Chapter Thirteen:

I just finished coating my lips in a soft pink lipstick when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.  I recapped the lipstick and smoothed out my modest blush pink lace dress. I matched it with a pair of white open toed heels, which were sitting by my bed.  I ran and slipped them on before opening the door to reveal Kat, Matt, and Dalton.  We greeted each other and walked together towards the banquet hall where the brunch was being held.  Tyler told us that it was usually outside, but since it was cold and drizzling outside, they moved it to one of the banquet halls instead.  It didn't take us too long to each the big, well lit room. One of the walls was made completely of windows, giving it a sunroom type of feel.

There were tables along the wall opposite of the windows, food and beverages sitting along them, much like a buffet. There was a coffee bar, which had any kind of hot beverage you could think of. Hot chocolate, hot tea, espresso. They even had the makings of iced coffee. Next to that, there was a waffle bar, with all kind of toppings and sauces. Anything you could think to put on a waffle, and even things you'd never think to, they had. I also saw an assortment of bagels, croissants, and scones. 

There were tables scattered around the room, covered in fancy white table cloths and colorful place settings. Some people were seated, but most were standing around in groups, talking and catching up.

My eyes unconsciously scanned the room for King Finnian, but I didn't see him. The only people around the room that I recognized were Nathan, Harrison, Tyler, and Lili. Lili and Nathan were talking to each other, both holding a cup of coffee, and Harrison was sitting at a table, booming laughter coming from him. He was sitting with a group of older men, probably close to his age.

There were waiters walking around, carrying trays and offering people food and drinks. They had mimosas and plain orange juice in champagne flutes. When a young girl, probably close to my age, walked in front of us, offering us one, I took a mimosa. Matt and Dalton declined, choosing to go get coffee instead, and Kat took an orange juice.

We thanked her and she walked off to serve someone else. I saw some of the other trays. They all had things that could be eaten standing up. I saw colorful fruit skewers, mini pancakes on a stick, mini quiches, cucumber sandwiches, mini yogurt parfaits in shot glasses, and several other finger foods that I didn't recognize. I grabbed a mini pancake skewer when another girl walked by. 

"Come on, I want to introduce you to Nathan. He's my sparring partner." I told Kat after I took a sip of my mimosa.

I held my now empty toothpick from my pancakes in the same hand as my glass and linked my arm with Kat. The guys were still getting their coffee and were now talking with a couple other guys.

We made our way across the room, to where Nathan and Lili were standing. They smiled when they saw us heading over. Nathan pulled me into a hug and I did the same to Lili.

"Kat, this is Nathan. Nate, this is my best friend and sister in law, Kat." I introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Kat smiled politely and held her hand out to shake his.

"You too. I've heard a lot about you." He shook her hand.

"All good things I hope." Kat laughed lightly.

"Fortunately, yes. Your sister, Selena, wasn't so lucky."

Kat lost her polite laugh and laughed for real. "Doesn't surprise me. They have a love hate thing, emphasis on the hate." She joked.

"If she's anything like this one, I can understand." He pointedly glanced over at me.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, not sure if I should feel insulted or not.

"It means, you're kind of a pain in the ass. Kind of easy to hate." His eyes twinkled with humor as he looked at me.

I gaped at him. "Don't make me kick your ass again, Red. You know I can. I proved that twice yesterday."

"And I proved that you couldn't a countless number of times."

"I guess we'll find out Monday. You better be ready. Have a paramedic on stand-by." I warned playfully.

"I'll have them waiting for you, Medusa."

"Your insult is sad and irrelevant."

"Just like you."

"Ooh, burn." Kat added, sipping on her orange juice. She held up her hand to Nathan, giving him a high five. I gave her an incredulous look. She was supposed to be on my side. Lili said nothing, but giggled under her breath at the three of us.

"I wish your kind had gone extinct before you were born."

"Harsh." He grinned down at me. "You're a never ending supply of ginger jokes. I'm sure you'll run out soon."

"Challenge accepted, Strawberry Shortcake."

"You do realize I'm like a foot taller than you." He raised an eyebrow down at me. "Even with your hooker heels." He glanced down at my feet.

"That is irrelevant as well. And they're just shy of receiving hooker status."

"Good to know. I've always wanted to know what the height limit for hooker heels were. Thanks so much for that stimulating piece of information."

