The last time Harvey was a "traitor", it was in a bleak future where the ground was cursed, there was nothing left growing in the Green Packlands except the Stick Forest. I had "disappeared" and Harvey had to swear his allegiance to Bell the Evil Overlord in exchange for the safety of the weaker wolves left behind in Moon Bell.
"Slow down!" Wolfgang said and then he whipped his blond head back to double check the road signs, "I'm quite certain this is a one way street."
I wondered what went wrong in this timeline.
"Its Jude." Fluffy said.
Why was I not surprised? Jude had really be a thorn in flesh… oh wait, but wasn't Jude now my good older brother, Kev?
"Red Light! Fluff! Stop!" Wolfgang ordered.
Fluffy stopped, but he took the time to explain, "Harvey's sworn his allegiance to Kev. It wouldn't be a problem if Kev was running true, but…"
"But you have reason to suspect that Alpha Kev is a traitor in this timeline too?" Wolfgang cut him off.
"Yes. It's so easy to talk to clever people." Fluffy beamed, and our car was moving again.
As oppose to talking to me?
"You can't turn here!" Wolfgang informed Fluffy.
"Lorent Roads have so many rules." Fluffy smiled.
"These are standard traffic rules!" Wolfgang snapped.
While they squabbled, I would just like to point out that its annoying to listen to clever people. I bet you guys didn't show your working when you did math. I hope your teachers deducted points for that!
"Although the situation and faces differ across alternative futures, there is a theory that our fates more often than not falls into predestined narratives to what might be called our true fate." Wolfgang continued the clever people conversation, "But tell me what you know, Fluff. Why do you believe that Alpha Kev would betray us?"
In this case, our true fate didn't necessarily sound like our best case scenario.
"Slow down!" Wolfgang said.
Fluffy nodded (but the car didn't slow), "It's not widely known, but my brother had always been sympathetic towards the rogues. From when he first met them, he would ask questions about why we killed them on sight, what made them different from any other pack wolf, why can't we change our pack laws to allow them to co-exist with us."
WHAT! No way! How could he even think that?
"Well, its not impossible. You're a terrible driver by the way." Wolfgang commented before continuing, "In the Blue, Gold, and Red Packlands, Rogues are legalized, but the political structure and historical sensitivity towards Rogues would make it impossible in this lifetime. "
Then let them live THERE! It's not that I wanted all of them dead! I mean, I was even friends with them in my last life. I just don't want them on my land. It's a sandwich thing. I don't want you dead, but I don't want to share my sandwich with you either. Why can't we just respect each other's territories?
"Red light, Fluff." Wolfgang warned.
"It's still amber." Fluffy smiled.
"How did you get your driving license?" Wolfgang asked.
"It's a secret." Fluffy smiled. He was definitely messing with Wolfgang, "Just like what I'm telling you now."
These pro-rogue conversation had been a concern for Dad, but Kev had stopped talking about it in recent years and last Fluffy heard, Dad had expressed hope that Kev's Alpha experience at Morning Light had taught him that rogues cannot exist peacefully alongside pack wolves here.
Still, it couldn't have been enough to prove Kev had regained Dad's trust, since Kaius had long noticed that Dad had also stopped discussing Night Leaf affairs in front of Kev. But you know how when a sibling is getting in trouble, usually his other siblings would find out about it first, right?
"As Kaius, I've already known for a long time that my older brother had been releasing rogues instead of disposing them properly. But you know how I am - it would definitely be more fun if Dad found out on his own." Fluffy chuckled at the thought, "I figured it would be harmless drama and worth watching Dad kick Kev's butt in a face off."
Fluffy seemed confident that Dad would win in a face off. But I think the more glaring issue was how Fluffy's annoying characteristics were rather consistent across timelines. Maybe it was his true fate to be annoying.
"Signal before you change lanes!" Wolfgang said.
Fluffy flipped the signal and sighed, "But since our timelines merged, I started to suspect that Kev might be sheltering the rogues. Which isn't quite as harmless."
None of it was harmless in the first place!
"The hidden rogue village!" Wolfgang realized.
This story was becoming awfully familiar.
