THE BLUE DEMON CODE

"What the hell, Sam." Henry said and everything was swell again.

I smiled my happy smile, "Nobody messes with my friends. Not even my friends."

"Hoi hoi, Scary Alpha!" EJ bounded back with some surprisingly solid advice, "Never date your alpha's friend. Their broken hearts will be your end."

Which made me laugh because it was stupid ridiculous, rhymed, and true at the same time.

"Who taught you this rubbish?" Henry wanted to know, "Fluffy, was it you?"

Fluffy smiled and shook his head, "I thank Scary Alpha for his high esteem, but I was not the author of this quote."

"Ping ping ping! Fluffy is always the star student!" EJ announced, "I quoted!"

Because it was a big deal that EJ had memorized anything that wasn't a rap lyric.

Apparently, the blue demon warriors from the underground had been taught an ongoing list of rules.

"It's a work in progress." Harvey grimaced a little to himself.

After the incident where several of his warriors (read the Special Team) had overstepped boundaries and required his Alpha's personal intervention (where Alpha = me), Stephan had consulted with our elder wolves and the FAO about instilling a standard code of conduct in all-new warriors.

It wasn't just that Special Team incident, even though it was the one most infamously quoted for the existence of such a program. It had also surfaced on multiple occasions that our new wolves might need "special guidance" on integrating with the pack.

The elders and the FAO felt these problems might become more serious if intervention was not made in a timely manner. They've since settled on a "three-prong active intervention" - education, counseling, and discipline.

Yes, I'm glad we're doing something about it. Although I had been thinking they just needed a mother, this way sounded good too.

So now, my betas and the Special Team had been providing the necessary information to be used for educating warriors on the appropriate code of conduct both on and off duty.

Cornelius now taught it as part of the army syllabus.

Officially they were known as the Blue Demon Code, and currently had three levels. Basic, intermediate, and advance.

A warrior had to pass the basic level test to run patrols and other duties under supervision.

If they passed the intermediate level, they were allowed to take general patrol and duties like any other pack warrior.

And if they wanted to work in the pack house, or security for the Alpha's family, or any other sensitive mission, they had to pass the advance level.

This program would be rolled out to the mainstream warrior training curriculum in time. Right now, it was in what they called beta phase. Hahaha. Because the betas were testing it.

"As the Special Team, we are at the forefront of the Blue Demon Code." Fluffy boasted.

"Only if you mean you're the first to break the rules." Harvey quipped back with his usual wry smile.

"Wait, backtrack. So STEPHAN wrote that?" I couldn't imagine it.

(And why would breaking my friends' hearts have anything to do with a warrior's code of conduct? But I didn't get to ask that.)

"No, Alpha. It was Assistant Captain Theo who summarizes each point for us so that it would be easy to remember." Fluffy smiled.

Who? Oh, Theo... The one who showed me around the underground the other time - Stephan's right-hand man. He was the really quiet chestnut blond guy who didn't own any facial expressions so that even Stephan look expressive. (No, I couldn't imagine him writing it either.)

"Hoi, hoi! They're super easy to remember!" EJ rapped out an example, "Pack wolf smells like soap and skin. Never smell like the garbage bin."

Hahahahaha.... oh man, Theo was a literary genius.

"My favorite is, Mess with the Alpha make her cry, when Luna comes home, prepare to die." Fluffy quoted with his usual bright smile.

Who the hell came up with that rule?

Henry was laughing now, "What the hell. You Night Leaf wolves are crazy."

No we're not!

"I can't believe you wrote your warrior code in nursery rhymes." Marcus coughed.

Well, no. Admittedly, me neither. But while we're at it, "Do you have a lesson on personal space and entering the girls changing room?"

"What?" Marcus gasped.

Henry laughed till he doubled, "Sam, I think that would be obvious."

Harvey, who knew better, immediately narrowed his eyes at Fluffy and EJ.

"Does Pretty Alpha mean, 'If you try to kiss another man, no one will save you from his hand'?" Fluffy offered, trying to look innocent under my good Beta's scrutiny, "Or perhaps, 'If you are active on the scene, remember PG and keep it clean'?"

I honestly had no idea.

Henry and Marcus were laughing openly by now. Marcus wasn't even pretending to cough anymore. Janice was laughing too, but I don't think she quite got the joke. Maybe she was just amused by us laughing at not-that-funny things.

Anyway, it was very undignified for alphas and betas to be laughing out loud on a school driveway. Theo should write the Alpha/beta code too.

"What the hell, Sam."

I had never seen Henry laugh so hard. He wiped a tear from his eye. Maybe we should compile the Blue Demon Code as a joke book.

"How many of these are there?" Marcus asked when he managed to catch his breath.

"As many as they break." Harvey let out a quiet long-suffering sigh.

"We are just doing our part to raise the standards, Big Brother Alpha." Fluffy smiled, "We can't let any Tom, Dick, or Henry near our Alpha Princess."

"What the hell..." Henry stopped laughing, "Fluffy are you picking a fight?"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare, Scary Alpha." Fluffy beamed, "Do you want me to try to kiss you?"

EJ bursts out laughing, "Hahahaha...."

Fluffy quoted, "Alpha always gets first hit, dodge or block a little bit. Others also get first in, but after that, fight till you win."

I had to think a bit to figure out what this rule meant. These sounded like silly slogans, but I was beginning to see why it was called a code. It needed as much deciphering as a lycan quote!

