A Son of Wolves- The Last Kind
Chapter 14: Split and Torn
Adrian, Adrian…Adrian and flipping Adrian again! Why was he now all Kate could think about? Why was she experiencing the same feelings, she knew all too well, on the day she first felt something towards Humphrey? On that night they first howled wit one another. It was like that night all over again, those butterflies in the belly, the headache when she thought about it long enough, the stuttering and loss for words, and finally the sudden, more intense attraction to him, luring her away from Humphrey with these names he's been calling her. "Hermosa", meaning "beautiful", "Mi Kate" sooner or later she found to mean "My Kate". Falling for Adrian? That strong, handsome, devilishly charming Lobo wolf? Please, like she ever would ever do that.
But she knew this feeling very well, it was indeed the sensation she experienced with Humphrey, admittedly, even with Garth the night they first met to become mates once all those years ago. But now, now it was with…Adrian. It made her feel sick, this wasn't right, she can't be. Sure, it was over between her and Humphrey, she didn't want to take back anything she said to him last night, and he didn't either. She only wanted to see him if it ever came to it, she was more then happy to never see him again. Maybe whenever one of the children was getting married, other then that, never! Kate felt nothing towards her former mate, it didn't work out, they failed. Yes, the kids would be disappointed and most defiantly heart broken, but this was how things were meant to be. "Let's just get through this and go our separate ways." Kept running around her head, work together now, leave each other when they get home.
But it wasn't Humphrey that made her feel this way now, it was Adrian. All morning they walked, occasionally talking too, and in that time, Humphrey and Kate only spoke when necessary, but Kate and Adrian however…like they were the best of friends. It was something Humphrey found a little suspicious, a little curious even.
What was this sudden, strange, new behaviour of there's? It was something he wondered all morning and to the beginning of the afternoon when they came to a stop after travelling what must have been over twenty miles to this rocky, mountain area. They ascended uphill, traversing steep hills and steep cliff-like faces to this wild, uncharted territory. Trees were near absent here, all that seemed to live here were rocks, boulders and the odd tree hear and there. Adrian leapt onto a large boulder, slipping a little before standing tall to look over the view stretched before him. Human settlements, human roads and stretches of fields and forests stretched out before him. This next leg of the journey would prove tricky, this area was human populated, it would test their stealth to sneak through unnoticed. But from the distance it seemed to be, they wouldn't be there until tomorrow. Looking behind him, Kate pounced on a smaller boulder just beside him, a slight pant from exhaustion and breathlessness. "Oh please tell me we don't have to go through there." She whined after setting her sights on the large human town a few miles away.
"We may be able to find a way around, but it will cost time."
"We'll take it." Humphrey replied as he climbed over the incredibly steep hill they all just walked up. "We shouldn't run more risks then necessary."
"I'm impressed Humphrey." Adrian said with all honesty. "We've set quiet a pace today, yet you've been behind us all the way."
"Living with an Alpha for a mate and with half my children being one too, you don't have much of a choice other then to push yourself more." He panted. Living all these years with Kate, he didn't have much of a choice other then to stay at the same pace as her. So it was no surprise his fitness was a little higher then what it should be.
"Well have no fear; we shall rest here for a moment." He chuckled while hopping down from the large rock.
"Thank you." Humphrey breathed loudly as his legs slipped out either side of him, his tongue flopped out and he fell to the floor exhausted.
"Not for long though." Adrian suddenly continued as he walked passed. "We need to reach that human place before nightfall."
"I won't let you down, sir." Humphrey feebly and sarcastically muttered with a slight laugh while saluting him before letting his paw fall again. Adrian waked around him and jumped upon another rock, looking back in the direction they came in. In the far distance, he could still see the forest they came from, where they were held captive. They had so far to go still. Looking back, he over hears something he never expected to hear.
"You look thirsty." Kate said. Humphrey opened his eyes, his head and eyes lifting when he came to find Kate standing over him. "There's a river just down there." She gestured with her head. Her voice showed some care and worry, but other then that, it was awkward and somewhat cold. "You may want to get some water before we move on. Who knows when we may find water again."
"What about you? Do you need some?"
"I drank earlier, I'm fine thanks." She replied then turning around. Humphrey, not waiting another moment crawled to his aching paws before leaping over a large log and onto another rock. Looking down, there was a river a dozen feet away, he could use a good drink right about now.
"You didn't drink." Adrian said, making Kate look back to him. "We haven't passed a river since this morning."
"I know, I know." She sighed. "I just don't want to be on my own with him."
