THE PAGE BEFORE THE MISSION

2 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, EVENING

Where should I go now? To the library? For a run?

My wolf picked run.

I went downstairs and out by the side entrance. The one we used for training. Then I got undress behind some tress and shifted.

My wolf felt glorious. She shook out her fur and padded silently into the woods. Which wolf was this?

I didn't recognize my wolf anymore. I didn't even like her much. I didn't like anybody. I hate everyone. Wow, maybe this was the teenage angst Harvey was talking about.

I'm now an angsty teenager. Hahahaha.

I sniffed around bushes and brambles and snow, catching all the frozen smells in the dirt. I missed my Wolfie, the happy go lucky one who liked to play games.

I wondered what the heck was happening. I've never heard of a wolf evolving... Pokémon yes... I wondered if it worked the same way. Wolfie-mon, I choose you! (Not the dark one. I actually liked being an oversized puppy a lot more.)

I could smell dinner cooking. It was in the air, especially when I neared town. I wandered to a frozen snow covered playground. I should be going back. If my mindlink was open, I'm sure someone would be calling me home for dinner.

So I ran back, letting my lucky sense of direction take me, only that I knew now it was my wolf sense. It's a lot less fun that way, but I got back, found my clothes, bleh I could smell that girl on the back of my clothes... From leaning back on the arm chair just now! That human must have rubbed her scent on every piece of upholstery in our apartment!

Ignore the human. I don't like her, but I promised Mum so I would tolerate her.

I got dressed and made my way back into the packhouse.

When I had to sit next to Maria the vampire, I took it as an opportunity to practice my mind barrier techniques. Now I've become quite apt at sealing out mindlinks. In fact, my mind seal was airtight. Hahaha. Like the contracts Henry signed for the Princess Town.

Which reminded me that I had originally come home to prepare for the vampire hunt tonight, but I ended up getting into an argument with my parents.

This was wasting a lot of emotional energy on my part.

Next time, I wouldn't argue with them. I had to tread carefully with that girl. I didn't want to call her Sabrina, but I couldn't call her 'that girl' or 'Greta'.

My plan was to ignore as much as I can without causing a scene, and to avoid her as much as I could without it being obvious. Like that bit about not wanting to move to our new home with her, that was dumb of me to say it out loud.

If Maria trained me in the art of sealing my mind from intrusion, this human girl was going to teach me how to seal my heart.

I would walk the path of least melodrama, and tolerate, or better still, ignore the human with utmost diplomacy among the ones I loved most.

Since they didn't care that I didn't want her, I won't bother to tell them anymore. She would be the thorn in my side that I would have to endure.

But I'm the alpha. I could take it.

I returned home just as Dad opened the door to leave, "Where are you going, Dad?"

Dad looked surprised, then he smiled, "Nowhere."

He put his large hand on my head and shut the door when I came in.

"Sam, where were you?" Mum asked, "Next time please keep your mindlink open."

Killion plated and served. We all sat around the table. Savy and Mum tried to teach that girl how to use cutlery.

Dad and Killion spoke about some legal issues about this strip of island just off the continent. Was it ours? Since it was adjacent to our land? During the low tides, it was connected to us. You could walk over on dry land.

This thing about the island had gone on and on for ages. Some of the other packlands claimed it's free land. Some said warlock land... Most felt that Dad should pay the High Council and buy the island.

Dad said he was told the island was his for free when he bought the land, given that it was connected to one of our beaches by a bridge of coral reef. He wasn't going to pay a king's ransom for it.

I listened without really paying much attention. I ate without really enjoying the food. I kept my eyes down on my plate so that I didn't have to see that girl laughing with my Mum and sis.

"Look Sam! She likes to hold her fork on the right hand too!" Mum said.

I looked politely, "Yeah okay."

And I didn't put down my fork and knife and lose my appetite.

"But it's better to do it the right way." I added when 'yeah okay' didn't seem like a satisfactory response to Mum.

"Are you okay, Sam?" Savy asked.

I nodded, "Just tired. I had a long day."

"Sleep early tonight, then." Mum said, "Sabbie needs to sleep early too. She's going to school tomorrow."

I bit back all the unpleasant comments that sprung to mind about the human girl attending Lycan school.

Stay cool, Sam.

"I have work. I'll be at Ben's tonight." I said. And before Mum could protest, I added, "I'm not doing anything weird. Ki and Harvey are meeting me there. Dad knows about it."

"Are you really going tonight?" Dad asked, "If you waited till next week, I would take care of it for you."

"Just let me try it on my own." I said.

Dad sighed, "It feels like you're growing up too fast."

Don't worry, you and mum can go baby that girl.

But of course I didn't say it out. I didn't want them to do that. I wanted them to baby me!

OMG. Was I really jealous of a six year old human? That's pathetic.

Ignore the human. Just ignore her.

I swallowed the rest of the food on my plate and stood up, "I have some important details to run through with my Betas, so I'm going to just go first."

Ki stood up at that, "I've read through the details in the thumbdrive goddess and have a few questions."

I nodded at that, "Bring your laptop. We'll discuss it with Ben and Harvey."

"Harv is already at Ben's." Ki informed me after mindlinking the other Betas.

