Chapter Twenty Five

Katie got to school earlier than she expected. The perks of having an agility Prometheus gift really came in handy sometimes. She checked her watch before leaving the house and found that she had five minutes to the first bell. That was what made her choose a different path to get to the school and that was a path through the forest to avoid detection. She checked the classroom and found that Sandra and Kyle were not yet there. Cole and his alphas were also nowhere to be seen. There was only one more place she thought to check and that was the hunter's pub in the cafeteria. This was where they spent their free time even when they came to school earlier than needed.

Sandra, Kyle, Cole and Jason were the people who occupied the pub when she came in. The four of them were engaged in deep conversation before they noticed her. "Good morning," she greeted them before letting herself fall between Kyle and Sandra, putting her hands around them to brace herself.

"You aren't light, Chase," Kyle complained under her arm.

"Boy, you just need to start working out," Katie said dismissed his complaints, letting him go just as well.

"Someone is looking happy," Jason said, winking at her.

"You shut your mouth, wolf," Katie narrowed her eyes at the witty alpha.

"What is he talking about?" Kyle was the first to ask.

"No, don't let me interrupt. What were you guys talking about before I got here?" Katie asked trying to get the focus off her.

"Kyle was asking about Ash. He was curious to know how Ash survived the evaluation," Cole replied.

"That sounds like him anyway. Curious Kyle… You better ace the exams. With all you know, you should be able to get into the best university you can think of," Sandra spoke up.

"I'll do my best. You can't blame me for wanting to know what happened after I was taken away against my will. I really wanted to see the Prometheus eval to completion," he pouted.

"There was a big chance you were just going to be there to witness a death like all the others you had already witnessed. Speaking of which, were there any cases of trauma during the incident," Katie asked Sandra.

"From what I could find out from my parents, there were only about seven cases. Some just fainted from being smothered within the crowd, but other than that, everyone was okay. They won't be getting excited to go for another crazy day out any time soon. Not after what happened back there," she reported.

Katie stayed silent for a bit before asking, "How long till the traumatized civilians get back to normal?"

"The doctors said it will take a minimum of three weeks and a maximum of three months in rehab given they aren't exposed to such violence again during that time," she said.

She took some time to think before sighing deeply, "We should get to class. I surely hope that was the last of the rogues that infiltrated the school. I don't know what I'd do to the next one that I would find."

"I don't think anyone would make that mistake after watching you do something like that to their comrades," Kyle said, closing his ever running laptop and packing up his bag.

"I don't think we have the same lessons today, so I'll just get going," he said getting up with Jason, "Oh, one more thing Katie… your proposal. I thought it through and I'd like to you up on it."

Katie's thoughts froze on hearing him accept to spend the evening strolling through the woods, "Yeah, that would be great. I'll… I'll be there," she stammered. 'Where did my confidence go?' she mentally screamed. Her mind soared through the number of possibilities that could happen on an evening stroll. Despite how alien the thoughts she soared through were to her, she wanted to stay within them. Some were as messed up as finding rogues in the forest and romantically taking them apart while others were as innocent as a walk that ended in the night where they simply stared at the night sky in each other's arms laying cliché love phrases on each other quite thick.

The three friends stood still watching the wolves leave the cafeteria only because Katie was not budging an inch. Sandra waved her hand in front of her friend's face, "Earth to Katie… what was Cole talking about?"

"Oh," she snapped out of her trance to see Sandra before her, a look of suspicion on her face, "It's nothing… just an evening stroll." With that said, Katie began speed walking out of there… a strategy that Sandra could see through. Sandra quickly tackled her best friend.

"You are not running away from me after saying something that abrupt and juicy," the two girls struggled on the floor.

"Let me go, Sandra," Katie whined.

"No. I want gossip and you are going to give it to me," Kyle could not stop laughing at the two as they struggled childishly on the floor. Katie soon stopped struggling and let Sandra restrain her.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you. Cole and I are going on an evening stroll," she said.

"Oh, that's it. So can I tag along?"

"Are you being serious? Of course not."

"But Jason and Cad… wait, there won't be Jason or Caden during that stroll… just the two of you," Katie nodded to confirm her statement.

"Wow, that I did not see coming. What brought this on?" she asked.

"No idea… now can you get off me so that we can get to class?" Katie asked the girl who still had her pinned to the floor.

"Oh, sorry," Sandra hastily got off her and helped her up.

"A royal, huh, that's like up there," Kyle began.

"Oh, shut it, Kyle," Katie said jokingly, "That's only a title. I'm still stronger than him… I think."

"Well, when you have your weapons, then you are stronger than him, but I would doubt it if you were barehanded," he said.

"Whatever you say boy wonder," Katie replied, raising her hands in mock surrender. The three walked out of the cafeteria only to bump into two other people, one of which Katie didn't want to see. The halls were empty at this time, classes have already started… and yet here these two were, Caden and Ash.

"This must be Ash," Kyle said, his voice sounding a bit different from what it usually sounded like. Katie was compelled to look at him. She thought she noticed something of a glint in his eyes if only for a second.

"Yes, that is me. I know you already though I didn't know who you were," he said.

"Yeah, but I'm guessing you never know someone until they show their true colours. Katie was sure surprised to find out," Kyle was spitting venom and doing his best to stay calm at the same time.

"That's enough Kyle. I can fight my battles for myself," Katie said, narrowing her eyes at Kyle, "Say something that can save you."

"Stop bullying him," Caden said pulling the yellow-eyed child behind him defensively, "I'm guessing you weren't briefed on what he told us about the rogues he was working with. So I'll say this before he gets in more trouble with the teacher. Ash is under the protection of the Lycaon Royal family now and he has been cleared of all suspicion after agreeing to collaborate with the hunters and give them all the information available to him."

Katie kept her eyes on the boy hiding behind Caden. This boy was too young to be a spy. What kind of person was the rogue king? Her expression finally softened. Ash posed her no threat whatsoever and was not at fault at all, "How old are you, Ash?"

Ash froze at the question, seized by the sudden change in the mood that was being directed towards him, "I'm… I'm fifteen," he stammered.

"Well then," Katie extended her hand out to him, "Welcome to Brigade high. You have nothing to fear here. Even Dexter is not allowed to bother you."

Ash shook her hand, finally getting over his fear, "That was fast." Katie chuckled.

"It's expected… Ash is fond of you," Caden said matter-of-factly.

"How come?"

"You're the reason I made it through the evaluation," he said, snapping the group into silence. Saying something about how the evaluation went was somewhat of a big deal considering the test was never the same and no one knew the conditions to pass it.

"That sounds fascinating. How am I instrumental in your current wellbeing?" he asked.

"You are the reason I was able to believe in a life away from the rogues. Without that, Prometheus deems the evaluation a failure. I was determined to turn over a new leaf because of the safety you have managed to put into this school and for that, I am truly honoured to have met you," Ash explained. A short and touching speech that came from the heart. Ash couldn't stop the tears that threatened to break free from his face once again. The smile on his face made it undeniable that he was overjoyed.

"There he goes again," Caden chuckled, "You really are a crybaby, Ash, but no one holds it against you. I can't imagine what you went through when you lived with the rogues."