SMELLS LIKE TEEN ANGST

18 FEBRUARY, THURSDAY, BREAKFAST

By the time I reached the breakfast table, I was in a black mood.

My mate was GONE. I don't care if he was technically just at the Underground. And no, it didn't help that he had me firmly blocked out. He's so mean! I've decided to name the white pony Lily-butt, after his stooopid face. I don't know, it was the worst I could come up with. I'll change it when I think of something badder.

The thought of having to transfer schools really put me off too. And then I remembered that it was probably for the best since leaving the packlands was more dangerous now with all the paparazzi running free outside...which made me remember the drone that crashed on our windshield and EJ's "accident", and that made me remember the Maria/Sinkhole incident. 

One thing just led to the other, so that I couldn't even feel as happy as I should when Ki placed a perfectly plated smoked salmon croissant in front of me. 

"Are you feeling alright, Sam?" Mum asked when I only mumbled my thanks to Ki.

She touched my forehead, I shook her hand off, "I'm okay, Mum."

Dad raised a brow at that.

Mum pressed her lips together, "You seem perfectly fine, Sam."

"Yeah, I said I was okay. I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Which was a stupid thing to say to my mum. (I also used a stupid tone too, simply because I was grouchy.)

Anyone else in the house right now, would have accepted the answer with understanding, but not Mum.

"Samantha Kingsley, how many times do I have to tell you? There is no wrong side of the bed. A day is what you make of it, you need to seize each day and make the most of it!" Uh oh... I think I accidentally triggered Mum's lecture mode. 

"You girls have no idea how privileged you are. Even though our family hadn't always been rich, neither of you had ever gone hungry..."

"I'm always hungry." I grinned and ate my breakfast.

Usually, Mum would just press her lips together and give up with a "Oh, Sam!"

But today she pressed her lips together, "I think I might be neglecting the both of you too much. This Sunday, you are both coming with me to the destitute home to help out, and after that, we're going to Gate City for some quality mother and daughters time."

"But mum..." Savy whined first.

"No buts." Mum was determined to spend time being a good influence on us. I was still not sure what had come over Mum, really.

"I was going to say its our exam week." Savy shrugged, "But since you insist."

"The week after that then!" Mum amended. And just to make prove she was really serious about it, she added, "Ki, please take note. I'm taking Sam and Savy out on Sunday."

"Understood Luna. Should I make arrangements to take Sabre out for a playdate?" Ki offered.

Mum's face softened, "Yes, yes, thank you Ki. I would appreciate it."

"It would be my pleasure, Luna." Ki smiled warmly. 

I think if there was one other person Ki liked besides me, it would be Mum. Actually, Ki got along really well with my whole family. Mum, Savy, Sabre, even Dad - for Dad it was mostly through his amazing cooking. But you know what they said, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Hahahaha. 

And then Savy stood up and announced to the rest of the table, "I'm going over to Lizzy's. Ben will drive us to school from there."

Mum's pressed her lips together again. 

"Bye!" And Savy left. Just like that. She didn't even wait for us to say bye. 

"What happened to Savy?" I asked, because there was definitely something wrong with her today.

Mum shrugged, still miffed, "Who knows with teenagers? Maybe she got off the wrong side of the bed too."

Hahaha... oh, wait... so all that just now wasn't about me, but about Savy? I seriously wondered what happened before I came down for breakfast.

Mum rested her forehead in her hand for a moment, "I don't remember being so angsty as a teen."

"That's cos it was too long ago." I told her. One look, and I quickly shut up and ate my breakfast.

Dad cleared his throat and put his phone away so he could rub her back, "Young wolves are rebellious. They want to test their strength."

"But if we just let them be, who knows what they'd grow up into?" Mum worried.

"I'm growing up to be the alpha." I informed Mum, in case she forgot... but mostly because I forgot I meant to shut up, "By the way, where's Sabre?"

I had been wondering, but was too much in a frump earlier to ask. My black mood has since been cleared by warm milky sweet tea and a full belly. Mum was right, it wasn't anything to do with getting out the wrong side of bed. It was more of a got up on an empty stomach kind of thing.

"Sleeping." Mum answered, but her mind was still dwelling on whatever happened between her and Savy before I had come down, "Would you say I'm unreasonable or demanding, Sam?"

Hn? Who? I looked at Mum and shook my head, "Nope."

Unreasonable and demanding was my Luna. Mum was great.

"Oh?" Mum raised a brow, "Then how would you describe me, Sam?"

What was this? A pop quiz on my Mum? But of course I'd know all the answers. Or at least that was what I thought, until I tried to actually answer it:

"I think you're a good luna. You know everyone's names, and you spend all your time caring for everyone. You're really kind to kids and you always know what to do to fix them. My friends say you're really classy. And you help Dad a lot by being there for him, and talking to the ladies and giving advice, and going to all the good stuff like visiting the destitute home every Sunday, and listening to the ladies when they need someone to talk to, and going to their homes to help them, or letting them come over for tea...Urm... that's all I can think of on the spot, but I'm sure there's more. I just don't really notice these things very well, you know?"

Mum's eyes looked teary and I panicked, "You're a really great Luna, Mum! Just ask anybody! Even the Night Forest people say so."

