HAPPY ENDINGS ARE MANDATORY

"Define good." I had challenged the two agents.

I think the spell wore off. Maybe I should have said, "Tell me the story about how Bell is good."

I didn't think of that. I wished I did.

I'm not sure what I was hoping to hear. Maybe they would tell me that my Mate was really a good guy and I had totally misunderstood him.

The two agents only shrugged, and then they turned silent again.

This could be the combination effect of the spell running out or because of Beta Gerald's and Gamma Endo's arrival.

Laru and Leon stepped back to stand like silent sentinels on either side of Bell. It made me think of a painting... My mate often inspired such thoughts. This painting could be "The Angel of Death" because the three dark haired men with their longish hair and dark suits, the wisps of black cursed fumes like little flames peeking out of their shadows on the ground...

"Alpha, Princess." Beta Gerald bowed very politely, "And Luna Bell too. Please forgive my lateness."

If he was curious about Bell's agents, he didn't show it. In fact, he pretty much completely disregarded them.

Endo took a second hurried look at the two other wolves, but quickly decided to take his beta's cue.

"Yes, yes, sorry." Endo bowed, "It's my bad, really."

"Its fine." Dad waved it off easily enough, "I heard the pups gave you trouble, Endo."

This earned a short laugh from Endo, "Trouble doesn't even begin to describe it, Alpha! Pups these days are little monsters!"

Beta Gerald had a wry smile on now...the one that reminded me of Harvey's, "They sure don't make pups like they used to."

"Its all the human TV they're showing." Gamma Endo theorised, "Pups don't know how to show respect anymore."

I don't really know if pups watched all that much TV nowadays. I know I used to as a pup, but Sabre didn't even know what a "channel" was. Sabre's TV was streamed. The TV in our Alpha's House was "smart" and played Netflix... It did a lot of other things too, I'm sure, but I hadn't had time to watch TV for a while now.

"Since we're here," Dad decided not to waste any more time, "Let's get to it. Son, we have Mimi and Alpha Mike inside. I expect they've come for Jude. Would you be joining us?"

Bell smirked, "Since I'm here, I might as well."

Was no one going to question WHY he was here in the first place?

He snapped his fingers, and the cursed fumes rose up to form a solid black door. His two agents bowed to excuse themselves.

I wasn't ready to let it go, "You can't give up!"

I yelled at them and promised, "As long as I'm the Alpha, you're going to find your happy ending whether you want to or not!"

His agents silently finished their bow and stepped backwards into the void. Laru smiled though. Just a bit, just before the darkness completely covered his face. I don't think he knew but I saw his lips turn up.

Bell smirked, "What game are you playing now, Princess?"

"I'm not playing!" I flared and then I tried to explain, "You know how Lycan legends go, wolves need to be free. That's how happily ever afters work."

"Maybe their happily ever after is with me." Bell said.

"Maybe this isn't a Lycan movie." Ben deadpanned. I decided to ignore him.

"If you release them, and they returned to you." I said, "Like if you love someone..."

Ben rolled his eyes from next to me because my beta was respectful like that.

"No." Bell told me in no uncertain terms, "Never."

And then he shrugged, I think he gave up reasoning with me, "But you may use them however you please."

If Bell had meant to pacify me with that, I don't think he understood what I meant at all.

But now Bell had closed the distance between us and was touching my head. Just gently stroking my hair... Boo was this close to purring at his touch, the closeness of his being, but I was strong. I pressed my lips together and refused to give in.

"I will never let go." Bell promised... or threatened. I'm not sure since his hand was still on my head.

{Mate! ~ ❤️}

Touching was cheating! I was trying to make a point - not that I could remember what it was, but it was probably important!

Dad's growling made me realize we had an audience... like very belatedly. I think he had growled for a while now, but I hadn't registered it right away.

"Hooboy," Beta Lucas exclaimed, he quickly stepped in, "Okay, Ben, better take your Alpha to do whatever you pups were doing somewhere else...without Luna Bell."

So I was physically removed out of Bell's reach and pushed back up the corridor. I guess I should've been grateful for escaping the situation without and further questions, but Boo wasn't feeling particularly appreciative of being dragged away from Mate.

"Come on, Sam." Ben urged when my feet wouldn't cooperate. (It was Boo, not me.)

Unlike me, Ben was far more focused on our primary objective. I ended up following Ben and Jonah out of the packhouse and round back.

"Where are we going?" I asked when the outdoor spring air and distance from Mate finally cleared my head.

"Out back." Ben said, "You wanted to see Mimi and this Alpha Mike guy right?"

I paused at that. Since when did I say I wanted to see them?

"Are we going in from the backdoor?" Jonah asked.

Wait, what BACKDOOR?

Ben nodded, "When goddess shuts the door, she always leaves the backdoor open."

I think he meant 'window' but okay. I was really curious about the backdoor to our dungeons. So far, I've already found not one but two secret tunnels from the Alpha House, a backdoor to our detention facilities wasn't a far fetch.

It turned out to be quite a far walk out through the woods behind the Packhouse though. I started to feel a little alarmed when both Ben and Jonah started picking up the pace, "Hurry Sam."

I started jogging to keep up - and then ended up running.

"Race you!" Jonah shouted over his shoulders, "Last one there is a turkey toe!"

Hey!

Both guys broke into a sprint - which was good and well for THEM - they knew where they were going! I had no idea, so I had to run behind them. My plan was to speed up the moment I see the destination and overtake them, so I positioned myself carefully. This wasn't easy since we were winding around trees and I had never run this way before.

Funny.

How was it that I had never wandered over this way? Granted that it was kind of far. Where were we anyway?

Was it my imagination that the woods were a little quieter here? The smells here were all earthier too, which was weird because of an untouched and quiet corner of the backwoods, it shouldn't be smelling like someone drove a power plough through.

And then we all heard it, the sound of a particular hyena laughing his head off, "Hahahahaha... Does your dad hate you or something?"