THE GLEAM IN HIS EYES

Ki decided to take the opportunity to say that most ex-fightdogs were between 18 to 23 years old, although we had a couple of younger ones in our fold too.

"Hoo man, that's the most troublesome age." Beta Lucas shook his head, "They're either getting into fights or eating up all our food."

"But with the right guidance, these boys have a bright future ahead of them." Beta Gerald had felt it was important to point out.

Already, they were some of the greatest assets to our army.

At this point, Fluffy and EJ joined us too.

"Hoi hoi!" EJ bounced over with his usual cheer, "We're here!"

"You're late." Wolfgang reprimanded the redhead. Wolfgang looked visibly relieved to be changing shifts and getting away from the crazy adult conversation that was happening here.

They changed positions, and the conversation stopped to watch Wolfgang and Barry bow and excuse themselves, and Fluffy and EJ bowed very properly, "Reporting to Alpha Princess."

I guess even Fluffy and EJ had the sense to put on their professional warrior mode right now.

Mum decided that this was just the right moment to introduce the two youngest members of the Special Team to the parents.

Ki complied by introducing "Alaric and Elliot Jeremy."

Alaric is a lost son of a Colored Mountain prince and EJ was the youngest ex-fightdog that had been rescued from the fight cages. They would be starting highschool in the new term at New Leaf Academy in Spring as with all the other young wolves from the Princess Town.

"I've never been to school till I got here." Fluffy smiled his beautiful smile.

"Hoi, hoi!" EJ gave his boyish grin, "I'm really stupid so I need school to help me."

For some reason, EJ conveniently forgot to mention his love for highschool girls.

And you know how kind my wolves were right? Immediately, all their hearts melted. They asked Fluffy and EJ to sit down with us and gave them food and drinks - not anything with alcohol though. They were obviously underaged!

"All the ladies are pretty and kind in this pack." Fluffy smiled his beautiful smile.

"The BEST!" EJ boasted.

This resulted in more snacks and food being piled in front of them.

The men growled a little, but it was only in jest. They didn't really feel a couple of high school boys was a real threat to their mates' hearts. They seriously underestimated the power of beautiful high school boys.

EJ told them how he was kidnapped after school, "The pretty lady asked me to help her put something in her van. Its very hard for me to trust pretty ladies now."

He said this while eating and drinking the nice things given to him by pretty ladies he was meeting for the first time by the way.

Not to be outdone, Fluffy had to share his story too, "You can call me Fluffy. I'm told its what my mother used to call me. I don't remember my mother or my family… so this name Fluffy is my only link to them."

The ladies were terribly moved. They all reassured Fluffy and EJ that they were always welcomed here at Night Leaf. Now their only worry for their teenage daughters were the broken hearts that were bound to ensue.

I wondered if their conclusion would have been the same if my security detail had been Ink and Cobra? Lol.

We ended our walkabout with Delta Felicity. I don't think Beta Lucas or Beta Gerald wanted to visit her mat, but she waved and called out to us repeatedly.

She was alone because her mate out up on stage performing. Tim and Angela had long left to join the other teens on the dance floor. This did not necessarily mean they were dancing. There were a lot of wolves hanging around to watch the band and the dancing too. (Not just the teenage girls).

Anyway, we went over to join her mat along with some of the other warriors from the first group.

"What beautiful curls! Are they natural?" Delta Felicity wanted to know - but she wasn't talking to me, she was talking to Bell.

Bell shrugged, "Yes."

"I would kill for hair like that." Delta Felicity told him. She grinned at me, "Isn't his hair just gorgeous."

Well yes, I've always liked Bell's dark curls, but I was too embarrassed to respond.

"Awww... She's so shy!" Delta Felicity exclaimed, "Luna, she's just like you when you were young. So shy and innocent!"

"Well, urm... that is..." Mum didn't know where to look.

I never thought I'd see the day that my Mum would be at a loss of words, but Delta Felicity singlehandedly did it.

"Isn't his hair just gorgeous?" Delta Felicity opened the subject of Bell's hair to everyone, "I'm so jealous! No matter how much I've paid, I can't get curls like that."

"That kind of curls can't be done by perms." Mrs Beta agreed because she had often permed her hair too.

"Natural curls are really the best." Delta Felicity sighed wistfully, "I just wanna run my fingers through your hair, Luna!"

