TALKING ABOUT OUR MATES...

10 FEBRUARY, WEDNESDAY, CONT'

Because I couldn't resist making a jab at Dad, I crossed my arms and said, "I can't wait to see how you use Savy and Sabre to take over another two Packlands."

I guess I just wanted to see his reaction.

But Dad merely raised his brow at me. And then he was suddenly thoughtful, "Sabre would certainly strengthen our access to Night Forest, but what do you know about Savy?"

"Nothing!" I flared.

Gah! (I especially did not know that he was a human because Savy said not to tell).

"I was being sacarstic! You're not supposed to actually consider it!"

Dad chuckled, "It's an interesting idea. Where did you hear it?"

"What do you mean? Why can't it be that I thought of it all on my own?" I argued.

Dad looked suitably impressed, "Oh, did you? You're finally growing up."

What had that got to do with anything?

"As one grows in power, one begins to realize that there are many types of powers. And that the power of your hands is really the smallest power you own." Dad was zenning off again.

But perhaps he was right that I was growing up, because unlike all the other hundreds of times he had zenned and left me nonplused, I actually felt I almost understood him today.

"Like the power of my pack." I quipped.

Dad nodded, "Within the pack, there is strength in numbers, economic power, military power, legislative power... There is also power in technology, influence, connection, persuasion...and there is the kind of power that stirs our wolves within, the power of hope, the power of love, the power of knowledge, the power of truth. As well as the darker powers of despair and fear."

It's not like I was expecting him to say, "the power of positive thinking".

No. Of course not.

But I had to admit, I was once again clueless as to what Dad was talking about. I'm sure the words were suppose to mean deep and profound things, but for the life of me, I had no idea what those things were.

"Your sisters mates could potentially be strong allies in the future." Dad pointed out.

Okay, maybe Sabre. Since she was Eddy's Luna. That would keep our generation linked to the Night Forest Pack even after Dad and Mum retired to the Colored Mountains.

But Savy's mate was human. It's not like a human would be much help with Lycan pack politics and war. Unless he turned out to be the wildcard, because humans sometimes just had to throw the entire historical projection of civilization into a curve ball.

Like that one human lady, what's her name? Who was so beautiful that she resulted in a war between two human cities across the ocean. The face that launched a thousand ships... More like sunk a thousand ships. Hahaha

Or that human man who decided to end human slavery his land... I think that was even before the great war. I never remembered their names, nor their faces... Just that they were human, and they changed the world.

Every now and then, there are humans... Humans who turn out to be a lycan Alpha's mate, and go on to become a notable Luna who changed her pack and made a dent in history. Or a Vampire's mate - that had happened too. When a Vampire Lord fell in love with his food, and not just his stomach, but his heart became full.

Humans were the wildcards. They could do marvelous and amazing things. Or they could do nothing at all. They could start long drawn and cruel wars. They could fall in love and make babies. They could design, invent, create. They could lie, double-cross, and betray.

And unlike us wolves who had our destinies drawn up by our bloodlines, our wolves, our soul mates, our allegiances linked to us the day we were born... Humans were relatively free to choose. Unless they were royalty, I was told.

But whatever. It didn't matter to me. I was the alpha. I will protect everyone's happiness.

"My sisters are going to mate their soulmates!" I declared, and because I've spent too much time with humans, I had to add, "And they're going to fall in love with their mates too!"

Politics be damned. This was about true love!

Dad chuckled again, "Yes. Good. That would make me happiest."

And then Dad went back to his emails as if everything was perfectly settled now.

"Do I get a soul mate too?" Sabre asked then.

"Yes, baby. Of course you do." Mum assured her. Even though she was just a human. But I didn't say anything since we all knew her mate was going to be my little cousin Eddy.

"I want a nice one. Like Derek." Sabre decided.

Hahaha. Looks like Eddy's gonna have some competition.

"Derek digs holes for me and pulls my hair and calls me Mcdonalds. Taylor says he likes me." Sabre informed all of us.

Ah, puppy love. I guess? I've never needed anyone to dig holes for me, and it's not like any of my friends dared to call me names or pull my hair before. How did I miss this entire slice of life?

"Who's Derek?" Dad asked his phone. But naturally it was Mum who answered because Dad didn't use Siri or Okay Google. He never needed it because Dad had Mum and Beta Lucas installed by his side.

"Derek Lorrie, Wayne and Bea's son. I think their second one." Mum explained, "He's in her new dance class too."

Dad nodded as if that made perfect sense.

"Even my baby sister has a boyfriend now!" Savy exclaimed.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Sabre yelled.

"Just remember Sabre. He can look but he can't touch." I quipped.

"No. He can't look either!" Mum was quick to correct. She shot me a look so that I was immediately contrite, "No one should touch or look anywhere inside your clothes or anyway that makes you feel uncomfortable. No one should be allowed to hit or hurt you. That's the rule now. If that ever happens you need to tell Mama, okay?"

Sabre nodded, "Yeah. Okay."

Oh boy... Mum was being paranoid again. And then I remembered Sabre's past. Oh right.

She was like one little human girl with slave bands marked on her arms living with a pack of wolves. It's winter now, so she always wore long sleeves, and it was out of sight, out of mind for me. But when the weather warmed up, would it mark her for bullying? Now even I started to worry...

"That goes for the both of you too." Mum reminded us, "Especially you Sam."

Wait, what? I sulked. What has that got it do with me? Sabre was the helpless human girl, not me.

I flared, "Nobody touches me and live."

"And that's why I said 'poor Bell'." Savy explained.

"He's a powerful healing wolf. I'm sure he will survive." Grinned Ki.

Savy cackled at that.

"What about you Savy?" Mum asked, ever so casually, "Do you have a boyfriend too?"

