Chapter 9: Chapter Eight

Shopping Trip

"You want to what?"

"Go shopping," Lily repeated slowly. "But Jason said I can only go if you agree to come with us."

I am going to kill him for doing this to me. Jason doesn't want Lily to go, one because he is way over-protective and two he also knows the bill his mate can rack up. But Jason also doesn't want to be the one to tell her no. He knows I personally despise shopping so he decided to push staying no onto me. That jackass.

"You know why he gave that stipulation," I told her. "Now go away. I'm busy."

"Doing what?" she exclaimed.

I gave her a dead look and waved pointed at the field of sparring wolves. "Assessing the current skills of the wolves we're here to train. In order words, something far more important than a shopping expedition."

"It's a shopping trip, expedition makes it sound like an ordeal or something difficult and long," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "With you it is always an expedition." I turned back to the group. "Take five people, then we split into three groups and practice combat with multiply assailants." I got more than a few dark looks.

"What's with all the hate?" Lily asked noticing. "Did you already train them?"

I raised an eyebrow. "No but what does that mean?"

She snorted delicately. "It means that I've been trained by you and it is a total nightmare."

I frowned. "I'm a very efficient and thorough trainer aren't I?"

She smiled, "Yes. But you're also strict and absolutely no fun and honestly a little mean."

"Training isn't meant to be fun," I said. "And I'm strict because if I'm not you might do something wrong and hurt yourself or others. Also I'm not mean I'm just hard on those I train. Whomever you fight won't be nice so neither will I."

"Agree to disagree. You're avoiding the question." She narrowed her eyes at me and I sighed.

"Remember what I told you about after Holden did what he did?" She nodded. "Well the pack agreed with them. It seems some still remember who I am. They aren't very thrilled that I've done as well as I have. They're even less thrilled to be taking orders from me."

Lily scowled. "Have they been giving you trouble? I mean it Kate, the truth."

"It's nothing I can't handle Lily," I answered. "You're almost as bad about being over-protective as your mate is."

Lily gave a sharp look to the group. "I'm not over-protective. I just don't like people messing with my family. Even if that family is a snarky black-haired devil."

"I'm still not going shopping with you," I said after a moment. "Run along Lily. I've got work to do."

She huffed. "Fine. You're such a killjoy."

"And you're a shopaholic," I shot back. "Goodbye. Unless you are here to train hightail it out of here." She stuck her tongue out at me but left. I shook my head at her retreating back. "Five minutes are up people," I called out a couple minutes later. "Trina, Triston, Damon, split them up into groups of three and we'll rotate every ten minutes."

Gina walked up to me and we watched the sparring wolves. "Are you sure you hail from this pack Beta Kate?" she asked conversationally.

"Yes, I'm fairly sure," I answered. "Do you think me a liar?"

She shook her head. "I think these wolves are weak and barely able to fight their way from a paper bag. I have a hard time believing that one of the best fighters in our world comes from this."

I smiled, "Maybe I'm not all that good."

She scoffed. "You forget I was around when you were still training wolves. I know you far exceed even the combined skills of these wolves."

"Sometimes it's not a matter of inherit skills," I told her, "but rather what cause you're fighting for. When I first came to Fire Light I had only the most basic of training from here. You would have beaten me with your eyes closed and both hands tied behind your back."

She looked bewildered. "I can't picture that."

I laughed, "I got my ass handed to me more times than I can count, by people who actually did close their eyes and kept their hands behind their backs."

"Then how did you become as skilled as you are now?" she asked. "I probably would have threw in the towel."

"I thought about doing just that," I replied. "But I was a particularly determined student. Every time I got knocked down or found myself eating dirt I thought about quitting and then I would remind myself of why I started fighting in the first place?"

"Your cause," she murmured.

I nodded. "When I left here I knew I was weak and when I left I never wanted to be weak again. I wanted to prove to them and to myself that I could be strong. When Jason gave me a new pack and a new family I wanted to earn it for myself. Here if I wasn't Grant's mate the Beta position would have been giving to me, if Grant hadn't rejected me the Luna position would have been giving to me. Which was why it was so easy for them to be taken. I had done nothing to get the positon for myself."

