BACK TO WORK

{Lucky you.} Savy released my arm when it was time for me to leave the lunch. For her and Lizzy, it would still be a while before they were done accompanying Mum and Mrs Beta. The ladies were still taking their time to talk and it looks like it would be a while more before the excursion group to Princess Town would set out.

Lucky me. I got to take my leave first. With Harvey coming to fetch me, and my Afternoon Entourage following in step behind us, it was like I had important Alpha Princess work to do. Mum immediately shooed me off. She even made all the nice excuses for me to leave before helping to clean up.

I would have felt bad about it except that it turned out to be the very truth of the matter. Harvey had come to pick me up for "work". Where "work" was what my betas and wolves around me did while I hung around being the alpha.

The moment our car pulled out of the graveled driveway and onto the road, Harvey started with an update on the situation at home. Everything had been settled properly. The tribute was locked in the training hall for Ben's inspection. Jonah had properly lined up the items and made a logistics report. Harvey had checked everything himself, but since Beta Lucas had assigned the task to his son, Ben would have to check and sign it off himself.

Gareth and Anna have been settled into a guest suite in the Packhouse to rest for now. Ki would be taking them around on Monday to their new workplaces and assisting to arrange for their private living arrangements.

Grand Elder Horio would be staying for a few days at the Packhouse too, but as Dad's guest. Beta Gerald would take care of him.

And Young Prince Hayao and Fluffy seemed to be getting along, at least for now. My betas were expecting Fluffy to "make a move", as for exactly what move, they would have to "wait and see".

Cobra was still with the horses at the warlock lands, but had reported that all was well, they were surveying the land for a good place to settle the horses.

And the apple tree saplings were still in their sacks but have been safely set along the side of the Alpha House and left temporarily under the care of Torque's green thumbs. We couldn't possibly plant them in the cursed ground, but Hayao had not seemed worried. Torque would go purchase large pots and soil from Mr Greene's shop first thing tomorrow morning and they should be fine for the time being.

With all this happening, no one had time to deal with standing procedures in the DC (Detention Center), but as a stop gap measure, detainees would not be able to receive any packages or gifts for the next few days.

Harvey also took the opportunity to make all his apologies for not being able to accompany me to the lunch, as well as for Ben's bad mood which he called "unprofessional behavior."

I laughed it off, "Ben's always been this way, don't bother apologizing for him. If he's sorry, he can apologize for himself."

"Understood, Alpha." Harvey nodded, "I'll let him know."

Yeah, right. Ever since we got back from our time traveling adventure, I didn't feel like any of my betas were understanding me at all.

"How about you? How are you holding up?" I wondered. Ben's stressed out, which was understandable with all the stuff that was happening. But Harvey couldn't be having an easy time of it either.

"What do you mean, Alpha?" Harvey asked. I'm not sure why he sounded so guarded.

"I mean, it's been kind of crazy lately. How are you coping?" I tried to rephrase my question in the friendliest way possible, "You even have student president duties on top of everything."

"Oh." Harvey's wry smile tugged on his lips and he relaxed a little behind the wheel, "I've been alright, thank you for your care Alpha."

Sometimes my good beta was not honest.

"Define 'alright'." I grinned at him.

"I'll live." Sometimes my good beta said the coolest things.

I laughed out loud at that and decided to let it go. If he didn't want to complain about his unreasonable workload to me, then I won't make him.

"Don't worry about Ben." Harvey felt he should assure me, "He's young and this is his first year running as beta. He'll get used to it."

"What about you and Ki?" I asked, because I was the least worried about Ben.

"We're used to this much." Harvey promised. #betalife.

It wasn't a long drive back, so we didn't cover much, but by the time we hit our Packhouse driveway, Harvey managed to run through the rest of the appointments waiting in line for me today, including the new adjustments to my schedule. E.g. that Dad wanted to see me in the office when I got back from lunch.

"Do you know why?" I asked.

Harvey was most apologetic, "I'm sorry, Alpha. I was unable to obtain any details."

"It's fine. Dad probably didn't say why either." I shrugged it off. I mean, I could imagine it clearly. Dad probably just said something like, "Tell Sam to come to my office."

And then left it to his beta to arrange it. Just to be sure, I quickly ran through today's events, "I'm probably not in trouble, at least not more than usual."

"What do you mean, Alpha?" Harvey's brow crinkled again. My good beta liked to worry.

"You know how I'm always getting in some kind of trouble, right?" I asked.

Harvey looked like he didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't wait for him, "I'm pretty sure I'm still within Dad's threshold of tolerance."

I grinned at Harvey's somewhat nonplussed expression and explained, "It's not like we got another warlock killed or started a war with the neighboring pack."

"Your father..." Harvey answered after a pause, "has a very high threshold."

Haha, I guess that's true. As long as I wasn't kissing Bell anyway.