A BETA'S WORK IS NEVER DONE

Lunch time rolled around eventually. Killion came by with something he called Pâté, it looked like spam and he served it with small pieces of toast, salad, and a bowl of tomato soup.

Food at the Alpha's home was getting fancy lately.

"I'll stay with the goddess. Your lunch is in the kitchen. Luna has gone over to bring lunch to Alpha." Killion told Harvey.

"Right. Good work with the vendor too." Harvey said, "Did they give you trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't deal. Next time just pass the nasty poppers to me." Killion grinned.

Harvey nodded and got up from his seat. He stretched and cracked his knuckles, "Alright. Thanks."

When Harvey left, Killion sat at the desk but turned the chair to face me.

"I've called Chloe. She will provide a variation to the original concept and a different concept by tomorrow at no extra charge." Killion reported.

Okay. Cool. But he was not done yet.

"How would you like to deal with documents, goddess? Should I attach them within the calendar's event, collate and email all relevant documents in a daily agenda, or print them out for you?"

I stared at him for a long time... What magic had Harvey cast on Killion?

"Print them." I decided.

"Your wish is my command, goddess." Killion smirked.

"One more thing, you have a school project meeting this Saturday. Unfortunately, it clashes with your tentative plans to hunt rogues. What should I do with that?" Killion looked a little bemused as he asked that.

"Ah. Urm... Just cancel the rogue hunting." I said. Opps... I had forgotten about the prank event I had set.

"Alright. Is there anyone I should contact or reschedule the hunt with?" Killion asked carefully.

Oh, did he think I had a secret hunting contacts? Hoohoohoo what a good idea. But I had nothing.

I shook my head. He pressed his mouth together to consider this, but simply nodded.

"This is yum." I changed the subject "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

Killion's face flickered very briefly with an emotion I couldn't identify, and then he was all smiles again, "I was a trained chef in my previous life."

"In your dreams!" I accused.

Killion's smile never wavered, "We all can dream."

I looked up in surprise and remembered my mother's words, "You did a good thing for Ki." I wondered if that was what she meant.

Killion was living again. As long as you keep dreaming, you're alive right? I smiled at Killion. He would have made an awesome chef.

Maybe one day, when he got tired of playing my dog, he could open a fancy restaurant at Gate City and be a real chef. Oh, but I needed him as my third Beta... He can't do both. A beta's work is never done.

Could I let him go follow his dream? I was counting on him to be my beta for my dream project. Thinking about it now, I realized the safe town wouldn't just be built on my sacrifices. What made one dream more important than another? Who was I to sacrifice anyone's dream?

But even if I let Killion go, what about Harvey? What about Ben? Wouldn't their burdens be increased? What if everyone had their own dreams? Like Dean's to play on stage with his guitar?

Who else would stay and fight for the pack or deal with the vendors, and rosters, and all the other things betas do to serve their alpha and pack.

I wondered if Harvey gave up his dreams to do what he was doing now. Or Ben... I've always just assumed Ben's ambition was to be Beta, the way mine was to be Alpha. I had never questioned that until now.

Killion was definitely from a beta bloodline. Harvey had all but uncovered Killion's previous beta training too. But Killion wanted to be a chef. If he was really from a beta family, he would not have been able to follow his dream then. He certainly couldn't be a chef when he was a fight dog. Now he had a new life here, but it didn't look like he could follow his own dream too, not if he were following me.

We were wolves, not humans, our destiny were drawn out even before we were born... From birth our pack position, bloodline and powers, even our soul mates were engraved into the palm of our hands.

"What's wrong, goddess? Did you get a bad bite?" Killion looked concerned even though he was still joking.

I shook my head, "Killion, are you happy here?"

"Goddess, with the things I've done, I don't deserve happiness." Killion answered.

So was that a no?

"But I am...happy. Thank you goddess." Killion said then.

He stood up abruptly and walked over to my window. It was starting to snow again.

{Delta approaches}

I heard Delta Simon come into the house. There was someone else with him. Harvey led them to my room.

I looked up at the blood bag hanging above me. Oh, would you looked at that? It was flattened out.

"How are we feeling now?" Delta Simon asked when he saw me. He had a young lady standing next to him, "This is Penelope, from Morning Light. She is training to be a nurse."

Penelope was a surprisingly tall and ahem, well endowed.

"Heelloo, nurse!" Killion drawled. He was full blown Killion again.

Penelope laughed huskily at that. Delta Simon gave Killion a stern look.

"This is Killion, he is serving as the Princess' assistant and bodyguard." Harvey introduced.

Penelope looked approvingly at Killion. Delta Simon looked most disapproving.

Mum came into the room at that point, "Thank you for coming, Simon." Everyone made a quick bow at her entrance.

"It's my job, Luna." Delta Simon was smiling and his usual cheery self again, "This is Penelope from Morning Light. She is training to be a nurse."

"Lovely to meet you Penelope." Mum said.

"Nice to meet you, Luna." Penelope said. Penelope was friendly and confident. I liked her... Maybe Killion did too. They were around the same age.

"Please excuse us." Harvey bowed politely.

He left the room with Killion. If Killion was sorry to leave Penelope's presence, he didn't show it.

I guess he didn't like her that much?

