A Son of Wolves- The Last Kind

Ok, you've all been patient enough, I thank you for that. In return, here's a chapter. Please leave seeing as it's been a while, I've been missing them.

Chapter 21: Till Death Do We Part

"Baby, you are not going to believe this!"
"Right now, I'm willing to believe anything."
Finally, day break had come, and at first light Leo, Rick, Ciara and Ciara were on the last leg towards the lake. Hopefully, where they'd meet up with Kate and Humphrey. This was great, last night they had a response from them, they couldn't have been more then ten miles away. The plan, Humphrey, Kate and the third wolf they were travelling with would follow a river they were camped beside, the theory was that it leads to the lake, seeing at it looked to be following in that direction, and then they'd all meet up and Charlie would bring them the rest of the way home. If he was still there anyway, he'd be the next call Leo would make. But first, as they walked through the morning due of day break, one wolf was of a higher priority.

"We've found them." Leo continued. "We're on our way to meet up with them."

"That's great!" Although Sahara was half asleep, she was wide awake upon hearing this. "But what happens now."

"They're following a river, with any luck; it's heading in the direction of the lake Charlie is at. We'll meet up and he'll bring us the rest of the way home."

"And with time to spare." She sighed, she was so happy.

"How long have you kept your legs closed now?" He asked jokingly.

"I haven't had to yet; the pups have been pretty quiet since yesterday afternoon." She answered while looking down at her belly. "I guess they're saving it all for when you get back."

"Good, I can't wait."

"Come on Leo!" Rick shouted back to him. "Keep it moving, we've got to beat them there!" He was lagging behind, getting too caught up in the conversation.

"Go on stranger, bring them home." Sahara heard everything.

"I'll be seeing you soon then."

Next in line…

"Ha, I got one!" Charlie exclaimed, grabbing his fishing line and starting his fight.

"Day's we've been out here, and only now you get your first fish." Jasper couldn't help but laugh.

"Never give up on hope." It was big, but that didn't matter. A fish is a fish, no matter what the size. It was his personal goal to catch something before Leo, Kate or Humphrey arrived. "And I've had hope and faith all this time!" But suddenly, the line snapped under the great tension it was placed under. Charlie jolted back, unable to believe tat just happened. Whereas Jasper was writhing on the floor, laughing hysterically with tears streaking down his face. Charlie stood with his jaw agape, this couldn't have happened.

"How's hope and faith working for you now?" He laughed uncontrollably. It was then Charlie felt his pocket vibrating, and with an angered growl, he removed his phone and glumly answered while glaring at the wolf.

"Leo if you don't hurry it up I'm going to stuff this guy."

"Well have no fear; we're around ten miles away." He replied. "We should be with you by mid-day."

"Good, hurry up." Never did he take his eyes off the wolf still laughing uncontrollably in front of him. He was starting to like him, now he was starting to see the resemblance he had with Skye.

Hanging up, the phone then made a brand new noise. Low battery, lower then expected in fact, because it wasn't a second later the lights went out. But Leo wasn't bothered; by tonight they'd be home, what could go wrong in twelve hours?

Eventually, Jasper started to calm down when Charlie walked passed him, slinging the fishing rod at the base to the tent before going around it and towards his car. "Now what do you plan on failing at?" He asked teasingly.

"To do something I've been wanting to do since we got here." Charlie answered when turning around with a large, heavy looking black bag slung over his shoulder. "I'm going to climb that." He pointed to the right, a little way across the lake. Jasper saw what he meant, a waterfall, scaling up and over eighty feet height.

"Why would you want to do that?" Jasper now asked curiously.

"I've been wanting to take some pictures from up there for work, I shouldn't be too long."

"What wrong with walking around and up there? I've been up there too many times already."

"Where's the fun in that?"

At the same time, Adrian, Humphrey and Kate followed the plan, this time being less talkative. Kate didn't understand why today Humphrey wasn't talking as much as he was yesterday, or why he tried not to look at her when she looked back at him. It seemed only Adrian was the one that enjoyed engaging in conversation, for obvious reasons. They followed the river as best the could, some of the way it was blocked off, or the terrain wasn't suitable. Where they were now, the river seemed to be getting lower, not in depth, but digging into the hill they were climbing, forming some kind of ravine, gradually getting higher and higher. Let's say this, a fall into the water from this height, if it didn't kill a wolf, would indeed hurt.

