THE TITANS OF ALPHAS

20 FEBRUARY, SATURDAY, CONTINUED

Call me slow or whatever you want, but it was only at this moment when the identity of the snow alpha became clear to me - Alpha Gunter? Well, better late than never I supposed.

Okay, the humans were too slow to run out of the giant metal alpha wolf's charge, but I wasn't - and the metal alpha's target was me in the first place, so I ran out from behind the snow alpha.

I was careful too - I made sure to run in the direction that a mindless charging alpha could switch mid charge towards. Which in hindsight was really dangerous because it put me WAAAAYY too close to the massive metal jaws at one point. Luckily I passed a large post box just at that exact millisecond and managed to duck behind it.

Letters fluttered everywhere as the metal alpha crunched on the post box. I peered up from behind the other half. There was a curved jagged line where the box was bitten through. This metal alpha was chewing through metal like a cookie now.

I got up and started running again. Where should I go? Back down to the next junction? I wished I was the type of wolf who actually had a plan.

The snow alpha was running beside me again, but I wouldn't get on. I got the feeling he would attempt to take me back to safety. I didn't think he knew the metal alpha was chasing me. WHY? WHY ME?

The road on this junction was heated because of the tram line that turned here, if I ran down the road again, it would all be iced and I wouldn't be able to run in my human form. If I ran along the tram lines, the destruction would be spread further and I distinctly remembered Dad and Beta Lucas complaining how expensive these city type things were to repair. If I ran down the third road, I would be bringing the metal alpha too close to Bell. If I ran down the fourth road... I took a quick check - it was full of people... paparazzi and news vans, but also normal civilians and red ants.

I could run off road, but there was no way I would bring the metal alpha to THE LANGSTON. I couldn't do that to Beta Gerald!

So I stopped running and flared a full on kraken at the metal alpha.

The snow alpha and his snow beta landed on either side of me. Yes, this would be the right game plan.

"Why are you following me!" I yelled at the metal alpha. But of course he couldn't answer me in his wolf form.

"Your hair! Alpha, your hair is metal." Wilhelm called out from the side.

"Creep." I said. Wilhelm looked a little aghast.

"I don't mean you, I mean the metal alpha, whoever he is." I quickly clarified.

"Alpha Solomon." Wilhelm supplied.

Eh?

"Unfortunately, the metal he consumes also consumes his faculty to reason." Wilhelm added.

EH? EH? EH?

I knew I was slow, but I really didn't see this coming. Alpha Solomon was that mindless metal beast? WTH? Now I had seen everything!

The metal alpha, I mean Alpha Solomon charged again... and then he lunged and took a big gulp of MY HAIR?!?! WTH! Why would he do something stupid like that?

Yes, yes, I got it the first time Wilhelm had explained it. My hair was metallic in its kraken state, {very high grade metal}, and the metal wolf liked to eat metal, BUT my hair was also a dangerous weapon. Its one thing to chew on a soda can, its totally another thing to stick a knife up your throat - which was exactly what the metal alpha just did. Well, not on purpose, but my hair had a mind of its own, it was also thankfully too fine to chew, and the metal on Alpha Solomon was more of an outside thing than an inside thing, so he essentially put my kraken blade into his own throat.

The metal wolf roared and then choked on what I could only describe as liquid metal. And then it proceeded to puke all the liquid metal (with some small debris and other material) out in the middle of the junction and as he puked, he shrank, until all that was left was a very normal furry black and tan alpha wolf lying motionless in the middle of the cross junction.

"That was impressive, Alpha Princess." It was Alpha Gunter's voice that spoke beside me, "It looks like I underestimated you."

I froze. I guess it wasn't just Bell, it seemed like most alphas like to speak like evil masterminds. But the reason why I remained rooted to my spot without daring to turn was this very simple logical conclusion: If I could hear him speak, it meant he was no longer a wolf.

Wilhelm was quick to pass a white robe to his alpha. I was going to give Alpha Gunter time to get decently covered before I confronted him about what he meant when Trevor walked over to the metal wolf.

"You killed him." Trevor looked me straight in the eye.

I took a step back, "He's not dead... just sleeping."

"You killed him." Trevor said again, "You understand that as the next alpha in line, I am obliged by Black Forest laws to exact revenge on you -"

He was interrupted by a gunshot, and then he crumpled into a heap by the metal alpha. I turned around now to see Ben, gun in hand.

"You two just killed the Black Forest Alpha AND his heir, Sam!" River popped out from behind Wilhelm, "Sam, what should we do?"

"He's not dead. Just sleeping." Ben shrugged and then he had the gall to grin at me.

"He's definitely dead." River said.

I held up my hand up so Ben wouldn't shoot River too.

Okay, let me think... what should I do?

A warm large hand stroked my wolfie ears. {Mate!}

Eh? How did he come so close without me noticing it? This wasn't the first time.

