ALPHA AND OMEGA: TRUTH FROM THE HEART

Humphrey sat down on the cliff behind Kate and Garth's future den. It was hard to believe that Kate didn't tell him that she was getting married—married to a real jerk. Garth was not right for her, he was big, strong, rude, and his howl was the worst thing he had ever heard. But there was nothing he could do about it now, because she was marrying him to bring peace, nothing more, nothing less.

As Lilly helped her sister get ready for her wedding, Kate wondered if she should have told the truth about her love for Humphrey. It was hard to believe that she was going to live a life with someone she didn't love, and it hurt deeply. Kate looked down where she could see the eastern and western wolves streaming into the valley. "Wow, that's a big crowd," she muttered, trying to control her queasiness.

Lilly looked up from brushing her sister's fur. "Yeah, good times," she replied. The two of them had shared a tender reunion, but they didn't speak much. Kate thought that Lilly was hiding something from her, but what? It wasn't Lilly's way to hide something from her. There was something else different, too, but Kate couldn't figure out what.

"So what happened while I was gone?" she asked, trying to keep their conversation going.

Lilly stopped again. "Not much," she sighed.

Kate tried again. "So, I heard that you and Garth spent some time together."

Just then Lilly tugged a little too hard on Kate's coat, eliciting an "Ow!" from her and a quick apology from Lilly.

"So what's Garth really like?" Kate asked, not seeing Lilly narrow her eyes in anger at hearing her sister say his name. "I'm sure he's going to be a good mate, have a bunch of pups and live happily ever after, right?

That drew the line for Lilly. Crunch! She bit down on the pinecone so hard that it shattered it into many pieces. "Well, if you like that sort of thing," she replied bitterly. "Big, brawny, handsome, and perfect." Kate twisted around to study her sister-and realized what else was different.

"Lilly, you're wearing your fur back!" It was true-Lilly had always let her forelock hang over her eyes, but she was letting the world see her lovely violet eyes, and now they were filling with tears.

"Sorry, I know, it looks awful," Lilly muttered, clawing the fur back down over her eyes. Then she ran off, crying.

"But I liked it, Lilly," Kate called out to her sister, but she was gone.

As Lilly ran down through the valley, her crying attracted the attention of her mother. Eve saw how upset she was, and decided to find out what was causing it.

Down by the stream, Garth's father Tony saw how upset his son was, but he mistook it for the stress of being rushed into a wedding with Kate.

"Now Garth, I know it's kind of sudden, but you're doing the right thing," he said, but all he got was a frown.

"Am I doing the right thing?" he replied bitterly, "I'm not in love with Kate, so how can it be the right thing if my heart belongs to someone else?" Tony just laughed.

"Don't tell me you're in love with that omega wretch."

Garth then struck his father across the face, very hard and it left three small streaks that could easily be seen. "She is not a wretch!" he shouted. Tony had never been struck by anyone other than his wife. "Lilly is the one that makes my life worth living, but I will marry Kate to unite the packs." Then Garth ran off, leaving his father to care for the scratches on his face.

Garth ran all the way to where Lilly had made him laugh when she first started to show him around the area. "Why did my grandfather make such law that prevents alphas and omegas from mating!?" Garth shouted, clawing the ground in front of him. "I hate this pack law." He could only think about one wolf, Lilly. She had stolen his heart, and now he was going to break hers by marrying her sister. Turning to leave, he came face to face with Lilly.

"Garth, I know what this is doing to you, because I just tried to do something to make the pain go away," she held out her right paw into the sun light for him to see something that hurt him even more. There was more than one claw mark across her wrist and her white fur was crimson red.

"Lilly, don't ever do this to me, because the thought of you trying to kill yourself... only... I," Garth couldn't say any more. His heart was broken, and Lilly was trying to leave this world.

"Garth, please don't marry Kate," Lilly begged loudly as tears ran down her cheeks. "I am the one that you love- don't do this me."

Garth rubbed his head against her soft fur. "I must marry your sister, but I will never sleep with her, because the one I should be married to is you." Lilly smiled and asked him, "Garth, do you love me?"

"Yes, I love you, I will always love you," he replied kissing her gently on the cheek. "My love for you will last even in death, no matter what the law says, it can't stop me from loving you." With that, Garth pressed his lips against Lilly's lips.

It was a few hours later before all the wolves from both packs gathered to see the marriage of Garth and Kate. The two of them did not want to go along with this, but they had to. Two other wolves who didn't want to be there were suffering as well, Humphrey and Lilly.

Lilly felt her heart ripping in two as she saw Garth walk onto the flat boulder in the center of the valley.

"So," Garth asked Kate quietly, "are you ready?"

Kate nodded. She had to be ready, but it would never be the same.

"So, you want to start this thing or should I?" Garth asked her with a fake smile that hid the sorrow in his heart.

"We'll start together," Kate decided. That was the whole point, after all. Uniting the packs.

Humphrey sat sadly next to Lilly as they watched Kate and Garth sniff one another, nuzzle each other's ear and pull back to do the last part. The last part was rubbing noses. Once they did that, they would be mates for life. The packs would be united, and so would they. Forever.

However, another wolf had decided against pack law. Eve looked at Kate and Garth with sadness. They both were in love with someone else, and this marriage would ruin their lives. She had to stop this from happening, and maybe peace would still come to the packs.

