THE LAST HOUR WAS THE WEIRDEST

4 MARCH, FRIDAY, ALMOST DAWN

You know how they like to say that it was always darkest before the dawn? It was probably also the coldest. Even with Wolfgang's coat, my legs were cold.

Lizzy and Savy were freezing. Like Lizzy's teeth started to chatter. It was bad enough for Ben to order Jonah to lend her his coat.

River wanted to lend Savy his coat too, but we were all sure he'd freeze to death because he was such a puny human. So no. River was not allowed to take off his coat.

Anyway, we left the party via the safe route Ben and Jonah had found back to the packhouse. River and Savy said goodnight. Savy kissed River on the cheek IN FRONT OF ALL OF US. O.O

I wanted to make a fuss about it, but then I remembered I kissed Bell worse earlier and decided to take the mature approach - namely to act like I didn't notice.

Even though it happened right before my very eyes.

No one else seemed to have noticed either. Lizzy was berating poor Jonah for being an oaf and Ben was on his phone.

Anyway, River made like a firefly, glowing his light bubble and lightly floating himself back to his window - he nearly went through the wrong window though.

Ben got off his phone to notice in time and yelled at him over the mindlink.

River looked panicked in his bubble, {Oh no!}

Luckily, Wilhelm was faithfully waiting for him and popped out of the right Window to catch River's leg before he missed his floor.

Was it just me who felt it was weird that River was able to mindlink with us? Didn't that mean River belonged to OUR pack now?

That was a little confusing for me. Not so much for Boo who believed that everything was for her taking anyway. Boo who was also completely unconcerned about owning a harem now that it was just another word for extra battery pack or power bank in her mind.

No qualms whatsoever, my wolf.

{Qualms are for wimps.}

My wolf was evolving, not necessarily in a good way.

After we sent River home, we had to drop back into the tree cover to discuss where to go next.

Beta Lucas had installed some new security system, so the twins were stuck outside their own home.

There was NO WAY they were going to get through the doors or windows without triggering the alarm. It was foolproof because Ben designed it.

"That's what you get for being too smart." Lizzy huffed a white breath in the cold air, "By morning, Mum and Dad are going to realize we aren't at home and make sure we are miserable for the rest of the weekend."

"Yuh." Jonah chuffed, "You two are going to be so grounded, or whatever new thing your mum had been reading."

We didn't even really get to do anything fun.

"Shut up, Jonah!" Lizzy scolded, "It's not like you're going to get away with this either."

Jonah chuffed again, "I told my parents I was staying over with Ben."

And then he had to show off, "I didn't even have to lie to them."

Lizzy hit him on the shoulder because he just cheesed her off that much.

"We can just crash over at Sam's." Ben offered.

Yeah, I guess. Unlike the Packhouse with its Snow Wolf Patrols or Ben's home with its security system, the Alpha House was just standing there. Plus my side entrance was pretty safe (from parents anyway).

But that wouldn't save Ben and Lizzy from facing the music in the morning. Maybe Savy though.

(I wasn't in trouble either. Technically, I was still sleeping in my bed.)

"Yeah, Savy can sneak back to her room..." I stopped talking because Savy was grinning at me.

"What?" I asked.

"I told Mum I was bunking in with you." Savy told me. Oooohhhh.... She was so sneaky.

"Okay." I decided on Plan B, "Then let's get Ben, Lizzy, and Jonah back to the Beta house, and then we can do a quick run back home." I decided.

Our parents would never know. I mean the least we could do was get away with this. I honestly didn't think tonight was worth getting grounded for.

"But the alarm system..." Lizzy worried.

"It's on both front and back doors, Sam. And every window too. Even the air vent." Ben sounded pretty proud of himself.

"That's all?" I wanted to make sure.

"Yeah, what else is there?" Ben asked.

I grinned, "Follow me, Ben. I can show you the world!"

Or at least a tunnel.

We managed to avoid meeting any of the patrols - both the Snow Wolves' and our own, and got to our old clubhouse shed.

I opened the cellar doors on the side of the clubhouse.

"Woah... A secret bunker." Lizzy said.

