Chương 261: AND THE FORFEIT GOES TO...

Since we had no way of contacting Fount to check on him, and we were supposed to be meeting for the Alpha Duties review, the elders decided to KIV Fount's troubles and continue with the meeting. The second part of the meeting was getting feedback from us, the participants. As I reflected on the two patrols, I recognized that the routes were very different, so were the experiences of my companions. But what struck me the most was how my relationship with the guys made me behave differently.

For example, with Harvey, I was pretty much free to fool around and find my own entertainment. I let him take care of Nix (whom I considered the greatest difficulty to the task—of course, I didn't say this aloud), and Nix took care of the traps. Also, I left it to him to figure out the map. I pretty much just enjoyed the walk. With Ben and Jonah, I automatically took the lead. I even tried to prepare to tackle the traps with them. It was just like it always was since we were small.

We go out together, we get in trouble, Ben takes the hardest fall... This part was disturbing. From our camping trips and dodgeball games to childhood mischief, the one who took the hit, took the rap, received the worst punishment, or ended up needing the most medical attention was always Ben. But for some reason, I had never noticed till now. Ben would simply get up again and keep going like nothing happened. Why did that guy keep following me? Beta Lucas asked for us to share our reflections and learning points.

Harvey went first. Mostly because I decided to go by age and the elders lit up as if my suggestion was a shining paradigm of learning from those older than us and giving our seniors respect. TBH, I just suggested it because it was what Dean and I would declare whenever Mrs. Beta asked a feeling or reflective-type question during Lycan Study Group, but there was no opportunity to clarify. The meeting had to continue.

HARVEY'S REFLECTIONS Harvey wasn' t sure what to expect, and we had not been told what the Alpha Duty was in the first week, so Harvey had been prepared with snacks, extra water, and an extra jacket (should I choose to show up without one), but none of these things had been needed. Seriously, Harvey sounded like he was packing for an excursion with a baby sister! Although... he could've told me he had snacks. I would have lightened his load.

Anyway, Harvey's learning point was that accompanying an Alpha on patrol was very different from the usual patrol. In a usual patrol, the warriors were focused on completing the route and the required tasks of the trap checks and resets with as little delay or deviation as possible. This was required for stability. An Alpha did not have the same mindset as a regular warrior, nor would an Alpha have the same constraints. In other words, I think he was saying in a nice way that an Alpha did whatever he wanted.

Whether it was to solve a long standing problem or make an improvement to the system, the Alpha' s focus was more on building on top of what was there. Apparently, what they saw as obstacles to completing the patrol, I saw as opportunities to test and overcome. This was what he had learned from watching me. And he had since attempted to take his patrol routes this week as opportunities to consider this. I honestly had no idea what Harvey meant, but Beta Gerald nodded approvingly.

I tried hard to remember what I saw that day. Lots of snow, I had fun... Hmmm... I didn't remember any obstacles. Besides this, Harvey was also rather humbled at the last trap. When he rushed forward to push me out to safety and I simply stepped out on my own, he realized that he had panicked for nothing. I often presented myself as a simple happy-go-lucky young girl, no older than his own sister.

He paused to indicate that I was holding Sir Sparklalot in my chair, and everyone else looked at me and nodded, but that was the usual guise of his Alpha, who was a rather powerful and wise wolf, as well as a capable and self-controlled person. He felt rather ashamed because even though he knew this, he also knew that his Alpha could not have been that stupid to accidentally set a trap off on herself. He got caught up in the moment. He resolved to have more faith in his Alpha and learn to remain calm....

As if my good beta was not already the calmest person I know. And seriously... how should I break this to him? I was stupid enough to set the trap off on myself. In fact, that was exactly what I did that day. Omo. NIX'S REFLECTIONS Nix was just glad he decided to bring his tool belt when the patrol was announced as the Alpha Duty. He was also quite sure he would have to put up with my girly whining and complaining about the long walk, so he was pleasantly surprised that I didn't do either of those things.

He thought making the counterfeit trap was rather funny. Catching the warriors in it was pretty funny too. And then his reflection surprised me even more than Harvey's—accompanying the Alpha on his usual duties, being able to show his skills, made him feel "damn proud of himself." And when Harvey got trapped and I joked about leaving the beta overnight to free himself... It felt like all the weight of resentment of the harsh training his dad put him through lifted up.

He realized that because of it, he had a skill set he could be proud of. And he felt... Nix actually got the teensiest bit teary... he felt all the training he suffered, his Alpha acknowledged and understood. Stolen story; please report. So it was worth it. He might not be as strong or smart as Harvey, but he had his own set of skills that he could proudly wield on behalf of his Alpha too. No one spoke immediately after Nix's unexpectedly emotionally charged reflection.

I realized I was gritting my teeth and forced myself to loosen up. Who the heck was this Alpha they were talking about again? Because it sure ain't me. Never mind. I took a deep breath. Ben and Jonah's turn. These guys had run with me since forever. They would be putting this Alpha in a more realistic light. BEN'S REFLECTIONS Ben felt stupid remembering the patrol, if it could even have been called that. He and Jonah had started off feeling very confident.

They knew what a patrol was; they were mentally prepared to deal with the traps. On top of this, Ben had run with me on far more reckless adventures before, so this shouldn't have been a problem. The start of the route went smoothly, like it always did whenever we started something together. According to Ben, my good luck always started us well. Even the first trap was checked and set without a hitch. Remembering Harvey saying that it would get easier, Ben was all geared to complete the patrol with a perfect score.

And then the singing started. It was creepy, and then my wolf stirred in a way Ben knew that we were about to go tangent to the normal of things. He knew this, yet he had no idea what was about to happen. Me calling out into the warlock forest surprised him. And the children falling off the trees one by one surprised him. And then the pups stepping out into our packland and lining up in a row in front of me surprised him. It was like they were lining up to be shot. But I made them put down their guns.

