NO ROOM FOR HAYAO?

{Scary Beta can move out.} Fluffy attacked again, {Scary Beta has his own room just next door in the Beta House. Big Brother Beta needs the room more because his family home is all the way in Morning Light.}

It sounded almost like Fluffy was giving a reasonable suggestion.

{Let's just kill Fluffy and give the Healer Prince his room.} Ben countered.

{None of these are a long term solution.} Harvey decided calmly, {Even if we made room for one new wolf, sooner or later, Alpha will bring home another one.}

{Goddess is full of compassion.} Ki agreed.

{At least she also has good taste.} Fluffy beamed, {I think we should cull off the ugliest one, this way by natural selection, we will always have room for another wolf.}

My betas laughed it off as a joke.

How could I ignore the fun?

{Give Hayao Fluffy's room.} I told my wolves, {Fluffy can have Bell's room.}

{You're joking, right?} Ben asked, but no one was laughing this time.

{Does pretty alpha hope for Fluffy's death?} Fluffy asked.

{And where should we tell your Luna Bell to sleep?} Ben asked.

It wasn't like Bell ever really used his room here anymore. I mean, he had a portal and his Tyger castle.

{He can sleep in my room.} I grinned.

{Your dad's gonna kill him though.} Ben deadpanned with a shrug, {But why not? If you have to piss someone off, why not piss off everyone?}

{We're out of viable options.} Harvey concluded, {It's time for the Special Team to move out of the Alpha House.}

{It's all the new guy's fault.} Fluffy huffed. And he made sure Hayao heard him.

Harvey awarded Fluffy with a back handed smack for that.

{Bad dog.} Ben smirked. And then they looked to Hayao and waited for a reaction.

My wolves... What were they trying to do? What did they expect Hayao to do? Burst into tears, and if so, didn't that make them the bullies?

Why was Boo just standing back like this had nothing to do with me? So naturally, I had to take back control.

Hayao lifted his head to face the wolves behind me. Because Harvey had just hit Fluffy, it was pretty obvious who had mindlinked the unfriendly remark.

"Young Prince Alaric." Hayao nodded, "I will be troubling you from now on."

"Young Prince Hayao." Fluffy smiled over his alpha wolf glowering, "You should know your place."

"Fluffy, did you know your fathers are good friends in the Colored Mountain?" I tried to play peacemaker.

"Do you really think this young prince was sent by my father's "good friend" to support me, Pretty Alpha?" Fluffy asked.

Well, no. I knew for a fact that Haku had sent his son as a rival.

"It isn't a competition, Fluffy." I tried again. Especially since there was no actual harem, "We're family. So we need to take care of each other. Hayao was born the same year as you were. He told me he is 17. That makes you 17 too! Isn't that great! Now you know your actual age!"

I hate to say this, but I was sounding a lot like Mum. Was I forcing Fluffy to accept a new brother the way I had felt my parents were forcing me to accept Sabre?

"I don't know why he's being like this, Hayao. He's usually very friendly." I mean, look at how chummy Fluffy was with Wolfgang! I had thought maybe the two Colored Mountain Princes would immediately hit off and become the best of friends like their fathers. Maybe that was just my own wistful thinking for Fluffy to have a good friend when he returned to the Colored Mountains.

"Maybe Fluffy just needs some time." I said. I felt a bit bad for Fluffy. I hadn't liked it when Mum and Dad insisted on taking in Sabre. I used to throw her toothbrush and cup into the bin...

I wondered what changed my mind about her? When did she become one of my non negotiables?

Oh well, I guess I could also just wing it.

"Okay. I've decided! This is my Alpha Command." I grinned, "Fluffy and Hayao will live as brothers and room mates for one week!"

"WHAT?" (It was resounding so I don't know who yelled.)

"Terms and conditions! One. They are not allowed to let the other party get physically hurt in any way. Any injury at all including those due to accidental mishaps or external forces or even natural disasters are not allowed to happen. These injuries do not exclude even the most minor insect bites, bruises, or paper cuts."

"Ah...I understand you want to protect Hayao from your Scary Luna, but..." Fluffy started but I cut him off.

"You're my favourite advisor and you still don't know? Because BOTH of you are precious to me, and I will be very sad if you got an ouchie." Hahaha so fun. I'm so glad Boo was so willing to participate.

"Two." I continued, "Hayao is not allowed to heal Fluffy or himself. If you require healing, you'd have to look for a Delta Simon like everyone else."

"Delta Simon is a doctor, not a healer, Sam." For some reason, Ben felt he should remind me.

"I know, but don't worry Ben. I'm sure they will protect each other properly." Oh man, this was much more fun than I had expected.

"Three." I held up three fingers to make a "W" shape, "The both of you need to complete a challenge by the end of the week."

"I'm afraid to ask, Pretty Alpha, but what kind of challenge?" Fluffy asked.

"Fix the backyard and get rid of the curse. You may get help from others, but you have to convince them on your own. AND the land must be cured by the end of that week."

"If you can fulfill these three conditions, you may each get your own room again. Every failure will result in an extension of a week and a new challenge." I felt very proud of myself for coming up with all that on the spot. It was all thanks to watching how my elders came up with "Alpha Duties."

To my surprise, my resident troublemaker repented at once, "Fluffy understands. I went too far."

Hayao bowed, "Hayao hears and obey."

And he really did. Hayao had great comprehension skills, as expected of the young peerless genius healer prince.

I knew this because Fluffy had smiled, "I love a man who knows how to suck up."

And Harvey had raised his hand to smack him by force of habit, but Hayao very quickly blocked it with the scroll he was holding.

"Forgive this newcomer beta." Hayao was a very polite young man, "But I cannot allow you to hurt him. If Beta will kindly wait a week, I will punish my brother ten fold in your stead."

Muahahahaha... Looks like Hayao wasn't all that easy to bully after all.

Fluffy smiled, but it was his evil mask smile, "I look forward to it, brother."

Uh oh. Something tells me I might have started something a little scarier than I had bargained for.

{Good job, Sam.} Ben was satisfied, {This should keep them busy all week while we're traveling.}

Oh right, I'll be traveling quite a bit this week... And due to one reason or the other, all three of my betas would be accompanying me now.

Would it really be okay to leave these two behind without beta supervision?