MY MUM AND DAD

2 MARCH, TUESDAY, CONTINUED

"Ah, Sam. I know it's late, but this is important." Dad said.

I looked around the room, my first instinct to gauge if I were in some kind of trouble.

Mum put down her tea and I was immediately distracted by the unfamiliar scent.

"What's that?" I asked as I inhaled the flowery scent.

"Chamomile." Mum answered, "Would you like to try some? Willow says it's very calming."

Mum certainly did look very calm, so either I wasn't in trouble or the tea was working.

Mum poured me a cup. I sat down next to her.

Beta Lucas quickly took the opportunity to shove another document under my Dad's nose, "Just one more, Alpha. Last one and we're done."

I guess there was time for tea. I watched Mum pour.

"Can I have milk and sugar too?" I asked when it looked like she was going to fill the cup with just tea.

Mum laughed, "Oh, Sam. You're supposed to drink this straight as it is."

I wasn't buying it.

"Just try it." Mum coaxed, as if I were a small pup again, "If you really don't like it, perhaps we might add some sugar."

What? No milk?

But I was the alpha. I dutifully took a small sip of the hot drink. The smell alone was pretty calming already.

"It tastes like boiled flowers!" I complained to Mum.

Mum laughed again. She was in a good mood today. I wondered what happened.

Dad and Beta Lucas finished up whatever Beta Lucas had promised was the "last one" and true to his word, Beta Lucas scrambled to pull all the papers back together again.

Dad sat back and picked up his empty coffee cup just in time for Ki to breeze in with a carafe of fresh brew.

"Hey, what happened to the fancy machine we got?" I distinctly remembered that we had one in the kitchen - and that it only made coffee one cup at a time.

Beta Lucas made a face, "We returned it. These new-fangled devices just keep breaking down on us old dogs."

For some reason, the fancy machine only worked perfectly when Ki was around and Ki just hadn't been around all that much lately.

Ki smiled his beautiful smile, "It was a good thing we had it on a rental contract."

Because if a coffee machine was fancy enough, you can rent it for "free" as long as you purchased a certain number of fancy coffee capsules every month. They'd even drive down to hand deliver your order within two hours.

This made perfect business sense because they were very expensive, I mean high-quality capsules.

Anyway, we went back to the automatic drip coffee machine because everyone who needed coffee knew how to use it. It only had one button.

Ki refilled the men's cups and Dad got down to the point, "I'm told the diadem malfunctioned in school today. What happened?"

"It wasn't me!" I was quick to assert.

Dad raised a brow, "Ki told me that it gave you a headache."

Oh. Yes, that's exactly right! I nodded, "Yeah, it did, so I took it off."

Dad nodded frowning, but it was his thinking frown.

"Was it on too tight?" Beta Lucas asked me, "It doesn't look very heavy."

So I ended up telling them about my power build-up behind the diadem and how Boo completely bombed alpha dominance at theatre rehearsal.

"Hoo-man!" Beta Lucas remarked, "Now that would be an interesting show."

"Boo was such a diva, even I was annoyed." I complained to my parents.

"Oh, Sam!" Mum shook her head, "I've told you before, Boo isn't a different person from you."

"No way!" I protested at once. There was no way Boo and I were the same person. I don't know if anyone else noticed here, but Boo was dangerous and probably evil too!

And I was NOT a diva! I was the Alpha! (Do not argue with me.)

At any rate, the adults concluded that the diadem was not as safe as they had originally assumed.

"I will contact Alpha Gunter again. Perhaps he will have more information. In the meantime, Sam, you are not to wear the diadem again."

I hadn't even told them about being able to reverse the diadem's effect and use it to cast power surges on other wolves.

"I kinda need it as part of my costume for tomorrow's show though." I told my parents, "Can I just wear it during the play? It'll only be for an hour and I would use it without the stones."

"Without the stones it would not have any power." Beta Lucas said. Fluffy had said the same thing.

