I ADORE WOLF'S RAIN!!!! Just wanted to get that off my chest. As anyone who has watched Wolf's Rain will know I do not own any of the Wolf's Rain characters, however I do own Aya, Ren, Rika, Maiko and Aika. My first fiction on this site. Enjoy...

In each family a story is playing itself out, and each family's story embodies its hope and despair.
-- Auguste Napier

Chapter One – The Family

Is it possible to have a wolf pack made of Omega's? We were a pack, there was no questioning that, but each one of us was a weakling, too young yet to be considered a full grown wolf. From birth we had been taught the tricks of hunting and fighting through play, but that is all it was to us. Play. We didn't yet have the skills or the experience to fight successfully for our survival. We thought it would never happen. Independence. The pack was thriving, how were we to know that we would become separated from it? How were we to know that the days of the Greater pack were at an end? Yet they did end. Those days came to a close long before we were ready for it. One day we woke up, and the pack just wasn't there anymore. The mass of warm bodies was gone from around us. We were barely more than cubs, and we were alone.

Beside me in the cave I felt the shuddering of fur and flesh. Maiko, the youngest and smallest in our little group of yearlings, shivered beside me. Her coat was milky blonde, still soft and downy like a pups. Not enough to keep in the heat, when around her the air was like ice. I shuffled closer to her, trying to share our body heat. She whimpered, pressing her nose into the thick ruff of golden fur around my neck. I sighed, steam billowing from my mouth and nostrils.

We had been hiding in this cave for a week now, hiding from the relentless blizzard outside. There were five of us, all females who hadn't yet reached their full growth potential. Out of that five, three had been shunned to the edge of the pack. Ren, Rika and Maiko. The pack hadn't thought they would last the winter, and had outcast them. It wasn't cold or heartless. It wasn't done to hurt them. It was simply wolf law. Those unable to support the pack must be cast to the side. The Greater pack was all about preservation and protection of the strongest. Survival of the fittest. Aika and I, the two wolves who completed our particular group, were yearlings picked by the pack to become warriors, hunters, pup-bearers, even future Alpha's. They saw we would grow large and strong, and decided to train us to become fighters. But the pack was destroyed before we reached our full potential. Now we train ourselves.

Aika, always strong and silent, clambered to her feet and lay down on Maiko's other side. With a slight whine as she pressed herself against the cold little body, she huddled in, helping me warm our smallest pack sister. Aika's thick caramel brown fur puffed out as she transferred her heat. As Maiko whimpered Aika met my eyes over Maiko's back. Out of all of us, Maiko was the happy, boisterous one. Seeing her like this, with barely the strength to lift her head, worried us. I dipped my muzzle, lapping gently at Maiko's closed eyes. "Maiko, you can't sleep. Not when you're still this cold."

Maiko's eyes remained closed, and she gave the tiniest of whines. "Maiko!" I growled, nipping her ear. With a yelp her eyes snapped open. "You mustn't sleep Maiko. If you fall asleep in this cold you wont wake up."

"I wish I could Aya," she whispered, "Oh I wish I could sleep."

"Soon Maiko. Soon you can sleep."

We all fell silent again, except for the panting of steam from our muzzles. On the wind, howling on the blizzard, a wolf's call reached us. My ears pricked forward. Could there still be survivors out there? Are any of the pack still alive? Aika met my eyes again.

"On our way here to the cave I saw some wolves," she whispered, "there were four of them. I didn't recognise them, they weren't pack."

"Whoever they were I hope they find somewhere safe to spend the night. This blizzard is evil."

"The storm appears to be dying. I think it will be over by tomorrow."

"Then tomorrow I shall hunt. We'll need food if we're going to last another night."

Aika snarled slightly. "You can't go alone Aya! You're not at your full strength. You could get hurt. Let me come with you, I can help..."

"You can help by staying and protecting the others. I can hunt for us alone but I cannot hunt if I feel our pack isn't safe. You need to protect them."

"With my life."

I nodded solemnly. None of us ever used to be this serious. We were fun-loving pups. We'd had to grow up in a matter of hours the night the pack was destroyed. It felt wrong to be this serious.

"Tomorrow I'll go to the city. I just hope life is on our side."

