INSIDE OF ALPHA GUNTER'S HEAD PART 1

4 MARCH, THURSDAY, CONTINUED

"Hi, Savannah!" River was dressed in a proper dinner suit like his Dad, but because he was wearing that big cheesy grin, he looked more like he was here to take Savy to the prom or something.

"You look really pretty." He told her. See, I told you, River was going all out in prom date mode. Luckily, Alpha Gunter cleared his throat ever so discretely but that was enough to snap River out of it.

"Uh... Ah..." River looked around in panic because he realized he messed up on the proper greeting etiquette... of his own pack, I had to add. In Night Leaf, what he did was still okay. All he had to do was say "Hi, Alpha Kingsley, Luna."

A "Hi Sam" would be nice too.

"Ah, good evening Alpha Kingsley and Luna." River somehow managed to make a bow without tripping over himself.

River was very lucky his princess was from Night Leaf. I don't get the feeling he'd survive in a more traditional pack - like if we were still at Night Forest, my Grandma Luna would probably have blacklisted him by now.

Wait, how did River survive in his own pack? Snow Moon was probably just as traditional as Night Forest - if not worse, since Alpha Gunter was so ancient.

Poor River.

Anyway, River's very awkward greeting was quickly interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up the driveway.

This should probably be a saved by the bell moment as everyone turned towards the sound outside.

{Mate! ~❤️ } Boo felt it was a very lucky thing.

Ki bowed himself out and returned a moment later with Bell, "Luna Bell is here."

Hahaha, he was really saved by the Bell. Get it? Cos Bell came? But River's damned luck struck again.

Bell had arrived in all his Lorent glory - chauffeured white merce, double bike escorts, fitted dinner suit draped across his shoulder, white sling, swept-back hair, and all the expected princely manners because the Glorious Lorent Pack would have to be just as traditional as the oldest packs on the continent.

"Good evening Alpha Kingsley and Luna." Bell nodded a quick bow.

Wait, that was wrong, Bell! You had to start with Alpha Gunter because not only was he our esteemed guest, he was also the Alpha King of Snow Moon, AND he was the oldest wolf here - surely Bell knew that! The Great Teacher from the Colored Mountain was eons old. I wouldn't even be surprised if he invented the library!

But it was Alpha Gunter who nodded a polite and very cold bow to Bell, "Good evening, Young Alpha Lorent. Did you enjoy a smooth drive here?"

To which Bell smirked and answered in his deep quiet voice, "It was as smooth as ice, thank you very much."

Okay...

I looked at my parents. If they sensed any undercurrent between Alpha Gunter and Bell, they didn't show in. In fact, Dad actually beamed, "Great! Both my sons are here to eat dinner with me!"

Which was exactly the right thing to say IF you wanted to make things even more socially awkward.

"Ah...erm...uh..." River was now truly at a loss for an appropriate response. (But it wasn't your fault, River. There was no correct response to this statement unless you felt ready enough to call my Dad, "Dad" right now. Who called his daughter's boyfriend "son" the first night he comes for dinner?)

Bell raised a brow, as if suddenly aware of his new competition. He took a second glance at his Warlock brother, and then shrugged it off with an arrogant smirk of superiority.

Savy narrowed her eyes at my mate.

I narrowed my eyes back at her - it was just a reflex action, I swear.

Meanwhile, Alpha Gunter's expression turned just a little more frigid than usual. I imagined he was inadvertently but undeniably snubbed by our barbaric ways - from the onset, how dare the young alpha Lorent arrive AFTER his carriage when he was obviously the honored guest tonight! (I was thinking this in the huffiest Lorent tone I could imagine.)

Please bear with me as I imagined the elder alpha wolf's inner thoughts. Because it amuses me very much, I shall rewind and describe tonight's dinner as how I imagined might have been from the Great Teacher's POV:

As our carriage pulled out of Gate City's evening traffic, I marveled at the sight of the familiar star-studded midnight blue sky. It was so much like the sky from a time in my life so long ago, it felt like another lifetime ago. Perhaps it was the nostalgia because it looked so much like the night skies on the mountains, it brought to mind a verse:

"the stars shine as if in song

when my heart finds the place it belongs"

I almost let my mind wander...a long-time bad habit of mine, but drew back from the carriage window when my son spoke, "Dad, are we there yet?"

"Not yet, River." I answered, the words a mantra, spoken without thought, "We will be there soon."

"You said that just now." My son complained petulantly at me.

In truth, I've said the same thing multiple times every time we travel together. My son was neither fond of horses nor carriages.

I had bought a pony for him on his fifth birthday, but he would not ride it for fear of tiring the stead. Instead, my son would lead it about the garden every evening as if one would walk a dog and then feed it sugar cubes stolen from the tea tray. It was the most obese pony and rather sickly in the later part of its life.

We had to put it down.

Although, my son believes the pony had told the stable master that it would like to be freed. He had come to my study to inform me to understand and not punish the stable master for his noble deed.

