Alpha and Omega: Lone Wolf
Hi guys this chapter is planned to be quite a long one and I want to give a shout out to SilverFox786 who I have been chatting to in the past couple of months about the direction of this story. I want to share with you all a paragraph I wrote from our conversation with what I want from this story in the coming chapters:
"I realized that I had gotten my main characters beaten up quite badly for their battles in chapter 25 Pursuit of Vengeance and it seemed to be a disservice to simply say "A month passed and they got better." after they had been through so much to beat the bad guys. I also want to show the sacrifice that the land of Jasper and its inhabitants went through to support Garth's regime. It's not gonna be the Lion King where a lion roars and suddenly all the wildlife comes back and it's all sunshine, daisies and bunnies! The united pack will have to work hard to get back to what it once was but perhaps with the right leadership it could be even better."
Chapter 27: Recovery of the Pack - Part 1
Adam POV
The last thing I remember was fighting that wolf Candu. I remember clawing my way towards him, he was about to kill my mate and I would never let that happen. I remember the searing pain in my shoulder that told me the gunshot wound had re-opened and it was probably worse but I had to stop Candu. I remember my vision beginning to blur as I got closer. Candu was about to make his move. I conjured up all of my energy and even though I was in huge amounts of pain I lunged for one of his legs and twisted, crippling him. The move I made I thought was my last and I remembered slipping into darkness.
Then… where am I now? Is this what death feels like? To be constantly in thought of what I could have done better? I search my mind trying to remember anything before the blackness took me. But to no avail. Shouting out in irritation and anguish I thought I would never see Leo again; stuck in this eternal limbo state with only my thoughts to comfort me.
My mind was addled but I could always remember Leo and I would fight with tooth and nail to keep my memories of him. I remember the first time I met him in Yellowstone when the pack leader's daughter introduced him. He had a happy personality and at the time I saw him like anyone else. Sure I knew he was attractive but at the time I never even considered a physical attraction towards him. Violet, the female I was intended to marry was an idiot to put it plainly. Sure she had the looks which when I first arrived definitely impressed me but the minute she opened her mouth I instantly disliked her. She was spoilt by her father and I was just the next accessory to her empty life. I felt used, that I was just a tool to her. The fact was Violet didn't even possess a personality I admired she lacked any ambition and behaved like a child when she couldn't get what she wanted.
Every time I was frustrated I turned to Leo for help. He had many talents unlike Violet and was a good listener which was something I needed after walking around with Violet all day. I smiled thinking back to how Leo reacted. We would go off into the woods away from the pack so I could release my pent up frustration with Violet in an angry rant and Leo would just listen, occasionally making a comment or two. After that we would go hunting for caribou and race; all the things I should have been doing with Violet if she had showed the slightest bit of interest. I had offered time and time again but her response was always "Go ask Leo he'll go with you." Like I was some pup asking his mother to come out and play with him. Sometimes it really did feel that way.
FLASHBACK
I had just been rejected yet again by Violet and was yet again subjected to a conversation springing up as I left about how males were so boring. "Didn't she realise I was trying to get to know her. Huh. I guess there wasn't much to know." I thought in frustrated silence as he walked out of the pack leaders den. I decided I would go and see Leo to lighten my spirits. He always made me laugh and had become a great friend. The only friend I had made while in Yellowstone. Marc, one of my childhood friends had come with me as my mother had told me that I should take someone with me on such a long journey. At first I was adamant that I could go it alone but in the end I'm glad Marc came with me he made for good company. Now though, I only wanted to go alone with Leo as Marc insisted that I had to stay strictly 'business' with him to show that they weren't rejecting the Yellowstone packs hospitality.
After walking in search of Leo I finally found him lying out in the sun. "Hey Leo, are you free?"
Leo looked up with one eye open to see who it was and when he recognised Adam he closed his eyes and smiled "Did Violet reject you again?"
"Hmph, yes, when I asked her to come hunting with me and yet again she said that you would be more interested." I sulked.
"Oh so your taking orders from her now." Leo chuckled.
I laughed at Leo's attempt at winding me up but played along "No! Actually I happen to value your company. Now come on lets go and hunt." I said pretending to be hurt by what Leo said.
Leo laughed before standing and stretching his muscles. He was a very handsome wolf, if all the females drooling after him were anything to go by. He used to hang round with Violet all the time, as Violet liked having him around as though they were together to make the other females jealous of her, that was until I came to Yellowstone. Now we both walked through the pack area until we reached the hunting grounds.
It was a good hunt. Both Leo and I managed to get a kill on a caribou. We managed to ambush our prey in a field of long grass and with the ambush a clearing was made by the herd of caribou in the centre of the field. I admired Leo's ability to move so quickly and I was secretly jealous of how fast he could run. After we had had our fill we decided not to go straight back to the pack and stay out as I was still feeling frustrated with Violet.
