Chapter Ten
Tsume got the pack to move again, and Kiba felt better. His hard golden eyes watched the surrounding area, but they also kept a close watch on his family.
"Hey Tsume, something's wrong with Amber or the pups." Blue said from the left of him.
Tsume came to a dead stop and looked back, seeing Amber nudging their young light brown male. He turned and walked up, "What's wrong?"
"Papa, my stomach hurts. And I'm tired," Dusty said looking up at his dad.
The new leader of the pack nodded once, he lifted his head and turned to the others. "We're going to take a short break; we'll keep going after we find food and rest up a bit."
The others nodded, Blue sat with Amber who licked the heads of her brood who were cuddled up against her side.
Tsume walked back with a large bull moose, Kiba came up with him. Tsume didn't look at all happy, but he did his best to conceal it.
Amber noticed and smiled, "Um Blue could you watched the pups for a little while?"
Blue looked at her new friend, her leader, "Um sure, yeah I'll watch them."
Amber smiled at the black she – wolf, she walked up to her mate who was setting down the bull.
Lifting his head he looked over, "Amber what are you doing?"
"Come with me, I need you expert advice." Amber said rubbing her head against his neck.
Tilting his head, Tsume looked at the white she – wolf. "We'll be back Kiba, you all eat."
Amber led the male away, she heard him take a sigh of relief. She turned looking at him in the eyes.
"Tsume what's wrong? I'm worried, you're not yourself." Amber said.
"Just tired, didn't know I'd be happier to be without the responsibilities of being a leader. I maybe leading my own kind but it's no different than leading the gang of humans. Think I'm just tired of worrying about the others," Tsume said yawning.
"I know, maybe we should just take a few days and just rest. Let the others do their own thing, give yourself some time for your being have time to its self." Amber said.
Tsume lowered to the ground, he rolled to his back and stretched. "Sounds good to me, but I think I know another way you can help with that."
Amber smiled, "Ah, but that would only tire you out more. That's a date for another time."
The white she – wolf laid above his head, his eyes were closed and with the slow breathing Amber found him to be asleep, "Sweet dreams my love."
An hour went by and the other members of the pack came walking up, Kiba, Hige, Toboe, and Blue were carrying the four young wolves. Amber lifted her head and smiled, "Sorry, he fell asleep. I didn't want to wake him up."
The others understood and laid the mated couples' pups next to their parents, then they all lied around the pair and fell asleep.
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Big Time Skip
Tsume had Kiba and Cheza with him, Amber was with the others waiting for them to come back and inform them of their game plan.
Sky, Ember, Dark, and Dusty were a little shorter then Toboe, who reached just below the adult ears. The pups played wrestle nipping and pawing at each other, Hige was amazed that the once tail pulling heel biting puppies were now two thirds his size and practicing their fighting.
Tsume walked back and looked at his kids, "Let's get moving, Cheza says she can scents Paradise."
Amber nodded she walked up and licked the gray male's cheek, "Come on kids, it's time to move. We're almost there."
The four juvenile wolves ran up to their parent, ready to continue their adventures. Sky walked next to his father's right side, "Hey dad, what's paradise like?"
Tsume glanced at his son then to the other pups, "No one knows, no wolf have ever made it. But this pack… this pack has the one key that will lead us, we have Cheza and Kiba."
Dark's dark amber eyes narrowed, "And what do they have to do with the door or gate or whatever to open? Why are they more special than any of us?"
Amber looked at her black pup, "The legend says, 'The white wolf will find the flower maiden, and together they well open the way to paradise. And all wolves will be able to go home.'"
"So why are the rest of us, going?" Ember asked.
Tsume cleared his throat, the four looked at their father, "This journey only had Kiba Hige Toboe and I, then Blue came along. But she went after her human, then we met your mother. We would have stayed if your grandfather didn't chase us out, so now this pack has the minimum number of wolves, and in order… We're friends…"
"No we're not friends Tsume, We're a family. Haven't you noticed, sure we're not blood related, but we grew closer. You, me, Kiba, Hige, Blue, Amber and the pups. We are all an ever growing family, and when I mean ever growing I mean ever growing." Toboe said looking at both the females.
Amber's head flew up and looked at the one and half year old wolf, Blue's head, however, turned away from the others.
Tsume looked at the two, but his eyes went to Amber's belly, it has gotten a bit bigger. He looked over at Blue she was about the same size, looking at Hige, who had the biggest confused look.
Amber adverted her eyes, finding the ground to be more interesting.
"That's why this one has sensed a change in Amber and Blue. Kiba this one can sense this pack is growing a lot more." Cheza said.
