LEAVE THE PAST ALONE

No matter how magical, my world had become, it was still peppered with the little things that helped me know this was still real life. Like how awkwardness would suddenly pop up at what might had otherwise been grand heroic conclusion lines.

Case in point, me pointing at Bell and announcing grandly to the whole world (or at least all of Dad's old office), ""Don't forget your side of the bargain. You need to live happily ever after now!"

If this were a Lycan movie or drama, the scene would pull back with an orchestra in the background before cutting to the next exciting scene, hopefully an action scene showing some other characters on their side of the story.

But this was real life. I wouldn't know what was happening somewhere else while I was here. I didn't even know what kind of story we were making.

I wasn't the author of anything (except my own diary.) And no, I had no idea where my life was going either. Future Ben's note made it sound so guaranteed, but shouldn't he know by then that the future could not be guaranteed.

All you needed was an irresponsible talking cat and wolves who didn't know when to stop. Like seriously, why didn't we just stop when we should, when we could… should've could've… but that was now in the past.

My personal lesson from everything that had happened and un-happened, and happened again, my personal lesson was to leave the past alone.

Every cloud has a silver lining, every bright light a shadow in its fold. There was no dark future that did not have hope, no bright future that was perfect. Even in a magical world, nothing was perfect.

But now, I had Bell. He was mine (even if I had tricked him into it). {Mine ~ ❤}

Now was suddenly so close to perfect because he was mine.

"Who are you, exactly?" Bell asked after another moment of awkward silence. The worst part of it was how Dad was just watching us and frowning his thinking frown. Beta Lucas had not spoken since Dad told him to wait. My other wolves were all on mindlink… I'm not sure what they were discussing, but their links were lit and I decided not to risk stepping into the crossfire.

"You've changed." Bell added, almost accusingly.

"I'm growing up." I answered. (Please don't think I was an imposter from another timeline.)

Luckily, such a scenario wasn't realistic enough for even the Tyger King to think up. Bell leaned over and touched my hair - I realized at this moment that this was the first time he did this.

Dad growled warningly.

Bell smirked, he lifted up the lock of my hair in his hands, looked my Dad in the eyes, and then brought my hair to his lips and kissed it.

{Mine! ~ ❤} It didn't matter to Boo that this open and sudden show of affection was to spite my own father. 

Bell turned his attention back to me, "I don't know what you are up to, Princess, but you will not be able to hide the truth from me for long."

Why should I be up to anything? My mate should stop thinking everyone was a Lorent. Some of us just winged it and got lucky 99% of the time.

So, so lucky! Because Bell was here, and he was mine. ~ ❤

"Oh I know you." Edel realized somewhere at this point.

I hadn't even noticed he was in the room. I looked about and realized Perry was perched on top of a shelf and Peony was curled up on the bay window. When did they get here?

I felt quite sure Ori was here too, but Ori was very good at hiding in shadows, and with the storm outside and Bell inside, there were a great deal of darkness in the room.

"It talks!" Bell was astonished.

"Yeah." I nodded, "To tell you the truth, these cats aren't normal cats."

Perry interrupted to warn me without even bothering to raise his paw, "Princess, please be mindful who you introduce us to."

"But he's my luna!" I said.

"Still." Perry insisted, "Be careful not to let slip our abilities to the wrong ear."

He gave all this advice aloud in Bell's hearing, so he wasn't exactly keeping his own secret.

"You're the one who feeds me caviar and champagne." Edel informed Bell.

"I've never fed a cat." Bell said.

Not in this timeline. Now look who was letting slip.

"Of course not directly." Edel said with some impatience, "You have servants, do you not?"

Which did sound very much true to Bell's character.

"Hn." Bell looked amused, "Where did you get this cat?"

From you, in another timeline. But only because Edel had a terrible sense of direction and ended up in the wrong timeline with you. You weren't even my soul mate in that timeline!

But of course I couldn't say that.

"What else can it do?" Bell asked me, but Edel answered, "I have a forcefield."

Perry answered, "I have the knowledge of the seven worlds."

"I can hold a lot of things in my mouth." Peony boasted.