"So when Jason gave you the position of his Beta," Gina started.

"I wanted to make sure that I did something to get it for myself so it wouldn't be so easy to take it from me," I finished. "I don't like being handed things. One of the reasons I kept the truck I have now is because I helped build it. I put real work into it. It was the same with my training. My first instructor in Fire Light told me that when it got real and I ended up fighting for my life no enemy was going to give me a thing. If I wanted it I was going to have to take it for myself."

Gina smiled, "which is why when you were training us you told us no enemy was going to go easy on us so you would either."

I grinned, "It was a good lesson."

"So who was your first instructor then?" Gina asked. "I'd like to meet that person."

I chuckled. "Jason's father, Matthew Greyson. He used the same line whenever he wanted me to do chores." Even Gina had to laugh at that.

The rest of the session when fairly smoothly and when it was done the five of us got together to draft a schedule. We divided all the wolves into sections based off their skills in different areas of human hand to hand combat. We would start with that and then at the end of the week Damon and Tristan would assess everyone for their skills when fighting in wolf form and fighting against other in wolf form while in human form. Gina and I would test their marksmanship. Finally Trina and I would see their skills with other weapons such as archery, sword fighting, and so on.

At the end of two weeks Justin would come down with a group of trainers based off the areas in need of progress and a couple of days later Jason, Lily and Colin would return home to take care of the pack. Jason and I had another loud conversation about him forcing me to come here and then abandoning me here. After that conversation ended we had a quieter conversation about sending Trina back with them so she'd been home in time for the end of break.

We finally settled on waiting until then to see how things worked out between Trina and Tyler. If only that wasn't his same solution about Grant and me. I also called Jason a coward for pushing Lily onto me with the whole shopping trip. He didn't deny it.

"It'll only be an hour," Lily said later that day.

"No."

"It'll be fun. Trina said she wanted to go, and so did Gina."

"No."

"What if I got Lisa to come?"

"No."

"Kate!" she begged.

I looked down at her. "Do you need me to say it in another language? Clearly you aren't getting it in English. Spanish: no. German: nein. French: non. Dutch: nee."

She pouted. "It's just one shopping trip Kate!"

I scowled. "Lily, I train in several forms of combat. I kill Rogues. I use weapons the names of which you can't correctly pronounce. What I do not do is shop." I continued to walk into the pack house. Grant and Jason were in the foyer discussing something. I think it was me because they both fell silent when I enter. "Jason you are a slimy two-headed worm."

"What did I do this time?" he asked with a sigh.

I jabbed a finger at Lily. "Oh come on Kate! Won't you go just for me? For the love of your only sister?"

"Hey!" Trina said coming down the stairs.

Lily huffed. "Fine. For the love of your favorite sister?"

"Hey!" Trina exclaimed again. "I am her favorite sister! Right Kate?"

I pulled out my phone and started playing a zombie game. "Why don't you two hash it out with each other and the winner can be my favorite."

"Kate," Jason said with mock sternness. "You don't pit your sisters against each other just to avoid saying no to them."

I turned off my phone and raised an eyebrow. "Jason, you do not tell your mate that she can only go shopping if I agree just to avoid saying no to her."

He face reddened and I smiled triumphantly and Lily turned on him angry. "You did what now?"

Jason shot me a look that practically screamed for help. I smiled smugly. "I would give you a hand if you hadn't used me as a scapegoat for saying to the shopping trip. You're on your own."

Those stereotypes about angry little Hispanic women, well Lily is the cause of them. She actually managed to reach up and grab Jason by the ear so she could drag him by the ear up to their room so could scold him in private. "Should we help him?" Grant asked looking up at the stairs. We could hear Lily's muffled voice as she chewed Jason out.

Trina and I shared a look and we said together, "Nah."

Grant took the opportunity to walk to me. "Can we talk?"

"About what?" I asked.

"About us," he said as if it were obvious.

There goes my good mood. "There is no us. There has never been us and there never will be us. One might this the bruise would be reminder enough." I eyes the dark purple shade his cheek had taken. I was proud of it even though I knew that two days from now there would be no evidence left of the hit.

"Wait you hit him?" Trina asked incredulous.

