600 THE PLAN

22 February, Monday, CONTINUED

It wasn't like we could list all the possibilities, I mean, depending on a million things that could happen, anything could happen.

"So the plan is to wing it!" I announced, "At every moment, when the opportunity presents itself, we will simply choose what would most likely make everything work out so that River stays human, Bell stays alive, and I don't die either."

I mean, that was really the bottom line. As an afterthought I added, "It'll be best if nobody dies."

"What about the warlock?" Ben asked.

Hmmm...

"Perhaps we should prioritize then. Our Alpha and Luna first, her family second, the rest of her wolves, and then the outsiders." Harvey suggested.

I nodded because it sounded like such proper common sense, and then I realized they mean me and Bell, and not my parents, "No, no, protect my family and Bell first! And yourselves too! Betas are family too!"

Ki smiled a very gentle smile, "And of the three of us, whose safety should be prioritize?"

I opened my mouth, and then closed my mouth, and then opened my mouth again, What kind of question is that? If any of us is in danger, we'd do everything we can to save everyone!

And then I started having second thoughts - wait, Ki wasn't actually asking me about my priorities, he was trying to indirectly guide me to understand something. I frowned, what could it be?

"Don't bother, dog." Ben shrugged, "Sam isn't the sort to ponder that sort of thing."

Hey! What was that supposed to mean? I pondered all the time, okay?

Fine, I tried to rethink Ki's question. If I had to choose who to save, Ben, Harvey, or Ki who would I save?

"I'll save all of you." I decided.

"See, I told you." Ben said.

"Whatever," I brushed it off. Did he think I'll spend all day mulling over who to sacrifice? I will NEVER sacrifice anyone, "Say what you want, but I'm the alpha. I'll protect everyone."

Ben face palmed, "You can't always save everyone, Sam."

I pouted and crossed my arms, "Well, watch me. I'll save all of you, and everyone else too. Cos I'm the alpha! I will protect everyone's happiness!"

Ben sighed, "You're not furthering the argument if you're just going to repeat the same thing all over again."

"I'm the alpha!" I raised my voice and flared now, "If I say I'll protect everyone, I'll protect everyone!"

"Yes, yes, fine Sam." Ben ran out of patience, "Just do whatever."

Grrr....

Ki's smile never cracked though, "Then please, goddess, allow all of us to protect you too."

Ben and I stopped growling and glaring at each other at this point. Ben smirked, "Yeah, that's only fair."

"No its not!" I flared again, was Ben trying to upset me on purpose? "Mine is just a single life. If I had to exchange it for all of yours, it would be worth it. But..."

I couldn't quite say it out loud, but if everyone had to give their lives just for me to live... I didn't think I wanted to live under such crushing guilt for the rest of my life.

"No. Nobody is allowed to die." I decided, "All of you have to live long and happy lives!"

"Sam, you can't decide these things. S*** happens." Ben tried again to make his point, "You need to look at the big picture - what's cutting down a few trees if it would save a forest?"

Suddenly ding ding ding! I recognized that analogy! Dad was saying something similar right? As long as the alpha stays rooted, the rest of the pack will pull through the worst winters...which would arguably make Ben right. Again.

"No!" My ability to argue reasonably was now officially exhausted.

And then my good beta spoke, his voice steady and calm, "There's not much point in arguing over who lives or dies. That's not in our control. We can't plan who to save in any battle. We can only give our best fight. Luna Bell had taught us this when he trained us - every enemy we take down, is one enemy less to take one of us down."

Yeah, my Luna would teach something dumb like that.

But when I said I would protect "everyone," did my betas know that I meant my enemies too? I know, I know, only someone like River would want to save the whole world. I'm not that idealistic, but no one has died in any of my battles yet. Not my wolves, or the other wolves, or even any of the other species.

Maybe I was really lucky. Maybe I just hadn't really been in a real battle yet. Suddenly my Dad's words about facing off Alpha Solomon's wolf. Beta Lucas called me a hero. Later on, the news had portrayed me as the brave Alpha Princess who saved hundreds of pedestrians from the ravaging metal beast. Dad had brushed it off as child's play.

"I don't care what anyone says." Ben shrugged off Harvey's words, "I'm going to protect my alpha or die trying!"

Now I really got upset, "No! You're not allowed to die!"

I flared and got up to pace the room. Why was Ben saying stuff like that?

"Sam, you need to be realistic." Ben said.

And suddenly I thought about Heller's "realistic plan" to play defense and sacrifice himself and his warriors for the chance that his mate and daughter might live.

I shook my head, "And you need to...to...to... "

Honestly, I had no idea what I should say aloud.

I dropped back in my seat, "I'm not interested in a life without everyone else around."

I said this mostly to the stone table. This was when Ben dropped back into his seat too, "But you have to live. Sam, no matter what, you must live."

"Don't tell me what to do!" I flared. Stooopid Ben.

"I know sometimes staying alive is harder than dying." Ki smiled gently, "But goddess, you must live, if not for us, than for the sake of all the wolves who follow you."

Et Tu Ki?

I looked to Harvey. He was being very quiet as usual, but I wanted to see whose side he was on in this matter.

Harvey was leaning back in his seat alternating between typing and frowning at his phone. He was taking pretty intense notes lol.

"What's got into you guys anyway. Why are you two being so melodramatic suddenly?" I grumbled.

We were supposed to be discussing the plan to deal with Bell's looming prophecy right? Stooopid prophecy.

Now Harvey leaned back, he ran both hands roughing across his short curls, "I'm all out."

"All out of what?" I asked.

"Permutations, alpha." Harvey said.

Ki switched on the projector and all three betas took out their phones.

Harvey's screen quickly lit up first on the screen.

"Test." Ben said. And I notice the top left hand corner notified, "B.Ben writes."

But Ben wasn't writing anything.

"B.Ki writes." The screen claimed, even though no one was writing.

And then finally, "B.Harv writes."

"Alright, so where should we start?" Ben asked satisfied, as we all looked up to Harvey's notes.

It had the goals I set right at the top of the screen, and then names scattered across the screen. Our wolves were circled in blue.

It didn't look like any notes I've ever seen before.

"Let's start with the players." Harvey said.

Ki smiled, "Our team keeps expanding."

"Okay, Sam. I know you probably don't do chess, but imagine this is a game." Ben said.

Oh yeah? Then where's the chess board?

"If this was chess, you're king, Sam." Ben informed me. He paused to gauge if I was following.

I nodded. Yes. Because I'm the Alpha.

"B.Harv writes" or rather he dragged and dropped my text boxed name right to the center of the screen. "B.Ki writes" next and added a crown sticker over my name. Haha. Cute. Both guys grinned like they did something cool.

"If you die, we lose the game." Ben reminded me darkly.

"I know how the game works, Ben." I said testily. For example, the black and white chess board was missing.

Ben nodded, "Okay, let's work on the new starting positions."