A Friendly Note from the Author
I have to give my gratitude to Mike101 once again. The reason why will not be discussed here, but he knows what I'm talking about. If any of y'all wanna know why it is I'm thanking him PM me or something and I'll tell you, but I won't discuss that topic here.
Humphrey was completely flushed with joy, but that was quickly replaced by dread as the cruel clap of reality hit him, making it feel as though someone had dropped a load of bricks onto his head.
"I can't let you come with me," he said sadly, hanging his head in dejection.
Kate's face contorted into sadness as well.
"W- What are you saying Humphrey?" she asked weakly.
Humphrey sighed and a single tear snaked through the fur on his cheeks.
"I won't take you away from your pack," Humphrey stated flatly, "There is absolutely nothing about me that is worth you throwing away your future."
Kate now had tears of her own starting to well up in the bottoms of her amber eyes.
"I have no future there," she retorted, "What do I have to go back to?"
"A family that loves you," Humphrey replied, "You are lucky. You still have someone who cares about you, unlike me."
Kate hung her head, and then suddenly became hysterical.
"My family doesn't give a fuck about me!" she screamed loudly, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping to the ground beneath her.
Humphrey was surprised by this sudden outburst from Kate.
"Kate you know that's not true," he said comfortingly, gently laying a paw on her shoulder.
"Yes it is!" Kate screamed again, jerking her shoulder out from under Humphrey's paw, "They've done NOTHING but use me my entire life, and they're gonna do it again to unite our pack with the East! I'm nothing more to them than some god damn pawn!"
Kate fell into a heap and started to ball loudly, her sobs and wails reaching out to the world, falling upon the land and echoing off into the fading day. Humphrey was still in the throes of surprise, still trying to absorb everything that he had been told. Was it really true? Was that all she ever was to them? Just some sort of scapegoat? Kate started to beat the ground with her paws, her blows hitting with dull thuds and flurries of disturbed dirt.
"They don't care about me! They've NEVER cared about me! The only thing that they ever cared about is what I can do to help them weasel their way out of a tight situation!"
Humphrey lay down beside Kate and pulled her into a comforting hug, the auburn wolf burying her face into Humphrey's shoulder and sobbing deeply. Humphrey wrapped a paw around her head and gently caressed the back of her neck, slowly rubbing his paw from the base of her head to the tops of her shoulders.
"Shh Kate," Humphrey whispered softly into her ear, "It'll be alright. I'm here."
Kate sniffed and nuzzled her face further into Humphrey's shoulder.
"I'm just so sick of being taken advantage of," Kate sobbed miserably, "I just want to be free to make my own decisions in life, not have everybody telling me what to think and how to feel. Is that too much to ask?"
Humphrey wrapped both of his paws around Kate's shoulders and pulled her head in closer to him, hugging her tightly in a comforting embrace. Kate pulled her head out of Humphrey's shoulder and returned the hug, wrapping her muzzle around the back of his neck. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, then pulled herself away from Humphrey. Humphrey loosened his grip on her so she could move away and turned his gaze to her face. Kate met his gaze and she smiled weakly, showing that she would be okay. Humphrey smiled back at her, his offering comfort, and for a moment the two just stayed like this, Humphrey with his arms wrapped loosely about Kate's shoulders, the two of them staring intently at the other. Kate had to admit, something just felt… right when she was in Humphrey's grasp, like the two were always meant to be. If it truly was meant to be, then there was only one way to know for sure. With this thought in mind she blushed and did something that Humphrey truly did not expect.
Much like those few nights ago board the Canadian Express, Kate suddenly pressed her soft lips to his, and again Humphrey found himself taken completely off guard by this action. His first reaction was to lock up, every one of his muscles tensing to the point where all he could do was just sit there; but after a few seconds or so his initial surprise wore off and his body relaxed, doing exactly what his mind screamed at him to do. He wrapped his paws around the back of Kate's head and neck and returned the kiss, pressing his once limp lips firmly into hers. The two stayed this way for about two minutes before they had to separate for air. The two pulled apart and sat across from each other panting heavily, the both of them blushing madly. Humphrey raised his head to look at Kate and she did the same.
"Did that just happen?, Or did I drown?" he asked aloud, looking over and feeling around his body to make sure that he was really there.
Kate giggled and her face flushed into a deep red, her eyes failing to maintain contact with his.
"I- I think it just did," she replied shyly, looking own at her paws.
Humphrey shook his head and blinked his eyes, checking once more on whether or not this was actually happening; and after a while he was satisfied and looked off in an undisclosed location, giggling in nervous embarrassment. Kate did the same, making herself take interest in the leaves that scuttled slowly across the ground. A thick silence befell the two, encasing them completely in its absolution, making them feel as though they would drown in it. The two would shoot a nervous sidelong glance at each other and look quickly away when the other caught their eye, or they would lose themselves deep inside of their mixed up thoughts. This was all so new to them, and they were completely flushed with uncertainty. What were they supposed to do next?
