"Ilana, you must understand, I need to do this." The dark gray wolf growled in frustration. His mate was pacing, anger clearly steaming off of her light gray pelt.
"No, Razer. You must understand." She snarled, turning on him. "Our pack is so far gone and all you can think about is joining the Alpha Pack? Really? Our pack needs an alpha, a leader, but…you just want to abandon us?" Her eyes brimmed with tears. Her ears and tail drooped with realization. Her mate looked at her, regret in his eyes. He nuzzled her muzzle with his, gently.
"Ilana, I'm not expecting you to be happy with this. But I have made my decision. I'm doing this for all of us. If I join the Alpha Pack then I'll be able to protect the whole forest. I won't let those Humans steal our prey anymore. When I'm done, I'll come back here and we can finally have the litter that we always dreamed of." He murmured. He pulled away to look at his mate. "Will you be alright?" He asked.
"I will as long as you come back for me." Ilana answered, a smiled glinting in her eyes. Razer nodded, happiness escaping through his tail wagging.
"Always."
A few short moons later, Razer bounded toward the clearing where he knew his pack was. A strong scent stopped him. It was stale and decayed. Terror gripped his heart and he bounded forward. He broke through the thick foliage, unkempt due to the lack of prey to keep it in check. Laying there were the bodies of the pack which he had held so dear.
"No, no, no. Ilana!" He howled. He padded through the bodies. He found her lying behind a few bushes. Her lovely gray coat was no longer beautiful. It was covered in filth and her tail was gone. He stood over her body, his mind refusing to acknowledge that she was really gone.
"But…" He whispered. "But I came back for you." He growled, a deep rage began boiling in his stomach. "I CAME BACK FOR YOU!" He howled to the skies. His fur bristled with rage.
"It looks like your clan was poisoned, Razer." A deep voice growled behind him. Immediately Razer turned, his teeth bared and his fur doubling his size.
"You did this!" Razer snarled. He faced the much larger red wolf and prepared for the fight that would surely ensue.
"No, Razer. I didn't. Besides, you're outnumbered. You would best sheath your fangs, young warrior." The large wolf growled. Razer looked around him and realized he was surrounded by red wolves. His gray pelt flattened and he stood straight, confused.
"Alright, what do you want from me, then? I have NOTHING to give." The mourning wolf sighed. The larger wolf wagged his tail once.
"You can lend your rage. If you join us, the Red Fangs, you will be able to avenge your precious pack."
Razer looked up at the wolf and blinked. Could this be true? "What is your name?" He asked.
"My name is Atrocitus. Will you become a Red Fang?" He asked, his red eyes seeming to glow. Razer raised his muzzle and nodded.
"Alright, I will serve you."
"Then let the Hunt of Rage begin." Atrocitus barked. The pack around him bowed their heads. "Razer of the Forgotten Pack, it is time for you to use your rage and make your first kill as a Red Fang. You must battle a Human."
The gray wolf narrowed his eyes, watching the fire that warned him away from the circle of humans. Behind him stood the Red Fangs. They were watching him, to make sure he earned his place in the pack. A human child tottered toward the edge of the circle, Razer looked back at Atrocitus, curious to see if this was the human he was to kill. The red wolf shook his head. Razer turned back and focused on the humans again. One young alpha male stood up and began moving away from the circle. He walked out into the dark and began to relieve himself. Razer smirked and began stalking the human. He came up behind him and readied himself. For a moment, he paused. This was just a young alpha male. His broad shoulders suggested he would be a leader. Could he really take a life so young? Almost as soon as the thought came into his mind he brushed it away. His paws left the ground and his teeth found the back of the human's neck. The kill was quick and almost silent. But the other humans didn't notice anything strange.
The kill felt good. He had bested and destroyed one of the humans responsible for Ilana's death. The rage in his stomach boiled over and a laugh escaped his jaws.
"Well done, Razer. Now, paint your coat red." Atrocitus' voice whispered in his ear. Razer smiled and went to work. He ripped open the carcass and rolled around in the mess. When he stood up, his coat was shining in the red wetness. His rage burned as it rumbled up from his stomach into his chest. His throught rippled with energy as his howl unleashed. Everyone around him froze, even the Red Fangs. His message was clear, 'I AM RAGE!'
While the pack and humans all trembled at the howl, Atrocitus' tail thumped against the ground.