"I'm so sorry Humphrey," Kate said to herself, tears were running down her cheeks as her nose came closer to Garth's. If she had looked back, Kate would have seen Humphrey run off toward the train tracks.

"Lilly, forgive me!" Garth voice screamed inside his head as his nose almost touched Kate's nose.

"Hold it!" someone shouted from the crowd. All the wolves looked and saw Eve walk up on the flat boulder to address the two packs.

"My friends, we all have made a mistake. The mistake was making a law about alphas and omegas not being able to marry. I now see the truth..." Eve said loudly, with her head up high to show that she was not afraid to speak out against the law. "The truth is that... that my daughter Lilly, who is an omega, loves Garth, who is an alpha." The crowd went into an uproar, but Eve went on speaking.

"We have no right to keep these two from loving one another. Garth and Lilly are meant to be together, the law must be changed," Eve said calmly, but now it was time to make the two packs listen to her and destroy the old law. "And if any of you wolves say no to them, I will break your spines and let the crows eat your eyes!" Eve shouted at the top of her lungs. The packs went silent, not a sound was heard from them.

"Mom," Kate said stepping forward, "I love Humphrey the omega, and I agree with you about changing the law," she turned to crowd of wolves who were keeping quiet because of Eve's threat. "Does anyone share that idea that the law must be changed?"

Tony now saw the truth as well; alphas and omegas did have the right to be married, and he was the first to speak. "I have heard a lot of things in my life but... I was wrong to hurt my son Garth by forcing him into this marriage. I give Lilly my blessing to become my daughter-in-law."

The minute Lilly heard that Tony would allow her and Garth to be mates, she rushed up to him and tackled him to the ground. Garth looked up at her with a smile and they kissed. The whole pack cheered, knowing that peace would still happen and they would unite as one pack. Then Kate remembered Humphrey, she looked around for him in the crowd of wolves, but didn't see him and it frightened her to think that she would never see him again.

"Mom, Humphrey is gone!" Kate cried. Eve saw that her daughter was right, Humphrey was gone, so she turned to Hutch.

"Take your boys and bring Humphrey back to where Kate choose," Eve ordered swiftly. Hutch turned to Kate, awaiting his orders from her.

"Bring him to the den that was meant for Garth and I," Kate said. With that, Hutch took his best wolves to find Humphrey. It wasn't hard to find the omega's scent, but could they stop him from leaving.

Humphrey was nearing the train tracks; he was no longer going to stay here were his heart would always be in pain for losing Kate. As he rushed toward the train, something landed on top of him. Looking up he saw Hutch and two other alphas.

"Humphrey, you are ordered to return to our pack, because Kate wishes to speak with you," Hutch demanded. Humphrey looked up, surprised that Kate wanted to see him. "Ok, I will go to her, but after that I'm gone." he said.

It was night time before Humphrey arrived at what he thought was Kate and Garth's den, but he didn't see Garth. Inside the den was Kate, waiting anxiously for him. "Here he is, Kate," Hutch said, holding his head up proudly.

Kate smiled. "You may leave, Hutch and take your alphas with you." Hutch bowed his head to her. "As you wish," he said, and off he went leaving Humphrey alone with Kate.

"Kate, I hope you have a happy life with Garth," Humphrey lied, a fake smile on his face, but Kate wasn't falling for it.

"No, I can see your eyes," Kate said softly, "and I know that my heart is for another wolf, not Garth." Humphrey began to feel something; it was his heart speeding up. "And just who is this wolf?" he asked, a ping of hope beginning to grow.

"You."

"Me?!" Humphrey gasped. "You never told me that you were going to marry Garth, and then we howled at the moon together, but even then you never told me that you loved me."

Kate had not told him why she had to get back home, but there was a chance to heal his broken heart. "My heart burns with sadness for not telling you. If there was any wolf I wanted as a mate it was you."

Humphrey's eyes were full of tears. "Kate," he said sniffling a little. "I want you to know that I love you."

"I love you too, Humphrey," Kate said. Then the two of them looked deeply into one another eyes. They both leaned forward and connected their muzzles into a deep and passionate kiss. They loved every second of what they were doing. Humphrey then pulled away and started licking the side of Kate's muzzle, then he started kissing her neck and licking it lovingly, but she stopped him from going any further.

"Humphrey, we should wait until after we become mates," Kate said with a happy, but lustful smile. Humphrey was shocked, did Kate just say mates? He could hardly hold back his excitement as he tried to get his mind on what he heard.

"Did your mom and dad talk to Tony about changing the law?" Humphrey asked happily, Kate nodded. "My mom was the one that got the law changed. She can be very persuasive when she needs to be."

That night, Humphrey could hardly get any sleep, because he was finally going to get to be with the wolf of his dreams, Kate. As he walked around his den, Garth came in.

"Humphrey, can I talk to you" he asked nervously.

"Sure," Humphrey said.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for calling you a coyote the first time we met," Garth said looking a little gloomy, "I was wrong to insult you and if we are to become brothers, I would like to know that we are all right with each other now."

Humphrey smiled and accepted his future brother-in-law's apology. "You're forgiven and I'm sorry for making fun of you. I only did it because I was jealous that Kate was going to hang out with you."

From that time on, Garth and Humphrey became very close, they no longer saw each other as rivals, but as brothers. It was the start of a growing family and the start of a new adventure.