"I know." I smiled, "I always know where my Betas are."

Ki smiled his million dollar Ki smile and opened the front door for me, "Of course, Alpha."

I grabbed my lucky jacket and stepped out of the door, I turned back to wave a forced smile to my family, "Bye. See you tomorrow."

Then we were in the lift.

Once the lift doors closed us in, Killion started speaking. At first I was worried he was going to confront me about my unstable wolf or my unfriendliness towards the helpless human child, but he only said, "The information in the thumbdrive looked like some kind of calculations for a business contract. It also had a list of terms... Unfortunately, it did not provide a context, so it's application eluded us."

"Has Harvey and Ben seen it?" I asked.

Killion nodded, "I sought their advice. Forgive me. You were uncontactable. I hoped one of them might have known what the information was for."

We got out of the lift. Killion did the usual Beta thing. He held the lift door for me, fetched my coat and his. I didn't bother to put it on though, walking straight at the door. The warrior doorman got it for me and Ki was quick to follow.

We crossed the road to Ben's. Ben was at his front door, "Everything's ready, Sam."

I nodded.

When we stepped into the house, I could smell the girl everywhere too. I think little humans like to rub themselves on every available surface. But it was all clear in the basement. Good. I could breathe easy again.

The surveillance monitors were still up, but the screens were black with the running text "input not detected" on all of them.

There was a pile of beanbags on the side, and two large black bags.

Harvey came to greet us, "Good evening, princess."

He was dressed completely in black. He had a ear piece on. It was strange to see Harvey in something else other than his usual leather jacket get up. But his wry smile and calm demeanor were the same.

I realized belatedly that Ben was also in black with the same earpiece. Ben also had something clipped to the front of his shirt.

"We need to get dressed too, goddess." Ki picked up a black pile of clothes.

"Yeah, after you get dressed, we'll wire you up into the system." Ben nodded.

I guess the contract can wait. We were going on a real mission. It felt like a spy movie. Naturally, I was excited.

{So fun!}

And my Wolfie was back. I grinned. I was suddenly feeling back to my usual self again.

While Ki and I got wired up, Ben explained the plan.

Since we weren't sure who would be able to dream travel successfully, he had wired us to link to our monitoring system. Whoever was left behind could assist from the basement. The monitoring system would also record our inaugural adventure tonight and provide tracking coordinates which might give us useful intel when we get back.

So even if I ended there on my own, just walking around a few minutes would provide some intel.

Sweet.

Ben sounded unsure though, just a little bit.

"I haven't tested it." Ben admitted, "It took me all day to set up."

At this point, I noticed the pile of packaging left in a small mountain next to the table.

"I can't believe you did all this in a day." Harvey said.

"I can't believe you skipped school" I asked.

We even had full face masks and beanies to avoid being identified by any vampire we might meet.

Then my betas looked at me.

"Your hair would be a dead giveaway." Ben pointed out.

"Then cut it. It'll grow back once I shift." I told them.

Ki nodded and took out a pair of scissors. I sat down. Snip, snip, snip.

Ben got impatient. He handed Ki a knife, "Hurry up, dog."

Ki looked extremely torn.

"Do it Ki, just cut it off." I said.

"Then please forgive me, goddess." Ki answered softly.

I felt the knife slice past my hair, just across the back of my neck. Suddenly my head felt much lighter.

I didn't know how I looked like though, so I pulled on the beanie.

"Cute." Ben smirked.

Harvey hit him on the back of his head.

Ben just laughed though. I grinned, "Let's go... Oh wait. I need to tell you the plan. When we go in, we need to find the Ciara Lord, kill him, take his cursed ring, then summon his Coven's heir, and offer him a contract."

I explained the rest of it to my betas. They were super serious. I think the plan freaked them out.

"What if the heir refuses the contract?" Harvey asked.

"I don't know. Urm... He would still be under my control. I'll just die a horrible death when I grow old." I said.

"It's too risky. I'll wear the ring." Ki said, "Write the contract for the ring to be worn by our Alpha's representative."

Harvey was typing like mad.

I wanted to argue but I realized it would be useless. I was their Alpha. They'd sooner die than risk it.

"Did Harvey do the Princess Town Contracts?" I asked instead.

"Ki and I drafted them together." Harvey said without looking up.

"Henry said they were airtight." I told them.

This pleased the two guys.

"Well they better be vampire tight." Ben muttered under his breath. He put his hand on the small of my back and growled at the other two. Hahaha. Black wolves were so territorial. I wondered if I was like that.

"Oh yeah, Plan B is Dad waylay him on his way back to his coven after the Queen's party. Plan C is Henry and his warriors storm the coven, if we needed rescuing. But if we get across together, I'm quite sure we won't have to trouble either of them." I said.

"You sound so confident, goddess." Ki smiled.

I smiled back, remembering what Dad said earlier to me at Principal Laura's office, "I have full confidence in the ones who have sworn to protect me."

Harvey's wry smile reappeared as he looked up from his laptop, "Sounds dangerous, Alpha."

Ki's smile never wavered, "We are at your service."

Ben smirked, "This is going to be interesting."

So now that we're on the same page, we were ready to go.