WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

16 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, AFTER PRACTICE

"What's going on here?" It was Captain returning with all the other seniors just a few steps behind him. Which was like 12 extra pairs of eyes that I didn't need.

"Nothing, Captain." Keanu tried to help, "Sam's just having a little trouble controlling her warriors."

Captain stopped to consider the four blue demon warriors in the hall. They stopped taking apart the last range to face him. Naturally, they had to square themselves up against each other.

I waited for Captain to inform my stoopid wolves that outsiders were not allowed to be here and to go wait downstairs.

"Is there a problem here?" Captain asked.

"Yes." It was Neil who spoke, "I'd like to know who was the bl***** bugger who tried to make my alpha carry equipment."

I wanted to face palm, I really did. But I didn't because I was hoping really hard that if I stood absolutely still and acted nochalent, this entire fiasco would just be blown over once Captain kick the four clowns out of the hall.

"Ah..." Captain said, he was definitely mindlinking for backup, "I think there has been a misunderstanding."

Eh, what? Why are you hesitating, Captain?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Coach Emerson stormed into the hall.

Finally! An authoritative voice! Coach! Tell these four idiots to go wait downstairs!

Coach walked right up to the largest blue demon warrior and slapped him on the back, "Neil! What the hell happened to you?"

Neil slapped him back, "Hey, hey, Delta M."

"You're in Night Leaf now?" Coach asked, "I've been away too long. What the hell. Hey Jax, right?"

Jax nodded, "Hey Delta M. How's it hanging."

"The usual." Coach grinned, "Since when did Jude's fellows run in uniform?"

"We followed Rebel to the Lorent's." Neil grimiced, "Long story. Now we're merging."

"Yeah, so the brat's back home?" Coach asked.

"He's going to be the next Luna." Neil told him.

"He's gotten even scarier now than before." Jax added.

Coach raised his brow at that, "Scarier?" And then he laughed, "Did he finally raise an army to raze the Lorent Pack down to the ground?"

Neil and Jax got quiet.

"I'm joking." Coach Emerson laughed, "You know, that old prophecy... Nevermind, you wouldn't know about it."

Except that they did.

Neil shrugged but said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes. Coach Emerson's brain suddenly clicked all the pieces together, "F***. The blue demon warriors! What the hell! My brother..."

"Is alright." Neil said.

"For now." Jax had to add.

"What the hell, I need to get back. My brother's gonna get the family crushed." Coach Emerson looked agitated, "I'm sure Jack's done something dumb again... Arughhhh... I got to go."

Coach rushed out of the hall yelling to the rest of us, "Good job, kids. Captain please dismiss them. I have some urgent family business to take care of. Where is Coach Roberts? Did she leave without me again?"

And he was gone, a whirlwind of madness.

I looked at Neil and Jax. And then at Captain, my seniors, and the rest of my club.

"May we help you finish cleaning up, Alpha?" Fluffy asked. 

For some reason, I suddenly felt very tired. I nodded, "Yeah, okay."

"Yay!" EJ cheered immediately, "Alpha is the best!"

"Yeah, just leave it to us, Alpha." Neil moved to get back to work.

"Yeah, we're not just pretty faces." Jax gave another of his opened mouth saucy winks.

Fluffy, the real pretty face, smiled and nodded a bow.

Captain merely decided, "The rest of you are dismissed. Come on Priya. We should head down. Bra's complaining about the wait."

"He's always complaining!" Priya pouted but followed.

Everyone went over to the other side of the hall to collect their things to go.

"Wow." River said, "I guess you have it tough too."

What? In what way was I having it tough? I'm not even allowed to put away my club equipment!

River tried to comfort me, "My warriors don't listen to me either."

That's because you're a human... And an apologetic one at that!

"Cut from the same cloth. See?" Keanu smiled smugly.

No way! Don't compare me with River! I'm a lot stronger! I'm the Alpha!

Wait, River was supposed to be the alpha too, right? But River was human.

"You're too easy to bully." Ralph told me, "Aren't alphas supposed to be big strong guys?"

Yeah, and I was a girl.

He had found my bag next to his and tossed it to me. I caught it by reflex.

Wait, why was Ralph saying those things to me? I did NOT need a human telling me how to be an Alpha.

"It can't be easy." Keanu said kindly, "Don't be too hard on yourself. Strong wolves don't take orders easily."

"They take orders from me." I said. I was the alpha, right? Wait... Wth. Why was my control being doubted? Did I really look that weak?

I flared. Wth. I was the alpha.

The four guys came back. The equipment was cleared. They were in good spirits, and then they stopped short, "Whoa." Jax said.

"What happened?" Neil asked, "Who p*** our alpha off?"

Stoopids! It was you! All four of you!

I wasn't in the mood though. I just walked past them and headed for the car.

I know, I know, Henry always said I needed to keep my wolves in line. I know I gave my wolves lots of leeway. I liked their nonsense, their jokes, their spunk... It was fun and I liked it when they were happy. But... Why was I suddenly in a bad mood now?

I frowned. Even the reason for my bad mood had become less than straightforward. Grrrr....

"Good afternoon, princess." My good beta opened the car door for me.

"Hi Harvey." I got in.

"How was your day, Princess?" This was how Harvey usually began our car rides now. He would ask me this the moment he was ready to drive, and then pull the car out of the school as I tell him school was fine.

"School was fine." I said. I'm just not sure about anything else.

"Harvey?" I asked.

"Yes, princess?" Harvey flipped the indicator light to turn left. We were on the way home.

"Would you say I'm too soft?" I wanted to know.

Harvey paused, "What do you mean, princess?"

