Chapter 4 The wounds of the past

"K-kate!?" Humphrey stammered eyes opened wide in shock. Kate didn't say anything, she just tackled the confused wolf hugging her fur to his squeezing the breath out of him. She then immediately began babbling, "Humphrey I'm so sorry I was such a bitch to you, I didn't mean to make you run away." Tears were forming in her amber eyes as Humphrey attempted to calm her, "Kate, please don't say that. It was my fault, I choose to abandon you."

Kate just shook her head as great sobs racked her body causing Humphrey to hold her as she cried into his chest. Humphrey stroked her mane holding her close to him as he cooed, "Everything's fine now Kate." She shook her head tears streaming down her face as she choked out, "I nearly got you killed, and broke your heart."

Humphrey just shook his head and insistently kissed her letting his body take over trying to express his love; but Kate pulled away and said between sobs, "Humphrey…W-why would you still love me?" Humphrey immediately and confidently told her, "Because I've always loved you. Ever since the day I met you, I've loved you. I always will, nothing will change that Kate." She continued to cry as he hugged her trying to calm his love and heal the wounds of the past.

Humphrey rubbed her back lovingly and reassured her, "You kept me going out there you know, whenever I came close to death you were all I thought about." Kate continued to sob into his fur and Humphrey resumed quietly stroking her mane pulling her closer to him as she let out her emotions into his fur. After a few minutes he licked her cheek to get her attention causing Kate looked up at him shamefaced. Humphrey just smiled down at her and said, "Kate, we all make mistakes. But were safe now, together." Kate rested her head on his chest and wiped away her tears with her paw still avoiding eye contact.

She then whispered to him, "Please don't let anything separate us again." Humphrey chuckled and kissed her cheek before saying, "I promise, nothing will hurt you." Kate sniffled one last time and pulled herself upright and whispered hoarsely, "What happened to my sister, is she still alive?" Humphrey stood as well shaking off his fatigue and pointed out of the rubble strewn entrance saying, "I think she's outside."

Kate shakily started off heading out of his den crawling through the debris with Humphrey following behind her. Kate disappeared outside into the apocalypse and when Humphrey emerged he found her staring at the sickly landscape. Kate turned and looked at him and whispered, "W-what could do this?" Humphrey stood beside her and answered, "The humans, they did this." Without warning Lilly walked around the corner of the den and shrieked, "Kate!" Lilly ran and gave her sister a hug which Kate returned tiredly as she said, "I-I'm ok now that Humphrey's here." Lilly nodded and looked at him gratefully and said, "Thank you." Humphrey only shook his head and said, "No need for thanks, I'm just glad that Kate's going to be fine."

Kate smiled pushing back her tears and said, "Lilly always told me you were a keeper." Lilly simply giggled and said, "Well it was clear you two were perfect for each other." Humphrey chuckled and announced, "Well I fell in love with your sis the day I saw her, it was pure chance but she sure is an amazing and beautiful girl." Kate blushed but said nothing as she shuffled her paws on the charred earth. Lilly and Humphrey laughed at Kate's embarrassment as Humphrey said, "Oh come on, say you love me." Kate giggled and blushing said, "I love you Humphrey."

Lilly covered a laugh causing Kate to blush even redder beneath her fur as Humphrey kissed her cheek. He then pulled away and staring into her amber eyes said, "I love you to." Kate sniffled pushing back the last of her tears and purred softly leaning against Humphrey side smiling happily the fear of being separated forgotten. Lilly whispered into Humphrey's ear, "Thanks for taking care of Kate and making her feel better, especially now." Lilly looked around the burnt grayed landscape as Humphrey nodded his agreement saying, "Yea, but I'm also curious about something."

Lilly looked at him expectantly and waited as Humphrey asked, "How did you manage to survive against those things during the night anyway?" Lilly shuddered as she answered, "When I rescued you was the first time I actually saw one of those…creatures but Garth barricaded the den every night to keep them out. It doesn't work very well, they almost always dig through but it was only two nights so we got lucky and the sun came up before they could finish."

Kate sighed sadly and said, "What the hell happened to our home? Monsters and the broken landscape are all that's out there now." The three wolves turned to observe the obliterated landscape as Humphrey answered, "A bomb, I've heard humans can fight amongst themselves but they create terrible weapons with enough power to do this." Emphasizing his point Humphrey waved his paw over the gloomy valley and continued, "But they didn't stop there, oh no. They made it a biological warfare weapon as well. Hence the monsters."