It was still flowing east; as long as they kept the sun behind them then it was guaranteed they'd reach this lake Skye spoke of. It was all that kept the two parents moving, the fact they would be reunited with their family soon. "It's kind of strange now, isn't it?" Kate then spoke after a long moment of silence.

"What's that?" Adrian asked curiously.

"This crazy adventure." She replied. "What are you going to do? I doubt you'll want to stay, being a happy lone wolf after all."

"I was thinking of heading south, back home, I have business there I need to fix. Mexico can't keep me away for long, Hermosa." He smiled. That word, by now Humphrey had figured it out it was some form of flattery, just by Kate's reaction each time he said it. And it was the use of this word again he listened in on what they were saying.

"You know, I'll miss you Adrian." She then said. "I don't think we'd have gotten this far without you."

"Me neither, without your help I'd still be lying in that human contraption bleeding to death, I'm very grateful."

"Well, I had to return the favour at some point didn't I?" She giggled.

"Hey guys." Humphrey then called out. "Check it out." The two alphas looked at where he gestured to. Just ahead of them, a colossal sized tree created a bridge across the ravine. They needed to find a way to get across; the children were that side if they were coming in from the north. What luck!

"Really, you want to cross that?" Kate questioned. It didn't look safe; it looked like it had been there for years. No leaves grew on it, no branched as a matter of fact! It was hardly even big enough to go across; both ends were only just touching the sides. Still, it was pretty wide, the chances of them falling off were slim, it was just a matter of would it give way? Stupidity would be the reason that they fell off, if they did. "I don't know about that idea, there has to be another way."

"And if there isn't?" Humphrey asked. "There might not be, and even if there is, why walk further when this is right here?"

"I have to agree with him." Adrian added. "Why pass an opportunity." Two against one, majority rules.

"Fine." She grumbled. "Just be careful."

"Careful? You're talking to a guy that spent a good amount of time around logs." He referred to long sledding, but Kate didn't see the funny side in it. "Adrian, you can go first."

"I was going to suggest ladies first." He winked at Kate.

"You're hurt; we can help if you are struggling."

"Now that I agree with." Kate responded. "Now go, we'll be right behind you." Once again, majority ruled. So with a sigh himself, he walked towards the tree, taking a moment to assess its sturdiness before jumping up with a grunt. Not long after, Humphrey hoisted himself up, leaving Kate to leap up not far behind. The tree creaked as more weight was applied to it, but it held firm.

Or so they thought, if they looked behind them they would have seen part of the cliff give way underneath the tree.

Looking to his right, Adrian came to a stop upon seeing their destination. "Well look at that." He smiled. His pause forced Humphrey and Kate to do the same and look as well out of curiosity. "There it is." The lake, less then a mile away. They'd be there within the hour.

"Wow, it's kind of beautiful." Kate added.

"Much like you are." Adrian added as he started walking again. And that was it, the snap. Humphrey didn't realise the low growl he was making, unheard by anyone, even him it was that quiet. Too long had he let this go on, and now was as good and any time to deal with it.

Suddenly, Adrian was shoved with great force from behind. He lost his balance, his legs scrambling for grip, only his front finding it whereas his back ones didn't as it came across a patch of slippery algae growing on the tree. His back half slipped over the edge of the tree, his front paws digging their claws into the bark and gripping on for dear life. In the situation he was in, he couldn't climb back over; more algae prevented his back legs from pushing him up. He looked up, Humphrey's fuming, angry face was right in his. "Now you listen, and you listen good." He growled. An Omega, he'd never seen one like this before.

"Humphrey what are you doing?!" Kate exclaimed in pure shock.

"Keep back!" He ordered.

"You can't do…"

"I said stay back!" He growled again, making her freeze. She had to admit; even she hadn't seen him like this. What was he doing? He looked back down to Adrian who still struggled to get up, he needed help, and Humphrey didn't look like he was going to do it.

But really, they all needed help, for more of the cliff gave way.

"If you're going to have her, then fine, take her, it's clear what she wants." He said. "But you better treat her right, you treat her like a queen, you hear me?" Kate watched on, her head tilting now in confusion. Was this about her? "Treat her better then I did, better then any other wolf."

"Humphrey…I." Adrian tried to speak, only to be cut off by the grey wolf.

"She likes lilies, purple are her favourite colour. Walks to clear her head, no matter what she says though, go after her, because she likes persistency. She wants to know the wolf she loves will always come after her and forgive her."

