ALMOST A COMPLETELY BORING NIGHT

Dinner was a quiet affair without any real conversation. Uncle Louis and I kept zoning out into our own thoughts, and Aunt Jade gave up after a few attempts at normal-people conversation.

I would have said something to help initiate conversation too, but off the top of my head, my opening statement would have been, "About Grandma's ring…" which even I knew was probably best left alone.

I was very relieved when dinner drew to a close. Uncle Louis seemed startled when his last plate was cleared, but he quickly realized dinner had ended and wiped his mouth before asking, "So… yes. Very interesting. Perhaps we should continue this conversation in my study?"

WHAT CONVERSATION? Nobody was talking! My uncle was mad. Hahaha.

Aunt Jade and I exchanged looks. She gave me a wry smile, "Sorry, your uncle is often lost in his own thoughts. But yes, come join us for a drink before bed."

And then she must have realized I was underage.

"Maybe a hot chocolate." Aunt Jade decided. She looked over to Beta Larson to make sure he had taken note.

I nodded when I should have made some polite excuse not to. I didn't really think of it until we reached Uncle Louis' study. This was exactly the point when I remembered Delta Felicity's earlier warnings. I panicked a little, but couldn't think of anything to say to extract myself. It didn't help that I was with Ben, and not Ki.

I glanced quickly over to Ben. He shrugged and raised his brow. I shrugged back and he frowned. What? Why was he acting like I should be reading his mind? I had no such skill. I mean, that would be Uncle Louis' version of his gift of insight… oh. Was that what he was doing whenever he zoned out? Omo. What did he read? Or rather, WHO did he read? I hope not me.

Okay, don't panic. Uncle Louis' gift of insight might not work like that at all. I mean, my betas certainly thought so, but I had the gift of insight too and I had never read anyone's mind like a vampire.

"Come in! Sit, sit anywhere." Uncle Louis said, but he gestured to a specific sofa. I obediently sat.

Ben frowned more at me. WTH. And then looking completely resigned, he sighed and flicked his hair. A la Wolfgang. Eh? Hahaha. Ben's hair was short, so it wasn't like he had anything to flick… oooohhhh…. Ben wanted me to open up my mindlinks. Bwahahahaha. I was being slow again.

I opened my mindlink, just to Ben though. Just in case Uncle Louis could overhear mindlinks too.

{Why are we even here, Sam?} Ben groused.

What? He thought I WANTED to be here?

"It… It's too bad my girls aren't here." Aunt Jade said from her seat next to Uncle Louis. Oh, the both of us had apparently zoned out again and she felt she had to say something.

"It's okay." I tried to contribute to Aunt Jade's effort, "I know they have school now."

"They wanted to take leave from school for a couple of days, but Estella had piano exams and Esmeralda was supposed to be preparing to represent her school at the Youth Leaders Debates next week." Aunt Jade told me.

Wait, they could "take leave" from school? What kind of school was Black Forest Academy? And would that work in Lorent Girls' School too? Maybe. If I remembered right, Oprah had to take leave to prepare for her performance at the King's Theatre too. I wondered what would be a good excuse, I mean reason for taking leave from school. Urm… just for future reference, you know.

Aloud, I said, "That's cool."

I filed the bit of info for future use. I could possibly "take leave" from my future school.

"Ah, I'm sure you and your sister must be very busy with your academic pursuits too." Aunt Jade assured me.

Last I checked, it was term break. I think Savy would be busy sleeping in and any research would be done through comic books and social media.

"I heard you're transferring to the Lorent Girls' School soon." Aunt Jade continued.

I nodded. I had no idea where she heard that from. Maybe mum. Either that, or she also had the gift of insight.

"I'm starting next week." I informed my Aunt Jade politely.

"That's a very good school." Aunt Jade told me. She glanced at her mate, who was still only here physically - Uncle Louis had been silently staring blankly next to her all this while. Aunt Jade turned back to me with a sigh, "I did want to send my girls there, I was told it was an excellent school for future lunas. Is that true?"

I nodded. That would be my impression too, but I quickly added because I didn't want Aunt Jade to regret her school choice for my cousin, "But Black Forest Academy is the number one lycan school in the continent."

Aunt Jade didn't look entirely convinced, "That's true, but I worry about my girls… the academic rigors might be too stressful for them. They're just girls after all."

Urm… I didn't know how to respond to that. I gave her a Lorent shrug, "It sounds like they're doing well there."

"Well, yes. I suppose I'm just worrying too much." Aunt Jade shook her head at herself, but she seemed happy, "It's a mother's job to worry after all."

I nodded again and gave her my wide smile, "Yeah. My mum worries all the time too."

Although, in mum's case, I guess some of the worrying was warranted.

There was a quiet tapping on the door. Beta Larson promptly answered it to let in a servant with a tea tray of baked goodies and my hot chocolate. He quickly finished up pouring drinks for his Alpha and Luna from the side board.

I eyed the hot chocolate. Was I allowed to drink that? Did we still have to follow that silly food protocol? Would it be rude if I left it untouched? I glanced up at Ben, would he know? Well, since it was Ben, I was quite sure he would know full well. Maybe the question was more of whether he was going to follow through.

I never found out. There was a sudden commotion somewhere in the Packhouse. It was muffled - my Uncle's study was on the second floor, it was properly insulated from the cold and sound but the commotion downstairs was so large that we immediately heard it.

