Authors notes
Hey fans! Sorry to keep you waiting, I haven't been able to update my story in a while. I've been really busy lately and I've needed the break. Don't worry though! I am aiming for quicker and more regular updates, at least over the next few weeks. Fingers crossed.
Without further ado, may I present Chapter 4 of the adventure.
Chapter 4 - A Roll Of The Dice
Fate...
A sense of belonging perhaps?
Maybe.
Some may call it a comfort for the weak minded; For there is a need to have a purpose in life... To feel appreciated. The simplistic nature of the adventure isn't enough for some.
Behind all the egotistical bloodshed of tyrants and the envy directed towards legends, lodged deep within the hearts of many wolves, the concept argues a divine presence.
A comforting thought for the most part, at least for those who cannot fathom the idea of being the product of a roll of a dice. Indeed for some, it is the uncertainty of their existence they cannot bear. They want an explanation, measurements perhaps, of the world around them. Of course, many wolves fail miserably in this respect, wasting their entire lives in pursuit of the holy grail. They end up believing in bestowed purpose as the most logical answer when all other theories are void to them.
For other wolves however, they turn to fate as it gives their lives meaning. A deep down unconditional love, guiding and nurturing them in an unfriendly hostile world. They thrive off the idea of purpose, adjusting their behaviors' accordingly, usually in the name of a divine being. This takes the forms of both good and evil. Their actions of course beg the question, what would be the point of living at all if in the end it was all for nothing?
However, Lilly did not know what to believe. Her life was uncertain.
Lilly of course was a simple wolf that took each day as it came, gaining maximum fulfillment from her basic thoughts, feelings and interactions. Being heart strong, her life was, and always had been about the adventure.
In retrospect, the concept of fate had never bothered her, or even occurred to her in the past. It had never needed to as she had been wrapped in the fantastic bubble which once was her reality; A true Omega lifestyle.
Recent events however pressed such issues in her mind. It bothered her far too much now. Come to think of it, she was unsure as to whether or not she actually believed in a soul. Part of her feared that her entire existence would be wiped clean on the inevitable day that she stopped breathing.
For what it was worth, Lilly at least wanted to believe that she was born for a reason. The essence of her existence had to amount to more than just simple coincidence. Hadn't it?
However, such faith was difficult for Lilly. The events of the past few days had only just began processing in her mind. It had left her in a state of shock.
She had a father that didn't care about her, more interested in his other daughter. She had a mother that detested her Omega personality with every fibre of her being, and a sister that probably wanted her dead. Of course, it went without saying that she was homeless too; She dreaded to think of the consequences of returning to Jasper Park.
These were perhaps the least of Lilly's worries. She knew that her mother had almost all the Alphas in the pack searching for her, throughout the day and night. She had remain hidden at all costs. What's more, she was a lone female Omega, with winter approaching; She had no idea how to hunt.
It also occurred to Lilly, no doubt, that Kate would spin a web of lies to the pack in regards to her murderous actions of the previous night. This is of course, was if such atrocities were even unveiled in the first place with Kate being a trained Alpha; Ideal for hiding evidence.
The said atrocity took the life of Lilly's only companion, Candy. One of the few friends who had actually stuck by her side since birth; Cruelly torn away, separated from her by Kate's paws. This is the day after they had tenderly confessed their feelings for one another, as it turned out, they ran deeper than either one of them could have imagined.
Needless to say, Lilly found it difficult to believe she had a guardian angel looking over her shoulder at such a point in her life. Her circumstances were dire. She had absolutely nobody. Yet, somehow, she had miraculously managed to survive.
Looking at probability, as an Omega, Lilly should already be dead. Lilly however was re-writing this so-called probability. Perhaps, she mused, this was her destiny.
She was making her own journey now and nothing would ever hold her back. Perhaps this was gods' will after all; Such internal strength must indicate a spirit right?
Lilly sighed and looked to the sleeping male form in front of her. Despite all the odds stacked against her, they had crossed paths in this unforgiving, hostile world.
