SOMETHING OF EQUIVALENT VALUE

Another Great War was our worst cast scenario.

The moment other packs outside the Green Packlands become involved, our Green Packland Civil War was going to escalate into a very long Great War.

It wasn't too farfetched either. For example, Night Forest coming to Dad's aid was a very reasonable expectation.

This would be the worst case scenario in Fluffy's opinion because it would put me in a "difficult position".

Noting that in this timeline, our pack didn't have the same alliances and connections as before, and the power play was distributed differently across the pack's here, it would be difficult for Dad to control the rest of the continent in this timeline.

Although Fluffy was sure that Wolfgang would be able to protect me, it would be very likely that Prince River would take Kev's side to "liberate" the rogues in the Green Packlands. This would keep Wolfgang's hands tied behind his back, and it might be harder for me to fit into the expected social circles.

Seriously! Don't worry about my social life in such a situation!

For Night Leaf, the worst and most enduring challenge would be that Alpha Solomon's Black Forest Pack would likely side the Lorents. Silver Mountain would probably take the Lorent's side too, not so much because they believed in keeping the land pure of rogues, but because of - you guessed it - It's all 'bout the money, it's all 'bout the dum dum da da dum dum~

There was no Moon Bell and the Lorent Pack was still the number one pack in the Green Packlands in this timeline. They would receive the lion's share of everything.

The Lorent Pack was anti-rogue too, so they wouldn't go against Night Leaf during the war, but they wouldn't exactly be a friendly ally. In fact, they would very likely blame us for Morning Light's rebellion. We would become a scourge in their eyes long after the war was over, and they would become even more arrogant than before.

Yes, this was taking into consideration that Fluffy and Bell were sworn brothers.

"The truth is, I sort of tricked him into to." Fluffy admitted, "So while he doesn't deny it, he doesn't love me for it either."

No, no, Fluffy. Bell was just shy. I'm sure he was happy to become your brother. (If he really didn't want to be your sworn brother, you'd be dead.)

At least that would have been the case in our last timeline. In this timeline, Bell sounded like a total stranger. Not only did he not go to the fight cages, he was studying at Black Forest University.

"He wanted to rebel against his Old Man, so instead to attending the Lorent College for Healers, he went to Black Forest with me." Fluffy smiled.

Wait, like what? He was rebelling by going to another university to NOT study medicine? Wow. How was that rebelling?

Because of this, the Elder Alpha Lorent was not on talking terms with Rebel right now.

Okay... Wth. That was somewhat lame.

Anyway, once the top packs picked their sides, every other pack in the continent would take advantage of this turmoil to push their own agenda and step over us, or anyone that they could use as a stepping stone. As our war would dragged on, the strong would prey on the weak. Naturally, the humans would take the brunt of it and feed the vamps with huge numbers of vulnerable refugees.

I wondered if Dad knew about the possible Great War. If he did, Dad was playing an awfully dangerous game.

"Look, what if Dad was just being stubborn, and this isn't a test but just a Dad who is still hoping that Kev would come around. Maybe Kev is Dad's non-negotiable now." I said.

"Then my only comfort is that he would probably do the same for us." Fluffy smiled, but it was his smiling mask. The entire time, he only used his smiling mask and I could not tell if he were sad, or angry, or hurt, or resigned, or anything at all.

"But that is a good point, Princess." Wolfgang nodded, "Since Alpha Kev is now one of the non-negotiables in the mission, we must employ every effort to save him."

"Yes." Fluffy beamed, "That's what makes this test so interesting. How do we save him and condemn him at the same time?"

"Although Lycan Legends were preserved to be a guiding light for us wolves, the truth they also fail to depict is that we can't always win." Wolfgang started going philosophical suddenly.

"But… but… but…" I said, because I wanted to argue but had no idea what I would be arguing about if I took up that point.

"A hero's victory is often preceded by defeat, disappointment, and much sacrifice, and one is not always afforded a choice on what to give up." Wolfgang continued, "In real life, sometimes great sacrifices can also lead to great failure. Nothing is guaranteed."

"Then that just means it isn't the end yet!" I argued.

The line before "the end" should be "and they all lived happily ever after"! Well, it wasn't always, but it SHOULD!

"Happy endings are a thing of stories, princess." Wolfgang said simply, "In reality, happiness is found in every part of one's life. Is a happy ending worth an entire life of misery? Logically, a happy and full life would be worth a short and tragic end."

Real life was stoopid like that.

"So what should we do?" Like I didn't even know what was what anymore. But I only asked because I didn't realize this was just Fluffy's groundwork. He hadn't explained his plan yet.

Fluffy's plan to was completely explore the alternative futures within a single night. It was like a speed run through all the options. By tomorrow, we would be back in our Original Timeline.

