Wolf of Cinders

Chapter 4

Eli's POV

My fingers ached as I scrubbed relentlessly at the stain on the kitchen floor. I scowled slightly at the fact that this was a new mess, purposefully left by my step-mother this morning. The dark stain refused to come out, and I had spent nearly twenty minutes working away at it. Slowly, I watched the stain disappear.

I sat back on my heels, my whole body throbbing from crouching down for so long. The clock above the dining table ticked monotonously as the seconds went by. Seven twenty-five. I got up from the floor, going over my to-do list in my head. Clean the floors? Check. Help the girls prepare? Check. Clean the bathrooms? Check. All I needed now was to get ready myself. I felt my heart race with anticipation when... "Eli! Come to the basement. I need to speak with you."

I felt my stomach drop as I stared at my step-mother. She was holding a small piece of fabric in her hand, pretending to inspect it in the light of the small hanging fixture. Around her on the floor was the shredded remains of my father's tux.

"I do hope that was not what you were planning on wearing to the ball! It's so old and outdated. Really, I was doing you a favor by getting rid of it." I clenched my fists, my wolf growling in my ear as I struggled to remain in control. Attack... Do it! Get rid of her. The thoughts of my wolf overtook my own and I could barely hear my step-mother as she spoke. "Such a shame. Since you don't have anything else to wear, you'll have to stay home and watch the house. We should be back by one." She smirked, turning on her heel and exiting the room.

I remained still for a moment, not trusting myself to move. The anger that had boiled up in me turned to tears as I collapsed to the ground, my body shaking with sobs. Why? What have I ever done to her? I stayed like that for a moment until I was gasping for air. I looked up, and picked up a piece of my father's tux. The worn fabric was soft to the touch. It was already starting to unravel at the edges. 

I gathered all the pieces of the tux, and placed them in the box towards the bottom. As I pulled my hand back up, I felt something brush against my skin. Grabbing the material, I yanked it out of the box. Laying on my lap, was a long blue dress. The deep coloring sparked recognition and I pulled out the mask as well. They matched perfectly. I looked around, an idea already in place. Carefully, I slipped the dress on, and looked over to the long mirror in the corner of the room.

The dress was simple and elegant. A high waisted dress. The long skirt started just below my chest, falling in waves over my legs, and went all the way to the floor. The top was snug, but not tight, and hugged my body. My frame had always been small and stick like, but the dress added more defined curves. Similar to the mask, faded white designs were sewn into the dress. In the mirror, I looked unrecognizable, and almost feminine.

I smiled slightly and, taking the mask, placed it on my face. A girl with deep blue eyes and dark hair, dressed in a deep blue dress and matching mask stared back at me. My hair wasn't long, but went past my ears, and helped add on to my now female appearance. We should be back by one. My step-mother's words rang in my ears. The clock by the door chimed. Eight-thirty. I could get there by nine, and just stay until midnight. That's all I need. I smirked, placing a hand on my hip. This wasn't exactly how I had planned to go to the ball, but if I hadn't expected it, that meant no one else would.