"No." Bell answered and Delta Felicity threw her head back in laughter.

Mad. She was mad, but we all knew that. That's why we always sent her to negotiate with the other packs.

"The new warriors are all too beautiful, Delta." Bob decided to bring his complaint to Delta Felicity now. Bob had to be mad too.

"It's true. But Luna Bell is the most beautiful." Delta Felicity answered, which showed she had good taste, but was still MAD.

There was some laughter and then Dave pointed to some of the wolves behind me, "Notice how the pretty faces ain't laughing."

Beta Lucas stopped laughing.

And then Wolfgang - wait, why was Wolfgang still hanging around?

Wolfgang took it on himself to represent the pretty faces and answered, "Beauty is a blessing, but great beauty is a curse. If those young warriors were just less striking in their beauty, wouldn't they still be living good lives with their family in their pack of birth? Be it on a man or a woman, a beautiful face is more likely to bring strife than peace."

At first nobody breathed a word. And then Ki prodded gently, "Does Sir Wolfgang speak from personal experience?"

"I was only stating from literature." Wolfgang immediately insisted.

Now the warriors were laughing and shaking their heads.

"No way, Hotstuff. Don't act innocent." Dave blurted out, "If anyone's cursed with beauty, it's you."

Bell smirked, "So how many wars have you started, Hotstuff?"

Wolfgang flushed and then he tossed his head, "Impudent."

"Wooo...." The warriors laughed, "It's a face off!"

"No, no," Dave decided to use a more realistic standard, "Just the number of broken hearts. Which of you pretty faces broke the most hearts?"

Bell shrugged, "That'll be Ki."

Barry hadn't said anything so far, but he nodded at that. Wait? Barry was still here too? Weren't they off duty?

But here they were, still in warrior gear, but hanging back with the warriors like they've been here all their lives, each one holding a can of beer (the revolting one) and eating… was that a sugar glazed doughnut? Where did they get that?

"That's what the other guys in the Special Team say too." Barry affirmed.

"That is why we all call him Charming Beta." Fluffy smiled.

"Please don't pay heed to the rumors." Ki smiled, but because it was his beautiful smile, it wasn't convincing in the least.

After that, the conversation turned to the number of betas we had in our pack now.

"Hey, there's something I've always wanted to ask, exactly how many betas do we have now?" Pete asked, "I mean, it's not like Beta wolves grow on trees."

No kind of wolves grew on trees!

"Yeah, I'm opening doors for betas all day!" Dave exclaimed. Surely he was exaggerating!

Bob nodded, "Kinda ironic we got so many strolling around when the Glorious Lorent can't even get one of their own."

And then he realised Bell and Ki were right in front of him, "Ah, no offense, you two are okay."

Bell didn't miss a beat, "What the hell is okay?"

"I mean, better than okay." Bob quickly corrected himself, "You guys are great! Fantastic! Urm..."

"Like the best!" EJ chimed in.

"The most sexy!" Fluffy added to many of the adults amusement.

"Like the hottest wolves to walk the plains." EJ added and then he changed his mind, "Wait, no, that's Hotstuff..."

Hotstuff spat out his beer and started coughing. He WAS NOT expecting that.

More laughter because this was the way Night Leaf wolves hung out.

Dave slapped Wolfgang's back but he didn't stop laughing.

Dad watched his wolves mess around, but his thinking frown was on.

Traditionally, every pack had one Alpha, one Beta, and one Gamma. If there were more than one, they would usually have to fight for the position. That's how Gamma Harry's family got ousted when Grandma Luna and Grandpa Alpha's packs were merged.

If Morning Light and Night Leaf merged, TECHNICALLY Beta Lucas and Beta Gerald should fight it out for the Beta title.

Finally, when Wolfgang's coughing fit was calmed, Dad shrugged, "If my daughter can have three betas, I don't see why I can't have two."

Fluffy and EJ kindly poured tea about the three young betas that ran with me. There was Ki, the Charming Beta. Harvey, the Big Brother Beta. And Ben, the Scary Beta.

The adults tittered at Ki's title, nodded with understanding at Harvey's and then burst into laughter at Ben's.

"Indeed, Young Ben does manifest a terrifying wolf." Beta Gerald noted aloud.

He also manifested a terrible attitude too, but no one felt like bringing that up. Not in front of Beta Lucas anyway. Beta Lucas puffed with pride at what he perceived as high praise for his son, "Well, Alpha does say that boy is a chip off the old block."

