Author's Note: Okay, moving right along with this... This version needs to do a bit of catching up. Hope you guys enjoy and please leave your reviews and tell me what you think!
Kate and Garth were escorted to a den to share for the night, but Kate couldn't stand it. Upon entering the den, Kate spoke to Garth and conveyed the truth to him. There was no relationship. Their parents set up their marriage to join the packs… nothing more, nothing less. He agreed on her terms, and he seemed just as upset about the marriage as she did. As the night dragged on, Kate found herself standing outside of the den she shared with Garth, staring at the moon.
She thought about Humphrey. She thought about where he was headed… what he was planning. Kate smiled to herself and shook her head. He wasn't planning anything… she knew it. Humphrey had left Jasper to play it by ear. Images of him flashed through her mind. Him playing with the young bear cub, him dressing up and imitating rock singers in the back of the van they were in… him doing that ridiculous rain dance, forward and backward. Kate laughed to herself.
Silly Omegas…
She didn't know what Humphrey would be doing… but she knew that his life would never be boring. Even at this moment, he was probably finding some way to have fun and make the most of his life.
Kate could already see him getting into some ridiculous amount of trouble, yet sitting there and trying to laugh his way out of it. Kate knew that she'd see that spark in his eye as he laughed his way through anything and everything. Kate loved that spark. Humphrey may have only been an Omega… but he had a look in his eye that showed his passion for life. It was odd… Humphrey was no older than her, but when she looked in his blue eyes, it seemed like he had seen dark, disturbing things, but still found the joy and happiness that came with just living.
Kate wished she could find that spark. Kate wished that she could look past duty and responsibility and the harsh cruelties of reality and just be who she wanted to be. She wished that no matter how dark a situation or how many odds were stacked against her, she could just laugh and smile and enjoy herself in every moment of her life like Humphrey did.
Kate's ears twitched. She heard a faint howl echo through the night. Quiet as it was, it was still shrill and unpleasant. It sounded like a wolf was in pain and hurting. It sounded familiar, but Kate couldn't quite put her paw on who was howling.
She shrugged it off and walked into her den to sleep. She thought of Humphrey again before she drifted to sleep. Tears fell from her eyes before her dreams took her.
I'm sorry, Humphrey.
Garth heard Kate slowly drift off to sleep and he crept out of the den. He began to sniff for Lilly's scent. He had to make things right. Hopefully he could talk to Lilly. Hopefully he could work things out with her. Kate had said it herself, the marriage between them meant absolutely nothing. Garth didn't know how he was going to apologize, but he had to try.
As he neared a creek, he lost her scent. Garth gritted his teeth. She didn't want to be found. Garth's heart ached. He had to apologize to her. He had to let Lilly know that he didn't want to get married to Kate any more than she did. He dug his claws into the ground and guilt filled his gut. Garth began to howl. He howled loudly to reach out to Lilly and call her back to him.
Lilly's ears twitched as she heard the familiar howl of the Alpha that she had fallen in love with. Hurt and anger filled her. She still sat in the lake, soaking her fur through. She didn't want to hear Garth's howl. She didn't want anything to do with Garth. Lilly dunked her head under the water to muffle the sound of his calls to her.
Garth howled harder and louder as tears filled his eyes and his throat began to ache. Still, he howled on, calling out to Lilly. Eventually, his throat failed to carry on and his howls came out more as hoarse cries in the night. The sound was unpleasant and his voice kept on cracking, but he howled on. His howls didn't sound much better than the night when Lilly taught him how to howl properly. As if to emphasize the memory, birds fell from the sky as he pleadingly cried out in the night for Lilly.
Lilly continued to listen to Garth's howls, no matter how much she didn't want to. She couldn't keep her head underwater forever… and his howls got progressively more desperate… and bad. Lilly sighed and left the lake to make her way upstream where the Alpha that broke her heart sat "howling" for her.
Garth had his eyes closed and he didn't notice her approach. Despite her anger towards him, she slowly strode up to him and placed a paw against his chest.
"I told you, Garth… Howl from here."
Garth opened his eyes as Lilly's paw met his chest and he looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. "I was, Lilly… but the longer you didn't come back to me… the more broken my howl and heart became."
