Humphrey POV

I don't think there's ever been a day in my life so far, that has felt as long as this one. With Loki and Poppy still asleep behind me I've had nothing better to do than stare up at the moon for the last few hours. All the stress of getting back here, Loki and Kate's endless bitching and looking after Poppy is starting to take a tole on me. Hell if this all carries on my fur might start falling out.

I sighed as quietly as I could before getting up and stretching my aching back. One thing that helped me before, when I got stressed, was going for a walk to the waterfall away from everything and everyone, just me and my thoughts. I headed down to the back of the den, planted a gentle kiss on Loki and Poppy's heads before strolling out into the moonlight.

It was a nice kind of quiet outside. Not a single breath of wind or anything, just the chirping of crickets somewhere in the long grass; no Kate, no Loki, no arguing or stressing over weather Poppy is safe or not, just me. I let my paws drag along the floor as I walked taking a deep breath of the fresh, late night air.

I was a little apprehensive about going out alone when Poppy's 'father' is hunting us but honestly I don't think he'll dare wonder into the territory, especially with Eve around. I silently strolled further behind my den and towards the Eastern side of the territory towards the waterfall. I walked through the thick trees and finally the water fall came into view, it's loud hushing providing more ambience than the lonely crickets.

I reached the lip of the small but quite deep valley and stared at the tall and proud waterfall gleaming in the moonlight. I sat down and closed my eyes, tilting my head towards the sky taking a deep breath of fresh air before letting it out with a sigh. "What are you doing out here all alone?" A gruff but familiar voice asked. My ears perked up and I turned to look over my shoulder. Standing about ten feet away from me to my front, left and right... Were the wolves hunting Poppy.

"You shouldn't be here." I grumbled, getting up and turning to Poppy's old father, squaring up to him. He was slightly taller but a little less built than I am. "Really? I can be anywhere I please." He replied coolly. "Not here you can't. Why don't you just head on back to your pack and we won't have any trouble, you interrupted my 'me time'." I warned sternly, drawing myself up a little more. The black wolf scoffed and smirked at me before nodding to the ginger wolf at his left.

This wolf looked a little taken aback but obeyed and started towards me. *So you really want to play huh?* I growled to myself as the ginger wolf advanced on me. I could see on the other wolves faces that he was going to loose. He jumped at me with his teeth bared and I bowed my head, charging at him. I felt my self slam into his chest and the air leave him at an alarming pace.

I quickly steadied myself and watched as the ginger wolf flew backwards and slammed hard into the floor with a yelp. For the first time in years I let out a deep, guttural growl that even scared me a little. The ginger wolf quickly limped away and I turned to the other two who looked a little apprehensive but still fixed on their original plan. The blue furred wolf began advancing on me with the black one not far behind.

Omega or not this was about to happen, I've got to fight against two Alpha males that are clearly more experienced than I am and I have to win. I rolled my shoulders and started towards the blue furred wolf. He jumped at me first with his teeth bared and I quickly parried him, holding him back by the chest as his teeth snapped at me. Quickly as I could I threw him off balance and sent him crashing to the floor with a grunt.

Still slightly unbalanced the black wolf then threw himself towards me. I pushed myself out of his way but his teeth locked into my leg and bit easily through my skin and into the limb. I yelled out and slammed my paw down at his face, clawing four deep gashes into him. He grunted in shock and pain and withdrew his teeth from my back leg.

The wound burned and throbbed and I squinted to try and ignore the pain. The black wolf wasn't detoured and soon he and the blue wolf were advancing on me again. "Your a powerful Omega, just like your father was." The black wolf grumbled with a sick smile. I felt a rage well up in me and I took a step forwards, snapping my jaws and letting out a deep and warning bark.

"You don't DARE speak of my father!" I bellowed, a snarl coming through my voice as I did. The blue wolf stopped in his tracks but the black one continued without hesitation. "He put up a good fight too." He breathed with a psychotic tone in his voice. I felt all my rage melt away and all my worry disappear. At his moment I feel no emotion.

"It was you... You killed my parents..." I managed to stutter as his came almost nose to nose with me. "I did... And it's such a shame to make you suffer the same fate." He smiled before lunging at me and shoving me off the cliff with his paws. In a desperate panic I reached out for him but missed and began my decent. I rotated myself in the air and fell faster than the water itself was, the white mist blocked my view of whatever was hiding below.

This was it, this was how I died.. What would happen to Loki now, how will she react? Will she be okay? What about my little girl, will she be safe? And Kate, for all those years we'd spent together is it finally time for us to let each other go? That was my last thought. Loki, Kate and Poppy appeared in my mind, standing in a sunny field with smiling faces before it hit me, and all went dark.

Kate POV

I pulled myself up from the floor as soon as I was awake and took a deep breath of fresh air. A new day, time to go pay Humphrey a visit. I quickly stretched and yawned before setting off out of the den at a run towards Humphrey's. A few of the wolves that were already awake looked at me with curious expressions, probably because I'm running through the through the territory with a huge smile on my face but I don't care, when I'm with him I have every reason to be smiling.

