THE OTHER SIDE OF 16TH STREET

7 FEBRUARY, SUNDAY, 10.30AM

Somehow, we managed to pack their bags and Ben managed to get a bus to our porch all in 15 minutes.

Ki decided to give us an impromptu shopping tour. We didn't have much time, so we would target the shopping street popular with highschoolers and college students.

I'm not sure how Ki got this information, but I guess he used to be a highschooler here too...

Along the way, Ki pointed out our illustrious Gate City Business College, the hospital, as well as the major malls. We stopped to admire the trams and the Gate City Park in front of the Town Hall. This historical building would host my inaugeration and be torn down and rebuilt into a new City Hall by the end of Spring.

Finally, we arrived at 16th Street. Gate City roads were all numbered, not named.

16th Street was where there were a couple of cafes and a hundred stores selling accessories, stationary, gift and hobby supplies, streetwear, sportswear, phone and tech, make up, hairdressing, and on weekends and after-school hours, street side stalls selling foods and small items would pyle the sidewalks... Pretty much whatever a young person might need for school and life in general could be found somewhere here.

I seldom came here though, because I usually shopped with my mum who prefered the mall.

"We won't have time to see everything." Ki told us, "But we can just walk around and soak in the casual and trendy vibes. Maybe explore one or two shops."

So we got off the bus and the girls immediately walked into the first accessory shop selling a million hair ties and clips under a "$2 for anything" sign stuck over their main window.

The guys were left outside to soak in vibes.

I followed the girls into the shop, idly looking around. There was a rack completely covered with different colored heart-shaped hair clips. Each heart was clipped onto a small card.

The purple heart card had the words: A purple heart is brave.

And for some reason, I suddenly thought of the little human at home. Valentine's Day! I hadn't gotten her anything yet.

There was one problem though. I didn't bring any money. I didn't have my wallet, or keycard, or phone. If I got lost from my group, I'd have to run home in my wolf because I've got NOTHING ON ME.

I guess I could come back another day after school. Or... I spied Ben standing outside.

I went over asked in a whisper, "Can I borrow $2?"

Ben sighed, "Did you see something you want?"

The other guys looked over.

I nodded, "I didn't bring my wallet."

Ben put a hand on the small of my back and pushed me into the shop without another word.

I showed him the purple heart-shaped hair clip, "I need to get Sabre a valentine's gift."

Ben paused, "Vday is this Sunday."

"Yeah." I said.

He plucked out the purple heart from my hand and then picked out another three, a red, a pink, and a blue, before heading to the counter.

The cashier smiled when Ben approached. She was only a little older than us? Probably still in highschool though.

"We're having a special promotion today." The cashier informed him with a pretty smile, "Buy four, get one free."

Ben didn't even bother to choose. He picked the first non-pink or frilly thing in front of him, this turned out to be a navy blue bow on a clip and then he paid.

The cashier, who had been studying Ben with interest put them all in a small paper bag, she smiled and leaned over to give the bag to Ben, "Your girlfriend is a very lucky girl."

Ben took the bag, "She's not my girlfriend."

The cashier looked like she won the raffle, she opened her mouth to say something, but Ben was already pushing me out of the shop. Just before stepping out though, he hit the top of my head with the paper packet and dropped it in my hands, "Happy Vday. Help me give Lizzy and Savy their clips too."

And then he went over to join the other guys like nothing happened.

Awww... So Ben could be sweet too. Hahaha.

I happily shook the paper packet. It was brown and printed with white hearts. This was the first time Ben bought us Vday gifts, usually he just gave us the stuff he didn't eat from the stash he brought home.

The girls came out and within seconds were sucked into the next door shop selling earrings and little trinkets.

I figured people who didn't have cash (me) shouldn't go into shops. So I waited outside with the guys.

It wasn't very interesting. The guys were mostly talking about football. Something to do with the upcoming teams and their great disappointment that somebody was retiring.

I decided to just "soak" in the atmosphere as Ki had suggested. There were quite a lively stream of shoppers. Ki was right, they were rather youngish and fashionably dressed. I counted 4 other hair buns.

After a while, a white car stopped and dropped off a small gaggle of girls on the opposite side of the road from us, they were all dressed in tight white short dresses. Lorent princesses!

The Lorent princesses struck a pose as they soaked in the scene. As I watched them, I realised the guys next to me have stopped talking. It wasn't just the guys with me, most of the street had slowed down to check out the princesses in white Lorent dresses.

And then I realised, I knew one of the princesses, "Oprah! Ben, it's Oprah!"

That's right! Oprah AKA Oscar's twin sister, Ben's cousin (the one who made Lizzy cry), Night Forest's Beta's daughter (the one Estella and Esmeralda said was a show off), and also the senior starlet of the Lorent Girls' Academy.

I must had called out her name too loudly because the Lorent princesses turned to look at us. Oprah's eyes widened. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

I understood why when one of the girls said, "Oh, I didn't know you'd know people on that side of the road."

They stood along the road across from us. While the shops on our street boasted signs like Vday sales, 3 for $10, etc. The shops across the road only had their brands and logos on their signboards.