"You may have to at some point on this trip." He responded. "From experience, it's better to try sooner rather then later. Get used to being in that zone, Hermosa."
"Why do you keep calling me that?" She asked. "I know what it means now; I don't know what you're thinking but…"
"I don't lie." He answered with a smile. "I say what I feel and what I see. I don't keep secrets."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked curiously.
"It means I'm telling the truth when I say you're beautiful. Humphrey was lucky to have you." He answered. This was only making things worse for her, if only he knew what he was doing to her. "Now go and get a drink, we leave in fifteen minutes."
Meanwhile, Humphrey slowly lapped up the water of the slow flowing river. He needed this, it was cool and he was overheating, it was just what he needed right now. He splashed the water over his face afterwards, letting his head over the water making it ripple as each drop fell back down. He could see his reflection; he certainly wasn't the wolf he used to be. So laid back, fun loving, a lack of responsibility, outrageously goofy and somewhat immature. Now, he had responsibility, he was a role model, he was stressed, he was getting old, he had grey and white hairs in places he never had before. He had at best a good four years left; this wasn't how he wanted it to be. He wanted to die with his mate and children around him, still as a happy family. He wanted him and Kate to grow old together, that's what they vowed to do on their wedding day. He guessed it was just never meant to be that way, that they were to do everything together other then die as mates. Become best friends, fall in love, get married, have adventures, have kids, have more adventures, the occasional lovers quarrel, grow old together, celebrate the birth of their grand-pups, but clearly, not to die in one another's paws.
It was a dream they both once shared, that they both wanted one day. He loved Kate then, and even now, he had to admit there was something there that still made him feel for Kate. He wanted her again; he wanted to be with her once more, to love her, to hold her, to be her friend, a shoulder to cry on, a partner in crime, a mate. His heart was breaking the more he was she was drifting away from him, he wanted to take back everything he said to her last night to moment he said it. But it had already been said. He had to thank Adrian to a degree; he did get them talking this morning a little bit. But he was up to something too; there was something about his behaviour towards Kate that reminded him of how he used to be around her all those years ago. The flirtatious, playful behaviour, the usage of his own language with words only Kate seemed to know the definition. It was tearing him inside to see her moving away from him, knowing full well Adrian was drawing him to her.
He needed to deal with this. He looked around him, nobody was there, nothing was here other then rocks and a this river. Looking back at his reflection, he remembered what he once told his youngest children a long time ago. "Howling, the best way to relieve your pain and desires."
"You never told me, true love was going to hurt,
True pain I don't deserve, truth is I never learn."
He tried to keep it quiet, but it wasn't quiet enough. You can only make a howl so quiet after all. Coming down the hill, Kate stopped and her ears perked to the sound of a voice. She looked around a boulder as Humphrey lay on the floor, his face looking directly into the water and away from her. He didn't know she was here, so what was all this?
"I had to go through hell to prove I'm not what you say, had to meet the Devil just to know you again.
I keep…going to the river to pray, 'cause I need…something that can wash all the pain,
And at most, I'm sleeping all these demons away, but your ghost, the ghost of you of keeps me awake."
This was...it couldn't be. Was this…a howl of pain? Kate translated the howl in her head, her ears heard the howl, but her mind heard the words. He was hurting, badly it seems. Did he…still love her? After everything she said to him, after everything he said to her, he still felt this way? She slipped around the boulder when he got up and turned towards her. He walked straight passed her, unaware of her presence as she pressed her body as tight to the rock as possible. She watched him begin to clamber back up the rocks to Adrian, leaving her with more sensations.
There it was…that regret, soon followed by the pain of losing him. Feelings of old came to her, emotions she thought had been long lost since the day they started arguing. A spark, a tiny ember, representing something towards Humphrey that was just waiting to ignite once more.
Taking it slow after a ridiculously long lie in, Leo, Rick, Ciara and Skye were up and on the search for their parents scent. Leo hardly slept; he couldn't after the phone call from last night. He was up most of the night thinking of ways to apologise and to speed the search up, he had nothing, nothing other then to just get on with it. It didn't help the fact that they overslept; it was Skye who was up first, only waking when an acorn landed on her. She was quick to wake the others up and begin the search for a scent.
Everyone knew the stress Leo was under, they could sense and see it on him. He was eager, refusing to stop until they found evidence Kate and Humphrey came this way and a direction they came and left in. After only being awake for five hours, they didn't find anything, but that didn't mean they wanted to stop. They would walk in zigzagging lines, spanning over miles of forest area before moving another way, hoping at some point they'd come across something. "This is harder then I thought." Ciara said while taking a look around.