We all dropped ourselves into the underground room and Ben shut the doors above us, "What the hell is this, Sam?"

"Secret underground tunnels." I told my friends, "Ki showed me."

"Why does the dog know about something like this?" Ben was immediately affronted, but more because he hadn't been told first.

"Eenie meeny miney mo..." I looked at the three shelves. Which one to Ben's basement? Ki had pointed them out, but I forgot.

I guessed, "This one."

My friends looked at the shelf I pointed out nonplussed, so I had the pleasure of pulling the lever that turned the shelf and wall around and reveal the tunnel.

"Woah..." Jonah was properly impressed.

"Smells dank." Ben was properly ungrateful.

"Shut up and walk." Lizzy hit her brother.

"Ladies first." Ben shot back.

Lizzy rolled her eyes, "Suddenly you want to be a gentleman."

"It should be fine." I couldn't smell anything, but I didn't sense any danger either, "I'll go first. Come on."

So we ran down the tunnel and pulled the lever at the end of it. It opened up straight into Ben's Lair... Although it was on the side with the washer and dryer... And more recently, the sink of Ink's failed and unwashed experiment apparatus.

"Home stink home." Lizzy commented, "How did you make this place smell so bad?"

A little voice, like that from a chipmunk movie greeted us, "Who's there? I'm warning you, don't try any funny stuff! This is my turf."

I looked in astonishment at the white... What animal was that? It looked like a cross between a guinea pig and a small dog. It was certainly the size of a small dog. My wolf felt it looked delicious like gyaara.

"Oh, Lucy's here." Savy said.

Who?

"It's alright, Lucifer." Ben smirked, "Just me."

The white animal walked over - like walked on its two hind legs a la chipmunk, "I smell Mama."

Wth was happening? And why was I asking this question throughout the night?

The white animal hugged Lizzy's boot, "Mama!"

Lizzy laughed, "No, it's me, little guy. Oh, it's because I'm wearing her clothes."

The white fluffy creature sniffed upwards and squinted at Lizzy, "Oh, it is the sister of Ben."

Hahaha. That was a pretty funny way to put it.

"He's blind as a bat." Ben told me.

"Hey, nice car." Jonah said when he noticed a small motorized car parked in the middle of the basement, "I used to have one of these when I was a pup."

"That's mine! Mine! Mine!" The white creature scrambled over. He was quite a fluffy pudgy little thing, "Don't leave your grubby prints all over it."

My friends laughed at Jonah being bullied by a white fluffy chipmunk creature like it was the funniest thing.

"What animal is that supposed to be?" I asked.

"Mama!" The animal scrambled from his precious car to my side the moment it heard my voice. It even forgot to walk, running over on all fours, "Mama is here!"

"He sure loves his Mama." Lizzy smiled ruefully.

Who me?

I looked down at the knee-high creature who was holding its arms out to me, "Mama! Mama!"

Was it really me? Okay... I picked it up.

"It's mama!" The white creature squealed, and then proceeded to tell me, "Look Mama, I have a car! I crashed the train and Ben said he'd buy me a boat so I can crash that and drown, but he bought me a car."

"Lucky?" I could barely believe that the small dog-sized creature was my Lucky... you remember right? The baby hamster the size of my thumb...

Wth.

"Lucifer." Lucky informed me, "I go by Lucifer now, Papa renamed me."

"Who?" I blinked.

"Your Luna Bell renamed him Lucifer." Ben reported.

He would.

"I told you he was a Lucy." Savy grinned.

I was still in shock.

Lucky wriggled to get down so I put him on the nearest surface.

"Yes!" Lucky was jubilant.

"No!" Ben grabbed the furball by his scuff and put him on the floor, "Do not touch my computer."

"Awwww... Stingy." Lucky sulked. He sulked over to me and tugged at my hair for my attention, "Mama, Ben isn't sharing."

"He bought you a car, didn't he?" I tried to reason with the "hamster"... At least he used to be a hamster.

"Don't be angry. He's a doofus." Lizzy said.

"Yeah, come play with us, Lucy." Savy took down a jar of hamster treats and shook it.

Lucky immediately forgot his upset and walked over.

