THE ALTERNATE FUTURE BE LIKE…

Just as Ben was done abusing the apple tree, a black plume appeared and opened up into a solid black doorway of darkness. Now this was a portal I recognized.

{Oh, f***. He's here.} Future Ben grabbed my arm and pulled me back behind the tree line. All my wolves falled back.

{Who's here?} And then I realized because the cursed fumes and poured out of the portal and out stepped my Rose and Moon.

{Mate! ~ <3} Boo was so happy, she announced this into our mindlink.

{Not Mate, Sam.} Future Ben shook his head, {This Luna is from the future.}

Oh right, because everything Future Sam "disappeared", her Luna Bell would portal in and throw an alpha tantrum.

My heart skipped a beat anyway, because what stepped out of the fumes was the most beautiful man in the world.

Future Bell had grown out his hair a bit more, it was long enough to be pulled up in a short pony tail. He also got broader.

{Wow, Rebel got jacked.} Jax commented.

Bell had always been buff, but adult Bell was even more so.

I had no idea muscles looked so good.

I think he had come out from the middle of warrior training maybe. At least, he was dressed for it. Black tight short sleeve t-shirt that stretched taut at all the right places and the navy dark blue warrior pants and black boots.

Laru and Leon stepped out of the portal behind him, their expressions terse and unreadable. Laru was holding a long cape, it looked very much like the betaman cape that my betas had designed for me. Navy blue on the outside, black on the inside, with the clasp on one shoulder so it was easy for a beta to help remove or drop over my head. Bell's cape was much longer though, and of course, Laru didn't just loped it over Bell head the way my betas did for me. Laru bowed and held out the cape to show Bell.

When Bell didn't say anything, Laru bowed again, "Please pardon this, your majesty."

And then he stepped forward and wrapped the cape around Bell's shoulders and fastened it quickly before bowing and stepping aside again.

Bell pretty much ignored this entire mini cape conferring ceremony. He was fuming mad.

"Where is my princess?"

And then he looked towards my direction.

My heard skipped another beat.

{Mate! ~ <3}

No, not mate! Not yet anyway. This was Future Bell.

Future Bell was hot. Hahahaha.

{S***. I think he knows we're here.} Harvey said. Because Bell was still looking in our direction. He had also stopped fuming.

"Who goes there?" Future Leon shouted towards us, "Show yourself!"

Just then, the backdoor of the Alpha House slid open and Ki, Harvey, and another Ben rushed out.

Bell looked surprised at their arrival.

"His majesty is here." Laru announced.

"Luna." My three future betas bowed perfunctorily. And then it was their turn to look surprised. I think they had expected to be calming their luna down at yet again another of my disappearances, but Bell wasn't even fuming.

"What?" Ben asked.

Bell merely folded his arms and looked towards our direction.

Ben hesitated, I'm not sure why, and then he called, "Sam? Is that you?"

He looked uncertain though, which was a new look on Ben. I don't think he thought I was really there. But if so, why did he call me?

I took a half step forward. I don't think we could escape discovery.

More wolves rushed out of the backdoor.

{I'm alive!} Neil was very pleased to see his future self among the wolves that spilled out of the Alpha House.

Eh? I thought Future Ben said that Neil died? Why was Neil still here?

Meanwhile, in the Alpha's backyard, it was all hands on deck, and I think everyone available had come out to help contain their raging Luna.

So naturally, they all stopped when they realized that their Luna was not raging at all.

{Who's that?} Harvey asked. (Our Harvey, not the Future Harvey)

Among the reinforcements that had poured out of the Alpha House was a man in a dark green hooded cape.

{That's Hayao.} I answered.

{Didn't Fluffy kill him?} Fluffy wondered allowed.

Eh? I frowned, and then I looked around, it would certainly explain the flowering apple trees, rose garden, and wild flowers…

{Perhaps this is the altered future.} Wolfgang said.

{I'm confused.} Neil confessed, {Didn't I die?}

{Why aren't I there?} Jax panicked, {Did I die?}

{Perhaps you are with you mate in the Red Packlands now?} Ki offered.

{Or on patrol.} Harvey pointed out reasonably, {Not all of the Special Team is here.}

Wolfgang patted Jax on the back, {Do not fear, it seems that neither Fluffy nor I are present either.}

Did they go back home to the Snow Moon Kingdom/ Colored Mountains? (I refused to believe that they died too.)

We all looked at one-eyed future Ben for confirmation.

"How would I know?" Future Ben complained, "Nothing's like how I remembered it!"

I don't know why I was hoping Future Ben would be reassuring at all.

So this was our altered future. It was just Wolfgang's educated guess, but perhaps after meeting Future Ben, Neil didn't step into Jude's cell, Fluffy didn't kill Hayao, and our cursed land was cured.

By now the wolves in the Alpha's backyard were all looking in our direction.

"Sam?" Their Ben called out again, "We know you're there."

Eh, I guess our gig was up. I stepped out into the open field.

"Princess?" Bell frowned, and then he started to fume, "What are you doing here? Why didn't you stay in your time like I told you to?"

Wait, since when did he tell me anything like that?

The wolves around him all took a step back to give him room to chi-ka-boom. At the same time, the wolves around me all stepped up to protect me from my future luna.

And of course everyone had a bit of a shock.

Now we had two Kis, two Harveys, two Bens (although they were both from the future), two Neils, and two Leons.

The other Ki spoke first, "Although I knew this day would come, it is still quite a shock."

Wait, they KNEW we were coming?

"Who told you we were coming?" I demanded.

Bell smirked, {So cute.}

{Mate! ~<3} Boo was not offended.

"Sam?" Ben asked. This Ben had both his eyes. Then he looked at Future Ben, "What the hell! You still lost my eye?"

"Losing MY eye is something YOU would do!" Future Ben retorted.

"As if!" The younger Ben shrugged, "Like I would do something so dumb!"

I'm sorry Ben, but look at your future self - you did do it.

Unless the future of this altered future played out differently - I mean, there would be no Stick Forest now, right? So Ben would not have been trapped and starving in Stick Forest - he'd be trapped in Nature's Larder.

"Ah, I see." Wolfgang nodded like all this made sense, "So you know we were coming."

"Yes, we were expecting you." Ki nodded with a smile, "Welcome to the future."

Because these future wolves remembered coming to the future three years ago.

Jax groaned, "Okay, I officially have a headache now."

"It's very interesting." Wolfgang on the other hand postulated, "This must be the time infinity loop."

Was there a chance that Wolfgang was making this up all on his own?

"But I wonder…" Our Fluffy made his pretty smile and said, "If you know about us coming to stop Pretty Alpha from disappearing, why did she leave?"