Chapter 1

Now that i'm back here, I thought back to why I had left in the first place. There were quite a few reasons; First, my family argued alot. Second, I was arranged to be married, to somebody I didn't even know. I had left about a week after I was done with Alpha school. That means I was capable of protecting myself whenever needed. I could go on for the whole night, listing reasons I left. But I won't list them all. The point is, i'm home again. Well, not quite home. I was back at the territory for sure, but I wasn't completely home. I was lying on a cliffside that looked over the territory. It was too dark to see anything, so I tilted my head back, and looked at the starry sky. I spotted a few constellations that were familiar. For example, the big dipper, the little dipper... Orion was the easiest to spot since I looked for the three stars that made his belt. As for the moon... I had to keep myself from howling, which is hard for me to do when it's full like this. After all, it only happens once a month, rarely twice. From this cliff, at this height, the moon looked even bigger than it ever had.

My apolegies, I haven't even described myself, have I? My eyes are emerald. A scar ran across the right side of my face, over my eye. My fur is mostly black, with white covering my paws, stomach, and my face which made it look like a mask. I was born to an Alpha. Which brings another reason I had left... I had a crush on a certain for as long as I could remember, I was almost positive that it was destiny for us to be together. That is, until I found out she had become an Omega wolf. See, the biggest pack law was for Alpha wolves and Omega wolves to never howl together, or be together for that matter... I had heard rumors in other territories that that law had been abolished. Yet, I never believed them, because I didn't want to come running back home and find out it was a lie. That would break my heart. Why am I back here then? Well, I can't even answer that myself. I think a big reason was that I was home-sick and had to see my parents, brother, sister, and friends again.

A female voice suddenly came from behind me, "Kovu? Is that you?"

I nearly jumped out of my fur. I'm glad to say I didn't, however. I turned my head, and saw a female wolf. My heart began to heat me up. This girl had red fur, with white running down her stomach, covering her paws, and a red tail that was tipped off with white. Her icy blue eyes made me want to shiver but my heart definitely warmed me up. She was definitely familiar, but the voice was even more beautiful than I remembered. I smiled and greeted her with a joking question, "Why are you out here so late?"

She walked toward me with a smile. For a good friend that hasn't seen me in a long time, she was pretty calm. She said, "I walk around here at night from time to time, thinking about how life came to be the way it is."

I questioned, "Good or bad?"

"Pretty good. Oh yea, did you hear? The Alpha-Omega law was abolished!" she exclaimed.

That brought me a spark of joy. I could feel my smile grow bigger, but I hoped she didn't notice. I answered her question with, "Yea, I heard about that."

"And guess what."

I rubbed my right paw on the back of my head for a minute, thinking. What could she possibly want to tell me? And right after telling me about the abolished law? Was she going to say she liked me? Oh gosh, I wouldn't know how to respond to that. I gave up on thinking, "What?"

She smiled, wagged her tail to the side once, and answered, "I'm getting married in a few days."

The joy that came to my heart earlier, remember that? Yea, it's gone now. The girl I had loved for as long as I remembered, was getting married in a few days? To who? What did I miss in the time I was gone? I tried changing the subject immediately, "So... Hailey. Do you know if my family would be awake at this time?"

She stammered, surprised by the sudden subect change, "Oh, uh... I don't know. But, if you want, you can come stay at my place for the night. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind. They'd love to see you again."

I thought for a second. My family would definitely be sleeping, and I didn't want to wake them. Plus, I could always just go surprise them in the morning. I smiled, "Sure. I'll stay wih you tonight, and surprise my parents in the morning."

"Sounds good." She smiled.

I gestured toward the slope that led to the territory, "Lead the way."

She turned around, I stood up and followed. Even though she was getting married, my heart still had a place for her... But, as a friend. I would have to accept that she was only a friend, and couldn't be more than that with me. It was hard for me to accept, but I had to. This moment right here, was not helping. She was walking right in front of me, her hips rocking left and right. I tried not to watch ahead of me. She must have known I felt uncomfortable back there, because she said, "You know, you can walk next to me."

I chuckled, I hadn't even thought about that. Smooth move, Kovu... For an Alpha, you're pretty dumb... I moved up next to her. The first thing I saw when I got up there, was her icy blue eyes. Those blue eyes of her's were always on my mind. The two of us walked down a rocky path, careful not to slip and fall over the side. We reached bottom, and stepped onto the soft, familiar, green grass of the territory. I almost fell to sleep right then and there, but I made myself stay awake. We weren't at Hailey's home yet. We walked on the grass, across the territory, and came to more rocks. We climbed up a short rocky path, and came to the mouth of a cave. The cave I was allowed to sleep in for the night. Hailey walked in first, I followed. She quietly called out, "Mom? Dad?"

A female voice called from a back room, grumbling, "What is it?"

I said, "Guess who."

Hailey's mother, a red wolf, came out from the back room, and looked right at me. She wasn't sure who I was at first, but I guess my eyes seemed familiar to her, "Kovu?"

I smiled at her, "Good guess."

I had known Hailey's parents since I was a pup. The two of us were the best of friends, until we were separated by me leaving for Alpha school. Hailey spoke to her mother, "We were wondering if Kovu could stay here for the night. He's going to surprise his parents in the morning."

Her mother, who's name I learned as a pup was Susan, replied with a smile, "I'm fine with that. I'll explain it to your father in the morning."

"Thanks mom."

Susan nodded, and walked back to her room, already nodding off to sleep again. Hailey turned to me and said, "Well... Just make yourself at home."

"Alright, thanks."

Hailey turned and went into her room. She looked back at me and smiled, "Sweet dreams, Kovu."

"You too." I smiled back.

She walked back to her room. I chose a spot close to the mouth of the cave, and laid my head down on my paws. Hailey's words kept playing back through my mind, I'm getting married in a few days...I just couldn't believe it. The Alpha/Omega law had been abolished. But, I came home too late, I had missed my chance that fate had given me with her. The beautiful, red-and-white wolf of my dreams was getting married, and it wasn't to me. I sighed. Oh well, you can't have everything... I closed my eyes and drifted into the world of dreams.