Chapter Three: Terrorized Love

Kate had just lied down to sleep when she heard shouting from outside. She slowly stood herself up only to find that Garth had already been standing at the door watching whatever had been going on. "What's going on out there?" she asked him. Without a reply, she asked him again, "What is happening?"

He spoke without turning towards her, "Stay in here, it's nothing to worry about. Just another disagreement about den space most likely." he said before turning himself around and walking back towards the corner where he slept.

Kate rolled her eyes at Garth and decided to get a view for herself of the situation. Her legs were tired from the excessive running and hunting that has been needed for the high population, but she still had enough strength left in them to slowly linger to the entrance. Every step she took caused her to have shooting pains fly up her leg from her paws and into every single one of her joints. By the time, she made it to the ledge where she could finally see what was going on, it seemed to be over, and the wolves were back to their dens, except for Claws who stood upon a small rock structure, staring into the thick of trees that stretched to the edges of the pack's territory. Dirt seemed to be kicked up along a path where the auburn wolf gazed. Kate took a deep breath and headed down the slope of the hill where her den lied towards Claws.

Claws noticed Kate's approaching and did not feel that she had to acknowledge her, yet she did anyway. "I assume you want to know what was happening?" she asked the Alpha-Leader.

Kate noted that there was a small hint of annoyance in the Eastern-Beta's voice, but still continued. "Yes, I heard some shouting. Can you tell me what was going on?"

"Nothing major, just someone sticking his nose where it doesn't belong." she answered Kate.

"Who was it?"

"No one that should matter to you." Claws lied to the golden Alpha, forcing as much annoyance and sarcasm away of her voice as she could.

Kate looked at the wolf with concerned expression on her face. She could tell that this wolf did not like her, but if she was going to be able to be Alpha-Leader, she had to have the trust of the pack. "Okay, just let me know if any more problems like this."

"Yes Ma'am," replied Claws just before jumping of her rock structure and disappearing behind one of the many hills that speckled the land.

Kate walked back to her and Garth's den with worry, but decided to suppress it all she could before she would get questioned by her "mate" and need to have the same conversation all over again. Garth seemed to already be asleep once she walked in, so she too walked over to a corner of the den and began to lay down. Just before her mind finally drifted away into deep sleep, she couldn't help but think about Humphrey. She had given up all that she had believed in for him, but now she is faced with anger for him. 'Why did he have to be so perfect?' she asked herself. She couldn't admit it, but deep down inside her she knew that it was her fault that Tony and her own father were dead. Yet a part of her blamed Humphrey. Humphrey was the reason her father was dead, and for that she could never forgive; herself or Humphrey. Within her mix of love and anger, she dreamt of herself standing atop a rocky hill, speaking towards the dense forest that surrounded her.

She stood tall, speaking to the woods about her wishes, "Why did Humphrey have to be an Omega? Oh where had Humphrey even come from? Why didn't he deny his role as Omega and become at least a Beta. Or maybe it is I that should have denounced my role and let my sister become the Alpha of the family. Then we would all be happy." Out of the brush of the trees appeared the very wolf she spoke about.

"I shall take it as a promise my dear. For if you now deny yourself of being an Alpha, I will douncounce my Omega name!" Humphrey shouted from below.

Kate leaped back in shock, locking and losing herself quickly in the eyes of her beloved. "Where have you been?" she asked in a daze. "How can you be here after what you have done?"

"You said it yourself, I deny my role as Omega and will be whatever you want me to be if you so choose."

She quickly glanced around to see if any wolf was close enough to hear, but saw none. "How can you just 'deny' your role? We all have responsibilities."

"All will become possible if you so choose my great Kate, as long as you keep your word and dounce yourself as an Alpha."

"I can't, not now. It is too late for me."

"Then I shall forever be an Omega." Humphrey stated gloomily as he turned and walked into the forest.

"Wait!" Kate shouted into the trees as she leaped off the rock she stood upon. "Wait!" she cried again.

She ran and ran trying to find Humphrey, but suddenly found herself running along one of the cliff-edges of the great valley above the stampede that killed her father. Again she watched as the many of caribou closed the gap between themselves and the two great wolf leaders of Jasper Park. She knew the outcome, but could help but continue to run parallel with the wave of death. She could not let it happen again, she had a second chance, she could save them, she could…

"Kate!" shouted Garth from above her head, jolting her awake. "Wake up!"

Her lips were closed tight, but she could feel herself screaming inside as the gap closed and her father was lost behind the thick cloud of dust remaining.

"Kate!" Garth continued to shout at her. "You need to settle down. You are going to hurt yourself." he said soothingly to her.

Air was quickly going in and out of her nose. Her eyes wide open, but did not see what was infront of her. Her legs scurried sideways against the ground leaving claw marks in the stone. Her body was awake but her mind was still trapped with the nightmarish memory of the stampede.

"Kate!" Garth yelled again, this time stomping on her tail. Kate screamed in pain but seemed to be aware of her surroundings.

"What the hell was that for!" she screamed at Garth.

He had a nervous expression on his face, "You were having another nightmare."

"That doesn't make it okay to crush my tail!"

"But you wouldn't wake up this time."

Kates cheeks turned red with embarrassment and fear as she realized the full severity of the situation. Her dream-fits were getting worse. "I just can't stop thinking about it."

He glanced towards the entrance to see if anyone was there, then turned back to address Kate. "I know, but it's okay…"

"It's not okay!" she screamed at him. "You weren't there like I was! I watched them as they died! I was the first one there when they died! You didn't see it like I did!"

Garth couldn't help but shout back at her. "I wasn't just your father who died out there! Mine did too and you don't see me breaking down every time I go to sleep! I we had the time to mourn, then we would be at war! Your pack looks to you as mine does to me! We are Alphas." A tear began to trickle down Kate muzzle as he spoke. "We do not cry. We sacrifice ourselves for the better of others and we must accept it."

Kate's breathing finally began to slow and calm down. "I'm sorry. I just never thought anything like this would ever happen. I never knew what it really meant to be an Alpha."

"Neither did I before it came down to it." he grinned in a pitiful fashion.

The sun slowly began to trickle it's way into the wolves' den, illuminating Kate's golden fur as it rose. Kate sighed as she stretched her legs. She closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "Time to hunt."

The Alpha was awake and the façade was revealed once again - for the better of the pack.

Thank you for reading and supporting my writing.

As always, read for your own enjoyment.

-Hikers123