"It's like finding a needle in a haystack." Rick added. "One scent, and it could be anywhere!" He was now growing impatient.
"Not to mention I'm getting hungry." Skye said in agreement. "Leo we should find food and water, we can't go on like this."
"And you never know, mom and dad might have had the same idea." Ciara added. He didn't seem to get a say anyway, not when Rick then spoke…
"I can hear a stream this way, let's go check it out." And before he knew it, they were following him, leaving Leo to bring up the rear. They had a point, if they were in need of water at this point, then Kate and Humphrey would too, so there could be something there.
Pushing a hedge apart, he stepped out to find Ciara on her knees and Rick squatting down to bring handfuls of water to their mouths while Skye however was already wading through the water, enjoying the sensation of the water running over her coat. Before Leo could join them though, his pocket began to vibrate, more specially, the phone inside it. Only one person could be calling it, and he hoped to god it wasn't the reason he hoped for.
"Hello?" He asked. Nobody answered, all he could hear was a feeble cry in the background. There was a moment of temporary relief; it wasn't a physical pained cry, more so a saddened cry. "Sahara?"
"I'm sorry." She wept. She lay on the floor of the den; her paws covered her face with Eve sitting beside her for comfort. It was her idea she called again, also as a test that the phone didn't break after she threw it against the wall last night.
"Hey, hey…it's ok. I'm the one who's sorry." He smiled and cooed as he slowly lowered himself onto a log to sit. At least she wasn't angry at him anymore.
"I didn't mean to shout." She sniffed sliding her paws off her eyes to look at the phone. "I'm so sorry, I-I just…"
"Listen…I'm the one that put you in this." He said softly.
Ciara looked back to find Leo talking, firstly what seemed to be himself, then the hone came in sight. Rick followed her gaze before speaking. "Think he's in trouble?"
"It doesn't look like it." She shook her head. "They're probably talking it over; you remember what he said about last night."
"Think we should say anything?" He then wondered.
"No, leave them to it. It's best we don't bring it up."
"It's just…" Sahara continued tearfully. "After everything we did, everything you promised me, that's all at risk now."
"Have I ever made a promise to that I didn't fulfil?" He asked. "I promised to take care of you, and I did. I promised to take the insults throughout these two months and I have. I promised to be there when we welcome our two children into the world, for you to break my paw and watch over you and them, and I will. I will be there to take care of you and our children when this day comes."
"I know." She couldn't help but smile a little and laugh. "As long as you are there to see one of them born, that's all that matters to me."
"And I will be." He chuckled lightly. This was when Eve patted Sahara on the back, a physical way of saying well done, before leaning down to the phone herself.
"I knew you two would talk it over."
"Grandma? You're there too?"
"You're mate needed a nudge." She giggled lightly. "Where are you?"
"Regrettably, still far away. We haven't found anything to show mom and dad came through here. We're still looking, once we do, we can pick up the pace."
"Well get to it, we don't know how much time we have on this end."
"We'll try our hardest. I love you baby."
"I love you too." And with that, he hung up with a smile on his face. He was happier now, he was happy as long as his mate was. He rested his elbows on his knees, clasping the phone in both hands as he became lost in his thoughts. This was good, now all he needed to do was get home, and fast!
He returned from his thoughts, his vision snapping back and the first thing that caught his eyes was a print in the earth. A wolf print at that, it was far too large to be any dog. As curiosity got the better of him, he slid off the log and placed the phone back in his pocket. He gently caressed the print with his hand, careful not to disrupt the print. It was running into the stream with some force, either this wolf really needed a wash or it was very thirsty. He then grabbed it, taking a handful of earth and dirt with him before bringing it to his nose to take in the smells. It was in the first second of that inhale that he opened his eyes widely; he knew this scent from anywhere. "Guys!" He called out, gaining all there attention. "I got something!"
Skye wadded back through the water to get out while Rick and Ciara scrambled to their feet. It was then that Leo saw another print; this one didn't belong to this wolf. He took another grab at it, taking more grass with him to inhale that scent. "What is it?" Ciara asked.
"I found mom and dad's scent." He smiled happily. "Good idea Ciara, it was a good idea to come here."
"Oh please, it was common sense really." She replied bashfully. Skye shook dry, and afterwards she made her own discovery.
"Are those mom and dad's prints?"
