9 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, AFTER DINNER
After dinner, Alpha James led us to a large hall which he called the East Ballroom. It was a very white room with white marble floors and pillars, large white windows, and what I thought at first were wading pools but turned out to be just rectangular shallow ponds. I paused to look and was rewarded with the sight of a few lily pads.
"It's too cold in winter," Mate told me, he had been nothing short of attentive all evening, "But when it is warmer, the lillies would cover the pools."
"Would you have frogs too?" I imagined it might be fun to watch them jump across the lily pads.
Mate made a face, "I should hope not."
Why not? It wouldn't be hard to do either. We could just pour in a jar of tadpoles and let nature take its course.
A refreshment table stood on one side. White round bar tables with golden legs were scattered sparingly around, each with a bowl of white roses and vines. Large crystal chandeliers floated silently above us.
There were already a number of people chatting. All the men were in full suits and the ladies in ceremonial dresses.
It was a little like something from the New Lorent magazine that Jessica had shown me before, but now with the added effect of soft instrumental music in the background.
Mate led me to our parents.
"Now, I want to introduce you to the most important people in the Lorent Pack." Alpha James told me.
I nodded.
I felt Boo stir. She had been as if asleep earlier, lulled into quiet contentment with Mate by my side.
After that everyone started coming over to meet us. My betas stood by our side. Whenever a family started coming over, Ki would tell us who they were quietly, and then he would announce them to us officially.
I noticed Harvey taking notes which was good because it was a whirlwind of introductions and I was sure I wouldn't remember any of them after this event.
I'm not sure if I should bore you with the details. It was a very boring introductory meeting. I just stood next to Mate and smiled while everyone exchanged nice pleasantries and commented to Mate about how beautiful I was.
But they were wasting their breath. He just sees me as a kid. I tried hard not to think about it because I didn't want to flare up. I just pretended to be Ki and kept smiling. Just keep smiling. Just keep smiling.
Here were the people I met:
First, I was re-introduced to Charles, Bell's brother.
"Your brother's mate will be reading at the Lorent Girls' Academy. You better take care of her so she doesn't get bullied." Alpha James said.
"My school is for princesses, not bullies!" Lady Amber sounded miffed her brother would think any less of her school, "Much less my personal student! Who would dare to bully her?"
"Yes, yes, yes." Charles deadpanned, "If anyone tries to bully her, I'll make them die from a mysterious and painful disease."
"Oh!" Lady Amber hit his arm, "Don't joke like that Charles."
"Who said I was joking?" Charles feigned offence.
Lady Amber hit his arm again, "You're terrible. I don't know if your studying to heal people or kill them!"
Overall, I think the two alpha brothers were bad news. But I decided to keep this opinion to myself.
Anthony introduced his mother Lucille and his sister Lavigne next. He did it in an Anthony fashion. It was curt to the brink of rudeness, but his mother was much more socially inclined and "just had to" ask if my hair was natural. She just loved it. Lavigne was older, born just a few hours before the young Alpha, she was the last female born to the pack.
Lavigne was still in a white dress, so I knew she wasn't mated yet. Lucille seemed to feel she needed to make a good excuse for Lavigne's "lateness" to mated life.
None of the males in the pack were her mate. But this wasn't surprising at all since she was the beta's daughter and alpha's neice - there would not be anyone suitably positioned to match Lavigne here.
And Lavigne was such a fillial daughter, Lucille had told her, "Daughter, you've come of age. We should start searching for your mate."
But she had answered, "No Mama, Papa is no more, and you are all alone. Let me stay with you for a year. I'll look for my mate later."
Lady Amber was very touched, even though this could not be the first time she heard this tale, "Goddess will surely reward you for your goodness Lavigne. Aunt Amber prays for you everyday."
Lavigne only adverted her gaze and shrugged a little. I couldn't tell if she was embaressed or indifferent.
Next family was the Gamma family. We were introduced to Gamma Michaels who was a bearded man. His human wife was feeling poorly and had not come, but he had his two sons with him, Dominic and Dylan Michaels.
Dominic Micheals was Bell's age, he was a slender man with rather blond hair. They were very obviously friends because while Bell hadn't looked at all pleased to see him, Dom was largely unaffected by the cold reception, and had smiled easily and said, "Good to see you, Rebel. Congrats."