Lilly shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. She was thankful for her wet fur, which kept him from seeing her tears. "You have no right to say that to me, Garth… It's your fault I didn't want to come to you."
Garth nodded solemnly. "I know, Lilly… I know… but you have to know, I didn't want this any more than you did. I've got a duty to my pack… and I had to marry Kate to unite the packs… it was the only way to end this conflict peacefully." Lilly scowled. Peacefully… Lilly spent her entire life trying to settle conflict peacefully… and it was what tore her away from the wolf she loved.
"Lilly… please, hear me out… I love you. I really do… I'll never stop loving you… and I'd want nothing more than to be with you. But I had a responsibility… an obligation… a duty. I know it's hard for you to understand, but it's something that had to be done."
Anger flared though Lilly. "Why would it be hard for me to understand? Because I'm an Omega? That's it isn't it? I couldn't possibly understand why you had to do what you did because I'm a useless Omega that knows nothing about responsibility and duty? Is that it, Garth!?"
Garth shook his head. "No, Lilly, I didn't mean it like that. It's just… hard… and complicated. This was about both of our packs, Lilly. If I didn't go through with it, it could've started a pack war. All of our friends and our families would be fighting one another… some of them would probably die."
Lilly sighed. "Whatever you say, Garth, but the fact of the matter is, you're a pack leading Alpha now. You have no time for an Omega like me…" Lilly turned and walked away from him. Garth ran up to her and turned her around. "I'll always have time for you, Lilly. Even if I have to make time."
Lilly raised an eyebrow. "Even if you have to make time? What, you mean you'd shun your duties to be with me? You'd abandon your responsibilities to be with me?" Garth nodded without hesitation.
Lilly shook her head at him. "So now you're willing to give up your responsibilities for me? It's too little, too late, Garth. You could've given up your responsibilities when you were getting married to my sister… but you didn't. The fact that you're willing to give them up now means that you're only willing to half-ass our relationship."
Garth's chest throbbed as guilt filled him. "No… Lilly… I wouldn't do that… I love you…"
Lilly snarled angrily. "I won't be your mate in hiding, Garth. I won't waste my time on the sidelines, waiting for you to come to me after you're done pretending with my sister."
Garth tried frantically to find the right words to say to her. He tried his best to reason with her. He really didn't want to lose her. He walked up to Lilly and nuzzled her nose. Lilly stopped dead in her tracks. As she calmed down, Garth tried his best to not screw it up. "I love you, Lilly… Only you, no matter what. I know I messed up… and that this isn't a real marriage… but neither is the one that I had with Kate. You're all that matters to me, and I wouldn't give you up for the world."
Tears filled Lilly's eyes as she felt Garth's nose rub against her own. She wished it was real. She wished that they had gone through an entire marriage ritual with everyone watching. Pain filled her chest and she pulled back and pushed Garth away. She ran away from him, tears flowing from her eyes.
It's not fair…
"Lilly! Please, come back!"
"Leave me alone, Garth!"
She ran away from him, trying desperately to find another place to hide. Garth stood there and watched as she ran from him. He dug his claws into the ground as he grew angrier at himself. Why was he so stupid!? Why couldn't he find the right words to speak with her!? Why couldn't he express his regret and sorrow to her clearly? Garth looked down at the stream. He slashed his paw through the water, scattering his reflection.
I'm sorry, Lilly...
Humphrey blinked rapidly as the Canadian Express rushed by him.
"Wolf! Are you crazy!?" Marcel yelled out from under him. "Indeed. I must say, Humphrey, that standing on the tracks while a train rapidly approaches was not quite the smartest move you could have made." Paddy commented.
Humphrey shook his head and quickly got off of the two birds beneath him. "Wh-what happened?" Humphrey asked as he began to gain his bearings.
"Well, we were following you to tell you when to board the train… and when we saw you making a break for the tracks, we thought you had it handled and we'd come speak to you after you boarded." Paddy explained.
Marcel rolled his eyes and cut in on the duck. "And what happens? You run straight onto the tracks about a mile in front of the train. That is not how you board a train, wolf. That is how you get yourself killed." Marcel berated him with his French accent.
