"You are something else, Savannah. While you're here, we should really go shopping. You can't run around in only that hideous sundress." I didn't see anything wrong with the dress since it was serving its purpose: to cover me up. It wasn't like I was going to a ball or anything. There were no males here that I needed to impress.
"I was on the run. It's not like I could bring my entire wardrobe."
"I know you rather not talk about it, but I'm so damn curious."
"You aren't the only one," I muttered. I wasn't ready to tell them. It was my business and they were not my pack. They were friendly wolves, but my beat wasn't ready to trust them in that way. How did I know that they wouldn't use this information against me in the future? I didn't. I was still a pack-less wolf in the sea of Blackhound. They still had every right to kill me for being what I was. David said he would help me, but you could never be too careful.
Cassandra saw how upset this conversation was making me and she quickly apologized. I was thankful that she changed the subject.
"We should plan a shopping trip," she suggested, and I shook my head.
"I don't want any of you spending money on me."
"Nonsense. The pack has plenty of it."
"I'm not pack, Cassandra," I tried to reason with her, but she wasn't having any of it. She was dead set on taking me shopping. I would admit that wearing something other than this dress that was starting to get a little funky would be nice, but I wasn't the type to be a free-loader. I worked for my own things. It's how I was raised.
Cassandra and I argued about this for the next two days until she went so far as to bring it to David's attention. I growled in annoyance when David showed up to Cassandra's cabin. He stated it was for lunch, but I knew damn well it wasn't. He never showed up for lunch any other time.
Today, Cassandra made burgers for lunch. The smell of meat was mouthwatering, and it was damn hard to sit at the kitchen counter patiently. My wolf didn't have any problem eating it raw. I watched David as he sat down beside us, and I could feel his beats watching me too. He didn't like how we were eyeing him. I shrugged and turned my eyes. I wouldn't disrespect him that much.
"So Savannah," David started and I groaned. "Cassandra brought it to my attention that you all you have to wear is that flimsy sundress."
"You are so obvious, David," I said as I glared at Cassandra who whistled as she turned away from my intense stare. "Look, I'm fine," I said to David.
"You can't wear that dress every day."
"Then I'll wear my fur. Problem solved," I said simply.
"You can't roam in your fur all the time. How will we be able to communicate with you?"
"You won't," I answered. At least then I wouldn't have to deal with David's mother hen tendencies. It was damn annoying.
"James and Ryder will take you to human territory to get clothes."
"I don't want your handouts."
"Why are you so difficult?" he growled, and I smiled.
"It's one of my best qualities." He sighed tiredly, and I realized how old he really was just then. He was a wolf whose seen plenty of things. He's fought in wars and probably had enough scares for a lifetime. It made me wonder about why he didn't have a luna at his side or pups running around his ankles.
"If you must work for them, then I'm sure the omegas wouldn't mind the help in the kitchen." My wolf growled. She didn't like being grouped with omegas, a rank that was lower than hers nor did she like being placed in the kitchen.
"I don't think the omegas would want me in their kitchen," I said honestly. "I can't cook at all."
"Aw come on," Cassandra said. "I bet you could."
"Trust me, I can't. My mother had to ban me from our kitchen."
"Why don't you help James with paperwork," Cassandra suggested. "Since you're a beta, I'm sure you've done it before and James is always complaining about the load. She could do it right, David?"
"I don't see why not. I want you to go to human territory today. I no longer want to see you in this piece fabric. Do I make myself clear?" I rolled my eyes.
"You sound just like my father," I grumbled. I didn't miss the small smile that formed on his lips as he took a bite into the burger that Cassandra placed in front of him. Soon James and Ryder came through the door tracking dirt. Cassandra growled.
"Take your shoes off before this whole house is covered in dirt and I won't be the one to clean it up!" she shouted to them. They kicked off their shoes and stepped into the kitchen.
"David," they greeted him.
"What's up, Savannah," James said as he walked over to his mate, greeting her with a kiss to the temple. Ryder sat in the stool beside me but tried his best to avoid any eye contact with me. I simply shrugged and dug into my burger.
"James and Ryder," David said. "I need you to take Savannah shopping."
"What?!" Ryder growled. "What am I? A babysitter?" I growled at this. I didn't need a babysitter.
"You will take Savannah and that is an order," David growled back. His bark was bigger than Ryder's. I could feel the alpha wolf in David push forward, challenging Ryder. Ryder instantly backed down because he respected his alpha and knew he would lose a challenge against him.
"So what are we shopping for?" James asked with a mouth full of meat.
