WHAT HAPPENED AFTER

25 FEBRUARY, THURSDAY, CONTINUED

I think it would be good to put a sign on my Luna's door. Something that reads, "PROCEED WITH CAUTION." You know, so that innocent wolves wouldn't barge into the room without first sensing for other wolves. Anyway, because there wasn't such a sign, I barged straight in, "Bell! I..."

And then I just froze at the door because I realized that except for the sheet across his lap, Bell was naked, and from the door, I could see his side profile - like everything from his broad shoulder down to the side of his butt. omo. I mean hip. Yeah. His hip.

He wasn't alone either. Delta Oran was sitting on the side of his bed facing him. The delta's hand was glowing over Bell's arm - Bell's arm which was NOT in a sling.

Both men turned around somewhat stunned at my entrance.

"Speak of the devil." Bell smirked.

Oh, where they talking about me? Wait, what were they saying about me?

"Please forgive my rudeness Alpha." Delta Oran said, "I cannot stand up to greet you properly when in the middle of healing."

"Did Bell's arm get better?" I blurted out. And then I decided to pretend I didn't notice how naked Bell was and walked over to the bed.

"Not quite, Alpha." Delta Oran hung his head, "All I can do is help preserve the physical form."

I nodded, but my attention was on you know who.

{Mate! ~ ❤️}

Yes, yes, Boo, but if you make me do anything embarrassing, I'll...

Actually, I had no idea. What could I punish Boo with without punishing myself?

{Would you cut off your nose to spite your face?} Boo suggested sweetly.

One day, Boo... just you wait... I'll make you face the music.

{Then won't you have to face it too?}

Grrrr... I hate my wolf.

As I approached the bed, Bell shifted his legs under the sheet, drawing his feet and knees closer to himself. This caused the sheet to shift and then he leaned forward a little more, flashing me his entire back view. It was just for a second, but I quickly sidestepped to angle myself not to see anymore.

Okay, calm down, Sam. Pretend he just shifted out of his wolf form. Its not the first time some half naked guy had appeared in front of you.

{But Mate! ~ ❤️}

And the rumors about my luna's butt were true.

Okay, seriously. Stop! I gave myself a mental slap. Snap out of it Sam. WTH was wrong with me?

I took a slow steadying breath, and tried to still my heart, lest I give myself away. Delta Oran was a healer wolf - would he had noticed my heart palpitations? I've heard healer wolves were more sensitive to these things. Oh wait, Bell was a healer wolf too, right? Wait, why was I even feeling nervous?

"I ah..." For some reason, now Delta Oran sounded nervous too, "Forgive me, Alpha. This will only take a short while more."

He checked his watch, "I'll take my leave the moment it is done."

"That's alright." I swallowed, "Take your time. I just came to see my luna for a bit."

"Have you seen enough?" Bell growled.

What? What provoked him this time? Sigh, my luna was like a rose with a million thorns! Such a prickly man.

"I wasn't looking!" I felt my face turn hot. Ohhhh.... stooopid dumbbell.

"You said you came to see me." Bell smirked now, "I was only asking if you're done seeing me. Why are you embarrassed? What did you see?"

I'm not sure how it was possible, but my face turned hotter. Goddess, I hope the degree of heat I felt was not reflective of the intensity of color on my cheeks, "Nothing! I didn't see anything!"

I'm not sure why I shouted at him, but yeah, I shouted that.

Bell chuckled. My luna was like a moon with a million faces. Wasn't he angry just a few seconds ago? Now he was laughing at me.

"Why are you laughing? What's so funny?" I demanded.

"I'm not laughing at you." Bell answered as if to placate me, "I was laughing because you were cute."

Now I knew he had to be messing with me. Did he think I was a five year old? I flared at full height, my hair hitting the ceiling. If he pushed me anymore, I was sure to kraken, "Don't bluff! Why do you Lorent wolves always sleep naked? Its not like you guys can't afford pajamas!"

"And which other Lorent wolf have you seen sleeping to assume this?" Bell's voice dropped a notch lower.

I blinked. Only Ki I guess, but I've long since used Ki as a guide to all things Lorent, and if Bell did it too, then it would be the gold standard of Lorent culture in my mind.

"Who else, princess?" Bell growled.

Delta Oran hastily finished up the healing, "Ah, its done. I just need to wrap this up."

"Get out." Bell said, his voice dropped into a low growl now.

"Ah... young alpha, but you arm..." Delta Oran held up the fresh roll of bandages.

"GET OUT!" Chi Ka Boom.

"Yes, Alpha." Delta Oran quickly bowed and abandoned his duty, "I... ah... I'll inform Ki to come assist..."

