THE TULIPS BACK HOME

4 MARCH, THURSDAY, BEFORE DINNER

Mum wasn't wearing curlers or stressing over the smell of the pool today so I had assumed we were just going to have a normal dinner, just with Alpha Gunter and River around.

I mean, it's not like Mum needed to make a Lorent production out of every dinner another Alpha came to visit.

I mean, if it was good enough for Dad and me, surely our home would be good enough for any visiting Alpha? Even those with HRM and HRH titles printed on their calling cards - that's just for the sake of convention, right?

But I should've guessed something was up when Harvey seemed a tad too relieved that we manage to beat the evening traffic home, "Good. We're in time."

But at the moment, I had thought Harvey was just being a stickler for time because he was my good beta and all.

The new addition of what looked like large industrial pipe troughs artfully sat around our porch, each with neat lines of tulips in bloom should've been another hint that something was up.

But that moment, I had thought maybe Mum was supporting Mr Greene's local gardening business or something.

Someone had scrapped off the wood chips mess on our lawn so now it was just a patchwork of mud and grass. Now THAT was a normal every day sight in the early Spring here.

Henry's Mum took inspiration from a painting for their Alpha House lawn. We did too. It was like Picasso with only green paint and mud.

Welcome to Night Leaf. Hahahaha.

Inside the house, there was the smell of home and family and delicious things in the air - all my favourite smells.

Mum, Savy, and Sabre all came down the stairs in dresses that bobbed like tulips at their every step. AND at that moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks that something was definitely up.

"What's going on?" I asked. Yes, because I was slow like that. Don't rub it in. I was well aware the moment those words left my lips that I should've known better.

Anyway, the only reason why Mum didn't put curlers in her hair this morning was because Mrs Beta and her had an appointment at the hair salon to get their hair done. No, Mrs Beta wasn't joining us for dinner. She just did her hair to keep Mum company. (But she did have a date with Beta Lucas tonight.)

"They did their nails too." Savy informed me. If she hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed.

"It was nice finally having some girl time with Willow." Mum smiled at her French Manicure. She looked very pleased at her nails that didn't look like it had any color on them. You had to look very closely to notice how it was very nude in color with a little slip of white right at the ends.

Ki showed us into the living room where Dad was already suited and posed all alpha-like, frowning at reports from the large armchair by the fire.

Oh, and the tulips on our porch came with the most heartwarming and interesting backstory so Mum had to tell it. She sat on the sofa opposite Dad and patted the space next to her for us to join her around the sofa.

When we sat down, Mum gave Sabre a dried apple ring from the pretty assortment of entrees on the coffee table. She caught sight of my expression and carefully picked out another dried apple ring for me. She did it very carefully so that no one would notice the missing pieces from the artfully arranged tiers of food.

"What about Savy?" I had always been Savy's biggest advocate.

Mum carefully plucked out a third apple ring from the other side of the tray for her. And now that her puppies were all seating around her with a small treat to nibble on, she started her story:

The tulips belonged to Torque. Yes, the gentle, abeit clumsy, giant of my Special Team.

It all started when Flynn made some of the Special Team wolves plant some saplings after that one "wild" night that Delta Oran had mistaken for a fightdog revolt. They had a few mishaps with the trees behind the packhouse, some fencing, and a garbage bin, but everything had since been fixed or replaced.

Anyway, Torque, who had to plant the most saplings because he was also the one who broke the most trees, discovered that he rather enjoyed planting things - more so than breaking them.

This was duly reported and Harvey and Beta Gerald introduced him to the position of a part time assistant at Mr Greene's shop (as per my standing instructions for my betas to discover and groom my new wolves' special talents).

Mr Greene really needed help too. His shop had been undulated with orders since Henry's televised inauguration. The Silver Mountain Luna (aka Henry's mum) had posted a few photos of it on their Alpha House balcony.

Now everyone who wanted a piece of the Silver Mountain Luna's view from her balcony could send in their container of choice to be planted with tulips from Mr Greene's gardening shop. Wait till they see Henry's newly landscaped Spring lawn!

Mr Greene paid Torque with tulip bulbs because he was a grouchy old cheepskate. I guess it was better than peanuts though, apparently cheaper too, because Mr Greene only paid Torque with the excess bulbs he didn't need.

Torque secretly grew them in a few large old pipes he found at some scrapyard just off one of the patrol routes that he took at Morning Light.

Beta Gerald accidentally stumbled upon the troughs during a routine inspection. Imagine his surprise at the sight of the secret garden! I supposed it was a little like finding a treasure trove in a junkyard.

After further investigation, he uncovered Torque's circumstances, not that Torque minded, but now Mr Greene would be paying Torque in real cash.

Ki had felt that upcycled industrial pipes were a very artistic touch, so the troughs had been moved from the scrapyard to the Alpha House.

Mum felt Torque had very green thumbs and told him so. But Torque modestly credited the success to watching Mr Greene work.

"I think Mr Greene was giving me a chance to practice what I learned." Torque said.

I think Torque was giving Mr Greene too much credit.

And then Torque rubbed the back of his head and mumbled, "Seeing them grow out from the ground... It just makes me feel... I don't know... It's just for fun."