As I headed into the outskirt forest where Humphrey's den was I was met with a slightly concerned looking Loki and a very tired Poppy in her jaws. "Oh Kate, hi." She smiled, bowing down and putting Poppy gently on the floor. "Hey Loki, iiss everything okay?" I asked raising an eyebrow at her. "Daddy wasn't there when we woke up." Poppy said with a yawn. I frowned curiously at her before Loki stepped forwards.

"Yeah, we woke up but Humphrey wasn't there, you haven't seen him have you?" She asked with small smile at her pup. That's a little strange, Humphrey isn't one for upping and leaving without mentioning it to anyone. "I... Well no, no I haven't. Do you have any idea where he could've gone" I asked before some cracking in the forest behind us pulled our attention away from each other.

"Dad? Hutch? What are you two doing out here?" I asked as Loki picked Poppy up in her jaws protectively and turned to fully face the two Alphas. "Kate, Loki... I uh... I think we need to have a little chat. Hutch..." Dad started, turning to Hutch who nodded and jogged off towards the territory center. "What's going on?" I asked, stepping forwards a little. "It's Humphrey..." He muttered and as soon as I heard that name my world froze. I turned to Loki and when our eyes met I knew we were finally thinking the exact same thing.

"Look..." Dad said quietly after leading us to one of Humphrey's favourite spots in the territory, the waterfall. It looked like a war zone. small patches of blood covered the grass and claw marks were dug hectically around the place. "What the hell happened?" Loki asked with her mouth full of pup. "I'm not sure, but Humphrey was defiantly here." He replied gravely.

I took a few sniffs of the air before sighing. "He was, I can smell his scent." I replied feeling a little anxious. "What do you think happened?" I asked as dad led us towards the cliff edge. "He was pushed." Dad replied simply. Loki's face fell and she began tearing up a little. I couldn't react, I felt a little numb after hearing that. I leaned forwards a little and looked off of the edge and down the drop that seemed to lead to oblivion. "I never even had a chance..." I muttered, staring down the cliff face and to the mist far below.

"I'm sorry." Dad sighed, turning to Loki who looked like she was trying with every fibre of her being not to cry in front of her daughter. She didn't say anything, but turned and walked away with Poppy in her jaws. "Kate I..." He started but I shook my head. "No dad. Don't apologise for something you couldn't control... I just want to know who did it." I replied with a little sternness.

"I don't know. I'm sorry dear." He muttered. I couldn't say anything to him, my mind was still trying to process everything that had happened this past few minutes. I just sighed and turned my back on the scene, walking away and back to the den with my mind filled with nothing but grief and sadness. I knew it was painful to loose someone you loved... But I never knew it was this painful, especially someone who thought so much of the world.

With my tail tucked between my legs and my ears folded flat to my head I dragged my paws all the way home to where my mother was sat will Lilly looking concerned. "Kate? What the a matter honey?" She asked, getting up and looked down at me from the ledge. I looked up to her but didn't reply and averted my gaze back to the floor.

I made my way slowly up the slope, around the corner and into the den without a word to mum, Lilly or dad who was a little ways behind me. I headed to the back of the den and laid facing the back wall in the smallest ball I could tuck myself into. I could hear dad explaining the situation to the them but it was all a hubbub to me, I didn't want to hear it again.

After a few seconds I could hear Lilly's soft sobbing and my heart twinged a little more. Humphrey wasn't only my best friend and love of my life but he was also Lilly's best friend. The two of them got on like two peas in a pod and I knew how heart broken and upset she must've been. I guess I'm not the only one who's lost someone today. I didn't even feel like crying, I wanted to but I just couldn't.

"Kate..." Mum started. I sighed and tucked myself into a tighter ball. Mum must've taken the hint that I didn't want to talk because she didn't carry on speaking. I can only imagine how Loki is feeling right now, let alone their daughter. I swear if I find the wolves who did this I will make them suffer, but for now I just need time alone to process the death of my best and one of my only friends.

As I tried to think I heard someone approaching my side and I quickly looked over to see Lilly. "Hey sis." I muttered as she laid down at my side. "Hi..." She croaked. Her eyes were completely bloodshot and her whole attitude was almost a polar opposite to who she was before. "I'm really sorry Lilly." I muttered as she laid her head in her paws and let more tears fall.

"I-It's fine." She sniffed. I sighed feeling like crying myself and moved a little closer to her putting an arm around her. "I'm sorry to Kate... I know what he meant to you." She replied through tears. "Don't be." I sighed, giving her a reassuring smile and planting a small kiss on her head. "We've all lost someone today, your not alone." I replied softly as the thoughts finally sunk in.

I was never going to see Humphrey again and this was it this time. There is nothing I can do to fix this now.