SAM, PUT ON SOME PANTS!

7 FEBRUARY, SUNDAY, 9AM

I followed Savy down to the first floor and through the glass conservatory to the main house. Dad was standing at the door, but his attention was on his screen. I guess he had been standing there for a while.

Mum was already wearing her coat, but little Sabre didn't want to wear a jacket, so Mum was having a bit of trouble.

"Sam never wears a jacket to the packhouse." Sabre was saying.

That human girl was going to get me into big trouble one day!

But I could see what Savy meant by her outfit matching ours. Today, Sabre was especially cute. She had on a lavender colored buttoned up jacket. It had big buttons and a hood too. She also had the cutest pink tutu skirt over white woollen stockings. Her hair was also put up in a messy bun a la Savy.

The moment Sabre saw us, her face lit up.

Savy smiled, "See, I told you Sam was going to wear the same as us!"

Sabre's response was to pull down her tutu, "Don't want this."

Mum gasped, "Baby, you need to wear a skirt!"

"But I want to be like Sam!" Sabre argued.

Did I mention that this girl was going to get me in trouble one day? Yup, today was the day.

Dad looked up momentarily and then he frowned, "Sam, put on some pants."

Then he went back to his screen.

What?

Mum seemed momentarily shocked enough to forget that Sabre was the one still with her rabbit undies in broad view. She straightened up to check out my outfit.

Savy stood closer to me. See we matchy Mum! You like it when we matchy right? We made puppy dog eyes.

"It is a little on the short side." Mum seemed a little torn.

"But..." I looked at Savy and shut up. No point dragging her down with me. But Mum caught my line of sight, "Well, it's short on YOU."

"It's because you're too tall." Savy informed me. Gee, thanks.

"But it's probably alright." Mum decided. To Dad she said, "We're running late, and it's nice that Sam has decided to wear a dress. Maybe we can just let it be for today."

Go Mum!

But dad shook his head, "That's not a dress. Ki, go fetch pants."

Mum sighed, "Oh but she's always wearing jeans..."

"I want to wear jeans." Sabre decided.

Mum sighed and took off her jacket, "Okay baby. Come upstairs and we will put you in jeans."

Eventually, we got out of the house. Savy had changed too because she didn't want to be the odd one out. So we all had light blue skinny jeans, which I liked a lot more than my stockings - especially since I accidentally ran a tear in it in my haste to change out.

On the way out, Sabre ran about making a mess of the new covering of snow. Mum and Dad walked hand in hand in front of us.

"Our girls are growing up, you know." Mum said gently to Dad.

Uh-oh, run away Dad! When Mum uses that tone, she wants to "discuss something". Which is another way of saying she wants to change your mind about something. Trust me.

"Don't remind me." Dad growled, but he put his phone away and pulled her closer. He dropped a kiss on her head.

Bleh... I looked away and watched Sabre calling out to some small pup playing on the packhouse lawn.

"Don't shout my name, Omega!" The kid said, "My mum would find me."

"Don't call me, Omega!" The little human yelled, and then she went, "Derek's mum! Derek's mum! Your son is here!"

"Shhhhh!!!!" Derek jumped out of the little snow cave he had made, "Okay, okay, what do you want?"

"You have to call me Princess Sabre." Sabre told him.

"No way!" Derek yelled.

"Derek's mum!" Sabre yelled louder.

"Okay! Princess Sabre! Princess Sabre!" Derek yelled.

"Okay, now make your hole bigger so I can hide too." Sabre ordered.

Derek seemed to be weighing his options, and then he started digging.

Hahahaha. I totally didn't expect that.

"She's reminds me a lot of Sam as a pup." Mum told Dad.

"Sam's still a pup." Dad said gruffly.

"Sam's already in highschool." Mum said, "Things like boys and parties and dressing up, maybe even a short skirt now and then is okay."

Ah ha! I told you Dad! Prepare to have your mind changed!

"All the more no." Dad shook his head, Stubborn Alpha that he was.

"Highschool boys is the last thing she needs." Then Dad sighed.

Mum sighed, "Her friends seem nice. Sam's always been one of the boys, but this year, she made friends with so many girls in school, and she's so cute when she's with Bell... I think we should be more supportive and encouraging when she tries to wear dresses."