Lilly let her eyes roam the grey wolf in front of her. He was curled up in the fetal position on the den floor, his body shivering a little as he whimpered. The wolf's teeth chatted together in his sleep with a pained expression on his face. Lilly was aware of his nose twitching in his slumber, fully prepared for the inevitable sneeze.
Lilly of course would have found this adorable, that is if she was not disturbed by the deep red claw marks running along his nuzzle.
They looked so out of character on a wolf like Humphrey. Lilly's initial intrigue had turned to anger as she let out a slight growl, narrowing her eyes on the unsightly gashes. It didn't take a master detective to figure out what had happened.
In a way, she wanted to cling to him like a newborn pup and weep. It was as if she was feeling all his pain and anguish as her own. Such empathy came easily as Lilly herself had been victimized. Eyeing him with pity, she wanted to curl up with him and tell him that everything would be alright. She wanted to tell him that she would be there to tend to his every single need and desire - perhaps, she mused, even to the end of her life.
In reality though, she knew she couldn't.
She couldn't make such promises with the future being so uncertain. What's more, she had to remain strong for both of them; She had promised Candy. She had to get them out of this mess, it was a matter of actions, not words. Lilly sniffled through blurry vision, tears threatening to hit the ground.
Silence ensued as Lilly continued to study Humphrey, her eyes fixated on his twitching nose as her exhausted form was almost lulled to sleep by his steady breathing. The wolf was blissfully unaware of prying eyes in his deep slumber. Lilly stared somewhat in envy; All she wanted to do was sleep. With her untrained tracking skills, she had been up most of the night in search for him. Not only this, she had been on edge all morning, guarding Humphrey from potential threats through her weary bloodshot eyes.
She shakily took a deep breath, somewhat re-invigorated by her new found confidence. She would get some sleep now, no matter what. Her body needed it. Her gaze slowly stroked over the beautiful grey and silver coat of her companion one last time, her eyes eventually fixating on his somewhat accentuated yet handsome features. She allowed a smile to creep to her lips, an ember of hope sprang through her body.
"It's all on purpose, Humph." Lilly whispered with a smile.
She curled up by his side and allowed sleep to overcome her.
- 5 hours later-
Amnesia slowly began to fade away, replaced by an unfaltering blackness through closed eyelids. The first thing Humphrey realized was that he had cognitive ability, he was thinking.
What came next wasn't as pleasant however, making Humphrey grimace. His head began throbbing, a dull ache emanating from deep within his core. What had happened to him?
Humphrey managed to part his sticky eyelids slightly, the world outside his den appearing a total blur. This only increased his pain more, forcing him to clench his eyes shut as the pain was almost unbearable.
He realized that his heart rate was unusually high, beating away as if he had been running. He was struggling for breath too, his mouth was completely dry to the extent where he couldn't even move his tongue. Humphrey tried to think what was wrong with him and what had happened. For his valiant efforts he was rewarded with even more pain. He couldn't even think, let alone move.
The most logical explanation was dehydration, Humphrey thought. Come to think of it, he was THIRSTY. Putting everything aside, he decided that the first thing he needed to do was get a drink.
Humphrey had to move.
He forced himself, eyes closed, to his forepaws. He winced as he did so, a sharp pain shooting up his body. He yelped a little, as obviously he had sustained a very bad sprain. However, the noise and sudden movement only managed to exacerbate his condition.
"Aaaaaargh." Humphrey moaned to himself through a deep headache that emanated through his mind, his paws inadvertently clutching his face as he rasped for breath through his pain.
"AAAAAAAHH! WHAT THE HELL!" Humphrey then yelled as his eyes snapped open, a deep fiery sensation sweeping across his face as if it were burning into his flesh.
Upon retracting his paws from his face, Humphrey noticed the familiar sight of blood. He felt somewhat nauseated by the sight. As an Omega he wasn't used to seeing blood and violence, especially injuries inflicted upon himself. Something terrible must have happened the night before, he mused. He needed to get checked out.
