AN : Thanks for the awesome reviews!
A Wedding to Remember
It wasn't until mid afternoon the next day that Humphrey awoke sprawled out in a field of tall wild lilacs that swayed in the breeze. His body ached his head felt like it was being ripped open. His heart, or what was left of it ached as well. It beat weakly in his chest an echo of what it once was. He only vaguely remembered the previous night but one thing stayed emblazoned in his minds eye, the look that Garth gave him, a look of satisfaction. A look that made Humphrey sick with grief. His Kate was gone forever, stolen from him. Why would she leave him? Was this all because of the dinner incident? Was it all his doing? Or was it the surfacing of a deep hatred? Humphrey would probably never know.
"Humphrey!" a voice cried out in the distance. He staggered onto his paws just in time to see Salty sprinting towards him. "Dude where have you been? The weddings almost started!"
"What's the point Garth won't show up anyways." Humphrey replied glumly.
"He won't?" Salty asked intrigued. Humphrey froze, if Salty didn't know what had happened by now Lilly defiantly didn't. He tried to hide his mistake.
"What I meant to say was Uh...he will um...probably be late! Yea that's it."
Salty eyed him suspiciously.
"Whatever man let's just get out of here." He encouraged. Humphrey nodded in agreement and set off after his friend who had just disappeared into the trees. Humphrey kept his eyes fixed on the ground as the two wolves walked in silence.
"You alright there buddy?" Salty asked. "You look like you're having a staring contest with the ground."
"Yea I'm winning." Humphrey replied sarcastically.
"Just like you won against that cliff last night?" Salty laughed.
"What cliff?" Humphrey asked perplexed.
"You don't remember?"
"I wouldn't have asked you I if did." Humphrey pointed out.
"It must have been the wine because you came up to me saying you had nothing to live for, and you were about to throw yourself off of a cliff." Salty explained. "I honestly didn't think you would do it. You're lucky it was a sad excuse for a cliff or you'd be dead."
"That would explain why every part of my body hurts." Humphrey sighed.
"Cheer up man today is going to go down in pack history!" Salty exclaimed clapping him on the shoulder. Humphrey yelped in pain startling the birds nesting in the pines. "Sorry, my bad." he apologized.
"You go ahead, I'm gunna see if I can't get something for the pain." Humphrey groaned as they reached a fork in the path.
"Okay check ya later." Salty said before heading down the fork to the right. Humphrey hobbled in the opposite direction towards the healer's den.
"Astrid are you sure about this?" Humphrey asked sniffing the thick liquid the black and white wolf had set out in front of him.
"Who's the healer here Humphrey?" she replied sternly.
"Touché." he answered quickly before slurping up the unknown substance. It tasted like dirt and rotten meat. It took every ounce of Humphrey's might to not puke it all back up again.
"Better?" Astrid asked.
"Great, now I'm in pain and I feel like I'm going to throw up." he laughed hollowly.
"Always glad to help." she smiled warmly as she began arranging a stack of herbs. Humphrey closed his eyes and let the medicine work it's magic. Almost instantly the pain began to ebb from his limbs, he wished It could do the same for his broken heart. He was completely content with just laying down and resting his overloaded brain for awhile but Astrid had other plans. "C'mon the weddings about to start." she said pulling on the scruff of his neck. "I wanna get good seats."
Humphrey felt the blood rush to his head as he stood.
"Astrid you're gunna be the death of me." he grumbled trying to regain his balance.
"And that's what friends are for." she laughed ruffling Humphrey's hair. Just then Hutch poked his head into the den.
"You ready to head into the Valley Astrid my love?" he asked. "Oh hey Humphrey." he added spotting the injured Omega. She nodded and motioned for Humphrey to follow. Astrid and Hutch helped Humphrey limp slowly down into the Valley but after awhile he decided it would be best to walk under his own power. The couple shrugged and began to walk a head of Humphrey. He watched as they pressed close together whispering and laughing. The hole in his heart throbbed and festered like a thorn. He longed for that feeling again, the feeling of having someone he could always talk too and that would be there for him. When they finally arrived at the ceremony Humphrey had come to the conclusion that he would never feel that again. Clouds had begun to gather in the sky blotting out the sun as he took his place beside Lilly's mother and father.
"Ah Humphrey you made it, we were beginning to think you wouldn't show." Winston laughed as Humphrey sat down.
"Oh Winston don't be rude, Humphrey is such a good friend to Lilly. I'm sure if he were absent she would demand that the wedding be stopped until we could find him." Eve smiled. Humphrey shrugged off the humor like a troublesome fly; he wasn't really up for that at the moment. From where he was sitting he could see Lilly waiting patiently at the front for her fiancé who would never come. An hour passed, then two more in the blink of an eye, slowly wolves began to leave shaking their heads in disappointment even Winston and Eve left. The crowd thinned until only Lilly and Humphrey were left alone. The sky seemed to weep as rain began falling lightly and just as surely as the lighting that followed each thunderclap Garth did not appear. But Humphrey knew that already, unfortunately Lilly did not. She lay down and began to cry softly calling out Garth's name. Her beautiful white coat was spattered with mud and grass but she continued to sob. Having seen enough Humphrey padded over and nudged her shoulder.
"Lilly, lets get out of the rain." he said pulling her from the soggy ground.
