ALPHA PRINCESS IS HERE

SATURDAY, 5 MARCH, 2ND BREAKFAST

Savy had to excuse herself from the breakfast table early because she was meeting Lizzy. They were on "active duty" too. Hahaha. Well, not quite. They had signed up to the counter staff for our Youth Club today and had to go over to the packhouse early to set up.

"Alpha Princess Party Passes are expensive, and they get sold out really quick." Savy said.

"We're having another party?" I had no idea.

"No idea." Savy shrugged, "We need to start earning credits now so we have a head start. I don't want to not have a ticket to a party in my own house."

"But you live here!" Mum said.

"Ben says no nepotism." Savy reported, "He's earning his ticket too."

According to the Youth Club rules, the only two people who didn't need to pay for tickets were the Alpha Princess (because I was allegedly throwing the party) and my Luna. I thought Ben said no nepotism? I guess it wasn't unreasonable... and also I don't think Bell could be convinced to join the Youth Club. I really couldn't imagine him working the counter or painting anyone's fence.

So Savy had left for the packhouse before me. I would have gone with her, but I was trying to rush through a bit of report reading. My Surface Pro had been kindly set up at the table for me. Dad was already well into his inbox (as usual). I gobbled up the last of my toast and washed it down with my juice. Wiping my mouth quickly on the napkin, I pushed everything aside to start work.

At this moment, although it was just another very ordinary morning, it was like magic happened. Firstly, my plate and glass got cleared (This was Ki). Secondly, I flipped my screen to open up my reading list and there were only 3 reports - and not 9,894 files.

My first thought was that I must have opened the wrong reading list.

I double-checked and then opened the first file. Maybe it would be a million pages long, but it was only 2 pages long. Harvey had summarized everything I needed know for today in 2 pages. Like seriously, yo. He even included a paragraph summarizing Topography and Coordinates Reading in 6 points. It was under the heading Lycan Study Group but it was super basic elementary stuff. Like one of the points was "X-coordinate = Horizontal axis, Y-coordinate = Vertical axis". Okay, so he used the word "coordinate" and "axis" which made it fancier, but still. Every pup learned this in Grade 1. It was kind of important if you're pack wolf living in forest land.

Anyway, I was done in five minutes. I also found out that I had a Media Follow-Up Meeting after the picnic and the Premeeting for the New Town Committee Meeting after dinner - which were the other two documents.

I guess that was what Harvey was trying to report just now, but we (mostly I) got distracted at the mention of picnic and then Bell's appearance in my pool...because he was SO HANDSOME... and I guess my good beta decided to just wait for a better time to update me later.

Either that or he gave up.

I opened the second document. It was the agenda BUT with additional notes typed into each section in blue, and links out to the reference documents. The third document was the same.

I was done with ALL my reports in 10 minutes. I put down the surface pro feeling a little shocked, "I'm done."

"What?" Mum looked up from trying to get Sabre to finish her milk. Sabre didn't like white milk. I'm not sure why it was such a big deal. It's not like strawberry milk cost more... I think it had to be something to do with health. Healthy eating was a big deal to Mum.

"Oh, Sam." Mum sounded sympathetic, "Don't give up. I know its hard, but..."

"No, Mum, I'm not saying I'm done like I give up," I clarified, "I'm done because I finished reading all my reports." I said. Even as I heard the words come out from my mouth, I couldn't quite believe it.

"Oh." Mum looked surprised, "Are you sure?"

Was I? I looked back at my screen, just to make sure, "Yep. All done."

Dad looked up from his screen.

I grinned at the disbelief on his face and just the feeling that hit me when it sank in, "I'm done for today!"

Hahaha. Eat that, Dad!

And then I remembered Hotstuff throwing the Surface Pro back at my betas and telling them to redo it. I felt sorry for my betas then, but now I guess having Sir Wolfgang the Pillar and Fire Wolf Professor as my advisor was worth it. NOW THIS WAS REAL MAGIC I COULD LIVE WITH!

Oh, the freedom I felt when I got up from the table!

"No time to waste!" I joked with my family, "I need to get to my second breakfast. I'm such a busy princess."

"You'll become a fat princess." Sabre informed me, "Taylor says eating too much bread will make you puff up like bread in the oven."

"It will not!" I liked bread! Especially our packhouse kitchen's homemade bread.

"It will too!" Sabre insisted. Ah, but that was an argument I could fight head-to-head.

"Will not!" I said.

"Will too!" Sabre said.

"Will NOT!" I said.

"Oh, Sam!" Mum said.

And that was my cue to go. Ki had appeared with my lycan study group file and coat, and I felt immediately grateful.

Who needed magic from the Colored Mountains when you had wolves like mine?

"Will too!" Sabre yelled.

"Will..." I took pause at Mum's face and quickly backpaddled, "Will probably not. I'll try it and let you know."

I got up to the door.

"Bye Fam!" I waved a la Savy, "Thanks Ki, bye Ki!"