Well, all the wolves heard it. Aunt Jade didn't seem to realize at all. She busied herself plating me a large cookie, "Try this, Sam. Macadamia nuts, white chocolate, and cranberries. My girls love this."

Uncle Louis was still out of it. Beta Larson, who seemed the most aware of what was going on cleared his throat pointedly at his Alpha. When that did nothing to stir Uncle Louis, the beta was alarmed enough to call out aloud, "Alpha, Alpha!"

Aunt Jade looked from Beta Larson to me. She put down the plate, "What's wrong, Larson?"

But she also prodded her mate, "Dear, dear?"

Uncle Louis growled his annoyance, but he was returned to us, "Yes? Yes. Very good. What is it?"

And then Beta Larson or someone must have mindlinked him because his eyes widened, and he shook his head, and then he frowned, "What, when? Why didn't you say anything sooner, Larson?"

"Apologies, Alpha." Beta Larson answered dully, "I had not wanted to interrupt your time with the Alpha Princess."

"Ah, yes. Yes." Uncle Louis looked like he just realized I was there, "Good talk."

And then he remembered, "Although there was something I had meant to discuss with you, Sam… but unfortunately that will have to wait for another time."

I nodded, "Yeah, its okay."

I was more relieved than anything else that I might possibly be excused.

"It's past my bedtime anyway." Yeah, I was that desperate.

"Oh!" Aunt Jade looked totally surprised, "So early? My girls only sleep at midnight! I'm so sorry Sam, you must be exhausted!"

"Ah, its okay. I'm okay." I reassured my Aunt, "But I think I'll go to bed now."

Honestly, I had no idea what time it was, but I was sure it was past 10. And Aunt Jade wasn't far wrong about me being exhausted. It had been a long day.

"Yes," Aunt Jade was suddenly determined, "Then you must go to bed."

I couldn't help but smile, I think she was sincerely trying to take care of me, "Thanks Aunt Jade. And thank you for opening my Dad's suite for me to stay in."

"Of course! That's only right!" Uncle Louis loudly declared, "We'll be happy to open your Dad's suite for you anytime at all!"

"Thank you." I repeated my thanks. I don't know… there was the thing about Grandma's ring, and he was very probably crazy… but as far as I could tell, my Uncle Louis and Aunt Jade were trying their best to be good hosts since I got here.

I stood up to leave. Aunt Jade quickly stood up to see me off. Uncle Louis stood up in a sudden flurry too. I had thought he was just rushing to send me out too, but he rushed out of the library on his own, "WHAT?!? LARSON! At heel."

And Beta Larson dropped a polite bow at his Luna and me and followed after his Alpha. I watched them leave the library, my uncle a whirlwind, and his beta a resigned shadow.

"Well…" Aunt Jade looked apologetic, "Don't mind them. I think there's some kind of emergency downstairs…"

She shrugged it off, "Sometimes these things happen, but don't worry. The warriors will take care of it. It'll all blow off by morning."

I nodded. I wondered what had happened.

"You better go to bed now." Aunt Jade told me, "Remember to contact your parents before you sleep. I'm sure your mum would be worried."

That sounded like good advice. I nodded, "Okay. Thanks again for everything."

And then Ben and I left. Ben guided me up to my room. We waited patiently for the lift. I'm not sure why, but the wait here felt much longer than the wait at home. Maybe Night Forest had more floors in its packhouse building. Maybe the lift and building were older.

{Looks like they've got a problem.} Ben, who was mindlinked to the others took some satisfaction in being the one to inform me.

{What do you mean?} I looked around. There were a few wolves who had joined us in the lobby. It was otherwise quiet. I don't think Ben was thinking about the slowness of the lifts here. Was he referring to the commotion earlier? Aunt Jade had made it sound like something of a regular occurrence, {Is this about the noise just now?}

{They say their healer got kidnapped… again.} Ben grinned.

The lift door opened and Ben and I stepped in. Ben pressed our floor and the close button. He didn't wait for the other wolves to come in, but the other wolves didn't try to enter with us either. They bowed from outside as our lift door closed.

I realized it was just another one of those hierarchy things in Night Forest.

Wait.

"Did you say their healer got kidnapped?" I asked.

Ben nodded, "Yeah. That's the news among the warriors."

Night Forest only had one healer.

"Do you mean MY future Grandma Wanda got kidnapped?" I asked.

Ben nodded again, and then he stop, "Oh. S***. That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?"

Grrr… See what I mean? The moment I forget that I wasn't really back in my original timeline something like this had to happen to remind me. NOTHING WAS "as it should be!"

I don't suppose masked wolves would save her and push the Timeline back "as it should be" now, would they?

"What do you want to do, Sam?" Ben asked.

Which was another thing that would not have happened in our Original Timeline.

"What?" Ben asked me.

"Since when did you ever ask me what I wanted?" I smirked.

Ben shrugged, but he had a decency to look sheepish, "Yeah, yeah. I grew up some, okay?"

Yeah, me too.

"Let's get the others together." I think after three timelines, we both learned a thing or two about running as a pack, "See if you can do it without Uncle Louis or Beta Larson finding out."

Ben chuffed, "Too easy."

Which annoyed me and reassured me at the same time.

"Whatever." I said.

"Yeah, whatever, Sam." Ben said. Which, despite what it sounded like, I took to mean he was in agreement.

We both shrugged, and turned away with our own private smirk. Ah well, that's why I always liked running with Ben. It was always easy with Ben like this.