WHY IS SHE STILL HERE?

2 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, LATE AFTERNOON

Dad and Beta Lucas went straight back to work once we got back to the packhouse. I felt bad now because I realized I had troubled Dad when he had so much work.

Uncle Louis, Aunt Jade, and their warriors had long left. Their fading scents barely there on the porch.

Killion passed the car key to the guard that now doubled up as the valet and accompanied me home. I guess the doorman and valet warriors were now a permanent feature of our packhouse.

There was the sound of happy laughter from our penthouse apartment. I heard it clearly the moment we stepped out of the lift. Immediately, I started growling.

Killion tensed but said nothing. He silently used the keycard to let me in, "Alpha Sam is here."

Immediately the laughter stopped. Mum, Savy, and that girl sat on the sofa. It seemed like Savy was trying to teach her a hand clapping game. (Ignore the human.)

"Welcome home, Sam. How was school?" Mum smiled, but it was forced.

I simply nodded to her. I couldn't talk to her without growling atm. I was also sure that Dad had told her about the call to Principal Laura's office, but Mum did not ask me about it either.

"Ki. Pack my things. I'm staying over with Ben tonight." I said.

"What?" It was Savy that spoke, "But... Does Ben know? He's a guy you know..."

Mum spoke now, "Sam, I don't think that's appropriate... You're betrothed..."

I stalked into my room without looking at her. My room that carried the stench of the girl. Ki followed me silently. I knew he would.

I grabbed some clothes and told Ki, "I'll be in the shower. I don't want to be disturbed."

Even the bathroom had the girl's scent. There was also an extra toothbrush and cup. Mine was blue, Savy's was red, and there was a purple set too.

I picked it up and dropped it in the bin. And then I felt bad and fished it out and put it back. But when I saw it there, I growled and dropped it back in the bin. I couldn't shower in peace with that girl's stuff in my face.

In my defense, the bin was empty and lined with a new bag so I was sure it was sanitary...as long as no one else threw anything in it. Hahaha.

Well, now I knew how it felt to be my Grandma Luna. Nobody scolded me but I'm angry and all alone. The moment I turned on the shower, I crouched on the floor, I thought I might cry, but I didn't. So I just sulked under the shower. Maybe what I needed wasn't a shower, it was a run.

I stood up again and finished up the shower. I noticed my favorite strawberry and kiwi scented shampoo on the counter. Since I knew Savy used citrus scents exclusively now, I deduced immediately you-know-who was using my favorite shampoo. I switched to green apple, because I refused to smell the same.

Then I shifted, right there in the bathroom. I shook myself out, then I used my head to bump against the bathroom door. Ki opened it for me.

I padded out of the bathroom. Ki got the bedroom door for me.

The girl shrieked and burst into tears the moment I stepped out.

Mum screamed at me, "Sam! You know you're not supposed to shift in the house."

I don't care.

I'm the Alpha. I can do what I want.

I'm going to get into trouble for throwing that girl's purple toothbrush and cup into the bin anyway.

I headed to the door.

I think at this point mum had enough. Ki was about to open the door for me, but Mum threw herself in front of the door to block him.

"Samantha Kingsley. I've mindlinked your father. You go back to your room and shift back now. We are going to talk." Mum had reached her limit.

I turned around and re-entered my room. In wolf form, I could smell the girl even more. Her stench like a ugly blur in my visual smell. My home, my room, my mum... Her scent was on everything.

Grrr... Our bunk bed had been repaired though. I hopped in my large wolf form into my bed gingerly. It was a bit of a squeeze. I'm so cheesed off right now. I curled up into a tight ball so I wouldn't smell the little intruder.

Just ignore the human. They would have to return her eventually. Grrr...

I heard Dad come home.

Grrr....

He knocked on the door, "Sam, shift back and come outside, we need to talk."

Grrr...

I considered ignoring the order. He didn't alpha command. He spoke quietly. I could sense my parent's hurt and Savy's frustration at me.

Grrr... So I handed over to my Wolfie. The dark one. It's time my family met her. And then I realized what a fool I was. This was my family. I would protect their happiness. So I reigned my wolf in and shifted back to my human form.

I picked out everything in black and put in on.

"Take Sabbie over to Lizzy's with you." I heard Mum instructing Savy. "Let your Dad and I talk to Sam."

I opened the door, "It's fine. Don't take her to Lizzy's. She's just gonna stink it up too."

"Sam!" Mum gasped, "How could you say that?"

Dad opened the front door wordlessly for Savy and the girl to leave. Savy took a second look at me, and then quickly left.

I slunk to the sofa and sat down on the armchair so neither of them could try to sit next to me and then waited for one of my parents to start yelling at me.

I'm the alpha. I could take it. I could take a lot of things.

But no... Of course they wouldn't be so direct about it.

Mum started first, she took a deep breath, "Sam, I know this has been hard on you. Your wolf is unstable and evolving drastically. Maybe Sabrina has come to us at a bad time for you, but she's just a little girl. You have the biggest heart I've ever known, Sam. You're working hard to build the Princess Town, for others to have a second chance in life. Can't you find space for this little girl too?"

