THE JOKE OF THE DAY

"Look, we can take a car. Bring Ki and Wolfgang, and a bunch of adult warriors. We won't stay long, just one or two hours. The warriors can even help make sure the party doesn't get out of hand - everyone wins." I argued, "I won't drink or eat anything. We'll just go, hang out with our friends, and then come home before midnight like we're Cinderella."

"Are…" Beta Lucas raised his hands, "Are my offspring going too?"

Oh opps. Because when was Ben and Lizzy ever not included among "our friends."

"Come on, Beta Lucas." I decided that I had better get Ben and Lizzy free passes too. I mean, I did just kinda sabotaged their party plans, "Don't tell me YOU'VE never snuck out for a party."

"Hoo boy!" Beta Lucas boasted, "I used to party every night! Your father and I…"

And then he thought better of it, "But that was the past."

"So I don't tell Ben and you pretend you never heard about Tim and Angela's party?" I offered.

Beta Lucas shrugged, "What party?"

I laughed. Mum and Dad were less amused.

"I suppose if Sir Wolfgang and Ki were accompanying the girls…" Mum considered this, "And if its only for a couple of hours and they don't drink the punch."

Because it was a fact that the punch in Delta Felicity's house was a whole different punch of its own.

"I don't know anything." Beta Lucas said, "But if my offspring happen to be where I don't know, it would be better if they go and come back together with Sam."

YES! BUT Savy shook her head again, "No, it's still impossible."

"What? Why?" I was upset - but more at the way Savy was being such a wet blanket. I thought she WANTED to go to the party? Even Mum and Beta Lucas were swaying over. Why did she have to make it so hard? At this rate, I might become the teenager who had NEVER been to a real party before!

"You probably won't have time." Savy said sensibly, "The party's this Thursday. You're probably packed with Alpha duties back to back this week."

What? I flared because she was probably right.

Ki and Harvey both immediately pulled out their screens to check my schedule.

"It's tight." Harvey winced a little, "Our Alpha Princess would have just returned from the Night Forest trip. But since the High Council Emergency Meeting will be held in Gate City, perhaps its still possible to arrange for early Friday morning check in, as long as we arrive at the meeting venue by 9am."

Usually, these events were held in the Gold Packlands, but I guess Alpha George was really fed up with the destruction of public property everytime certain alphas meet (let's not point fingers.)

Now for the first time, the High Council would be hosted at Gate City, specifically the Langston (our official hotel), the Town Hall (our main meeting venue), and Lorent Exhibition Centre (our buffets and additional side meeting rooms).

It was probably the hugest thing we ever hosted and last the FAO checked, almost all our hotels were booked at maximum capacity.

I would have thought this meant good business for Beta Gerald, but he only shook his head, "It's a bit of a headache."

Because Beta Gerald was someone who cared about details like quality control.

Alphas and their entourages from all parts of the packlands were expected to arrive at Gate City on Thursday evening for the opening dinner. Friday would be serious High Council Emergency Meeting for the whole day till late. Beta Gerald had been very busy making all the arrangements for our forgeign VIPs, and although we had expected everyone to be checking out on Saturday to get back to their busy Alpha Schedules, quite a number of them, including Silver Mountain's Alpha George and luna (Henry's Dad and Mum) were planning to stay the weekend.

"Oh, yes." Mum nodded, "His luna contacted me to go shopping together. I think she is determined to meet the local designers who had made my dresses."

"I've made the appointments with two of them, luna." Ki reported, "I'm awaiting Mayflower's reply. Should I make lunch reservations and appointment with any of our other local crafts and delicacy establishments?"

"Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you, Ki." Mum was very pleased at the idea. She turned to me, "Sam, if you're free, come join us. I know your alpha work is important, but Bell can handle things with the men. It is high time for you to meet the other lunas."

And then Mum smiled, "Although many important decisions are made among the alphas at the meeting, you must never underestimate the sway of the lunas by their side."

"Is this a 'The Alpha is the head and the luna is the neck that turns the head' kind of thing?" I asked cheekily.

Mum smiled but shook her head, "Oh, Sam. Not at all, but it is a 'When the Alpha closes the front door, his luna is the backdoor.'"

Which I felt sure was a quote my Mum was making up, very loosely based on a real one.

But then again, when Mimi was crying on our sofa to Mum just now, was she knocking on our backdoor too?

"Just let Sam be, darling." Dad brushed it aside, "Let her do what she wants."

"I can go." I decided, since Dad said I could do whatever I wanted, and Mum definitely had a preference. This way, they'd both be happy right?

