I heard dinner being served. Normally, I'd wait till Savy came in to call me, but I didn't feel like company. I went downstairs before Mum sent Savy up for me.
I had butterflies in my stomach, but not in a good way. I hadn't felt this bad since the last time the gang and I were caught by Beta Lucas throwing water bombs at patrol wolves.
We were actually hunting down Flynn and Hank, but who knew gray and brown wolves with indistinct markings were so commonplace?
We ended up shooting at three patrolling pairs without realizing it, from the various hideouts we had stationed ourselves at.
So all of us thought we hit our prey, but in truth, only one group of us did.
I would like to believe it was Dean and Ben and me, but to this day, no one could say for sure.
That was so long ago… I remembered feeling sick to my stomach when Dad came home for dinner. But Dad acted like nothing had happened throughout dinner.
By the end of dinner, I had caved and confessed our hunting game.
There was silence. And then Dad said, "Beta didn't mention it."
Oh.
My dad gave me a lecture on being inconsiderate and causing trouble for others.
My mum grounded me for the rest of the night.
It appeared that neither of them felt it was worthy of any real punishment.
Savy got off with nothing. I hadn't implicated her in my confession, and it seemed she had preferred to stay quiet about it.
The next day, I asked Beta Lucas why he didn't tell my dad.
Beta Lucas just shrugged. "It was no big deal, Sam."
But Ben told me that he was down for yard work for the next four weekends.
Sometimes I don't understand adult justice, so I took it upon myself to fix it.
Savy and I spent the next four weekends in the Beta's yard.
Savy would drink lemonade and chat on the porch with Lizzy. I would help Ben with the yard work, which was mainly leaf raking.
When we raked up enough leaves, the girls would join us for a game of leaf diving, leaf wars, leaf disco, leaf anything… and then we would have to start raking again.
Beta Lucas boasted afterward about how he had successfully kept us in his yard and out of trouble for the rest of the season. The way he talked, you'd think we caused trouble every weekend.
I sat down at the dinner table.
My mum made salmon again, with mac and cheese and cucumber salad. I didn't say anything besides "Yes, please," and "No, thank you," and "Okay," while the serving bowls were being passed around.
Then we ate quietly. I couldn't take the silence (I was so weak, after all), so I just blurted out, "Sorry about today."
And then I looked down at my plate and waited for them to start scolding me for something…
Like behaving recklessly.
Like running into the woods instead of away to safety.
Like not returning with Shanon and Savy and Chris when I got the chance.
Like making small talk with idiot rogues who were armed with silver blades dipped in Wolfbane and shotguns.
My dad hummed and then asked me, "What made you think you could take down those rogues on your own?"
"I knew you were there," I told him.
"Even with your injuries, did you plan to interrogate the rogues right there in the woods?" my dad continued.
Eh, was that what it looked like? Was that why they stood back? They thought I was interrogating the rogues? I was just stalling, waiting to be rescued…
"What?" my mum gasped. This was news to her. "Sam! You haven't even shifted yet!"
"She was fine. I was with her." Now Dad was taking my side?
"You aren't mad?" I asked tentatively.
"No." "Yes." My dad and mum answered at the same time.
"She's just a pup!" my mum burst out.
"She will be the alpha…" my dad said.
"She's a girl! Why must she be out there?" My mum was crying again.
My dad sighed and looked at me. "Don't worry. She'll get used to it."
"No, I won't!" Mum argued. It was the first time I'd seen Mum talk back to my dad. "Let her mate be the Alpha!"
Wow, had Dumbbell been talking to my mum? The two of them hadn't even met, and already they had this many points to agree on.
"Sam, you know the rules. You are unshifted. You are a girl. That was dangerous," my dad said finally.
So I was in trouble after all?
"But you were also very brave. You alerted us to danger, sent the other kids to safety, disoriented the rogues, saved your sister and then two other pups, and managed to expose the rogues' involvement with the Lorents' latest incident…" my dad continued.
So I wasn't in trouble?
"Okay, I just want the bottom line. Am I, or am I not, in trouble?" I cut in.
My dad laughed and said to my mum, "See? She's fine."
Mum looked at me. "Are you really okay?"
And I saw my chance—to make it so she would never have to see me hurt again.
"Of course," I lied. "I had everything under control," and was not just desperately winging it out there in the woods.
"I may look like a cute girl, but inside I'm all Alpha!" I gave my mum my sassiest grin.
My mum didn't look like she was buying it.
Honestly, I wasn't buying it either, but lying to my mum was a new experience for me.
"Just don't worry your mum next time," Dad told me.
I nodded and shoved some food into my mouth so I wouldn't think of my mum's crying face and burst into tears myself.
Truth be told, I was rather surprised my overprotective Alpha Dad didn't freak out.
"You're growing up, Sam," Dad said suddenly. "I hadn't even noticed, but the goddess told me in a dream that I need to let you go if I want to see you grow."
Was that why he didn't rush to my rescue today?
"I'm proud of you, Sam. Never forget, you mean the world to me."
My eyes teared up, and I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. I looked at Dad; his eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
I nodded. I dared not speak in case I accidentally cried.
Dad, I haven't even started. I totally think your pride is premature. But I will do my best. I will be the alpha. I will protect our pack.
"We need to go. We have a meeting." My dad stood up.
"Are you sure?" Mum asked. "Sam, do you need to rest a bit more?"
"I've already prepared for the meeting, Mum. Might as well go," I said.
Dad frowned a bit. "All right, just excuse yourself if you feel too tired. You're still dealing with the Wolfbane."
"Think I can get an excuse from school for that?" I asked cheekily.
"Probably," Dad mumbled. Dad surprised me again.
"I can bring you to the pack doctor tomorrow for a doctor's slip," my mum offered unusually quickly.
I was tempted. So tempted. So, so, so, so, so tempted.
"I'll think about it," I said. Now it was their turn to look surprised—for me not to jump at the chance of a free day from school.
Soooooo tempted to take the free day.
But it felt like an irresponsible thing to do. I've got to go to school tomorrow. I've got assignments to hand in! Okay, to be honest, I didn't have any real reason. It just felt irresponsible.
Dang my Alpha sense of responsibility.