-x-x-x-

Kiba moved slowly down the street. The wind ruffled his hair around his eyes. The city had been abandoned, though not for long. A good raid of any house showed they were still stocked with food. Perfect. Though there was no-one around to see him, he still wore his human form for caution's sake. The crack of snapping wood made him spin back.

A newly made hole gaped from a boarded window, showing nothing but the shadows within. He could hear a rustling from inside, followed by a short annoyed growl and a bang. Whatever was inside was clearly unaware of his presence. He stepped closer to the building.

With a crash a worn sack was flung through the hole, shortly followed by a scrambling gold shape. Kiba remained silent, gaping at the beautiful she-wolf who had leapt from the window. She was obviously young; her ears, tail and paws were still slightly too large to fit with the rest of her body. Her fur was thick and silky looking, although tufts of it stuck up in odd angles, as if she hadn't had time to groom recently. It was a beautiful golden blonde, and reminded Kiba of sunlight.

Kiba's eyes traced over her sides, where the ribs showed unhealthily. On her left flank a jagged wound stretched, brutal but not infected. There was no denying that the young she-wolf was very beautiful, but she also looked very hurt and broken.

With a small growl Kiba stepped out of the shadows. The she-wolf turned, snarling. She of course could see through his human disguise, to the snow-white wolf underneath. She snarled again, fur standing on end and body tense. Kiba continued to move forward, as the she-wolf backed off, tail tucked firmly between her legs. She continued to growl. Kiba watched her, content she was submissive to an older, stronger wolf. How wrong he was.

With a snarl and a flash of pearly fangs the she-wolf snapped at his forepaw, teeth snagging just above the joint. Kiba yelped and leapt back, as she dived for her sack and ran. Shaking his head he watched her retreating paws, and the triumphant swish of her tail as she leapt a fence and vanished.

-x-x-x-

"Aya, thank heaven you're back. Hurry, it's Maiko!" Rika ran out to greet me, tail clasped between her legs. I bounded forward, dragging my sack. I dumped it when I got to the cave, scrambling to the huddle of fur beside Aika.

"What happened?" I snapped at Aika.

"She just fell to the side twitching. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot and foam was dribbling from her mouth. I think she had a seizure."

I dropped onto my forelegs in front of the little blonde wolf. "Maiko?" I whined, licking her nose, "Maiko, can you hear me."

She opened one eye to peer at me, before giving a high piercing whine. "Maiko, I brought food." Aika stepped forward, offering a hot dog from the bag. Maiko attempted to chew, but she was so weak. Aika stepped forward again, chewing the hot dog before putting it in Maiko's mouth. It was the same technique our mothers and aunts used with us when we were pups; regurgitating the food into our mouths. Maiko managed to swallow twice, before shaking and curling up again. I lay down beside her, resting my head over the top of hers. A single tear rolled from my eye and down my nose. Our little Maiko was dying.

"Aya?" She whispered, "What do you think it's like? Paradise?"

"I think Paradise is anything you want it to be."

Maiko smiled. "You're an amazing Alphess, Aya."

"I'm not an Alphess."

Maiko sighed, pressing against me. "You'll always be my Alphess. I know you're still young but you're my Alpha forever."

"And you will always be my little pack sister."

Maiko sighed. "One day we'll see each other again." She sighed again, and from then on was silent. She must have fallen asleep.

Maiko was a wonderful young wolf, and that night she breathed her last breath. I'll never forget her.

-x-x-x-

"I'm telling you Tsume there was another wolf in the city. A she-wolf."

Tsume glared. "Whatever, like I care."

Toboe bounced excitedly. "Wow, another wolf. I wonder if she wants to join us. Kiba, can we go find her?"

Kiba smiled down at Toboe. "I plan to."

Hige grinned, "Hey, if she doesn't have a mate we're sorted."

Tsume sneered at Hige. "Even if she doesn't, what makes you think you stand a chance. Anyone would have better taste than that."

Kiba butted in before an argument could get out of hand. "It's settled then. We find the she-wolf."

-x-x-x-

Okie dokie that was the first chapter. I will attempt to publish the next one soon as it is the summer holidays. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review. x x x Artemis