Indeed… that is how you get us killed.
Humphrey's heart thumped and his pupils dilated. His blood started to rush as his darkness quickly began to steal control. He shook his head and growled.
I have NO intention of dying before killing a few things myself.
Humphrey snarled angrily at the demon that attempted to seize control over him. Marcel looked oddly at the Omega. "Wolf… are you all right? You don't seem to be doing so well."
Humphrey let out a maniacal laugh, then shook his head rapidly. His breathing became shallow. "Marcel… Paddy… you have to run."
Marcel raised an eyebrow. "We are birds, monsieur. And the last time you tried to catch me, sure, I went down… but I believe I won."
Humphrey swiped his claws and cut several feathers off of both of the birds. Their eyes widened in surprise. Humphrey placed a paw against his head, fighting his inner demon to the best of his ability.
Come now, Humphrey… let go. There's no reason to fight me. You won't win.
"Marcel! Paddy! Leave!" Humphrey snarled loudly. The birds didn't hesitate to take off into the sky. The darkness seized complete control for a moment and jumped from tree to tree, steadily climbing until it reached the tip and lunged after Paddy. The bird quacked in surprise to see the wolf soaring through the air towards him and flapped his wings frantically.
The darkness missed the grab and slowly began to plunge to the ground. Marcel and Paddy flew down to see if Humphrey was dead. They saw him rolling around, snarling, and fighting with himself. Humphrey called out to them. "Guys! Find Kate! Tell her to find me… and kill me!"
Humphrey barely finished his thought before he roared out in agony.
Oh Humphrey… your will has gotten so much stronger. It's going to be fun breaking every last ounce of it. And what makes you think Kate's going to come for you?
Humphrey shut his eyes tightly. "She will… she has to."
HA! You think she CARES!? She OBVIOUSLY doesn't. She doesn't give a goddamn SHIT about you.
Humphrey shook his head in denial. "She'll come. If only to kill me and destroy you… She'll come."
Maybe she will… and I may just tear her to shreds in front of your very eyes.
"You wouldn't! You can't! Not with her Alpha training and me fighting you every step of the way! We've beaten you before... we'll beat you again!"
There is no WE, Humphrey. NOBODY is coming for you. NOBODY gives a flying FUCK about you. Give it up! We both know that your situation is hopeless. I know you better than you know yourself. Why don't you just hand me control? I promise... I'll make everyone pay for what you've had to go through.
Humphrey's heart throbbed. He gritted his teeth together as he began to get light-headed.
There is only US, Humphrey. There is only us and the destruction we can cause. Nobody in Jasper respects you OR cares about you... but we'll make them see. We'll make them ALL see. EVERYONE who's EVER looked down on you will regret it.
"No... I won't let you hurt any of them!" Humphrey shouted at thin air. The darkness mocked him with nothing but laughter.
But Humphrey... dear, dear Humphrey... why not? They've hurt you. You were going to be the leader of the pack... but you CHOSE to be an Omega. And none of the other wolves ever respected you after you made that choice. Even the wolf you love has turned her back on you... and she's the reason that you suffer. I KNOW you, Humphrey. Don't you want to show them how much they hurt you!? Don't you YEARN to inflict that which has been done to you!?
Humphrey felt his sanity slipping. Laughter echoed out in his ears. It wasn't the maniacal laughter of his inner demon... but none-the-less, the laughter mocked him. Rage began to consume him. They all laugh at him. They all disrespect him... Maybe they did need to learn a thing or two.
YOU ARE WEAK!
The darkness seized complete control as Humphrey's will began to break. A single tear fell from Humphrey's eye as he realized that he'd failed to cage the monster within... he allowed it to manipulate him... and now he was completely at its mercy.
I think that our priority target is the Alpha bitch, don't you agree, Humphrey? Let's go spill her blood.
Humphrey fought for control, but quickly realized that the darkness had no intention of giving him any power. Humphrey was forced to look through the eyes of his inner demon as it began to menacingly make its way back into Jasper with an intent to kill.
I'm sorry Kate...