Maybe Mum just didn't want to go alone with the other Lunas. Maybe taking lunas shopping was like taking Lorent princesses shopping. I naturally remembered my meeting with said Lorent princesses on 16th Street. Maybe I'll go and make sure nobody bullies Mum.

"Me too." Savy said. Which surprised me because Savy almost never volunteered for stuff like this. Mum raised her brow, "I thought you'd rather die?"

Yeah, that would be what Savy would say.

"No need to force them, darling." Dad said again, "They're still young. Shopping and meeting other lunas…"

He didn't continue, but I could tell that this wasn't Dad's idea of fun. In fact, he looked like he'd personally rather die too.

"If Sam is going, I don't mind coming too." Savy surprised everyone by offering, "I can help keep Sam out of trouble."

What? Oh, come on! Don't make it sound like I was always getting into trouble.

Harvey raised his hand, "Apologies, Luna Bell required the Alpha Princess' presence at the meeting until 3pm on Friday."

"Hoo boy." Beta Lucas shook his head, "Why would he need her around?"

"He is expecting to come under fire for a number of the key discussions." Harvey explained.

I think that would be expected for someone who regularly set fire to other people's Packlands. Like literally. You know how Bell had told Dad he had agreed to help Alpha Solomon? The Black Packlands was now on the news because it was on fire.

Every now and then Beta Lucas would get an alert on his phone and he would show Dad and Beta Gerald the latest update from LNC on the fire outbreak in the Black Packlands.

The three grown men would wince at whatever video or image on the screen and then continue on whatever conversation we were having.

"How would Sam be able to help?" Dad asked frowning.

Which was just insulting... But true, "Yeah, what am I supposed to do?"

"Maybe he needs Sam by his side to give him courage." Mum said.

I highly doubted courage was the thing Bell needed more of. Neither did Dad or Beta Lucas if their expressions were anything to go by.

"In that case, perhaps I might make high tea reservations instead?" Ki offered.

Mum nodded, "I could take the lunas to the dressmakers first. The girls could meet us for high tea and visits to the other local shops?"

Which was probably for the better. I think it was for the better that I missed out on standing around waiting for various Lunas to take their measurements and peruse patterns and fabrics.

"Yes, Luna. I will arrange everything accordingly." Ki promised.

"So we're going to Tim and Angela's party on Thursday Night, and then accompanying Mum out shopping on Friday afternoon?" Savy asked hopefully.

Mum nodded, "Very well. But only on condition that Wolfgang and Ki accompany you girls, and you hang out together in a group with Ben and Lizzy."

"Also," Mum continued, "The both of you will wear whatever I choose on Friday."

"But we get to choose our outfits on Thursday." Savy said.

"Under the usual terms and conditions." Mum agreed calmly.

"Deal." Savy smiled like an angel because she got exactly what she had wanted.

"Good." Mum smiled because she got exactly what she had wanted too.

I thought I had leveled up a bit, and I knew I was still noob and "slow", but I had only just realized how high the mountains were.

"May I be excused?" Savy asked.

Mum nodded.

"Yes, alright." Dad said. Savy nodded a quick bow and brought her used plate and cutlery to the kitchen.

"Please excuse us too." Mum smiled, taking Sabre, "Come on, baby. It's time to wind down."

"I don't want to go to bed." Sabre told Mum, "I'm not sleepy at all."

Unfortunately for Sabre, she was not yet at the level to be able to negotiate with Mum. Like me, she had to resort to puppy dog eyes, "Please Mama!"

Which only got her a cuddle and hug, and led to her being carried out.

"Six and you still like to be carried!" Mum shook her head ruefully.

And they were gone.

For a moment, we just sat there around the aftermath of the dinner table. I don't know about the others, but I was still a little shell shocked at the level of negotiation that had just happened without me even realizing it for most part.

"Hoo man." Beta Lucas flopped back in his chair with a sigh of relief, "I told you, Alpha. Sam takes after you more. It's Savy that is just like your luna."

"Maybe we should send my luna and Savy to the High Council Meeting." Dapper Dad joked.

"Yah man." Beta Lucas nodded, "The two of us will take Alpha George's Luna and her friends shopping."

Which had to be the joke of the day, but for some reason, none of the men could find it in them to laugh.

"Better get back to work." Dad decided.

"Yah man." Beta Lucas agreed, "So who's going for tonight's meeting?"

In the light of having to shop for dresses, suddenly meeting with the Lorents didn't sound that tedious or dreadful after all.