The white male nodded, "This is all the more reason for us to hurry and get to Paradise. Tsume."
Looking away from his mate, Tsume turned and the pack kept going.
Amber stopped and looked back, her pups were next to her. Blue stayed close to the white female, "Amber what's wrong?"
The males stopped and Tsume sighed, walking up he followed his female's gaze. "Amber, what are you doing?"
"I keep getting the scent of my old pack, all of them. Tsume you don't think that they're coming with us, do you?" Amber said looking at the male next to her.
"I don't know, let's rest here a few hours. See if the pack shows up, Hige keep an eye out for them." Tsume said walking away into the bushes, he was going hunting.
Now there were two she – wolves that were having pups and that costs for more food. Twice a week even, but hell Tsume was happy. His mate, the female that gave him four healthy pups was going to give him more.
Amber laid with Blue watching the tree line that her old pack would come out of. "So Amber what are you planning to do when your parents come through those trees?" Blue asked.
"I haven't the slightest idea, the last time they followed us was to get me back. But we had a long discussion and they… my father understood that I belong at Tsume's side, and I was not going anywhere without him or our pups." Amber said looking back at the pouncing youngsters.
Tsume walked back with a very big bull moose, Amber looked back and saw that he had a few cute and bruises on his left shoulder, "Tsume what happened?"
The gray male pulled and dropped the bull, he shook his body ridding of the dirt and grass from his fur. "Had a fight with a bull, don't worry they're only scratches."
Amber frowned and walked up, nipping at the male she shook her head, "Well I hope the bull looks worst."
Looking at the moose she smiled, and licked his shoulder, having a closer look Tsume saw Amber's milk glands were swelling. A big sign that she was pregnant.
"Amber you and Blue eat, the rest of us will wait." Tsume said looking at the two females.
The two eat, Amber looked at the male he still had that look. To her he was the most striking male she's ever seen, and there are no other males that make her feel they way he does.
Amber stopped eating and looked back to the tree line, "Tsume."
The gray male nodded, he and Amber stood at the head. She ate her fill and was listening, listening for the light paw beats to exit the forest.
The four young wolves stood near their parents and they too listened, then out of the bushes came twenty some odd wolves, led by Dakota and Wynonna.
Tsume looked at Amber who looked at all the wolves of her old pack, two stuck out and she smiled.
"Haven't seen them in forever," Amber said looking at the male beside her.
The two ran up ignoring their alpha, Amber stepped forward.
The two she – wolves stopped in front of their cousin, "Amber we missed you, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine, oh I what you to meet your little cousins. Kids come here please," Amber said looking back at her nine month old pups.
The four young wolves walked up, "Kids these are my cousins, "Jasmine and Dusty, girls these are Tsume's and my kids, "Dark, Dustin; we call him Dusty. Then the twins, Sky and Ember."
The two females smiled, "Oh Amber, they are just the sweetest."
"So why Dusty?" Jasmine asked looking at the female next to her.
"I like the name, and It's Dustin. We just use Dusty for short, so um, what is everyone doing here?" Amber said looking behind the two.
Tsume walked up, the female Dusty looked up at the male. "So you two are still together?"
"Of course we are, there is no other male that I rather be with than with my mate. He's the father of my pups, and also the love of my life." Amber said looking at the gray male.
Dakota and Wynonna walked up and smiled, "Tsume Amber, we are stepping down. We want you to lead the pack to this Paradise, as of now we are in your paws."
Tsume's golden eyes widened, looking at all the wolves that was once Amber's pack. He looked at the female at his side and she had the same look of shock, "What… why… what the cause of this? Why are you just handing your pack over to us?"
"We are too old to keep leading, and you are leading these wolves and our daughter to this place of myth. We want the rest of the pack to have a strong leader and to live in the safety of Paradise, so please do these old wolves this one favor. We would like to live our last days in Paradise." Wynonna said.
Tsume looked back at the rest of his friends, they all nodded. The younger gray male looked at the wolves, "We're resting here, Amber have you and Blue eaten enough?"
Amber looked at the male, "We're going to take a couple of chunks then it's all yours."
Blue and Amber walked away with their meat, Wynonna watched her daughter walk away with a black she – wolf. She noticed the two's bellies were expanding, also the only time a male wolf would let anyone eat before him is if she were pregnant.
"Tsume may I speak to you?" Wynonna asked.
Amber looked over seeing her mate walked away with her mother. Tilting her head to the side Amber smirked, "Think my mother may know we're pregnant."
Blue looked at the white she – wolf, "What makes you say that?"