"So please don't dig them up or eat them, Sam." Mum concluded. Wait, was that the moral of the story?

And did I still look like a puppy who ate weird things dugged out from the backyard? Even if I were still a puppy (and I'm not), they had no proof I did that!

And then Mum smiled at me suddenly, "You're doing a really good thing for these wolves."

Eh? Me? But Torque earned those bulbs and planted them all on his own!

Tonight, sitting on plush seats around the fire and nibbling dried apple rings felt strangely cosy. Compared to when the Lorents came for dinner, Mum certainly was the picture of chill, telling stories about Torque's tulips and everything.

But I was quite sure it was because Ki was home today.

"Just like with Ki. I can't say how thankful I am for Ki everyday." Mum said smiling at my beta.

"It has always been my pleasure, Luna." Ki smiled like a flower to the sun in return.

Savy had cackled a bit and attempted to tease Mum, "Isn't that what you're supposed to say about your soul mate?"

I fully expected Mum to deny that, especially since Dad was reading his reports right in front of her, but Mum only laughed behind her hand, "Is that so?"

And Dad looked up and nodded, "Ki is the kind of wolf we need to keep in the Alpha House so the warriors won't have to worry about their mates when they go out for duty."

Mum laughed some more.

Eh? Eh? My dad made a joke?

Were we still running out to war? What's with this dapper attitude? Where's Beta Lucas? I needed someone to fix my Dad!

But I panicked for nothing, Dad reverted almost immediately back to his usual stern zen, "On a more serious note, Ki. Do not play with fire."

"Unless he's a fire wolf!" I chimed in happily, only too glad that Dad was his usual self after all.

"What?" As usual, no one understood me.

"I'm going to play with a fire wolf later." I announced, "I hope he shoots fire."

My family looked at me like I just spoke in French.

"Oh Sam!" Mum was the first to react, I don't think she knew fire wolves were real. She shook her head and tutted lightly like when I was a small puppy again, "I should hope not! Hurry up and go wash up and change."

And then Mum decided she had to take charge, "Don't worry, Ki. I'll take care of Sam."

"Thank you, Luna." Ki bowed and left for the kitchen.

To me she said in her no nonsense tone, "Alright Sam, our guests will be here soon, let's go get you changed."

Just like when I was a puppy again.

"But Mum..." I whined, just like when I was a puppy again. No, I didn't have any real objection. I guess old habits died hard?

Mum shepherded me over to the side wing. It was kind of nice. No, not the part about being treated like a puppy. I meant the part where everyone was in a good mood tonight.

It was promising to be a very pleasant night. How did the song go?

Cos I gotta feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night...

Oh wait, the last time this song played in my head, the rogues came and our Alpha House went up in smoke.

Hahaha. Well, twice's the charm, right? Or was it trice? O.o

Maybe I should just switch songs... When Mum left me in my room with strict instructions to get changed and tidy my hair, I ended up singing the Last Hurrah's single cover - which had nothing to do with how I felt right now, but was the only "grown up" song I really knew besides A Whole New World - which was arguably a cartoon song. But I belted that out too, mostly because I remembered my room was supposed to be soundproof.

This must be how Disney Princesses got dressed everyday. I put on the hair comb of little golden leaves, but it kept falling out.

This might be because I was spinning around my room a la Disney Princess while I sang. My light teal dress was very satisfying to spin in because it was big and opened up like a flower.

Tonight we were tulips! Mum, Savy, and Sabre and me! Comb in hand, I ran down to tell them, but Alpha Gunter's convey arrived at our porch the moment I burst into the living room.

"Look, we're tulips!" I declared to my family. They had just gotten up to go greet our guests. Outside we could see the horses and ice carriage on our porch.

"No now, Sam." Mum chided lightly. She took the golden comb from my hand and helped me fasten it on the side of my head, "Please remember to behave."

"I'm always behaved." I retorted, but more from habit, because I was still eyeing the horses stamping on our driveway. Was Silver Lining here?

"We're not tulips, Sam." Sabre informed me primly, "We're princesses. I'm Ariel with legs."

"I'm Shrek." I decided because of my green dress.

"No." Sabre said.

"Hulk! Oscar the grouch! The Grinch who stole Christmas!" I counter offered.

"No. No! NO!" Sabre got agitated, "Those are NOT princesses!"

"Sam..." Mum warned.

I shut up.

Outside on our lit porch, Ki was greeting Alpha Gunter and River as they alighted from their ice coach. Harvey was also amidst the bustle to host Beta Glenn and the other wolves.

"Mama! Sam won't be Merida." Sabre complained.

Mum gave me a look.

"Okay. I'm Merida." I quickly agreed. Even though everyone knew Merida had red hair.

So when Beta Glenn and the other wolves bowed in parting and Ki showed Alpha Gunter and River into our home, they were greeted by my Mum and Dad, and three princesses.

We stood in a row and bobbed like polite tulips, I mean princesses, and the icy alpha nodded politely back.

In traditional packs like Snow Moon, it was of utmost importance to greet your elders formally in order of hierachy at formal settings. This was basic respect.

"Hi Savannah!" River only saw one particular princess though.