Prolouge
Shadow woke up from his dream of chasing deer across and endless expanse of hills and trees. He looked outside of the hunter den and saw his mother and his Alpha, who was also his father, bickering again, hiding behind mother was Valiant, his little brother who was barely a Delta. Shadow walked out of his den to be greeted by Omega running in front of him whimpering "Please stop them." Then the small wolf scampered off to her den. Shadow got in front of his father and asked "What's going on Alpha?" Alpha looked at him and snarled "Your mother is threatening the pack with her weakness!" Shadow narrowed his eyes and asked "What weakness?" Alpha howled in annoyance and snarled "She is having a third litter of pups, but they're not my pups!" Shadow cocked his head and asked "Who's are they then?" Alpha snarled out "She won't tell me!". With that Alpha walked over to his den and slipped inside. Shadow looked over at mother but she was already walking away. He sighed, after father had refused to have a third litter of pups with mother, mother had chosen someone else as her mate. His brother Valiant slumped and muttered "I wish they would stop bickering and arguing all the time." Shadow said "I know but we have to move on. C'mon, let's go hunting!" Valiant's ears perked up, he barked in excitement and ran to the entrance. Shadow smiled, he loved his little brother, he was slowly becoming the excited, little, bouncy pup he had known. He dashed to catch up.
Shadow returned from hunting gloomily. They had caught nothing, his father would be enraged. They had encountered five squirrels, a family of bunnies, and a bird. He couldn't believe it, everyone called him the best hunter in the pack, but look where he was now! Returning from a hunt with nothing! Then he heard a bark from the other side of camp, it was his father, the Alpha, this wasn't going to be good. He stalked to where his father was sitting with ears against his head, and head lowered. He could feel his tail against his rump, sticking to it like sap was there. His father seemed happy though, how? His father said to him in an excited voice "Dakota has sented a herd of elk nearby and I want you to lead a hunting party to catch some!" Shadow tried to cover his gloomy voice with excitement "I would be honored, but who should go with me?" Alpha replied with "I don't care." Shadow smiled in excitement "Thank you Alpha.". With that Shadow stalked off to gather the wolves hed wanted to come with him. "Dakota, Graceful, Sioux, Cherokee, and Midnight meet me at Eagle Rock for a hunting party" .He howled He saw Cherokee's head emerge from the hunter's den while Dakota looked from a nap. Shadow sprinted out of camp with Cherokee and Dakota by his side.
Shadow looked at the assembled wolves around him. He felt Graceful's eyes on him, keen and intelligent. Once Midnight finally walked through the bushes to their meeting place he whispered "Alpha has sent us to hunt down some elk that Dakota smelled earlier." he looked at Dakota and said "Can you show us?" Dakota nodded and said "Ok, I smelled it last over at the river." Shadow nodded and said "Let's go!". With that he ran into the trees, making sure to try to make as little sound as possible.
Shadow and the rest finally made it to the river, he tried to smell for elk but nothing smelled like elk. He only smelled oak. He looked at Dakota questioningly, Dakota flicked his tail farther down the river. Shadow nodded and crept lightly towards the spot hoping to not disturb any secret prey hiding in the bushes and trees. Then he smelled it, the beautiful, sweet, wild smell of elk touched his nose. He sensed Midnight behind him raising her tail in excitement, he gave a warning to be quiet with a flick of his ear. He walked forward a little more then noticed the elk that was nearly a fox-length away. Oh please don't let it smell me he thought. He flicked his ear to tell the group to retreat.
After telling the group where to go for the attack he signaled for Dakota towards forward and surprise one of the cow-elk. He looked over at Dakota, he saw him approaching the cow-elk. Then he saw something that turned his blood to ice. A bear was approaching Midnight where she sat waiting for a signal he wanted to howl but if he did they wouldn't be able to catch and elk. Out of desperation he signaled for the group to attack. Midnight jumped onto a calf near her right when the bear was about to strike. Dakota and Sioux were attacking at the flanks of an elk while Cherokee hung onto it by the neck. Then he saw Graceful dashing around the calf that Midnight was attacking so it lay on the ground in a confused daze. Shadow dashed to the elk nearby that was trying to get Midnight off of the calf that she was attacking, he leaped onto it's back and dug his teeth in. He felt the elk under him try to get him off but his teeth held strong in it's flesh. He heard a howl of triumph. He looked over at Sioux, Cherokee, and Dakota as they brought down their second elk. He saw as they dashed to the elk he was fighting. Suddenly he felt something grab onto his leg, a flash of pain hit him with so much force he fell off the elk. He heard a growl of fury that did not sounded like a canine. Then he realized what it was. It was the bear, the bear that had almost killed Midnight, that bear… Then everything went black.
