THE ACCOUNT OF INCIDENT 0

20+ YEARS AGO, INCIDENT 0

We followed Dad and Beta Lucas around the border. It was around this time when I realized Dad and Beta Lucas wouldn't have known exactly how Mimi would have breeched our borders. They had only found her at the crack of dawn while returning home.

{What were you doing out all night anyway?} I asked.

{We were working.} Dad said.

{Yah man.} Beta Lucas agreed, {Working with our fists... I mean hands!}

{Through the night? So far from the settlement?} I asked.

Dad smiled wryly, {You're growing up.}

Eh?

{You never questioned me so much before.} Dad said.

{I'm not questioning you!} I quickly backtracked, {I was just curious.}

{Curiosity killed the cat, Sam.} Beta Lucas quoted, but he knew what I would reply, {But I'm not a cat, I'm a wolf.}

Beta Lucas chuffed happily like he always did, {Sure enough, you're all growing up. Soon I can retire and take long afternoon naps.}

Who was the cat now?

But I felt a smile lift my lips and the earlier misgiving melt away. This wasn't the first time I followed Dad and Beta Lucas out to "work with our fists."

Plus this time, I was all grown up and even armed with a team of good wolves.

Dad stopped and turned to us, {Alright, this should be the border they cross.}

It was nearly evening by the time we came to it.

{Listen to your alpha's order.} Beta Lucas called our full attention.

{Someone set up a camp for dinner. Two of you run up along the border, mark the trees clearly. I'll give the mission details over dinner.}

{Yes, Alpha!} I yelled with the others. I wasn't a pup that needed to be hidden up in a tree for my safety anymore. Tonight, I'll be running with my Alpha Dad!

We had hotdogs for dinner roasted over the campfire. Dad's plan was not to be subtle at all. Ben and Fluffy marked all the trees with the packs territorial marks. Fluffy went a step further and made angry slashes.

"I wanted to give it a more dramatic flair." He explained.

Dad nodded, "Good job."

Anyway, the idea was simply to scare them off.

Just to make sure we got the job done, we'd all shift into our wolves and patrol this border tonight unseen. The moment any of us spotted Mimi, we should howl like we were strong bloodthirsty wolves out on a hunt.

Our mission was successful as long as we kept Mimi and Baby Traitor out of our Packlands so the younger Dad and Beta Lucas wouldn't find them on their way home in the morning.

"It's amazing." Fluffy marveled, "How father and daughter seem to have similar minds. If I had not heard Alpha lay out this plan himself, I would have thought it was the Princess' design."

Why? Was Dad's plan too straightforward? Or not dramatic/treacherous/violent enough for Fluffy's taste?

But Dad looked pleasantly surprised at Fluffy's remark, "Oh? I suppose the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Yah man." Beta Lucas agreed proudly, "I told you alpha. Sam takes after you."

Anyway, we all broke up into teams. I would be running with Ki and Wolfgang. Harvey, Ben, and Fluffy were the other team. Dad and Beta Lucas was the last team.

There were really only two things we had to take note of while carrying out the mission tonight. Firstly, once we start howling, we should quickly finish up the job before someone comes to investigate the ruckus along the border. We were quite far from the settlement, but Dad and Beta Lucas were black wolves and very territorial in their younger days.

Secondly, the team with Fluffy was the attack team, and the team with me was the defence team.

What was there to defend anyway? Nothing. Just me.

So even though Dad and Beta Lucas were putting me up onto a tree branch for my safety, they were still not letting me run out.

"Its better this way." Fluffy tried to comfort me, "I'll feel bad about killing someone if you are watching."

What? So if I wasn't watching, you wouldn't feel bad at all?

"So the dog had a conscience?" Ben smirked.

How was that a conscience?

"Yes." Fluffy smiled happily, "I'm actually very sensitive."

"Alright, enough joking around." Beta Lucas waved us off, "Go get shifted and report back here."

So we did.

Our defense team was last to be ready because while the others just stripped and shifted like wherever. Ki and Wolfgang took pains to secure a more private area for me to change out and shift. They even stood guard until I was done before taking their turn to undress and shift.

I should feel more thankful for their consideration than I actually did.

So anyway, off we went. By now, it was probably around 8 or 9pm, and all was quiet. The night was still young, but I was starting to feel uneasy again. The longer we ran along this border, the greater the chance of being discovered. Even though I knew this was Night Leaf territory, I still felt like I was trespassing.

After the first slow and easy lap up and down the stretch of border, Wolfgang asked me, {Are you tired, Princess? Would you like to stop and rest?}

{No. I'm fine.} I answered, because it was the truth. Just a little jog like this was nothing more than a walk in the park in my wolf form.

But the truth was, if I were on my dying breath, I would never have admitted it. Come on! As if my alpha wolf would lose to his fire wolf!

Anyway, we kept patrolling.

By the fourth lap, just when I thought we would be patrolling forever, the attack team started howling bloody murder. Naturally, we rushed over to join them.

I noticed Dad and Beta Lucas sneaking off the side so I followed because obviously they were going to do something more interesting than howl like it was the end of the world.

{Don't follow me.} I ordered Wolfgang and Ki. They looked torn, but Dad noticed and told them, {It's fine. Stay and support the attack team. Lucas and I can protect her.}

I didn't need to be protected! I wanted to be treated like a real warrior on a mission... But then again, a real warrior would have gotten into serious trouble for leaving my assigned team the way I did. Hahaha. So I didn't complain. I was getting smarter like that.

We got right up to the edge in time to see a beautiful young woman clutching a bundle close to her chest. She looked terrified as she stood there, I realized belatedly that she was listening out to the howls to pinpoint the location and direction of the hunt. Maybe she thought she might have a chance to avoid it if she took the other direction. Maybe she wanted to be sure she wasn't the target.

At this point, Alpha Mike crashed into the scene to surround her, "Miriam!"

The beautiful woman looked desperate. She looked at the dark forest of raging wolves, and then at the man who came with warriors to surround her.

"Miriam, come back with me." The man pleaded, "I will not mistreat you."