"Why would I have a boyfriend?" Savy asked.

"Why would you be wearing makeup to school these days?" Mum asked.

"Lizzy and I are just experimenting with new brands." Savy shrugged, "The ones that we ordered online is really completely smudge proof."

"Oh, is that all?" Mum asked lightly, "How boring."

Savy shrugged a silent "whatever" at that.

Now that Mum mentioned it, Savy was different lately. I realised why now - she was almost always wearing makeup.

Today, her blond ringlets were beautifully touselled and carefully clipped on one side with her Vday heart shaped pin too, making me feel thankful Ki had left my heart hair clip next to my school pin so I didn't forget to wear it either.

And did I mention that she was dressed up at the breakfast table and not in her usual random PJs? She was wearing this off shoulder maroon sweater with a pair of ripped jeans and heeled boots.

Her outfits had been getting more grown up, but so were mine. But I had a good excuse - I didn't choose my own outfits anymore. I can't remember the last time I wore a t-shirt with a cartoon on it. I guess stuff like that wasn't in Ki's lookbook.

I wondered what Savy's excuse was? She was growing up?

Our dining room's panel of sliding glass door afforded me the view outside, and I could see Ben and Lizzy make their way over to our house. Savy saw them too, "My ride is here."

She shot up to go, grabbing her things and putting on a felt cap and cute scarf with tassels, "Bye!"

She was such a teenager!

Why didn't I become a cool teen too?

We watched her meet them on our porch and follow Ben around to the garage.

A moment later, the Lambo roared to life announcing their departure with a fanfare of explosive engine noises to us and probably the entire pack. We should ban that car, for the sake for peaceful mornings. But that would probably break Ben's heart. Hahaha.

"Why is Savy going to school so early?" Dad wondered aloud when the roar became a more distant sound.

"She's starting a new school club with Lizzy and Haylee." Mum had to be the family's central informant.

Harvey's truck drove into our driveway. He didn't stop though, going straight to the garage to switch cars.

My cars all had this dark green sticker on the windshield with the word "Alpha" calligraphed in ancient Lycan on it. As part of the various bilateral agreements between the Green Packland Council and the various other Colored Packlands, this sticker allowed the Alphas cars to travel freely through all the friendly territories. This would theoretically be on all the other colored packlands in the continent. But in practice, we could technically drive anywhere except for the Central Covens without being stopped at checkpoints or needing to procure visas and papers (rules differ depending on where you went).

That's why, the train was the easiest mode of transport for most people. You didn't need multiple passes and visas. Just the one for where you were alighting at.

Our Green Packlands had a lot of freedom in travelling permissions. We had no major quarrel with any other the other Lycans (either because both Dad and Alpha Lorent were diplomatic wolves or because we were just too far away to be bothered with), and the Lorents and Night Leaf contributed a lot to medical and educational centres around the continent.

So our Green Packland ID was admitted without visa to all the colored packlands. If you drove a normal car, you had to stop at the checkpoints, but just the Green Packland ID would let you through - even through to the Central Coven, which just didn't let the Alpha cars of any packland in.

Did they not think that Alphas could take a train, or a normal car too?

Anyway, vampire logic, I'm sure.

So if you were a Green Packland Wolf, all you needed was a visa to leave, and more importantly, get back into your own Packlands.

Easy for Night Leaf and Morning Light wolves to apply and get, routine even. We had an entire visa office running at the pack house. Hard for Lorent and the minor packs - because it was dependent on their Alpha's personal approval and administrative efficiency.

Dad was being the mad genius maverick to auto grant visas to our eligible wolves for anything less than 4 days and 3 nights out. This caused a lot of traffic through our Gate City checkpoints which led to complaints about the checkpoint traffic, which were fully ignored, which was probably why the Lorent warriors "traditionally" ignored instructions from our Night Leaf office.

They were probably annoyed by the extra work due to the high traffic we allowed in and out, while they were all stuck on Packlands.

Anyway, getting around anywhere would be easiest in a Green Packland Alpha's car, or by train with a Green Packland ID and visa.

Worst mode of transport though would be by bus if you were a regular wolf. Unless you have a "previledge" of travelling by the Black Forest Alpha's car - which would then be the WORST mode of transport.

Black Forest wolves were not historically popular with vampires, so they can't cross vampire territory and had to drive around the established Covens to avoid death. I heard they also avoided the new Covens which would pelt expletives and rocks and bullets or whatever they had on hand.

Right now, I doubt they were welcomed in the Red Packlands either.

I would hazzard that Alpha Solomon was pretty much stuck in his own Black Packlands, or else just to the Blue Packlands next to him, or the White one...but only if he drove the long way around to avoid the Vamp territory between them and had all the paperwork done because he never got along with Grandpa Alpha or my Uncle Louis.

This was because would campaign against their Lycan slave trade, and they would give him the cold shoulder because Uncle Louis had said it was really none of his damn business what happened outside his Black Packland. Uncle Louis was convinced that Alpha Solomon was purposely stirring trouble for them just to get even, "He brings it up everytime we refuse to back his other campaigns."

Maybe his relationship with the other smaller packs in the area could be better. I never thought to find out. The Gold Packlands would accept Alpha Solomon, they'd accept anyone with money, but he'd have to cross the Red Packlands, or Ciara Coven lands, both hostile to him last I checked.

If I were him, I'd take an unmarked van and hide in the back. Just to be safe, make it a bullet proof van too.

Actually, I think the trainers from Black Forest pack that came on Monday had a bullet proof jeep, which just looked cool when I had seen it parked there on the side of our pack house driveway, but now I realized it was more for practical reasons than asthetics.

It must be tough having an outspoken Alpha. You'd never know when your visa would lose validity.