Shadow opened his eyes and saw wolves standing over him. He leaped back in surprise and then recognized their faces. They were his pack, the group that had attacked the elk with him and had probably saved his life from the bear. He sniffed around, he smelled a sweet smell of elk. Then he remembered the hunt and asked "Did we catch anything?" Dakota nodded and said "Three cow-elk and a calf." Shadow sighed and muttered "At least we caught enough for the pack." Dakota nodded and said "But you got a nasty gash on your flank and all of us have minor wounds." Shadow rolled his eyes and muttered "At least the hunt wasn't a failure.". Shadow looked up and froze, the sun was almost beyond the horizon, Shadow looked at the patrol and said "We should get going so we can get the elk to the pack before prey-sharing." Shadow looked at the group and said "Dakota will drag one cow, Sioux will drag another with Graceful, Cherokee and I will drag the last cow, while Midnight carries the calf." With that all the wolves grabbed an elk and started heading off.
Shadow looked around Eagle Rock, he had hoped that the group would be able to bring the elk to camp before prey-sharing but the way the sun was positioned meant that there was no way that prey-sharing hadn't started yet. He hed let the group take a break to catch their breath and rest but none of the group seemed intent on resting. Shadow sighed when Midnight, who was the youngest of the group, walked up to him and demanded that she should run back to camp and tell Alpha that they would be arriving late. He had told her no, and that she would be needed to carry the elk back. Shadow looked at the group and said "Ok, I know you all want to get back to camp and sleep so let's get going!". Then a howl erupted from the trees. Shadow spun around with ears direct, tail high, and pelt bristling to see Alpha erupt from the trees with part of the pack. Alpha said "We thought you died because you hadn't returned home before prey-sharing!" Shadow nodded, forcing himself to be calm and said "Sorry, we ran into a bear." Alpha looked at the wounded group and said "It looks like that, let's get you back to camp." Then he raised his head and howled a howl that would force you to submission if you heard it. Immediately five wolves burst out of the trees. Alpha looked at them and said "Dark, take the calf, Snow, take one of the cow elk, Stone, take another cow elk, and Feather, you take the last cow elk." The four wolves nodded and sprinted off to take their chosen prey. Alpha looked at the bloody, tired, and dusty group and said "You all, head back to camp and start eating." Shadow nodded, looked at the group and headed in the direction of camp.
Shadow arrived at camp when the full-moon was making it's way over the trees. The camp was in a happy mood, summer was almost here which meant that more and more of the bigger prey like moose, deer, and elk would be coming back in their herds. It also meant more bears and cougars to endanger the pack, but the pack was big enough to fight of a cougar or a bear. Shadow licked his lips, Beta had just finished his share so it was Dark's turn to eat, then Dakota, then it would be his turn. The pack would be well fed tonight because Shadow and his group were not the only ones to catch prey. Then Shadow heard Alpha say "Shadow, your turn to eat." Shadow nodded, walked up to the elk closest to him, and ate like a bear. He was famished, after a long day of hunting and getting attacked by a bear, he deserved this. After a long time at the pile, Shadow withdrew, ready for his mother to eat but Alpha said "Apache, your turn." his mother barked in outrage and snarled "What!? It's my turn!" Alpha growled in a low voice so only a few wolves that were closest to him could hear "This is your punishment Sky, it's for betraying me, we are supposed to be mates for life, the Alpha male and Alpha female, you chose someone else after swearing to be my mate forever, so this is your punishment. Be happy it's not as bad as it could be." mother looked away and said "Fine." Alpha nodded at Apache to eat his share. Apache walked up to the pile with his tail stiff from the tension and fear hanging in the air, of course there was fear scent, whenever the Alpha male and Alpha female fought it never ended well.
