LIKE SERIOUSLY, WAIT, WHAT?

"Sam, you're going to break the space time continuum." Ben said, and then he sighed, "Sam, this is bad. Let me go. Pretend you never saw me."

"Hold up." Harvey frowned, but he let go of Ben's left arm, "What?"

"Yeah. It's good to see you too." Ben muttered.

"How?" I couldn't wrap my head around it. What could have happened in the Colored Mountains for Ben to return to us in this state?

The other guys were gradually loosening their grip and eventually, they go of Ben too, and everyone took a moment to dust off. I think we all knew by now that this was Ben. The monotone, the clipped explanations that didn't explain anything at all, the bad attitude and snarky sarcasm. I guess he never grew out of it.

"How did you get so old?" I blurted out.

"Aw, F***." Ben said, and he suddenly reached over and pulled me in a bear hug, "It's f***ing good to see you, Sam."

And then he pulled back surprised, "I didn't realize you were this petite."

WTH!

"Release the Princess." Wolfgang ordered immediately.

Guns reappeared.

Ben released me and put both hands in the air. He didn't seem worried about the guns though. He was studying the faces around us, "You're shifted, Hotstuff's already here, Fluffy's still wearing our uniform, Neil's alive… so you're 16?"

"15… next month." I said.

"Our shifting year? Fun year."

"Wait, what?" Neil reacted belatedly.

Ben shrugged and tossed back at the large man, "It was a beautiful ceremony."

"WAIT, WHAT?" Jax yelled.

Ben shrugged again, "As nostalgic as this is, give me back my cat and I'll be on my way."

"Wait, wait, wait, beta…" Neil said.

"Hold up, Ben. Report properly." Harvey ordered.

"Sorry, Harv, I don't take orders from traitors." Ben said.

WAIT, WHAT? I spun round in horror. But Harvey was my good beta!

"I'm sure you had your reasons." Ki smiled.

Harvey's mouth dropped opened, but no sound came out. I think he hadn't expected to be the traitor either.

"Scary Beta," Fluffy smiled beatifically, his arms tenderly rocking cat in its swaddle, "If you don't explain yourself properly, I'm afraid I'd have to kill your cat."

While Fluffy 's wolf stepping up surprised us all, Ben only raised a brow, "You are welcome to try."

The cat protested at this, "Wait, wait, no! Don't listen to that fool! Don't kill me! I'll talk."

"Pony!" I knew it! It was Pony.

"Peony, Sam. The cat's name is Sir Peony Archibald. Don't forget it." Ben smirked.

"That's a funny name for a cat." I frowned at the feline in Fluffy's arms.

And Ben's expression suddenly soften, "Oh f***, you were such a damn f***ing cute pup."

"I don't want to hear that from you!" I flared.

Ben chuckled, "Yeah, I missed that."

He sighed and became very sad. Like I could sense his heart sink from the weight of all the sadness he was carrying.

Ben's eye looked suspiciously like it was tearing up. He blinked. (Would that be a wink if he only had one eye?) And then he shook his head, "Don't worry, Sam. I'm going to make it right. Just keep living happily… I'll see you when I see you."

He took the few strides over to Fluffy, "Hand over the cat."

Fluffy's wolf wasn't going to take orders from Ben though, "Who exactly are you? Or should I ask, WHEN exactly are you?"

Ben looked irritated now, "I can't say, okay? Just gimmie the cat, Fluff!"

Fluffy stopped smiling.

"Don't kill me!" Peony was naturally alarmed.

"I don't get it." I frowned, "What happened in the Colored Mountains? Why did you come back old?"

"What?" Now it was Ben's turned to take pause, "What did you say about the Colored Mountains, Sam?"

"You followed Bell to the Colored Mountains yesterday." I said.

"My first time?" Ben asked.

I nodded.

Ben remembered and smirked, "I was a frog looking out at the world from the bottom of a well."

And then as an afterthought, Ben added, "It'll be best you don't tell me about me."

"Wait, you're not Ben?" Now I was confused.

"Pretty kitty, what pretty fur you have." Fluffy cooed and he stroked Peony.

"Beta, save me!" Peony was certain its life was at stake, "If you ever want to stop your Alpha from disappearing and your Luna from destroying the world… you'll need me alive."