Basically, we would travel to the future, and then return. Once back we would make plans to change the future, but instead of actually carrying out the plans, we would travel back to the future to see how our plans panned out. We would repeat it as many times as needed until either 1) Dad became convinced that Kev was a lost cause, 2) We figure out a way to save Kev, 3) One of the cats die (We can only afford to lose one cat, because we would need the other one to return to the Undo Point and then back to our Original Timeline.)

The key to passing this test with flying colors was to pay attention to the clues Dad and Beta Lucas would give us along the way.

"We can't sacrifice the cats!" I thought Fluffy liked them!

Wolfgang felt he should advise us at this point, "Time travel is an abnormality that provides the illusion of power over our future, a power that we always had in our present hands. No matter how many times we turn back time, our happiness is still only in our present hands."

"But… but… but…" I wanted to argue, but what had that got to do with anything?

"I suppose." Fluffy's greater intellect seemed to grasp what Wolfgang was saying better than mine, "Still, we had always been lucky?"

And then both men stopped to look at me. What?

And I refuse to sacrifice the cat. Or Harvey either. I refuse to sacrifice anyone! Wait, did Kev count? I felt a bit guilty about that.

Our ice cream and coffees came. The waitress poured water for everyone.

Fluffy took a bite and pushed his extravagant iced confection aside, "I don't like sweet things."

The look on Wolfgang's face! Hahaha.

"You did that on purpose!" Wolfgang accused.

"You think I ordered the most expensive thing on the menu just to not eat it on purpose?" Fluffy asked.

"Eat it." Wolfgang ordered.

"Maybe just the gold flakes." Fluffy beamed, "I suppose it could be considered roughage."

"Eat it all." Wolfgang's tone took a growly tone.

In the end, the three of us shared the monstrosity. Fluffy only picked at the gold flakes and happily asked if we thought his poop would have increased in value after this. I ate anything that wasn't ice cream, which included the fresh cream and almonds because I didn't like the way the ice cream smelled bitterish. Wolfgang was stuck with the ice cream, but it turned out to be either coffee flavored, some flavor that contained alcohol, or both, so I think he actually enjoyed it even though he complained the entire time about Fluffy forcing this on him.

My triple scoop waffle cone was perfect though.

At the end of it, Wolfgang took the bill, left a tip that made the waitress falling all over herself to thank us and walk us to the door, and I never found out how much any of it cost.

As we walked to the car, the two guys argued about who got to drive, and then Wolfgang drove us back to Night Leaf.

I was sitting in the back passenger seat. At first, I had planned to just stare out of the window and worry.

What if the Great War happening again became a reality? What if we had to give up one of the cats? Was saving Kev worth a cat's life? It didn't seem fair to the cat, Kev was the one who betrayed us.

I had a lot on my mind, but Fluffy and Wolfgang ended up arguing back and forth throughout the drive back so it was hard to think.

At first, it was about whether parking the car head first into the lot was a bad habit, and then it progressed to why its sexist to assume that beautiful women were bad drivers.

"Beautiful men are also terrible drivers." Fluffy said, "Take me for example."

"Don't use yourself as the example!" Wolfgang snapped.

"When you're angry, you look older." Fluffy told him, "Be careful someone doesn't mistaken you as my father."

"Who wants to be your father?" Wolfgang was seriously losing it.

And I found myself laughing despite my initial plans to resign myself to worrisome thoughts.

"I spy with my little eye!" Fluffy glanced back at me suddenly.

Eh? Again? I stopped laughing.

"Something red. Did you guess what it is yet?" Fluffy asked amiably, "Wolfie, you guess too. What's red, in my head, and my lovely beta would cut his heart out for? If you guess it, I'll give it to my pretty La."

"What about Wolfgang? Should he get the prize too?" It didn't seem fair.

Fluffy shook his head, "I'm not giving Wolfie THAT."

Oh, something that Fluffy wouldn't give Wolfgang, but would give to me? That was another clue.

"Is it a car?" Wolfgang guessed, "Are you thinking of a red lambo?"

Wow, Wolfgang was pretty good. Like his first answer wasn't blood. I guess I took Fluffy's clue about it being in his head too literally.

"Nope!" Fluffy took great delight in telling him.

"If you get it wrong again, you need to give my pretty La something of equivalent value." Fluffy looked way to pleased with himself.

"Don't agree, Wolfgang!" I quickly warned him, "It's definitely a trap!"

"Interesting." Wolfgang mumbled to himself, "Well, alright. I'll play. I'm curious to what you plan to give the princess."

But like I said, Wolfgang was pretty good at such games. He turned to me, "Princess what do you think it is?"

"How many guesses do I get?" I wanted to know.

"My pretty La can guess as many times as you like." Fluffy was way too confident about this and also too openly biased.