"You two are like the same rude, sarcastic person." Kat chuckled.

"I take offense." I told her.

"What do you know, I finally agree with you for once."

I rolled my eyes at him and swallowed the last of my mimosa.

"As riveting as this conversation is, I need food. I'm going to go see what all there is."

They all nodded. I looked at Kat, curious if she wanted to come with me or stay there. She said she was going to talk to Lili for a few minutes and would catch up to me later.

I left the little group and made my way to the buffet. I grabbed another mimosa off a tray on my way and sipped as I went. Once I reached the table, I glanced over my options. After a few minutes of indecisiveness, I decided to start with a croissant. I spread some butter on the warm bread and it melted quickly. I nearly moaned in delight as it hit my taste buds. I had never been to Paris, but this is what I guessed their croissants tasted like. It was delicious.

I walked away as I munched on my treat, promising myself to come back later for a waffle. I glanced around to see if anyone else had arrived that I knew. Before my eyes had time to scan the room, I heard a booming voice call my name.

My eyes snapped to the left and I saw Harrison waving me over, still at the same table as before. I took another bit of my croissant and made my way over to him. I smiled at him once I reached the table and sat down next to him. He was surrounded by three other men, all middle aged.

"Fellas, this is Kendall Keating, my new student. Quite the fighter, this one." He bragged.

"You sound like a proud dad, old man." I giggled.

"As you can tell, her attitude is a work in progress." He chuckled. "But she's got a hell of a right hook. Knocked Nathan on his ass twice yesterday."

"This little thing managed to take out Nathan?" One of them asked disbelievingly.

"She sure as shit did. Tougher than she looks. Took a beating for over a week before she managed to take him out. Didn't complain once."

"Impressive." Another man added.

"That's what I said." He looked over at me, then realized I had no idea who these men were. "Oh, damn. Sorry, I forgot to introduce you. Keating, this is Carl Francis. He's the Head Tracker."

"Nice to meet you, kid. I've heard nothing but good things about you. You did a hell of a job leading us to that group of Rebels in the woods." Carl told me.

"You're the one who found them?"

"Me and my men, yes. Wasn't hard once we knew to actually look."

I nodded and Harrison continued his introductions, motioning to the second man. "This is Ian Johnson. He's my Third in Command."

He was the one who seemed surprised that I was able to take down Nathan. I smiled at him politely. He nodded at me.

"And this is Alpha Jim Evers. He's a member of the Royal Council. He's also my oldest friend. We grew up together. And before you even say it, the dinosaurs didn't roam the earth with us."

I grinned. "You know me so well, Harrison."

"Well, between your old man jokes and your ginger jokes, you're not hard to predict."

"I just tell it like it is." I said cheekily.

"You're a little shit, is what it is."

I just grinned again and turned to the men across from me. "It's really nice to meet you all. I've heard great things about all of you."

It was true too. I knew of Alpha Jim because of my father and Carl and Ian from Harrison and Nathan.

"Likewise. I actually met you once, when you were just a little girl. I went to you territory for a meeting with your father. He's a good man, I have nothing but respect for him." Alpha Jim said.

"That he is. He's a great Alpha." I agreed with him and I appreciated his kind words towards my dad.

It didn't surprise me that he had been to our territory before. Dad liked to be on good terms with other packs, be friendly even. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for him to invite Alphas to our territory and to go visit theirs. He had a lot of ally's and alliances. He didn't really have any enemies.

"He is. That is why I recommended him to join the Council. A couple of us did actually."

"That is really nice. He definitely appreciates it."

"He earned it. One of the most honest, respectable Alpha's I've ever come across."

"I'll let him know you said that. He'll be happy that he has such a good reputation amongst his peers."

"Please do. Tell him I look forward to him joining the Council."

"I will, sir."

"He gets sir and I get old man? How is that fair?" Harrison butted in.

"He doesn't have one of his strongest men beat the crap out of me." I rolled my eyes.

"If I didn't think you could take it, I wouldn't have done it."

"Well thanks for the compliment, old man." I joked.

I swallowed the last of the buttery croissant, then washed it down with the last of my mimosa.

Before anyone else could say anything, the room got quiet and everyone who was seated stood up. I felt his power emanating, filling the room and washing over every person here. Everyone looked in his direction, bowed their head, and tilted it to the side, exposing their necks submissively. I did the same. After a few seconds, he continued into the room and everyone went back to their conversations.

