SECRET SIDE QUESTS

22 February, Monday, CONTINUED

Another snort from behind me reminded me that I still had some brains in the room with me. Brains that was standing right behind me. Maybe Ben had meant to stand there like a proper beta - like how Beta Glenn was standing behind his Alpha this entire time, but I was pretty sure Beta Glenn did smirk behind his Alpha's back or snort when his Alpha gives the wrong answer.

I turned to growl at him, "If you're so smart, you tell me what they were discussing!"

Immediately, the spotlight fell on Ben, but Ben was not intimated, not by his dad's warning look or even by my Dad's censorship glare. He only shrugged it all off, "How would I know? I was upstairs with you and the other betas."

"Just guess." I refused to accept Ben's excuse. Even though I hadn't the faintest clue, Alpha Gunter had said it was something obvious. I was sure my beta would know.

"Just leave it to the adults." Ben feigned ignorance, "Or ask Savy. "

"No!" Mum gasped, "I mean don't. It's better that she doesn't have to worry about this..."

"Luna, even if this kind of thing doesn't occur to Sam, most girls would realize it sooner or later." Ben reasoned.

I growled, so he did figure it out!

"Just tell me, Ben!" I got tired of playing monkey. Everyone was throwing the ball over my head, and I was tired to trying to fetch it.

Too bad this was a figurative ball. If it were a literal ball, I would have caught it from the onset! Grrr...

"Alright, alright..." Ben was quick to notice my wolf's quickly shifting mood, "You know how girls can go into heat after meeting their soul mate right?"

"Savy went into heat?" I panicked immediately.

"No!" More than one wolf said.

"Sam, calm down." Mum tried to soothe me.

"It was only a possibility." Alpha Gunter added, "A very unlikely possibility, but one that we must make preparations for in the very unlikely possibility that it should take place."

I blinked owlishly at that. Exactly what preparations did Alpha Gunter mean?

"Sam, you have no idea what going into heat is, do you?" Ben asked.

Now that was just insulting!

Of course I knew about going into heat. EVERYONE KNEW ABOUT IT. I mean, its been featured in a rather many webnovels and dramas - even the human girls talked about it. Its a very basic fact about mating - like if you met your soulmate, but didn't mate, then the female wolf will go into heat at the full moon. It's like how Mother Nature - or rather, the moon goddess decided to help give us a quick population boost. BUT she totally messed up on this one. First of all, only the female goes into heat. Which is dumb, cos it took two to tango right? BUT the female would also release some kind of pheromone which was supposed to be super enticing to all the other unmated male wolves - which we had a lot of in my tower - causing them to go instinctively crazy.

I mean, the Moon Goddess was really not thinking this through. If its because the she-wolf met her soul mate, couldn't the pheromone only be targeted at him?

Anyway, if for whatever reason, they had decided to put off mating, they would get down to it because the female wolf is in heat, and the male wolf is desperate to make her his and keep her safe (presumably from the other unmated males). And tada, mating would take place and mating bond would be complete, and hopefully pups would be on their way.

Most roundabout illogical thing ever, but with how the Moon Goddess was going about with everything else, I guess it fits the bill. Luckily, I've never had it. Eh?

"I never had it." I looked at Bell, I felt quite sure we had been through quite a number of full moons - like during every dream travel. And even if it had to be the real full moon, we'd gone through those too. So unless the webnovels and tv dramas were totally exaggerating the effects of going into heat, I've never had it.

"That's because we have our mating bands." Bell said now. He had an arm slung behind the backrest of the love seat. I hadn't noticed it until now when he tapped my arm from around me. I looked at my band. When Bell touched it, it zinged with warmth. It had been weird like this ever since I met Bell in real life.

"The mating band is said to possess the power of sealing off while holding together the mating bond and its effects. This gives wolves in the Colored Packland a longer and less turbulent courtship. They are very rare here in the plains." Alpha Gunter said quietly, "Although its very unlikely for young wolves to go into heat until much nearer to their mating age, we cannot risk it. River and Savannah are still very young wolves."

"They can have our bands." I offered, "I'm older! I can deal with it- "

"No." Dad growled immediately, cutting me off.

"Says the one who doesn't even know what mating is." Ben smirked.

I did too know what mating was!

"The bands are permanent, princess." Bell growled very lowly.

"It's true." Alpha Gunter smiled his gentle smile, I think he was the type of old wolf that liked to give long lectures, "Although I thank you for your sacrifice. The bands are holding your mating bonds, it would be impossible to take off without severing it. Also, it would be best if you kept them on since the Young Alpha Lorent has already reached mating age.."

"But he's already my mate!" I protested.

"Yes, yes..." Bell patted my head. But his mouth was pressed together to stop his smile and even though I couldn't help but feel that he was amused at my expense, I automatically smiled back.

Mine. ~❤️

"So we get Savy and her Prince River a pair of bands." Ben didn't have the patience to watch Bell and me smile at each other.

"Yeah! That's right!" I brightened up. I always knew Ben was a genius.

"I'm afraid that's easier said than done." Alpha Gunter smiled bitterly, "My Miranda and I used to have a pair - but when she passed, I was devastated. In my bitterness, I threw them into the fire and destroyed them."

"But they're magic, so they won't burn in a fire." I interrupted.

