THE NEXT MORNING WAS CHILLY

A couple of hours later I was on my way to school. As I did my Lycan study group homework on the train there, I reflected on how lucky I had brought it along with me to Beta Lucas' house, or I would have lost my file again. It would seem that everything we left behind was lost to the explosion and fire.

This morning, as I walked out to the waiting bus at the pack house, I passed what used to be our home. It was charred and the fumes from the smoke burned my eyes. It was a pretty big fire, the plume of the flame had gone up so high, it didn't go unnoticed by several packs in our packland.

We had a few other packs contact us last night to ask about it, including Alpha James who had left a missed call on Dad's handphone while he was rescuing-capturing the rogues trapped in the house.

Gamma Harry who was in the pack house office last night handled all the enquiries. He was in a hurry, so he told everyone who had called that we were investigating the fire and that it was under control. Even though it was not under control at all. The forest closest to the back of our home was singed. But it could've easily been the pack house or Beta Lucas' house depending on the wind direction, so Dad said the goddess must have been on our side.

Mrs Beta devoutly agreed. After all, the blue wolf was sleeping in the house. Surely the goddess would never allow anything bad to happen to her angel. Plus the full moon my Dad saw despite it not being a full moon night only proved that she was present last night.

Not to be ungrateful, but I wished the goddess would have not let our home explode.

But we were all safe. All twenty rogues were safe in the dungeon too.

"Safe." Killion repeated with air quotes. He was in a good mood, "Vengeance will be mine."

"What's the hurry?" I asked.

"I want to quickly leave that past behind me." Killion said as he served the breakfast at Mrs Beta's breakfast table, "I am ready to end it."

Ben just huffed rudely, "Wait your turn, dog."

Killion smiled benignly, "Yes, Beta."

Ben tilted his head away, "Shut up. Dogs don't talk."

"They don't cook either, but this is heaven." Lizzy argued pointing her fork of omelette at her brother, "Give him some slack."

And then to Killion she said, "If my mate doesn't show up, will you marry me?"

I laughed at that. Never mind his good looks, flirty charm, or white wolf bloodline... Killion's most attractive feature was his cooking? Who would have guessed?

"Maybe Ki can teach all our mates to cook." Savy suggested.

"I can teach many other useful skills too." Killion wriggled his brows suggestively. All the ladies laughed.

The men pretended they hadn't heard it. Either it was just too early in the morning for them to argue, or the food was actually so good they couldn't stop eating it to talk.

Or maybe everyone had a lot on their minds today.

Our home had to be repaired, preferably before my alpha heir ceremony next month when we were, as it turned out, planning to invite the other alphas of our packland to witness. Right now they were about to come witness the black hull of the alpha house right next to our pack house. It being winter wasn't going to do any favors for the workmen or our budget either.

This morning, Mum would have to move the meager stuff we had left to the alpha's apartment on the top floor of the packhouse and clean it up. It was altogether, as I remembered a very nice apartment, personal elevator, penthouse, jacuzzi and a roof top garden type of set up.

It was where Dad and Mum lived as Alpha and Luna of the pack. They had me there too. But when Savy was conceived, the two bedroom apartment seemed too small for our growing family. Dad bought the land next to the pack house with his savings and built a comfortable modest home there. It became known as the Alpha House.

I'm not sure how were would fit all of us, especially Killion. Ben said to build a doghouse on the rooftop garden and chain him there. Killion said he didn't mind if we made it large enough for a plus one. Mum said there would be no doghouses or plus ones.

Mum was not sure if she could get the place cleaned up in one morning. Mrs Beta offered to help. She was sure Laura would love to help too. Killion would help of course. And after cleaning, Killion would drive the ladies to Gate City to buy whatever else our family needs.

I guess Mum did have a tiring day ahead with all the cleaning and shopping, but Mum actually seemed quite excited about it. With Mrs Beta and Laura around, Mum declared that today was going to be fun. Mum was so brave. I could not imagine having to shop clothes for the whole family. I was glad I had school.

