GREAT GREAT GRANDMA WANDA

After my Grandma Wanda's death...

"Wait, who's Grandma Wanda?" First of all, I didn't know any Grandma Wanda. Second of all, I thought Future Ben was supposed to explain our future properly to us.

To be honest, there was still a part of me that couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was just having a really hard time digesting anything. It wasn't even the time traveling cats or the legendary Stick Forest (because face it, a cursed land the expanse of our entire Green Packlands forest was Lycan legend level.)

What was really unbelievable was how it sounded like MY Blue Demon Army was now the enemy, with sensible and loyal Owen leading a chunk of it and EJ running wild on Ben in Red Prince mode.

Ben did also mention that Harvey was a traitor, right? No way! There was no freaking way...

Maybe Future Ben was the bad guy here, and everyone was chasing him... but I couldn't accept that either, okay, it was more plausible, but I still couldn't believe it. I mean, if he were a bad guy, why was he trying to stop me from disappearing? WHY DID I DISAPPEAR IN THE FIRST PLACE?

"Before we let you speak, why should we trust you?" Wolfgang who had been silently contemplating suddenly spoke.

"What?" Ben looked like Wolfgang just slapped him in the face, "You were the ones who wanted me to talk!"

"I wonder..." Fluffy smiled, "Which is more likely? For Big Brother beta and the Blue Demon Warriors to betray us, or for Scary Beta to alone stay true?"

"I wasn't alone!" Ben argued.

"You said you were alone." Wolfgang pointed out.

"I said I was alone IN THE STICK FOREST! I was on a mission!" Ben got impatient with us, "Look, I don't have time for mind games."

"Says the one who time traveled back in time." Fluffy smiled, "We should kill the cat."

"How would that help anything?" Ben was truly exasperated now, "You f***ing dog!"

And then Ben smirked suddenly, "Well, what if I said YOU were the strategist on our side? Would that make you a traitor too?"

Fluffy considered this, "I suppose it would explain why you were still alive. One would need a brilliant strategist to escape the Blue Demon Army."

"You were the f***ing f***er who sent me out for Ki!" Ben pointed accusingly at the smiling blond cradling his cat, "You probably just wanted me dead."

Fluffy shook his head, "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be alive."

Fluffy was very confident in his scheming.

"Perhaps we can hear this Ben out." Ki smiled, "I am very curious of my part in this future."

"You had no part!" Ben growled, "You were the biggest idiot!"

"Where was I?" Wolfgang asked.

"My side." Ben took some satisfaction at Wolfgang's startled expression.

"Chill, Hotstuff. You're on the right side." Ben smirked, "Look, would it help if I said Prince River and your precious Snow Moon Kingdom was on our side too?"

"Only marginally." Wolfgang winced, and then glared as if offended and quoted out of the blue, "I am a wolf. My loyalty is proof."

I was sure it was a quote. I've heard it before too, but I couldn't immediately place where from.

"Then pluck out your heart and prove it." Fluffy continued quoting and I remembered the gruesome tale.

"No, don't." I flared. In the tale, every wolf but one tore out his heart.

The one who didn't, tore out her alpha's heart and said, "Of all the wolves, I loved you most. So I will not leave you standing alone in regret. Let me live the villain and carry your sin!"

Because the last wolf standing was his Luna.

The end.

My future didn't sound that bad... I mean, nothing like a Lycan tragedy to put things in perspective.

"Do you want to hear what happens or are you gonna stand around reciting Lycan soap opera?" Ben asked.

Tsk, Ben's bad attitude really grew with him!

"Alright, Ben report." Harvey said. His mouth was pressed down in a straight line. I was afraid for him to hear what would happen.

Actually, I was quite afraid for me too. But I think it was one of those things... I had to hear it anyway.

"Don't boss me, traitor. Where was I? Oh right. Your Grandma Wanda... " Ben raised his hand before anyone could interrupt, "You probably haven't met her yet. She's your Luna Mum's Great Grandmother, Sam."

Grandma Wanda doted on me more than anyone else in the world. In her eyes, I could do no wrong.

To everyone else she was quite the grumpus.

{I like her already.} Boo decided.

I was devastated when she passed on.

