PLOTTING LIKE A LORENT

9 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, CONT'

"Neil! What are you doing?" Grandpa Williams shouted, "This will protect her too."

"I'm taking her back to where she belongs." Neil shot back, "She's probably safer with Rebel anyway. I know he's a monster, I've run with him before, I've seen what he had done. But he would never do what you're doing now."

"You're a fool, Neil. I took you in when the other Deltas said you were just an outsider." Grandpa Williams said, "I gave you and your brother a future beyond being that monster's bodyguards."

"No, that 'monster' took us in first!" Neil argued, "I get it that he will probably bring over his army and kill all of us and I want to stop it too, but I'm not going to become a monster to do it!"

This was somewhat ironic because Neil was already a monsterous XXL size, and he was yelling, red faced, and wolf so on the surface his voice reverberated.

Neil and Jax came over to me. Ben growled them off, putting his hand on the small of my back, he pushed me out.

The four of us left.

"Neil! Jax!" The men shouted.

"You're going to regret this!" Delta Holden shouted.

"Not if Rebel chops off your head first!" Jax yelled back.

"Your heads would roll first!" Delta Emerson said.

Neil laughed.

Ben growled protectively. He kept pushing me forwards. The two warriors following up in the rear.

What the heck was happening?

We got back to the receiving room where Ki and Harvey were pouring tea for Dad and Mum. I mean the real tea that came out from a teapot, not from someone's mouth.

Ki was also in the exact same uniform as Harvey and Ben.

My betas. I felt happy. Almost invincible with them here. Reuniting with all of them like this was like waking up from a creepy bad dream (which was just now).

"Alpha Princess is here." Ben said.

Ben's relief was evident too. His wolf was cheesed off in the worst possible way.

"Yo, princess." Harvey and Ki bowed politely. Was that the greeting they've settled with? Because it was weird when said that way. Hahaha. Not that I was complaining. Compared to the Lorent's, I was happy with our kind of quirks.

"How was the secret meeting?" Ki asked the two warriors who entered behind us. Wait? He knew? What kind of secret was that?

Neil was still fuming so he couldn't answer.

"Neil lost it. He stormed out with the princess. I think we lost our job." Jax said. And then he perked up, "For once it wasn't me who blew our cover."

"They wanted to... use her to..." Neil spluttered.

"Rebel's going to Chi-Ka-Boom!" Jax cut in.

"They talk about being honourable men, but sorry, I've seen more honor in rogues." Neil decided.

"Lorents are all power hungry monsters who won't hesitate to use anyone as a means to their own gain." Jax announced.

"Yes, yes, I'm well aware of that." Ki smiled ever so gently.

"They want me to distract Bell to leave the meeting early tonight so they have more time." I decided to explain what I felt was the key point, "Then Neil got mad and we had to leave."

Ki retrieved my shoes from Ben and knelt down on one knee in front of me. He put the shoes down for me to wear.

I reluctantly let him slip the shoes onto my feet. Besides the constraints replaced over each foot, I felt like Cinderella, which was unexplainably embaressing. I decided to just say something, anything, to break the spell, "They say Bell's going to bring his army here and destroy them. Is that true, Ki?"

Ki smiled his Killion dollar smile, "Princess, as much I believe your Luna would enjoy that. He understands that this pack is yours and can contribute substantially to your cause should we gain control of it."

"So he's not going to storm through this pack with his army?" Jax asked, "I thought he always wanted to do that!"

"Not since the last talk with his Father." Ki answered.

"Well, I'm not sure if this pack won't fall apart on its own. The accounts are bloody red." Neil said.

"We think once in our hands, we would be able to resufaced a fair bit of it." Ki smiled.

"So there are two sides scheming to take control over the Lorent pack?" Ben was thinking.

"An astute deduction, beta, but I'm sure there are more than just two sides." Ki answered with a perfect smile, "As these two imbeciles had finally deduced, Lorents are all manipulative power hungry monsters."

"You're a Lorent!" I pointed an accusing finger.

"So I should know what I am." Ki's smile was completely unfazed.

"You're not." I said, feeling somewhat upset by his self condemnation, "You're not a monster at all."

