SAT DOWN BY MY BETAS (did I go too far?)

22 February, Monday, CONTINUED

The moment the men had left, Ben sank into the nearest chair, "No freaking way that just happened."

Harvey and Ki looked at me.

"Don't mind me." I waved meekly, "Go ahead and complain all you want."

"SAM!" Ben sat up again suddenly, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Admittedly, I wasn't really thinking. I wasn't thinking at all.

Ki pulled out a chair for me and I realized that there was no escaping it, it looked like my betas were going to call me out. I've heard these things happen. You know, an alpha goes too far, his beta puts up with it, and then the alpha goes further, and the beta bends backwards to deal with it, and the the alpha goes further still... and eventually, the alpha crosses the line and the beta would sit the alpha down and say something to the effect of, "All my life, I have served you faithfully, Alpha. I had run the extra mile, bent backwards, and picked up all the loose ends in your wake - but this! This is the last straw. Alpha you've gone too far."

And the Alpha would shift uncomfortably in his chair and mumble, "Just a little."

And the Beta would tear out his hair and shout, "A little? No Alpha, this time I'm afraid you've gone so far, I could have gone to the moon and back a hundred times and still not be able to reach you! This have got to stop."

That kind of conversation. Okay, I totally made up the conversation, but it would be something to that effect. Usually, the alpha, being the stubborn alpha that we was would refuse to heed his Beta's pleas and the Beta being the loyal and faithful wolf that he was, would continue to serve his Alpha - and something terrible would happen to prove that the Beta was right all along, the Alpha had gone too far. And then the Beta would be dying in the Alpha's arms with the Alpha crying out, "No! What have I done?"

What? You've never heard of it? It was a very typical plot in many lycan dramas.

Anyway, This was it. I sat down in the chair and waited for Ben to chew me out about saddling the three of them with the Special Team.

The moment I sat down, Harvey and Ki sat too.

"Somebody tell me what's happening!" Ben demanded.

"Maybe we would have known if our good beta had not neglected to update us." Ki smiled, "It would've helped to know in advance if we needed to prepare accommodations..."

Opps. That was my bad. I totally didn't think about the trouble I had caused. But like I said, I wasn't thinking at all.

"...or to prepare an extra lunch box to replace the one given away..." Ki continued smiling.

"S***." Harvey let slip once he suddenly realized the reason for Ki's dissatisfaction with him earlier, "Is that why you were mad?"

Which was my bad too.

"Don't be mad, Ki." I tried to soothe my beta, "I got to eat your fried toast. That was worth waiting for. And it wasn't really Harvey's fault."

But Harvey felt differently, "Apologies, Alpha, but it was my slip up. Sorry, Ki."

Ben looked to Harvey and then to Ki, "What are the both of you blabbering on about?"

"I gave my lunchbox away in the morning and then I got hungry later." I explained.

"I don't care about that!" Ben shook his head, "I mean the special team, what's up with that? Sam, you're definitely up to something. Spill it."

Is that the way you speak to your Alpha?

But Ben's mind was whirring at maximum speed now and he had no time to speak politely, "This is something to do with your plan to deal with the prophecy isn't it? These six guys - they smell strong. Okay, you've got the warlock's attention, and you've mobilized your entire inner circle. Alpha Gunter and that Prince River guy is in the packlands, and now this Special Team. So what's the plan, Sam?"

I flared. Ben was really giving me more credit than I deserved.

Harvey nodded, "If Alpha doesn't mind, I would very much like your guidance too."

I shook my head, "I don't know..."

"Even your Luna had moved in." Ki smiled.

Wait, what?

I looked up sharply, "What do you mean, moved in?"

"He has decided to reside here, either at the Lorent Pack or with us and dream travel to meet his other obligations at the Underground." Ki elaborated, "When I asked him about it, all he would tell me is that a Death God without a scent is more realistic."

Now the other two guys were looking at me with raised brows.

"That's a pretty good excuse though." Harvey allowed with a wry smile.

"So what did you do to convince him to come back?" Ben asked.

I DID NOTHING!

"And now that you really have everyone here at your command, what are you planning, Sam?" Ben asked.

"What makes you think I'm planning anything?" I shot back. Of all my betas, Ben should know how dumb my wolf was! And who was he kidding about everyone being at my command? He was making it sound like I actually had some control over them.

I managed a hapless shrug. I wasn't the one commanding anything (or anyone).

"Come off it, Sam." Ben shrugged, "I know you better than that. You can quit acting like you're just winging it."

I WAS JUST WINGING IT.

"All this - it's just too coincidental - you were telling me that River had the stone, and now you got him here offering to give his stone up just like that. I can't believe I didn't see it from the start! You even engineered it so that he trespassed over to us in on his own accord! And now the Special Team." Ben said, "Come on, Sam. We're your betas. At the very least, tell us what you want us to train the Special Team to do."

"I don't know... I'm still figuring it out as I go along." I answered honestly.

"Then think aloud Sam." Ben ordered, "What are you going to do about the prophecy?"

Oh! That one, I knew the answer to, "Nothing."

"You're messing with me!" Ben stood up slamming down hard on his table, his chair rolled backwards.

"Okay, okay, just calm down!" I said. Our new stone table looked sturdy and all, but I didn't really want to test it with a Beta Ben throwing a tantrum because his Alpha wouldn't tell him the plan (which as far as I knew, didn't exist yet.)

"Ben, sit down. Let our Alpha speak." Harvey said.

Ben sat down.

I blinked in surprised at his compliance.

"Please enlighten us, goddess." Ki smiled. Are you serious? Even you, Ki?

"Maybe..." I answered very cautiously, "Maybe we can work on the plan together?"

I mean... they were my betas, and they were the smartest brains I knew. Maybe if we talked through it, we might have an actual plan to work with (oppose to the imaginary one that they all seem to think I have.)

And they were right. I did need a plan. I couldn't keep spontaneously giving out lunch boxes and inviting wolves to stay at my place. What was I thinking? (I know, I know, I wasn't). But better late than never, right?