The Ember pack

Amber: Alpha female. Light brown with a lighter brown underbelly, with some blonde throughout her pelt.

Rose: Beta, a dark brown female.

Kate: Warrior/scout, a light brown female.

Emmy: Omega, a Dark brown female.

Other packs

Blade: Alpha male, a dark brown wolf with a tan underbelly and black markings. Brother of Dagger. Uncle to Aneko and Xeon

Dagger: Ex-alpha male, a grey brown wolf, an uncle of Aneko and Xeon, and brother to Blade.

Bella: Beta, a light grey female with a white underbelly.

Eagle: Warrior, orange/red wolf with brown mixed in.

Xeon: Scout, A blonde/tan female with a tan/white underbelly, sister to Aneko, niece to Blade and Dagger. (Ex-on)

Aneko: Warrior, A grey wolf with dark grey dapples at his legs, face and tail, brother to Xeon. Nephew to Blade and Dagger (A-nek-e-o)

Prologue

Amber looked around her camp then looked back into the den held with her other pack mates. She got up and went to the center of camp, laid down and looked up to the sky. Amber liked to do this, go up the mountain and bask in the full moon. For now it was only a half moon. So she stayed in the camp and lay beside the food pile. Rose was her beta, a dark brown she wolf with brown green eyes, like the moss on spruce trees. Rose wasn't the strongest wolf you could meet but she was wise. The only warrior of as now is Kate, a light brown she wolf with dark blue eyes, like the crashing ocean. She was a little rough with strangers but once you knew her, she was an angel; she also was determined to serve her pack well. The omega was Emmy, a dark brown she wolf, her pelt was mistaken for black until shown in direct sunlight. Emmy's eyes are brown like the dirt, uncovered from the moist, melting snow. Emmy was only good in healing but the pack didn't need a healer yet. Amber was also a light brown she wolf but she had an underbelly of a lighter brown and streaks of blond throughout her fur. Her eyes were one of an Alpha, light blue, like the skin of a blueberry, but like any Alpha she had a special color mixed in. Hers was Violet, a rare color even for an Alpha eye color. Amber looked at the food pile. A half-eaten deer and a Jack rabbit, three voles. She picked a vole and walked close to the grey little rock that served as a place to make announcements. She sat down and took a bite, letting the scent of blood fill her nose and her senses, she took another bite and ended up tearing it, her senses pleased. She went back over to the bundle of fur that was her pack mates. She took her spot near the entrance; she looked out and let her mind wander to different things. After a while of her mind being in a tornado of thoughts, sleep took over.

Ch. 1

Patrols and strangers

When Amber woke up, she was the second one up. Rose was already up and staring at the food pile with hungriness in her eyes. Amber woke the rest up with a prod of her paw. Once everyone was up she took the half-eaten deer and tore into the rest of what was left of it. Like all Alphas, starting a feast. They all joined and with all of them tearing into it, all they left was a few scraps and bones. They were all cleaning their muzzles when Kate asked,

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Kate finished with her muzzle. Amber stood up and stretched.

"First things first, we'll do patrols then we'll talk from there." Amber said.

" Kate and I will check the borders and Rose will go hunting."

She stopped before continuing.

" Emmy can join you if she wishes."

Amber looked to Rose then to Emmy before nodding and padded out of the camp, Kate close behind.

Amber and Kate didn't see or smell anything so far but then Kate froze, with her nose to the ground, growl barley coming from the she wolf. Amber looked over to Kate curiously. Amber padded up beside Kate and sniffed the air. A growl came from her too. It was a smell of another wolf. Amber followed the scent with Kate close behind. They followed the scent deeper into the pack's territory when Amber stopped and, with her tail, beckoned for Kate to come alongside her. Kate walked up to her and looked down at where Amber was looked down and saw drops of blood, matching the scent of the intruder. Amber looked to Kate then she flicked her tail to signal to continue to follow her. As they approached the clearing Amber heard the breathing of the wolf and the smell grew stronger. The dark grey brown wolf smelled them, he was laying down trying to catch his breath but he jumped up when he heard them.

