DINNER AT THE LORENTS

Alpha Lorent invited us to stay for dinner, which turned out to be a five course seated meal which I was barely prepared for, except that I knew to use the cutlery from the outside and I pretty much copied whatever Killion did.

Killion as usual had impeccable manners. Harvey was the good beta who could hold out his own. And Ben and I... Halfway through we were giggling like kids at the table. Ben had dropped his peas - so it wasn't me.

It was bad enough for the table to stop eating and look at us.

"Ben's pea's under the table." I explained. (Say it out loud and hear what it sounds like!)

From the expressions around the table, only some of us got it.

Harvey pressed his lips together. Killion chuckled aloud.

"So, you are my brother's mate." Charles said.

I stopped fooling around and nodded.

"What are your hobbies?" Charles asked.

Usually, I would say, "I like to fight." But something told me that was the wrong answer.

"I'm in the archery club in school." I said instead.

"Archery? That sounds dangerous. Are the arrows sharp?" Luna Edith asked.

"Archery is fine, mum. It's not like any of the arrows are pointed at her." Charles said.

"But the bow might spring back and scratch her face." Luna Edith insisted.

"I'm sure it's fine." Alpha James smiled at me, "She is very strong. Her dad told me she defeated the Morning Light Gamma in a duel."

"What? Gamma Endo?" Charles looked more than a little surprised, "Like a real duel?" Wow, it seems our Gamma Endo's name had a reputation that preceded him.

"My wolf is a fighting type." I tried to explain the way Dad always explained to Mum, "So I'm a strong fighter."

"Like a real fight? In human form?" Charles asked, "Really?" He looked at Killion for confirmation.

Killion nodded, "She's scary in either form, don't provoke her."

"Do you want to fight?" I asked, "Just for fun?"

"She means a sparring session." Killion translated.

"Ah, no thanks." Charles said, "I prefer healing than fighting."

"Charles is only interested in medicine and healing. And now James has become your Luna." Alpha James said, "I'm afraid there are no more alpha fighters who might match you here."

"Our most notable warrior families have been ravaged by rogue attacks over the years too." Charles said, "We are mostly healers and researchers left."

"It's fine, Alpha James. The rogue attacks had taken a toll on the pack. It's like having too many big parties in a row. We just need to give it a break. Then we can heal those who are wounded, rebuild the stuff that are broken... And in time, I'm sure the love you all have would slowly heal each other too." I said.

Alpha James smiled just a little at that,

"We just need to apply a lot of patience." I said, looking at Killion. One day, Ki, you won't be broken anymore too.

"Yes. I believe that." Luna Edith said.

Despite my inspired speech about patience, I pretty much lost it by the fourth course. In my defense, I had just tediously shelled and eaten three large prawns with a knife and a fork. When I saw the half spring chicken, I lost it.

I would've let my head fall onto the table if it weren't for the fact that I wasn't at home, and in fact eating at another Alpha's home, who also happened to be my future mate's family.

Actually, I think it's too late to salvage my image, they've already seen me as I was, it's not like I could suddenly pretend to be classier or more ladylike. The fact that I hadn't dropped peas under the table or spilled anything was admirable in itself.

But a whole half chicken, to be silently and painstakingly carved and eaten? This was going to take me hours! I usually didn't even have the patience to chew my food properly.

But despite my attempt to be polite about it, my hair flared at sight of the half chicken. Wolfie offered to shift right then to just eat the whole thing for me.

I seriously considered it.

"What's wrong? You do not like chicken?" Luna Edith asked.

Thank goddess Mum wasn't here, or I would never have heard the last of it.

Surprisingly it was Ben who came to my rescue, "She usually doesn't eat anything with bones in it."

He took my plate, and with his fork and knife, quickly took most of the meat off the bone and passed it back to me.

"Or shell either." Killion added. "Most of her meals at home are prepared deboned and pre-shelled."

Great, now they're going to think I'm the spoilt brat that Rebel said I was.

Alpha James laughed, "You bring up your daughters like princesses."

"Perhaps her mother and I pamper her too much." My dad admitted.