He was out the door before he even finished the sentence. I took a step back. Guess I could always come back and check on Bell again after the training session. He was seriously in a stormy mood today.

"Not you." Bell reached out his other hand and grabbed my wrist, "Did I say you could leave?"

The movement caused his sheet to shift precariously low on one side.

"Get dressed first!" I pretty much yelled in my luna's face.

"Answer me!" Bell demanded. Unlike me, Bell wasn't shouting, but the gold in his eyes looked molten.

And I forgot the question.

Ki knocked his dignified two raps and entered with his gentle smile, "Luna, please allow me to assist you."

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" I asked Ki.

"Don't change the subject, princess. Who?" Bell demanded.

"Who what?" I struggled to pull my hand free. Bell's grip on my wrist was tight.

"Luna, please be gentle with your princess." Ki smiled, but he didn't hesitate to pick up the bandages that Delta Oran had abandoned on the bedside table.

Bell growled lowly at him, but since he couldn't move his other arm at all, it wasn't like he could push him away - not without releasing me.

"Let me go!" I yelled at the stoopid dumbbell.

"Answer." Bell alpha commanded.

"I don't know!" I alpha commanded back - except that my alpha command didn't make any sense. But the alpha power was there.

"Why must you be so difficult?" Bell growled.

"Me?" I flared all over again, "You're the one who's.... just let.me.go."

Because I hated this feeling, of being bound, even though it was just by one wrist - it made me remember that nightmare into the little human's memory.

Ki finished up the bandaging, and started helping Bell put on a shirt. I realized belatedly that Bell needed a lot of help to dress. Ki had to help him get his unmoving arm into the sleeve. Actually, that was the easier bit.

"Luna, please release your princess." Ki advised while holding out the other shirtsleeve for Bell to put his hand through.

Bell let go of my wrist and I ran for the door.

"Stoopid Bell!" I turned to yell at him before leaving, and then because I was that mad at him, I added, "Don't think you can bully me just because your arm is hurt. I'm going to get your arm healed, and then I will properly beat you up!"

And then I slammed the door shut. STOOPID DUMBBELL! I unconsciously rubbed my wrist, it's healing was immediate. Of all the wolves in the world, why was my mate the most infuriating one?

{Mate is so strong. ~ ❤️}

I take that back. My wolf was the most infuriating one.

And then I stopped. Why did I get mad? I tried to remember. I didn't like the feeling of being bound by my wrist because of that bad dream, and I guess it was annoying that he kept insisting I answer something I didn't even know the question to, and... ah! WTH. That dumbbell always made my emotions unstable. Yes, it was all his fault.

I decided I had stood outside on the corridor for long enough. But my steps were halted again by my Luna's mindlink, {Ki. Inform the other betas and the special team. By order of your luna. If any man should dare show himself nude in front of my princess, cut off anything that sticks out, and then have him flogged.}

Eh. I covered my mouth in shock. WTH. What kind of drama did Bell think he was living in? This wasn't the Lorent Pack? And who in the right mind would be strutting about in the nude so that he would appear in front of me? And then I remembered how Ki and Bell liked to shift into their human forms in broad view of the whole Thursday Night Session. Hahaha. The two lorent princes can go punish themselves then!

{I'm assuming this excludes yourself, luna?} Ki asked courteously.

{Don't ask me stupid questions, Ki.} Bell growled.

{Then I will also automatically include all the reasonable provisions and caveats as well.} Ki decided.

{Yes, whatever. Don't bog me down with the details.} Bell pretty much waved it off.

{Understood, Luna.} Ki agreed amiably.

I forced my feet to start walking again - but very quietly. Thank goddess for the luxuriously thick carpeting installed in the Alpha House, and the insulated walls!

When Lorent princes confer, it's probably best to just walk away from this kind of madness. And at any rate, I suppose this new rule was in effect a harmless one. It's not like anyone would suddenly appear naked in front of me.

My feet led me straight to my bedroom - this was just an automatic route my feet chose while I was pondering if a wolf shifting into his human form in front of me counted, because then the number of "casualties" would be quite high. I had better check those "reasonable provisions and caveats." We were wolves - wolves shifted in and out all the time.

Seriously! Now that I thought about it, Bell was also the one who made the "No males, apart from my family and my betas, are allowed into the Alpha's room" order. Why did Bell suddenly come up another dumb order? Because he was a dumbbell. I wonder how many more dumb rules my luna had set.

But the most troubling thought came as a question: Why was I so bothered about Bell being naked just now? Why was I flustered over such an insignificant matter as the lack of clothes? Nah, it had to be because he nearly chi-ka-boomed. It must have influenced my emotions through the mating bond. I was just reacting to the fragments of chi-ka-boom that had seeped through the mating bond. Yeah. That must be it.