WHAT'S FUN AT THE LANGSTON

THURSDAY, 11 FEBRUARY, MIDNIGHT

"Why? Do you have other ideas?"I asked.

Mate paused, and then decided, "No."

He was still really tense, but at least he wasn't freaking mad anymore. Wow, his poor Luna. Oh wait - was that supposed to be me?

I grabbed the remote, my chips, and coke and managed to get onto the bed without spilling anything. Carefully, I balanced the opened bag of chips in the middle to share with Mate, "Grab a drink and anything else you want to eat."

I flipped on the TV.

"What are we watching?" Mate asked with somewhat forced casualness.

"Cartoons... Is that okay with you?" I asked.

Mate grabbed a beer and a bag of jelapeno chips and gingerly got on the other side of the bed, "I should have known."

"What, why?" I asked. Should I be offended?

"You're really just a kid." Mate decided.

Adults watched cartoons too! I flared and threw the remote onto his lap, "Fine, you choose the channel."

Stoopid.

In the end we watched a bit of news. A couple of guys from Judes' pack were trapped in the storm. They had, against the advisory given, ran off in their wolves into the packlands and got lost. Now one of them had fallen into some kind of hole or ravine. They had mindlinked for help but the storm was now a full blown blizzard. A search and rescue team was going out to look for them though.

"Oh look, it's Gamma Harry." I pointed out him out in the background to Mate. It appeared that Night Leaf had agreed to help in the rescue mission.

We also watched a a bit of a documentary about whales, which was really boring. Even though I usually liked documentaries. I used it as a toilet break and found myself some skittles and M&Ms and a large bar of chocolate that just smelled very good, so I opened and ate it too.

Then we found a stand up comedy show - which was pretty vulgar, because the comic liked to say words like f*** and s*** and call everyone bad words. But he was so funny that I laughed and laughed till I rolled over in the bed.

It's a good thing I left my coke on the side table during the documentary.

Mate looked highly amused, but more from my reaction than the comic, "He's not that funny."

I wiped a tear out of my eye, "Hahaha..."

I tried to catch my breath, and then the comic started telling about how he accidentally dated a werewolf. OMG... My sides hurt!

Mate flipped off the TV when the stand up was over and smiled at me, "You..."

And then he laughed... It was more of a short chuffing sound, so stingy he was with his laughter. He didn't laugh out loud at all throughout the show either.

"I think I died laughing." I said, now that I was no longer gasping from too much laughing, "I can't believe all that happened to him!"

"He was exaggerating, if any of it is really true." Mate shook his head at me, but he was still smiling. When Mate was smiling (and not angry and grouchy and bossy), he was really nice company. Oh, would you look at that. He was finally relaxed now.

We were both sitting on the bed shoulder to shoulder, our legs stretched out in front of us. I had no pants. He had no shirt. But the heating at the Langston was warm so it was really comfortable.

I smiled at him. He leaned closer. His face was suddenly too close again.

What? Why did he keep doing that?

And then like a lighting bolt, I suddenly remembered the manga I read in school today. K..K..KISS! Was this the 90% of the perfect kiss? Was I supposed to complete it with the last 10%? Omo what should I do?

When in doubt, headbutt!

Luckily, Mate caught my forehead with the palm of his large hand before impact. I felt my Wolfie swell with pride. My mate had really fast reflexes.

Mate let his forehead touch mine, just briefly, and then he pulled away, "I best wake up now. Go to bed, princess, it's way past your bedtime."

His voice was deep, rumbly, warm... I felt warm and fuzzy inside. I watched him move away momentarily to turn off the lights by the control panel next to his side of the bed, "I left the lights in the bathroom and the doorway on in case you need to go later."

I had never needed to wake up and go before in my life. I had a large bladder. But I nodded and rubbed my eyes. It must have been late, and despite the coke, I was feeling sleepy.

Mate turned back to me and pulled up the covers to tucked me in. I wriggled deeper under the heavy blankets. Then as I laid there looking at him, he picked up a lock of my hair, kissed it, and disappeared.

No! I sat up suddenly and flared at the empty space next to me.

And then almost at the exact same moment, the smell of mate enveloped me. His t-shirt that I was wearing, suddenly fully transported from a dream into my reality.

Salted caramel. Mmmmm.... I snuggled back against the fluffy pillows.

It got too warm really quickly under the heavy duvet. I took off the bathrobe and cast it on the ground.

Okay, back to bed. My eyes felt so heavy suddenly. Even my Wolfie felt woozy. That was fun, but I was so sleepy and comfy right now, and within the folds of the sheets, was the smell of salted caramel...

----

The next thing I knew, there was knocking on my bedroom door, "Goddess?"

I stirred somewhat reluctantly in my bed, "Hn?"

Smelling Mate, I got up, but realized it was just his t-shirt...and that I wasn't in my golden clamshell or my room. I flared. Where was I?

I looked around the wide room, half eaten packets of chips and candy, the can of beer on the side table. What happen? Oh, right!

I was at the Langston!

The bedroom door opened, Ki! It really was Ki!

Dressed in his usual navy blue suit, pressed shirt and tie, and smelling fresh like clean laundry and WHITE TEA AND GINGER.

"Ki!" I felt very relieved to see him, "You're here!"

And then Wolfie became quite aware that he wasn't here alone. My wolves were outside. At least Harvey and Fluffy too... I didn't bother with the headcount. I was just so happy to be home, or at least have part of of home come to me.

Ki shut the door just a little too quickly as he surveyed the room. He smiled - that gentle smile so I knew something troubled him, "Was everything to your liking last night, goddess?"