"Slow down. You're going above the limit."
"I don't feel it." Fluffy smiled.
Wolfgang had enough, "Pull over up front, I'm driving."
Fluffy nodded, "It's not just a hidden village in this timeline, its also a protected village. It turned out that my good brother has been secretly protecting it and raising a rogue army there."
"WHAT?" This was Wolfgang and me.
"Wait, wasn't raising an army Bell's fate?" I asked.
"When his name is on your lips," Fluffy winced a little behind his smiling mask, "It makes me sick to my stomach."
Funny, Bell's name didn't make me feel anything at all.
"I told you to pull over!" Wolfgang said. He was totally ignored.
"But if you must know, La Sweetheart, he's still cursed by the warlock and running through the motions in his own way." Fluffy smiled, "Poor Ki."
Ah... Now I felt something. Mostly worry, and mostly for Ki.
"I ran out last night and saw it for myself." Fluffy changed the subject the way he switched lanes, "It was worse than I suspected. The army's pretty basic, based on the facilities and infrastructure of the training camp, maybe at most 50 rogue warriors."
"They already set up a training camp?" Wolfgang sounded alarmed.
Fluffy nodded, "I'm afraid there's no way Harv does not know about it. If I know Kev, someone else is doing the admin."
"And that someone is most likely Harvey." Wolfgang frowned, "Harv's not a fool. Even if Alpha Kev tried to hide it, I can't think how the accounts wouldn't give them away. An army is expensive to fund."
Jude had once again crossed the line. I mean, secretly releasing a few rogues because you felt sorry for them was one thing, but raising a rogue army along the border was irrevocably treason.
Why, Jude, why?
"The question is, will Harvey report his own Alpha? Kev is his Alpha now." Fluffy smiled, "He's now on the other side of the fence."
Right, because unlike in our Original Timeline, the Morning Light Pack never merged with Night Leaf.
Poor Harv. How was he going to reconcile his loyalty to his alpha and his loyalty to his packlands?
"Maybe Harv is just processing the entire thing now." I said, "I'm sure he isn't purposely hiding it from us?"
"I hope you are right, Princess." Wolfgang said.
"It would be for the best if he could produce the evidence, but bear in mind that your good beta has been Kev's good beta since Kev's investiture a few years back." Fluffy smiled, "Knowing Harv, the moral dilemma must be killing him."
"You really don't have to sound so happy about it." I chided.
"Let's make a bet!" Fluffy asked unrepentant, "Do you think Harv would come clean when he sees us later?"
Of course he would! Right?
"What is Night Leaf's plan?" Wolfgang asked.
Fluffy turned serious suddenly, "I can't say how much Dad knows about the situation - who knows what the Mad Maverick of the Green Packlands is thinking? But even if Dad was simply in denial, he wouldn't be able to overlook it for long. If Kev shows his hand, the Lorents would surely take to arms, and on that day, Night Leaf would be caught in between. It would be a full blown civil war."
"Wolfie. I have a favor to ask." Fluffy said, "If that day should come, please come down personally and take La away."
Fluffy had to be joking! This had to be one of his annoyingly complex ploys to elicit "harmless drama" for his amusement.
But if that was the case, why did he look so serious? He wasn't even smiling, "If that day should come, please come down personally and take La away."
"But…" I said feeling immediately panicked.
"No, La… I can't leave Dad alone to deal with the mess. And once the war starts, it could possibly drag on for years." Fluffy said with uncharacteristic firmness, "And then diplomatic force would be used, and I won't exchange your happiness for a temporal truce, La. Stay with Wolfie. He has the power to shield you from the mess back home."
But you're my soulmate! How could you give me away? Don't I get a say? Don't treat me like a helpless puppy! I decided to swallow the words instead because I was afraid I'd cry.
It wasn't like I accepted him in the first place. It wasn't like the way I was right now would be anything other than a burden for him. Our pack was going to be torn apart by civil war. He was right, Dad would need him, not me.
"What about Savy, I mean Kenna?" I had to know.
"Its a little complicated." Fluffy admitted, "At first, I thought sending her to River would be the best solution. You would be able to visit her often then too."