Although those people often said it to compare Aunt Jade, their human luna to Mum, just to note how short-changed they were.

"No, Sam. I mean thank you... but what kind of Mum am I? You don't have to say good things. Just tell it to me straight." Mum squared her shoulders a little to take whatever I had to say. 

I frowned, I was telling it to her straight. Did she think I had a speech written about her? 

"You're a good Mum? I mean, you always give me food when I am hungry and buy me clothes to wear..." Wait, but that was what Ki did now. I tried again, "And you don't yell or hit me. And you always remind me not to get in trouble..."

Actually, I had no idea what a good Mum was supposed to do. I shrugged, "I guess you were always there for me, and I know you love me, and I had a really happy childhood?"

Mum blinked back the tears. Okay, I was seriously messing up now. When I was young, I used to think Mum had the easy life. I had to go to school and do homework while Mum just played at home all day. Now that I was older, I knew better. But maybe I was making it sound too passive, almost like she wasn't actually doing anything? I tried very hard to think of something better. What was it that only Mum could do?

"You give good advice!" I managed, "When I follow your instructions, things work properly. And urm... you make home feel safe and nice. And you are the only one who can keep Dad in check!"

Dad paused rubbing Mum's back and raised a brow at me.

"I mean, not that Dad needs being kept in check. He's the most level-headed Alpha I know... not that I know many alphas, but Dad isn't impulsive like I am..." I tried to salvage, but it seemed like the more I tried to make what I say sound better, the worse it became. Curse my open honesty! 

I shrugged helplessly now, "Okay fine, I don't know anything! But for what its worth, you two did good as my parents, okay?"

Mum used a napkin to dab at the tears that had slipped past her eyes. We always used cloth napkins at the table since Ki took over the kitchen. 

"Oh Sam..." Mum sighed, but she was smiling, "Thank you."

Dad had a small smile on his lips when he leaned over and pressed a kiss on Mum's temple, "See, darling? You don't have to mind what Savy said. She's just in a bad mood today."

Savy? What did Savy say to Mum? 

But Mum just finished drying off her tears and I didn't dare to start anything new. 

Sabre came in then, she climbed up into her usual seat at the table. Mum had bought her a junior chair. It's higher than ours so she could eat at the grown up table more comfortably. 

"Mama, why are you crying?" Sabre asked. Sabre was sharp like that.

Ki placed a cute bowl of colorful cereal with pictures of cats dancing and playing different instruments all around the rim. Then he poured in the milk.

"I'm not crying anymore, baby." Mum pressed a kiss on the copper curls, "Someone said something that made me sad, but Sam comforted me so I feel much better now."

Really? Because the way you cried, I was sure I was saying it all wrong.

Sabre was protective at once, "Who dares make my mama cry?"

Mum laughed a little and stroked Sabre's soft bouncy hair, "It happens, baby. That's why its so important to speak kind words."

Everything was a lesson on grace with Mum. 

Sabre wasn't satisfied with that, "Mama, you're weak, that's why others don't speak nicely to you. When I grow up, I'll be strong, and no one would dare be rude to my Mama!"

Hahahahaha... you should have seen my parent's face! 

"Oh yeah, what would you do, Sabre?" I prodded because it was cute, the way she was so serious about it.

"I will make them apologize on their knees. They will beg for mercy. And then I will kill them one by one, slowly, so they will have lots of time to cry and beg." Sabre answered with all the darkness of a five year old human.

I laughed in her face, "You? Hahahaha...."

Which made her mad. She put her little hands on her hips and made the cutest pouty face. Omo since when did my little sister get so cute?

"Just you wait, Sam! I'll show you!" Sabre warned me darkly but the effect was ruined when she blew up her cheeks in frustration, and crossed her eyes.

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing out loud. Soooo cuuuuute! 

Mum and Dad didn't look that amused.

"Baby, violence is not the way. Love is your strongest power." Mum tried to correct.

"That's what weak people say." Sabre answered, "I'm going to be strong."

"Then when you become strong." Dad decided, "Please protect your sisters."

Sabre nodded, "Leave it to me, Daddy. I'll protect them."

"Good girl." Dad patted her head and went back to his work on his screen.

Mum looked extremely dissatisfied with the conclusion drawn. Hahaha... Sabre's so messed up. I'm quite sure no amount of Barney episodes our cheerful pony sing-a-longs could fix her now.

Outside, I could see Harvey's truck drive past our porch. He'd be switching with the Porsche in the garage and outside to pick me up from the porch in a minute. I got up to get my stuff. 

As I passed my parents, I accidentally caught onto their mindlink. I hadn't meant to, it was like walking into a spider web. 

"It seems our daughters all have a dark edge." Dad was musing to Mum, "And it gets darker as we go down the line."

"I hardly find that amusing, dear." Mum replied primly, "Sabre, I understand. She has a lot of past hurt to deal with, it'll take time and love to heal, and one day I hope she'd grow to forget the worst of it. But Savy? I never expected that from her. Sam, maybe, but Savy?"

Dad reached his arm around his Luna, "Our children might look like us, but they are their own wolf. All wolves have a dark edge. It's in our nature."

"But Sam..." Mum argued.

But Sam what?