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize this was your territory."

He pinned his ears against his head. Kate walked up to him, passing Amber.

"But why did you come in the first place?"

Kate asked, still slightly growling. Amber walked up to Kate and slightly shoved her as she came closer to let her know to fall back and let her take care of it. She walked up to the stranger.

" Why are you here?"

She asked curiously. You could tell this wolf had been an Alpha, a strong one to. He had been challenged and had gotten beaten. His Alpha eye colors slowly draining away, His color was a magnificent gold, against charcoal silver. As the Alpha color disappeared it was being filled in with his silver eye color. The dark male hesitated before answering.

" Well as you can see I was beaten in a challenge and I was exiled."

The wolf said, his mind in over thoughts. He probably had family he left behind. Amber thought as she studied the male. She noticed tufts of fur missing a chip in his ear and several scratches, with a painful looking gash from behind the shoulder to the beginning of the hindquarters. Kate interrupted her thoughts.

" That doesn't really answer our question."

Kate snapped, staring at the male sternly. The male looked at Kate slightly surprised. Amber flicked her ear in annoyance in Kate's direction before looking apologetically to the male.

"What's your name?"

Amber asked, changing the subject.

"Dagger; what would be yours?"

He answered then asked.

" I'm Amber and this is Kate."

Amber answered, gesturing to Kate with her head. Kate glanced over to Amber surprisingly; she wouldn't have guessed Amber to be a nice Alpha to exiles and loners. Dagger looked at both of them and offered a weak smile. He slowly sat down, grimacing at the pain in his side. Kate scratched at the dirt below the thin grass in anticipation. She didn't know what Amber was thinking and she wanted to know. Amber flicked her ear at the sound of the scratching.

" Our omega is a pretty good healer; if you want, we can see if she can help you."

Amber said standing up getting ready to go. Dagger raised his eye brows in surprise before smiling and slightly nodding.

" That would be great."

Amber nodded and turned around and took a few steps before howling to the others.

'We have found an exile and we need Emmy's healing, meet us at the camp'

Amber finished her howl and flicked her tail to the astonished Kate to follow her and glanced back to Dagger, making sure he was following, before she continued on to the camp.

Rose watched the others go before turning back to Emmy, who was sitting there looking around as if she was bored.

" So do you want to come with me or stay here?"

Rose asked, hoping she would come with her so that she could teach her how to hunt. Emmy sat there thinking for a little bit before finally answering.

" Sure, I'll come."

Emmy got up wagged her tail showing Rose she was excited to go. Rose nodded, also wagging her tail before she turned around and padded out of the camp with Emmy following closely behind. Once out of the camp Rose started smelling the air and almost immediately smelled Jack rabbit. Rose followed the scent before she flicked her tail to Emmy to tell her to slow down. Rose crouched down and Emmy did the same as they approached the rabbit. Rose saw it, chewing on some nuts, and waited for Emmy to crawl alongside her.

"I want you to pounce on the rabbit and if it runs away I'll be there to catch it."

Rose whispered to Emmy. Emmy nodded her head and watched the silhouette of Rose slink up to the side of the rabbit with it never noticing. Emmy went into hunter's position and wiggled her hind quarters just like a snow lynx hunting for its dinner. Her muscles, not used to this position screamed resistance at her. Emmy pounced and flailed in midair, not being used to taking off, and it affected her landing. She landed inches away from the rabbit. Startled, it just happened to run in Rose's direction. Rose bent her head and caught the rabbit in her jaws. She dug her teeth into its neck and killed it instantly. Rose picked up the rabbit and walked over to Emmy who was sitting down, looking at her paws with her ears pinned against her head.

"I messed up..."

Emmy mumbled to Rose who was barely able to hear her

" It's ok, we still caught the rabbit."