The two said the other's name simultaneously, blending their names together to where it was one single word that sounded like some kind of life threatening illness or STD. (or something)
"Kumptrey," they said, raising their heads to look at each other, but when they realized that they had spoken at the same time they lowered their heads again in embarrassment.
"No please," Humphrey said in a low voice, giving Kate the right of way for speech.
Kate didn't exactly know where to start so she decided to wing it, listen to what her heart told her and just go with it and hope for the best.
"Humphrey," she said moving her eyes from side to side nervously, "I'm not entirely sure how to say this… so to hell with it, I'm just gonna tell it to you straight. I love you."
These words danced into Humphrey's ears and echoed around inside of his head, making his entire body seem to light up and a broad smile to stretch involuntarily across his lips.
"Holy shit! She really does love me!" his mind, his true mind, screamed.
"No she doesn't," the voice answered, "she just knows that she's in too deep because she technically abided in your escape and wouldn't be allowed back anyway."
"Shut the hell up right now!" Humphrey shot back, "She loves me!"
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." the voice replied in a defeated tone.
Humphrey damned the voice silently then turned back to Kate, who sat in great suspense as she waited for his reply. She felt his gaze upon her and raised her eyes to meet his, and when contact was made Humphrey smiled broadly then walked over to Kate, who watched him curiously. Humphrey paused a brief distance in front of her and placed a paw atop of hers and slowly leaned his head in toward hers. Kate leaned her head in as well and the two of them wrapped their heads around the other's neck, closing their eyes contently. Kate breathed in Humphrey's musky scent and smiled warmly. Yes, this was exactly how it was meant to be. She was his and he was hers, and now there was not a thing that was going to tear that apart.
"I love you too Kate," Humphrey whispered softly into Kate's ear, his gentle breath tickling the furs inside of it and making it flap involuntarily.
The two pulled each other closer and tighter, then separated and looked each other dead in the eyes. Once again there was a long silence that befell them and their stare quickly became one that was laced in awkwardness. Eventually Humphrey cleared his throat, thus ending the silence and lifting the atmosphere once again.
"So… what now," he asked slowly, "what do we do?"
Kate turned to him and looked at him awkwardly.
"I guess we need to get going," she replied equally as slow.
"But where do we go?" Humphrey asked concerned.
Kate shrugged.
"I don't know," she replied nonchalantly, "but every journey has to begin somewhere, and always begins with just a single fall of a foot."
With that she raised her fore paw in the air and placed it down in front of the other, bringing a hind leg with it. She turned back to Humphrey and kept walking.
"Now, you coming?" she asked strongly.
Humphrey couldn't help but smile and took a step as well, then made his way quickly to Kate's side and the two walked side by side until they disappeared into the thick maze of trees.
Eve and Tony pulled away from each other and smiled warmly across at each other. They were surrounded by howls, but in their little world that they shared there was nothing but silence. It felt so great for Eve, being able to look upon Tony without a deep feeling of enmity, but instead as a friend. Tony felt the same way when he looked at Eve. How he missed those days when she and Winston would meet him and his passed mate Jezebel here on the edge of their territories and B.S. about this that and the other, or share tips on the patterns of the caribou while their kids played together; though he somehow knew that would never happen again with the damages done by the war and the loss of his mate, but he wished more than anything that things could go back to the way it was before.
"But no point in dwelling on the past right? It is always better to look ahead into the future."
He cleared his throat, thus ending the silence between them and bringing them back to the world of Jasper. He didn't know how to start a conversation that would be suitable for the situation, so he decided to ask the obvious question.
"Is Winston not feeling well?" he asked curiously, "Where is he?"
The wolves from the West heard the question and they all fell silent. The omegas from the East noticed this and became silent as well, wondering why it was that such a question would have such a heavy impact upon their new allies.
Eve's face fell into sadness, but that was quickly replaced with rage.
"Eve are you okay?" Tony asked concerned.
Eve growled and tried to control her anger.
"W- Winston is dead," Eve seethed between tightly clenched teeth.
This statement drew a huge onslaught of loud murmurings from the Eastern wolves, and that quickly built into an onslaught of incomprehensible questions.
"Alright, settle down now everybody, settle down," Tony demanded loudly, this getting his group to slowly begin to quiet themselves down.
Once everybody was silent he gave Eve a nod.
"Now, what happened?" he asked worriedly, his voice wrought with concern and condolence.
The question made Eve hang her head and growl again, a fire building up inside of her that was quickly turning into a raging inferno.