I looked at Ki, but he only smiled his beautiful smile at me.

I was sorely tempted to keep quiet about it, but...

"Actually, I can power the diadem." I admitted. Which led me to confess messing with Fluffy and starting a fire in school.

"Oh, Sam!" Mum sighed and facepalmed.

"Hoo-man, your backstage show tonight might be even more exciting than the real show!" Beta Lucas remarked.

Dad looked at Ki, "You did not mention this in your report."

Opps. Did I just put Ki on the spot?

Ki smiled, "Apologies, Alpha. I did not consider it worth mentioning."

"How so, Ki?" Dad asked, his voice low and a little growly. He sounded tired.

"Although there was a small fire, everyone was safe and the damages were minimal. Furthermore, all the administration for the accident has been filed by Beta Peter from Silver Mountain. Harvey and I had investigated the matter and confirmed that Fluffy was at fault, but also that our goddess had used her power to revive his wolf's strength." Ki smiled, "I believe you will see a very different Fluffy in the days to come."

"Hoo-man. Its like a magic show!" Exclaimed Beta Lucas, who was still watching the imaginary show in his mind, "Next time you take part in another show, invite me to come and watch - I don't want to watch the show, just the dress rehearsals!"

Dad contemplated what Ki said more seriously, "Fluffy... he's the blond boy with a severely withdrawn wolf?"

"Yes, Alpha." Ki smiled, "He is also the one named Alaric, stolen from his parents in the Colored Mountains from when he was just a toddler and then reared by the vampire as a pet. They had put him on regular doses of Wolfbane since his first shift, that and the many years of abuse have left him a shadow of his alpha wolf."

"Oh, the poor boy." Mum gasped.

"But he is still an alpha wolf." Dad sounded somewhat concerned.

"I believe Goddess has arranged for his father to come collect him. His family in the Colored Mountains miss him very much." Ki reassured Dad.

"I had no idea Fluffy had such a past!" Mum said, "He was always smiling and such a helpful, polite, and gentle boy."

Which seriously made me wonder what kind of filter Mum used when looking at Fluffy. Then again, there wasn't a guy I knew who wasn't on his best behavior when speaking with Mum.

"We should help him recover his wolf while he is here." Mum decided, "Actually, I've not given it much thought, those boys Sam brought home... they were all ex-fightdogs, weren't they?"

Please Mum, you made it sound like I was always bringing boys home.

"They're such sweet and polite boys - oh, and Barry too!" Mum's compassionate heart could not do nothing, "He is such a cheerful hardworking boy! To think they were all kept in fight cages! How cruel!"

Mum hugged me, "Oh, Sam! Can you believe it?"

Urm... yes. Technically, I was the one who saved them - well, I had a hand in saving them.

"That's why we need to save as many as the goddess puts in front of us." I told Mum. I mean, there were lycan slaves all over the continent - I couldn't go gallivanting everywhere and picking fights with every coven, pack, and town that kept slaves. I had a deal with the goddess. I promised her I'd rescue the lycan slaves she brought to me - or something to the effect. So far, that's how I found Ki, and then Bell, and the rest of the Underground wolves.

Mum looked more torn now, "On one hand, I can see your point, on the other... Oh Sam! Must it be you!"

"Not all wolves would be grateful." Dad said, "There will also be those who would betray you."

"Ah, he means Jude." Beta Lucas tried to explain to the rest of us.

"I told you, I don't want to hear his name every again Luc!" Dad growled.

I jumped at Dad's sudden ferocity,

Mum stood up and glided over to Dad's side, "Shhh... you frightened, Sam. Anyway, one bad apple shouldn't stop you from eating apples."

"Alpha is going to cut down all the apple trees." Beta Lucas chirped.

"What?" Mum pulled back a little to look at Dad, "Is that true?"

"What?" I asked. But my "what?" was really a question - what was everyone talking about?

"The minor packs have lived in this land for years. What will become of the families there if you evict their packs? Please, dear! Won't you reconsider?"

