So here I am, alone out in the open sea. Drifting endlessly, no civilization in site. Everyone I ever knew, everyone I cared for, everyone I loved. Taken away from me. I lost everyone, I lost everything.

8 MONTHS EARLIER

The sun rose above The Moonlit Islands, an isle in the middle of almost nowhere. The isle was home to a pack of wolves, Nightshade. "Move out of the way, alpha coming through!" The alpha of Nightshade shouted running through crowds of wolves. "Move it damn you!-oof!" He yelped colliding into the beta known as Maverick. "Lazarus, I am so sorry!" Maverick rambled on helping the alpha up. "It's quite Maverick but I'm in a hurry, I have no time to chat." Lazarus took off sprinting once more.

Lazarus ran into his den seeing his pregnant wife gone into labor surrounded by healers. Lazarus sat beside his mate. "I came as soon as I heard the news." Lazarus said nuzzling his mate. She leaned up licking his muzzle "I would have givin' you hell if you missed this." she teased "Scarlet, you know I would never miss this for the world, Lazarus took her paw in his "Squeeze as hard as you need to." She nodded nervously. "Okay Scarlet." IceTrek, the head healer spoke. Whenever you're ready, take deep breaths and push as hard as you can." Scarlet nodded nervously looking up to her mate. "You'll do great, I'll be here throughout the whole thing." Lazarus conforted. Scarlet soon did as Trek told her.

Scarlet screamed out in pain, squeezing her mate's paw almost crushing it. His eyes widened and face scrunched up almost screaming out in pain himself. Her screams could be heard throughout the pack. "I wonder what it's like to give birth, maybe it feels good in a way?" Maverick thought to himself. His ears flicked hearing Scarlet's screams. "Huh, well I'm glad I'm a guy." He said happily trotting throughout the pack." Scarlet panted heavily, she had givin' birth to six pups, sadly only one surviving. "You did great sweetie." Lazarus licked her behind the ear. "Can I see my pups now?" Scarlet growled wanting desperately to see her pups. Trek soon came to them, on pup within his jaw. Trek set the pup down near his mother. The newborn pup latched on to his mother, suckling her milk.

"Only one pup, where are the rest of them?!" Scarlet snarled at Trek "Honey calm down,

let Trek explain." Lazarus said running his paw up and down her back causing her to softly purr. "I'm sorry, but I have terrible news. Five of your six pups did not make it. We are disposing of the bodies now as we speak." IceTrek said. To say Lazarus was shocked would be an understatement. He didn't know what to say or do. He only nodded slowly staring down at his paws. His train of thought was broken upon hearing his mate wail and sob. She buried her face in Lazarus' fur. "No no no no, this isn't fair. What did we do to deserve this, five of my babies are dead!" Scarlet shouted in anger and sadness.

"I will leave you two alone, I am terribly sorry for your losses." IceTrek dipped his head, padding out of the den. "Scarlet sweetie, don't be sad." Lazarus attempted to comfort his mate. "Don't be sad?! We lost five of our children how can I not be sad?!" She shouted continuing to sob. "At least we have one pup, a son to call our own. Our little survivor, our Humphrey.

Scarlet looked up at him, smiling. "You're right, he will do great things for this pack, he will change the world. My little trooper, our Humphrey.

Humphrey finished drinking his mother's milk, a small burp escaping his muzzle. Both parents chuckled at this. Humphrey curled up beside his mother, drifting off to sleep. "Welcome to Nightshade Humphrey, I'm your mommy and this is your daddy. You'll love it here, I promise." Both Scarlet and Lazarus looked at each other pressing their noses together. "Our Humphrey." They both said in unison.