"He was murdered," she hissed through her teeth, each word spoken done so with the absolute deepest hatred.
This drew even more murmurings from the Eastern group, and even quicker this time did the voices get out of hand.
"Quiet down now," Tony demanded, but this time they were not going to listen until their questions were answered, "Quiet down."
The noncompliance from the East caused some of the alphas from the West to begin to try and settle things as well until there was just one loud voice pounding into the Head Alphas' ears.
Eve couldn't take this anymore, and she let her rage out in one long bellow.
"EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP!" she bellowed, her voice so loud that it could be heard echoing off of the landscape for miles around.
"Sounds like Eve is pissed," Humphrey commented, looking to his right at Kate.
"It would appear so," she agreed, looking away when she finished.
There was immediate silence and they all turned to look astonishingly at Eve, Tony included. He had heard her yell before when she was angry, but this was COMPLETELY different. This here, this was FAR beyond the realms of being pissed off. What that was was pure, unabashed hatred. She had her head low and she was heaving heavy breaths in and out, her shoulders rising and falling noticeably with each heave. Tony was terrified, knowing some of Eve's reputation when she was mad, but he still knew that he needed to comfort her. He placed his paw on her shoulder and she raised her head to meet his soft gaze. There were unshed tears in her eyes, tears that she just couldn't find the strength to let loose, and she was trembling from the potency of the emotions she had flowing through her mind that she tried to hide. Tony knew that eventually she would choose one of those emotions and that it would fuel her next course of action and one thing was for sure, he didn't want to be in her grasp of she chose anger.
Tony waited for her to come back in, and finally her body began to tremble less and less, and her tears began to dry up, replaced once again by flame.
"We practically raised him as our own son after he lost his parents, and this is how he thanks us!" Eve mused darkly, "by getting my daughter killed in the stampede and then killing my mate!"
Tony was shocked.
"Humphrey?" he asked astounded.
Eve winced evilly at the name, growling lightly.
"Yes, Humphrey," she seethed softly, her voice barely audible through her teeth.
"Surely you can't be talking about-"
"He's exactly the one I'm talking about," Eve interrupted, "That bastard went nuts!"
Tony hung his head sadly, and then raised it again to face Eve.
"D- did you guys catch him?" Tony asked, his own feelings for this situation being mixed.
He always did like Humphrey, but this was inexcusable.
Eve growled.
"No," she spat, "He managed to get into the rapids off of Raven Point."
"So that means that he should be somewhere in my lands?" Tony asked for affirmation.
Eve only nodded.
Tony threw back his head and howled this howl one that was rarely ever heard.
"What are you doing?" Eve asked suspiciously.
Tony finished his howl off with a single yap and turned his head down to Eve.
"Sealing off my boarders," Tony answered flatly, "I'm gonna make sure he doesn't make it out of here alive."
The howl hit Humphrey's ears and they immediately perked up. He then turned to look at Kate, finding that she had heard it too; but she looked as though she were nervous.
"Kate?" Humphrey asked, slightly scared.
"Humphrey we have to get out of here now," Kate pressed, picking up her pace.
Humphrey was confused.
"Kate wait," he demanded, stepping out in front of her.
Kate looked at him urgently.
"What's going on?" Humphrey asked worriedly.
"They're gonna seal off the boarders!" Kate said urgently, beginning to make a beeline toward the nearest exit.
Humphrey followed quickly behind her, scared to death of what would happen if they didn't make it across before it was too late.
Everywhere back in the main grounds of the Eastern territory, wolves were mobilizing at their speech rock where Garth stood atop.
"Alright, let's go! This is not a drill!" he instructed, demanding urgency from the wolves.
The wolves were all soon there and Garth began to go into the next part. He ran his eyes out over his gatherers and spoke
"We are to seal off the boarder people," he informed, "nobody comes in and nobody gets out, understood?"
The wolves all nodded.
"Alright, let's get on it! Find a gap and fill it!"
The wolves nodded and began to quickly disperse in every direction, headed for the boarder of the territory.
Eve then turned to Tony.
"I'm sure you know procedure quite clearly?" Eve asked him.
Tony only nodded, showing that he understood, and then said
"Alright, call them in."
Eve nodded and threw back her head, howling a long, low howl that lasted for about ten seconds before it began to build into a higher octave and ended at the zenith of her voice about thirty seconds later.
Oh how interesting this is getting. Who are they calling? Will Humphrey and Kate make it out before the boarder is completely sealed off? Stick around and I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Just been kinda busy with stuff lately.
Another list of songs: The Tragic Truth Five finger Death Punch (very much fitting for this story), Haunted, Criminal, and Torn all by Disturbed. Haunted, Criminal, and Torn recommended by DisturbedMetallicafan.