"Dresses are okay, but that wasn't enough to be a dress, darling." Dad said.

"She's going to the Lorent Girls Academy next term, dear." Mum tried again, "Her new uniform will be about that length too."

"Which was why I didn't send her there in the first place." Dad said.

"And the girls there... They're rather sophisticated." Mum worried.

"Which was the other reason why I didn't send her there." Dad growled, "Sam has no reason to learn to pander to rich, powerful, male wolf ideals of what women should be. Sam is our pack's future alpha. She will have to take over the reins after me. Wearing short skirts and making pretty compliments to flatter male egos is a waste of her time."

"You didn't complain when I did it." Mum smiled as Dad helped her up the packhouse steps.

"I just want her to be happy." Dad said then.

"And if, just if, what made her happy would be to wear pretty clothes, have pups, and be adored by her mate, would that be a waste of her time?" Mum challenged.

"Yesterday night, her wolf surfaced, her real wolf, and it was incredible." Dad confessed, "She's just a pup now, but her wolf is evolving quickly."

Dad put a hand around Mum's shoulder and lowered his voice, "I have no doubt that one day the Moon Bell Pack would control the whole of the Green Packlands led by a monsterous wolf known as Alpha Sam."

"Monsterous?" Mum asked, "What do you mean, dear?"

"She's still a pup and her wolf has only begun evolving." Dad sighed, "But it is already a fearless and imposing beast. You know Willow's research into the blue wolf line yourself. These wolves appear at the crux of history and is the Moon Goddess reagent in the world. Sam's wolf isn't the cute puppy we see every morning at the breakfast table, and neither is Sam. A tigers cub may look like a cat, but it was born to kill."

There was a silence. Mum said something too softly. I didn't hear it. I had heard enough. I drew back.

Dad sighed and went into zen mode, "They say pups are a gift from the goddess, but they are not gifts that we can keep."

"It's the time we had with them that was the gift." Mum said.

Just as I thought that my parents were going to go all sappy, Dad suddenly said, "But she is still a pup, and as long as she is a pup, she is our puppy. I have a plan."

Okay, I know I said I drew back - and I did, or at least I started too. (These things needed to be done unaruptly to avoid detection!) But when Dad said he had a plan, I mean... I wanted to know what he planned to do to me.

Dad explained Ben's observation about my wolf evolving under stress from anger or fear. So their plan was simple, they will keep me happy and safe for the next three years. He has already discussed this plan with Beta Lucas and my three Betas. Ki had spoken to Mate this morning and he is also in agreement.

Mate reportedly even went on to say he would protect me not just for three years, but as long as we lived.

Dad didn't think it's possible to stop the evolution of my wolf entirely. Especially in the first year from shifting, this was usually when the changes after the shift were most pronounced.

Mum agreed but she was pleased because Savy and I were getting prettier by the day. Especially, Sam.

Which was also another cause of worry for Mum that I would attract the wrong type of attention.

Dad growled and remembered the last Ciara Lord. There would be more of such b******s. Wow. I did not know my dad owned such a word in his vocabulary.

Mum stroked his back, at least that was over. Bell and my betas were there to take care of it. Wait... I took care of it!

Dad paused. He didn't correct her though. Just like he wasn't going to tell her about the gyara I found in the dungeon, I bet. Hahaha.

So that's the plan. Keep me safe and happy so my wolf had no reason to evolve so quickly. Then I'll stay their puppy for another three years. By then I'll be 18, old enough to mate, old enough to lead the pack.

But with an unevolved wolf? Okay, most wolves didn't evolve. I mean, it happens, but not to everyone. But I was an Alpha wolf, so it's more common for Alpha wolves, but still... I had never seen Henry's wolf glitching, I mean "evolving" like mine.

Mating year would also be the other year when wolves were likely to change visibly as they complete their course of maturing and take mates and step up as full adult pack members. Males would grow broader and stronger, their wolves becoming more pronounced in their speech and senses. Females will grow more attractive, pheromones and magic or whatever it was the moon goddess used to make sure that soul mates meet and fall in love.

I heard it was the most turmultanous year of most wolves' lives, worse than their shifting year.

Haha, this was my shifting year, and if my mating year was going to be worse, I'm going to be in for the ride of my life!

"So how do we keep Sam happy and safe?" Mum asked. Dad had made it sound like a simple and straightforward thing.