Why was he worrying about my social life in the middle of civil war?
"But it seems that it wasn't just our soulmates that changed when our timelines merged." Fluffy said.
For some reason, Wolfgang didn't even blink at that, "So you're saying the Princess' sister is unlikely to be Prince River's mate?"
"I'm saying she isn't." Fluffy was very confident, "She belongs to Ben. Probably."
Wait, what? "Did Ben tell you that?"
Fluffy's smile actually reached his eyes, "No, but I have my ways. Let them enjoy their secret puppy love for now."
"Wait, Savy and Ben? No way!" I'm sorry but that would just be like dating your brother... Which come to think of it was exactly what I might end up doing.. omo.
"No La, Sweetheart. It isn't Savy and Ben. Ben was like a brother to Savy but to Kenna, Ben is her best friend's twin brother." Fluffy smiled, "Anyway, they've been secretly dating since the snow storm last year."
"Says who?" I demanded.
"Says Kenna's diary." Fluffy answered lightly.
This had to be Savy's Karma for all the times she snooped in MY diary.
"Why do cute girls write diaries?" Fluffy mused, "It's almost like they WANT us to know..."
It was at this moment that it struck me like a bolt of lighting, "Did you read MY diary?"
Fluffy laughed, "Why would I do that?"
He definitely did!
"So, will you do it Wolfie?" Fluffy asked.
"Of course not!" Wolfgang folded his arms and look indignant, "Journaling is an effective way of recording and organizing one's personal life experiences and lessons. It is NOT a frivolous exercise, and the author's privacy should be respected."
"Oh, so you keep a diary too?" Fluffy's eyes glinted evilly, "You should invite me to your home one of these days."
"I said no such thing!" Wolfgang was immediately alarmed, "Don't pry into my personal life."
Fluffy laughed, it was that leisurely happy laugh that made me feel strangely comforted.
"Actually, I was referring to my earlier question." Fluffy said, "Will you take my pretty La away and guarantee her safety if war breaks out."
Good feelings gone. Dammit! Don't give me away! Stooopid Fluffy!
Wait what was I thinking? I didn't want to be with Fluffy either (even though his laugh makes me happy and he always understands me and takes care of me and makes me feel safe and...) No stop. I must stop thinking about it! I have a soul mate waiting for me in my Original Timeline!
"You're a terrible driver." Wolfgang said.
Fluffy shrugged, "I've been called worse."
I didn't think that was something to be proud of.
But if Savy, I mean Kenna's soul mate could be changed from River to Ben, then... Did that mean Rebel would have someone else too?
"Give me your word." Fluffy said.
Wolfgang nodded as if in deep consideration, "Alright. I will do my best to support Night Leaf. Protecting the princess on a personal capacity would not be a problem. I would lay my life down for her. As for providing aid during the war, I would have to see what is possible when the time comes."
Don't discuss my future like I wasn't there!
Fluffy looked pained. It was only for a split second, and then his smiling mask returned to its usual place, "Ah, but that's only if war breaks out."
Right! None of this ever had to happen!
"We could always go back to our original timeline!" I cheered up immediately.
"Do you think our father would?" Fluffy's smile looked strained.
Huh? Of course Dad would! If he knew how bad things would get, wouldn't he go straight back?
Or would he try to save Kev here and fix things to prevent the future from happening?
Oh dear.
"What should we do?" Now I was starting to get really worried. Dad would want to save all his children, which now included Kev and Kai.
"Don't worry, La sweetheart." Fluffy beamed at me, "Whatever happens, we will keep you safe."
"Then stop driving like a maniac!" Wolfgang ordered.
Fluffy laughed out loud.
But eventually the car got onto the long road out to Gate City and Fluffy stopped giving Wolfgang grief. Either that, or Wolfgang just gave up on correcting Fluffy's driving mistakes.
"Thank you." Wolfgang said quietly, "For entrusting her to me."
Fluffy shrugged, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch. We could just as well advert the crisis, should that happen, La is mine."
Who was counting his chickens now? For the record, I didn't agree to any of this!