you can. Fuck, get the Landors too. The Landors have to take our side in this. First we just have to pull the wolf masks off. Once they haven't got anonymity going for them they will stop acting like a pack.'

'Right,' Julian says. He runs off in the direction of Ainsley and Jake and I can see him telling the group of Landor kids the plan to rip off their masks.

Suddenly Toby is behind me. 'Em,' he says. 'What can we do to help?'

'Tear their masks off, Toby,' I say. 'This is Cernette and Landor versus those Prisley dogs.'

'We've got your back,' Toby says, and he turns around, only to find his girlfriend, Scarlet, standing right behind him.

'Let's just bail,' Scarlet says. She has two of the Landor girls with her, and she's got a handbag over her shoulder. 'This party is fucked.'