"When our father died," Alpha James reiterated, "I promised my father to uphold the glory of the Lorent. I have not broken that promise. We are the number one pack in the Green Packland, and our medical achievements and wealth are known even on the next continent.
"I also promised my father that the Lorent Pack will always belong to the Lorents. At this betrothal, Sam will be one of us, and I will hand over the Alpha title to her when she is of age and mated. This is according to our custom; the Alpha must have a Luna to rule. And also, as in our custom, and I think perhaps also in yours, their child would take his father's family name.
"In this way, a Lorent wolf will be the next Alpha of our merged packs. I am being upfront right now. Sam has, over the time I have known her, always been upfront with me. And the Night Leaf has always dealt fairly in everything. This is what I had in mind with our children's joining."
Dad nodded. "Sam, what do you think?"
Everyone looked to me. Oh, Dad was thinking that this was something I had to live with.
"Even though I am the Alpha, I am a female, and by custom taking my mate's name is appropriate. Our children taking my mate's name would also be expected in general," I said.
The elders on both sides nodded.
Amber smiled and said, "The goddess truly blessed us with a gracious and wise Alpha."
"Yes, indeed," Delta Felicity said. "I am curious, though, when the packs merge, which name would it take?"
"Of course it must take the Lorents' name," Beta Lorent said. "Both the Alpha and Luna would be Lorents. On top of that, we are the number one pack."
Beta Lorent answered immediately.
He turned to Alpha James. "Brother, you cannot allow these people to take advantage of your kindness and allow any slight to our glorious name!"
Wolfie was still watching. I wondered what she was watching for. She usually did not care for discussions.
"We will discuss this another time. Let us separate pack politics from our family affairs," Bell said, and then he turned to Beta Lorent and, with a growl, said, "Uncle, I bid you shut up."
Ki made a polite cough, but he didn't bother to hide a snigger when I mindlinked him, "Tell me what's the deal with Beta Lucas."
Because there definitely was a deal, since Bell could so rudely and effectively shut his own uncle up in front of others. It defied hierarchy—which was the first signal that something was amiss at any wolf pack.
So while Delta Felicity and Auntie Amber began negotiations by taking turns to praise the quality and sheer volume of gifts, the loveliness of Alpha Kingsley's daughter, and the elegance of Alpha James' son, Killion filled me in.
"Nothing too complicated," he started.
Bell and Killion had tortured Beta Lorent and were about to finish him off in the Lorent dungeons when he had begged for his life.
He offered to spy for us if we let him live. He would infiltrate the Rogue King's circles and give us information while feeding the Rogue King false information and sabotaging the rogues' causes.
In exchange for his services, Bell would allow him to be reinstated as Beta to help Alpha James.
If Beta Lorent served well, then Bell would also keep his treachery a secret from the rest of the family and allow his cousin, Anthony, to inherit the next Beta title.
Also, he would allow Beta Lorent to retire and leave the pack honorably when the new generation took over.
So they had told Alpha James that Beta Lorent was sorry and wanted to make amends. Alpha James had said he could not quite forgive his brother, but for the sake of their dead mother, he would try to give his younger brother this one last chance.
Of course Bell and Killion didn't trust Beta Lorent one bit. At any moment, they expected Beta Lorent to take the first opportunity to turn against them.
What Beta Lorent desired was power. Based on the information from the other rogues we captured, Beta Lorent had been planning to usurp the Rogue King's throne and then rule over the Green Packland as the Lorent Alpha.
Killion could also personally confirm it because a long time ago, Beta Lorent had hinted at an offer to his dad of the position of Beta if he betrayed Alpha James. Killion's dad pretended to be interested, got a rough idea of Beta Lorent's evil plan, and then tried to expose him, but Alpha James did not believe it—thus the Beta family's untimely end.
Anyway, the plan was to play along with Beta Lorent, use him as much as possible, and then discard him the moment he tried to pull a fast one on us.
In what way was this "nothing too complicated"? This was another full season of the Lorent drama waiting to unfold.
People who enjoyed dramas with too many twists and subplots should definitely subscribe to the Lorent channel. No, there was no such thing, but the Lorents should sign up for a reality TV show contract. I'm sure there was a ready market.
Meanwhile, I decided to tune back into the discussion around me. I regretted it almost immediately.
The discussion was mostly between Delta Felicity and the elderly Lady Amber.
"Lady Amber, surely you do not mean for a Lorent Princess to travel unescorted out of packlands on a daily basis!" Delta Felicity exclaimed. Even though she was smiling, and both ladies were seated, the tension in the air was taut.
"Oh heavens! Why is she even leaving packlands?" Lady Amber exclaimed with due concern.
"Our Princess has always schooled outside packlands," Delta Felicity said. "Her education is beyond that of a normal wolf."
No, it really isn't. Academically, Winderhill was a very average school. I looked at my dad, who was frowning. Alpha James also looked concerned, but neither Alpha stepped in.
"I see. We have already included a car in the dowry. I suppose we could offer a few guards, or perhaps you might prefer it if we gifted an armored car and your pack continued to provide the expert protection that has obviously been successful at keeping our princess safe so far," Lady Amber suggested.
"It would have to be blue, not white," Killion chipped in.
"May I know why? White is the traditional Lorent color, after all."
