WHEN YOU NEED SOMETHING MOVED
"Okay, men. Fall back." Gamma Endo decided to help out, "Let the lovebirds fight it out first."
I flared again, "We aren't fighting!"
(We weren't lovebirds either.)
Because you know, it wasn't just an embarrassing choice of vocab, it wasn't good for the Alpha and Luna to fight. Didn't Gamma Harry say that himself?
"It's okay." Gamma Harry waved it off, "Carry on. Just let us know what you want us to do when you've kissed and made up."
Then then two old gammas laughed and patted each other on the back like good friends.
Omo.
"We were NOT fighting." I insisted, now more out of embarrassment than anything else. I looked at Bell. He had better back me up here.
Bell smirked, "As my princess said, we were not fighting. Move the tables."
Grrrr… how dare he?
"No!" I flared again, and just so to be perfectly clear, "But we aren't fighting."
Like nobody believed me. I mean, even Bell raised his brow, but he didn't say anything. He didn't have to, his smirk said it all. I wasn't going to let my luna win this one though. I mean, I was NOT going to argue with him in front of everyone, but I sure as hell wasn't going to let my luna push me (or the buffet tables) around.
"The tables stay where they are. Just move my luna's car." I said.
"But the road isn't wide enough!" Gamma Harry said.
I could see that, but I could also see Neil and Torque and some of the other guys.
"Owen, have our Lorent guests escorted to the packhouse parking." I pointed at the driveway closest to them.
"Yes, Alpha." Owen bowed and sounded very relieved. I think he could see it was the most sensible course of action.
"Ben!" Was I glad to see him!
Ben had just come around. I guess he was done with his "business."
"What, Sam?" He loped over and just for a moment, we all stepped up to the sidewalk to watch Owen and the rest of the convoy move off.
"Have Bell's car moved wherever he wants." I told Ben.
"Wherever I want?" Bell smirked. He was totally enjoying this.
"If you want it on the roof, just say the word." I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to make things any harder than it was.
"No, thank you, princess. Just to the garage is fine." Bell demurred with a smile - his beautiful smile, the one that made Boo melt like chocolate in the sun.
Idiot. Don't smile like that! It's unfair.
"Alright. You heard your luna." Ben took charge automatically. Ben was very good at taking my cues like this, "Neil, Torque, Barry, Ink…"
Ben scanned the crowd, "Tie and Hank too… Sirs, can you lend a hand? We need to get this car up to the Alpha's driveway."
Haha. Even Ben didn't dare to call our trainers without addressing them as Sirs. Ben was the young head beta with an attitude, but I took this as proof that what we were taught as pups was still so ingrained in us.
Everyone got excited now, our biggest and strongest warriors were being called up to the car. Even if the other wolves weren't aquainted with the Special Team, even if they missed the latest gossip about the Special Team that now lived in the Alpha House, even if they had been spending the last few weeks hiding under a rock, it had to be obvious from their height and build that Ben was only selecting the XXLs and up.
I mean, they were like the hulks of our wolves - even in human form. Like Hank was suddenly the smallest guy in the group. This was the dude who had been topping the Warrior Ranking since he turned 18. This was the guy slated to take over our Captain Titanium (who everyone knew as the human tank.)
Speaking of Titanium (aka Tie) the human tank, our biggest and largest (when in human form) was now average sized next to the likes to Neil and Torque.
Barry and Ink sported the same tall broad shouldered physique, but they didn't have the visible bulk.
Neil was probably closer to Tie's build. But Torque. He had to be the new biggest warrior. If we gave out awards for this, it would go to Torque, the human mountain.
These guys made Bell's convertible look like a toy - you know, the kind for little kids to drive in, like what Ben had bought for Lucky to drive about in his basement.
"Hi, Delta O." Neil stooped down to tap on the driver's door, "Better get out here. It's gonna get bumpy."
Delta Oran quickly got out of the car and handed the keys to Neil's outstretched hands.
I could suddenly picture how the delivery vans had handed my warriors ALL their food deliveries earlier - even the food that wasn't in our order.
Delta Oran looked about and then decided he would be safest on my side. He quickly made his way to stand near Ki. Bell narrowed his eyes at the position HIS delta chose to take. Delta O gave him a meek shrug.