I nodded and answered honestly, "Yeah. It was okay. I missed everyone at home at first, but Bell came and kept me company for a few hours. We ate snacks and watched the funniest stand up comic." I chuckled at the memory of accidentally dating a werewolf. Hahahaha.

Ki's smile broke into this usual Killion dollar flower in the sun smile again. He started to put down my clothes and then proceeded to check the rest of the room "for bugs" before picking up my bathrobe from the floor and the mess of snacks that had somehow migrated to Mate's side of the bed.

"Did the Luna Bell leave any instructions?" He asked.

I tried to remember, and then shook my head.

"So your Luna Bell came spent the night with you at the Langston and he just watched TV and ate chips?" Ki clarified as he picked up the empty packet of jalepeno chips, correctly identifying the one Bell ate.

I nodded, "Yeah, he also drank the beer."

Ki laughed a little to huimself, "Who would have thought?"

Okay, now I was sure something was up, "Why? What else was could we have done?"

Ki froze, "What do you mean, goddess?"

"Bell was like, 'that's all you want to do?' too. I want to know what's the fun thing at the Langston I'm missing!" I told Ki.

Ki laughed then, "Did you have fun, goddess?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Then you aren't missing anything, goddess." Ki smiled at me sanguinely.

Ki completed setting up my room. He actually quick-cleaned the bathroom even though we were at a hotel. Maybe he didn't want to have to leave a large tip. (He probably checked for bugs too. That guy was paranoid about insect infestations.)

"Did you see? The toiletries are exactly the same as the ones at home!" I told Ki conversationally when he came back out. I had wrapped the bathrobe back around myself and gotten out of bed.

Now that I said it, I was beginning to think the toiletries we had in our new home were pretty high class.

"Apologies, goddess. I was not aware that the Langston had changed their cleansing products' label." Ki demurred.

"No, I meant that in a good way." I said.

Ki blinked as if he could not see any good way about it. I laughed, "Don't worry about it Ki, I don't mind."

Ki nodded, his smile still unwavering, "Lunch would be sent up shortly. The schools are closed today, and very likely tomorrow as well. But the causeway has been cleared so we can return home whenever you are ready."

This alarmed me greatly, "But we had free breakfast tokens! Why is it lunchtime already?"

Ki didn't look like he understood.

"It was free!" I told him again, "Free!"

"If it pleases you princess, I'll arrange for you to have breakfast here another day." Ki promised.

I shook my head, a Lorent like Ki would probably never understand.

"It won't be free!" I bemoaned.

Ki laughed then. For some reason he had found my distress over the wasted tokens rather amusing. And that's when I noticed Ki had relaxed to his usual self, which meant he wasn't all that relaxed earlier - even though I hadn't caught it upfront.

The Langston seemed to make all the guys a little tense.

Was it because there was something fun they knew about and won't tell me?

Yeah. I'm beginning to get that feeling.

"Have you stayed in the Langston before, Ki?" I asked.

Ki hesitated, just a nanosecond, "Yes, goddess. I have."

He didn't say any more about it. And I got the feeling I couldn't just directly ask him why.

"What did you enjoy most about the Langston?" I tried again. I.e. What was the fun thing you guys don't want me to know about?

"The privacy." Ki answered.

I narrowed my eyes at Ki. Harvey mentioned privacy too. Was this a Beta thing?

Then I sighed. Whatever. Betas needed their space too, I suppose. I decided to let it go, on the grounds of "privacy".

"In the warmer months, they have a beautiful pool with a waterfall." Ki tried to be expound a bit more anyway, "Other than that, there is a gym. The Langston is largely a business hotel though, so most of the facilities available would cater for businessmen. They boast a good restaurant with the right ambience for business meals, a bar to relax or follow up on business discussions, a first class business centre, and well equipped meeting and conference rooms. The staff are all human who are trained and acquainted with Lycan culture. It's a strategic move that made it very popular to both human and Lycans. The A-Suite, which you are staying in, is only open to alpha wolves. I believe there are at least two of such suites. Each of them take up the entire floor including the option of varying suites and rooms on the same floor for the Alpha's entourage and private meetings."

Proving once again that Ki was the kind of guy who would make a very good tour guide.

I nodded. Okay.

"Is there anything else I can do for you goddess?" Ki asked, and I knew he was going to excuse himself.

I shook my head, "I'm good. Thanks."

Ki smiled and bowed himself out.

My stomach rumbled. I guess it had to be closer to lunchtime than I thought. Quick shower and food! I won't lie, the jacuzzi did tempt me for a moment, but I was too hungry to stew in it again.

After my shower, I changed into the clean underwear gratefully. I wanted to wear Mates t-shirt again, but Ki had brought a dress, woollen tights, a denim jacket, and a long woollen winter coat, with gloves and a scarf and hat. They were all new. There weren't any tags, but I could smell the newness.

I had to put on the dress before realising this though. And even after that I was confused. I had to sniff my dress properly to untangle all the smells.

Firstly, it's synthetic. Secondly, it's new. Thirdly, it has the familiar lemony tinge of home. BUT it was missing the smell of home washed laundry. Ding ding ding! These clothes were new in a never been to my wardrobe before new.

I had somehow gotten so used to the lemony zing on my stuff that I had come to use it to recognize my stuff. Just like I always recognized Ki's stuff by his white tea and ginger scent.

This was when I realized Ki's beta prowess. By using something as simple as lemon oil, he had effectively tagged all my belongings and territory for me. It was definitely faster than having to actually wear or use an item enough for it to truly smell like mine.

And before I knew it, my Wolfie had subconsciously become trained to accept anything that smelled lemony very quickly. Ki had to be like the sneakiest beta I had. Hahaha. It's a good thing he was so loyal.

Think of all the stuff he could've slipped past me just with that mask of lemony scent!