"Close your mouth," David grumbled, "and Savannah here needs clothes. Wouldn't hurt to get her other things that she needs."
"All I need is clothes," I assured James.
"You might as well get more. You can't show up to your new pack with nothing," James said, and I glared. He wasn't helping. I didn't need all this stuff.
"I told you I am fine. All I need is one outfit or maybe two, and that's it."
"You can't live off that," Cassandra said.
"I can and I will."
"Good thing you aren't in control of the money. Cassandra, why don't you go with them?" David suggested. "Maybe Savannah needs help picking out outfits or whatever you call them." Cassandra's face brightened, and I would have protested, but I couldn't dim the smile on Cassandra's face.
It didn't take a scientist to see that Cassandra was lonely. Yes, she had a mate, but she had a mate that was always busy. She didn't have any responsibilities of her own since David didn't have a luna. She didn't even have friends to spend her time with. I doubted she left the pack often.
That's why I found myself stuck in the backseat of a car that was driving to a shopping mall. Wolves weren't isolated to their respected packs. They could go out to human territory for groceries, but they had to be careful about run-ins with neighboring packs. We could leave, but we didn't often because we didn't need to. We had everything within our small community. If we left too much, it could draw attention to our territories. It was common law that we protect ourselves from humans. Our existence had to remain a secret.
Plus, going to the mall was always a pain in the ass. There were so many humans walking around with so many different scents. I couldn't stand those candle places. They were hell on earth in my opinion. On whiff of that place and you be in a coma.
"Okay where should we start?" James asked. Him and Cassandra were the only two excited about this trip. Ryder and I rather crawl in a hoke.
"Why couldn't we go to a Walmart?" I asked. "The clothes there are cheap and fashionable."
"You said it, they're cheap," Cassandra said.
"There's nothing wrong with cheap and I've had plenty of clothes last some years from there," I argued. My wolf was growing agitated from the many humans buzzing around like damn flies. I tried to remain calm as Cassandra dragged me to store after store. At one point, I flashed my teeth at her for trying to shove me into a tight dress that I knew I would never wear. James growled at me and pulled Cassandra to his side. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the exit.
"Take me to Walmart," I growled. I had enough of this mall and I was close to snapping on an innocent human. Ryder looked up from the bench he waited on.
"Done?"
"Yes," I said, walking past him. He got up and followed. He only followed because David ordered him to. He ordered him to keep an eye on me like a babysitter. It annoyed me that David thought he could control me like this. I wasn't his damn pack. I wasn't his damn responsibility. Kian wasn't this annoying.
What was really stopping me from just leaving? Was it the fact that I knew I needed David's help to get in touch with the other alphas or was it something else? I looked over my shoulder and instantly felt guilty when I saw Cassandra and James walk out of that store. No longer did Cassandra look happy. She looked sad and guilty as if she did something wrong. She didn't do anything wrong. She was enjoying herself and I ruined that. I ruined it with my damn temper. I sighed and kept walking to the car. Ryder and I were the first to make it. He growled when he realized I slid into the front seat.
"Move," he growled.
"Nope," I said with a smirk. "You can sit in the back like a good little delta."
"I won't tell you again."
"At least you know I exist," I said before slamming the car door in his face. He growled and punched the car door. I guess I wasn't the only one with a temper problem. James and Cassandra finally caught up and froze when they saw Ryder practically kicking the car's tire.
"What the hell?" James asked, pushing Cassandra behind him. "What are you doing, Ryder?" He froze and looked like a deer caught in headlights. I could see the heat creeping to his cheeks.
"Get in the damn car already," I called from the window and he spun around to growl at me. I chuckled and rolled up the window. James drove us to Walmart in a now dented car that I'm sure Ryder would be paying for real soon. I relaxed more at Walmart knowing I was saving them money. I wasn't a freeloader.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled to Cassandra at the clothing racks.
"What?" I groaned and repeated what I said.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just don't do well in well crowded places and well I hate spending money that isn't mine."
"I should be the one apologizing, Savannah. David can be really pushy, and he wants you taken care of, but we all can see that you don't being fussed over."
"He doesn't need to fuss over me," I growled. "I'm not his responsibility."
"I know. We all know that, but he can't help it."
I turned to her. "What do you mean?" She raised her hands up.
"Sorry, but it's not my story to tell." I sighed. I hate when people say that. It only fed my curiosity.
"I doubt I can just walk up to him and ask why he asks like a mother hen." Cassandra chuckled.
"You could, but I don't think he would respond well." Cassandra held up a shirt to my body to see if it looked good on me and that's when we smelled them. It smelled foul.
It smelled like rogues.
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