4 MARCH, THURSDAY, CONTINUED
I tried to help with Wolfgang's chances of getting reclaimed so his honor could be restored and he could go home.
Although I guess I could just throw in the match, I had become quite aware of my aversion to losing. It would be much safer if it were a challenge that I was truly bad at.
"Maybe some girly skill." I suggested. I would have suggested something that required smarts, but I wasn't just about to admit I was dumb! I wasn't THAT dumb!
"Like perhaps singing or music?" Alpha Gunter looked hopeful.
Harvey shook his head, "I'm afraid our Alpha Princess is a very talented singer."
(No I wasn't!)
"Oh, yes. How could I forget!" Alpha Gunter nodded, "I remembered your Luna Grandmother's recitals... they were the most enchanting performances."
Like when was that? Like before the Great War? (And what had that got to do with me?)
But Alpha Gunter had already turned briskly to consult Beta Glenn, "Perhaps something else then? Do you know what other talents our Anastasia might boast?"
"Not her!" Wolfgang looked most dismayed.
"Her inventions..." Beta Glenn started.
"Not that, Glenn." Alpha Gunter immediately shot down, "Something's bound to explode. We should in no way endanger the Alpha Princess' life in this challenge."
Wolfgang looked truly miserable.
And then Wilhelm raised his hand, "If I might make a suggestion, Alpha."
"What is it?" Alpha Gunter asked.
"Perhaps cooking." Wilhelm smiled, "Lady Anastasia is quite the enthusiastic cook."
Right! I perked up, "I barely pass my cooking lessons!"
"But Lady Anastasia's a terrible..." River started and then he changed his mind, "I mean TERRIFIC cook!"
River was a terrible liar, I mean TERRIFIC liar. We didn't even need alpha sensing to know it.
"But she's better than a minimum pass at home ec, right?" I asked weakly.
Wolfgang looked undecided at this point. It was like he suddenly found himself between a rock and a hard place. Oh, the miserable life of the last fire wolf.
"Her cooking is..." River searched his mind for the right word, "It's not poisonous."
"Can you guys come up with something else?" I wasn't going to risk it, "Or you can just think about it and let me know closer to date."
"I'm sure four years is enough to master the culinary skills required for a single dish or two." Alpha Gunter decided, "How hard can it be?"
And I knew at once Alpha Gunter had never tried his hand at cooking.
"Yes." Wolfgang looked like he had decided too, he looked hopeful even, "I request the duel for my honor to be a cooking challenge."
"What?" River exclaimed, "But..."
Wolfgang growled warningly at his prince and River shut up.
And so it was decided. SINCE IT HAS COME TO THIS, (no, the Snow Wolves couldn't just take Wolfgang and go home. It would be truly dishonorable, and Wolfgang would have to kill himself), the Snow wolves would concede their defeat. Wolfgang will live with my family for the next four years. He would not be living and eating for free, of course. During this time, his flame would be mine to command, and he will swear his allegiance and all the works to make him my wolf, temporarily anyway, because Alpha Gunter will definitely redeem him.
"I solemnly swear it, Sir Wolfgang." Alpha Gunter promised, "I will redeem you no matter what the cost."
At River and Savy's mating ceremony, we will gift to them as a mating gift the opportunity to redeem their Fire Pillar. I offered to just give Wolfgang as the mating gift, but no, it didn't work that way. Far be it for us to humiliate their pillar by giving him like a common slave! No, a full redemption must be made. Life for a life, in Wolfgang's case, it was was two lives, because he was that special. So two poor snow wolves would be transferred to us.
Also, I should be expecting Lady Anastasia to challenge me to a cooking duel for the right to mating Wolfgang. In this way, Wolfgang's honor would be restored to him.
No one needed to get their panties into a twist, it was purely formalities. I was underage anyway, so respecting Green Packland laws, there will be no real mating. At least until I turned 18, after which I may mate all the wolves I please.
May I just, in all cultural sensitivity, say that this was the DUMBEST THING I had ever had to play along with.
"I know I have no right to request anything else, but if I may be so bold to ask, please treat Wolfgang with due honor and kindness during his stay here." Alpha Gunter said, "I would personally return the favor."
Ben shut his laptop with a smart snapping sound, "Yes, yes, but there's just this one little thing..."
The adults looked genuinely surprised all around.
"One thing you say, young beta?" Alpha Gunter asked.
"The terms and conditions." Ben smirked.
Which didn't sound like a little thing, unless you meant the size of its print, and also Terms and Conditions were more than one thing.
"I would assume a memorandum of understanding based on our alpha's honor would suffice." Alpha Gunter demurred.
"Well, yes." Ben shrugged, "But don't say we didn't warn you."
"How do you mean?" Alpha Gunter dropped a few degrees in temperature. I don't think he was used to being threatened by young betas.
Harvey winced a little and then raised his hand to speak up. With a wry smile, he calmly clarified, "What our head beta means to say is that there are a few technical points we would like to clarify upfront."
Would you look at that? Now the barbarian wolves wanted to play with technical points!
"Please, explain your concerns, young beta." Alpha Gunter coolly nodded toward Harvey. I guess he figured that Harvey would be less aggravating to hear out.
"There are just a few points to note," my good beta began, "The first being, as you must have known, the matrimonial laws in the Green Packlands only provide for monogamous union. Since a wolf may only take one mate legally, and our Alpha Princess is already formally betrothed to the Young Lorent Alpha, it would stand to reason that any other wolf she takes will not be recognized by civil law."
No, Harv. It would stand to reason that every wolf would take only ONE mate. I mean, duh, right?
"Yes, I am well aware of this." Alpha Gunter agreed frostily, "I did not expect Sir Wolfgang's union with the Alpha Princess to be legally binding." Wolfgang looked down on the table, but otherwise said nothing.