Alpha James nodded approvingly, "Don't worry, I will make sure your daughter is well taken care of whenever she is here. We will spare no effort to maintain the daily life she is used to at home."

This was all a big misunderstanding. I'm sure my Dad's idea of pampering was quite different from Alpha James' understanding of it.

But Dad only nodded, "I feel reassured as a father by that. Sam is strong, but she is still a girl."

Now Dad was parroting lines that were usually said by Mum so I'm beginning to suspect that he was a little lost in this conversation.

"Of course, it would only be expected for Alpha Kingsley's daughter to receive such splendid upbringing. My Luna and I noticed from the day we met your daughters that they surpass even the most elite of our Lorent daughters. We cannot be more thankful to the goddess for blessing our son with such a mate." Alpha James was being overly gracious again.

"Her mother and I did our best. Your son, Rebel, he is an impressive young man." Dad answered, "He was very well received and highly praised in our pack."

"He visits you often?" Alpha James asked.

"Only recently, since Sam had shifted." Dad said.

"He has to be sleeping and I have to be awake, and my wolf has to be able to reach him." I tried to explain, "It usually happens spontaneously."

"The next time it happens, and you are free, you are both very welcome here." Alpha James told me.

Awww...They missed Bell. I nodded, "I'll remind him to drop you a mindlink whenever he's free."

"He can mindlink?" Alpha James asked.

I frowned, I thought he could. Was that a secret? Or perhaps he couldn't, I knew he couldn't mind link me. "Maybe a text or phone call, or I'll have one of my betas arranged to see if you are able to meet us."

"We will make the time. Even if I'm at a meeting, his mother will be free." Alpha James paused to look at his mate.

Luna Edith nodded vigorously, "Yes, anytime is fine."

"Mum, if you keep nodding like that, your head would fall off." Charles scolded gently.

Luna Edith laughed softly, "I'm happy. Not only is your brother alive, he also returned with a beautiful mate. Now if you would also quickly find your mate, that would be good."

"I do have a mate. It's called my job." Charles answered.

"Oh you!" Luna Edith sighed.

"What work do you do?" I asked Charles.

"I'm training to be a healer." Charles told me, "I just started med school too."

"That's cool." I said.

That's right, Rebel was born in a family of white wolves.

We eventually came to the end of the prolonged dinner. Desert was something hot and sweet which I couldn't decide if I liked.

Harvey drove us home. Dad rode up front with him while Beta Lucas and the rest of us sat at the back. The air was cold and clear, and the wind whipped through my hair without restraint. I could smell the faint whiffs of truck exhaust, intermingled with trees and dirt and snow... I didn't know riding like this was so fun.

"I wanna travel like this all the time." I declared.

"We should have bought a convertible for you." Killion mused.

I shook my head at that, "It's not the same."

Beta Lucas said, "A long time ago, families here travelled like this a lot. But kids kept falling out."

I imagined our pack road full of pick up trucks, and kids falling out left, right, and center. Impossible.

"It was really convenient. We put our motorbikes, weapons, furniture... we could move anything anytime. Your dad used to drive a pick up too. But one night you climbed up his bike to ride it while he was driving and the whole thing came off."

WHAT?

"We thought the bike would have crushed you when it bounced on the road, but you just got up and dusted off like nothing happened."

I must have landed on my head because I did not remember anything like this happening.

"The bike had to be scraped. But after that, your dad sold the truck and bought a car with safety seats. Then Harry and I sold our bikes too." Beta Lucas said. He looked up at the open sky. "That brings back memories... Racing under the stars, rounding up rogues like cattle..."

Suddenly Beta Lucas snapped up as if he only just realized he had a captive audience, "Ah well, that's all in the past, probably best left there."

"What did mum say?" I asked.

"Uh, nothing." Beta Lucas said.

"You guys are so dead when the Luna finds out." Killion smirked.

Beta Lucas' jaw dropped.

"Alpha's gonna kill you, Dad." Ben said.

I laughed. Who knew my dad and his friends had such an exciting past?

"Me too." I said, enjoying the wind in my hair. I wanted to live like that too.

I announced to my Betas, "Let's have lots of fun before we have kids and have to be grown ups."