Chương 98: IN THE QUIET OF THE NIGHT

Since my bed didn't look like it was going to be replaced anytime soon, Dad had brought the mattress from the second guest room over and fitted it into my scratched-up wooden bed frame. I don't know why we didn't do that to begin with! That night, I was about to go to sleep when I found the Post-it note reminding me to ask Dad if he remembered Marcus' dad. I also found Rebel's fight dog food balls in my drawer by my nightstand, where I had emptied out my pockets that morning.

So I plodded back out of my room in search of an airtight container and my dad, in whichever order I might happen to find them. My lucky sense of direction led me straight to my parents' room. The door was closed, and I heard growling... Backing up quickly, I ran downstairs. I remembered how my dad hadn't stopped at kissing Mum on the cheek at dinnertime. Come to think of it, looking for them after dinner was a stupid idea. So I guess I'll settle for the airtight container.

In the kitchen, I stuck my Post-it pad on the fridge door. Now if I missed it, I'm sure Mum would see it. Or Savy, if she got hungry now that she has a post-shift teenage metabolism. Oh wait, if she had shifted, didn't it mean she was old enough to get her own phone too? I totally should tell her. I searched around the cabinets and found an old jam jar. This should do it. I don't think anyone would miss it. I brought it up to my room and gathered all the crusty dog food balls. They made up about half a jar.

Actually, I don't know why I was keeping it. Maybe one day I might chance upon a hungry dog and feel like experimenting on him with fight dog pellets. Not that it might ever happen in the vicinity of the glass jar in my nightstand... I flopped into bed and thought about it. I wouldn't eat it. Not since Rebel said there were steroids and who knows what other additives. I should throw it away, but it was all I had left. Since giving Rebel's fight tour ad to his dad, I don't have anything else of his.

Great, so it's a keepsake thing? OMG. Dog food? I am seriously failing in the romance department. I guess I was the romantic comedy type... or rather the comedic romance type. Whatever. Next time I dreamed of Rebel, I was going to pilfer something better. It shouldn't be hard. I mean, how hard could it be to get something worse than dog food? So whatever I pilfered from my next dream would be an improvement for sure. So that's it for today. I even studied the Lycan notes Mrs. Beta included in my new homework file.

Mrs. Beta had made her own teaching notes. She drew a margin of about a third of the page on the right and made notes in it. It was pretty neat. I mean neat in a cool way, although it was neat in a tidy way too. I'm going to make my notes like that from now on too, with a margin on the right. Tomorrow would be Sunday again! And my last free one before my new Alpha duties kicked in. Breakfast with my family at the pack house, sandwich making, and then ultimate dodgeball and homework.

I haven't done my school homework. Weekends were always so much fun, and Sundays were the best. I can't wait for ultimate dodgeball! I felt my eyelids grow heavy, but quickly shook myself awake and sat up in bed. Ultimate dodgeball tomorrow! I just needed to work on my control practice. Of all nights, I definitely needed to practice tonight. I don't want to nuke Alpha in the middle of the game tomorrow. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Ultimate dodgeball can really bring out the wolf in you sometimes. You have to play it to believe it. So I sat on my bed and practiced. It was just the usual practice. I was feeling lazy, so I wasn't even very into it, just merging the wolf power that surfaced as it happened. I didn't need to harness it for anything. I didn't particularly need anything at the moment. I didn't need healing, or speed, or dominance. So I just merged it. If only wolf power could be used for other things too, like making me prettier.

Oh wait, I'm already having trouble getting any respect as a girl. I don't think pretty girls commanded the kind of respect my Alpha wolf demanded. I can't even blame the guys myself. How many times had I caved in to Savy, or even Lizzy, just because they were just a couple of younger girls? How many times had I purposely picked up the heavier equipment so that Angela, Darlyn, and the other girls didn't have to? How many times had I thought, "Awww, so cute!"

and smiled through their sass and couldn't muster any real anger even though they were teasing me? I remembered what my dad said about Lunas waltzing into Alpha meetings late. I remembered how Arlene, the beautiful human, had come into class late and paid for the transgression with a smile. Didn't human history have a face that sent a thousand ships to war? A beautiful woman's face. To be honest, I wished I could be beautiful too. Well, I guess I'll really only need one man to think I was beautiful.

But if I could be the head-turning beauty that waltzes into Alpha meetings late, pays all my transgressions with a smile, and stands back while others grab the heavy stuff... No, no, no... I change my mind. I don't ever want to be that type of woman. {What kind of woman do you want to be?} I want to be the kind who can be counted on to be punctual. I want to right my wrongs properly with sincerity. I want to be strong enough to pull my own weight and be counted on to contribute to the pack.

It's not about being a woman or a man. It's about being a person. There were men like Tim, who would always pick the lightest load to haul. There were men like Nix, whose smile was probably his strongest suit. I want to be a person who... I don't know. I guess I want to be someone my mum and dad could be proud of. Someone who was able to protect my pack. Someone my warriors could properly respect. But it wouldn't hurt to be beautiful. It wouldn't hurt to kill in a Lorent-style dress and stilettos.

It's not about the beauty. It was about the person who wore it. I hope I grow up to be the kind of woman, like my mum and Mrs. Beta, who always has the strength to face each day with an open heart and a helping hand. I walked up to my window to gaze up at the crescent moon smiling serenely down at me. The snow was drifting down like petals. It was a beautiful night, and I was tempted to stay up longer just to watch it.

I cracked open the window, only to be greeted by a screeching sound so frightening that I slammed the window closed again. I stumbled backward. What was that? My Wolfie immediately disappeared and reappeared again. {Omega shifting.} Oh, who? Dean? I heard snarling outside my room. Dad.

"Shhh... dear, you'll wake Sam." Mum. More growling. Dad. Why was he so mad? I almost didn't dare to venture out to find out. But my mum was there, which made me braver because I planned to hide immediately behind her should Dad go King Kong suddenly. I swung open the door.

"Oh, Sam!" my mum gasped. To my surprise, my dad patted my head with a low growl and turned down the stairs without a word. He wasn't mad?

"Is Dad okay?" I asked Mum. She was pulling on the sweater she was holding—Dad's sweater. Their scents were strong and mingled. It was a comforting and safe smell for me.

"No time to explain, Sam," Mum said.

"Dean is shifting at the pack house." I followed Mum down the stairs. Dad was still in his T-shirt and sweatpants, but he held up a coat for Mum. I pulled on the short white trench coat I was wearing today. Harvey had hung it on the side that was easiest to reach. Dad took his dark blue snow jacket and opened the door for us. What? I could come? No one was going to tell me to go back to my room or stay at home? No one? Really? Mum stepped off the porch when I realized I was only in my fluffy socks.

And the snow had powdered the ground completely white. Dang it. Dad turned when I stopped on the top step of our porch. He raised a brow at my feet. I shrugged. I guess I would stay home after all. Then Dad stepped over and picked me up. I almost yelped. Dad had not carried me since I could remember, but being held like that, with my head on his shoulder, I was surprised at how natural it felt. It was a feeling I remembered. I looked over and saw Mum holding Dad's hand and smiling. He was carrying me with one arm?

This was something that happened a lot once upon a time. I didn't remember it, but my heart recognized it. I breathed in Dad's scent and then mumbled, "You smell like Mum." Dad growled and put me down on the pack house porch. Then he guided my mum up the porch steps. Mum could have taken those two steps all on her own, but she simply smiled and accepted his help. Love. I guess I got lucky when the Goddess was giving out parents.