Delta Simon begin testing blood pressure and the usual things doctors do because they won't take your word for it when you tell them "I'm alright."

Nothing puts me in a bad mood faster than being prodded and poked by cold things. Grrr...

Penelope patted my head, "Just a little more, princess."

Grrrr... I'm not that kind of princess. And don't pat my head. I'm not a pup.

But at this point, Delta Simon announced that my tube could be removed. If they didn't, I would have anyway. I'm totally done being strung up to a metal stand anyway.

Penelope started work on it, "This would only be a little uncomfortable, princess."

She popped it out, wiped the back of my hand quickly with an alcohol swab, and then gave me a plaster. It was pink with a hello kitty printed on it. She was right. It didn't hurt at all.

"You're such a brave princess." She patted my head again. I wondered how old Penelope thought I was.

Killion had returned to the room, "Harvey's heading out, is there anything you need, Luna?"

Mum shook her head, "No, thank you, Ki. Oh, Alpha said to thank you for the excellent meal."

Killion beamed a million dollar smile, (or was it a Killion dollar smile? Haha.)"It was my pleasure, Luna. If you don't mind, I will be happy to prepare dinner too."

Mum worried a little, "You've already cooked breakfast and lunch today."

"I am happy to cook, Luna." Killion assured her.

"Since it makes him happy, let him cook, mum." I said.

"Well, it makes me happy too. Thank you, Ki." Mum decided.

Killion nodded. He put some files on my table, "I've printed out the documents. I'll leave them here."

Delta Simon wrote a prescription for iron tablets. Blech!

Killion received it, and went downstairs to pass it to Harvey.

Then Delta Simon and Penelope took their leave. Mum looked torn between staying in the room with me or seeing Delta Simon to the door. She finally decided on the latter, telling me she would be back in a few minutes.

I nodded. I was still examining my hand. A pink hello kitty plaster over an ugly bruise. It's cute but not cute at the same time. I carefully peeled it off, then I got out of bed and dropped it in a bin.

I wandered to the bathroom, woah, I hadn't gone all morning! I kind of hurried even though it took a long time to empty out. I was worried about mum coming in and panicking if she found me gone.

Mum was usually the calm one, but lately, I think I've been stressing her out. Mum wasn't back in the room when I got out though. I picked up the files Killion had left on my desk. They had been marked "SCHOOL" and "ROSTERS" and "MEETING".

I found documents from the text chat groups as well as other related documents in them, like agendas and previous minutes. Even for my school project, the details Marcus sent had been printed out, along with another document of various excerpts of information and their webpages pertaining to the project.

It was similar to what Harvey did for me for the pack merger proposal meeting.

Did all Betas do this?

Ben had always been smart at school. While Lizzy had always had Bs, Ben always brought home As. Maybe being smart was a Beta thing.

I usually brought home a mix of As and Bs... Did that mean my betas were smarter than me?

To borrow the concept from Nix, maybe the only thing I ever did to become Alpha was to be born in an alpha family.

What a depressing thought!

I needed to work harder. I can't lose to them! I must become someone they would be proud to call alpha.

I decided to start by checking my calendar to get organized, but all the events were updated. I used the roster Killion printed to add in the names of whoever would be helping me with the Alpha Duties on Sundays.

But that was all I needed to do. Even my rogue hunt was replaced with my school project meeting.

In the text groups Killion had already updated everyone too.

SCHOOL SQUAD

KILLION

- Confirm Princess attendance for meeting this Saturday. ;)

- @MAXWELL Pls send addr.

MAXWELL

- [Shared location]

B.MARCUS

- Meeting confirmed. 2pm. 23/01. Henry's place (address above).

A.HENRY

- Anyone needs a ride from Winderhill Station?

JASMINE

- Yes pls! :)

LIAM

- Me too.

A.HENRY

- @MAXWELL Max, pick up from Winderhill at 1.30pm.

- Max can send you guys back later too.

LIAM

- Thanks Alpha.

MAXWELL

- @A.HENRY Understood

JASMINE

- Thanks Henry, thanks Max.

PEARL

- Oh, can I get a ride too? Is there space?

- @KILLION How is Sam going? If you're driving, can I ride with her? I think my place is on the way.

A.HENRY

- Bad idea. Pearl's pack is rogue ridden. I wouldn't pass through myself, much less drive Sam into it.

KILLION

- Noted. Sorry, doll. U heard the alpha.

PEARL

- How will I get to your place then?

JASMINE

- Just meet the rest of us at the train station! You take the train every morning to school right? It's the same way...

PEARL

- Okok... Sorry...

B.MARCUS

- Why are u girls texting? Aren't you sitting right next to each other? Lol

JASMINE

- OMG! We are going to see everyone without uniforms!

- So exciting!

- What are you girls going to wear?

B.MARCUS

- Girls...

But now that Jasmine had brought it up, I think it was an added layer of stress for me. I'll have to ask Savy to help me pick an outfit.

Wait, what was I doing again? Right, I was going to work hard.

I was stuck all morning in bed, but I'm free from that now. Mum was still not back up, so I even had the whole room to myself. I could do whatever I wanted.

I climbed back into my comfortable bed, pulled up the sheets, and went to sleep.