"It was a blue fire." Alpha Gunter admitted.

"Like Fount's fire?" I asked.

"No, princess." Alpha Gunter shook his head, "It was... another blue fire."

And then Alpha Gunter paused, "Suddenly you are rather sharp again."

"I'm always sharp." I boasted.

No one seemed to agree.

"What?" I demanded.

"Alright, so Alpha, you threw your mating bands into another blue fire... " Beta Lucas changed the subject, "So now can we assume your pack has no such bands left?"

Alpha Gunter narrowed his eyes at being spoken to so rudely by a beta, but he managed to nod just a iota and answer very icily, "Unfortunately, yes. Which was why I was asking if Night Forest might own such a treasure. The Alpha Silas had passed this year, perhaps the bands he shared with his Luna might be passed down to our children?"

Beta Lucas shook his head, "Impossible. Their bands were only gold bands. And even if they had it, the Luna isn't going to give it to Savy. Maybe Sam, but not Savy."

And then Dad spoke, "Let me talk to Louis first."

"Uncle Louis has mating bands?" I asked.

"No." Dad said, "But perhaps there might be a pair in the pack treasury."

He gave me a pointed look.

Oh, Grandma Luna's ring! Would there really be a pair of rings there? Oh wait! "We're going to steal from Grandma Luna?"

"Oh, no. No Sam..." Mum quickly said, "We will do no such thing."

Dad didn't say anything though. Like Beta Lucas said, its not like Grandma Luna would just give them to Savy right? Plus River is a human... Grandma Luna would probably tell Savy to mate another wolf. I sighed, "How else can we get a pair of bands?"

Alpha Gunter sighed too, his breath coming out like a small cloud, "It seems I have no choice but to travel to the Colored Mountains. I will secure a pair of mating bands there. If I leave now, I might be able to return before the next full moon."

I wasn't convinced. I mean, the Colored Mountains wasn't some place you could just walk in and out of in two weeks. Dad's been planning to go search for it when he retired. Even Heller seemed to be having trouble getting over to the plains to pick Fluffy up.

Oh, that's right! Heller!

"I can dream travel there and get the bands!" I volunteered. I'm sure Heller would help me.

"No, Sam! You mustn't!" Mum exclaimed, "The moment you dream travel, the full moon would arise... and then... who knows what would happen?"

Exactly? Who knows what would happen? Evidently not me, because NOBODY would tell me anything when it came to mating and stuff like that - and then they would call me slow. Grrr....

"What about the dream travel to Alpha Solomon's?" Ben asked.

"What? All of us?" Now its Bell's turn to be slow, haha. But Mate was in no way amused. When Ben nodded, Bell's mood suddenly turned dangerously dark, "Why was I not informed that we would be dream travelling there?"

"Cos you would say no." I told him.

"Then why are you planning to carry so many wolves through a dream travel?" Bell asked.

Eh? I had thought Bell was mad because we would all have to sleep together, but eh?

"Dream travelling takes quite a lot of wolf power." Alpha Gunter smiled, "It's tiring enough to carry your mate, particularly if the dream travel is for an extended period of time. I doubt it is possible to carry more than one other person for any length of time, and at your age - since you've just come to power this year, being able to dream travel on your own, or carry your mate for short bouts is already a testament of your wolf's immense potential."

Wow, I was learning so much about my own abilities. I had no idea it was impossible. My wolf took it as proof of her awesomeness though.

"Don't worry." I boasted, "I'm super strong. I've done it before. I can carry all my betas. It shouldn't be a problem."

Alpha Gunter raised a brow.

Bell looked like he was remembering how my betas and I had appeared in the old Lord Ciara's room at the Vampire Queen's birthday. He looked somewhat conflicted.

"But Sam! You can't dream travel. Please! At least until we get Savy and River those mating bangles." Mum sounded like she was close to begging.

"I was dream travelling last night and nothing happened." I said, "Don't worry Mum, I don't think anything will happen, unless its a real full moon."

"Its still a very unlikely possibility." Alpha Gunter added. I was quite sure by now that he was only trying to comfort himself - he was really just as worried as Mum.

Finally Dad spoke, "Alpha Gunter, I'm not going to ask how, but are you certain that you would be able to successfully get to the Colored Mountains and back with the bangles by the next full moon?"

Alpha Gunter nodded his appreciation. I suppose all Alphas had their secrets - especially those as old as he was, "Except for the timing of my return, I'm very certain. Even if I am delayed back, I am quite sure I would return before Spring. Only that I would not be present to see you through this warlock threat... I would leave my Beta here to assist you in my stead. Feel free to use him as your own while I am gone."

Dad grunted, "Yes, your beta may stay, but just to protect your son. I can deal with the warlock."

Alpha Gunter smiled, "Thank you for your kind understanding."

"It is for the sake of both our children." Dad said, and then he sighed, "As a father, what would I not do for them?"

And then Dad showed Alpha Gunter his own trump card, "I will also borrow a pair of bands from Night Forrest. If you do not return in time, I will use those first, and the ones you bring back would be returned in place of the pair I borrowed."

Ahem, Dad was going to "borrow" a pair of bands. Yeah.

Alpha Gunter nodded, "Agreed."

I guess he wasn't going to ask how Dad was going to do it either. Talk about mutual confidentiality clauses. hahaha.