SWIMMING WITH SHARKS (But Only Metaphorically)

26 FEBRUARY, FRIDAY, CONTINUED

"Can't I stay with the both of you?" I pulled out my best pair of puppy dog eyes. I didn't want to go back. Besides, Jude was acting pretty suspicious if you asked me. If I mindlinked Neil, would Jude realize?

The way I had realized Jude had to be on mindlink now because he was just standing there silently, looking like he was listening, with that stupid smirk on his face.

{Can I punch him now?} Boo asked sweetly.

I know I had meant to come out and solve the mystery of uncovering the SOMEONE responsible for this war, but by now, Boo's focused on Jude's face and waiting for Jude to give me a good excuse to punch him. Hahaha. Just once. Because I hated the stupid smirk he wore on his face, and the way he would watch me with hooded eyes. Boo really hated it when Jude looked my way.

Neil moved so that he was now standing, back to Jude, effectively cutting Jude out of sight, "Princess, it's dangerous for you here. There are like... like bad wolves..."

"Like us!" Jax chimed in now with a saucy grin and signature wink. I laughed at that.

"No, not like us." Neil grounded out, "Shut up Jax. Why do I put up with you?"

Yes, this was a mystery to me too.

"Then like Jude then?" Jax asked in all the innocence of a true idiot, "Hey Jude, would you say you're the big bad wolf?"

"Depends on who's asking." Jude smirked, returning to our conversation. He just had stepped in so that I had to see him see me again too.

And now I realized even Jax might be better at this game than I realized. These two were really geniuses! By keeping a conversation floating, Jude would think we weren't mindlinking (although I was pretty sure Jax was), and we could gauge when Jude was NOT on his mindlink.

I would be the first to admit, I was way over my head on this one. Like I thought I was ready to swim with the big sharks, but no... Was it too late to backpedal to shore now?

I had never missed my betas as much as I did right now.

Okay, new plan. Just shut up and let's see how Neil and Jax was going to get us out from this one.

"Are you flirting, man?" Neil asked then, "No, don't flirt, Jude. That's Rebel's girl."

>> Neil and Jax's favourite strategy: Throw shade. Like they seriously just randomly accused Jude something waaay out there.

"Yah, she's a minor, goddammit!" Jay exclaimed, "You'll go to jail for flirting with minors."

There were so many things wrong with this statement, I won't even start. In fact, I immediately decided to pretend I didn't hear that by averting my gaze to check out the bark of the nearest tree.

With Jax, it was very hard to say. Was he pretending to be stupid because he was so cunning, or so stupid that I had ended up giving him waaay more credit than it was due?

And then to my absolute surprise, Jude fell for it, "What no! Who goes to jail for that?"

Ahem Jude, I'm not trying to be judgemental here, but the correct answer should be, "Who flirts with minors?"

Jude looked at me again. Eh? What? Something on my face? Oh, I looked like I was quietly mindlinking now? Quickly say something, Sam!

"I flirt with minors!" I blurted out before internally kicking myself. I had meant like, because I was a minor myself, so that would be expected, but it didn't come out right. Wth was that? I never flirt!

"You're lying, princess!" Jude's wolf jumped on it at once, and then Jude smirked - it was that particular smirk that made Boo want to punch him too, "But I bet the boys your age flirt with you a lot."

"No way!" I blurted out, more out of shock at such a suggestion than anything else, "I'm not the kind of girl guys flirt with."

Which was absolutely true, by the way.

But for some reason, it also made Jude look stupidly happy, "Is that so, my princess?"

Who were you calling your princess? I had never known that would be something worse than being called princess by any random guy you meet until this moment.

I must say, "my princess" had a distinctly disturbing vibe. I think I much preferred going by "Yo, Princess" after all.

{That's brilliant, princess!} Neil popped into my mindlink, {You got him!}

I what now?

{Jude's always been a sucker for innocent beauties.} Jax crowed.

{Ask him why he's out here on his own.} Neil instructed.

{Remember to act innocent.} Jax added.