This led to some more story telling about the terror that would become our pack's future Head Beta.

Ben came over at this point.

"Well, speak of the devil!" Dave announced, "Scary Beta himself."

Ben raised a brow and the subject immediately changed to how amazing Delta Felicity's doughnuts were.

"I thought this was Krispy Kreme!" EJ exclaimed in wonder at the sweet pastry in his hand, "How did pretty Delta make them?"

Delta Felicity laughed at sheer joy of being called Pretty Delta. She winked at the redhead, "It's a secret."

"Ohhhh..." EJ was very impressed.

"You can see how he got kidnapped." Bob whispered too loudly to Pete.

"You pups are growing up so fast!" Dave said, "I swear you get taller every time you walk through the pack house door."

Maybe Ben, I was quite sure I hadn't grown - except for the heels I sometimes wore now.

Eventually, the picnic drew to a close. As much as Dad wanted to monopolize my mate's full attention, he was pulled away in private conversation. Mum was busy too. She had to say hello to a lot of women.

I looked at Bell and wondered what he thought of our pack picnic, but it was Bell who spoke first, "How are you?"

"Urm… okay." I felt a smile turn up my lips at the sound of his voice. I stepped closer to him, he smelled SO GOOD.

"What…what about you? Okay?" I managed somewhat breathily because being close to Mate made me feel slightly light headed.

"Yeah." Bell shrugged, then he smirked, "More than okay."

Oh right. Haha.

"Yeah, you're the BEST." I smiled.

Bell raised a brow at that.

"I'm joking!" I quickly explained, "I mean, just now... And urm... Not that you aren't the best... You are... But..."

Someone just kill me now. Quick! Change the subject! I looked around for something to say!

"It's too bad its all over." I said when I caught sight of the stage. The music had stopped, they were packing up. The picnic mats were being folded, the food was getting kept away…

"I had wanted to…" The words of regret left my lips before I could even think of what I had wanted to do.

Bell raised his brow, "What is it?"

I had no idea. I just wanted to… I don't know… I guess I just wanted to spend time close to him or something.

Bell followed my line of sight to the dance floor - which I wasn't really looking at. I just happened to be facing the stage when I was thinking.

Bell sighed, "The things I do for you."

Then he turned to Ben, "Set up the stage."

"Wait…" I said.

Bell didn't understand words like wait, he dragged me to the dance floor - like right in the middle of the empty dance floor. And then the music started - like a full band. Lola was singing… I think… it certainly sounded like her voice, but I didn't see it.

I could only see Bell's shoulders, and then when he pulled a little away, his face and his eyes… so golden and warm. It was a beautiful Spring day. There was music, and I was in my mate's arms… maybe we were dancing. I didn't even know for sure, but like in a dream, he had put my hands on his shoulders, his good hand around my waist and we were moving as the music and smells of Spring time, food, and mate waft around us.

It was like a spell… I didn't realize the music stopped until we stopped moving.

And then I heard applause and then cheering and hooting.

"Kiss!" Someone from the crowd shouted.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

I felt sure my gang had to be part of it.

And then a sudden silence. Dad was here.

There would be no kiss today.

I heard Dad growling and felt myself being pulled away.

"Lucas tells me you have Lorent guests waiting for you in the Packhouse, Son." Dad said, "Better not keep them waiting."

Bell smirked, "Thank you, Dad. I'll go meet them now."

And he was gone.

Dad turned to me. We looked at each other, and then I don't know why, but I laughed.

"Dad!" I was still laughing, "We weren't really going to kiss."

Dad didn't look convinced, "Maybe YOU weren't, but I could see the gleam in his eyes."

I let Dad drag me back home. Past the dispersing crowd of wolves who quickly busied themselves picking up trash and putting things away.

Mum met us by the curb. She sighed about Dad ruining the moment. He was saying something. Mum was saying something back. I'm not sure what.

In my head, a disney princess song started playing - even though I was quite sure that wasn't the song Lola was singing, but "I know you, I've walked with you once upon a dream….I know you, the gleam in your eyes are so familiar to me…"

So that was what "the gleam in your eyes" meant.

Sigh... If I had known he was going to kiss me...

What would I have done? ~ <3

Wow, I was way over my head on this one.