"Blue is the princess's color, and a white Lorent car would attract rogue attention," Killion said.
"The rogues are another problem." Lady Amber pursed her lips. "We can't have our princess endangered constantly like that. What if we transferred the princess's school to one on the packlands? The Lorent Girls' Academy is a well-sought-after private school for exceptional young ladies. I would personally sponsor her and take her under my wing. I know we are now negotiating for the acceptable mate price, but this is not about money. Safety is something money can't buy."
"Will you really, Lady Amber? I thought you had not taken a new student for at least a decade?" Delta Felicity asked.
"It's true. Nurturing a young lady takes a lot of time, plus I have to oversee the school, and we have expanded over the years. Furthermore, I am not as young as I was before. But my brother speaks highly of her. She is my beloved nephew's mate, and after tonight, will be my niece. She will be the Lorent Princess and later the Alpha of the Green Packlands. But I am not offering to mentor her because of any of these things. These only add weight to my own personal reasons," Lady Amber said.
I'm beginning to think all Lorents were very gracious with words.
"Oh? Please, I am curious, what personal reason do you have to want to invest yourself in our princess?" Delta Felicity asked.
"Although I've only just met her, I can sense she has a teachable spirit and a meek countenance. It is obvious to my wolf that she is powerful and has a strong Alpha Wolf, but I sense no malice or aggression or demand from her wolf. She is polite, alert, and she knows how to be quiet and listen when her elders are speaking. I have met so many beautiful and exceptionally gifted young ladies, every one of them like perfectly cut and polished gems.
"But look at this princess. Since entering and greeting us, she has patiently endured our negotiations. Besides greeting her mate, she has barely moved from the moment she sat down—not to preen, nor pester for attention, nor even request a single thing—not even a drink."
At this point, Killion immediately moved forward to pour out a cup of tea for me. He fixed it the way I liked, with half a cup of milk and a sugar. He even put a small biscuit on the side of the saucer.
"Forgive the oversight, Princess," he murmured.
"Thank you," I said automatically, shaking my head, feeling rather self-conscious now.
He gave me a brilliant smile and moved on to refill the other cups.
Technically, I was busy mindlinking Killion, so it wasn't like I was actually paying attention to the negotiations (or that he had time to pour tea). I wasn't even aware that they had been negotiating, so I wouldn't say I was particularly alert. I wouldn't say I was very much any of those things Lady Amber had decided about me. Was there such a thing as being so stupid that you looked intelligent? At any rate, I don't think I was anything like what Lady Amber described at all.
"We all know Lady Amber is a well-renowned educator, and your work with young girls is beyond what any book might contain. To be educated personally under her tutelage is a great honor. There are universities that would accept a student based on her recommendation alone. What do you think, Alpha Sam?" Delta Felicity turned the spotlight on me.
Caught off guard, I reacted completely instinctively and handed over control to my stupid wolf.
Why? Why? Why? But it was too late. Wolfie was on the surface, my hair was shimmering, I couldn't withdraw. I braced myself to say something stupid and watch the high esteem Lady Amber had set for me crash down.
Please, Wolfie, if you open your mouth, don't growl or make any animal noises. And please, please speak in full sentences. Just try. You're in human form, try to be a proper human, please... and don't you dare shift! Or I will never be able to show my face in front of the Lorents again.
I panicked. I handed control to my wolf. Now I'm about to pay for it.
Wolfie tilted her head to one side and smiled. I think a number of people in the room immediately realized that my Wolfie had taken over.
One, being Dad, who had sat up straighter.
Two, being Mate, who immediately reached for my hand as if to keep Wolfie calm.
I really had to wonder what they thought I would do.
Three, being Killion, who raised a brow and mindlinked, {Need me to postpone your answer for you, Princess?}
Yes.
{No. I am the Alpha.} my stupid wolf answered.
"Understood." My stupid Beta Killion immediately conceded.
Who took orders from a dumb Wolfie—my Wolfie whose language skills were on par with a small pup? Arughhhhh...
Just say what you want and get it over with, Wolfie. Just whatever. Let's just get over with this humiliation of exposing my stupid wolf and lack of control over it.
"Sounds like fun," I (Wolfie) managed to verbalize.
Yes, of course, to Wolfie everything was a game.
Everyone blinked. The adults generally looked nonplussed.
"I can't?" Wolfie asked, sensing the other wolves' hesitation.
"Well, your mother and I were considering transferring you to a girls' school," Dad said.
Oh wait, Wolfie, wait! If they transfer me, then I can't go to Winderhill anymore.
This stumped Wolfie a bit, but it was too late. Before I knew it, Dad had spoken. "Thank you, Lady Amber. I will put my daughter in your care."
Lady Amber gracefully bowed her head and said, "It will be my pleasure."
I don't think Lady Amber knew what she was getting herself into. Mum apparently felt the same way. "Our daughter is free and wild, but has a good heart. I'm sure she will bloom in your care."
And to my relief, Lady Amber said, "It is the flowers that grow free and wild that bloom the most beautifully."
Oh man, I hope so. Because as far as I knew, most of the flowers that grew free and wild were weeds. Not that I minded being a dandelion. I quite liked them, but I doubted famous educators like Lady Amber would like to find their carefully nurtured plant turned out to be a dandelion.