Dark Times

Chapter Two

I started towards the SUV, not really caring whether they were following me or not. I understood that to win a war, people had to die along the way. It was inescapable. This pair of idiots hadn't been without a pack for long enough to understand that.

I pried open the SUV doors, unfamiliar with the whole prospect of cars. I'd only been in them a handful of times. For us rogues, it was safer to go the long way by foot. Wolves these days were unlikely to stray too far from their roads. Unadventurous scum and all.

"What are you doing now?" Trish snapped as if she were speaking to a child. "Don't you know it's disrespectful to rummage through dead people's stuff?"

"It's not disrespectful if you intend to put it to good use," I reasoned. She sighed but joined me no less. "If you think about it, the world will thank us even if the packs don't. Go green, right? We're recycling. Doing our bit for charity."

In suitcase number one, I found wipes and clothes that'd fit both myself and Trish. Suppose they'd make Trish look like a hooker, but that was a sacrifice I was willing to make. In suitcase number two, I found a suit that might just fit over Igor. It'd be a stretch, but he'd have to make do.

"You can bow now," I said. "I told you the plan would work. Did I or did I not tell you all I had this under control?"

Trish rolled her eyes- but really, she couldn't argue with me.

"What now then, superior one? Share with us your otherworldly knowledge." She scoffed. "That's right. You didn't think past the whole killing part."

"It's not that difficult," I snapped back. "We assume the roles of these councillors, trick the Alpha, get Peter and get the hell out of here. Then, we'll find a new map and get back down to business." I gave them a weighty smile. "Unless we die, that is. Now I know you're both convinced you're going to heaven, but I'm not so sure. Maybe you two should work on redemption and I'll just- y'know- split?"

Igor sighed. "You speak about it like it's easy. Alpha Aidan isn't the type of man you trick."

"Why? Because he eats rogue hearts for dinner?"

"You're not taking this seriously."

"You're right," I sauntered past him, reaching for the brush in the dead woman's suitcase. "I'm not taking this seriously because there's nothing to take seriously. We get Peter, get out and return to life as normal. How difficult can it be?"

More difficult than I was giving it credit for, for sure. Life as normal was trekking through enemy territory until eventually we'd reach Igor's old pack. We had a few checkpoints to stop at along the way, but that was where we were going. Under the wise old instructions of the reformed rogue army, we were on a mission to kill Igor's old Alpha. Honestly, I was feeling pretty pumped for it.

There's really nothing like a bit of blood sport to get you going in the morning.

Trish had fallen silent. She didn't have as much patience where I was concerned as Igor did. I imagined- as beta in his old pack- he was pretty well honed at taking shit. That, or he'd gotten so used to his own shit that he'd developed immunity.

"This isn't your normal stunt, Lorelei." Uh oh. The name. That only came out whenever he wanted to remind me that he could squish my head like a grape. Two words. Miserable bastard. "Aidan's smart. You fuck with him, you die."

"That's great. Thanks for the warning. That was inspiring. Now are we doing this or what?"

Our ragtag team of rogues was a little rough around the edges. Some guy at the base had decided it was time to switch the groups up a bit to build loyalty or some other bullshit within our numbers. Personally, I didn't think loyalty was a necessity. We were bound by common goals. We didn't need loyalty.