"Like do you think I'm not strict enough with the other guys? Like should I be fiercer? Is it bad that they don't listen to me?" I tried to explain.

"Did something happen just now?" Harvey asked.

"I told the guys to wait downstairs, but they insisted on helping and ended up cleaning up everything." I shrugged. Now that I was saying it, it didn't seem like such a big deal, "It's not a big deal."

It's just that my human friends felt they had to advise me on how to be a better alpha after that. So was it just my pride that stung?

"It's nothing. I'm guess I'm just tired." I leaned back in my seat, "Any updates from your side?"

I knew there would be updates. There were always updates. Harvey's lips were pressed together in a straight line for a while. I wasn't sure if it was the traffic. We were being followed again, and Neil had just kicked a car quite hard for coming too close to ours. A camera flash went off from inside the car and it swerved away.

Harvey acted like he hadn't noticed it. We continued driving, as he updated me about what I had missed while I was in school.

My Uncle Louis had sent an invitation. He has decided to take our offer of help in rebuilding Night Forest's economy, and was cordially inviting our representatives to his Packlands for a few days to conduct our GAP analysis. It's been scheduled for next Friday.

"My archery training schedule has been shifted to Friday." I remembered now, "Coach Roberts wants to move Ralph and me up to the advance group."

"Understood." Harvey assured me, "Congratulations on the promotion. We will arrange for the team to leave after dinner then."

Then he moved on to the other key updates. The rest of it and all the details were uploaded to my Kindle as usual.

I'm not sure if was because of Harvey's everyday calm, or the routine of the updates, but I felt much better by the time our car pulled up our driveway. Harvey let me out and walked me to the front door where Ki met us.

"Good evening, goddess." Ki smiled his usual beatific smile, "Dinner will be served in a moment."

I nodded my understanding and headed to my room, "Okay, thanks Ki. See you again in a bit."

Dinner smelled wonderful.

As I passed the living room I caught sight of Harvey still on my porch. I stopped. His back was to me, so I could not see his face, but the four warriors in front of him looked serious - even Fluffy and EJ were not smiling.

They bowed deeply and responded in unison to something Harvey said, and then filed out and rode off on their bikes. That was odd. I bit my bottom lip, what was that about?

Harvey was alone on the porch now. His back still towards me. He took out his phone and typed something, then he got into the car and drove it up towards the garage.

"Is there anything I can help you with, goddess?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin, but it was just Ki standing by the stairway. He placed a fresh bowl of flowers on the side table.

"Ah, no. It's fine." I shook my head.

"I heard the warriors disobeyed your direct order today." Ki offered mildly.

Wait, what? But I only mentioned it to Harvey just a while ago. And I had all but forgotten about it... until now.

I looked back at the empty porch and then at Ki.

"Do you think I'm too soft on them?" I wanted to know. I'm not sure why I was doing this survey.

Ki beamed at me and quoted, "The beauty of the moon is in her soft curve. The beauty of a rose is the same."

Was that a yes?

Oh wait, I knew that poem. It continues

"My Luna is a moon and a rose

Her softness, my personal wolfbane."

"You're misquoting." I informed my beta.

"A hundred apologies, goddess." He said.

I laughed and shook my head. He wasn't sorry at all, but I was feeling once again better, "I better go wash up for dinner. Whatever you're making smells good!"

My stomach growled in agreement.

Ki smiled like a flower to the sun, "Thank you goddess."

I left him there to do whatever beta thing he had to do.

Just out of curiosity, I tried to recall the rest of the poem. I remembered it was in a book my mum kept by her bedside. A gift from my dad when they were dating. Oh... But then, it would've been destroyed with everything else when the rogues exploded our old house right? Curse you rogue king! Give my mama her book of sappy Lycan love poetry back!

I got to my room and fished my phone out of my bag, quickly tapping in the lines, I was hoping to find it somewhere. You could find anything online nowadays.

This poem, in particular was quite well known. My quick online search showed you could even buy valentine's day cards quoting it's verses.

The beauty of the moon is in her soft curve.

The beauty of a rose is the same.

My Luna is a moon and rose

Her softness, my personal wolfbane.

So I die softly in her light each night

Her scent is my souls sweet delight...

Blah blah blah...

Yeah, I remembered it was all embaressingly mushy stuff like that, so it was as I expected. But what I didn't expect was suddenly missing Bell.

Why?

I took a quick shower hoping to wash it all away - the missing Bell and all the complicated things in my life, then I got changed and ran downstairs.

Wth was wrong with me today? I didn't even know what I was feeling anymore.

I slumped on the dining table and announced to my family, "My life is so complicated!"

"What? Did you just notice?" Savy cackled. 

Mum who was always quick to empathize, reached across Sabre to rub my back, "Rough day?"

Sabre mimicked the action, rubbing her small hand on my back. Haha. Cute. But I was too miserable to feel better, "I don't know why things can't be straightforward like they were before. I mean, why did things have to change?"

Dad put on his thinking frown, "What changed?"

"I don't know, like EVERYTHING!" I threw my hands up in the air to emphasize the "everything" part of it.

Why? Didn't anyone else notice? I would have thought it would be obvious - the media, the security roll out, the crazy rumors about our wolves... I felt exhausted all over again just remembering it.

"Maybe you're the one who is changing." Savy told me.

Wait, what?

Savy patted my head in jest, "Looks like you're growing up."

I'm what? I shook my head, but Savy spoke before I could deny it, "You're finally noticing what other people think."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked. Mostly, I was trying to decide if I should be offended.

Savy smiled. It was very similar to the way Keanu smiled at River when he was threatening his friend today. Then she said one word to me, "COME."

And just so I would know exactly what she was quoting, she added, "@NL FAO. We have guest."