FLUFFY RUMORS AND DINNER CONVERSATIONS

7 MARCH, SUNDAY, DINNER, TIMELINE 2.

I was really just going to wash my hands, but the moment I stepped into my tiny bathroom, I realized my hair was out of place. My makeup could do with a freshening up too... Because in this life, I did wear make up. Looking at the mess strewn across the bathroom counter, I used a lot of products.

And without Ki in my life, my inherent messiness littered the entire bathroom counter, and all the drawers too. But Lala knew where to find everything.

I was really quite impressed by myself. I took out the clips in my hair and brushed it out. Fumbling in the overstuffed drawer, I found just the right hair tie to fasten the low ponytail. I didn't just leave it at that either - I knew how to tease my hair to arrange it prettily so it looked naturally pretty and relaxed. (I told you I was good.)

Spritzing a bit of lightly apple scented water with my atomizer spray on over my face to freshen it up. It was weird how this was both the first time I was doing something like that, but also an action so familiar to me that I did most of it automatically at the same time. I blotted off the excess mist. Picking up the largest powder brush I had, I lightly dusted "brightening" powder to highlight my nose and eyes. Nice.

Well, except now I kinda look paler. I reapplied tinted lip balm, applying a second layer closer to the center of my pout to create a natural gradient. I liked this shade best because it looked like I wasn't wearing make up at all.

Last step was to check my mascara, but I only used 24/7 no smudge ones in very light coats - when it came to mascara, accept only the strongest stuff.

I stepped back to check the overall effect and considered adding blush. It was just dinner at home, so I didn't want to look like I was actually wearing make up.

Lala took great pride in her ability to achieve this barely there make up look and effortless style. It was her secret to looking like she was naturally perfect. But I guess this would do.

Stepping out, I was also suddenly aware that my outfit earlier didn't go with my hair, "Just a quick change."

"Uh hm." Kenna nodded without looking up from her phone. She didn't sound surprise at all.

Wait, how did she get her own phone? And then I remembered. Kev! He bought me one when I started Middle School, and he bought Kenna one when she started Middle School too. Hooray for my big brother!

Dad hadn't want any of us to have a phone till we were 18, but Fluffy-Kai might be a more gifted negotiator since he managed to reduce this to the year we start High School. (In my original life, I only managed to bargain it down to when we had our first shift.)

It was Kev who had come to rescue his sisters' social lives by buying us phones anyway. Of the four of us, Kev was the only one who'd directly go against Dad.

Of course, Dad wasn't too happy, but Kev pointed out how it could be used to track our location via GPS and allow us to call in case of emergency.

"They haven't shifted yet, so they still can't mindlink for help." Kev argued on our behalf, "It's a dangerous world for my two little sisters, Dad. I'm strong. If they call me from anywhere in he Green Packlands, I can run over and save them!"

Technically, we could also call Dad too, but yeah, Dad let us keep our phones. And for better or worse, we never had to use the phones for emergency purposes.

My phone was a magic portal on its own, and with it, I learned all my make up and hair styling skills, kept tabs of online trends and followed my favorite girl band, LuvMuunMuun, and this year, I started my own social media account. I used the handle "LadidaPrincess" and although I didn't post anything particularly earth shattering, I had enough followers and comments to feel popular at school and in my pack.

Lady Amber had taken it upon herself to monitor my social account personally. She had done this for her niece too, "One must be careful what you post. Three things that never come back: the spent arrow, the spoken word, the lost opportunity, and a careless post."

"That's four things, Lady Amber." I said because I could count, even though I didn't quite get how posting a picture of myself and my new friends at the Welcome Luncheon for freshmen on my first day of High School was any of the four things listed.

Anyway, it was time for dinner, "Come on, Nana, or Mum would nag."

Kenna and I went downstairs to join the rest of our family. Mum had put out dinner, and Kai had set the table. Kev was sitting with Dad at the table laughing about something that happened today. Kev always told interesting stories about his work as Alpha in Morning Light.

"An Alpha's work is never done." Kev liked to say.

"Alright, just come home for dinner whenever you can and don't overwork." Mum would always reply.

Mum was always happiest when all four of us were home for dinner.

Tonight, Kev said, "Mum, your cooking is the best!"

Mum smiled, "I don't remember you saying that as a pup."

"I was just a stupid pup!" Kev laughed, "I just didn't know how good I got it growing up!"

Hahaha... It was true. I was really happy growing up here too.

"Stupid pups grow up into stupid wolves." Fluffy-Kai smiled.

"Oh Kai!" Mum scolded, "Stop that."

"Its alright, Mum." Kev waved it off, "Little brothers are wired to annoy their older brothers."

We all laughed at that. Even Fluffy-Kai laughed. Kev started telling us a funny story he heard about one of his Morning Light warrior. This guy had a little brother who was a true brat.

"Now the pair of them are the best tag team in Morning Light. Oh, the little brother's your age, girls - AND the undefeated fighter from our trainee group. Want me to introduce you?" Kev teased.

"Not interested." Kenna said.

"Good." Kev nodded. So it was a test?

"What about you Lala?" Kev asked.

I already knew what the right answer should be, "I'm not interested either."