{Then cry and say you want to go home, and we'll excuse ourselves and leave.} Neil decided then.

I don't know what kind of soap these two idiots were directing, but putting that aside, Neil had every right to be suspicious. Why was Jude out here all on his own?

If he were here for the fight, shouldn't he be reporting to Dad or Beta Gerald or something? Or at least come with back up? Who ran up to the battleground all on his own? (Excluding me, of course. Hahaha.)

"Why are you out here all by yourself?" I was NOT going to follow Neil's drama script btw, I just really wanted to know.

But I should've known it would take more than this than to get any useful answer from Jude, "Why do you ask, my princess?"

This one was really slippery.

"I ah..." I really didn't want to act in idiot theatre, but I didn't have time to think of a better answer, so I just went with my puppy dog eyes, "I just... It's so dangerous. Aren't you scared of the rogues?"

I was probably going to hate myself when this was over.

{Please punch him.}

"Me? Scared?" Jude answered, and then he smirked at me again, "I think I know who's the one who's scared."

Eh, really? Like who?

"Don't worry, my princess. With me around, the rogues won't be able to touch you." Jude promised confidently.

{That's right, princess, reel him in now, nice and slow.} Neil coached from the side.

Stop whispering nonsense like that into my mind you big idiot!

"I want to go home." I blurted out. I had enough of this pointless act. There was no way we were going to get anything out from this guy.

For one thing, he was slippery. For another, even if he did answer anything, I wouldn't be able to believe it.

It didn't look like he was going to give me a good reason to punch him either.

Forget punching him, let's just leave Jude here to smirk by his stupid self.

I turned to leave.

"Wait, princess!" Neil quickly moved forward, "Jax and I will take you home."

I nodded, yeah, whatever. Let's just go.

"Wait!" Jude said, "Wait, my princess!"

Jude took a few quick steps to catch up to us, "My princess, surely our meeting was not a coincidence!"

Against my better judgement, I paused my steps.

"Perhaps it's fate that I was here to meet you." Jude continued, "Wouldn't you say this is some kind of serendipity, my princess?"

If that's the case, technically, I also serendipitously met Neil and Jax, you know. I met them twice by accident today. Did that make me even more fated to the two idiots?

"Since the Moon Goddess has arranged for our meeting, I cannot simply let you wander alone." Jude declared.

I wasn't "wandering alone". I was going home with two bodyguards. My two FATED bodyguards. Haha.

I'm not sure who was writing Jude's idiot theatre script, but it was like even worse than Neil and Jax's.

The noises from the battle near us sounded suddenly like it was coming closer. I didn't need the Alpha Channel to know that Dad was winning.

{Wolves in retreat zone, please clear out.} Beta Gerald's calm mindlink broke the silence on the Alpha Channel. I think he was hinting at us.

{Sam.} Dad was more specific, {What are you doing there?}

{Ah... ********.} Gamma Endo reacted at once, {They're so quick to run, the **** cowards! Damn rogues die!!!!}

{I'll have to trouble you to buy Sam some time to escape, Endo.} Dad demurred.

{No prob, Alpha Sir!} Gamma Endo sounded way too pleased to be troubled in the least.

"It's not safe here, my princess." Jude informed me, "Come with me."

I really think I'd be safer at home with my Mum, thanks.

But I needed to get out of Dad's way.

Dad, {Sam, report!} Gah! Dad's even using an alpha command.

{I'm with Jude.} I said.

{Don't worry, Alpha. Jax and I are with her.} Neil quickly added.

I didn't sense anyone less worried at this point.

{We're leaving now.} I promised, {Don't mind us.}

And then I threw over the Alpha Channel, {Keep up the good work!}

"Let's go." I decided, in every way meaning to go home.

"Good girl." Jude praised me and took my hand.

Wait what?

But next thing I knew, we were running through the woods like in a movie scene. You know, the romantic type with the stirring music where a guy elopes with his soul mate and they run through the woods to escape their pack together...