I looked at her confused. "Of course. Who did you think hit him?"

"Lily, or Lisa, or Damon, or Colin. It's a long list of people who do not like him," she said. "I thought you were too mature for that."

"He had the nerve to kiss me," I said darkly. He grinned. "I wouldn't be smiling. I meant what I said about shooting you."

"That's kind of hot," he replied and I huffed and walked over to Trina.

"You're pathetic," I couldn't help but say. "And predictable. The only reason you withdrew your rejection is because you think I've somehow changed into someone who's your type." I was digging, trying to probe him for answers.

Grant frowned. "I rescinded my rejection because I never should have done it. I was going to do it back when we were teenagers but you left before I could."

"Why would you take back the rejection then?" I blurted out needing answered. I don't like not knowing things. "Was it guilt for what your father did?"

"Did I feel guilty for what he did to you?" Grant repeated. "Yes, it was my fault. But that wasn't why I was going to take back the rejection. I-"

He got cut off by Jason and Lily's return. And Lily had a grin that almost split her face into two. "Good news!" she squealed.

I eyed her like a poisonous reptile that was about to attack. "You look far too ecstatic for it to actually be good news."

Despite my comment her smile didn't waver in the slightest. It was frightening and filled me with a sense of dread. "We're going shopping!"

Jason caved. Weak man, weak. "Good for you. Have fun. I'll see you when you get back."

Lily's smiled dimmed slightly and Jason was slowly edging his way out of the room. "You're still coming with us. Jason said so."

I turned my steely gaze onto Jason who'd froze in place. "Jason said so did he?" Jason moved. He bolted across the foyer and zipped out the front door. I took off after him. I heard stomping footsteps behind me as I raced after Jason. "Come back here you mange-covered dog!" I screeched at him. "I am going to pull your teeth out one-by-one!"

"Come of Kate," Jason called back panting as he ran around the large manor. "Don't you think you're overreacting just a little?"

I fumed. "Overreacting? I can show you overreacting brother!"

We'd actually circled around the pack house twice before I count up to him. I tackled him and we rolled roughly along the ground for the span of several feet. Jason scrambled to his feet. "Come on Kate, I'm your brother you don't really want to hurt me do you?" I stalked towards him and he started walking backwards holding his hands up in symbolic surrender. "Look, what if I gave you something?"

"Keep talking," I growled.

"Uh, a new punching bag back home, you keep complaining that the one we have now is all worn out." I took another step forward. "And-and a new weapon of your choice! And I'll get Tristan and Damon to wash the truck for you." Another step. "I'll give you back your water guns!"

I stopped and he let out a relieved breathe. "And I want new boots."

"Deal," he said immediately. "We're good right?"

I swung my fist up and hit him in the cheek. "Now we're good."

He groaned and rubbed his face. He and Grant can have matching bruises. "Your right hook has gotten better since the last shopping trip," he moaned.

"Thanks," I said helping him up. We walked back to the front of the house where a small crowd had gathered.

Lily rushed to Jason and gripped his face in her hands. "Did you have to hit him?" she asked me with a slight edge in her voice.

I didn't take it personally. Jason and Lily had found out they were mate on Lily's sixteenth birthday and unlike my own mating they had accepted each other instantly. Nearly ten years had passed and they were still blissfully in love and their bond had only grown stronger. If it had been anyone other than me who'd hit Jason the little Latino women would just about take his or her head off. "If it makes you feel better I'm going shopping with you." I wave a finger in a circle in the air and said sarcastically, "Woohoo."

That eliciting a small smile from her. She looked at her mate, "How much did you promise her?"

"If I'd known just how hard she can hit, a lot more than I should have," he said. I gave him a cheeky smile in response to his comment. "When are you guys leaving?"

"Now," Lily said.

"What?" I exclaimed. "I need at least a week to mentally prepare myself!"

She scoffed. "I'm striking while the blade is hot. I don't want to give you time to think a way out of it."

I scowled. "That is so not fair! At least wait until tomorrow. What could someone possibly do in one day?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Someone couldn't really do much, but you are not someone. You're sneaky."

"Don't forget snarky," Trina chirped cheerfully.

"And snippy," Gina added.

