POSSIBLY THE MOST POLITE ALPHA IN THE WORLD

The alpha wolf on the other side of the door knocked politely on my door, "Pardon, Your Majesty."

And then the alpha wolf waited politely for a moment. When I didn't respond, he knocked again, "Your Majesty?"

And then the alpha wolf waited for another moment.

All this while, I stood frozen just on the other side like a deer caught in headlights.

On the other side of the door, there must be standing the most patient and polite alpha wolf I had ever met, or this Majesty fellow he thought he was talking to was not someone to be messed with.

He knocked for the third time with the same measured and polite sound as when he first knocked. Not only was he a very polite and patient alpha wolf, he was also very confident in his knocking ability. I would have knocked harder in case no one heard me the first time, but this alpha wolf had knocked the same way all three times.

"Your Majesty," The alpha wolf on the other side of the door had somehow concluded that this Majesty-guy was just giving him the cold shoulder, "My father requests your presence in the Olive Room. His highness, Prince Gareth, and his princess have come with a request. There is a matter of concern and we hope for your counsel."

There was a pause as the alpha wolf waited for the Majesty-guy to respond.

I think it was wholly because this alpha wolf was so polite and patient that I dared to pull the door open.

We were both very surprised to see each other.

He was surprised because he didn't expect the Majesty-guy to open the door, and then he was surprised even more when it wasn't the Majesty-guy but a blue-haired girl who appeared.

"G...god...goddess?"

Or he could have been surprised because he thought the goddess had appeared in front of him, long white gown and all.

I was surprised because I had never met him before, but I recognized him the moment I saw him, "Haku?"

Well, no, it wasn't Haku. But I was pretty close.

"Ah." The young man took half a step back, "Pardon, my name is Hayao. His highness, Prince Haku, is my father."

Now that I was looking at him properly, he was much younger than Haku, and he didn't have a monocle. So this was Hayao. I remembered Haku saying that he was the same age as Fluffy, whose age was a mystery. Delta Simon had thought he was about 16 or 17. Fluffy himself had no idea, "I'll be whatever age Pretty Alpha prefers a man to be."

Which earned him a routine whack from the nearest beta, but we had all gotten used to him by then so it was a very half hearted whack.

"How old are you?" I blurted out.

The very polite Hayao was visibly taken aback, but he answered, "I'm 17..."

He still looked completely lost as to what to make of me and I belatedly remember my manners, "Oh, my name is Sam."

When the name didn't ring a bell, I tried to give him some context, "Urm... I'm Fluffy's friend. I've met your dad at Heller's..."

When that didn't help, I managed, "They call me Blue Alpha. I'm from the plains and I dream travel here sometimes..."

Okay, maybe Haku never told his teenage son about me. I had the impression that they were close though.

"Oh." Hayao nodded a polite bow, "His Majesty's princess."

Who? I shook my head. Suddenly the tables were turned, and it was my turn to not know who I was.

"The Blue Rose." Hayao continued. So Haku did tell him, "It's an honor to meet you, princess. Is his majesty available? I'm afraid Prince Gareth had brought up a pressing request, and my father could do with his majesty's counsel on the matter."

"Gareth?" I perked up. I mean, if Haku was "His highness, Prince Haku," then could "His highness, Prince Gareth" be Gareth the OP Omega Blade Wolf?

"Do you mean the guy who can make juice with his spirit blades?" I guess this dream travel was going to be fun after all.

Hayao seemed confused by my question. Poor polite Hayao. I don't think he was used to talking to barbarian princesses.

"It is likely." Hayao concurred, but then returned to his original mission, "May I speak with his majesty?"

"Who?" I blinked.

Hayao was really the most polite and patient alpha wolf in the world. It was almost unalpha of him, except that his wolf was one of the most powerful I've met for someone our age.

"Your mate, princess. His Majesty, the Tyger King, Rebel." Hayao decided he had to spell it out for me.

Oh. I nodded my understanding. And then I told Hayao, "He's not here."

Hayao looked like I just slapped a pie into his face, "Pardon me, princess?"

I stepped back to show him the room, "He's not here."

Hayao scanned the room from the doorway, but he didn't step inside, "I see."

Hayao frowned as if trying to think what could have happened to his majesty.

"Do you know when we might expect his majesty's return, princess?" Hayao inquired politely.

I shook my head wordlessly. I wished I could help, but it wasn't like I knew anything about the comings and goings of my mate.

"Then, please pardon me." I think Hayao had realized by now that he would not be able to get anything useful out of me. Plus, he didn't look like he was entirely comfortable talking to me either.

He nodded another brisk bow to make his escape, I mean, take his leave.

But the fact that Bell had been here, and that I woke up in his bed, proved that this was another standard dream travel. Was this Haku's home? I wondered why Bell was staying here?

But if this was indeed Haku's home, then I was in safe territory.

"But I'm here. I can help!" I gave Hayao my wide smile, and before he could refuse me, I stepped out and sild the bedroom door shut behind me, "Let's go look for Gareth! Maybe he'll make us juice!"

I was so super thirsty.

Hayao didn't look so sure, "Ah... I'm not sure we should trouble his highness..."

Hayao looked genuinely alarmed about asking Gareth for juice, "Ah... perhaps I might order some juice for you from our kitchen instead, princess?"