And the next thing Ben knew, it wasn't the kids who were in the firing line. It was them, specifically him. Being shot hurt like hell. He thought he was going to die. But he didn't. He just lay there for the first part, being unable to come and help me as I interrogated the pups. So helpless. He was so frustrated. Damn and damn. And the next thing he knew, he shifted. His wolf took over, frustrated with the situation, frustrated with him. Shifting hurt worse than being shot. Ah, but he blew the mission.

His reflection was that I was damn hard to predict. It was crazy what I could do, what I would do. Maybe now that he was shifted, he would be able to keep up better. I laughed at that.

"What do you mean, Ben? You've always run next to me, and I've never had to ever slow down when I am with you." Ben growled and looked away.

"I messed up today." He growled lowly. I threw Sir Sparklalot at his face.

"You shifted! How could that be messing up?" I asked. Actually, I never thought Ben would think he messed up anything.

"I'm the weakest of all your betas." Ben continued in his low growl.

"I'm the youngest, I slow at admin work, I'm inexperienced at everything... Harvey and Ki were both training since young while all I did was fool around, play the guitar, and get into trouble. I can't even drive." Okay, that admission just threw me off. Not only had I not expected Ben's pride to ever allow him to say something like that aloud, I thought I was the only one feeling that way.

"Ben, there is one thing that only you can do that my other betas can't. One thing that you've always been doing for me and that I need you to keep doing for me," I said. Ben looked up from the pink unicorn he had caught.

"You're the only one who can grow up with me," I said. Ben sulked at Sir Sparklalot.

"Sam, that's lame." Oh. Well, I thought it was important.

"I think what the Princess means is that you've run by her side since you could walk. This upbringing further strengthens the Alpha and Beta link in your bloodline. I've observed that your wolf is incredibly in tune to our Alpha's, sensing her movement or intention even in your sleep. Something Ki and I are still working hard to figure out," Harvey said.

"This kind of natural bond, I'm envious."

"It'll just help you figure out I'm an idiot," I informed Harvey blithely. But if his wolf could figure me out, it might save me the trouble of having to convince him that I was really just a lucky idiot.

"Ben, you're young. All of you are still young. With experience, you will discover the true strengths of your wolves and how they might best run together," Dad said sagely.

"That is the purpose of the Alpha Duties," Beta Lucas continued.

"I don't think any of you are aware of how talented and powerful you are yet. Just keep pressing on." After that, we moved on to Jonah. JONAH'S REFLECTIONS Jonah admitted that the singing pups were really creepy.

"We should sing creepy songs on our side too." Killion glowing to heal Ben was also creepy. But it was cool because Ben didn't die.

"So, ah, thanks... for keeping my best friend alive." About taking the patrol with me, he didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary from hiking together, well, aside from the creepiness. We often had hiking exercises during summer camps. Oh, but usually if the three of us were teamed up, we would be the first to complete the hike, so that was different from usual too. We didn't even complete this hike.

"Yeah, sorry," Ben said to Sir Sparklalot.

"Ah no, it's okay," Jonah said.

"A man's gotta shift when a man's gotta shift." I pressed my lips together so that I wouldn't laugh out loud.

"That's just dumb," Nix scoffed.

"You're the dumb one," Jonah returned. Jonah was never the best at comebacks. Nix rolled his eyes.

"I don't even want to reply to that dumbass statement." But Jonah wasn't done yet.

"You're the dumbass."

"You're the bigger dumbass," Nix countered. So much for not replying.

"No, I'm the bigger wolf," Jonah said.

"Just wait and see, Nix."

"Fine, we'll see about that, but for now, you guys owe me a forfeit," Nix said. Beta Lucas interrupted then.

"Please take your personal discussion offline. We are still in a meeting."

"And you are still in front of your elders." Gamma Endo hit Nix hard over the back of his head." Sam..." Beta Lucas decided to push the meeting forward at this point." What are you r reflections after participating in both patrols?" Since I did have time to think and reflect during the meeting, I could say something. SAM'S REFLECTIONS"I don't think meeting the kids on Lullaby Route, or those words in the lullaby, or even Ben getting shot and Killion glowing to use his powers, or Ben shifting was mere coincidence.

I would like to look for that stone, so if any of you have any idea which river has the stone, please let me know," I said.

"The two routes also showed me the different levels of danger our packs were in, even though we were next-door neighbors. I hope that could be changed in the future. When the packs are merged, we certainly need to discuss the new patrol routes to encompass all three towns."

"And my reflection is that I've got a different relationship with each of my betas. It's like I have three brothers. How we interact is different, but they are all equally my betas and brothers, and I've come to rely on them a lot." Dad nodded.

"As you should." The adults then concluded that despite the dangers, the Alpha Duties was worth the time and resources to continue. We all had a lot of potential, and they should do everything they could, not just in preparing the pack to hand over to us over the next 4 years, but to prepare us for the pack too. 4 years! Really? That sounded like a really short time suddenly. Beta Lucas ended with a short speech about this not being a competition. Everyone was learning together.

Beta Gerald agreed sincerely to it, adding that we were one pack and one leadership. Gamma Endo agreed too, although he had to point out that Morning Light won. Gamma Harry just wanted us to remember that "the Alpha is the head and should not be used to pull the weeds, or throw out the trash because we needed to respect our own head!" And on that note, the meeting was ended. The adults left to drink some coffee and tea in Dad's office.

Nix smirked and took charge, sitting himself down on the chair my dad had just vacated.

"What about the forfeits, losers?"