"But she doesn't say he's not manipulative or power hungry." Jax tapped his head, "I caught that."

"Idiot." Neil hit him.

"Don't worry, Princess. It will only be for a little while. Eventually, they will be destroyed by their own evil." Ki's words echoed Grandpa Williams so closely, I took a double take.

"What do you mean, Ki?" Dad asked. He was frowning. It was his thinking frown.

"Audit!" Ki smiled his most brilliant smile, "We're going to run the entire pack under audit and expose every popping lie they ever spoke, and take back every popping cent they ever stole, with compounded interest."

"Does Alpha Lorent know?" Dad asked.

"Vaguely." Ki sighed, "Alpha Lorent has made it clear that he would like to overlook the past and start everyone on the fresh page. He wants to protect his deltas from public shaming, financial bankruptcy, and death in general, he says we have lost too many good deltas as it is."

"He probably lost ALL the good deltas." Ben speculated, "All the ones that were a threat to Beta Lorent."

"Hm..." Dad was still thinking.

"Exactly how many parties are vying for control here?" Harvey asked.

Ki thought about it, "There were four. But Beta Lorent is dead, so just three main contenders."

"Let me guess. So in one corner is Rebel who wants to collect his pound of flesh. In the other is the old deltas who know they'll be in deep s***. And then there's Alpha Lorent who's trying to keep the peace?" Ben asked.

"Please mind your language, Beta." Ki reminded him with a bright smile, "But yes. I believe that's the gist of it."

My betas must be the cleverest wolves in the plains.

"What are my options?" Dad asked, maybe he decided to get some free advice from the cleverest wolves in the plains.

"Feign ignorance and let them fight it out." Ben suggested.

"Wait and watch for the right time to step in and stabalize the situation if necessary." Harvey suggested.

"Support our Luna Bell to ensure his quick and absolute success." Ki suggested.

Whoever said great minds thought alike had never met my betas.

Luckily I always had a handy option 4.

"All of the above!" I declared.

Everyone turned to look at me.

"We feign ignorance and let them fight it out, while watching for the right time to step in and push Bell's agenda through." I explained.

"These's no WE. These are options are for ME, Sam." Dad felt he should remind me.

Okay... Stingy.

"What are my options?" I decided to ask.

"Let your dad take care of it." Ben suggested.

The other two nodded.

I sulked and folded my arms. Why did Dad get three different suggestions, and I only get one?

"Sam, I'm your father. It's my job to protect you." Dad told me, "Let me take care of it."

"I still think Rebel would just end up stomping out this pack with his army." Neil told us.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" I wanted to know then.

"The good guy's side." Neil answered.

"Yeah pretty princess, we're your knights in shining armour!" Jax announced.

"More like dumb and dumber." Ki smiled.

Ki's phone started humming. He touched it to turn it off, "A hundred apologies."

"Is your break over?" Ben asked.

Ki nodded still tapping on his phone, "I'm logging back into the Lorent system. Your entrance at the gate has been noted. But nothing else. Forgive my rudeness, but do you know who answered the door?"

"Anthony Lorent." Ben answered without hesitation.

Ki nodded and smiled, "I've informed Alpha Lorent of your arrival. Apologies for the wait. I had not expected the laspe in protocol on our end."

Ki bowed. Because it was the beta's job to apologize.

"It's quite alright, Ki. You have made us feel quite welcomed. I'm just sorry you had to serve to us during your break time." Mum said.

"Please don't worry about it Luna." Ki smiled like a flower opening to the sun, "Serving you had never been a chore for me."

Then Ki turned to the two warriors, his voice took a clipped tone, "Go wait outside Rebel's suite till he arrives. I will update him of the delta's secret meeting. Do not say anything to him. Especially DO NOT MENTION their plan to use his princess against him."

"You mean the part about asking her to seduce him to leave the meeting early?" Jax asked.

"Yes that." Ki's smile looked strained.

"What about the part where they plan to give the princess to Anthony when he's dead?" Jax wanted to know.

A chorus of low growling, like a sputter of motors come to life.

"That too." Ki had stopped smiling altogether, "I will personally update him later. Do not say anything of it - at least not till dinner is over."