Dad's mouth of pressed down, "This time, I was betrayed. But the next time, it could be Sam at helm when it happens."

"Dad, wait!" I stood up, but I had no good argument. What happened to the Dad I knew? The one who taught me to never withhold good from my neighbor if it were in my hand to give it?

"Dad, I know that Ju... I mean, HE went too far... but..." Okay, I've got nothing, "But wait, Dad..."

Don't change.

I don't want you to change. I don't want anything to change. I mean, I don't want all the good things in our pack, all the happiness, all the...

"Dad, Ju... I mean, HE... " I had no idea what to say. I looked to Ki.

"Alpha Kingsley, if I may be so bold to say." Ki smiled.

"You are going to say it whether or not I give my permission." Dad grumbled.

"Only because I speak from my loyalty." Ki's gentle smile didn't falter, "I will gladly bear the consequence of speaking out of turn later, but only hear me out. You do not have to worry about Fluffy or Stephan (the other alpha wolf), they have sworn their allegiance to Sam and are bonded to her as I am. We are no longer our own. Also, with regards to the minor packs, perhaps putting the axe at the tree but not yet cutting it might yield more benefits - as long as the trees are aware the axe will cut down those that do not bear good fruit, you might find many good apples every harvest for years to come."

Yes, whatever Ki said! That sounded like a much better idea!

I think Dad thought so too.

"Hn..." Was all he said though.

Beta Lucas was more forthcoming in his enthusiasm, "Yes, we can make an example of Ju - ah... that traitor and his pack! Chop him down for the other trees to see."

"Ki." Dad said now, "Where did you learn such wisdom?"

"I believe this would not be something beyond Alpha's thoughts if not for his burning anger." Ki soothed, "But this wisdom, it is what your own daughter often tells us."

What? What did I tell them?

"Our goddess likes to say if we want to run with her, we must keep up." Ki explained, "So we all understand clearly from the onset, that we would be cut off if we hold back, even for just a little bit."

Hey, hey! No way! I'll never let any of you go!

I mean, unless you wanted to go, then I wouldn't keep you. You know what I mean! Why couldn't Ki see that?

He was family now.

Dad had calmed somewhat by now. He regarded me carefully. I flinched back, wait Dad, before you jump into any conclusions, I need to make a disclaimer: my betas are all warped in their heads right now and think I'm some kind of super alpha.

"I see now I worried for nothing." Dad chuffed a little, "Who was I to think my daughter would need my protection?"

I flared at that, "I do need you, Dad! I'm just a puppy! I'll never grow up!"

So don't change.

{All my life, I've been happy because I had you and mum and everyone. If there was even a chance that you won't be there to make everything okay, how would I dare to run out and play ever again?}

Oh, I just accidentally mindlink Dad again, didn't I?

Dad put his large hand on my head, his wolf so close to the surface, "Little one, you will always be my puppy. So you don't have to hold back - run to your heart's content."

And then he hugged me, and then Mum hugged us. We stood like that while Beta Lucas and Ki stood watching awkwardly/politely.

Beta Lucas cleared his throat, "So... should I tell Roy he doesn't have to draft those eviction notices, Alpha?"

I quickly swiped away the bit of wet on my face with the back of my sleeve. I wasn't crying. If you smelled tears, it was all Mum's. And then I took the chance to make my escape, "Okay, then I'll go to bed now. And I'll be wearing the diadem as a prop tomorrow - just for a show. I won't cast anything. Promise!"

"Oh, Sam, wait!" I heard Mum call, but I was already out of the living room.

And then I heard Mum's footsteps behind me. Ack! Why was Mum so persistent tonight?

"Sam! Your Dad and I will be coming to watch your show tomorrow!"

I slowed my steps.

"Break a leg!" Mum called to my back, and then she returned to the living room.

Oh, was that all?

Wait, WHAT KIND OF MOTHER WOULD TELL HER CHILD TO GO BREAK A LEG?