"Remember, Lala. All men are wolves." Kev told me seriously.

"Because we ARE wolves?" I seriously hated when guys say this, "Girls are wolves too, you know."

"Anyway, the only guy I'd ever date is Rebel." I announced.

"What? No!" Kev exclaimed.

Kai burst out laughing, "A hundred bucks says they're soul mates."

Yeah, thanks Fluffy. Why don't you just tell the traitor that we were time-travelers and this was an altered timeline?

"No way!" Kev slammed the table, "I wouldn't wish that black hearted villain on anyone."

He's not! Okay, he was, but I was the only one allowed to call Bell that.

"Kev has a grudge." Kai explained to me, "Its so big a grudge that there is no space under this sky for them to exist together."

"There is a reason he's cursed." Kev seriously didn't like Rebel.

"Maybe I should intro you to Marlow after all." Kev considered it.

What? Marlow? NO WAY!

Dad cleared his throat, "There will be no dating."

"Did you hear that Kev?" Fluffy asked, his smiling make stretching out so much I was very sure he was about to provoke Kev, "Stop dating those girls and settle down... Oh right, your fiancée ran away with Rebel."

WAIT WHAT? MINE!!!

"Don't worry." I'm not sure if Fluffy-Kai was comforting Kev or me, "I'm sure she'll come running back to you when Rebel kicks her to the curb. He always does."

Kev was growling lowly now.

Fluffy-Kai was enjoying Kev's reaction, "You know how girls like that are. If she'd reject her beta soul mate to be your Luna, of course she'd dump the Morning Light Alpha to be with the Lorent Alpha."

"Who's soul mate is she? Which beta?" I demanded.

"That's enough." Mum was censuring, "Kai, you should know better than to be spreading rumors at the dinner table."

"But you didn't like her either." Kai pointed out.

"Well, whatever it was, it's in the past." Mum said huffily. She patted Kev's hand, "It's better that she showed her true colors earlier than later."

"So I should be thanking Rebel for stealing my woman?" Kev was not comforted in the least.

"Its Karma." Fluffy-Kai grinned.

"What?" Kev didn't immediately understand. Karma was a very human concept. One that we only learned because we hung out with the cool girls at Winderhill in our original life. Remembering them made me feel a little regretful that I never met them.

"Its Rebel's alias." Fluffy-Kai smiled guilelessly, "It means getting your just desserts."

"What the hell did I do to deserve this?" Kev thundered.

"She was Beta Ki's soul mate first." Fluffy-Kai said, "Poor charming beta. It seems he is fated to run alone. Maybe it would've been better if he just killed her from the start."

"What?" More than one person exclaimed. Who would murder their own soul mate? Fluffy had just elevated his words from terribly scandalous to outright sacrilegious.

"Oh, Kai!" Mum shook her head, "That's enough. I don't know where you learn to talk like that!"

I looked down at my half finished salmon and poked it half-heartedly. Mum always cooked the salmon through, but Ki would have left the center just slightly pink.

My heart ached for Ki.

"Well, I don't need HER." Kev decided, but his face had definitely darkened.

"You definitely need less girlfriends." Fluffy quipped, his usual smiling mask back in place.

"Shut up, Kai." Kev warned, "At least I have girlfriends. What do you have?"

"I have a lovely beta." Fluffy smiled.

"That's just gross." Kev said.

"Kai, you're not a puppy anymore." Mum said, "Please mind your words."

"It's just an old joke from school, Mum." Fluffy waved it off, "Nobody cares about it."

Anyway, dinner continued, just like that. It was an ordinary dinner. Kev and Kai were always bickering, Kenna was usually quiet unless she wanted permission from my parents for something, and me... I tried to remember. I think Lala would just listen and laugh a lot at whatever Kev said.

In Lala's mind, Kev was really funny and cool, but I wasn't completely Lala anymore.

"What's wrong, Lala?" Kev asked when we were cleaning up after dinner. We all had to help out. (Oh Ki! I keep missing you in this life! Please come back to me!)

"Nothing. Why?" I asked.

"Did something happen at Dad's office?" Kev asked, "You were so quiet at dinner, and well... You know, if Kai has been too much, you can always tell me."

I shook my head, "It's okay. Dad already took care of everything."

Unlike Kai, I wasn't going to let slip anything about time traveling.

"Dad's always lenient with him though." Kev said. I took it to mean he didn't notice I was desperately hiding something from him.

"No, no, this time, Dad was terrifying." Fluffy-Kai popped in between us, "I nearly shat in my pants."

"You're lying." Kev was not amused, "Do you take me for a fool?"

I mean, Kev and Kai were both alpha wolves. They would clearly sense a lie.

"No." Fluffy smiled. He was lying again and Kev knew it.

Fluffy quickly added, "Don't get mad! From now on, I totally repent of my past ways and will spend the rest of my life making up for my wrongs against my little sister!"

As if to prove it, Fluffy took my plate and helped me load the dishwasher, "See! I helped you, Lala sweetheart!"

The last time Kai helped me with chores in this life, he took a video and posted it up with the caption, "My little sister is a bully."

Now, that was a bad memory...