Two Years Later
POV - Alpha Kyas
The room is dark as I slip in, leaving a small crack in the door. It doesn't matter. I know where he keeps them. Where he keeps ALL of them. I know where she keeps them too, but she has too many. I'd need help with hers. I listen, they are both asleep.
I found my prize. I don't need them all, just one of each. Got em. I quietly place them outside the door. Just one more… the one from last night. It will be closer to the bed. I sneak closer… he could wake up any second. AH, here it is. I quickly and quietly leave, close the door, and collect my stolen riches.
My work is not done. Four more rooms to visit tonight. First, the easiest - Brian and Sage. They sleep like the dead. I hide three in their closet. Then, Kaitlyn's room. She's catching on, but hasn't yet learned the sounds to wake her up. I hide two in her closet. Now the hardest. Cale and Violet. I'll have to be careful… they know… they are never safe.
I make it to Cale's closet, and deposit four more. He doesn't catch me. The last… Violet… my nemesis. SHE can hear a pin drop… and her closet is farthest from the door. Swiftly, quietly I move, I open her closet and set off BELLS!?! Instantly she's out of bed, crosses the room and turns on the light.
She caught me. She stands there in her night gown, her arms crossed. A scowl on her nine year old face. Almost ten. SLOW DOWN pup. I get up, and close her door behind her.
"Relax, Violet, it's not you tonight." I said.
"Then why are you in my room?" she said. Not happy.
"Because I want to." I responded.
"If that's the only reason, why were you in my closet?" she asked.
Deflection… "Bells, huh? Clever." I said.
"Yep, stole them from Yuletide decorations." she said. "I'm gonna put them on EVERYTHING - including my door."
"You wouldn't…?" I said, showing shock on my face.
She fixed me with a look, determined, and it said "I win". I like it. Honestly, she might have me… this will take planning with Sir I think…
"Then… I'll have to get sneakier…" I said.
"Try it." she challenged me. "Get out of my room, Papa."
"Ok, but I'm not done yet." I said.
She growls at me. She's so cute - like her Mama. I quietly remove the bells from the closet, and deposit the last of the stolen prize. Then I put the bells back. She watches me like a hawk, makes sure I don't take anything with me.
"What is it this time, Papa? What did you get?" she asked.
I wink at her. "One of each."
She grins. "Out."
I kiss her forehead. "Goodnight, pet." I head for the door, but then she coughs.
"Ahem." I look back, pretending confusion. She holds her and out. I sigh, and take off my shirt, and hand it over. The prize for catching a thief.
"I'll be getting that back." I said.
"You haven't found where I keep them yet. I'm getting a lot of them." she smiles. She is… this will have to be addressed. She doesn't know that I do know where she keeps them, and that most of them are now Sir's shirts.
I get halfway out her door and slow down. She pushes me the rest of the way. Closes her door. I hear her move the bells… she put them on the door behind me. I like a challenge.
I head to my room, and slip under the covers with Ember. She cuddles into my arms.
"You're late." she said.
"I'm Alpha, the clock belongs to me." I said.
"Mmmm, not if you want more than cuddles." she said.
My breath catches…
"Am I… that late?" I ask.
"Yep!" she says, cheerfully. Do women go to school to learn that? How to deliver crushing blows like a cheerleader?
I sigh, and snuggle deeper. I kiss her forehead too.
"Worth it." I said. She giggles, hugs me like a teddy bear, and we go to sleep.
—------------------
The head table Now consists of Ember and I in the center seats, with Sir on my right. The pups stretch two beside Sir, and three beside Ember. Mama and Papa head the nearest long table a new table turned sideways. Still exalted positions, but there just wasn't room to keep expanding the head table.
"KYAS!!" comes from upstairs. I'm already laughing.
He comes downstairs, holding a single shoe. "Where are my shoes, Kyas?" he demanded.
"Have you misplaced them again, Papa?" I asked.
"You know damn well I didn't misplace my shoes, boy. Give them back." he demanded.
I looked around me. "Clearly, they aren't here at the breakfast table." I said.
"Don't test me boy." he said.