Amber shrugged and looked over at the many wolves around the clearing, "I'm alpha of all these wolves, wow. Don't know how I'm going to do it."
Tsume walked up with his eyes on the ground, Amber tilted her head with a small grin, "Tsume, what's wrong?"
Tsume stopped near the white she – wolf his eyes meeting hers, "Your mother thinks I impregnated Blue."
Amber laughed, she licked Tsume's cheek. "Oh Tsume, a pack like theirs only the alpha pair are allowed to mate. Sometimes the alpha male will take two females."
"Like hell I want another female having my pups, you're all I need to make babies with," Tsume said with laying his head on Amber's shoulders.
Blue looked up and saw two females hitting on Hige, "Amber aren't they your cousins?"
The white she – wolf looked over seeing her two annoying cousins, smirking she walked up, "Jasmine Dusty, what are you doing?"
The two looked over and saw Amber, "Oh it's just you."
"You two know that he's taken and his mate is over there, Hige go to Blue. I think she's waiting for you," Amber said.
Giving the she – wolf a thankful nod, Amber smiled and watched the sandy color male walk up to the black she wolf.
"Amber what was that?" Jasmine asked.
The white she – wolf looked at the two, "You go find your own males you can't take someone else's." She turned and started walking back to her mate and kids.
The two looked at their cousin, "Who do you think you are Amber? You don't have any right telling us what to do."
Amber stopped dead in her tracks, she turned back looking at the two. "I'm the new alpha female; you have to… you know what just leave Hige and Kiba alone don't try anything with any of them again. They have females."
Tsume walked up and stood next to his female, "What's going on?"
Amber smiled, "You need to put them in their place. They're hitting on the guys again."
The gray leader looked at the two female in front of him, "Do anything like that again and I'll throw your asses out of this pack so fast you won't know what hit you. Now go!"
Jasmine and Dusty ran off and Tsume turned to his mate, "You should go rest while you can, I'm gonna talk to Kiba and see what's going on."
"Why don't you rest with me and the pups, you need it too," Amber said rubbing her muzzle on the side of his.
"I'll lie with you when I'm done with Kiba and Cheza," Tsume said walking away.
Amber went over to Blue and laid down, she looked over to her pups that were resting under and pine tree, "Amber are you alright? You seem a bit upset." Blue asked.
Smiling Amber looked at her friend, "No I'm fine, just annoyed with my cousins. They're always causing trouble."
Toboe came walking up and looked back, "Amber can I lie next to you? Your cousins won't leave me alone."
Amber nodded and the young wolf lied curled up next to the white she – wolf, "Rest well Toboe."
A few hours later, Amber felt a nudge on her side. She opened her eyes and saw Tsume standing in front of her, "We need to get moving, the night of the lunar path. Cheza's going to lead us to the gateway."
Sitting up Amber smiled, "That's tonight?"
Tsume nodded, he looked over at the rest of the pack and saw everyone getting up. Looking back at his white female, Tsume nudged her again.
She stood and walked over to her kids licking their heads waking them up, "What is it mama?" Dusting asked.
"We're heading out, come let's stand with your father." Amber said turning to the gray male.
Kiba stood by Tsume's side, talking to Hige Toboe and Blue. The white male turned his head facing the pack.
"Let's get moving! Kiba I'll have you watch the middle with Sky, Hige you Ember Dustin and Toboe take the back. Dark you'll be up front with me, keep an eye on the pack. We don't leave anyone behind." Tsume said as he started walking.
Amber and Blue walked close to the alpha male, Amber was at his right side and Blue was next to her. Dark was on his father's left ears flipping back and forth, between the pack and his parents.
Dusk was upon them soon after, Tsume stopped looking at the flower maiden. She had a peaceful expression on her face, he know that it was almost time. Looking at Amber, who was sitting breathing slightly heavier.
Blue was in the same position, except her head was lower. Hige walked up and check on his mate, "Tsume we can rest a bit right? Since we're waiting on Cheza."
Tsume nodded and the pack all either sat down or lied on their sides.
Amber stood and walked up to Tsume, he looked at her and gave her a greeting grunt. She loved that about him, he may still be the hard headed hot tempered male, but he was her lover. A male that showed her a completely different side.
"You two, go find some food. Two bull moose will be fine," Tsume said looking at two of the newer members.
"Right, should we take a couple of others?" one asked.
Nodding at the two, Tsume turned and walked away Amber at his side.
"For someone who only led a pack of humans you're going a great job at leading a large pack of wolves, I'm proud of you Tsume." Amber said giving Tsume a lick on his cheek.
That gave Tsume's pride a boost, though he didn't need it she loved his ego. One of the many things she fell in love with.