Although as the Great Teacher, I should be above lying to a child, since the stable master had taken pains to shield the boy from the truth, I decided against contradicting him. The stable master had gone as far as to produce flowers from the meadows a few days after as a parting gift of thanks from the pony along with a message not to look for it and that it had met its mate and decided to elope to the Colored Mountains.

My son believed it.

I had valid reason to worry for the boy. I must admit, the pony's request for my son not to go out into the wild meadows in search of it was very considerate.

"Dad?" My son's voice returned me to the present again.

"Yes, son?" I said. My son, who was the light and joy of my entire world.

"How long more?" He asked.

I looked out of the window, this time at the scenery of the long road into the forested area of the Green Packlands. They had opened the special lane so we did not have to share the road with the line of motor vehicles.

"Can't we go any faster?" My son urged.

"It is in bad form to arrive early for a dinner invitation." I reminded my son, "The honored guest must not make haste nor delay."

"I don't think they're like that at Night Leaf, Dad." My son opined, "They're kinda more chill there."

"Believe me, son, there are no wolves more 'chill' than snow wolves." I answered somewhat stiffly.

I missed the boy who used to say I was the coolest dad in the world.

My son fidgeted in his seat and craned his neck at his side of the window, as if willing the end of the road to reach us soon. I cast a quick glance at the stone in his ear to make sure he wasn't casting any calamity. Ever since he had obtained the control stone, the mishaps have been far fewer and in between than previously. Now, there were whole days that I anxiously looked up at every knock on my office door expecting to hear disaster, but find only my tea tray being peacefully replaced or something of equal mundaneness.

It was an astonishing feeling, to see the sunset outside my office window without nary a cry of distraught or panic among the palace staff all day.

Perhaps, my son was really growing up and leaving puppy mischief behind him. Recently, it is as if he grew taller and stronger every time I set sight on him. Perhaps it was his mating band or the warlock's stone his soul mate now wore. Or perhaps my son was truly finding his own wings. I cannot believe he had so quickly come of age. If he were a wolf, this year would be his shifting year.

I hope his mother is watching from wherever she is. I'm sure she would have been very proud of him. My son is so much like his late mother - courageous, sincere, gentle, innocent and kind, which while were wonderful qualities in his luna mother, had caused no small amount of disagreements between us. Because my son could be stubborn like Mandy too, Luna Mandy who has been missed to this day by my pack.

I've missed her too. On nights like these, I wondered what wise words a mother would have said. I think she would have loved our son's soul mate, then again, Mandy loved everyone.

"Dad?" It was my son again, "We're going so slowly, even the cars in the next lane are passing us! Why can't we make the carriage skate over like before?"

I paused wondering where I should start. We had been through this before. It was no longer winter and ice bridges would be manna draining. It would be inconsiderate to ice the roads now... there were many reasons, but even before I was able to prompt my son to consider for himself the consequences of such an action, our carriage was rudely horned at from behind.

A Lorent convoy - one of the bikes rode up to our coachman to request we pull aside for their young alpha. He was in a hurry.

My beta relayed the message. I'm not sure why he even had to ask. Of course, we would give way to the Young Alpha Lorent!

I let the cool air slip between my grasp, "Perhaps you are right, my son... We have dallied enough."

{Please bridge us to the Night Leaf Alpha House.} I instructed our entourage.

And off we went, skating across the wide glassy ice bridge, leaving the road behind us... And the Lorent Prince's convoy, gratifyingly stopped in his tracks by the ice bridge on his lane.

My son whooped with glee, "Yes! We're finally moving!"

I smiled indulgently at the boy and did not correct him. He was understandably anxious to see his soul mate again. Although he wasn't a wolf, I knew his mating bond was tugging on him as well.

Spring is the season for young love.

Almost immediately, our carriage came down lightly over the arc of ice and landed gently by the front porch.

Two young betas were promptly beside our entourage to welcome us. Neither took notice of the iced arc that now curved over the front lawn. One of the marks of a great alpha is the competence of his beta and the trio of Green Leaf betas - particularly these two young gentlemen, had been remarkably so.

"If you please, Alpha Gunter." Beta Ki gestured politely towards the opened door.

"What about..." My son turned around to worry about the men.

"Do not worry, Prince River." Beta Ki answered gently, "Harvey will take care of your men and horses."

As I've said, these young betas were capable beyond reproach, as expected of Beta Lucas, Beta Gerald, and the late Beta Oran's heirs. There is no beta who would not recognize their names, and even most alphas would take care not to offend them. In all the plains their tales of loyalty, steadfastness, and power as they stood beside their alphas were of legendary proportions. But that would be another story for another time.

My son and I were ushered into Alpha Kingsley's home. It was not the first time for either of us, and Alpha Kingsley and his family met us in his calm and modern foyer, his Luna and daughters curtseying in greeting.

My son's soulmate was without a doubt, not just of remarkable lineage, but also from a genteel and nurturing family.

As expected of the enigmatic black wolf Alpha Kingsley of the Night Leaf pack!

"Hi Savannah!" My son blurted out in greeting, "You look really pretty."

Ah, had everything Sir Wolfgang instructed him before our departure flown out of the window?