"Also, our Alpha Princess will turn of legal mating age in three years, not four." Harvey pointed out, "However, according to historical lycan customs, it will not do for her to take other mates within the first year of her official mating ceremony."
I'm not sure where Harvey was digging all this up from. I would say it wouldn't do to take another mate EVER after you found your soulmate, but no one contradicted him so apparently, there existed such technical points somewhere in our Lycan history books.
"Thus to ensure we are all on the same page, we should point out that it would be very likely that their mating would not be consummated by the time his champion reclaims him." Harvey surmised.
I think this was exactly what we were all going for here. All this was just formality to protect Wolfgang's honor, right? But I guess it was better to be safe than sorry. Maybe this was what Henry meant when he said Harvey's contracts were airtight. My good beta wasn't going to leave any leeway to vague things like Alpha Honor.
"Furthermore..." Harvey continued.
Alpha Gunter tilted his head at this point, I don't think he was expecting a "furthermore", but he held his tongue.
"It might be well advised to note that Wolfgang is not the first wolf our Alpha Princess had "claimed" beside her luna." Harvey said with remarkable composure.
Wait, WHAT?
You could've heard a pin drop at this revelation.
"What... what do you mean by that, young beta?" Alpha Gunter faltered now.
Yeah! What do you mean by that, Harvey?
Alpha Gunter raised a brow at me. I shook my head and felt my hair flare a little. Don't look at me! I knew nothing!
I gave my parents a quick side glance.
Don't listen to my betas! I'm innocent! But Dad was frowning at me (at least it was just his thinking frown for now), and Mum was wordlessly looking at me, her mouth a soundless "O."
I looked back to my betas. Somebody clarify before I go down in history as the sleazy alpha with more than one mate!
And yes, we did sometimes have those. They were also known as SCANDALS.
But my betas didn't seem worried in the slightest about my public morality.
"We mean, Wolfgang will have to take a number." Ben smirked. He looked like he was truly enjoying himself.
And just so everyone would believe them, my favorite strategist felt some acting was required. Fluffy smiled his beautiful smile at Wolfgang, "You're the youngest brother now, so you have to do what we say."
Wolfgang blanched at the teenager.
Ki smiled, his gentlest smile, "Welcome to the family."
My wolves were doing a marvelous job. Even though I knew they had to be lying, I couldn't sense it in the least.
Alpha Gunter wasn't born yesterday though. He was still unconvinced. He looked to Bell, "And you accept this, Young Alpha?"
Bell smirked in all his arrogant glory, "As long as they remember that I am the Luna.
"Yes, yes, Scary Luna." Fluffy was quick to acquiesce, "The rest of us are just dogs."
All three of my betas were smirking, Fluffy was smiling his beautiful smile, and Bell draped an arm around my chair with his more-arrogant-than-thou-face. For better or worse, their big bad wolves had come out to play.
And then Wolfgang asked, "May I ask, how many others are there?"
Wait what? No, Hotstuff. At this point, you're supposed to say, "No way! I'm going home!"
I'll even let you slap me for the appropriate dramatics. I sounded like a terrible playboy.
"Well, lets see..." Ben looked up at the ceiling as if to count, he paused and turned to consult Harvey, "Does Stephan count?"
"Technically, yes." Harvey nodded.
Bell raised a brow at Stephan's name, "Even Stephan?"
"Yes, Scary Luna. You were there, remember?" Fluffy beamed, "He requested for her to save his pack in return."
"That makes Stephan and I twins." Fluffy added beaming before turning to graciously assure Wolfgang, "Don't worry, you won't be the youngest for long. I'm sure you won't be the last wolf Pretty Alpha takes into her home."
By now, I've realized that for whatever reason, my dumb wolves were antagonizing the Snow Wolves on purpose. They had also conveniently decided that anyone who had pledged to be my "dogs" were now my...my...
{Oh my goddess, Savy!} Lizzy mindlinked too loudly, {The harem is real!}
"No way!" I flared too loudly - because I did this aloud, "I didn't ask any of you to join my... my..."
I really couldn't bring myself to say it aloud.
"Your FAMILY, Pretty Alpha?" Fluffy supplied.
I nodded. Yes, my family. You're all my family.
And then I realized what it sounded like and shook my head hard. BUT NOT LIKE THAT!
"I've told you before, you're all free to go." I argued instead, "You're full pack wolves now. You don't owe me anything."
"Yes, but if we should leave your side," Fluffy applied his beautiful face to the most tragic expression I had ever seen, "Who would protect us from your jealous luna?"
Bell smirked, "Yes, go. I'll help all of you disappear for good."
Which didn't help in any way.
It didn't convince Alpha Gunter in the least either, "You expect me to believe that the young Alpha Princess has been secretly keeping a harem?"
"More like a dog shelter." Bell shrugged.
"We have quarters on the second floor of the side wing of the Alpha House." Fluffy smiled and tilted his head towards Wolfgang, "It's cosy and quite comfortable. I'll introduce you the others later."
My good beta was probably the only one on point by now. Raising his hand to collect our attention back to himself, he offered, "Perhaps, Alpha Gunter might consider having Wolfgang reclaimed sooner than later."
Which I now realize was their entire point to all this unnecessary drama.
"Officially, 9th." Ben smirked, "Hotstuff's ninth in line."
"Officially?" Wolfgang repeated.
"Excluding any other affairs the Alpha Princess might have outside of her home."
Haha, Ben. I bet you think you're so funny, "STOP IT!"
Ben stopped smirking and wisely shut up.
Did my dumb wolves not realize my Mum and Dad and Beta Lucas and Mrs Beta and Beta Gerald were also in the room? WHAT IF THEY BELIEVED YOU?