His brother Dylan Michaels was my age, still unshifted. He looked like a carbon copy of his older brother, except that he was freckled and shorter and seemed to prefer slouching away from where the introductions took place.
"You remember Dy, right?" Dom asked, pulling his brother over, "The brat's just started highschool this year."
Like me. Just a brat.
Bell shrugged, "Hi."
"Hi." Dylan answered and shrank back.
Dom was now reading law at the Gate City Business College. Beta Michaels had to add that Dom had an offer from Blackforest University, but he had wanted to stay close so that he could keep working in the office. Right now, he was running the home affairs portfolio - this used to be Ki's Dad's portfolio.
"I couldn't go. First Ki's family was murdered, I'm glad to see you alive by the way beta. And then you went missing." Dom laughed, "Would it have killed you to mindlink? I was almost sure you had died."
Mate just shrugged, "You're not my girlfriend."
"As if you ever called any of your girlfriends!" Dom laughed, and I knew they were not just friends, but pretty good ones too.
Dom remembered belatedly that I was there, "Oh sorry. I forgot, you found your mate now."
"What about you?" Mate asked.
"Me?" Dom answered, "Never! I won't settle for less than the goddess herself."
"Mine." Mate growled low.
Dom just laughed, "Its just an expression, Rebel."
Next family was Delta Jack Emerson. Delta Emerson was the secretary. He wisely left his wife and daughter at home, but he brought his son, Chad and his nephew, Roan.
Chad was turning 16 this year, and was in his second year of High school. He bowed politely to the elders and Bell. He looked genuinely happy to see Ki and Rebel, but he winked at me on the sly. I pretended I didn't see it.
Roan was my age, and his older brother, Delta Lawrence Emerson's son. This later Delta Emerson was a Delta at large... In fact, he was so at large, no one knew where he was half the time.
"Your brother is a very accomplished archery master." Lady Amber explained, "He holds the record of longest running gold medalist in the intercontinental games and had coached many champions over the years. Oh, if I remembered right, your daughter, Cynthia was also a medalist holder in archery. It must run in the family."
I looked at Roan. He did look at lot like Coach Emerson, just younger. They even wore the same kind of stuck up punk expressions.
Next, Ki announced the Elder Delta Williams, who was the treasurer. I recognized him as the Elder who sat at the desk during the secret meeting just now. The one Anthony called Grandpa Williams. He came alone. His wife was old and tired. His daughter Lucille was the young Anthony's mother.
Alpha James said, "I'm very grateful for this elder. When our treasurers kept falling into unfortunate demise, one after the other, this old one courageously stepped up to serve his pack while his peers settled confortably into retirement."
"As you've said, Alpha, I'm already old, my daughter is grown, even her children are grown." Grandpa Williams said, "I'm not afraid of death."
Next was Delta Harrison Oran, in charge of public relations. He manages the New Lorent publication, as well the the press for the Lorent Pack, it's businesses and medical research initiatives, and the alpha family image. He came alone.
"My wife and sons were murdered by rogues shortly after our main family was attacked." He said, "I happened to be working night shift at the hospital and missed my appointment with Dr. Death."
"This is my late Beta's cousin." Alpha James said, "Now that Ki is back, his family had to return all the proceeds and estates back to the Main Oran Family."
"I still cannot believe you are alive. I'm happy of course, but broke now." Delta Oran said, "Easy come, easy go. It was a good thing I didn't donate it all. I wouldn't be able to afford paying it back."
Next was Delta Bernard. Alpha James introduced him as a very good friend. They had schooled together and Delta Bernard was someone who would never cheat on tests.
"I failed the Lorent University entrance exam 9 times! But I never cheated, I never gave up."
While I admire his honesty, I wondered if I would have felt comfortable knowing about this if I were his patient.
Dad recognized him as the Delta who had attended our merger meeting at Night Leaf with Alpha Lorent.
"I was just covering for Delta Emerson." Delta Bernard seemed rather pleased to be remembered, "Not that I was much at taking minutes, but it was an honour to sit in such a historical meeting."
Delta Bernard's main portfolio dealt with the business development of the Lorents' conglomerate of medical services and products, which the Alpha Family owned the lion's share of.
Oh whew, so he wasn't a practicing doctor.
