AN UNEXPECTED NEW FRIEND

9 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, 11PM

"A thunk-CLUNK-thank kind of sound." EJ answered. He actually sounded out the initial impact of of the pen, and then the louder tin can on impact, and then the echoed sound after.

Yeah, now that he said it like that, the marker did make more of a "Ka-lunck-ke" sound than just a "clunk".

"This better not be another one of your tricks." His friend warned, totally unimpressed by EJ fantastic knack for sound effects.

"I'm not tricking you. I heard someone inside." EJ insisted in a whine.

I remembered how Anthony's whining had grated on my nerves, but EJ's whining was different, a little higher pitched and funny sounding.

"Maybe the Luna is awake." His friend said, "Shhh... We're supposed to be guarding, not chatting."

There was silence. I waited to make very sure, before slipping off the chair and creeping over to the door to listen. I'm glad I had taken off my heels earlier, the two wolves outside were probably straining to hear me out right now.

"It's all quiet now." EJ said as if to prove my point. My hair flared on the other side of the door - silently, of course.

"Maybe he went back to sleep." His friend reasoned.

"No, I don't think that's normal. Why would he wake up and make a single weird sound and then go back to sleep?" EJ argued.

"EJ, it's just one sound. It doesn't mean anything."

Yes, listen to your reasonable friend EJ.

"No Owen, I know what I heard." EJ insisted, "There's someone else in the room."

Now, I'd say that was farfetched! How did the sound of a marker in a tin can mean someone else was in the room?

And then I froze when I heard a third voice approaching, this one more commanding than the first two, "What are you two doing? Owen report."

The two men in front of the door stomped immediately at attention. Ack!

From two wolves to six. My wolf radar was quite sure of it. Strong ones too. I'm not sure why Wolfie didn't seem fazed at all. I was freaking out with all the horror stories I've heard about young female wolves getting kidnapped by gangs of rogues and underground wolves.

{Mine}

No Wolfie, I'm quite sure this isn't mine.

{Mine}

Where was Boo when I needed her? Why was I stuck with this puppy form?

Wasn't I in a threatening enough situation right now? I cast Mate's sleeping form a glance and felt extremely comforted.

I carefully and soundlessly crept back to Mate. Now would be a good time for him to wake up.

But of course he didn't.

He lay there the epitome of Sleeping Beauty. Hair tousled, mouth still in all the curves I had never known about till tonight.

Actually, before tonight, I hadn't even noticed guys had lips.

"EJ heard something in the room." Owen reported dutifully.

"Maybe the Luna woke up." Yet another voice said, but this one was a voice I recognized! Flynn! I couldn't tell you how relieved I had felt to hear my trainer's sensible and familiar voice.

I nearly burst out of the cold, dark, miserable room EXCEPT I realized that Flynn would probably freak out about finding me here.

"Luna said to expect him back after midnight." The commanding voice deliberated.

"It's only 11." Flynn said.

"I've searched the perimeter, no one has been down this tunnel but us." Another familiar voice reported. I knew this voice.

{Mine} Wolfie informed me.

Yes, but which one? Seriously Wolfie! You're going to be alpha of the entire Packlands - that would be hundreds of warriors. Can you at least learn some of their names?

And Wolfie was messing up convention. "Mine" alone was reserved for claiming your mate. The correct way to say it is "My Warrior/Delta/Territory/Etc."

{Mine}

Wolfie insisted stubbornly. My Wolfie was as stubborn as a mule sometimes!

Okay, get a grip. I'm stuck in a dark cold room with Mate. The wolves on the other side were as far as I could tell, on my side, and probably on my Mate's side.

{Mine}

I'm just going to ignore my Wolfie now.

Anyway, the six wolves outside did not seem keen to enter the room.

"I'm sure there's someone else inside!" EJ said, "If I'm wrong, I'll do all my patrols naked this week!"

"No thanks. I don't want to see your naked frozen butt." Flynn answered.

"Why? So Sir likes his butts warm?" EJ asked.

There was a sound of someone being hit, but not very hard, Owen's voice was censuring, "EJ!"

EJ laughed, "Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"Should someone go in and check on him?" Flynn asked at length.

The guys all hesitated.

"I don't think it's possible for anyone to have gotten in though." Flynn said, "There is no other scent but ours."

"But there's someone else in there!" EJ insisted, "Maybe someone scentless."

There was another silence.

"I'll check. I have protective armor on." Flynn said.

"No, sir, let me." Owen decided, "You have your mate to return home to."

"Maybe I did make a mistake." EJ decided now, "There's no need to go in."

They were seriously whimping out.

Hahaha. So much for six powerful wolves.

I found the switch to the lights and flipped them on. A single light bulb came on, casting the room in shadows.

"Eiyeahhhh!" EJ yelled, "The lights came on!"

Another low thump, "Quiet EJ. That just means Luna is awake."

Thank you Owen. That was exactly what I was going for. It's just your Luna. Nothing strange or suspicious. You guys can all go back to whatever you were doing now.

