I WAS AMAZING AFTER ALL

26 FEBRUARY, FRIDAY, LUNCH

I didn't enjoy our Bangers and Mash the way I usually did. Gamma Harry had it sent from Night Leaf all the way to Morning Light's Packhouse Meeting Room #1, but herein laid the problem, we were at a debrief meeting of the one event that I didn't really want to think about right now, or ever - Mission Flush.

The only saving grace about this episode was that everyone else seemed to have a lot to say about it, so I got away with just smiling my default wide smile and poking the bangers around in the mash. I did eat - I ate almost everything on my plate, I just didn't necessarily taste it. While my inability to smell definitely had something to do with it, the conversation around me didn't help. Every time Ruby's name was mentioned, I felt my blood physically go cold. Weird.

I did my best to ignore it. I'm fine.

The war was not quite as over as I had hoped. Shortly after Mission Flush was concluded, Beta Gerald had announced the end of Code Black over Morning Light and Night Leaf. The Alpha Channel was officially closed and Alpha James had graciously thanked my Dad for the close partnership opportunity and excused himself to return home. He generously left the healers and combat medical staff deployed with us till further notice.

Apparently, things like war weren't ended so simply. We were now in Code Red, and must remain vigilant in case of another rogue insurgence.

And now that Jude's purported treason had surfaced, the elders felt that the matter would not be settled quickly.

We would be expecting multiple smaller scale attacks for the next couple of weeks, which could just as likely drag out for months. Like with the snow storms in winter... our warriors will just have to keep ploughing, it would be slow, long, thankless deployments until Spring. Why did I ever think being a warrior was going to be fun and all that? Sigh, I was really such a dumb pup.

But enough about the war, Dad wanted to examine the intel my side mission had just uncovered.

"Princess wasn't kidding about flushing all the s*** out of those **************." Gamma Endo declared.

"Endo, we're no longer on the battle field." Beta Gerald reprimanded primly, "Please curb your tongue."

"You should tell Alpha Jude that." Gamma Endo laughed. He turned to Neil and Jax who were seated next to me, "Did he really put his tongue in?"

I suddenly flashbacked to that moment and the particular sausage on my fork suddenly looked mottled and made me think of the reddish purple marks on Ruby's arms. I took a quiet breath to suppress the gag effect of the thought. I wished I hadn't seen Ruby so clearly.

"Just the smell alone is f***ed!" Gamma Endo continued, oblivious to the uncomfortable silence that hung over the room, "They triple bagged her and we could still smell it."

"We need a very large Tupperware." Gamma Harry suggested, "Tupperware is very airtight."

Beta Gerald cleared his throat and decided we had wasted enough time and should get down to business, "Please allow me to congratulate everyone for the successful mission and returning safely. I would also like to extend thanks to Delta Oran for volunteering his time and service with us."

Delta Oran nodded a bow, "It is always an honor and privilege to run with the Alpha Princess."

Which was apparently the right answer because all the elders nodded as if they thought so too.

Beta Gerald continued, "I've emailed the mission report to all of you, this report has yet to be vetted or signed by Alpha Sam, but may be used as reference for our debrief. Delta Oran, please also sign and return the NDA attached to your email. The NDA is the standard one in accordance with our usual co-ops with the Lorent Pack."

"I understand." Delta Oran checked his email on his tablet and nodded agreeably, "It shouldn't be a problem."

Which was good and well, but I didn't have any of my betas with me, and I had no idea where my phone or any screen device was. Even Dad had taken out his screen in Beta Lucas' absence. Ah, I really needed to up my game. I leaned back on the chair and looked at the projector screen where Beta Gerald was showing the first page of his report.

Wouldn't my betas be surprised when they check my email and read about my exciting side mission during the war they had absolutely missed? Ben's going to be so cheesed. Hahaha.

I waited patiently for everyone to glance through the report. They were doing it with increasingly serious expressions. Finally, my dad cleared his throat, "Thank you Beta Gerald for the report. I would also like to hear eye-witness accounts from those who were present with Sam."

Everyone looked to Neil and Jax. Neil put down his phone, "It is as written in the report here."

Gamma Harry shook his head, "It's good! Very good, Alpha! Sending Sam to infiltrate the enemy's base while you took down their front line."

I'm sure if my Dad knew I was going to the enemy's base, he would never had let me go.

"I can't believe you'd send your own daughter!" Gamma Endo exclaimed.

He didn't, so please stop rubbing it in Gamma Endo!

"Of course our Alpha would have calculated the risks." Beta Gerald noted confidently, "After all, this is not the first time our Alpha Princess had led a covet mission into enemy territories. Also given her perfect track record, it was only a matter of time before she would be promoted to leading S-level missions such as this."

Not you too, Beta Gerald! Wait, I led an S-level mission?

"Is that so?" Dad rubbed his chin as if considering all that was said and done.

"Oh!" Jax punched his fist into his own palm, "So this mission was planned from the start!"

"That pretty much explains it." Neil nodded to himself, "I was wondering about how everything played out so conveniently."

And then Neil smirked, "It'll be nice if you could give us a heads up though. I was seriously worried when the rogues showed up."

"Yah." Jax grinned his saucy grin, "Neil seriously freaked out when they started fighting."

"And you didn't?" Neil challenged.

"I knew." Jax boasted, tapping his head with the crook of his finger, "I have an excellent head for these things."

"When did you know?" Neil asked.

"When she provoked Ruby." Jax said, "So I just played along."