I grabbed my stuff and was out of the door, ready to zip out across the muddy lawn, through the kitchen back door (because it was nearer), and breakfast with my gang. Yay! I couldn't wait - it felt like forever since I last hung out with the gang.

If my hair could turn to wings and fly me there, it would!

But you know how all magic came with a price, right?

The moment I stepped off the porch, Ben and my security detail rushed out of the side door to join me. I stopped and turned to shoo them back, "I'm fine. I don't need to be walked across the lawn."

"I'm supposed to be getting breakfast too." Ben reminded me. Oh, right. He had Lycan Study Group too. I looked to the other two warriors.

Unfortunately one of them was Wolfgang, "The Alpha does not cease being the Alpha whether at home or abroad."

Which I had no good argument for since I had no idea what he was talking about. Of course the Alpha was the Alpha...

Wolfgang wasn't done. I think Wolfgang has a bad habit of lecturing people.

"The Alpha does not take shortcuts."

Which was true, except Wolfgang meant that I had to walk around on the pavement.

"Walking across the lawn would only muddy it and ruin the grass. Especially, with an entourage." Wolfgang continued.

Nobody asked you guys to follow me!

"The Alpha is considerate of the wolves who run with him." Wolfgang added. And in case you (like me) had thought Wolfgang meant I should be considerate of not making my security detail get mud on their boots, that wasn't it.

No, it was nothing so straightforward. I was supposed to think about the wolf who took care of our lawn (which was no one, our grass here grew on its own.) I also had to be considerate of those who cleaned the packhouse (which were someones because I've seen them). Leading a bunch of wolves through the muddy lawn and then through the packhouse was very inconsiderate.

Like I said, NOBODY TOLD YOU GUYS TO COME!

But of course, I didn't say that out loud. I just obediently took the long way around on the pavement.

Sometimes, with strong (read stubborn) wolves, it was easier to just play along.

It's okay. What's a few minutes more of pavement walking when ALL my reports could be read in ten minutes every morning? Small price to pay.

Once on the packhouse porch, more warriors came out. One to hold the door, one to help with our coats. It wasn't our usual doorman Dave, but it wasn't Jim either.

The warrior who took our coats was an old guy. He took a few limping steps to get the hangers for our coats. I noticed he wasn't in boots. Good old crocs and a bandage on one foot.

"Shouldn't you rest that?" I worried. Mum said older wolves took longer to heal.

"Naw, don't worry. Already saw Delta Simon. He says it's nothing a bit of rest won't fix." The old warrior said.

"Then why aren't you resting?" I demanded.

The old warrior laughed, "I am resting!"

"I mean at home." Sometimes talking to older wolves was like banging my head on a wall.

"My misus told me to get out. I was breaking too many things at home....The last straw was probably the toilet" The old warrior thought about it, "Yep. It was definitely the toilet... It was in a bit of a jam, you know? So I tried to help it along, save us the plumbers bill, but that backfired if you know what I mean."

The old warrior laughed heartily at his own joke.

I looked over to Ben and the other guys. I really never knew how to talk to our old wolves.

{Barry get the coats.} Ben ordered.

Barry immediately stepped up, "Let me get that, Kev."

Wait, this was Old Kev?

"Ah, thanks, thanks, Barry." Old Kev passed a hanger for Barry, who managed to jab it into my coat and then stick it into the rack.

Naturally, Wolfgang couldn't stand watching without starting a lesson on the art of hanging coats.

He expertly hung my jacket in demonstration. Old Kev clapped, "That's the best coat hanging I've ever seen. Hotstuff, you should be on coat duty!"

Lol.

If Professor Hotstuff was offended, he didn't show it, "Thank you for your compliment."

"You young wolves are so fancy-like nowadays." Old Kev marveled.

Wolfgang pointed the empty hanger in his hand like a sword at Barry, "Now you try it."

Barry gingerly hung up Ben's coat, taking care to arrange the collar and sleeves so they wouldn't be press at a fold in the crowded closet.

It looked like there were a lot of wolves in the packhouse today.

Old Kev clapped encouragingly for Barry, "Good job, Barry! Nice try!"

I laughed at that. It was just a coat. Barry flushed a little at the being so loudly praised. Wolfgang smirked, "Keep practicing and you might be on coat duty one day."

Hahaha. Wolfgang did have a sense of humour after all. Barry laughed good naturedly. He rubbed the back of his head, "Thanks, I guess."

"Let's go." Ben decided we had wasted enough time hanging up our coats.

I let him lead me down the two steps into the rest of the lobby.

"Alpha Princess is here." Ben announced all of the sudden.

And to my complete mortification, everyone in the lobby looked over - from the youths at the Youth Club counter, to the women polishing the banisters of the main stairs, to the warriors passing through, and some Morning Light wolves sitting at one of the settees.

Everyone straightened at a standing position and bowed from where they w, "Yo, Princess."

Wth, Ben. You need to warn me if you're going to pull a stunt like that!