Chapter 6: Chapter Five

Okay guys I really didn't want to have an A/N in the middle of my book but I have to say something to y'all.

This is a warning that the main character of this story does not believe in God. I am saying this because people have been posting some rather forceful comments about that.

Normally I love when you guys comment but this time I am compelled to ask you not to. This is a book not a forum for your religious debates. I made my character not believe in God for a reason and her disbelief will be brought up repeatedly throughout the series.  I will not be changing it and if you cannot comment without telling others that they have to believe in God then I'm asking you to not comment at all.

Everyone has a right to whatever religion they follow and I understand that a number of my readers also do not believe in God. If they want to share their similarities or how they connect to the character please do not tell them that they have to believe in God or that they are ungrateful because they don't.

I'm sorry about the long A/N but this is something that I felt had to be said.

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Mission

"No... Yes... May won't work... What about the last two weeks of April? ... Hm-hmm... Yes. That can work. ... Yes, I'll have Alpha Greyson send it to you by the end of the day. ... Yes, thank you."

I ended the call and pulled the Bluetooth out of my ear. "Sorry for being late Tree."

She shrugged, "It is fine. What was the call about?"

"Just boring Beta stuff," I answered. "That was Trainer Yon, I think you met him, a couple years back with Lone Wolf got in a spot of trouble."

"I remember him. God he was such a stick in the mud. I think he hated me."

"He did," I informed her. "In his defense you did egg his car."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "He deserved it. He was rude."

"But you were insolent," I countered. "And Yon was just doing his job. As you know it is not your job to be nice to those you train."

She sighed. "Yeah I know, I know. As a trainer I am preparing them for combat. Their enemies aren't going to be nice to them so neither should I, you've drilled this into my head for years. I couldn't forget if I tried, trust me."

I rolled my eyes. I don't recall being that dramatic at Trina's age. "Do me a favor, dial Jason's parents and let them know we are on the way."

"Do we have to go?" Trina asked. "Every time we visit Mrs. Greyson tries to over-feed me."

I couldn't help but smile. Jason's mom was born and raised in Alabama. As a result of her southern heritage no one leaves her home without a too-full belly and an urge to never eat again. "I lived with her for two years, Tree. I think you can survive one evening. Besides weren't you just saying there's never anything to eat at the pack house?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I think I'd rather starve."

I rolled my eyes. "You're being dramatic. Mrs. Greyson is not that bad." The woman was great in fact. She couldn't help but mother everyone she saw. There are worse personality traits to have.

"Jason's dad creeps me out," she continued to complain.

Now she's just coming up with excuses. "We are going Trina. This is non-negotiable."

She huffed. "Bossy."

"It's my job as Beta. Being all knowing is also one of my many incredible talents."

This time she rolled her eyes. "Yeah so is being full of it."

"It being good things such as amazingness and wonderfulness, right?"

"Of course," she said unable to hide the condescending note in her tone.

It was maybe four hours later when Trina and I finally got home. "If I never eat another piece of food again it will be too soon," Trina groaned before going upstairs to bed.

"Don't forget to do your homework!" I called after her. I won't repeat what she said back. It was naughty language.

I sank down onto a couch in the second floor living room.

"Long day?"

I looked up at Tristan just as he seated himself next to me. I gave him a tight smile. "Since the night I turned sixteen every single day of my life has been long. You know that better than anyone."

He nodded and wrapped his arm around me. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. "You've come a long way since then, Kate. Not many people can build a life after being rejected."

"You'd know about that better than anyone as well," I murmured. "Do you still think about her?"

He sighed and pressed his lips to my temple. "You know that I do. Do you still think of him?"

"I do," I replied. "Usually at night when I can't bury the memories."

"You dreamed of them again last night, didn't you?" he asked and I opened my eyes to look at him. "Otherwise you would have gone up to bed inside of slinking in here. You try to avoid sleeping after you've had a dream from that life."

"You know me so well," I whispered.

"Wine?" he offered. "Or chocolate? There isn't a single problem that can't be made easier to deal with by wine or chocolate."

"Or both," I said getting up and pulling him up with me.

He twirled me in his arms, swaying to music only he heard. "We could dance. I know how you love to dance."

"I have two left feet on the dance floor," I said.

He laughed. "Ah, how many times have I told you, Kate? Fighting is just..." he waited for me to finish his favorite saying.

I sighed. "Fighting is just violent dancing."

"And you are such a beautiful dancer," Tristan said.

I raised a single eyebrow. "One of us has to be."

"I'm wounded." He gasped dramatically.

I gave him a sweet smile and a kiss on the cheek. "You've live through worse." We both have.

Tristan grew somber. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" Tristan had a way of keeping the memories away.

I shook my head. "Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of where I came from."

He looked behind me. I turned around. Jason. "Would you ever consider going back?" Jason asked. "After all these years. Just to see how everyone is doing?"

I shook my head. "No. They would expect me to stay."

"What's so wrong with that?" Jason asked softly.

I looked him in the eyes, not something I did often. It was a challenge to his authority if I did it too long. "Everything."

"It's your home."

Why is he arguing this with me? "It was my home," I corrected him. "Fire Light is my home now. It's my family."

Jason sighed. "I guess you're right. Still..." he trailed off and left. I looked up at Tristan but his eyes mirrored my own confusion.

"Is everything okay with him?" Tristan asked when we were sure he was gone.

I pressed my lips together thinking. "There's something he isn't telling me."

"Any idea what it is?" Tristan asked.

"No," I answered frustrated. "And I don't like it."

Tristan wrapped his arms around my waist. "You never like people hiding things from you. Whatever it is that Jason is hiding I'm sure he has a reason."

I forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm sure you're right."

I bade Tristan a good night and went up to my room. I contemplated confronting Jason and demanding that he tell me what he was hiding. I sighed. I have no clue what it is, if it's actually something. "Sleep on it, Kate," I murmured to myself. Maybe this would make sense in the morning.

It didn't. I got up the next day just as confused and frustrated as before. Adding to my list of concerns, Justin was in the kitchen when I came down. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Trying to catch you," he answered yawning. "God, how do you get up at the ungodly hour?"

"For starters I don't believe in God," I answered. Justin rolled his eyes. "And I also run. It's a good way to wake yourself up."

"I'll take your word on that," Justin said drooping a little.

I slid into the seat beside him. "What did you want to talk about? You must want to talk pretty badly if you got up before dawn."

He grimaced. "I may have promised your boyfriend something."

I sighed. Forever labeling. "At least I have a boyfriend. I see you're still unsurprisingly single."

"That was just cruel and hurtful. What would your boyfriend say?"

Speak the devil's name and he shall appear. At least I think that's how the saying goes. Either way Tristan was suddenly joining us in the kitchen. "Hey guys." He stopped to stand behind me. "Justin how's your girlfriend? Oh wait..." Tristan smirked and I smiled laughing a little. Of course he'd heard what Justin said.

"I don't have to take this I can claim abuse to the Alpha!"

I raised an eyebrow. "You want to go to Jason and accuse his baby sister of abusing you?"

He huffed. "You know I may have to endure you bullies for now but my mate is going to be super nice." He paused and I cringed mentally. "Crap, I'm sorry Kate!"

I sighed. "When will you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" he asked his voice half an octave higher than normal.

I shook my head. "Walking on eggshells every time the word mate comes up in conversation."

"What?" he squeaked and cleared his throat. In his normal voice, "What? I don't do that."

"Yes you do," I sighed. "It's not just you. Everyone does it." It was no secret what brought me to the pack. I trust these people to keep my secret. Jason not so much. There weren't many who know my original name or the pack I came from. But they all knew my story. "I'm not made of glass Justin. Or do you need to be reminded of that?"

He flinched, "No thanks. I'm still recovering from last time." He rubbed his shoulder where I'd fractured it a few months ago.

I smiled sweetly. "Good."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're violent?" Justin asked.

"Tristan, every night while you sleep alone," I replied.

Even Justin had to laugh at that one. "So what did Justin promise you?" I asked Tristan when the laughter died down.

"Not much," Tristan said. "Just a training session."

I groaned. "Justin!"

"It's just one, come on!"

I stood, "I am not a trainer Justin! We've been over this!"

"You used to be," he argued. "And you still go out train other packs."

"That is not what I do," I snapped angry. "I am an advisor! I take a team and they do the training!"

"But you're the best! The best of the best!"

I glared at him. "You can't just promise people things like this without clearing it by me first! In case you haven't noticed I am a very busy person. I can't just go take a couple hours off because you made a promise that you can't keep. I have a pack to help run."

"Come on Kate. It's just one session before you go off on your mission."

I stopped. "Mission?" What's he talking about? "What mission?"

This time Justin was confused. "Jason didn't tell you? There's some pack that got themselves in a rough spot with Rogues. Jason's sending a team of trainers. He said the he's even going himself."

That got my full undivided attention. "What? Jason never goes on missions. Not since he had me fully trained. What gives? What pack is so important that Jason is going?"

"Wouldn't say," Justin said shrugging. "But you and Lily are going. Trina too."

I don't like this. "Excuse me boys, but my older brother and I are about to have a very serious conversation."

"Loud?" Tristan questioned.

Justin smacked his shoulder. "It's Kate. Do you even have to ask?"

"I resent that," I grumbled. I turned to the stairs and yelled up. "JASON!"

I heard Justin mutter behind me. "You represent that."

I stormed up to my brother's room and barged in. I didn't pause to think about whether he and Lily were appropriate or not. Luckily they were. "Kate?" Lily groaned.

"Jason," I repeated using the anger management techniques I'd learned from the one time I attended a session. I got kicked out for punching the instructor in the face. "What is this mission that Justin told me about?"

I swear Jason froze for a second. "Kate..."

"Don't, just tell me what's going on. In all the years I've know you there has never been anything you couldn't tell me. So what is going on that suddenly you feel the need to keep secrets? Is it dangerous? Or do you just not trust me?"

"No, Kate it's not like that," Jason said. "I swear it isn't like that."

"Then what is it like?" I demanded. "It's bad, isn't it?"

He hesitated. "Not in the way you're thinking." What the hell does that mean? "Kate do you trust me?"

"Of course," I answered. "Do you really have to ask?"

He gave me a grim smile. "Can you trust that I have a reason for withholding information? Right now all you need to know is that in a week when Trina's winter break starts we will be going on a mission to train warrior wolves at another pack."

"You aren't going to tell me which pack," I guessed. He nodded. "This has something to do with that conference yesterday morning." He nodded again. "It wasn't the Blue Waters pack like you told me, was it?"

"Remind me to never underestimate you," Jason joked.

I wasn't in a joking mood. "You will tell me right? Whatever it is that you're hiding, you tell me."

"In due time," he promised. "You know what you need to for now."

"I don't like it," I informed him.

He smiled at me. "You wouldn't be you if you did."

I scoffed. "That is such a cliché line."

"She's got you there," Lily piped up. "Now shush, I'm trying to sleep."

"You need to get up anyways," I told her.

She sat up and glared. "I hate you."

I just laughed.