THANK YOU, NEXT!

After Bell and Ben left, there was an awkward pause.

"Excuse me, okay, Alpha?" Gamma Harry was the first to take his leave, "I uh, have to inspect."

He went over to the clipboard.

Jonah shuffled his feet from behind me.

"I thought it was my turn this week?" Gamma Harry asked when he saw Jonah's initials on the clipboard.

"I uh..." Jonah looked uncomfortable.

"He was just helping." I said, "Since we were here."

"Oh." Gamma Harry said, he took pause at that before nodding, "Good! Very good! Good initiative, Jonah. That is what I mean by taking initiative. Good, Jonah! That is what a good gamma does. Take initiative!"

Gamma Harry looked super pleased, "Come, come. I'll take you on patrol with me."

I'm not sure why Gamma Harry felt that the appropriate reward for someone who showed initiative was extra patrolling.

"Uh, yuh. Okay." Jonah nodded.

Gamma Endo decided to leave too, "I need to go back for pre-inspections at the Underground. Gerald, you heading back to Morning Light right? Can I hitch a ride out?"

Beta Gerald looked from Gamma Endo to his Alpha. I think he wanted to answer yes, but unlike our gammas, Beta Gerald was too polite to ever just leave before his Alpha dismissed him, "Is there anything else I can help with Alpha?"

"Better let them go, Alpha." Beta Lucas prompted.

"Right." Dad nodded, "Thanks for your time."

"Thank you for your guidance, Alpha." Beta Gerald bowed, clearly relieved.

The gammas quickly and clumsily echoed their thanks and bows.

It just occurred to me that all these men had places to be and things to do. #betalife. Looks like the gammas were not exempt from weekend shifts.

"Come on, Sam." Dad decided, "I better bring you home to your Mum."

Wait, so the whole reason why Dad was still hanging around was because he didn't want to leave me here? What? Did he think I was going to poke my head into Jude's cell? He certainly wasn't going to take the chance.

"I can go home on my own." I informed Dad. I didn't need him or anyone to take me home!

"Don't worry, Alpha." Beta Lucas stepped in. I thought he was going to walk me home. (Awkward x100). "I believe her security detail is awaiting her at the packhouse lobby."

I didn't need a security detail to walk me across the lawn… or the long way around on the sidewalk either - since it was Wolfgang and Fluffy who came to get me. But because I didn't want to hold Dad back from work, I just nodded, "Yeah, okay. Let's go then."

I grinned at Dad, "You can walk me up to the lobby."

Dad managed a wry smile, "What are you up to now, Sam?"

"Nothing! Why would I be up to anything?" Can't a daughter be considerate and obedient like this?

Anyway, Dad and Beta Lucas walked me up to the lobby where Wolfgang and Fluffy stood waiting with my coat on arm.

"See to it that she goes immediately to my Luna." Dad ordered.

"Yes, Alpha." Wolfgang bowed smartly.

If I were the kind of teen who rolled my eyes, I would.

I really didn't get what was happening with Dad, but what was obvious to me was that he really didn't want me to go anywhere near Jude.

I remembered how my last two visits to Jude's cell both freaked me out a little. Never mind my Dad, I really didn't want to go anywhere near Jude either!

I let Wolfgang and Fluffy lead me around the pavement back to the Alpha House without protest. I mean, I give up.

Running across the lawn on my own or walking properly around it with escort, I'd still end up at the same place.

Like I spent all afternoon running about trying to get around my Dad, only to find out that I could've just asked Dad directly.

I'm not sure if it was the long day, the waking early, orienteering exercise with the pups, picnic walk about, and then the Lorent meeting, Alpha Solomon's treasure picking, the impromptu archery session, and then the discovery of the back door to the dungeons... throw in the sudden revelation that everyone thought I was a pampered princess (which I was not!) No wonder I just felt a little wiped out suddenly.

I was tired enough to wonder if Bell had gotten himself killed again, but no... It wasn't the sluggish kind of tired, and I wasn't having any sudden bouts of "heart burn".

"Is Pretty Alpha feeling alright?" Fluffy asked.

I shook my head, "I'm fine."

Quite by reflex I gave my two blond escorts my wide smile. And then I remembered it was these two "beautiful wolves" who was plagued earlier by Bell, "How are the both of you feeling now?"

"I'm alright." Wolfgang said, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

Fluffy smiled his beautiful smile at me, "To see pretty alpha's smile right now, it was worth it."

I couldn't help it. It was just such a Fluffy thing to say that I laughed.

"How could you speak so disrespectfully to your Alpha?" Wolfgang shook his head at Fluffy, but the fire wolf looked more relaxed again.

Fluffy shrugged at Wolfgang. Fluffy had a very flirtatious shrug, "Because I CAN. Can you?"

"How dare you!" Wolfgang sounded properly scandalized.

"I dare." Fluffy's smiling mask can be very hard to read, "Dare you?"

Wolfgang growled lowly at Fluffy who only continued smiling.

Now it was my turn to shake my head, "Stop it, you two."

"Fluffy, be respectful to your elders." I tried to be stern, "Wolfgang can teach you a lot."

I turned to Wolfgang, "And Wolfgang, try to chill out a bit."

"To chill?" Wolfgang sounded even more scandalized than when Fluffy had talked back to him.

"Pretty Alpha does realize Hotstuff is a fire wolf, right?" Fluffy asked.

I laughed again, "I mean, you can relax. Pretend you're here for a vacation, like a short getaway or something."

"I am due for a Sabbatical." Wolfgang admitted, "Perhaps time to recharge and improve myself is in order."

"Yeah." I nodded quickly to whatever a Sabbatical was, "Take some time off for yourself, Wolfgang. You don't have to tutor me every day."

Wolfgang shook his head, "That is truly considerate of you princess, but tutoring you is the very least I can do to repay you for all you have done for me."

At this point, I couldn't tell if Wolfgang was truly grateful, or truly vengeful. Who repaid kindness with tutoring?

"Thank you, princess." Wolfgang made a gallant bow, "For these short years by your side, I promise I will cherish and remember for as long as I live."

Fluffy applauded, "Oh, how daring, Sir Wolfgang!"

"Fluffy!" I scolded. I know it was just Fluffy, but did he always have to be so annoying?

Wolfgang coughed into his hand and looked embarrassed.

Oh whatever. We've reached the Alpha House porch. Ki was waiting at the glass door to the living room. It was pretty obvious because he pulled the door open the moment we stepped up on the porch.

"Welcome home, goddess." Ki smiled like a flower to the sun.

I smiled back. It was just an automatic response whenever I saw Ki now, "Thanks. I'm home."

Ki was always the warmth and smells of home, and today some unidentified baked treat that definitely contained chocolate chips. It was impossible to NOT smile.