"Please…I-I-I'm slipping." Adrian gasped when his paws slipped an inch.

"She likes the back left leg of a kill better, that the most exercised part, therefore the most tender. She will always take the right flank in hunting, she'll come in low and then pounce and go for the throat, you need to always have her back. She'll never back down from a fight, so she likes someone who's willing to fight for her, pick her up when she's down, to make her laugh. And that laugh she has…" He trailed off and looking back to her. Her mouth now hung wide agape, why was he talking this way? This was so sweet, dumbfounding above all else. After all this time, he knew so much about her even she didn't know some of those things. He knew more about her the even she did! But then he looked back down to Adrian, once again as angry as he was. "And that's what you need to be and do for her if you want her. Be proud; be strong, because you'll do a hell of a lot better then what I did. If you want her, you got her."

"I don't want her!" He shouted back at him. Now it was Humphrey's turn to become confused, did he hear right?

That shout was heard by more then two sets of ears, it echoed around, bouncing off trees until it shot into more ears. "Wait, did you hear that?" Ciara said and stopping.

"It came from that way." Leo pointed and off they went.

"What do you mean?" Humphrey spat. "Don't play dumb with me; I know exactly what's been going on!"

"Do you now?" Adrian smirked. Seconds later, his paws slipped again. "Humphrey help me!" He slammed his paws down on top of the lobo wolf's, anchoring him down. Now this could go two ways, he could either hold him still and help him up after, or let go and let him fall.

"Adrian." Kate said. "All the things you said to me then, the way you've acted so far. What was that all about then?"

"It was all about you two." He sighed, the truth now coming out. "From the day I showed you that hole in the fence, it was all about you two." The former mates looked at one another, both confused as to the true intentions of Adrian.

"So why have you been doing all of this?" Kate asked. He sighed again, averting eye contact from them.

"I don't want anyone else's life to end up like mine." He answered quietly. "I've been through what you are, and I don't want you to wind up like me. A lone wolf, alone for the rest of my life."

"I don't understand." Humphrey said.

"My mate didn't either." He replied. "She thought I was being disloyal, seeing another she-wolf behind her back." That part, at first seemed like a lie to both of them. Look at how he's been acting with them, how he told Kate he as a "hit with the ladies." "She was indeed my best friend, someone I knew since we were pups, going through a time with her mate and needed comforting. I just happened to spending more time with her then my own."

"So why us?" Humphrey then asked.

"Because of that, she took my son's to the other side of the territory, and I was exiled from my pack until I was ready to tell the truth." He now seemed to be stuck in thought, he really was reliving those moments again. "Because of me, I haven't seen my son's in nearly two years, and my mate won't see me again until I apologise."

Proof now hung before them. Take away a wolf's sons, you reduce him to nothing. You put him down to this, someone who wings every day that goes by, hoping for the best. "I vowed to myself that I'd never watch anyone else go through what I did. I travelled the Great Plains, helping young wolves find love in each other again. Some easier then others, you being one of the hardest, so I needed a new plan."

"Keen?" Kate asked with a slight laugh, making his head lift a little.

"Jealousy." He corrected. "I knew from the moment I saw you, Humphrey still loved you, and the only way for you to see that was for making him adapt and show it. I deceived you both, and here I am, hanging, with my life in your paws Humphrey, sparked by the jealousy he always had but yet to emerge. He loves you so much Kate, why did it have to come to this for you to see that."

Both males looked back to her, now she felt the fool. She dumbfounded herself, how did she not see it? Why did she block it out all this time?

"Mom!" Someone suddenly shouted. "Dad!" Looking up the fallen tree and where they were headed on the other side, Skye slid to a stop, a giant smile on her face. "Guys, I've found them!"

But without warning, there was another loud crack as the inevitable happened. The small, fragile piece of cliff, all that was holding them up, finally gave way with a loud, echoing crack. The tree jerked and wobbled, it was due to break any second! "Run!" Skye screamed.

"Quick." Humphrey shouted, grabbing Adrian by his scruff and pulling him up ad back onto it. "Move!" By this point, Leo, Rick and Ciara came charging through the bushes to this sight. Their minds were yet to catch up with them, but it wasn't hard too piece together. Falling tree bridge, their parents, a forty foot ravine, certain death!

The bridge jerked again, this time bigger and harder. It made them miss a step, well, Kate and Humphrey anyway. Adrian happened to make a desperate leap onto the other side, being helped across by Ciara and Leo as he did and made it safely across. Kate however was the one who slipped, now it was her in Adrian's former place. She anchored her fore claws into the tree and shouted as loud as she could.