There was a knock on the door, "Luna?" Or you could just make doubly sure.

Grrr... Why did they have to be so careful and competent?

I guess my gig was up.

I moved to open the door for them, but at the last minute, I decided to retreive my coat first.

I mean, I'm sorely under dressed for the Underground... As in literally, I didn't feel like I was wearing enough material. I remembered the way some of the male wolves at the Lorent's had looked at me, and I didn't want to be looked at like that by a whole army of fight dog wolves.

"Luna?" The commanding voice sounded more urgent, and then more quietly, "Break it down."

I took the coat off Sleeping Beauty. He'll have to make do with just his scratchy stiff blanket for now. Quickly, I pulled my coat over my arms to wear them. And on a whim, I also pulled up the hood. It made me feel safer.

The door crashed open.

"Ruby?" The voiced named EJ gasped.

"Who's Ruby?" I turned to regard the men standing at the threshold of the broken door.

Flynn's mouth dropped open when he saw it was me.

"Hoi! It's the Goddess!" EJ declared reverently, and then his eyes widened like saucers, "Are you here to take the Luna's life?"

"That's the grim reaper's job, EJ." Owen said.

"Did you come to bless him with a baby?" EJ asked.

"I don't think that's right either." Owen gave his friend a jab in the ribs to shut him up.

"Owieeee..." EJ was not one of those guys would be easily shut up.

"Babies get delivered by storks!" I decided to inform him.

"No way!" EJ yelled, "I know! You must be here to exchange his tooth for a gold coin!"

EJ punched a fist into his hand. He felt that sure he was right.

I shook my head, "That's the tooth fairy's job!"

"Then what are you doing to our Luna, Goddess?" EJ asked.

What? Eh? I wasn't doing anything. And then I realised that they had came in while I had just pulled on my coat facing Bell's sleeping body.

I shook my head again, "I didn't do anything."

EJ stepped into the room to come closer, "You're lying. His scent is all over you!"

I felt the blood rush to my face and took a step back. That's right, just because I couldn't smell a thing while dream travelling, didn't mean everyone else couldn't.

"EJ, pull back." The commanding voice turned out to be Stephan's. I knew it sounded familiar.

"EJ!" Owen shouted warning.

EJ backed off quickly, but it was more in reaction to something behind me.

byThe fear etched on their faces made me look back.

Like one of those horrific magic tricks, the beautiful man under the blanket had turned in a beast. Mate in wolf form, rising from the bed, his hackles raised. A low growl reverberating in the small room, his alpha dominance sizzling in the cold still air.

"Sam!" Flynn started forward to reach out for me, but Mate snarled viciously.

Titanium held Flynn back, "Don't Flynn. She's his mate. He won't hurt her... probably."

Probably?

I turned properly now to regard the large white beast with golden eyes, swirling like caramel... Oh... Bell's wolf. He was on guard, was Bell still sleeping? Half asleep?

"He's not in control!" Flynn was freaking out, "His wolf would kill her!"

Another man helped Titanium drag Flynn out, but not before Flynn yelled, "Sam! Run!"

{Mate?}

{Grrrr....}

Oh man, Flynn wasn't entirely wrong. It was mate's wolf, just the wolf. Scary wolf.

I froze. Who knew I would die this way, mauled by my own mate?

{Cute}

The white beast's growling subsided into a low purr as it approached me, nudging me with his nose, his large body brushing against me as it placed itself between me and the door. It was like a shark marking it's prey for the kill. I felt my hair flair. I stood frozen on the spot.

I should have ran, or even better, I should have shifted. My wolf was not any less than his. But in the moment, I just froze.

The then it curled up and got comfortable on the ground.

I watched the wolf, I could not move, I was still frozen on the spot. The other men watched from outside the open door with various expressions. Horror, terror, regret, confusion, shock, surprise... And of course Stephan showed no emotion at all. He just stood there like a rock, alert for the next move.

Then the wolf shut it's eyes and slept.

The men peered in from outside.

"That was waaaay too scary." EJ whined quietly.

"I can't believe it happened again." Flynn muttered.

Again? What did he mean again?

"At least no one was hurt this time." Titanium said.

You know what, nevermind.

"Aiiiii.... I nearly shat my pants!" EJ wailed out loud then.

Owen clapped a hand over the red hair's mouth. EJ made many strange sounds when he spoke. Many of them rather loudly.

Mate wolf's ear twitched. We all frozed at the movement and waited, and when nothing else happened, the guys released a collective sigh of relief.

I looked at them, and then at the large sleeping wolf. I looked up again. Flynn motioned for me to go to them asap. I nodded.

Except Mate's wolf was sleeping right in the middle of the room. I gingerly tried to step over him. It wasn't easy because he was really quite large and my skirt was really quite short and the coat while longer was thick and heavy. I managed though, I had always been agile. I hopped over and then tripped on the heels I left on the floor.

Opps.