Savy and Lizzy wanted to help shop though. They produced puppy dog eyes to great effect so that Harvey would drive them directly to Gate City in the afternoon to join the ladies. Everyone looked at me, I shrugged, "Just don't buy me anything weird."

"Okay." Savy promised.

"This would be the perfect chance to buy Sam that Alpha wardrobe you were talking about." Lizzy realised.

"I know." Savy and Mum both said at the same time.

Oh great.

"You ladies might not have time to buy everything in one afternoon though. Might I suggest buying the urgent necessities first and then continuing on to the apparel department later?" Beta Lucas said.

Who says "apparel department" nowadays?

"Luna, Princess has a project meeting with her friends on Saturday afternoon." Harvey informed Mum, "She might need clothes for that."

"Are there cute guys?" Lizzy asked.

"No." I said.

"Just an alpha and a beta and the school's most popular guy." Harvey reported.

"Oh!" Lizzy said, "Got it. Don't worry, Sam. Leave it to us."

Did Harvey think that just because he was sitting across from me, I couldn't hurt him?

"Ben, hit him." I said.

Ben who was sitting right next to Harvey obliged immediately. Good beta.

What's with Harvey? Usually he was the good beta with all the discretion.

"Thank you, Harvey." Mum seemed to feel Harvey was still being the good beta, "In this case maybe I should leave Sam's outfit shopping to Lizzy and Savy."

Lizzy's eyes brightened immediately, "Leave it to us Luna. We'll get something cute."

"But casual." Savy added, "It should look effortless."

"Yeah, since Sam already has Luna Bell." Lizzy continued, "He's already the hottest."

"Lizzy." Mrs Beta warned.

"What? It's just a scientific observation. Using the theory of relativity, we line all the guys Sam hangs out in a spectrum from the hottest to the coolest." Lizzy explained.

Ben rolled his eyes, but he knew enough to keep his thoughts to himself.

Harvey hadn't seem to have heard. He was looking at his phone.

"What about me?" Killion asked.

"You're ranked pretty high up there too." Lizzy assured him.

Savy nodded, "You're hot too, Ki."

"Hotter than Harv and Ben?" Killion wanted to know.

The other two guys froze, and I realized Harvey was listening after all.

Mum tried to steer the conversation back, "Since Sam will be meeting wolves from other packs, please dress her

appropriately."

"Just don't buy me anything weird." I repeated before escaping, muttering and excuse about not being late for school.

I heard Killion suggest, "I think goddess would look nice in a white toga dress. Very classic goddess look."

I heard a dull thud and a growl, "Shut up, dog."

I didn't bother to look. Whatever.

With everything happening around us, a cute outfit to go to my classmate's house is really the last thing that should be on their minds.

Oh, and I would just like to point out for the record, this whole mess - I didn't do it. The rogues getting into our land, our home exploding into flames, all our stuff burned to crisp? This was all on Dad, the reigning alpha.

I didn't even get to help dart the rogues, no thanks to my mate.

For the first time in a while, it wasn't me. Hahaha.

When I got off the train at Winderhill, the air was frigid, the commuters rushed to get off the platform. I hurried along in the small crowd. It was not that there were so many people that the platform was crowded, but that we all chose to take the shortest path to the escalator that kept us close enough to jostle.

Suddenly, I was hit with a the deepest sadness that I had ever felt. It hit me so hard I looked up, and the moment I did, I saw Matt and a girl. Immediately, I knew she had to be the girlfriend that the guys were talking about on the train. The both of them were smiling at each other, they hadn't even seen me.

I pretended not to have seen them, edging my way a little further to the other end of the crowd and getting through the gentries. Once through, I made my way quickly out of the station and back onto the mountain path to school.

The cool crisp air on an early winter morning, the new sun, and the hard white path today helped me relax, but for some reason, deep in my heart, there was a lingering sadness. I wondered what that was about?