Kate shook her head in disgust and muttered, "We truly didn't deserve this. If they wanted to kill each other then that's fine but they need to leave our home and families out of this." Lilly nodded her agreement and said, "No, we didn't ask for this but it's happened and we can't stay here." Kate surprised turned to Lilly and asked, "Why not, it's our home?" Humphrey put a paw on Kate's shoulder and explained, "Those…Things we need to steer clear of and there's so many here...But maybe if we go south there won't be as much danger and also there's the problem of food."

Lilly bitterly cut in, "Food and water, the blast evaporated most of everything. We need to keep moving if we want to stay alive but the monsters will be everywhere." Kate took a deep breath and attempted to calmly ask, "So we need to worry about three things, food, water, and steering clear of those things." Humphrey gave a confirming nod and said, "Yea, they prefer the darkness but can go in some light so there only afraid of it."

Lilly cocked her head and asked, "What do you mean?" Humphrey regretfully answered, "When I was stuck in the mines, there was a man. A human in a strange suit with a gun and some sort of artificial light. I evaded him and dug through a wall, his light clicked on and he chased me, the monsters killed him after he tried to follow me through the wall. Clearly the light didn't help, so they dislike light but will venture into it to kill or if they get close enough to strike."

Kate and Lilly exchanged worried looks as Kate said, "Well I'm just glad you're alive." Humphrey chuckled as he said, "Believe me so am I." Humphrey raised his paw before they could interrupt and said, "There's one more thing, those creatures are only scavengers. I know because there was only one chasing the man in the mines, and ones not enough to kill a human so there are other monsters. The things that chased me weren't the species that killed that man."

Lilly squeezed her eyes shut and murmured, "I can't take much more of this, I-I." Kate helped Lilly sit down and said, "It'll be fine sis, you got Humphrey and I." Lilly nodded and asked, "Where's Garth?" Kate looked at Humphrey and he only shrugged and said, "I'm not sure but the sun is going down, if he's not back before dark then he's dead."

Kate didn't seem bothered by this in the slightest but Lilly choked back a sob that caused Humphrey to wonder, "Why would she care about him?" Deciding that it was simply because Lilly was the kind of wolf to care about everyone, Humphrey went to his old den and began shoving rocks against the entrance barricading it for the night of terror that lay ahead.

Kate after having calmed Lilly down came to Humphrey's side and helped him move the larger rocks into the entrance and said, "Tomorrow were leaving Jasper and heading south, there's more ground to cover that way and a better chance of finding food and water." Humphrey nodded his agreement and added, "And more monsters over a wider area." Kate sighed and muttered, "No plans perfect, but we don't have much of a choice."

Humphrey stopped pushing the rock and looked her in the eye as he said, "We'll survive Kate, I won't let anything hurt you or your sister." He then jokingly added, "Garth on the other hand is on his own." Kate laughed and said, "I was never going to marry him anyway, who was I kidding. I didn't even know him."

Humphrey smiled and asked, "So what exactly happened at the marriage Kate?" She took in a breath and began, "Well when you told me you were leaving, I-I didn't believe you. I just couldn't comprehend it. But I didn't have time to think and before I knew it Garth and I were standing in the middle of the valley being asked to do the marriage ritual. We started but it wasn't right, I couldn't do it. So I told them that I wouldn't marry him. Tony and my father asked why and I said… I said I was in love with an omega."

Humphrey looked at her lovingly but let Kate finish "Which was you." Kate looked at him tear stricken and continued hoarsely, "Tony… He declared war and it was a blood bath, I ran. Didn't know what to do, I just ran trying to get to your den. Lilly and Garth followed me and I remember arriving at the den and seeing you were gone, then it hit me. I would never see you again, I couldn't handle it. My mind tore itself apart and then… The blast came then it all went dark. But you were there saving me."

Kate sniffled and looked up at Humphrey and gratefully said, "I can't survive without you Humphrey, you've become all I can think about." Humphrey hugged Kate and whispered, "And your all I live for." As the darkness began to close in swirling overhead the two lovers Humphrey whispered in her ear, "Let's go inside and wait for Lilly and Garth , a few more hours and it'll be dark."

CHAPTER OVERVIEW I know exactly where I'm going now so thanks for reading and please review. Enjoy the next chapter as well which should be out in the next few days or so. I'm working on two stories so hang in there and please be patient.

TO FROST Thanks, I was just worried that you wouldn't like the character so thank you :)