I answered the call. "Hello!"
Henry's deep chuckle greeted me from the other side. "Energetic as always. I'm surprised you are up so early on a Sunday morning."
What an old-man thing to say!
"I had breakfast before this," I told him.
"That's nice," Henry said.
No, what I meant was I had to attend breakfast with the pack, but for some reason the words aren't coming out right. Ben was right (again), I had become a brat when I'm tired. I even talked like a brat.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Henry asked. I could hear him smirk over the phone.
"It's important!" I declared.
"Uh huh," Henry said.
I could hear the sounds of clinking. Someone pouring a drink. Was he having breakfast now?
"Are you having breakfast now?" I asked.
"Yes. Sam, what is this call about?" Henry wasn't naturally the patient type, so I suppose indulging me was already trying for him.
"Is Max there? Did you know he sent me documents?"
"Yes. The project papers? Is there a problem with them?" Henry asked.
"No, no, not the project. I got that too, but he gave Killion some extra files. It's got information about me—stuff that I didn't even know... Don't tell him I told you, though. I haven't seen the other documents yet..."
"Wait, stop, hang on," Henry said.
I heard a chair scrape back and Henry walking, then a door slamming shut. "All right, talk."
"Where did you go? You better not be in the toilet. If you dare take my call in the toilet..."
"I'm in my office. Sam, what are you trying to tell me?"
"I was up all night. I'm sleepy," I told Henry.
"No, the other thing, Sam. Is Ki there? Or Harv? I feel like I'm talking to a five-year-old," Henry complained.
I shook myself out of it. Okay, I needed to get a grip. "They can't talk now. We were up all night... so tired. But this is important."
I took a deep breath and tried again. "Maxwell gave Killion the information you've been secretly collecting about us behind our backs because he wants Killion to hang out with him. I think he's lonely. But I needed to tell you because your stuff is being leaked. That's dangerous, right?"
"Right. F***—sorry. What files do you have?" Henry asked.
"I've got me and the others in our project, except for you," I told him.
"Okay," Henry said. "And what do you want?"
"I wanted to warn you that Maxwell was leaking your intel to others," I said.
"What, that's it?" Henry asked.
"Yeah. Because you're my friend. You'd do the same for me too," I explained.
"Yeah, well, I will now." Henry didn't sound all that pleased.
There was a pause. I think Henry needed a moment to think.
"All right, I think I get it, Sam," Henry decided. "Thanks, I owe you. Let me know when I can pay you back."
Now it was my turn to be confused. "What? Um, Henry, you don't owe me anything..."
My brain. Why couldn't I understand what was going on? It was a good thing Henry had thought I was an idiot to begin with.
"You did me a favor. I'll repay it," Henry explained.
"What? That's so troublesome to keep track of. Just forget it. I know I would," I brushed it off immediately.
"I can be very helpful to you," Henry said.
"I don't like remembering these kinds of things," I said. "If I say you don't owe me, then you don't owe me."
"Just tell your beta I owe you one. I'm sure he would know how to use it." Henry was losing his patience now. "You're worse than usual today."
"I told you, I'm sleepy," I said back.
"Go to sleep. What the heck is your beta doing?" Henry grumbled.
"They're betas, not babysitters!" I shot back.
"For you, it should be part of their job description," Henry smirked. "Look, Sam, I don't have time to argue with you now. Go back to sleep."
I heard the door on the other side of the line, and then Peter's voice. "The Luna is here."
"Who are you talking to, son?" a woman asked.
"No one," Henry said. "I will join you outside in a moment, Mother."
"Girlfriend?" Henry's mum hazarded a guess.
I heard Henry's low growl. Hahahaha. He's being embarrassed by his mum.
"Is that your mum? Is she pretty? Can I talk to her?" I just had to poke Henry a bit. Maybe I'll even pretend to be his girlfriend and tell his mum something embarrassing. I hoped he would hand over his phone. But of course he didn't.
"No. Shut up, Sam!" Henry riled up. Hahaha, he's so easy to tease.
"Oh, it's a boy?" Henry's mum sounded disappointed.
I was covering my mouth with my hand, waiting for Henry's answer, but he only said to me, "Thanks again, Sam. I'll follow up with your beta. See you on Monday."
And then he hung up.
On the bright side, I told Henry the truth, and he took my word for it.
On the other hand, this call probably cemented his opinion about me being an unstable idiot.
I really needed help with my inter-alpha relationships. So far, I've met two other Alphas besides Dad in an official capacity.
Alpha James thinks I'm a pampered princess. Alpha Henry thinks I'm a spoiled brat.
Would you look at that! Essentially, they meant the same thing, right?
I was supposed to do homework, but my bed beckoned me, and in the interest of not being a spoiled brat in front of anyone else today, I went to bed.