HE BELONGS TO ME

"What about him?" Bell nodded grudgingly towards Stephan.

I looked over to where Stephan was standing like a statue in the background. What about him?

I don't know what Bell's preoccupation with Stephan was. It was like he thought I was going to introduce Stephan to him as my Luna... Wait. O.o. Was that what he thought?!?

And then Bell seemed to come to his own conclusions as to what had taken place. He growled lowly, "You tricked me, princess."

Yes, yes I did. Bell was probably overthinking it in his Lorent brain, but yes, yes I did, and I was very proud of myself too. Muahahaha.

"Don't be mad." I tried to soothe my mate. MY MATE. Because he was MINE.

My mate in all his irate glory ~ ❤

Actually, he wasn't all as mad as I thought he would be either. I mean, he was growling like he was in a terrible mood, but Bell had always been temperamental - in every timeline. I regarded my mate's cursed fumes, which had relaxed into his usual plume around his person. It really wasn't quite a fearsome as before.

I guess he was getting over it a lot quicker than I expected. Still, I suppose I should do my part in placating him.

"Here, I will give you a good mating gift." I offered. My wide smile was back. It just occurred to me that I might just be able to cure Stephan's curse and my mate's bad mood all in one fell swoop. What did they call it? Killing two birds with one stone. I gestured towards Stephan. 

Immediately, several hands raised in respectful protest. I looked over the show of hands around the room and suppressed a sigh, "What?"

"Sam, you aren't thinking of giving Stephan to him, are you?" Ben asked looking very much like he thought I was about to do something incredibly stupid.

"Of course not!" I said to the visible relief of the raised hands. Visible, because the hands all dropped back down as immediately as they had shot up. I was seriously starting to wonder what kind of alpha my wolves thought they were running with.

How could they think I would give away a wolf like he was a piece of property or some kind of object? Stephan wasn't a slave! He was a free wolf… okay no, technically, he was my agent, and agents could be transferred under the correct terms and conditions… but NO. I didn't work that way.

"I'm just giving Bell my army."

"WHAT?" Said pretty much everybody, including Bell. Their combined volume unsettling my hair. Word of the day, I tell you.

"Are you out of your mind, Sam?" Ben pretty yelled.

I shrugged off the assault on my hearing, "Calm down, Ben. Let me explain."

Ben crossed his arms and chuffed. I bet he didn't know how much that movement was a shadow of his Dad.

"See, this is going to be a win-win." I felt quite sure of it. Unfortunately, none of the wolves around me seemed to feel the same. Not even Bell, "I would suggest you reconsider, princess."

His voice like velvet in the night, like the inky blackness of the ocean's depth, like the music of shadows when they dance. So naturally, I forgot I was trying to explain something and just gaped happily at my most lovely moon and rose.

Mine. ~ ❤

Beta Lucas cleared his throat. Perhaps he felt it was his duty to speak some sense into his young alpha, "Sam…"

I took the time between Beta Lucas' signature pause to admire how my mate was so handsome today. The lighting was horrible in Dad's office with its old fashioned fluorescent overhanging lights. Normally, at least in the day, the sunlight would pour in - even in the winters, and it would create a sort of magical pocket of natural lighting in Dad's office that would change across the day.

But the sky outside was overcast today, and Dad's office took the gloom of a very dull and miserable atmosphere. I would imagine this to be the dreaded principal's office that teachers would threaten kids with, except I knew for a fact that Principal Laura's office at the end of the "dark corridors of public high school" was quite nice. It wasn't shiny and new, but even she had much nicer sofas and a glass coffee table. Lady Amber's office at the Lorent Girl's School was like visiting a duchess at her private study. Delta Charlie's office at New Leaf Academy was very proper and stately. I had seen it while accompanying Dad a couple of times. The bookcases of neatly lined yearbooks, awards, and trophies, the no nonsense green carpet and dark brown desk with matching leather chairs and sofas was very convincing. If I were a parent, I would feel immediately reassured that New Leaf Academy was a proper legit school. What? This is the #2 lycan school in the continent? Of course it is! I mean, look at the polished leather!

"Sam…" Beta Lucas started again when he realized he had lost me.

"She's really distracted today." Ben told his dad.

Should I be insulted that my other wolves nodded to that?

"Well, Sam…"Beta Lucas was not to be deterred, "How… how can you call it a Win-Win? I urge you to think of the cost - not just the historical and present cost of maintaining your private army, but also the future costs and additional costs of the consequences of handing your army over to Alpha James here…"

Beta Lucas stopped himself the bob a bow towards Bell, "No offence, Alpha."

Bell smirked and waved it off magnanimously, "None taken."

"What's mine is his anyway." I explained. That was what Dad always told us about Mum, but I wasn't Dad. I grinned cheekily, "And what's his is mine."

It was just a tongue in cheek remark. I thought I was being funny, but Bell took it quite seriously, "Oh? And what do you want in exchange?"

I shook my head, "It's a present." Bell needed to learn to accept gifts more graciously. I gestured to Stephen now, "Stephen's the captain. He has sworn his allegiance to me, but since you're my Luna, he is now loyal to you to."

I looked hopefully at Stephan. Did that work? Would that cure the curse? I mean, now Stephan was (indirectly) loyal to the Tyger King right?

The curse fumes started seeping out of the mark on Stephan's shoulder, so I guess something was happening. Bell raised a brow at it, "Is this mine?"

"Kinda." I answered, "Since Stephan is my agent, and you're my luna now."

Please let this work! (I wondered if curses could be reasoned with.)

Bell moved over to where Stephan was, "Bow."

Stephan's response to the command was to gallantly dropped down to one knee, "Captain Stephan greets the luna."

And those had to be the magic words. I had no idea who gave them the script for it, but immediately, as if we were acting in some kind of cheesy lycan drama, the cursed fumes dissipated.

Bell considered the captain now bowed at his feet and smirked, "Very well, princess. I accept your mating gift."

Ben face palmed. In his mind, I had messed up. I think all my wolves felt similarly, but they were just generally more polite and mindful of themselves than Ben was.

"I wonder…" Bell tilted his head to regard me now, "What would be a suitable mating gift in return?"