Those were the words again. My wolf was unstable. My wolf was evolving.

I pulled up my legs and rested my chin on my knees.

"Sam, this isn't like you. Usually, you would be the first to embrace a broken and lost child. You would be the first to reach out, to protect, to help. Why do you hate Sabrina?" Mum tried again.

I just stared ahead. Should I answer her? I didn't feel like it. My mum had already decided to take that girl in.

I wondered if this was how she felt when I brought Ki back.

"Sam, say something. Anything. You need to talk to us." Mum tried again.

I didn't move. I wasn't sure what would happen if I said anything. I stared at my hands.

"If I said I didn't want her here, would you let her go?" I asked tentatively.

"Sam, she's so small and broken... She needs this..." Mum started.

"What she needs is to be returned to where she belongs." I answered sharply, "She has a brother who is looking for her. If he comes to claim her, would you give her up?"

Mum started to cry, "Why do you keep saying that? She's an orphan. Her parents are both dead. She's all alone. She told me so. She wants to stay here. She can heal here, have a new family, a new start, a new life..."

Dad was the one who cut her off, "Sam, I've been wondering, how do you know about Sabrina's past?"

I froze, remembering the dream... Grrr...

"Sam?" Dad asked again.

I dream travelled into her memories... But I couldn't say the words aloud. I couldn't talk because I couldn't stop the low growling.

I looked away and took a deep breath, "Her name is Greta. Stop lying to her. Stop believing her lies."

"Sam!" Mum was angry now, "That's enough. Your dad and I are trying to be understanding."

"No, you just want me to understand you. And I do!" I pointed at Mum, "That girl is small and frail and your heart went out to her. But you need to practice restraint. She doesn't belong here."

Dad growled at me but I turned and pointed to him, "And you, what did you do to make Uncle Louis give that girl to you? What did you pay? Just because Mum is your mate! If it were any other woman who picked up the child and begged you, wouldn't you have returned the human slave to your brother?"

"She could be your cousin Eddy's Luna!" Mum said.

"Then give her back to him!" I snapped back. Grrr... I was standing up now. I clenched my fists and clenched my teeth not to shift.

"That's enough!" Dad pretty much roared, "Sabrina is my daughter now too."

"Then what is there to talk about?" I roared back, "You and Mum had already decided."

"Try to understand, Sam. We are a family." Mum was close to begging, "Please, give Sabrina a chance. For me, Sam, please."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked bitterly, quietly.

"Just give Sabrina a chance. You might grow to love her." Mum said.

I didn't want to love her. I didn't want the extra burden. I would without a second thought give up my life to protect the happiness of my pack. Everything had always been for my pack. But a human girl would never be part of the pack. If she was my sister, how would I choose?

If she was picked on because she was the omega, if she was hurt by other pups, whose side should I stand on? If she needed protection from those who want to use her for her treasure hunting powers, would her human life be worth more than my elite warrior's? In any war, would keeping the Alpha's helpless human sister alive be a priority above keeping the Warrior who was someone's father, son, or brother alive?

And humans are so unpredictable. So fickle in their love and loyalty. She would have no loyalty to me, no allegiance, no bond to me the way the other wolves who followed me did. And she would live under my roof, and eat at my table, and her scent would be mingled with mine.

And when my parents leave for the Colored Mountains, surely they understood that they couldn't bring that human girl with them. Who would take care of her then? Me?

I mean, yeah sure she could mate Eddy when he turned 18. But she might choose not to. Humans had free will like that. What if she had fallen in love with another human by then? She was older than Eddy... And then who would be left to clean up the shreds of inter-pack relationship between our two packs? Me?

Adopting a human child is a major long term responsibility. Why didn't my parents seem to understand that?

"Sam?" Mum asked softly, "Okay?"

"Do what you want." I said, "But she is none of my business. I don't want her scent on my things or my space. I don't want to sit with her or talk to her."

"That's not really accepting her at all!" Mum said.

Dad put his arm around her, "Alright. That'll do for now. Thank you, Sam."

To Mum he said, "Sam is a black wolf, we are territorial in nature. Give her time to get used to the new scent."

Mum sighed, "You're right, we're cramming all three of them in a single room. Sam's already putting up with Savy's things falling down on her. Maybe she just need her own space."

Since they have decided to talk aloud as if I were not there, I sat back down in my arm chair to watch them.

"Our new home is nearly completed. The girls will have their own rooms again soon." Dad said.

"Oh!" Mum suddenly gasped, "Sabbie's room! I wonder if Chloe can tweak one of the guest room..."

"It's fine. If she's still around by the time the house is rebuilt, she can have my room." I looked away from my parents as I said this, "I'll stay here."

"No." Dad was in alpha mode now, "You will live with your parents until you are 18."

Maybe I should adopt some human parents.

But of course I didn't say that out loud.

I just shrugged, "Fine. If that's all, I will leave now."

And then I left. I didn't look back. Out the front door, into the lift, once out in the lobby I wondered what to do. Where should I go?