"You're her mother, I believe you'd know best." Dad told her.

"Routine." Mum answered immediately, "A secure environment and consistent routine always kept her happy."

It did? My answer would have been to give me candy.

Mum nodded at her own answer, "If I think about it, all the times she became unstable after shifting was when we made a big change to her life - moving house, a new sister... Oh goddess, and we just moved again! And we're transfering her to a new highschool next term!"

"It's been an eventful month since she has shifted." Dad agreed.

"Oh and she just shifted! And met her mate, and had to fight for her Alpha standing in the pack..." Mum sounded alarmed, "I've never ever quite put it all together like that! My poor baby! What kind of mother am I? I hadn't even noticed. She could've died that day after fighting Endo and I hadn't noticed either..."

"It's alright darling." Dad comforted her, "You're a beautiful and wonderful mother."

"I should've been more understanding when she acted up." Mum sniffed a little. Was she crying? I couldn't tell. I should really pull back now. I stopped walking so that the distance between us would increase as they walked.

This had been a very long, long, walk to the packhouse.

They stopped at the top of the porch steps and looked back, presumably to make sure their three girls were still somewhere following them.

At this point, Sabre was completely hidden in the snow cave with Derek. Savy had u-turned to Lizzy's quite a while ago because she had sent Lizzy a selfie and then had to go over to Lizzy's "for a sec" to make Lizzy a hair bun too.

My parents looked around and then at me, the only one following them (and their quiet conversation.) Dad gave me a look. Was I evesdropping? I shrugged and grinned. Yes.

"Where are your sisters?" Mum asked.

I told them.

Mum sighed, "Please go fetch Sabbie, we're late as it is."

Luckily for us, the whole pack was lagging behind the clock today. I guess the party last night made everyone wake up a bit later.

Beta Lucas and Mrs Beta had only arrived a few minutes before us. They had given up waking Lizzy after multiple attempts, and Ben had not returned home. Beta Lucas had assumed he was with me. Now he was frowning and on the mindlink, probably contacting his son.

Mrs Beta sighed to my Mum, "I feel they get harder to manage as they grow older. How do you manage it, Luna?"

"I don't ever feel like I'm managing at all!" Mum admitted honestly.

At this moment, I returned with Sabre sitting on my shoulders. I found it quite a fun way to carry her, although I nearly hit her head on the rafter at the top of the porch steps.

Sabre laughed, "Mama, Mama! I'm so tall!"

Savy and Lizzy came in behind us.

"Oh! Be careful, Sam! Her head!" Lizzy cried out. I ducked just in time at the doorway.

"Finally!" Beta Lucas exclaimed, "I have one offspring present and accounted for."

Sometimes the men in my pack were weird like that.

"Thank you for waking Lizzy." Mrs Beta said, "Did you do her hair too? It's lovely!"

Luckily most of the ladies were more socially eloquent.

Savy smiled and nodded.

The lift nearest to us opened and Ben appeared still in yesterday's clothes and smells.

I passed Sabre to Mum and went to check Ben out. He had a lot of smells on him. Then I remembered what he said the last time and pulled open the top of this t-shirt to smell inside. He smelled like him.

Ben didn't resist. He didn't even flinch.

"What are you doing, Sam?" Mum asked somewhat horrified.

"I'm making sure he didn't let any of my guests get under his clothes." I said.

Ben growled then and pushed my head away.

Mum blanched.

Beta Lucas and Mrs Beta frowned.

"He wasn't." I said.

Mrs Beta looked relieved.

Beta Lucas wagged a finger, "Its a good thing too, or I would have had to ship him off to his uncle."

"Sam, please, you're a girl. You shouldn't be sniffing guys like that." Mum admonished.

"But it's just Ben, Mum." I said.

"Sam, you're not a puppy any more!" Mum admonished, "Please observe decorum."

"Yes I am." I decided just then, "I'm going to be a puppy forever."

I don't want my wolf to evolve. I don't want to grow up and enter my mating year. I want to stay with mum and dad like we always had.

Would you look at that, Mum was right. Consistent routine and environments. I hated changes. Ironic coming from a wolf who was from

'The ones who left the mountains, to chase what could have been.

The ones who seek the changes that yet could not be seen.'