As I sat back down, I finally let my eyes land on my mate. He had on a black suit, with black shoes and tie, and a white button up. His hair was pushed neatly to the side and his beard was short and trimmed. He looked mouthwatering.

His eyes meet mine after a few moments. They didn't stay on me for but a second, but it was enough time for his eyes to flash golden briefly. I smiled to myself and looked away after he did.

"So, do you gentlemen have mates or kids?" I turned my attention back to the men, who hadn't even noticed it had left them.

I accepted another mimosa from the waitress beside me and she took my empty glass. I sipped at it slowly while they spoke.

Ian answered first. "I do. Ellen. We have two kids together and three grandkids, a fourth on the way."

"That's exciting!"

"Yeah, it's definitely fun. A hell of a lot more fun than parenting."

"I agree with that." Jim added. "Cindy and I have ten."

"Ten grandkids? How many kids?" I inquired.

"Four. All but the youngest has had at least two."

"What about you, Carl?" I asked the third man.

"Two kids, no grandkids yet. Soon hopefully."

"Do they have their mates yet?"

"Yep."

"I'm sure you'll be a grandpa soon then." I encouraged.

"I'm a grandpa, in case you were wondering." Harrison added.

I laughed. "Is someone feeling left out?" I teased. He gave me a dry look. "I already know about your grandbaby. You even showed me a picture, remember?"

On our first day working together, I had asked him about himself. He had told me about his mate, Winnie, their three kids, and his three year old granddaughter. She was his only grandkid so far and he absolutely adored her. He kept her picture in his wallet. She was adorable.

"Sounds familiar." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

One thing I had learned about Harrison was that he was kind of forgetful. He often didn't remember conversations that he had with people. It didn't surprise me that he didn't remember talking to me. He was a very busy man and I'm sure he talked about his family frequently.

"I'm still waiting for that dinner invite to meet them."

"Oh, you know you're welcome any time."

"I'll take you up on that. I could use a change of setting for dinner. That stuffy old dining room is getting old. Plus, I want to try Winnie's famous lasagna that I hear you raving about all the time."

"Well Friday's are lasagna night. Come on over."

I nodded happily in acceptance. I continued to talk to the guys for a while, but eventually I got hungry again and decided to get more food. I told them all that I'd see them later and left them discussing whose mate was a better cook.

I made a detour to the buffet when I saw one of the trays a familiar waitress was carrying. They had mini lemon pound cakes with an iced glaze drizzled over the top. I grabbed one and took a bite, the dense, moist cake filling my taste buds. I finished it in a few bites and washed it down with my remaining mimosa.

Once I finally made it to the waffle bar, I filled a plate with a waffle and topped it with cream cheese and powdered sugar. I grabbed a fork and knife and turned around, looking around the room to decide where to sit. The room was getting fuller than it had been earlier. More chairs were occupied now, but there was plenty of people still standing around in groups.

My eyes finally landed on a table in front of the windows. Kat, Nathan, Lili, Matt, Dalton, and Tyler were all sitting around it. I made my way over to them, grabbing another mimosa on the way, and plopped down between Kat and Nathan. It was one of three open chairs.

I cut into my waffle and lifted a piece of it to my mouth, chewing slowly. Kat and Lili were talking amongst themselves, discussing some spell. The guys were talking about food, of all things. I decided their conversation was way more in my league than witchcraft, so I focused on them.

"I'm just saying, who in their right mind eats their waffles with chicken and gravy?" Nathan said incredulously, looking over at Matt.

My face scrunched up in disgust when I looked down at his plate. It had a waffle, but instead of sweet, normal toppings, like syrup or whipped cream, his was covered in fried chicken strips and topped with brown gravy. I nearly gagged as I saw the ruined waffle. I saw those toppings at the waffle bar, but I assumed no one would be stupid enough to eat them for the simple fact that they just didn't belong on a waffle. I knew Matt was known to eat almost anything, but this was insanity.

"It's good." Matt insisted as he cut into it and took a bite.

"That is disgusting." I told him. "Waffles are supposed to be sweet, you freak of nature."

"Agreed." Nathan added.

"It's savory. Just as good as sweet." He took another bite.

"Chicken I might can comprehend, but gravy? Gross."

"Coming from the human vacuum?" He snorted.