On the outside, I continued smiling and attending my Young Alpha duties, but my closest wolves all knew I was deeply affected.

"I should never had brought her home." I had confided to Ben one evening, "She would still be alive today if..."

"Yeah, if you had left her alone in her miserable existence." Ben shrugged, "Look Sam, at least she had a few happy years... I mean, she was already way past her expiry."

But I refused to be comforted, "I have given her nothing... But I've cost her everything..."

Grandma Wanda had followed me back to Night Leaf. She trained Mum and Savy in their bloodline healing art - apparently, their wolves could do more than just heal feelings. Together, they restored Bell's arm fully.

To do this, Grandma Wanda sacrificed one of her own arms. I took it upon myself to drag Ben over to confront her about it.

"Silly child. There is a cost to every heal." She said.

"But no!" I flared in all my eloquence.

Grandma Wanda cackled. Grandma Wanda had a grating cackling kind of laugh. (Was that where Savy got it from o.o)

"My wolf is too old to run. What use would an old woman like me have for four legs?" Grandma Wanda flicked my forehead with her only hand. She had no Lorent power to regrow her lost arm, nor the black curse to power it either.

"Silly child, it would be better for your mate to have all his limbs. At least your grandma will be reassured that he would have no excuse not to satisfy you." And then she cackled again.

Grandma Wanda never smiled or laughed... Unless she was with me.

And although Bell had never uttered a word of thanks, he must have been grateful because he allowed her to make her abode what was left of the warlock tower... The one infested with spiders.

Which could arguably be also seen as casting the old healer aside after she healed his arm.

"Are you really going to go all the way out there?" I had dragged Ben to confront her about it (again).

I hadn't even knocked on the door.

Grandma Wanda looked up from her packing, "Oh it's you, my silly child. What are you going on about?"

"The ladies at the Packhouse kitchen says Bell's kicking you out!" I said.

"Silly child." Grandma Wanda went back to packing, "Your Luna was doing this old woman a kindness."

"I think it would suit me better. I am more accustomed to living alone." Grandma Wanda smiled, "The magic is denser there too, my life spell would be stronger. Don't you want your Grandma to live forever?"

I nodded, but I wasn't completely convinced.

"Besides," Grandma Wanda smiled gently, "I have a great affinity with spiders. Haven't you heard about the spiders in Night Forest?"

I shook my head.

"Then perhaps it's best you never hear it." Grandma Wanda decided.

I wondered if the spider phobia my Night Forest cousins had was anything to do with it.

When we discovered that our Alpha Backyard was cursed , Grandma Wanda took the curse on herself on behalf of our land.

Everything was fine until the third year when the curse finally took its toll and Grandma Wanda died. On her deathbed, she instructed Mum to take over the curse for our land, and pass it down to Savy after. As healers, it was their duty to sacrifice for their pack.

Dad put his foot down. He was having none of that. Wanda was furious and called Dad a fool, "You don't know what you're doing. Your pack will pay for your selfishness when the land becomes a barren wasteland."

And she was right. Within 5 years, the entire Green Packlands fell into desolation.

But by then, it didn't matter anymore, because I had disappeared, and what was to be Moon Bell became the Blue Demon Army. Those who were useless to the Tyger King were scattered, and those who refused to be used by him were hunted.

"If you are not for me, then you are against me." The Tyger King would declare.

Which really did sound like what Bell would say.

Actually, everything Future Ben said, no matter how unbelievable it sounded, sounded undeniably exactly like us.

"Wait, wait!" I shook my head when I realized Ben was about to conclude, "You still hadn't explained how I disappeared!"

"Do I have to?" Ben groused.

Sigh. Why was the grown up version of Ben just as much of a donkey as his younger self? "Yes! Of course you must!" I ordered firmly, "Tell me everything properly! You can't miss out any important details either!"

Ben smirked, "Man, you're so cute when you get bossy."

WTH?

"Stop saying I'm cute!" I ordered.

"It's creepy." Fluffy nodded, "Who knew scary beta will grow up to be a creepy uncle?"

"Shut it, dog. You're the creep!" Ben snapped.

"It takes one to know one." Fluffy shrugged unperturbed.

"Stop!" I said before we went off tangent into another tit for tat, I can't believe I was the one saying this, but "Focus guys."