"S***"

"F***"

"Dammit"

"*****"

"Sam!"

I guess everyone had their own personal favourite swear word.

Luckily, I landed directly on top of something warm and fluffy. Opps. I scrambled off the white wolf. I even managed to pick up my errant shoes. The wolf opened a single eye, saw me, and shut his eye again. Hopping off the heap of white fur, I put on the heels and half stumbled out of the door.

Whew!

"Sam! What the hell are you doing here?" Flynn hissed now that I was safe outside the lion's den. He had grabbed my by the elbow the moment I stepped close enough and was currently moving me away from the doorway.

"The door is broken." Owen reported after trying a couple of times to shut the door. It wouldn't shut anymore.

"If we don't step into his room, it should be safe. Probably." Stephan said.

There it was again. That word. "Probably."

"Does he still need guards?" EJ looked warily at the white wolf in the room.

Owen carefully pushed the door as shut as it would go. The metal door was misaligned, and it sported a dent like someone crashed a motor bike into it... Or a human sized tank, aka Titanium.

Stephan considered the situation, "For now, stand guard. It would be dangerous if anyone provoked his wolf."

It was just a little ironic, the door and guards that were protecting Mate was now needed to protect everyone else from Mate.

And then Stephan made a deep bow, "Thank you for coming all the way Alpha Sam. We have been expecting you."

"We have?" Flynn asked.

"She's Alpha Sam?" EJ exclaimed, "But...but..."

Owen pushed the back of EJ's head so that the both of them bowed deeply, and said on their behalf, "Forgive our rudeness, Alpha."

"But she's a girl!" EJ protested.

"I don't know if you noticed, but our Luna is a guy." Flynn grinned.

"Well, I don't know if YOU noticed, sir, but our Luna isn't interested in women." EJ retorted, "So naturally, everyone would assume that Alpha Sam is a man."

"You guys thought Sam was a man?" Flynn repeated.

"Yeah-huh! I mean, I guess that sounds stupid now," EJ gestured at me, "But no one showed us a photo or anything."

"That's enough, EJ." The man I didn't know said. And EJ shut up.

The man who spoke was a chestnut blond with hazel eyes and looked almost as emotionally constipated as Stephan, just almost.

I regarded him carefully. He was a strong wolf. At least a beta.

"Alpha, allow me to introduce my 1st Assistant Captain, Theo." Stephan said.

Theo bowed politely, his face still very serious.

Stephan continued with the introductions, "My 2nd Assistant Captain, Owen."

Owen, the sensible one also took a bow.

"Elliot Jeremy. Our youngest warrior." Stephan finished.

"Hoi Hoi, Alpha!" EJ said, "I'm very happy that our Alpha turned out to be a pretty girl."

Owen hit him again.

"Owwieeeee..." EJ howled.

Stephan and Theo's face stiffened even more at the unnecessarily loud cry, but it was Flynn who spoke, "EJ is probably around your age, Sam. He's young, but has extremely good reflexes and sharp senses."

"I'm 16!" EJ boasted.

"I'm 15 (this year)." I admitted.

"That makes me older!" EJ told me.

"I couldn't tell." I answered flippitantly.

"I'm taller, and stronger, and older, and wiser than you." EJ argued.

"You're also more annoying than me." I retorted without missing a beat.

EJ pouted, "I'm not annoying. I'm expressive."

I burst out laughing at that, "You're definitely girlier than me!"

"I'm not the one wearing high heels and white stockings!" EJ shot back.

"It's not my fault I had to wear this!" I shot back.

"What kind of Alpha goes around dressed like a girlie girl?" EJ taunted.

I flared and punched him.

"You punch like a girl." EJ said.

(I did not.) I mean, I held back, but not that much.

And then he tried to return the punch.

Flynn stopped it.

I flared, "Why did you stop him?"

Flynn let go, "Sorry, instinct."

The punch I had landed on EJ was beginning to swell.

I crossed my arms and sulked at EJ.

EJ sulked back.

"I'm letting you off today because you're younger than me." EJ decided.

"I'm letting you off today cos I like you." I decided.

"No thanks. I'm not interested in cute girls. Mature and sexy women match me better." EJ told me.

"I'm not interested in you either." I flared.

"You just said you liked me!" EJ argued.

"I don't mean like that..." I felt my cheeks flare too. Wth.

EJ laughed, "Just kidding, Alpha. You're so cute and fun to tease."

I threw a punch, this time I didn't hold back. EJ seemed to realize this, and Flynn was right about his reflexes. EJ dodged.

I followed up with a kick and then another - speeding up a little each time, just to test those reflexes.

EJ was fast. He tried to hit back but I was just as fast, and tinged with wolf power so I was also stronger.

The other men watched us exchange strikes across the corridor.

Flynn shook his head and feigned exasperation, "Pups!"

"WE'RE NOT PUPS!" EJ and I stopped in mid fight to yell, because our hearing was that sharp too.

We grinned and high fived each other. This was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.