I gave them all a sour look. "Thank you, thank you so very much for you input. Now take your two cents and go join the rest of the peanut gallery in playing the silent game."

Gina gave a pointed look. "See snippy."

"Goodbye," I said loudly. "You old bitty."

She sniffed. "You take that back!"

"Make me," I challenged.

"Baboon!" she said.

"Baby," I shot back.

"Bimbo!"

"Birdbrain!"

"Blob!"

I reared back, "Blubber-butt!"

She gasped and fired back, "Brown-nose!"

She didn't! "Booze-hound!"

"That was one time!" she hissed and I grinned. "Why are you smiling?"

I examined my nails for dramatic effect. "I got the last insult." She sputtered and I tapped her cheek twice with my fingers. "Don't strain yourself sweetheart."

Everyone from our packed looked bored but the few members of Grant's pack had a mixture of fascination and confusion on their faces. "Are you two done yet?" Trina asked not looking up from her phone. "Because I would like to get going."

Damn. I thought they'd forget. Trina's lips twitched up as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. "Let me go grab a coat," I said pouting. I stomped up to my room too upset to really pay attention to anything and I was almost to the room when I got pushed and pinned against the wall. It was an extreme feeling of Déjà vu. "What the hell are you doing Alpha Adams?" I hissed.

"Don't call me that," he said softly.

My brows furrowed. "Call you what?"

"Alpha Adams," he answered. "You can call me anything else, idiot, bonehead, but please don't call me that."

"You don't seem to have an issue with everyone else calling you Alpha Adams," I commented.

He frowned. "Everyone else isn't my mate. But you are."

"We aren't mates!" I hissed.

He moved his hand to cup my face and I flinched at the sparks that traveled over my skin. "You can deny it with all your breath but those sparks prove that we are. I'm sorry I rejected you, Katrina. You have no idea how sorry I am. Or how hard I looked for you. I never stopped looking, not even when my father managed to forge documents and declared you dead. I knew you were alive and I never stopped looking."

"Why?" I whispered. "You rejected me."

"Because I was an idiot," he replied. "When we found out and you ran away I wanted to prove that I was the one in control. So like an idiot I rejected you. I thought I would wait a couple days and take it back. But when I told my father..." An agonized look found its way onto his face and he suddenly seemed very, very old. Much older than he really was. Much older than a normal twenty-five year old man. "I never thought he would do something like that, Katrina. And I'm sorry. Is there any chance, any at all that you could forgive me?"

A part of me wanted to forgive him. For a moment I felt like a teenager again and I was imagining how things could have been. How they could still be. All I had to do was say yes. But when I opened my mouth the word wouldn't come out. I wasn't a teenager and I wasn't the girl he knew, the one he thinks I am. So instead I said, "It's Beta Greyson."

He stepped back as if I'd hit him again and the pain on his face was more than I could handle. I escaped to my room and shut the door behind me. I inhaled trying to force air into my lungs and relieve the pressure in my chest. I curled into a ball and put my head between my knees. It helped a little.

I sat like that for a few minute before I was ready to face the world. First I changed out of my mission clothes and into a pair of faded blue jeans and a long sleeved dark blue V-neck. I picked a custom made black holster belt and slid a gun in on both hips and spare clips and the grenades I wanted to test out. It was unlikely I would get the chance on a shopping trip but it doesn't hurt to try. I grabbed camouflaged knee-length trench coat and slipped it on. When I buttoned it covered the guns nicely. I couldn't bring my swords, it would made the humans far too suspicious so I donned a pair of black knee-high boots and slip a covered dagger in each. I grabbed my bow and quiver despite knowing I would have to leave it in the car and gingerly opened the down.

Grant was gone. I let out the breath I had been holding and went downstairs. The other girls were waiting. "What took so long?" Lily asked.

"Nothing," I lied. "Let's go. We can take my truck. Plenty of room in the back for whatever you people buy."

"Oh come on, admit it, you secretly love these little trips," Gina said laughing. I gave her a dark look. "Think about it this way, if you go shopping you won't be stuck in the pack house when dear old mate." I gave her an even darker smile. "You're full of sunshine you know that?"

"Yes."