She managed to answer through the fur. Emmy shook her head.

"Maybe if I caught something and you watched me, you could do better?"

Rose asked the Omega. Emmy reluctantly nodded and waited for Rose to show the way while she stood up. Rose watched Emmy stand up before she turned around with her nose to the air. It was a little while before Rose caught the scent of an adult deer and a fawn. Rose licked her chops. 'More deer for us I guess'. Rose thought as she flicked her tail to Emmy to tell her to watch her. Rose crawled into the undergrowth and spotted the deer and fawn. She positioned herself to land near the sleeping fawn to scare off the mother. If I land on the fawn the mother will attack me. Rose thought before she pounced, landed near the fawn and scared the mother off. Rose quickly turned around to bite the panicking fawn. She bit into its neck, it didn't kill it right away so Rose stood there, her head bent down, her jaws attached to the fawn's neck as she waited for it to stop trying to get away from her. When it finally stopped moving she let go of it and looked around for Emmy. Emmy slowly approached Rose with the rabbit in her mouth.

" Good job"

Emmy managed to say through the bundle of fur. Rose smiled then bent her head down and bit the fawn and raised it up. It was about as heavy as Emmy, and Rose almost lost her grip on the fawn. She managed to take it half way then she heard Amber's howl. She stopped, dropped the fawn and looked back to Emmy who was standing there, surprised. She snapped out of the phase and looked around and started gathering herbs, with some difficultly since she already had a rabbit in her mouth. They were able to beat the others home. Rose pulled her fawn to the food pile and sat down, catching her breath. Emmy entered the camp and looked around, there was four big rocks crashing against each other, forming two dens. The pack slept in one den altogether for warmth. There was also a rock jetting from one side, a perfect place for announcements if their pack was bigger. The camp it's self was an indent in the earth, trees hiding it from view. Emmy ran to the food pile, quickly dropped off the rabbit and went into the opposite den from the one they slept in. She dropped the herbs and started organized them. She didn't know what kind of injuries the wolf had so she got whatever she found. I wonder if the exile will be nice, or if he will be rude. I wonder how old he is, what he looks like. These thoughts swirled around Emmy's head before she smelled and heard the others enter the camp. She poked her head out of the entrance with excitement. She saw the male, and the first thing that caught her eye was the gold in his eyes, although it was faint she could still faintly see it. She shook her head out of the phase and went back into the den waiting for them to come in. Amber walked into the den with the wolf behind her. Emmy watched the male as he sat down in front of her.

" This is Dagger, the exile I was talking about."

Amber said as the rest of the pack came into the den. Amber looked at Emmy and gestured to Dagger, signaling she wanted Emmy to heal him. Emmy studied the male's wounds while Rose was talking to the others. She picked of a poppy seed and put in front of him.

" For the pain,"

She said while she picked up the goose-grass and the chervil root.

" And I will put the goose-grass on for the bleeding and I will have to chew this root for any infections."

While she was applying the pulp she let her thoughts wonder. Why do I feel strange? Do I have feelings for him? No! I can't…Could I? When Emmy finished she went to the others so that she could get away from Dagger. Amber looked at Dagger before telling him.

" We have decided to let you join the pack, if you would wish to stay." Dagger tilted his head ever so slightly before nodding his head and sitting down. Amber nodded and went over to the food pile and gestured to it while looking at Dagger. He picked up what she was pointing at and went over to it and picked up the rabbit that Rose and Emmy had caught. Amber picked a vole and the others weren't hungry so they just lay down around the camp, basking in the sun.

Amber was licking the blood off her muzzle when they heard the howls and barks. Amber and Kate jumped up immediately while the others slowly got up.

"What the..?"

Amber asked with a faint growl, as she smelled the air.

" It seems I forgot to tell you something..."

Dagger said as he watched them panic. He slowly got up as the others looked at him with curiousness bright in their eyes.

" I am being followed.