So I'm Alpha, and if hit them, they'd only dodge or block a little? And Henry was "Others" so if he hits them, they get to punch his lights out? So combining that with the above rule, Fluffy was offering to kiss Henry so Henry would punch him, thereby allowing him to beat Henry up?

That was just overcomplicated and messed up! Okay, why was I surprised? We were talking about Fluffy, after all.

Henry turned red under the collar. He let go of Janice and took a step forward growling, his fist clenched, "You think you'd win?"

Luckily, my good beta was around. Harvey calmly cleared his throat, "Ah, Fluffy. You said Alpha needed help to empty her lockers?"

"Oh yeah! We have to empty out lockers today!" EJ bemoaned as if it was the first time he heard about it.

"Yes." Fluffy nodded, his smiling mask still on, "I also need to make some last-minute arrangements for Pretty Alpha's social engagement later tonight."

Henry stopped growling but he looked disgruntled.

"Apologies, Alpha Henry." Harvey promised him, "They will be disciplined when we return."

"Throw them in the dungeons." Henry ordered.

"Will do, Alpha." Harvey nodded with his wry smile.

"Wha- just for that?" Marcus asked.

"They p***ed me off." Henry shrugged, his good mood returning now.

You can't just throw wolves into the dungeon like that! Maybe I needed Theo to write a rule about dungeon usage.

Harvey picked up a flat black thing from the side of his boot. It unfolded into a box! Beta magic, "Here, Fluffy. Use this for your stuff. The other cars will be coming soon. Ki wants me to remind you to return Alpha's duffel too. You and EJ are to report to the dungeons when you finish your duties today."

Fluffy took it, smiling mask in place, "Understood, Big Brother Beta."

Harvey handed a few more flat black folded boxes to EJ who bounded off with Fluffy.

"Woohoo! Another night in the dungeons!" EJ announced when he thought they were far enough from physical harm, "I'll bring snacks! Should we throw peanuts at the other prisoners?"

"I don't mind, but if you don't wear pants, I'm sleeping in a separate cell." Fluffy answered primly.

Henry was growling again, "What the hell, Sam. What's wrong with your wolves?"

I laughed in his face because I quite liked doing that to Henry, "Nothing at all. Only those who had been in a dungeon would know what it means to be free."

Henry looked surprised, and so did I. I had meant to come up with a funny rhyme to match the Blue Demon Code, but it just came out this way.

Janice tried to join our conversation at this point, "Wow, Sam, that's so deep."

Yeah... Because I was deep like that... No! I don't know what I was talking about. Henry was right, okay? There were a hundred and one problems with my wolves. Wolves who rejoiced over dungeon time and needed lessons not to smell like a rubbish bin were NOT NORMAL.

Harvey was the only one who continued calmly unfolding another black box, "Pardon, Alphas, but it might be best if we left before the school bell."

Oh. I guess. It was almost dismissal time.

"Please excuse us." With a politely executed bow, my good beta coolly led me back into the school, "Which way to your locker, Alpha?"

Behind us, I heard Henry ask Beta Peter, "Have you got all my stuff together yet?"

But that was now behind us.

At that moment, we stepped back into the school and I swear, all the students stopped talking and looked over.

If I ever had a son, I hope he'd grow up to be as cool as Harvey.

I pointed the right direction. It was actually a half circle around because my locker was in the main hallways and we had entered from the student foyer.

Ah well, all the more time for everyone to gawk at my cool beta. You're all very welcome. Consider this my last gift to you Winderhill, never again would you have the pleasure of such a cool beta sashay through your corridors. Just breathe in that minty fresh air!

I'm joking! Most of the walk to the locker, I tried to pretend I didn't know Harvey. It was almost as bad as having your Dad come help you empty your locker in high school. Oh, I guess it was like having your cooler older brother show up to help you empty your locker at high school.

Half the time, everyone would be thinking, "That's his brother? How come he didn't turn out cool like that?"

In my case, I was imagining they thought, "That's her beta? Why's the beta so much cooler than the alpha?"

I'm sorry I'm not cool okay? Even though I hung out with the cool kids, and my beta is Mr Cool Cucumber, I was just average coolness - lukewarm even.

I fumbled with the number lock and felt relieved it opened easily enough. At least I didn't have to look klutzy next to my cooler older brother. Humph.

"Apologies, Alpha. Have I overstepped?" Harvey paused at the open locker. Did he sense I didn't want him around?

I quickly shook my head, "No, thanks for coming to help, really."

I got to work pulling out my books. Harvey obligingly held up the cardboard box for me to fill up.

I usually made it a point to keep my school spaces neat. I just liked the feeling of opening a tidy locker at the beginning of the day. Today though, I felt very lucky Harvey came to empty my locker and not...I don't know, most of the other spaces in my life were straightened out with Ki magic. So maybe it's lucky Harvey had never seen any of my personal spaces before Ki.

Like my middle school locker in the first year. That was... Let's just never speak of it, the way the kid who's locker was next to mine would never speak to me.

That was probably the reason why I started keeping my school spaces neat.

Maybe I was more like an ex fightdog than I thought. Someone should've taught me, "Keep your spaces neat in school in case your beta is too cool."

No? I guess not quite. Let me try again.

"Keep your locker neat and tight, mess up and lose your friend on the right."

No, okay, I'll get it this time. Thrice the charm:

"Clean your locker, stack it neat. Bin your trash, and then repeat."

Because you know, keeping a locker neat is a daily routine.

Okay, never mind. I guess I'll leave this kind of stuff to literary talents like Theo.

Who knows? One day, in the distant future, maybe the Writings of Theo contained in The Blue Demon Code, would be classic lycan literature.