"Okay don't panic, don't panic!" Humphrey said somewhat logically to himself, gritting his teeth and grimacing in pain for upsetting his fragile condition.
"What happened last night?" He continued in a hushed tone, so to not upset his delicate state.
Humphrey shook his head and gingerly rose to his paws, arching his back as he did so. Unfortunately for Humphrey, once again, he had put pressure on his sprain. A loud growl tore through him as he quickly yanked it away from the ground in haste. Tears came to his eyes and a whimper escaped his throat, remnants of his sloppy actions. He internally berated himself for forgetting something so obvious. If this wasn't bad enough, that burning sensation had now spread from his face to all across his body.
He looked down towards the den floor, confirming his suspicions. There was blood. His blood, and lots of it. This at least explained the pain in his chest, he thought to himself. Despite his efforts, Humphrey felt panic set in, a deep instinctive feeling telling him that he was in danger.
"Shhhhshhhhshh! Lay back down Humph." Chimed a feminine voice, coming from behind him.
The words echoed through his mind, to the point where he didn't know whether they were a figment of his imagination or not.
"Who are you! What!?" He shouted in pain and confusion.
"Shhhhhhhhhhh. Relax." Came the voice from behind him again, but this time a whisper, directly into his ear.
The said wolf began to nuzzle his neck and began licking him comfortingly as if sensing his agitation. He felt the warm tongue sooth him and clean his fur as he was lulled to paralysis by the wolf's actions. Once she had managed to calm Humphrey sufficiently, her warm nuzzle guided him back the den floor. Humphrey for all intents and purposes had given up, completely tamed by her behavior.
He hadn't even the energy to get a good look at her as he allowed the she wolf to tend to him. Despite being put at ease by her actions, a part of him silently prayed that she had good intentions.
"You're ribs are broken Humph, you need to take it easy." The female said, the familiar voice reverberating through his mind.
"Kate!?" Humphrey questioningly exclaimed, his eyes shooting open to get a good look at his captor.
"Lilly...?" He questioned, catching a glimpse of her evident ice white fur.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhh." Lilly cooed to him, comfortingly, as if to a pup.
Lilly pressed her nose gently against his, looking directly into his eyes.
"Calm down Humph." She continued, allowing Humphrey's anxiety to slowly melt away.
Humphrey was transfixed by her gaze for a few moments, allowing a blush to rise to his cheeks due to the unexpected action. Though Lilly had always been Humphrey's friends, she had always come across to Humphrey as a shy wolf; Such behavior was traditionally atypical of her.
Despite this, Humphrey was totally at ease as she gently rocked him with her forepaws. For all intents and purposes, she was mothering him. Drained of energy and huffing for breath, he placed his nuzzle in her neck for a few minutes in efforts to recuperate his thoughts.
"That bitch..." Humphrey eventually whispered to himself in a moment of mental clarity, breaking the silence.
Lilly didn't respond to this for a few seconds, seemingly processing his words. After a few moments, she gently pulled back from him, sitting on the den floor in front of him.
Lilly stared at him for some time, an understanding glint in her eyes. She then proceeded to giggle a little, trying to alleviate her friends somber mood.
Her actions further perplexed Humphrey however, causing him to stare back at her. Lilly, a self conscious wolf under scrutiny, immediately averted her gaze.
Lilly sighed at her failed attempts, obviously social interactions were not her strong point. She then looked back up at Humphrey with a sad smile, her eyes communicating that which did not need to be said.
Lilly slowly approached Humphrey once more and tenderly began to nuzzle him. She looked at the large claw marks running down his nuzzle, causing involuntary tears to stream down her face in pity for her friend. She raised her paw to his shoulder, comfortingly rubbing his back as she sniffled to herself.
"Bitch seems appropriate Humph." Lilly piped up through tears, remembering her sister's actions on the previous night.
The duo stood silent for a few moments as Lilly quietly sobbed into Humphrey's shoulder, her eyes fixed to the ground. However, Humphrey felt an element of unease as there was something he needed to get off his chest.
