AN- Hey guys, I'm going to consider this a bit of a request chapter from SilverFox786. But to be fair some backstory was needed at some point to explain how Felix knew Byron and Haze. I'm getting better at these long chapters which I think is great for both me and you guys because it lets me write quicker and you guys get more content. Remember to leave a little review with some feedback and I'll see you guys next time. Enjoy.
*1.5 years ago*
"Felix, must you do this? I really could use you here in the pack," Dexter pleaded with his sibling. Fwlix merely smirked and kept walking.
"What's the matter brother, can't handle things on your own," Felix chuckled causing Dexter to roll his eyes.
"I swear you're impossible. Why are you doing this anyway," the beta asked of his brother.
"I want to see what they're like. Everyone always talks about how big and intimidating they are, about how they've never been attacked, but I want to see it for myself," Felix replied as his face lit up with wonder and amazement. Dexter sighed and shook his head.
"Are you sure we're related," he laughed.
"Last I checked we were," Felix pushed his sibling playfully.
"Well, at the very least, have a safe journey. I won't be out there to look after you," Dexter stopped and sat down as they reached the northern border of their territory. "This is as far as I go."
"I will. They're expecting me within a day, two at the most, so if I don't show up they'll come searching for me. But come on, who in their right mind would attack me," Felix chuckled as he stroked his ego.
The two brothers then parted ways. Dexter turned back and returned to the rest of the pack while Felix vanished through the forest. Felix was always the more adventurous of the two. He loved going places no one had explored before just to say that he had done it. He saw this as just another one of the adventures he would be adding to his life story.
Ever since he had learned about the northern pack Felix had been fascinated by the tales everyone told about them. From what he gathered they were practically larger than life wolves who could bridge the gap between life and death through spiritual rituals. Naturally, he contacted them through a howl and asked for permission to visit their pack. He didn't expect any response at all. But much to his surprise they were more than welcome to allow his stay.
Which is what brought him to where he was now. Walking away from his packs familiar borders he began to wonder if this really was a good idea. He was heading into the unknown essentially. For all he knew the second he arrived they would kill him on sight. Was that really a risk he was willing to take? Of course it was.
To him life was full of risks, and with great risks came great rewards. If he wasn't killed then he would surely enjoy the time he spent here. The walk gave him time to mentally prepare himself for whatever he might have found.
The time alone also gave him plenty of opportunities for him to be with himself. He enjoyed having time to just think quietly to himself. Sure he loved spending time with his brother, but sometimes he just wanted to sit in the silence and soak everything in. For the past few months he had been missing his parents. They had went off to form a new pack while he and his brother stayed behind. It was odd not having them around.
For the first time in his life he felt secluded. Growing up he always relied on the two of them to be there for him. Even after alpha school he spent so much time with them that he practically never seemed to grow up. But now here he was, all on his own. It was a new feeling to him. He would have best described it as independence.
It hurt when they left. He loved both of them so much to see them go. But, he and Dexter had committed their lives to defending their pack at all costs. So here his parents were, practically his enemies. But he knew that if war ever broke out he would never be able to hurt them, and he hoped they felt the same about him and Dexter.
The further north he drove himself the colder it got. Ever step seemed to drop the temperature by a degree. Eventually he saw snow. Then he found snow. A small layer at first but it quickly built into inches and then feet. It was extremely cold on him without a proper winter coat, but he adapted to it quickly.
When he smelled the outline of the border he stopped dead in his tracks. He decided it would be best to howl and make them aware of his arrival so they wouldn't accidentally kill him. The howl rang out through the snow covered forest, seemingly echoing off the soft blanket of frozen water below him.
It didn't take long for a pair of sentries to arrive. As soon as he saw the white furred pair, he knew where the rumors had come from. They were larger than him in every aspect. They stood taller and wider, their paws were much wider allowing them to easily glide across the top of the snow. Their muzzles were massive and held a row of razor sharp teeth, getting bit would have put him out of commission. But the most striking part about them was their eyes. Blue as the sky and seemingly able to peer into his thoughts.
"You must be Felix," one of them greeted with a respectful bow.
"We have been anticipating your arrival. Our father is very excited to meet someone from the lower pack," the other added with his own bow.
"Come, we will take you to him now," the first instructed. Only now was Felix beginning to notice a heavy accent in their voice. He decided it was best not to argue with them and followed them through the snow.
The trip back to the pack was relatively silent. None of them offered to strike up a conversation. Felix simply assumed them to be weary of outsiders such as himself. The silence gave him time to notice how gracefully they were able to tread across the top layer of snow, leaving only light footprints while he seemed to sink up the powdery material. It amazed him at how light-footed they were. Then again having such wide paws would have helped immensely.
None of his expectations could have come anywhere near to what he saw when they reached the pack. His home pack was about thirty wolves strong after the split, but even before that they wouldn't have even come close to the size of this pack. There must have been at least a hundred of them all sitting outside their dens, as if waiting to see their visitor. It was incredible.