"Trina!" my brother's voice called just as we were getting in the truck. I walked around the front of the car to stand protectively next to Trina. "What are you going?" he demanded.

"None of your business," she said harshly and he cringed a little. "You can save yourself from the act of pretending you care."

He frowned. "I'm your mate, Trina! I'm not pretending to care. Mates actually care for each other."

"Try telling that to Kate," Trina replied sharply.

Normally I'd be proud but after what just happened in the hallway... well I'm probably not the best example to prove her point. Tyler looked at me as if just now realizing I was there. "You're turning her against me. Just because your mate is a dick doesn't-"

"I have said anything to her about you," I cut him off. "But just a tip, try not being angry every time you see her. She thinks you're a psycho."

"And creepy," Trina pitched in sourly. "I also think he's creepy."

I pinched the bridge of my nose for a brief second. "You are not helping Trina."

"Wasn't trying to," she replied. "Can we go now?"

I sighed, "Tree."

"Don't 'Tree' me," she said. "I don't want to talk to him. End of story. Now let's go."

I mouthed sorry to Tyler before getting in the car. No one asked about what just happened and Trina didn't offer any information. I drove us to a small shopping mall that was a primarily wolf complex last time I lived here. Sometimes wealthy wolves build places like that so there are places we can go to get things that would raise eyebrows at a human facility.

About half way there Lily and the girls started forming a plan of attack for shopping and I began to contemplate jumping out of the car. I would most likely survive but then the girls would probably still make me go shopping. They're determined to make me suffer that way.

"Come on Kate," Lily said about an hour later. "Just one more store!"

"It's been an hour," I said. "You said that the trip would only be an hour."

Lisa and Gina shared a look but Trina's the one who spoke. "Fine, let's go to the food court and eat."

"Trina," Lily blanched. "You're helping her?"

Trina scoffed, "Of course not. But eating an early dinner here means that we have more time to pressure her."

"Oh."

I glared at Trina. "You're mean, I hope you know that." She beamed at me.

"Hey, isn't that your friend," Trina said looked past me.

I turned around. "Alex," I called and the red head looked up. "I'll be right back guys." I walked over to Alex. "Hey."

"Hi," she replied. "Um, did you need something?"

I need for us to be like we used to be. I knew that it would be like no time had passed. It'd been nearly eight years. But she acted like we were strangers. Aren't you? a small voice asked in the back of my head. "The girls and I were going to go grab a bite. Would you like to join us?"

"Sure?"

I smiled. "Great." I touched her elbow and led her back to the group. "Guys this is Alex. Alex meet my annoying sisters Lily and Trina. And two associates of mine Gina and Lisa."

"Annoying sisters?" Lily repeated insulted.

"Hey it's better than associates," Lisa grunted.

"You're right," I said to her. "You and Gina are really more acquaintances."

She pursed her lips. "I ought to get your face acquainted with my fists."

I laughed. "Yeah, good luck. We both know I can take you."

"But can you take all four of us?" she said triumphantly.

"I'm sorry but that is what I meant," I replied with a smirk. Alex laughed and I grinned in response. Maybe we could work up to being friends again. I would really like that. The six of us started walking to the food court. I hung in the back of the group so I could walk with Alex. "I've been meaning to ask," I said softly enough so the others would hear, "about how you've been."

"Fine," she answered.

"I don't mean like how you're doing right now. I meant, how you have been the past seven and a half years," I clarified.

"Oh," she murmured softly. "Okay I guess. It was hard at first, really hard. I'd wake up some mornings and wait for you to give me a lift to school and then I remembered that you were gone." I tried to hide my flinch. "Other times I would go to your house and sit in your room because it was the closest I could get to you. Your parents kept it the same, I think it was because they couldn't force themselves to go in there. For the first couple of years every free moment I spent with Grant-"

"Grant?" I interrupted confused.

She nodded. "We were looking for you. After six months when Alpha Holden had you declared dead we were the only ones looking for you. I looked for nearly three years before I finally stopped. I figured you were alive out there somewhere but we just weren't going to find you. Grant never stopped though. Especially after he became Alpha. He went to every pack he could and search under every rock he could find looking for you." She paused for a moment. "He went to Fire Light."

