LEAVING THE DARK FOREST

23 February, Tuesday, Continued

"Well, it's good you're out now. Our Alpha wants to see you now." Trevor said lightly.

"You're still taking orders from that old dog?" Bell asked as he walked over.

Trevor laughed and patted Bell on the shoulder, "Good things are worth waiting for."

I followed behind, my betas at heel. The Black Forest warriors filed in behind us. As we walked through the forest, more and more warriors filed in. I didn't sense any killing intent or danger from them. Maybe they were hiding in the forest around us because they were just waiting to greet us? It was a weird way to wait...it's not like there were any more vamps around.

The forest was quiet. There were traps everywhere.

{Trap.} {Trap.} {Trap.}

After a while, Boo just gave up pointing them out. It didn't quite matter anyway, as long as I followed the trail Trevor was leading us on, we would not fall into any of them.

It almost felt like an extra large patrol team after a while, just clomping on the snow and ice and dirt bits where the snow had melted off.

{Do you want to ride me?} Ben offered.

Hn?

Ki took Ben up on his offer on my behalf, "Why, beta. How kind of you to offer!"

The next thing I knew, Ki had picked me up and Ben stopped and crouch so that Ki could put me up.

The warriors stopped behind us.

Bell and Trevor seemed to notice we had stopped too.

"Why did you stop?" Bell turned to scold my betas. He stopped himself when he realized I was being loaded onto Ben's wolf.

"Ah, yeah, the Dark Forest is huge." Trevor nodded, "It's just a bit further to our rides."

"Please do not worry about it Alpha." Ki smiled his PR smile, "We are fine now. Apologies for stopping."

"Yeah?" Trevor looked amused. What? You never saw an alpha ride his beta before?

"I never thought I'd see you pamper a girl like this." Trevor grinned at Bell.

Seriously? Technically, I was being "pampered" by my betas. What had Bell got to do with it?

"The rumors were right, you've gone soft." Trevor concluded.

I couldn't decide if Trevor was trying to rile Bell on purpose. He definitely sounded like he was trying to get a reaction, but maybe he was like Gamma Endo and just frequently and naturally said the wrong things.

Ki's PR smile never faded, "Yes, our young Lorent Alpha absolutely adores our Alpha Princess."

Bell growled a low warning.

See, Trevor? Now that was how to rile Bell. My betas were particularly skilled at poking reactions out alpha wolves, although I doubt most packs would consider this a skill.

Trevor only barked out a short laugh, "Wow, Rebel. Who'd have thunk it? The black-hearted white prince is finally subdued."

"Subdued" wasn't really the right word. There was nothing subdued about Bell. I felt quite sure of it.

Bell smirked, "And you? When will you step out from behind your Alpha's skirt?"

Bell turned out to be very skillful at making barbed comments. I was particularly impressed because he didn't just insult Trevor, but Alpha Solomon too. Its like killing two birds with one stone.

Trevor's smiling face froze, just for a split second, but he caught himself and managed to keep his smile on. He shrugged his shoulders as if to show us he wasn't bothered by Bell's words, "I see your tongue is as sharp as always. Just please show respect in front of my Alpha later. I'm sure you'd rather not have the meeting drag on till sunrise."

"You're right." Rebel agreed placidly, "Unlike you, I have no patience in pandering to old wolves."

Trevor's step actually stopped, but again only for a split second, and then he laughed and put his arm around Bell, "Come now, you and I have been friends for a long time. You know my hands are tied."

"So tied that you can't even step up to your rightful position." Bell said.

Trevor immediately shook his head, "I am exactly where I want to be."

But he was lying.

"Besides," he continued, "It's only a matter of time. There is only so many times he can postpone the Handover Year. I am a very patient wolf. I can wait."

"Or you can do something about it." Bell smirked... Don't listen to him Trevor! That is the voice of the devil!

"Why should I do anything if it would be handed nicely to me eventually? I'm a very patient man and I have the advantage of youth. As long as I stay alive, the Alpha scepter would one day fall on my lap on its own. I have no reason to take any risks." Trevor reasoned.

"I will be alpha next month." Bell boasted, "And by the end of three years, the whole Green Packlands would be under my control."

I beg your pardon? Was he forgetting that I was the alpha?

"While you would be running like a dog for your alpha." Bell continued, "You know I would never make an alliance with Solomon. And even if you sacrifice the benefits of our pack's cooperation, you know best how old alphas work - do you really believe Solomon's arcane methods of running Black Forest is not going to drag it through the mud and into the backwater of civilization? The longer Black Forest waits, the further it lags behind while Solomon squanders the resources that should have been supporting your rule to stabilize foreign affairs and clean up his very public messes."

"Do you think I'm not aware of that?" Trevor shot back, "But infighting would be an even greater evil for the common good. Don't try to talk to me about this again. My mind is made up. I will be supporting Alpha Solomon's term extension. I can wait another dozen years to my turn."

"It only took Night Leaf a little over a dozen years to climb up to where it is today. In another dozen years, who knows if Night Leaf would not be the next number one pack?" Bell shrugged now, "If your pack were able to join in partnership with us, wouldn't we share the benefit? Can you really bear to take over Black Forest and re-climb the pack ranking order all the way from the bottom - only to hand the scepter over to the next Alpha family to enjoy the fruits grown from the trees you've labored to plant?"

"If its my fate, so be it." Trevor answered, but he sounded bitter, "Not everyone is like you, Rebel."