"You're the only human vacuum I know, Matthew." I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to my own waffle.

"I disagree."

"You do that. Have you called home lately?" I asked him, changing the subject.  I called this morning and my mom told me Selena had been working with Brody for the last week.  She and Dad were impressed with her and were even leaving her as back up to Brody over the weekend while they had a romantic getaway trip.  

"Not in a few days. Why?"

"Did anyone tell you about Selena?" I queried.

"No, what about her?" He continued to eat the monstrosity of a waffle.

"She's been going to work with Brody. She's trying to get more involved."

"Well, it's about damn time she grew up."

"She'd punch you in the throat if she heard you say that." Kat snickered, joining in on our conversation.

"Probably." He shrugged. "I'm glad to hear that though."

"Yeah, me too. She's even staying in tonight. Mom and Dad are going out of town for the weekend and she's staying home."

"Wow. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Is that significant?" Tyler asked. He was cutting into his normal waffle, covered in nothing but maple syrup.

"Very. Selena Keating staying home on a Saturday night? It's like a miracle. I doubt it will ever happen again."

"I don't know." I mumbled to my brother. "I think she's really trying to change."

"Well, I hope you're right."

"I'm always right." I corrected him.

"That's debatable." Dalton added.

"Shut up, Collins. Don't make me knock you on your ass again." I smirked smugly at him.

He shot me a nasty glare, but didn't reply.

"So what's everyone doing for the rest of the day?" I asked, looking around the table.

"We all decided to go for a run after this. You want to go?" Tyler told me.

"Hmm, maybe. Kat, Lili, what are you two doing?" I turned my attention to them.

"We're going to get in some practice with Niki later. We just started working with wind. I want to master my first spell harnessing wind before Monday." Kat said.

I nodded and turned back to Tyler. "I'll probably go with you guys then. Either that, or I'll be so full from all this food that I'll need a nap." I joked.

"Full, or drunk?" Kat teased as I sipped on my mimosa.

"It's only my fourth." I defended. Truth be told though, I was starting to feel just slightly buzzed. I wasn't planning on getting drunk, but a little buzz was fine.

"Whatever you say, boozy." Nathan laughed at me. I shot him the finger.

He ignored me and turned to Tyler, starting another discussion. I couldn't hear what they were saying, because my attention was suddenly drawn to King Finnian, my entire focus on him. He was standing around, a coffee cup in his hands. I looked at him in admiration at first, but then my thoughts took a nasty turn.

Standing in front of him was some blonde bombshell. She was everything I wasn't. She was tall, where I was short. She had big breasts and ass, whereas mine were seriously lacking. Her blonde hair was long and full of voluminous waves, not a hair out of place. My dark brown hair was frizzy and wild. She looked like a Victoria's Secret model, I looked like troll doll.

A shot of unfamiliar insecurity ran through me. I was usually full of self-confidence in myself and my appearance, but taking in the beautiful she-wolf he was talking to, I couldn't help but doubt myself.

She looked up at him through her mile long eyelashes and bit her lip. Even from a distance, I could see the expression in her blue eyes. She was giving him a take me to bed look. I fisted my hands, my nails digging into my palms, they would have broken the skin had I not cut them short recently.

Kat distracted me before I could try to listen in on their conversation. 

"Hey, you okay?" She whispered in my ear and touched my shoulder to get my attention.

My eyes left my mate and the bombshell he was talking to and met my best friend's emerald gaze.

I nodded and swallowed the last of my mimosa. "I'm fine. I'm going to go get another drink."

She looked unsure, but I stood up and walked away before she could argue. I grabbed another champagne flute on my way over.

I was about ten feet away from them, but I didn't make it any further. Niki was suddenly standing in front of me, blocking my way. I nearly stumbled in surprise. I hadn't even seen her nearby. My drink sloshed in my glass, but luckily didn't spill and I came to a standstill. Niki gave me an understanding, but firm look. Her eyes said what her mouth hadn't. Not here.

I bit my lip in frustration, trying to hold my tongue. I wanted nothing more than to push her out of the way, march up to them, beat the hell out of blondie, and mark my territory in front of her, letting her and everyone else know Finnian was mine.

I respected Niki though, so I pushed those urges away and nodded slightly at her.

"Kendall, dear. Come, I want to introduce you to some people."