Anyway, I went at it with everything I had, "A can of coke!"

"Nope!" Fluffy beamed.

"Roses?" I tried to remember what happened in school today, "Jam?"

I wasn't about to say my teacher's boobs though.

"Are you really trying my pretty La?" Fluffy asked.

I was trying all day!

"Oh, I know! Red flags, like the warning kind in your head? Or if you see red because someone ate your sandwich and you're super mad?" Those were my best shots.

"Not quite, my pretty La." Fluffy beamed. When he smiled like that, I felt my heart light up.

"Do you have any tips, Wolfgang?" I decided not to let my heart get carried away so easily. Focus Sam!

"I would reconsider my approach if I were you, Princess." Wolfgang advised, "The answer would be clearer if you look at it from the one who asked the question."

Ohhh... Good tip! I really missed having Wolfgang's guidance. Without Jiminy Cricket, I was just a clueless wooden puppet.

Okay, if I were Fluffy, what would I be thinking of that was red, that Ben would cut his heart out for, and that I don't want to give Wolfgang but would derive a sick pleasure in watching Wolfgang have to give my pretty La.

It had to be something embarrassing!

If I were Fluffy...

"I got it! It's your blushing face!" I pointed at Fluffy.

"What?" Both guys exclaimed. Fluffy threw back his head in laughter. It was a good thing Wolfgang was driving.

"I'm right, aren't I?" I felt very proud of myself, "It's red, it's in your head, and Ben would cut his heart out for a chance to make fun of you for it. You don't want to blush in front of Wolfgang, but you think it'll be funny to watch him try to blush in front of me."

Yup! That's exactly the kind of psycho Fluffy was!

Fluffy refused to look at me. He even covered his face with his hand, "That's... La, that's... How did you come to that?"

I almost didn't hear him.

Eh? Was I wrong? I leaned forward, "But I thought that's how you'd think?"

"It's not that you're wrong..." Fluffy said and looked away from me.

"Are you blushing?" I realized, "See! I knew I was right!"

"Who knew that even Fluffy can blush?" Wolfgang muttered towards the road, because unlike Fluffy, he watched where he was driving.

"Is that your answer too, Wolfie?" Fluffy asked without looking up.

"Alright. I'll go with the Princess on this answer."

"It's WRONG!" Fluffy suddenly sprung alive again, "So now you have to give my pretty La something of equal value!"

Fluffy's face was still tinged pink, but his smiling mask had returned, "It's your turn to show her your blushing face."

"What?" Wolfgang fumbled, "Now? Not now, I'm driving!"

"So you'll show the princess your blushing face later?" Fluffy teased.

"Impudent!" Wolfgang said into his hand and refused to look at either of us.

"You should drive with two hands on the wheel." Fluffy told him.

"I don't want to hear that from you." Wolfgang snapped. I couldn't help but notice the redness on the nape of his neck.

Fluffy laughed and then after a while he said, "Looks like you beat me at my game, my pretty La."

"But I got it wrong?" How did I beat him with the wrong answer?

"Yes, but your answer was better." Fluffy said.

"Then what was the real answer?" I wanted to know, we were nearly home.

"Guess." Fluffy smiled.

"I've been guessing all day!" I complained, "Just tell me already!"

"Do I park at the Packhouse or the Alpha House?" Wolfgang asked.

"Just leave it on the lawn." Fluffy smiled.

"Fluffy, be serious!" Wolfgang scolded.

But it was too late, we had passed the Alpha House.

"I'm parking at the pack house." Wolfgang decided by default.

"Just leave it at the porch. Ben'll park it." Fluffy smiled because Ben was just crossing the road to come over.

"So what's the answer?" I demanded.

The car pulled up the porch, and for a moment, I thought Fluffy wasn't going to tell me.

"My heart." Fluffy said, and he got out of the car.

He wasn't wearing a seatbelt!

Wolfgang noticed too.

Wolfgang stormed out of the car after him, "Wear your seatbelt!"

"What, now?" Fluffy feigned innocence.

"No! Just now!" Wolfgang said.

"Should I grab and cat and skip back in time to correct it?" Fluffy's smile widened.

Ben reached us and Fluffy cheerfully slapped him on his shoulder, "Please help me park the car my lovely beta."

"Don't call me that!" Ben said in his usual deadpan. I guess he wouldn't want Fluffy to know how much he really hated it too.

Ben took the keys from Wolfgang with a "Good to see you back."

When Ben got into the car (why was he allowed to drive?), Fluffy leaned over to Wolfgang, "So now you should also give her something of equivalent value."

"To your heart?" Wolfgang asked, but Wolfgang was not completely helpless at Fluffy's games, "Very well, I will take the princess out for ice cream again."

"That's cold." Fluffy smiled, he looked like he was enjoying himself though.