"Oh." Neil said. He shrugged his heavy set shoulders, "Oh."

I'm not sure what came to mind at that moment, but the larger bodyguard nodded, "No wonder you were so calm."

Jax wriggled his brows at his partner, "You brawny types need to use your smarts."

"Look, I'll make it simple for you." Jax decided to explain, "The trick likes in the power of observation."

He pointed at my head, "Do you see her hair?"

"Yah?" Neil and every other wolf in the meeting room now turned to carefully observe the blue hair on my head.

"Then its fine." Jax assured everyone, "You only need to panic if you they are blades."

That... wasn't that simplifying it too much?

Neil was immediately convinced, "I see. So that's how it is."

No, it was NOT.

"You got that one on the nose." Gamma Endo nodded, "I've seen those blades in action. If the princess doesn't even draw them out, you're right to say she must have other cards up her sleeve."

"That is certainly a critical signal to note." Beta Gerald nodded as he typed, "As expected of Luna Bell's personal bodyguards."

"I have a question!" Gamma Harry raised his hand, "The report says here that Sam convinced Alpha Jude to lead her to his base. How did she do that?"

"Of course, she seduced him!" Jax announced proudly.

No! Wrong! Don't randomly sprout things like that! Especially not in front of my Alpha Dad, you idiot!

I flared and Dad growled lowly, "What do you mean seduce?"

I quickly shook my head, "Jax's just joking! I didn't do anything weird!"

There was a silence around the table, and then Gamma Endo shrugged, "Eh, you use what you got."

Gamma Harry chuffed, "Sometimes I forget Sam isn't that little pup riding on Alpha's shoulders anymore!"

No, no! I watched Dad's face turn stony, just everybody stop talking!

I managed a weak smile in Dad's direction, "Don't worry, Dad. I'll always be your puppy."

And then Dad said, "I suppose that's the power of a woman."

Say what?

"You're growing up." Dad smiled wryly, "Just be careful not to take it too far, Sam."

I DID NOT SEDUCE JUDE!

"I just want to say, for the record..." Gamma Harry put down his screen. I guess he was done reading the report. (Please do not say another word about seducing Jude.)

"I had a good run with Sam... Ah, the Alpha Princess." Gamma Harry made his statement, "Her leadership was clear and decisive. she was level-headed and fearless in her engagement with the enemy. And the result was good, very good. We captured the traitors red handed, and even obtained intel."

"Very crucial intel." Beta Gerald nodded, "Our Alpha Princess once again outperformed all expectations. It was incredible! To be able to draw out the key players behind the enemy lines, and even use a borrowed knife, playing them against each other to our unequivocal victory."

"F***, now that you've mentioned it..." Gamma Endo leaned back as if stunned, "She didn't even lift a finger!"

"I bet you didn't know our Alpha Princess is so good, huh Captain?" Gamma Harry jabbed Stephan who was seated silently next to him thus far.

Stephan nodded a respectful bow towards the elders around me, "With all due respect, in all of the Underground, there is no wolf who does not know we serve an amazing Alpha."

He was talking about Bell right?

"Our allegiance to her was not formed out of our desperation, but our sincerest admiration for her dynamism and intent. I believe I am not only speak for myself when I say that our Alpha is the only one who has the power to change our fate." Stephan's voice reverberated around the room, and then his voice quietened, "It is commonly said among my warriors that it only takes one run with our Alpha, and we'd never run the same again."

"So you guys feel it too." Neil said.

"We thought it was just us." Jax crossed his arms and sulked.

"Its because she runs like her dad." Gamma Harry confidently put both hands behind his head.

Dad perked up at that, "Does she?"

"Yes, she runs just like you alpha." Gamma Harry informed my Dad earnestly, "That's why it was so easy for me to support her today. I just let my wolf go and my job got done like always. She's a natural."

"I see." Dad paused as if coming to terms with Gamma Harry's words, and he shook his head wryly, "Although it is alarming how my daughter has a tendency to run straight first into the eye of the storm, it is... comforting to know she always has strong wolves running alongside her."

"Yes, I was never running alone, so I was perfectly safe, Dad." I quickly reassured him, lest he should decide to never let me run again.

"Not running alone, and being perfectly safe aren't the same thing, princess." Neil pointed out.

I flashed my usual wide smile, "As long as I've got you guys, why won't I be perfectly safe?"

Dad sighed, completely unpersuaded by my argument, "I had a dream the other night. In my dream, I was holding your hand. When I let go, you ran far ahead of me. I wanted to chase after you and bring you back to your mother where you'd be safe. And then I heard the goddess' voice say, "You must let her go." Know this, Sam. If not for the goddess' instruction, I would never had let you go today."

What should I say to that? I wished I knew.

The chair creaked as Dad leaned forward, "You did well, Sam"

Eh?

And then to the others, Dad said in closing, "Thank you very much. I appreciate your quick response and good work today. This was my daughter's first run under Code Black conditions. I know it would not have been as successful without your individual contribution and expertise. I thank you, not just as the Alpha, but also as Sam's father."

There was a deep and silent pause which Dad totally ignored, "Well, then, if that's all from the Mission Flush debrief, let's move on to discuss our next move and what to do with our captives. Only my beta, gammas, and captains are needed."

"Yes, Alpha." Everyone said.

"Thank you for your time everyone. We will proceed to our next meeting shortly." Beta Gerald informed us.

We all stood up and bowed, "Thank you for your guidance, Alpha."