"Really?" I was so super thirsty, "Yay! Let's go to the kitchen!"

"Ah, that isn't necessary, princess." Hayao said, and then I think because he felt dealing with me was beyond his abilities he suggested, "Perhaps we might head down to meet my father."

Maybe he figured he should just let his dad deal with me.

"We can have the juice sent to the Olive room." Hayao promised.

"Okay." I nodded. I was so super thirsty.

"This way, princess." Hayao nodded a polite bow and gestured down the corridor, "Please follow me."

"Okay. Thanks!" I gave Hayao another one of my wide smiles.

He returned it with one of his own, but it looked strained.

I wanted to tell him not to mind me, and that most people didn't know how to deal with me either, but I figured that might probably perplex him even more. So I resorted to just following his lead and not cause him any more distress.

Hayao was such a polite and nice alpha wolf! I bet he would be a good influence on Fluffy. And he was 17, which meant that Fluffy was 17 too! I couldn't wait to go home to tell Fluffy.

The way down to the Olive room was uneventful. Hayao didn't speak, although he would occasionally glance over to make sure I was still following him. I obediently did, for most part anyway.

The house was strange, in the same way as the bedroom. Mostly, because it looked as elongated as the bedroom. We reached what seemed to be a large stairwell. The banister and stairs were a deep glowing mahogany. On this side of the house, the long windows looked like slits cut into a tower... I think the entire stairwell was a single stone tower... Looking up, it looked like the top floor was a long way up. Looking down, it looked like we were on the third floor.

Just across the thrid floor landing there were portraits on the walls. They all looked like variations of Haku and Hayao, but dressed in robes and posed with books or plants. It looked like they played dress up and had artists come to paint them in different costumes.

One of the Hakus had a beard. One of them had a scar down his eye. But other than that, they all had the same jet black hair and forest green eyes.

They were also all either wearing a monocle, or holding one in their hand.

I carefully inspected each painting. There would be a gold plate inscribed in Lycan by each picture, but I didn't bother to dicipher it. Instead I was playing spot the difference. They were definitely different men, but in the portrait, they looked like they were of the same age. I saw at least two of them sporting Tyger earrings and wondered how far back did Hayao's bloodline run.

If Hayao said they were the descendents of the first white wolf pack, I'd have believed him.

Hayao politely waited for me to peruse the portraits along the third floor, but because he was in a hurry for time, he very politely offered, "There is more artwork on the ground floor."

Incidentally where the Olive Room was too.

I nodded and tried to be good and followed Hayao obediently down to the ground floor. Hayao wasn't bluffing. Right on the first floor landing, there was a huge painting of all kinds of trees and shrubs and herbs... And a naked Haku/Hayao on one side. Further away, peeking out from behind the rose bushes, was his mate. At least I'm going to assume she was his soul mate. A beautiful woman with jet black straight hair and dark blue eyes. They were both hidden among the foliage. I covered my mouth so I didn't laugh. Yes, I know, this kind of art was probably priceless museum quality stuff, but they were poorly hidden in the foliage like a game of "Where's Wally". Also the Haku/Hayao guy was wearing a monocle.

Hahahahaha.... he was butt naked but still wearing a monocle.

I was childish like that.

"This is the painting depicting his Highness Haruno. He was the only wolf of our bloodline who had ever sat on the throne at Gate City." Hayao explained, "My father says those were our family's most glorious days."

So they decided to commemorate it was a nude painting? Hahahaha.

"His Highness Haruno is retired now." Hayao said, "His princess was a blue wolf too."

Wait what? I looked back at the girl in the picture. She couldn't have been more than 18? 19? Everyone in the paintings looked about that age.

"Is she retired too?" I joked.

"She passed on shortly after this painting was unveiled." Hayao said, and then he looked stricken, "Ah, pardon. I..."

"Oh right." I nodded remembering, "Blue wolves all die young."

Hayao cleared his throat, "Ah. So it seems... His Highness Haruno took another princess later on to continue our family line."

I nodded. Yeah, blue wolves had never lived long enough to produce their own pups.

I looked at the girl in the painting with renewed interest, her deep blue eyes looked the color of the sea at night. Quite different from my cobalt blue eyes. Her hair was very straight, and if the painting was accurate, only a shade or two lighter than my midnight blue hair. I had originally interpreted the blue streaks as the shine in her jet black hair, but now I realized the black was the shadow of the foliage on her dark blue hair.

Hayao cleared his throat again. I think he felt deeply uncomfortable about reminding me of what must be my impending appointment with death.

I wanted to tell him not to mind me. For some reason, I kept feeling like I was stressing Hayao out. But it wasn't like I could say, "Dont worry. I won't die."

How would I know?

So I decided to change the subject, "I guess she was kind of like my ancestor then."

I produced my wide smile, "Thanks for showing me. That was cool."

We continued down the stone hallway, presumably to the Olive room. Here, the passage way looked almost like it was dug from stone. Like the tyger's shared cave library, it was made of solid stone.

"This looks like a cave." I commented.

"Yes. Part of our estate preserves our original ancestral home." Hayao explained.

Wait, like our original wolf pack's caves?

"Cool." I said, marveling as the chiselled passageway lined with carpets. A real wolf cave, or what was left of it.

Because a very long time ago, we were the wolves who ran these mountains.