"Got it, Ki." Neil said.

"Why aren't we telling him?" Jax wanted to know, "She's his princess. I think he'll want to know."

"One day my friend, you'll get us killed." Neil patted his friend on the back and pushed him out.

"What? Why?" Jax was still protesting out on the corridor.

"Because Chi-Ka-Boom." Neil answered.

Ki turned his smile to Ben, "I'm sorry Beta, I would need you to give me the details to what happened just now. I'm sure you'd understand if I said those two are not the most reliable source."

Ben nodded, "They're idiots."

"You work with what you have." Ki shrugged.

I had never seen idiots process pack accounts before. Those two... I frowned trying to figure them out. They looked like idiots, but I felt quite sure they only looked it.

"Don't worry, princess." Harvey spoke now, "We will protect you."

I looked up to nod at his words, and caught my reflection on one of the decorative mirrors on the walls.

Just like I looked like just a pretty princess. I was probably pampered and spoiled stupid too.

I smiled, "Don't worry, Harvey."

I told my good beta.

My wolf surfaced again, just momentarily.

{So fun...}

But it wasn't Wolfie.

I guess it's not just the black wolves. All wolves... Black or white, were power hungry and manipulative. It was in our instinct to climb up the hierachy, survival of the fittest and all. It was our higher intellect that made us capable of manipulation.

But we were also capable of choice.

I had a choice.

Ki went to the door. Harvey and Ben fell back. I saw mum quickly check her dress and then look up to scan mine. I checked my skirt too, just to make sure the stupidly high side slit showed as little lace as possible. Stupid Lorent culture, stupid ceremonial dresses.

Ki opened the door and announced, "Alpha Lorent and his Luna."

We all stood up from our seats. I made a short bow.

"Welcome, welcome." Alpha Lorent smiled, "Don't need to stand on ceremony."

Luna Edith smiled and nodded a polite bow to my parents before coming over to hug me.

I stiffened but my heart didn't go crazy this time. I guess I was getting used to it.

"Where is my son? Is he coming at all?" Alpha James looked immediately displeased, "Ki, mindlink him. We are all waiting for him."

At this point, Boo prompted, {Mate!}

I looked out at the full moon outside. Bell had arrived in all his irate glory. Hahaha. He was in an irritable mood tonight. I don't know why, but I liked when I could sense his moods through the mindlink. Even his daily irate made me know that everything was well with him, and this in turn was very assuring for my wolf.

"Apologies alphas. Luna Bell has only just arrived." Ki answered apologetically.

"My sister's car has arrived. Make sure he dresses properly and comes straight down." Alpha James apparently could not trust his son to do so on his own.

"Understood, Alpha." Ki bowed and took his leave.

Luna Edith who had sat down to pour the tea paused as she surveyed our used cups. She touched the rounded sides of the pot gingerly, and then she spoke, her soft voice faltering like the first snow, "Ah...your tea...is cold. Have you been kept waiting long?"

To which Mum answered in all graciousness, "Have we? Goodness, I barely noticed the time! Ki received us very kindly."

Luna Edith looked concerned, "I...we did not know... because... we were just informed."

"Please don't worry about it." My mum assured her more firmly, "We were well taken care of."

Luna Edith looked relieved, and then she confided to Mum, "Our home... It has not been quite the same since... Beta Oran's passing. I...the servants only listen to Ki now."

Alpha James frowned at that, "They listen to me too."

"Yes, but you are at work in the day." Luna Edith was completely unhesistant when speaking to her mate.

Luna Edith laughed softly and shook her head, "I...I can tell the days Ki is supposed to be here... even though no one tells me. Suddenly they vacuum the carpets and change the flowers. And I would know...ah, Ki, he is coming today."

Mum laughed along at that.

Alpha James relaxed next to his mate, "Many time I tell the servants to clean up the house, so on those days, they will dust a little or take off the dead flowers."

He looked around the spotless receiving room, the large urns overflowing with fresh white roses, and the scented candles on the side tables, "It only looks and smells like this when Ki is around now."

The door opened suddenly.

"Don't you have to knock first, child?" Lady Amber chided.