Delta Bernard had three sons who were with him.
The eldest one was Marvin. The young alpha must remember - the two had schooled together since their elementary years. Marvin was currently in the Lorent University practicing to be a healer. Marvin bowed and stuttered something, but I couldn't make it out.
The second son was Devin, who would be 18 this year... He was... Delta Bernard frowned, "Where is your brother, Marvin?"
"I...I...I...I...am not sure...I think...there." Marvin answered.
We all looked to where Marvin pointed and saw a guy laughing with Charles. They were the same age. Delta Bernard decided to leave him be. Devin was painfully shy he explained, and only spoke to computers and very close friends.
"Ac...actually, Char...Charles is pr... probably h... his...only...only friend." Marvin tried to joke.
Delta Bernard's third son was Gavin who was 16. Gavin obliged us with a bow but didn't make eye contact. He didn't look like he wanted to be here at all.
Next was Delta Harrison Holden, not to be confused with Delta Harrison Oran. Of course I was immediately confused. Oh right, he was the other man in the secret meeting. I recognized him by his moustache.
"I am a man with a great passion." Delta Holden announced grandly, "Like Alpha Kingsley here, I too have a passion for education. It is my personal duty to find the diamonds in the rough and polish them to reflect their true brilliance!"
Delta Holden had brought his only son, Howard Holden. Howard was turning 16 this year. He didn't look particularly interested or disinterested.
I had to say though, Howard was the first really "normal" guy I've met tonight.
In the Lorent pack, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta positions may be inherited. Even the Delta positions.
Delta positions can also be bequeathed in recognition of one's contribution to the pack. After which, they too may be inherited.
That's what I meant by the leadership being a little different in every pack.
In Night Leaf, only Alpha to Gamma positions were inherited because our wolves were purebred and distinctly larger and more powerful.
Delta positions were selected from Elite Warriors based on their ability to fulfill a specialized leadership role, and the title was discharged along with the responsibility.
Elite Warriors were ranked and the positions competed for on a yearly basis. So this tier had to work to mantain their position and privileges.
Warriors had to pass an annual test and had to report for their shift and training.
Dad didn't want to saddle his pack with pockets for fat lazy dogs to rest their deadweight on top of the hierarchy, the way he felt was happening at Night Forest.
It kept our pack hierachy very flat and clean. But now as the first generation was aging, Dad had also been worrying about how to take care of the old and loyal warriors who couldn't pass the annual test.
An old and loyal warrior cannot be cast out to fend for himself once his "useful" years had ended. Dad was still trying to figure this out.
Some of them made good trainers for the younger warriors. Others were redeployed for paperwork. And there were also those like Dean's dad who while not at retirement age, had found the rigours of training and testing too much, and decided to use their savings to start their own new ventures. These were the happy endings.
There was no life long financial guarantee in our pack, much less any guarantee for your children. Everyone had to work for their keep.
And I think the fear of one day seeing old loyal wolves destitute on the streets after giving their best years to running in this pack was something that kept Dad up at nights.
Last year they started a night college for adult wolves and a paid scholarship program specifically for warrior wolves to equip them with other skills.
"I hated the way the old system gave an unfair advantage to the old dogs, so I created a system for the young wolves to prosper. But now that I grow older... I realize how unfair this system can be for the elders." Dad sighed.
Yes, but lifelong pensions were costly - wolves lived long lives. And inflation and unexpected life events sometimes made short work of savings - if they had any. Warrior wolves were not all financially savy in nature.
Night Leaf wolves liked to fight, and run, and hunt, and play guitars, and dance, and sing. Night Leaf wolves never minded roughing it out, muddy boots, loud laughter, and squealing rumbatious pups.
But Night Leaf wolves were not the type who worried about money or our future. That was always Dad and Beta Lucas' job. Since the dawn of Night Leaf, it was widely known among wolves, if you ran with Dad, you had a roof over their heads, 3 square meals a day, and a pack to run with.
But the world was changing and with the complexities of technology, political tensions, and cultural shifts as the next generation stepped up, something was going to give, and the most likely wolves to take the hit would be the elders who had built this pack with the strength of their youth, only to be left behind in their old age.
Sad life.
But Dad didn't have to worry for long. In a few years, that would be my job.