They all had white fur with some variations in shade. Their eyes all seemed to differ as well, ranging from the icy blue he had seen to marvelous emerald greens and coffee browns. As soon as they saw him, they all bowed as a sign of greeting. It was unusual to have other wolves bowing to him, usually that was an honor reserved only for the pack leader.
Then he saw what must have been the largest wolf who had ever lived. He stood easily twice as tall as Felix did. A long flowing white mane over his snow like fur. The top of his nose was grey, interestingly enough, and the tip of his thick, bushy tail was also a smoky shade. His eyes were mixed, one was blue and the other was green. Something that Felix had never seen before. The wolf was smiling ear to ear at the new-comer.
"Ah welcome young Felix. It's so good to finally see one of our southern brothers visiting us. My name is Ivan and I am the pack leader of this fine bunch of wolves," he greeted, also lowering his head. The two wolves who had escorted stepped up to his sides and joined him. Felix was utterly speechless, he hadn't anticipated such warm hospitality.
"I-it's an honor to meet you sir," Felix greeted as he too bowed to the leader.
"Please, you can just call me Ivan. You are our guest and comrade, not our servant," the large wolf laughed and gave Felix a powerful pat on the shoulder. His paw was like that of a bear. Felix smiled and nodded.
"As you wish, Ivan," he replied.
"That is better. I see you have already met my sons Byron and Haze. They are identical twins so do not feel bad if you confuse them. We have prepared you a den for your stay and the hunters have collected enough food for a feast to honor your arrival. I encourage you to make yourself at home," Ivan explained as he led Felix to his den.
"This is all so generous of you," Felix said with a soft blush beneath his fur. He hadn't expected them to do so much for him.
"Nonsense! It has been so long since we have been graced with the presence of someone outside our own pack. Though, we have always considered the lower packs part of our family. I insist, what's ours is yours," Felix couldn't believe how humble Ivan was.
"Thank you all so very much," Felix thanked him.
"It's merely an act of kindness. Now, if I may ask, what brings you to our humble home?" Ivan asked "Not that we're not happy to see you, it's just that your visit is quite sudden."
"I wanted to learn more about your culture. There were many rumors that you are able to communicate with the dead," Felix explained with a shrug.
"What you've heard is true. Through a spiritual ceremony we do have the ability to talk to spirits albeit for a very brief time. My sons are currently learning how to do so, perhaps you would like to join them," Ivan offered as they entered Felix's arranged den.
"I'd love that," Felix agreed eagerly.
"Excellent. If you'll excuse me I must go assist the others in gathering food for the feast. My boys will be more than happy to show you around. Remember, you're welcome to stay as long as you want," Ivan then stepped out, leaving Felix with the two who had escorted him here.
"Your fur is strange to us," one of them stated.
"Yes, we are used to seeing white fur," the other added as the two looked over the wolf who sat before them.
"I guess I could say the same thing to you. There isn't anyone in my pack with white fur," Felix noted which seemed to amaze the two.
"Really? What are your pack members like," one of them asked.
"Well, for starters they're all a lot smaller than everyone here," Felix felt so strange explaining his pack members to the pair. He felt like he could do a good enough job summarizing them, but his words didn't do any of his friends justice. Once he was finished the two merely bombarded him with more questions about what it was like where he came from. Eventually he managed to squeeze in his own questions.
"So, just out of curiosity, how does everyone tell you two apart," he asked finally.
"That's easy," one of them replied.
"Byron always talks first," that meant it was Haze this time.
"Haze also sways his tail when he walks and I keep mine flat," Byron smirked.
"At least my fur is flawlessly white unlike your grey ears," Haze chuckled causing Byron to blush. Felix looked up to confirm this, and sure enough one of them had grey ears tucked behind a thick layer of white fur. Felix quickly enjoyed the company of the two and they seemed to like him as well.
After they had the immediate questions out of the way, the twins decided to show their new friend around the pack. Much like his own there was an establish hierarchy, with omegas at the bottom, then alphas, a beta, and a leader. But unlike the western pack, there was a shaman who was in charge of all spiritual rituals and healing. The shaman was a very old male named Baal. Much like the others his fur was white, but he had covered himself in red markings using some sort of powder.
The twins explained that he was their teacher. They had decided to learn the ways of spiritual communication and healing much like their father had when he was young. Baal's daughter Arora was destined to become the next shaman once he passed away. Baal explained the afterlife to Felix in great detail, though he explained as more of a legendary tail.
Long ago there were two great wolves named Lupa and Kane. The two were madly in love with each other and so one day decided to have children of their own. They were the parents of seven healthy pups, each of a different fur color. As the pups grew, they became powerful forces of nature just like their parents. All of them were happy and content. However, six of the seven pups quickly became divided. Three of them were much weaker than the rest and decided that they would be called omegas. Another three were much stronger and became alphas. It is said that all living wolves are the descendants of these six. They all grew and had pups of their own.
However the seventh and largest pup, Azazel, was not happy that the alphas and omegas were breeding with one another. He felt that this tained their bloodline and would doom all of their children to a life of weakness and suffering. And so he killed them all of their pups to cleanse the bloodline and prevent them from breeding. He killed twelve pups in all that day.
