The next few days were quite the frenzy in the Dark Orchard pack, and Sam found that she was glad to be so busy. The day after the town hall meeting, River from Weeping Willows showed up along with Eve, and Sam and Alpha Amal had gone into town to welcome them and make them comfortable. The trip to town was quite quiet that morning as Sam was not used to waking up so early - she had to wake up two hours earlier than usual, and was still feeling a brain fog from waking up so early. “Sam-” tried Alpha Amal, but she merely turned away from him in an attempt to catch a few more winks of sleep. When they got to town, she allowed him to help her out of the car and they made their way to the town hall, where River and Eve were both standing beside their luggage, wide smiles on their faces. Sam immediately saw that she and Alpha Amal were not really needed there; the pack members had been more than hospitable. They had fed the two guests, and every few minutes, one more person came over to

Sam had never felt quite as foolish as she did in that moment. The flowers were for her, and she had overreacted. Even if they were for Paisley, she realized, he had already done so much more for her than anyone else had. He had given everyone left of her clan a new home. He had gone after every whim she had, and had given her his time even when he didn't have to. He was kind and had not even treated her as a slave from the instant he got to know her. He had left her room, but she could feel a sulk coming on. She had told him to set down the flowers and a message on who to deliver it to, and she had not expected him to truly set it down, but he had. “These are for you,” he had said, and she had frozen in place because what was she supposed to say to that? She had expected them to be for someone else. She did not move while he got out a vase, put water in it and wedged the flowers into the water. When he had left her room and shut the door, she waited a few minutes to make sure that

Sam and Alpha Amal turned around to go to his father's room. She tapped his shoulder and he went over to his father while she left the room for them. She did not want the anger of Alpha Amal's father directed at her that morning, and since his wife was god knows where, she knew that he would run unchecked and she did not think she had the strength for that. Outside of the room, she could still hear the strong hard taps that Alpha Amal sent to his father's shoulder, and Sam pitied the man a little bit. When he did not wake up and Alpha Amal came back out, she went in with him and went into the bathroom to grab a glass of water. From that glass, she sprinkled some water over his face, and the man sputtered awake, a look of shock and then irritation coloring his face.“Who let you in here? Are you insane? You splashed water on my face?” he turned his focus to her and frowned. “And you, Omega slave, you are in my room, holding the water that was splashed on my face. Are you insane? ”Sa

Sam and Alpha Amal made their way over to the mansion and as soon as she got down from the vehicle, she went to the kitchen to grab a tray. Neither of them had eaten that morning, and she knew that an apple pie had been baked. She was not really up to talking right then, but she knew that in Alpha Amal's company, she would end up talking. His room was locked so she used the intermediate doors to get in and went over to his verandah. He was lying face down onto his pillow, and usually she would walk over to him and kiss him, but enthusiasm did not seem to be the order of the day. She turned to leave and then on second thought, went over to him and gave him a pack on his cheeks. After that, she went out of her room and began the stressful walk over to the servants' quarters. On a normal day, she would let well enough slide, but that day she just needed her best friend and a hug, and since Charity was within reach, she could see no reason to deprive herself of what she needed. She went

After their meeting with Alpha Amal's grandmother, she and Alpha Amal went over to the kitchen, to get a midnight snack. They had watched about 4 James Bond movies, and she had fallen asleep against Alpha Amal's shoulder. When she woke up a few hours past midnight, a blanket had been thrown over her shoulder, and Alpha Amal's grandmother was nowhere to be seen. A note had been propped under the half-empty popcorn bowl, and she pulled it out to read. In her loopy script, she had written: “When you wake up, please take the popcorn bowland empty the contents into the waste bin. Also,I know that Amal will not wake up on time, sowhen you're up Sam, be a doll and wake him too.PS: I do not trust his father as far as I canthrow him, and as you know, I am a frail old lady.Look into him, okay?Signed, G’ma.”Sam had let out a soft chuckle when she read the letter, and she had done what the note said so Alpha Amal could have a few minutes more to sleep. She had gone to her kitchen, put