This side of the street and that side of the street. I decided to cross over the great divide.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because she was the Alpha.

And because she wasn't thinking. If she were thinking, she'd realize that persons of empty pockets such as herself had no business on that side of the road.

I just walked over because I was the Alpha. And yes, this was my road. Both sides of it were MINE.

And the moment their alpha moved, her loyal betas followed. Even if they had no idea what their Alpha meant to do. Even if their Alpha had no idea what she was doing. That's what betas did, they ran in with the Alpha.

"Hi Oprah!" I gave her my best grin. It was meant to reassure her, but she only paled.

Maybe it was because of the two guys, correction, five guys who followed me. For some reason, Henry, Marcus and Liam decided to join us. With us in street clothes, and them in delicate dresses, it looked like we were about to rob them.

"Greet the princess." Ben growled.

"G..good morning, princess." Oprah managed.

"Princess?" One of the girls asked.

Oprah seemed to have snapped out of her shock and was suddenly smiling like a benevolent queen of some play, "Oh yes, come girls, allow me introduce you, this is the Alpha Princess of Night Leaf. Alpha Kingsley's daughter. My cousin Ben, I told you he was the future Beta of Night Leaf, did I not?"

The girls looked suitably impressed. They eyed my clothes and seemed to recognize some of the labels.

I decided to continue the introductions because I was pretty excited because it was the first time I was meeting Lorent Girls' Academy princesses.

"And this is Beta Killion, that's Alpha Henry, Beta Marcus, and Liam." I said.

I felt quite proud I remembered all their titles. See, I could do fancy introductions.

"Oh." Said one of the girls. She gave me a look, the way Elena liked to do.

"Such a messy introduction." One girl commented to another.

But they giggled and fluttered their lashes at the guys with me. Weird... Oh right. I knew this. Hot guys! These guys were supposed to be hot.

I reflected on my introductions. Usually, I felt I was good at introductions, because my friends always become friends after that.

Wait, was it because I should've had introduced Henry first? And I realised I forgot to say which pack they were from...not that I remembered...or felt it was important.

"Are you sure she's a princess?" One of them stage-whispered to Oprah.

"Of course she is!" Oprah answered so confidently, I almost believed her. Almost.

Because her friend then said, "I suppose since Night Leaf wolves are all rather wild and barbaric, etiquette would naturally be lax."

Grrr... I'll show you babaric.

Ki stepped up then, "Our princess is fond of Miss Oprah and understandably excited at our chanced encounter. Please allow me to fulfil the introductions. This is Alpha Henry of the Silver Mountain Pack of the Gold Packlands. The gentlemen next to him are good friends. Beta Marcus and Liam from neighbouring packs in the Gold Packlands. I'm a little embarrassed you did not recognize me, but I've been away for some time, I'm Beta Ki, from your Lorent pack."

The girls gasped at that and made pretty bows at once, "Beta Ki? We're sorry. We had been rude."

Awww... They were so cute! When they did that, it wasn't synchronized like soldiers, or yelled at the top of our lungs, it was more like flowers bobbing in the wind, so elegant and contrite. Of course I had to forgive them at once!

Ki smiled ever so gently, so I knew he had not quite forgiven these girls, "Well, since you've seen your error, I will overlook this slight."

"Thank you, Beta Ki." The girls made more graceful bows to show their deep gratitude.

Ben put a hand on the small of my back, he was in his cold and scary beta mode, "You're lucky Ki is here, I wouldn't have overlooked it."

As we left, Ki said loudly enough for the princesses to hear, "Ben, just let it go, for my sake. Lorent princesses are pampered and spoilt, hardly worth your trouble."

"Whatever. I don't care." Ben shrugged.

Henry smirked and said only for our own ears, "As opposed to the Night Leaf's princess who is wild and babaric?"

The guys laughed, and I found myself laughing along. I shook my head, "Lorent girls are so weird."

"Sam, I'm pretty sure you're the one who's weird." Henry corrected.

I thought of Charbear. Well, maybe that's the kind of girls rich young alphas like Henry were used to. The kind of girls Mate used to date before he went to the fight cages? Grrrr... MINE.

Ki smiled, his Killion dollar smile, "I wouldn't say weird, maybe eccentric."

That just meant weird, right?

"Are all the girls at the Lorent Girls' Academy like that?" I wanted to know.

Ki sighed, "As much as they can afford it."

We had gotten back to our side of the road and I could see our girls paying at the counter. They should be out soon.

Ben checked his watch, "We should head to the station after this."

Awww... But I was having fun. I've just discovered two sides to the same road.

I liked this side of the road with the bustling sales and shoppers but both sides of the road was mine. Both sides will submit to me as Alpha!

I remembered the way the lorent princesses looked at me and about Mate's love for "her". Grrr....

I clenched my fist, crumpling the paper packet in my hand, "I'm going to beat those princesses at their own game."

"When you say 'beat', you don't mean with your fist right?" Marcus teased.

I punched him, "I said 'at their own game', didn't I?"

"Owwwww..." Winced Marcus, but he was just overacting... I think.