Lupa and Kane were devastated that their child had become so evil and corrupt. So, in order to punish him, they created two realms out of their own power. Lupa gave her soul to form a large wilderness for the spirits of the twelve murdered pups to roam freely and safely for eternity. Kane, the powerful and disciplined father, formed a prison for his son, the likes of which nothing could ever escape. Day after day Azazel would be tormented for his actions, and any wolf who dare follow in his footsteps. Those who kill their fellow wolf merely for sport.
Azazel was a strong pup though, and his influence was said to seep out from within the walls of his capture. He delivered a warning to his brothers and sisters. Any alpha who mates with an omega, or vice versa, shall have their pups taken from them in the night and dragged into my personal hell. And the parents shall become sterile. Destined to never have pups again.
Out of fear, the six pups made a pact. From then on, only alphas may mate with alphas, and omegas with omegas, lest their children be doomed for eternal torment. This is where the tradition of keeping the two social classes mating amongst themselves. We respect this tradition even to this day, and must silence those who think otherwise.
Felix couldn't believe his ears. All his life he had been taught that alphas and omegas could mate freely with whoever they chose. This quickly tipped him off that these wolves thought otherwise. He would have to warn Winston of this once he returned home, lest these guys come kicking in their front door.
The young alphas seemed very thrilled to meet an outsider. As soon as they saw him they swarmed around him, tails wagging excitedly and bombarding him with questions. According to Byron and Haze they had only been in class for a month and they were as large as near full grown wolves. It was unbelievable to think that they were pups.
Despite this, they were all adorable. They may have been large but they were certainly pups. They acted so childish and silly. Yet at the first command they became disciplined and stood at attention. The training was so different as well. Rather than one exercise they ran an entire gauntlet of workouts. Heavy sprints, pushups, and lunges all around a massive field.
Once the sun began to set, Ivan called everyone to the feeding grounds for the feast. The entire pack was in attendance, including the pups who were in alpha school. The pack formed a massive circle as they ate so they everyone could see and easily speak to one another. As they ate, a group of them walked into the center, covered in similar tribal markings that Baal was adorning. They gave a quick howl before beginning to dance around the circle.
Felix had been granted the privilege of sitting next to Ivan and his mate Maya. He had no idea what was happening and so whispered Ivan a question.
"What are they doing," he asked quietly.
"This is a ritual in which we give thanks to Lupa and Kane for providing with safety in this life and the next. We invite them to join in our feast through our own hearts and bodies. It's a very important ceremony," Ivan explained as the dancers continued.
Their movements seemed almost hypnotic. The way their bodies twisted and turned made it seem like they were flowing as effortlessly as water. Their flips and spins seemed almost impossible to perform. Felix assumed that the strength it took to perform this dance was on a whole other level than what he possessed. The group finally finished by raising their heads to the sky and releasing a long howl which the whole pack joined in on, including Felix.
"My brothers and sisters, it is with great honor that I stand before you on this day and introduce you to our guest and brother from the south Felix. Many of you have met him already, and those who haven't I suggest you do so. It isn't often we see visitors and I must remind you that we must treat them all as members of our own pack. Felix is no exception. From what little I have spoken to him I gather him to be a truly wonderful wolf worthy of all of the respect we can give him. Give him a warm welcome," Ivan stepped aside to put the spotlight on Felix. Everyone immediately cheered for him, which made him feel so honored.
"I look forward to meeting each and every one of you. I've only just met many of you yet you treat me as if you've known me your entire lives. I don't feel like I've really earned so much kindness to be honest. But, I will accept it happily. Thank you all so much," Felix wiped the small tears from his eyes. Even in his own pack he didn't feel this accepted and praised.
That night, there was a howl to celebrate his arrival to go along with the feast. Much to his surprise he even had a date. Arora had found him very attractive and sweet, so she asked if he would grace her by howling alongside her. Who was he to say no? He didn't have a mate, nor was he even seeing anyone. The night was absolutely perfect in every way.
He spent two months with the pack. Occasionally he would howl out for his brother and let everyone at home know he was safe. Byron, Haze, and Arora quickly became his closest friends in the pack. They were all the same age as him, a few weeks difference between them, but it was close enough. He found a very special interest in Arora. Her cute, petite figure and soft angelic voice. Unlike the others, she didn't seem to have much of an accent.
They would never let anyone know, but they became very intimate with one another.
Learning under Baal's tutorage, he became the only outsider to ever learn the art of spirit communication. Normally the ceremony only lasted around ten minutes. But working with the twins, Felix managed to stretch it out to nearly twenty. But he didn't have the strength to perform the ritual on his own. Which wasn't surprising, it was meant to be a group ceremony.
Eventually though, the time came when he was forced to return to his own pack. After nearly three months in the north he was called back to help out in defending the pack. It was a somber goodbye full of tears. To Ivan and Maya he had become a third son, to Byron and Haze a brother, and to Arora a lover. But he vowed that he would one day return.
Little did he know it was the last he would see of his new family for a very long time.