"I know," I said. "When Jason, my Alpha, got a call from the Alpha of Silver Moon requesting to search for his mate in Fire Light Jason had me leave last minute with a group that was heading out to train another pack."

"He knew and he hide you?" she asked even more bewildered. "He deliberately hid the mate of another Alpha? But why?"

"Because he promised," I answered. "When Jason asked me to be his Beta I told him I would only do it on one condition, if he promised that Grant would never find out where I was."

"But you came back."

"Jason made me come back," I corrected. "But honestly he couldn't really do it unless I let him. I wanted to see my parents and Tyler. And you."

"I guess you regret that with how Tyler's been acting, huh," she said not meeting my eyes.

"I don't regret it," I replied. Well I don't completely regret it. "I get why Tyler's angry with me. I deserve it. I wouldn't blame him if he hated me." I paused. "Or you for that matter." I held my breath waiting for her reaction.

"I don't hate you," she said and I let out the breath. "But you understand if I'm not ready to wear matching charm bracelets."

I smiled, "Yeah. Remember the ones we made when we were six?"

"I remember when they broke ten seconds later and beads scattered everywhere."

We both laughed at the memory. It was really nice. She's right that we wouldn't be close like we use to be but this was a start. Over lunch the girls fulfilled their promise to pressure me into staying a little longer. I don't know what was possibly still left to buy. Despite their efforts when we finished eating we started towards the parking lot. Alex walked with us. It was weird to see Alex among my friends. I t was like two worlds colliding. No, colliding is the wrong word. Merging is more accurate.

It was quiet outside. I looked around. No one was out and the lot was fairly empty of car. I looked around. The food court had a good sized group of people. So where were their cars? Maybe they'd run here in wolf form but why would you do that to go shopping? You'd have bags to carry. The girls were evidence of that.

The others seemed too wrapped up in their conversation to find anything strange about our surroundings. Or maybe I was just paranoid. I clicked the button to unlock the car and they put the bags in. Then I heard the breathing. Ragged panting breaths that weren't coming from the girls. Lisa was the next one to hear them. The wind shifted and the smell of Rogues hit my nose. Every pack has a specific but subtle smell. Rogue lack that smell. Their scents held an emptiness to it with a sharp edge.

The others stiffened. "Rogues," Gina whispered and they appeared.

There were several of them, a couple dozen as a rough estimate. Without thinking my guns were in my hands. "I don't recall anything about a flash mob," I called out conversationally. "Let me guess, the guy in charge of the boom box failed to show and that's why you aren't dancing."

"You talk too much," one said and they attacked. I squeezed the trigger and hit two wolves slowing them down. I empty both clips into the wolves. We backed ourselves against the car as more wolves started appearing. I popped in the spare clips.

"Trina. Gina," I hissed. "Trade places."

I handed them the guns and pulled out the daggers. "I want one," Lisa said grabbed one and handing the other to Lily. "Get your bow."

"That was the plan," I grunted as I kicked back a wolf who got too close. I opened the truck and pulled out my bow and quiver. I turned around just in time to hit a wolf lunging at me with my bow. I placed myself in front of Lily. "Let's go shopping," I mimicked her loudly. "Just for an hour!"

"I get that you trying to make a point," she interrupted. "But I'm a little busy at the moment so maybe get to it already?" She swung the dagger she had in an arc slicing across a wolf's chest.

"We'll take Lisa and Gina," I continued and released an arrow. It sailed through the air and embedding itself in the eye of a wolf. "It'll be fun! Fun Lily? Your idea of fun and mine greatly differ!"

"You've made you point!" she said.

"Get in the truck!" I yelled back. "Now!" I fought my way to Trina and pushed her back into the car. I gave her the keys. "You drive. Lily, Alex, Lisa in the back. Gina you take point on the bed."

They listened and I swung myself onto the hood. I pulled out the grenade, "I've been dying to try these out! I threw out one grenade and shot it with an arrow to set it off. A cloud of Wolf's Bane puffed out from the small ball. I watched it settle down on their Rogue and heard the hisses and growls of pain. I shot my last three arrows before getting in on the passenger seat. I tossed my bow and empty quiver into the backseat. "Drive Trina!"