"1, 2, 3… up!" Tie gave the count.
"Come on Harry. Let's give them a hand." Gamma Endo decided he wanted in on the action.
"You don't have to tell me." Gamma Harry was already on the other side of the car.
If Bell's car caused a scene just now, this was like a full-blown parade.
The other wolves thronged to the road to watch their luna's car being picked up and carried by the warriors to the Alpha's driveway. With 8 wolves at hand, they could afford to show off, holding the car high above their heads.
"Make way! Make way!" Gamma Endo announced, "Luna Bell's car coming through!"
It was like a full blown Barbarian festival right here, where large men hoisted and paraded a car over their shoulders, and everyone else sat on the ground and ate or clamored along their pathway to cheer and whoa at their passing.
Bell had to step back to my side so that they had space to maneuver his car around the buffet tables.
"That's why I said our Lorent warriors are useless." Bell muttered.
"It's not so much that they are useless, Young Alpha." Delta Oran gently correctly, "It's the Blue Demon Warriors who are monsters."
"Hn." Bell laughed. He was in an amiable mood.
"Did you have a good day?" I asked. It was rare to see Bell return from the Lorent's in such a good mood.
"No." Bell shrugged, and then he looked at me, his expression suddenly gentle, "Not yet."
What the hell was "not yet"?
{Cute.} Bell's wolf chuffed.
Bell's hand stroked my hair, "But it's getting better."
"Well, okay. Feel free to let me know whenever you need something moved." I joked.
There was a part of me that hated myself because if I were very honest, I think if Bell said he wanted to be carried around in his car wherever he went from now on, I would have said yes. I was pathetic, I know.
Why was my wolf so desperate to make Bell happy? What would I do for a "Hn"?
It wasn't even a real laugh. I had heard his real laugh before. His laughter was the most beautiful sound. It was like music in the ocean's depth.
But like beggars can't be choosers.
Our local wolves were far simpler to please. They cheered as they followed the car up the road and to the Alpha's driveway. Some of the other guys wanted a turn to carry the Luna Bell's car too. I'm not sure what kind of game they thought this was, but every now and then they would switch places to try and then make rather dramatic facial expressions to show how terribly heavy the car actually was.
It was like the car was made of plastic or reinforced iron - depending on who was lifting it. Surely they were exaggerating on both sides!
"Scuff it and drop dead." Ben warned them when the warriors looked like they were having too much fun. Only the ones who knew that this was a literal consequence took heed, the rest just laughed off the young Beta's warning.
Bell was definitely not amused at the way his car was being handled so roughly. His arms were crossed as he watched like a hawk for the slightest excuse to strike someone dead.
Luckily, the car got all the way to the driveway without nary a scratch.
"Easy now!" Neil yelled as they adjusted their hold on the car to place it down, "If you drop it too hard the roof would come loose."
I would like to know how he knew.
"Watch the suspension." Ben yelled, "Don't just drop it!"
It looked like putting down the car was harder work than hoisting it all the way over there.
But after a bit of acrobatic adjustments, the warriors got it down okay. Neil passed the keys to Dave to get it parked, "Better check the driveline and suspension. Those always knock off first."
I couldn't imagine what circumstances made it possible, but Neil sounded like he had a lot of experience in picking up and dropping vehicles.
The wolves hooted and cheered when Dave drove the car up the Alpha's driveway and into the garage. This was followed by a guitar rift - resulting in more cheers as the wolves flowed back to their family mats, the buffet line, and the stage area.
"It's Harv!" Someone point out.
Oh, my betas were everywhere today.
"Let's just ease in slow." Harvey said it like it was a promise.
Some wolves cheered, some wolves jeered. There was also quite a lot of laughter. I realized why the moment the drum started and Harvey went off - at full speed. My good beta really liked to rip through the notes.
Just like that, the dance floor was opened. Right there, on the road, in the middle of the day. It never felt more like Spring.
I turned to Bell who was still standing beside me. The moment our eyes met, I forgot what I meant to say.
Everything about Bell, from the color of his eyes, the depths of his voice, warmth of his hand, the curve of his jaw, his lips, his breath… he smelled like warm salty caramel… and right now, just with him standing in front of me…
"Wow." I said.
Yeah, because I was just eloquent like that.