She grabbed my arm lightly and pulled me away. I gave one last fleeting look to my mate, downed the rest of my mimosa, and followed Niki, putting on a fake, polite smile. Time to put on an act and let everyone think I was fine.

*********************

I stuffed my face with another mini pound cake, following it with a drink of iced coffee. I was feeling more than buzzed and had cut myself off about twenty minutes ago. I just swallowed my third pound cake, which was helping to soak up the alcohol a bit.

I had been at this brunch for over four hours now, and I was getting tired of it. I was beyond full, but I ate when I was annoyed, so I continued to stuff my face.

I didn't really have much reason to be annoyed anymore, but I was. My good mood from this morning was long gone.

King Finnian hadn't talked to the blonde girl long, much to my appreciation. That made me happy, but it sucked to see him talk to everyone but me. Niki had been steering me around, making me talk to more people than I cared to count. She wouldn't let me get near King Finnian. If my eyes even strayed to him for too long, she would distract me. It confused me, since I thought she was on team Findall, but I suppose I was wrong.

Despite my foul mood, I tried to be polite and engage everyone in good conversation. I didn't want to get a reputation as a bitch. So I put on a smile, tried to remember everyone's names, and let my Keating charm out, keeping my Keating temper at bay.

Niki had assured me that this brunch would be coming to an end soon, for which I was extremely grateful. Everyone pretty much finished eating and some people had already left.

No one was sitting anymore; they were all just standing around, sipping mimosas or coffee and munching on the finger foods that the waiters were still carrying around.

"You're Jefferson's daughter, correct?" The man in front of me asked.

I think his name was Rylan, but it was hard to remember.  

"I am.  Do you know him?"

"I'm a member of the Council.  I have never met him personally, but I hear he is next in line to receive a seat."

"That's the hope.  It would be such and honor to him and our pack." I smiled courteously.

Before he could answer, our attention was drawn to the front of the room. King Finnian was standing on a small stage and was waiting to give a short speech. Once all eyes were on him and all voices silenced, he spoke.

"I want to thank everyone for attending our monthly brunch. I have enjoyed speaking to everyone and discussing important matters. I will take all suggestions given today into serious consideration. I look forward to seeing you all again next time. Thank you again for your attendance and please, drive safe."

Everyone bowed at him and exposed their necks one last time. He stepped down gracefully and exited the room through a side door at the back that I hadn't noticed earlier.

"It was so nice to meet you." I smiled at him and shook his hand one last time.

"You as well, Kendall. Maybe I'll see you again before you leave the castle."

I nodded and smiled a tight smile. I was beyond ready to get out of here. I already decided what I was going to do next. I was going to see my mate. Maybe it was the alcohol, again, or the fact that I was insecure and jealous, but I was going to see him and nothing was going to stop me.

I told Niki goodbye, she returned it and gave me a knowing look. I liked to think that she knew my next move and was going to make it safe for me to go to him.

I mindlinked Matt that I was going to take a nap instead of running with them.  I grabbed one last mimosa from a waiter next to me on my way out, downed it in one long gulp, and gave it back with a tight smile. 

I found the same hidden stairwell that I had used last time. I walked quickly, but quietly, keeping a look out for people that may see me. I made it to the sixth floor in record time, not passing by a single soul.

I slipped into the door of the sixth floor, leaving my heels right outside so I didn't make too much noise. Goosebumps welled up on my skin. I forgot how cold it seemed to be up here. It wasn't just the temperature... it felt lonely, abandoned, as weird as that sounded. That made it feel colder.

I rubbed my arms as I walked. My bare feet slapped against the stone floor, my toes freezing. I didn't look around like last time, my mind fully focused on finding Finnian again. I had a few things I wanted to say to him. I wasn't leaving until I did.

I wasn't slammed into a wall this time. I was able to make it to his bedroom. I remembered the way, but I followed his scent as well, breathing it in as I went.

Once I reached the double wooden doors, I pushed one open and walked in like I owned the place, not feeling the least bit shy or doubtful.

He was sitting in one of the chairs, the one that was worn from use, in front of the fire place, which wasn't lit despite the cold.

He didn't turn around; he just continued to sit there, staring into the cold fireplace. I cleared my throat impatiently, but he still ignored me.

I groaned in annoyance and walked around him, stopping in his line of vision. His eyes moved up and finally landed on mine. His expression was blank, empty. Mine was expectant and I put my hands on my hips, which were cocked to the side dramatically.