She pushed down on the gas and we lurched forward. "Careful!" I yelled. "Gina's in the back." I popped my console open and retrieved the Uzi I kept there.

"You kept that in the console of your truck?" Alex exclaimed.

"Where else would I put it?" I asked rolling down the window. "Trina keep it steady we have hitchhikers." I pulled my top half out windowed and aimed the gun towards the back. "Gina!" I shouted over the wind. Her head popped up. She shouted something I couldn't hear then got down. I fired off burst of round. A wolf lunged, nails scraping into the end of the truck before it fell back.

I let out an angry roar. "They scratched my paint job!" I emptied the clip and got back in. "Those-those dogs scratched my truck."

"We'll make Jason pay for it," Lily promised.

"I smell blood," Alex said softly.

Lily sniffed. "She's right. I'm good, Lisa? Trina?"

They both shook their heads and Lily looked at me. "I don't remember getting hit."

I set the gun back in the console and put the window back up. "Kate your hand!" Alex gasped leaning forward between the seats.

I looked at my hands. My right was fine but my left hand was red. Swollen and bleeding. I hissed. "The Wolf's Bane." As the adrenaline ebbed the pain started to set in. "It stings but I'll be fine." I sighed. "Lily, link Jason, tell him what's happen. Trina think you can lose the Rogues without knocking Gina from the back?"

She nodded. I pressed my head against the window. "Fun," I grunted. "Yeah, this was loads of fun."

"I get it!" Lily snapped. "Nothing good comes of shopping and I will never ask you again. Happy?"

I smiled. "Perfectly content."

It took longer for us to get to the pack house so Trina could ditch the hitchhikers and when we did there was a welcome group waiting for us. Jason was fuming. "Hey Lily I'm forcing you out first," I said just as Gina jumped from the back. She found Damon immediately. "Okay I'm forcing you out second."

"What?" she laughed. "Scared of Jason?"

I scoffed, "Please. Scared of Jason? Never. I'm just going to make you be the one who explains how shopping really can kill you."

She frowned and I laughed. She got out grumbling and then the rest of us joined her. Jason had eyes only for Lily. I left them in their own little world and made my way to the back of the truck to survey the damage. There were three deep gashes in the back corner and the tail light was broken. I growled. Mutts.

"Katrina?"

I turned around. "Alpha Adams?"

Grant pulled into his arms. "You're okay? Not hurt?"

"Not seriously," I answered squirming out from his arms. "I have work to do. I need to go collect bodies and see if they left any injured behind that we can question."

"Your hand," Alex said joining us. "You need to get it looked at."

Grant grabbed both hands before she even finished speaking. His body shook as her looked at my bleeding one. "I'm going to murder whoever did this."

"I did," I said. "My Wolf's Bane grenades need work." I took my hand back. "I'll be fine. I'll clean and wrap later."

"We're getting my pack doctor to look at this," Grant ordered. "Now."

I stuck my chin out. "You are not my Alpha. You don't give me orders." He flinched and I turned away. "I have work to do."

I recruited Tristan and Colin to come with me. They got a few others from Grant's pack and we went out. There were ten bodies in the parking lot of the mall. Two had my arrows protruding from them, one sticking out of an eyehole. Five had blood covering them, acid burns that matched my hand but what really killed them was inhaling the herb. The rest were killed by bullets. I knew which ones I'd killed. I went from body to body trying to find any identification. I only found three.

There were several injured wolves, we loaded them into a car. They would be taken to the cells beneath the pack house for questioning. We found seven more bodies along the road we'd taken to get away. Two had wounds from the hand gun and the rest were from my Uzi. Fourteen. I killed fourteen peopled here today.

"Are you okay?" Tristan asked.

I looked at the dead bodies they were loading onto a truck bed. I shook my head. "I want to know how this happen," I told him in a hard voice. "This wasn't a normal Rogue attack. It was planned. I want to know why they were here." They finished loading the bodies. "Tell them to burn the dead."

Tristan nodded. "And the ones we captured. Do you want me to tell them to ready them for your interrogation?"

I shook my again. "It can wait until tomorrow," I told him. "There's been enough death for one day."