"Listen, Lilly... I never touched kate, I promise! I..."
"I know you didn't humph." Lilly immediately spat through gritted teeth.
She then growled loudly, almost possessively, causing Humphrey to open his eyes in shock.
"If she ever comes near you again, I will make sure she suffers. Don't you ever feel like you have to answer for anything, Humph." Lilly dictated in a protective manner.
Humphrey looked down to the white female resting her weight on him, somewhat astounded that she had such strong feelings for him. These were feelings that were completely foreign to him, at least being on the receiving end of them. Sure enough, he had spent years pining after Kate, but never before had any wolf ever truly cared about him. As an orphan, he had never really felt a part of a pack, so over the years he had to develop a thick skin. Despite this, he had to admit, he really enjoyed being the recipient of Lilly's caring nature.
"Thanks Lilly... It means a lot. It really does." Humphrey managed to murmur through his pained haze.
Fighting the pain with his newfound confidence, he playfully nudged at Lilly's shoulder in adoration of her actions. Humphrey inhaled slightly, taking in her fantastic feminine scent.
"Stop it Humph!" Lilly squealed, almost giggling despite her stress and sleep deprivation.
Lilly pulled away from the embrace, her facial features softening as she slowly studied the beautiful male in front of her.
"I guess we have a lot to talk about. I'm not even going to ask what happened to you." Humphrey said with a smile, fighting to stay upright in his current condition.
"I'm just glad you're okay." Lilly said with a sniff, her eyes growing watery and red.
In a mental lapse, and forgetting about his ailments, Lilly immediately wrapped her forepaws around him, hugging him tightly to her chest with surprising force.
The unexpected action however caused Humphrey to screech loudly, spasms of pain racking through his body before he fell to the floor. He had no more energy to stay upright as the sickly feeling had taken over his body once again.
"HUMPHREY! ... I'm so sorry! Are you alright!?" Lilly exclaimed as she started to panic.
Lilly stood over Humphrey's form protectively, looking down at him with concern. Blood once again slowly started to pool around his body, confirming Lilly's worst fears. One of his wounds must have opened up again. What's more, he no longer had the energy to speak as pain plagued nearly every part of his body. The pain had only intensified due to Lilly's actions, to the point where it had taken all the breath out of him.
"I'm so sorry Humphrey!" Lilly squealed, stress evident from her bloodshot eyes.
"Water." Humphrey rasped. It was the only word he managed to say through his pained, labored breaths.
Lilly would have responded to this if his body hadn't have gone limp. On impulse, she nudged at Humphrey's form with her nose in efforts to stimulate him. This was to no avail as his head rolled from side to side on the den floor as he felt his consciousness slowly slipping away.
"HUMPHREY!" Lilly yelled at the top of her lungs, wildly shaking him with her paws.
"Humphrey, please, wake up..." Lilly muttered in desperation as she scrunched her eyelids together and breathed in his scent in attempts to calm herself down.
A minute passed as Lilly stared at Humphrey expectantly, not knowing what else to do. A multitude of thoughts and emotions were rampant throughout her mind as she forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply. Despite her methodical efforts to relax, the stress of the whole situation had taken a hold of her.
Lilly began to quietly sob to herself, the remnants of her voice were tired and croaky. She had no tears left however, such was apparent through her shell-shocked, glassy appearance.
Exhausted, almost lifelessly, she collapsed to the ground by the side of him. With her Omega personality dulled by the harsh reality of life as an outcast, drained of energy, she was convinced that this was the end.
The couple were denied any respite however as the warm, orange hue of the evening sky was cut off by the obstruction of the tree line. The sky flashed green in an instant, then darkness ensued. No moon came to greet the forest on this night.
The shadows encroached upon the couple submerging them in a dark, sinister, stygian abyss. Perhaps, a sign that life itself was extinguished, like blowing out a candle.
Somehow, Lilly just knew that the time was right. She knew what needed to be said.
"I love you, Humphrey."