"I thought I told you not to come up here." He said coldly.

"I don't really give a shit what you told me. Who the hell was that blonde bitch earlier?" I sneered.

He returned my sneer, finally showing some emotion. "None of your damn business. How many times do I have to tell you to remember your place?"

"How many times do I have to tell you you're an ass before you stop being one?" I countered.

"That's not how that works. I'm your King; you listen to me."

"Well guess fucking what, moron. I'm your mate, which makes me your Queen. And I'm tired of your damn attitude. Get over yourself."

"You're not my Queen. You will never be my Queen." He spat at me.

His words hurt, but I tried not to let it show.

"And what? That blonde girl will?" My voice dripped with jealousy.

"That doesn't concern you."

"Actually it  does. I'm a werewolf and you're the werewolf King. Your Queen concerns everyone, but especially me. I can promise you, another woman will never be my Queen." My voice was filled with spite and hate.

"And you'll never be mine."

"Why are you such a fucking asshole? You're such a cowardly pussy, it's not even funny. When are you ever going to admit how you feel about me? Whatever is holding you back, just tell me. We can work it out, together."

His eyes glowed golden now and a rage filled growl rumbled from his chest. I was suddenly backed against the wall and he was looming over me, trying to use his size to intimidate me. I wouldn't let it work. I wouldn't show him fear.

"When are you going to fucking understand? You're so convinced that I am hiding something that you miss what I've been trying to tell you this whole time. I've been telling you how I feel about you since the beginning, you're just too fucking stupid to listen. So listen and listen closely, because this is the last time I'm saying it."

He paused to make sure I was listening. I couldn't muster up any words, so I remained silent.

"There is no big secret that is holding me back. There is nothing we need to work out. I'm no pussy, I just don't want you. It's as simple as that. I don't want you. I'll never want you. My wolf may be pushing me towards you, but I'm not. There is no hidden reason why, you're just not good enough. Get that through your head and move on."

I pushed back the tears that wanted to fill my eyes, which I knew were glowing gold to match his. My emotions were raging through me, but I focused on the fury I felt. I pushed him back with all the strength I had. It didn't do much, but he went back willingly and put a few feet of distance between us.

"You're a bastard. I hate you." I spat between gritted teeth. "I'm done with this shit. I'm so fucking done. If you let me walk out of this room right now, then I'm done trying. You won't get to change your mind later. If you let me leave, then this is through." I warned him as I took a step away from the wall.

He paused for a moment, letting my words sink in before completely shattering what was left of my heart. "It's about damn time." He looked me directly in the eyes, not showing any sign of hesitation or regret.

I nodded slowly, looking at him with unfocused eyes, not really seeing him. "Goodbye, King Finnian." My voice was devoid of emotion.

I walked passed him, not once looking back. I thought he might actually stop me, but he didn't. I made it out of his room and his floor, not once with him stopping me.

I made it back to my room and paced back and forth. I growled in rage and frustration, pausing in front of the couch. I used my werewolf strength to lift the end of it and flip it across the room. It landed harshly against the ground. I grabbed the table next to it and threw it as well. It smashed into the wall and shattered, splinters of wood raining down everywhere.

I continued to destroy the room before I made a decision. I growled again and fought off a shift, needing to stay human.

I left everything behind, including my cell phone. I didn't need anything. I'd get it all later, or hell, I'd even replace it.

I stormed out of my room and into Matt's. I looked around, searching with before my eyes landed on the object I needed. I grabbed it off his bedside table and stomped out. I made my way through the castle to where I needed to go. I came across people, no one I knew, but still people. No one stopped me or dared to even talk to me. I think they were scared.

It took a few minutes, but I finally reached my destination. I got in Matt's SUV and cranked it as hard as I could with breaking it. I pressed the garage door open before I got in, so I backed out as soon as I buckled my seat belt.

I was still buzzed, but it didn't matter. Even with alcohol in my system, my reflexes were still faster, stronger, and better than a humans. 

I slammed my foot on the gas after I threw it in reverse. I threw it into drive before it even had time to stop completely. As I drove around the side of the castle, the valet looked at me weirdly, but no one stopped me. Gates opened for me and everyone let me through. Which was good because they did not want to tell me no right now.

Once I had made it through security, I entered the address into my GPS. It guided me to the freeway.

It was time to go home.