"Sure smells like it." Leo doubled checked, taking another smell of the grass.
"Then whose tracks are these?" Before her, a third set of tracks lay with a third foreign scent. "I don't know this scent."
"Didn't Charlie say three wolves escaped? Maybe this is the other one." Rick said.
"I wouldn't have thought they were travelling together." Leo responded as he dropped the grass and clapped his hands together before standing up. "They must have made a friend back at the centre."
"So they came here, but where did they go?" Skye then wondered.
"You guys are Alpha's, if this was you, where would you go?" Rick then questioned.
"Well, they're lost right? So I'd find out where I'd need to go for starts." Leo responded.
"Well that narrows things down." Rick mumbled.
"I'd go to higher ground." Skye then said. "Get the lay of the land, use it to find which way I need to go."
It was then Ciara's eyes drifted off and away. "And what better then on a mountain." She pointed passed them, and following her arm, she was pointing directly at a rocky area visible over the trees, full of steep hills, dozens of cliffs and only getting higher and higher. It had to be at least twenty miles away, give or take. "That's where I'd go."
"And its south, they're still trying to get home." Rick agreed.
"Then let's run, we haven't got a lot of time." Leo said, taking off in that direction with his sibling's right behind him.
With night falling, Kate was having her "in the middle moment. Stuck between two males, her former mate and the young potential, she was torn in terms of choices. This was the most sensation in her life. Worse then heat, worse then labour, it was making her sick. To her left, Adrian lay perched on a rock with his fore paws crossed and his eyes closed, not asleep though only resting them for the time being. To her right, Humphrey lay with his back to her. As far as she could tell, he was using a claw to draw something in the dirt. She knew he had a creative mind, the times she used to return home to find a note or a picture he had drawn for her. She didn't have a clue what to expect this time.
She found herself looking left to right, finding a good and bad point about each of them. She had feelings for both of them, an attraction, even to Humphrey after hearing his howl earlier in the day. The tiny ember of something for the grey wolf had grown to a dull flame, but it was still yet to burst into flames. Looking left, her mind came up with reasons to like Adrian "He's charming, handsome, young, honest…" and so on, the list was endless. Then to Humphrey "The father of my children, my best friend, goofy, adventurous..." and so on. This was their overnight stop, they had climbed back down the mountain and were only a few miles away from the human town they needed to sneak around. So now this was all Kate could do.
She looked back to Adrian, taking in his appearance and once again beginning to make a list. One certain wolf wouldn't stand for this. Being blind to his presence, Winston sat on her left side, as usual, with a smile. He knew how she was feeling; it was just how he was now. Torn, split in two, who should she choice? He knew exactly who. "Turn the other way dear." He said and giving her cheek a slight push to turn her head.
Looking back to Humphrey, Kate increasingly wanted to continue what she once started with him. She knew they shared a dream of living a complete life together. But then again…they ended it already. The wolf world wasn't the same as the human world they learnt from their human children. Apparently, it was a complicated thing to go through to leave their mates. But here, all it required was a matter of words, and those words had already been said. It was this reason that made her look back to Adrian. So what if she was two years older then him? He was clearly interested in her; otherwise he wouldn't be acting this way to her.
Winston only began to laugh gently now, this was turning humorous. "Now what did I say sweetheart?" He asked, despite knowing she couldn't hear him. "Look to Humphrey." He said turning her head back to him.
But as far as she was aware, she was in control of her own actions. She would never have looked back to Humphrey unless she had the nudge from her invisible father. Finally, she gave in, a headache starting to grow more apparent. She sighed and stood up, turning around and walking to a fallen tree that would make a good shelter against the wind that the sensed was on its way tonight. Here, she curled up into a tight ball, laid her tail across her face and let out a finally long sigh before closing her eyes.
Once again, and as always, Winston stood over her, lying down on the tree and caressing her cheek with his paw. Although he could feel her, she couldn't, it was this that once more made him smile. "Oh my sweet Kate, what have you gotten yourself into?"
First of all, sorry for the late update. I've been working much more now so little time to work on any stories. I'm not gone guys, i will not leave you-midway through a story. It's a good habit of mine that i can't start something and not finish it. I also finish what i start, so have no fear. :)
So Kate, stuck in the middle of it all, who does she choose? The father of her children? Or the fresh, young Adrian? Each have feelings for her, but who does she choose? Can Winston (whatever it is he is) keep her mind set on Humphrey? Can Leo and the gang catch them before her decision is made? Review and read on to find out. Until next time. :)