{Mine} Boo informed me.

So you let him come close without prior warning? Really? Gah! Wolf-logic!

"Leave it to me, Princess." Bell said. Ki was smiling next to him, so I knew they had a plan. I didn't know if it was a good plan, but compared to what Ben and I just did, I didn't think they could do much worse.

I was wrong of course. They did much worse. Much, much, much worse.

Right there, right then, in front of every camera from around the world, they executed the alpha and beta parts - yes, our pack's top secret PART A and PART B, and then at the last moment they release their wolf spirit force in a gush across the road over Alpha Solomon and Trevor.

There was a silence. Even the snow forgot to fall.

The two idiots... not only did they reveal our top secret move to the world, they also paid for it with their own lives. Ki was shining brightly. I could feel Mate's regenerative powers being used at full blast. They were hiding it well, I'd give them that, just leaning on each other, one smiling and the other looking annoyed.

"As expected of the Lorent Heir." Alpha Gunter smiled. Why did I get the feeling we were being tested?

Alpha Solomon's wolf twitched and then suddenly shifted back into his human form. He sat up and coughed. And then he saw Trevor, "Trevor? Trevor!"

Trevor got up and groaned, holding his head with his hand."

Alpha Solomon looked around the streets, the people watching, filming, staring, "Trevor, what just happened?"

But Trevor seemed even more disoriented than Alpha Solomon, "I don't know..." He looked around, "Either we drank too much again last night, or your wolf went on another rampage..."

"How?" River wanted to know, "But they were dead. It's impossible!"

"They were just sleeping." Ben insisted.

"They were dead!" River touched the crystal hanging around his neck, "They were definitely dead."

Ben shook his head, "And what? They got resurrected by a heal spell? You know resurrecting the dead is impossible."

"Not to mention, a forbidden art." Alpha Gunter added mildly.

Which didn't make any sense. Why would something impossible be forbidden?

"SOLOMON! GUNTER!!!" Alpha George stormed in with reinforcements, but it was too late. He had missed the fight, but at the way he was yelling, maybe he was about to start a new one, "ONE DAY! JUST ONE DAY - YOU COULDN'T CONTROL YOURSELVES EVEN FOR A DAY! IT'S LIKE THIS EVERY TIME!"

Alpha George pointed vehemently at Alpha Solomon, "YOU! I'M BILLING YOU FOR ALL THE METAL YOU ATE. AND SOMEBODY GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO WEAR!"

Next, he pointed to Alpha Gunter. I would've thought he would be thanking the snow alpha for trying to stop Alpha Solomon, but Alpha George was way too angry, "AND YOU! EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU COME, YOU HAVE TO ENCRUST MY STREETS WITH ICE! YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE CLEAN UP!"

"Fair enough." Alpha Gunter shrugged. It would definitely be cheaper than the bill Alpha Solomon was going to get.

Beta Robert got down to work and soon the red ants were picking up the mess of broken objects and checking on the people around. It didn't look like anyone was hurt.

"It was a good thing Kingsley wasn't here." Alpha George grumbled, "What the hell were you thinking Solo? Attacking his daughter! Everyone knows this daughter of his is his pride and treasure, and now also the Lorent's future Luna. What were you thinking?"

"Nothing, as usual." Gunter smiled.

Alpha George growled, "I don't know why I put up with you two. I'm washing my hands off this matter. You hear, Solomon? Night Leaf is an important ally to Silver Mountain now, if Kingsley blows a fuse, I'm not going to step in and help you like the last time."

"Right... right, Kingsley..." Then Alpha Solomon turned sharply at me, "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, "Not at all."

To my credit, I did my best not to look too smug about it.

"Although, I do wonder... Why would my wolf try to attack girl? I usually only chase vehicles." When Alpha Solomon put it that way, it made his wolf sound so harmless.

He frowned in thought, "I really don't understand it. Are you sure there was no misunderstanding?"

"You chased her down the street and back." Alpha George informed him dryly, "It's all over the news."

Alpha Solomon offered me a wry smile, "I don't suppose there was a chance your Dad wouldn't see it... Ah, what to do..."

"Whatever you do, do it outside the city." Alpha George was unsympathetic, "Kingsley's wolf is even worse than the two of yours combined."

And then Alpha George had a bright idea, "Next Alpha Convention, let's all meet at Gate City instead."

"Solo, it would probably be wise to stay out of Kingsley's way for now." Alpha Gunter advised.

I'm not sure why they were worried. They were the "Titans of Alphas". Why would they worry about Dad?

Just a footnote: I would like to revise my earlier judgement - it turned out that Dad and Beta Lucas weren't the troublemakers I thought they were after all.

Trouble was relative like that. Now that I've witnessed the destruction that allegedly happened "every single time", I would say Dad and Beta Lucas were really only a very wee bit mischievous.