"Humphrey!" She froze, not thinking twice to go back and help her before it was too late. Once again, he grabbed her scruff and pulled her up, but by that time the tree moved again, this time a good meter.

"Hurry guys!" Rick shouted to them. Pointless.

Quickly, the base of the tree slipped down, finally the weight becoming too much for it to handle. They weren't going to make it; they both knew that much in a split second. Humphrey looked down and to his left, one of very few thick tree branches was sin his reach. A ravine, flowing water…a stinging sensation already in his tail? He was having a flashback. It slipped again, this time making it a good slope, enough to make them both start slipping back down. Humphrey grabbed the branch in his mouth, throwing his tail back to Kate. "Grab it!" He shouted to the best of his ability while like this. In the nick of time, she thrust her jaws forwards and bit, and hard! His eyes widened and he let out a pained yelp as the tree slipped for the final time.

The base gave away, swinging in what felt like slow motion and sweeping both wolves off their feet, but not loosening Humphrey's grip on the branch. With a great thud, the tree slammed into the ravine wall with vibrating force, blowing dirt and parts of the cliff up and crumble away. Up on the cliff edge, everyone looking over fearing the worst.

"Humphrey, Kate!" Adrian shouted.

"Look!" Leo pointed down at them hanging on for their lives. Kate still gripped Humphrey's tail and hung down while he refused to let go of the branch. "We've got to get them up."

"State the obvious why don't you." Rick snapped desperately.

"One of us could go back to Charlie, maybe he can help, it's not that far." Skye suggested.

"They won't last that long." Ciara replied and looking around for something, anything! "Just hang on guys!"

That's what they planned on doing. Theirs lives now depended on Humphrey's jaw strength and…the branch. It began to creak and crack, splintering and bending more and more. "What's that?" Kate mumbled.

"Hold your breath." He replied.

"Huh?" It was all she had time to say before suddenly, the branch took a turn for the worse and cracked loudly.

"No!" Leo bellowed upon seeing this, another shout as well when he saw it snap clean off. Everyone watched in disbelief as the branch broke free and fell, taking Humphrey and Kate with it who screamed with the fall, to fall silent when they disappeared under the water with a loud splash, an even louder one when the branch fell in with it.

"Oh my god." Ciara gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Did they really just witness that?

"Dad…" Skye was crying, there was no holding back.

"No, look!" Rick pointed.

Kate burst out of the water, gasping for air greedily and paddling to keep afloat. She was fine, terrified, but ok. She looked around for Humphrey, she couldn't see him. "Humphrey!" She shouted loudly.

"Over here!" She turned around as the river carried her down, and coming around from her right the tree branch floated quickly by, with Humphrey holding onto it. "Grab on." He said. She paddled closer, reaching up and hoisting her front half up as he had; it wasn't big enough to completely sit on.

"Quick, we can still catch them." Adrian persisted. "Hurry!"

"Now what?" Kate asked as she looked around, still panting heavily as Humphrey was.

"I've just been winging it." He replied.

"Well we'd better think of something soon." She gestured ahead, and following her gaze, further down the river, no less then a hundred metres away, the river seemed to just end, meaning it could only be a waterfall. And by the look of the view from their current position, it was a pretty big one.

"Oh no." He looked around him, there had to be something. A gap in the ravine wall to grab onto, a vine, a part of the river leading off, a shallow part…something! Anything!

"Humphrey…"

"Kate, if we can paddle to the outside, we might be able to hold onto something until that."

"Humphrey just…" He just ignored her.

"Or if we can manoeuvre the branch, it might get stuck and buy us some time."

"Humphrey." Se said a third time, this time a little louder and making him stop and look her in the eyes. "Just, talk to me."

Now, Charlie was knelt down on the top of the waterfall, right on the edge, taking picture of the spectacular view the lake gave him. This was perfect; some of these he may keep it were this great. Looking down and to his left, he could see the camp with Jasper sat looking up at him and watching, so he couldn't help but take a few of him either. It was then he heard running, the sound of many footsteps behind him. "Danny?" He exclaimed happily when seeing him running up behind him and towards him. "It's about time."

"There is no time." He quickly answered back as he reached him. "Is…is that rope?" He then asked after seeing it coiled on the floor beside him.