Shadow looked around camp after prey-sharing, it would normally be an evening of wolves resting or playing around with each other but the ordeal between Alpha and mother had put the pack into small groups of wolves chattering. Then Apache walked up to Alpha and said in a low voice "May I talk to you, alone?" Alpha nodded and said in a low voice, barely a whisper "In my den." Shadow walked to his father's den while acting like he was going to get a drink of water from the pond near the Alpha's den. He heard inside voice, but they were muffled by the rock that surrounded the small cave inside. Shadow listened closely and heard Apache say "I think Sky should be exiled, she swore to be your mate forever but here she is having pups with another wolf!" Alpha said "I see your point, I'll look into it, now go ask the pack what they want, I don't want the pack to be unhappy." Apache responded with "Yes Alpha." Shadow sensed that the talk was over so he quickly started drinking water to look like he had only gone there to have a drink. Shadow heard Apache pass him and head to Cherokee, his sister. Shadow rolled his eyes and growled under his breath, Apache was trying to get Sky out of the pack so he could have a higher rank. Suddenly Alpha howled from the top of his den and called to the pack for a meeting. Shadow swallowed back a yelp, his mother couldn't leave the pack! He walked to the rock and sat down waiting for the rest of the pack to settle, while Shadow was lost in his thoughts he heard a bark of defiance, he realized with a jolt that Alpha and his mother were having a standoff. He saw that there was two sides to this fight, one side included Dakota, Dark, and a few others and they were barking about how Sky shouldn't leave the pack. Apache, Cherokee, and Beta were saying that Sky should leave the pack. Alpha looked at the divided pack and said "Beta, what do you think?" Beta walked to the leader's rock, jumped on it, sat next to Alpha, and said "Sky betrayed you, she chose another mate even though she swore not to and she is having a litter of pups with that wolf!" Alpha nodded and said "Dark, what about you?" Dark said "Sky should be able to have whichever mate she wants, just because she swore doesn't mean anything! She swore on the mouse she gave you, not her life in the pack!" Alpha nodded and said "That's true…" then Omega spoke up and asked "May I speak, I have a good idea!" Alpha looked at Omega and said "It better be good." Omega nodded and said "How about Sky tells us who the father of her new pups is and if she tells the truth then they can both stay in the pack!" Alpha was about to snarl something before Omega winked at him but so only Alpha could see. Or so he thought. Sky said something under her voice, Alpha spun around and snarled "What was that Sky?" Sky looked away, shame coming from her pelt, and said "Nothing." Alpha nodded and said "Good. How about I just exile Sky, who thinks I should? Stand around me if you want her to leave." Cherokee, Apache, Sioux, Omega, Beta, Snow, Stone, and a few others ran to Alpha and sat down. Alpha said "Now you who want Sky to stay, go to her." Shadow ran to his mother with Valiant, Dakota, Dark, Midnight, Graceful, and Fleet. Alpha looked at the group that was gathered around Sky and said "Now that I know who is not loyal, I can exile you all." Beta's eyes widened and said "Alpha, what about my pups, Graceful and Fleet, can they stay?" Alpha spun around in fury and said "Are you disloyal too, Beta?" Beta hung his head and said "No, sorry Alpha." Alpha smiled and said "Now you all, get out of my territory!".
Shadow looked at the dogs around him, Dakota, Dark, Valiant, Graceful, Fleet, Midnight, and his mother, Sky. He looked to the desert in front of him, it was massive, scorching, barren place of death, he remembered the stories, the stories about how wolves had left long ago when a flood had seized the forest to settle in the desert. A few of the wolves had stayed behind in the forest and many phases of the moon passed until one wolf returned, starving, thirsty, weakened and dying. Shadow felt a sudden desire to cross the desert and find what was beyond, but not alone, with his pack, the new pack. He looked at his pack and said with complete honesty "We are going to cross this desert, and build a new pack." his mother looked at him with love "You're so much like your father when he was younger, just more kind." Dark nodded, looked at Shadow, and said "Yes you are, also Shadow, you were meant to be next Alpha after Alpha died, would you like to be our leader?" Shadow nodded and said "Thank you, Dark, I would." Graceful ran up to him and said "Well then, let's go Alpha, let the dangers of the desert come, we'll be waiting." Shadow smiled and said "Yes, let's go." Shadow walked into the desert, feeling the scorching heat on his back he realized that he was ready.