And Neil and Jax running noisily behind us looked like the warriors sent to chase us down. Like the movie couldn't afford a decent budget so they only had two extras to spare for this scene.

But while I ran, I did look at Jude and feel that he did have a point, a very obscure point, but there was a reason why we met, not because of serendipity or fate, but my lucky sense of direction had never failed me.

I ran out looking to stop the war at its root, and I met Jude. Even though I personally hated his face, Jude might just be the guy to lead me to the "Alpha" behind the rogue war.

I know it wasn't exactly the romantic thought the female lead should be having, but this wasn't a movie.

This was real life! With real life stakes. Should I take the chance?

We were out of the retreat zone now, and I stopped and pulled my hand out of Jude's larger sweaty ones.

"What?" Jude stopped running and turned, "Is something wrong, my princess?"

Neil and Jax stumbled up to where we're were.

Jax leaned over wheezing.

"You youngsters sure run fast." Neil managed to say aloud in between catching his breath.

It's because Jude and I were Alpha wolves. Which was also a point of note for me, even though Jude was only a minor alpha, he was still an alpha. Plus he was a guy - physically he might not be weaker than me at all.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

I know it was kind of belated, but I suddenly remembered Mum saying I shouldn't follow strange men into the woods.

We were actually even further away from Night Leaf now. I wasn't familiar with the woods so far into the Green Packlands.

Jude closed the distance between us, "My princess, you don't have to be scared."

I backed up a few steps to keep him at arm's length, "I'm not scared."

"Good girl." Jude cooed, "You can trust me."

He wasn't lying, but I wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"If... If I go with you, can you promise my safety?" I don't know why I asked this. If I didn't believe him when he said I could trust him. Why would I believe him about my safety? Looking back, I was so stupid.

"Of course." Jude promised so quickly, I didn't feel reassured at all. He didn't even stop to think about it.

{Hoo hoo hoo, princess. He's all in, hook line and sinker.} Jax rubbed his hands and grinned at me. He was so obvious when he was plotting.

{Nah, man. We should go. Princess, something's off.} Neil winced at the thought.

"What about them?" I asked Jude, "Will you be able to guarantee their safety too?"

Jude looked confused, "Just tell them to go back on their own. You don't need them when you have me."

Neil was shaking his head behind Jude. Jax was using two fingers to draw a quick link across his throat... Repeatedly.

{Say no, princess!} Jax mindlink so at least I knew he wasn't signing for me to cut off Jude's head.

{That's really too bad.} Boo sighed.

I ignored Boo. I should handle this diplomatically.

"But..." I tried to make some kind of polite excuse to get us off the hook, "I need them... They're urm... They're my fated bodyguards."

Nobody looked like they understood what I was saying.

"I mean... They're my special bodyguards. If they go back without me, they will be in big trouble." Which was all true, by the way.

"I better go back home with them." I concluded. Yes! I did a good job. Now we can leave politely without raising Jude's suspicion.

Wait, why was Jude even suspicious of us for? Weren't we on the same side?

"My princess, these two are your bodyguards - their job is to ensure your safety." Jude spoke to me like he was explaining something to a pup, "How can you ask me to protect them? Would you rather see me hurt over them?"

Jude touched a hand to his heart and gave me a beseeching look.

If I were absolutely honest, I'd have to say yes, but I felt bad to say it like that, so I tried to say it in a nicer way.

"You're an alpha wolf. I think you're strong enough to protect us." I answered. (Not that I needed your protection, I just needed you to not take the enemy's side should we find ourselves in a tight spot. Cos that would be troublesome.)

Jude made a face and a "pooffff" sound, and then he ran both hands up his hair and shrugged like I was forcing him, "Well, if you put it like that, I will guarantee their safety too."

I gave Jude my wide smile, "I'll be relying on you (to not turn on us) then."

Wow. I was getting good at this game.

But now, I had also just agreed to follow Jude to some unknown place, so it was debatable if I was winning or losing.

So stressful. Remind me never to swim with sharks again.