"Y-Yeah, I used it to…to get up here." He replied confused. "But what's going on, what happened?"

They continued to float; there was no escaping the inevitable. What was the point? There was no way out of this. "Was that true." Kate asked. "Did you mean everything you said about me?" He sighed as a part of his response.

"Of course." He replied sincerely. "I meant every word of it."

"So…you still love me?"

"I never stopped loving you, not once." He answered. "Kate, these last few days we've spent together, they've made me realise, that no matter what you do, you'll never keep me away. You can call me things, you can hurt me, but I'll always come running back for more."

"I'm sorry for what I said to you, you know…before. I know you love the kids as much as I do, and I know you'd do anything for them. I just jumped to conclusions." They both looked to the waterfall edge; they had a little over ten seconds. "Humphrey, if this is it, then I'm glad I'm with you."

"Till death do we part, Hermosa."

Then together, they leaned into one another, bringing their muzzle into a passionate kiss, their last. Regrets, there was most defiantly plenty, but now the dust was finally settled in their last moments. Or was it?

Something landed beside them, and it made them move apart and look to the side of the branch they floated on. Some strange looking vine, fabricated. "Grab the rope!" They looked up, mere seconds to go before they fell. Leo grasped one end of the rope with everyone watching on with desperation. "GRAB IT!"

Kate and Humphrey looked back to the waterfall, only to find they were then looking down as the edge came faster then expected. With a cry and scream, they slipped over again, their screams falling silent with a last echo. They were too late? After everything they went through to catch them, to find them and bring them home, it ended this way?

Abruptly, the rope pulled, and boy did it pull. It was like a shark was on the other end, a great wait that took Leo by surprise, so much in fact he was dragged with it. He slid while standing, being pulled at speed towards the waterfall's edge. Acting quickly, Ciara jumped in behind him, grabbing the leftover of the rope, Charlie coming in behind her, and together they pulled and took some of the weight Leo felt. Adrian took hold of the little bit left at the end and the four of them held the weight while Skye ran around them and peaked over the edge. "Mom!" She shouted. "Dad?"

"Get us up; you're mom's about to pull my tail off!" Humphrey shouted to the best of his ability with his jaws clenched around the small piece of rope.

"Pull guys, we got'em!" She shouted back to the others with a large grin.

With the sun high in the sky, Sahara thought it was appropriate to tidy the den a little bit rather the n spend it outside. That's all she had done the last few days, constantly being told to talk a stroll, enjoy the sun and quiet time before the pups were born. But for once, she got her own way, a relatively quiet afternoon tidying her herb collection, precious stones and plants. She wanted it clean for Leo when he arrived tonight; she wanted to prove she was capable of looking after the den on her own while being pregnant. Dom said he was going to help, but he seemed distracted by Cara, the both of them sitting to the side of the den mouth engaging in conversation. He was a watch duty today, assigned to watch Sahara by his grandmother.

"You two are just full of it today, aren't you?" Sahara giggled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The black and grey she-wolf asked humorously

"Look at you, so young and playful. If only Leo and I were dating back then."

"But you're like…really old, he wasn't even born when you were." Dom replied

"So, don't ruin my dreams. I maybe seventeen really, but I have the heart and mind of…" She never finished, a small wash of pain flowed over her and around her abdomen. It was a two out of ten pain rating, hardly anything.

"Woah, are you ok?" Dom asked worried.

"Yeah, woo…some stomach cramp." She laughed. It was nothing. "So anyway, as I was saying, I may be old, but because of my creativeness I'm… ahh!" This time she gasped as that small rating moved up to a six, this time making her clutch her stomach. That was no stomach cramp!

"Call grandma, now." Dom said to Cara as he quickly moved towards her. "What's wrong, where does it hurt?"

"I…ahh, I don't know. Just my stomach and…" Her eyes then opened a fraction, a fearful and confused look showing evident.

"What? Is it gone?" He asked. Instead, she looked down and behind her, underneath her back legs with another gasp.

"Oh no." She muttered.

"What, tell me, what is it?" She looked back to him, a fresh tear falling from her right eye.

"My water broke."

Thanks again guys for the patience, I hope it was worth it for you. I had some time on my hands this week to put a few words in there and then, adding up to this. So the ending with Kate and Humphrey, so many of you suspected Kate would end up being with Adrian, would I EVER do that?! Nope, it was never my intention. And now Sahara, what will happen now? Review and read on to find out. Until next time! :D

The FalconWolf