"Ben is a doofus." Lucky told the two girls.

Lizzy laughed, "Good, here. You can have a biscuit for that."

"I want crystal." Lucky demanded. But he took the biscuit and stuffed the whole thing into his cheek.

"You can't." Ben said, "We've been through this... You're getting too big."

"Stingy doofus!" Lucky yelled back in his chipmunk voice at Ben.

Wow, my hamster grew up to be a big brat.

Ben only laughed though.

"What crystal?" I asked.

"What? Oh, warlock crystal." Ben shrugged, "Greedy bugger ate the one you put in his cage. I fed it mine. Jonah helped find a few more along the borders. But your Luna Bell says Lucifer is more useful to us small so he's been banned from having any more."

"Rebel says I'm the ultimate spy." Lucky boasted.

"Not if you're too fat to climb vents." Ben answered.

The world was changing every day. I know this, but why did it have to change so quickly...or weirdly?

I poked the white fluffy creature on one distended cheek. It flicked its ear and looked at me.

Ben had a large digital clock projected on one of his walls. Was that the time?

"I'll be waking soon." I patted Lucky. His fur was really soft.

"Oh, then give it back." Ben pluck off his scarf from around my shoulders.

Oh wait! Savy! I nearly forgot about her!

At the last moment, I grabbed my sister in a hug, my hair wrapping around us. Please let this work! Please let this work!

I opened my eyes and sat up as soon as I could.

I was back in bed. I could smell the lemon oil, the slightly acrid smell of burnt porch that was probably lingering at the party, Wolfgang's coat with his cinnamony scent, River' scarf which was on Savy, not me, AND SAVY!

"Savy!" I felt happy! I did it! I transported a whole person across my dream travel!

Wait, I did transport a whole person, right?

"Are you okay? Do you have all your fingers? What about your toes?"

Savy blinked sitting up, "What..."

She looked at her hands and then around the bed and my room in a dazed way, "We're back in your room."

I nodded very pleased at my increased power, "Yes. I used to only be able to carry small items, but now I can carry a whole person through my dream!"

"Wait! You used me as an experiment?" Savy asked.

Hahaha... "Kind of..."

Savy huffed, "If you want a live test subject, please use Lucy next time."

Hahaha... "I guess..."

My alarm rang and Savy immediately grabbed it to turn it off.

"Quick!" She got out of bed and picked up the clothes we had discarded on the ground earlier, "Get changed back into your usual clothes."

She threw what was mine at me.

Okay... It's not like Mum would come up and check on us.

"I'm going to just get dressed for school." I got out of bed too.

Shrugging off Wolfgang's heavy coat and my leather jacket, I collected my uniform from the birdcage rack and headed to the bathroom.

"Okay, I'm going to change and head back to my room." Savy decided, "Remember to hide the evidence."

Right. I turned back to collect her dress and other stuff to throw into the laundry basket.

"I'll take Lizzy's clothes with me." Savy volunteered, "I could just tell Mum Lizzy could've left this here the other day and forgot them."

Yeah, sometimes Lizzy comes for makeover sessions with Savy and leaves clothes behind.

Either that or this wasn't the first time they've snuck out like we did tonight? O.o

"What are you going to do with Sir Wolfgang's coat?" Savy stopped to pick up the fallen coat.

"Just leave it there." I turned to the bathroom door, "Ki would deal with it."

Savy looked about and then draped the coat over the back of my dresser chair.

I shut the bathroom door.

"Okay, I'm going now." Savy called from outside.

"K. See you." I called back even as I started undressing.

Tonight didn't really turn out to be anything. Like nothing exploded and nobody's life was even remotely endangered or anything - which really made me question what I was expecting from I wasn't sure what I had expected to happen, but we didn't do anything, we definitely talked about NOTHING (hahaha), and I guess I did have fun just doing and taking about nothing with my friends.

It was kind of weird to be hanging out with my friends one moment and then suddenly waking up to a new day. I felt kind of glad I was dream traveling - not only did I manage to get Savy and I home before my alarm rang, I got some sleep done.

Goddess knows I needed it! Because today was D-Day! MY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Ready or not, here I come!