"Jealous much?" Mate smirked.

"Jealous?" Trevor sounded a little offended now, "Why should I be jealous of you?"

Bell smirked, "Because I was born a rare white wolf, you were born a runt. I played and messed around, you trained and studied. But I'm still stronger and smarter than you. I'm better looking than you too. The girls always liked me more. And although I've only been fooling around and living it up on my parent's wealth and prestige, I would be a full alpha in a month, and the whole Green Packlands would bow to me just because the Alpha Princess happens to be my soul mate."

I hardly think Bell needed to say all that so boastfully. He sounded exactly like the kind of guy I'd want to punch in the face. How did he end up as my Luna?

"Nice guys always finish last." Trevor conceded.

No, no, Trevor! Don't listen to my stooopid mate.

Trevor shook his head, "But I've already made up my mind, Rebel. It's not about me. It's about the greater good."

"But do you really think Alpha Solomon would bring about the greater good?" Bell asked.

Trevor didn't answer.

"Fine." Bell smirked, "I see there's no longer any point in talking further."

But only because the thought was already obviously planted in Trevor's mind. What was my moon and rose up to?

We arrived at a clearing in front of roads. I couldn't explain it, but I was very pleased to see them. Roads made the way less complicated. And I found what was making that racket when I first arrived - these all-terrain vehicles with large guns mounted over them. I slid down Ben's large side. Bell was quick to catch me and place me gentle down on the ground. This did not go unnoticed by Trevor, who smirked and shook his head, but said nothing of it.

Instead he gestured towards one of the vehicles, "Yours is here. I'm assuming your princess will ride with you. Same driver as when we came."

A warrior waiting by the truck bowed.

Bell nodded, "That'll do."

"Can we shoot the gun?" I asked.

Trevor took pause, "I'd rather you didn't, princess. But if you must, I doubt anyone would stop you."

Oh! So fun.

Bell narrowed his eyes at me, "I changed my mind. I'll drive. You're sitting up front with me, princess."

Bell could be such a killjoy.

Trevor looked only too relieved to oblige him, "Yeah, sure. Be my guest."

Our driver got instructed to take another truck. I sulked but let Bell lead me to the cab.

Okay, I know it was some kind of all-terrain vehicle. I had seen them before - Alpha Solomon paraded them every year at the televised Black Forest Pack Day celebrations. And the announcer would say, "And here we have the fleet of All Terrain Units from Black Forest. The warriors riding in them are all experienced veterans. All heroes in their own right."

The experienced veterans would wave at the crowd and cameras and turn their guns from left to right, posing as if they were toy soldiers. There was one year when they shot confetti, but only one. I thought it was a nice touch, but they never did it again.

Up close now, it looked like a truck with very large wheels - could this thing really do "all terrain"? It was very military, dark green with the big gun mounted on top. The back of the truck looked like the back of a pickup, except that it had a camouflage canopy over it.

Ben reappeared from behind the canopy, hopping easily off the back of the truck dressed again, but in Black Forest training gear. I gave the black tracksuit a once over.

Ever since we changed to the Navy Blue warrior gear, very few warrior uniforms could rival ours in coolness, I mean, our warrior jackets had asymetrical collars. But Black Forest's tracksuit was pretty cool. It had a matt black finish. Even the zipper and buttons were matt black.

It was a little oversized on Ben though.

"What?" Ben asked.

"You don't look like a Black Forest wolf." I told him honestly.

"It's just missing the stickers." Ben said.

The what? Oh. There weren't any ranks or badges or identification on Ben's uniform. I looked around to check out the passing warriors.

"Sam, you look like you're checking out the other guys." Ben told me.

"I'm just checking their stickers." I answered.

Our Night Leaf warriors didn't have badges or ranks. We weren't all that large and everyone pretty much knew everyone else at least by face.

We had warrior jackets, it just helped us know who was on duty. Morning Light was pretty much the same, although they also had arm bands indicating who the team leader was.

The Lorents gave awards that they pinned on a white sash and wore over their suits like girl scouts, but I think they only wore them for display.

I had always thought the stickers were for human soldiers, but now that I thought about it, Heller's men had ranks on their uniforms... I think. I wasn't paying attention to the little details.

Bell's broad chest intercepted my view. I looked up at his stooopid arrogant face which for some reason looked like a god under the light of the moon.

Bell smirked, "What are you looking at?"

I colored immediately and adverted my gaze, "None of your business."

"Let's go, lovebirds." Ben yelled from the back of the truck.

I colored even more. Stooopid Ben... I wished he stayed in his wolf form.

Bell led me to the truck, but just before he shut the door on my side, he leaned in and growled, "You're only allowed to look at me."

Then he slammed the door and walked around the truck. Wth?

It took me a full moment to realize, "Did you think I was checking out the Black Forest warriors?"

Admittedly, Ben's earlier comment was my main clue.

"Forget it." Bell growled stonily refusing to look at me. He slammed his door shut and started the engine.

"I just noticed the warriors here had ranks and badges like human soldiers is all." I told Bell.

"I told you to forget it." Bell grounded out through his teeth.

I'm not sure why he's overreacting like that. Maybe it's the stress. At least I hoped it was the stress and not me.

"Okay." I leaned back in my seat. I probably should just give him some space.

Boo didn't seem to mind Bell's sudden moodiness, {He's jealous.}

Boo even said it like it was a good thing.

Ah, forget about it. This type of thing... I don't think I'd ever know how to deal with.