"But I want to." I say back. I elbow Sir, who is silently laughing beside me. Sir is still the only one that can get me… the diaper wars… those have been fun.
"WHERE are my shoes, Kyas?" He demands again.
"They must be around here somewhere, but at the moment, I only know where two of them are." I responded.
"Where are they? Give them back, NOW." he said. He can't scare me anymore, he's not Alpha.
"One… is in your hand. The other…" I raise my own foot over the table. It's the mate to the one in his hand.
He growls, and stalks toward me. "Stay out of my room, Kyas, and give me back that shoe!"
"I like it in your room. There are so many fun things in there." I said back.
"Give. It. Back." He growls.
Come and get it." I said, and bolted for the door. I make it one full lap around the packhouse before he tackles me. One of these days I'll be faster. I keep my foot with his shoe on it away from him, while he wrestles to catch it. I have a secret weapon though. HE has tickle spots too. I just have to get one of his before he gets my foot.
I find one, just under his ribs. "Kyas!" he yells. Now he has to squirm, and still try to catch my foot. He throws his upper torso over my legs to pin them down and wrestles his shoe back but not before I nail two other spots, but he gets me back by going for the now shoeless foot. Eventually we're both exhausted and laughing on the grass.
"I should beat your ass, boy." Papa said.
"You can't, I'm Alpha." I said back.
"Where are my other shoes?" he asked.
"Tell you what. I'll find a shoe each morning, and if you pick the same one, you can have it back." I said.
"I bet I know where you hid them." he says. He probably does. Should I warn him about Violet's bells? I think not.
I stood up, and gave him a hand up. "Happy hunting then." I patted his back.
I re-enter the hall, to be met by Sir. He…was not happy. I grinned. I had been Very busy last night. He must have found out after I ran from Papa. Sir was tall in his own right, but looking up at him from below the head table, was a bit intimidating, even though the head table is only raised by half a foot.
"Shoes all around then, Kyas?" he asked.
"Shirts get boring after a while." I said.
"I'm not chasing you for mine, bring them back." He said.
"I handed most of them off… but I know where two of yours are too." I said.
He gave me a hard look. I took one of them off my other foot – I had needed socks in the heel and toe to keep it on. I tossed it to him.
"And the other one?" he asked.
"You don't want to know that." I said.
"Where is it, Kyas? I won't ask again." He said. I know where this is going… do I push it? I think yes. It's good for the pups to see Papa in trouble too sometimes.
"I'm not going to tell you. You REALLY don't want to know." I said.
The pack is watching. Half of them are already laughing. They like to see me get it too. I love what it does to the colors. Worth it.
Sir uses his power to knock me over from where he stood at the table, then he presses me down.
"Tell me where my shoe is, Kyas." He says again.
I can't move, but he didn't command me… yet. "NO! I'm not telling." I shout.
"Then I'll make you. SAY IT." He commands.
"It's in the pigpen." I answer.
"You did not!" he said.
"WHY does everyone think I won't do that??? I seriously do it All the time." I said, laughing.
"You'll be getting that back, Kyas." He said, letting me up.
"How about I just get you a new pair of shoes?" I offer.
"No, I want that one back, and you'll clean it too." He said.
"Why would I do that? I'm Alpha, I put things IN the pigpen, I don't take them out." I said.
"Because I want you to, and I outrank you." He said.
"What if I don't want to?" I said… genuinely NOT looking forward to getting that shoe back.
"Then I'll make you… a lot… in the mud." He threatened. It's not all mud and everyone knows it.
I gasp. "Fine. After breakfast." I gave in.
I checked the colors. Happy, strong colors. They are beautiful.
On the way back to my seat, I detour past Papa's table and snag his fork. I am relentless, muahaha.
"Kyas… put that back." he said.
"But I like it." I said.
"Get your own." he said, and socked my shoulder from behind.
"I want this one." I said back. I walk behind the high chairs on the way to my seat, and snag Sage's baby fork - they're getting porridge, he won't need it. I toss it to Papa.
"Use that one." I said.
I figured out how to make him see me… I made it so he can't afford not to.
He growls, and comes for his fork. I like it.