"So what do you want to do now?" I said as I looked over at Leo who was standing licking the blood of his muzzle.
"How about a race?" Leo said looking back at me with a smirk on his face.
"Huh. Fat chance. You'll win and I will still be stressed out." I said grumpily.
"Hmm. We could spar if you like?" Leo said rolling his shoulders "Unless… you're chicken."
I knew that was a joke but for some reason it kind of stung. "I'm not a coward." I growled.
Leo seemed to be happy with my reaction and spoke something that got me really annoyed "Well, I should probably go check in with Violet. Wouldn't want her future husband getting hurt now would we?"
"Right that's it! Enough with the jokes. You wanna spar. We'll spar." I said determined to get back at Leo who only seemed to laugh more which was getting infuriating.
"That's more like it. For a second there I thought you were going to cry." Leo smirked as he got into his combat stance.
In the back of my mind logic was telling me that Leo was goading me to gain the upper hand but I was too frustrated and annoyed already to listen. I lunged at him and he quickly manoeuvred so I lost my footing and fell to the ground. When I managed to finally get back on my feet I couldn't see Leo anywhere. All around me was thick tall grass and I couldn't see the black furred wolf anywhere "Who's the coward now!" I shouted only to suddenly feel weightless as I was knocked to the ground from behind.
"At this rate your fur's going to be darker than mine." Leo smirked as I managed to stand once again; my white coat of fur darkening from the dirt that I kept finding myself in. I tried to lunge for him again but he moved into the undergrowth in a flash, this time however I managed to stay on my feet. "Wow the pup is learning." Leo mocked but I noticed that the sound was coming from the right of me in a way that Leo was attempting to circle around me using the grass as cover before attacking again.
"More than you know." I smirked to myself as I pretended to be looking forward oblivious to Leo's impending attack. At that moment, I managed to turn quickly to counter Leo lunging at me and managed to catch him with my front paws before pinning him to the ground "Ha! Got you! I win." I said as I stood over Leo so he was unable to move triumphant that I managed to beat him for once.
"Hmm. I guess you did." He smiled but it wasn't the expression I had seen before this was something else. I thought nothing of it and laughed until I felt something wet briefly touch the end of my muzzle. I stopped laughing and looked shocked down at Leo. Did he just… kiss me? Now I realised what that emotion was in his expression that was still on his face. Leo was coming onto me! I didn't know what to do or how to react my initial thought was anger but then I couldn't get angry at him he was my friend. So in that moment I moved back away from Leo so I could try to think clearly.
Leo's expression then changed completely, he stayed low to the ground and his ears were pinned back in embarrassment and sadness "I'm sorry Adam I shouldn't have done that. I just thought that…" he trailed off.
"You thought what?" I said quietly too shocked to think of anything else but at least maintain a reasonable distance from him.
"I-I thought you liked me. You kept coming to see me even when Violet wasn't around. You didn't seem to show any interest in any of the females around us so I thought that… well…" Leo trailed off as he kept looking up to me and when my expression didn't change he stared at the ground as a solitary tear went down his cheek.
At that moment I felt terrible, it was true that I hadn't shown any interest in the females around me and the only wolf who I was meeting all the time was Leo. Now what do I do? I can't say I'm engaged to Violet because even if I am I couldn't care less about her. But being gay? Well the thought had never crossed my mind as an option. I hadn't even considered looking at a male as attractive before but as I looked over at Leo I could definitely name a list of things that made him a great wolf to be around. As I was having this inner argument about questioning my own sexuality I was unaware that Leo was waiting on an answer from me and took my silence as rejection.
"W-Well…I should… I should probably get going. Sorry I misunderstood." Leo said as he stood to move away from me on the verge of tears. This snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Leo wait!" I called out to him. He stopped and turned his head back to me. I moved closer to him. "I'm the one who should be sorry maybe if I had known you were gay I would have acted differently." I said it immediately without thinking that I pretty much told Leo I would have avoided him. "I mean… umm…truth is I had never really considered finding another guy attractive before but when I think about all the things you're good at and the talents, they're all things I admire about you and I've never been with a female either. So I was wondering if you would…um pass that by me again." I said trying my best not to sound awkward.
I had got Leo's full attention now and he turned round to look at me. "Pass what by you again?" He said cautiously but tilted his head in confused.
"I was wondering if you would… you know… kiss me again?" I said trying very hard not to make eye contact. This time it was Leo's turn to be shocked and he just stared at me for a second or so before speaking "A-Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am. I've never kissed a guy before but I'm… curious." I said looking directly at Leo the last word merely a whisper.
Leo seemed to take a moment to take in what I told him before a small smile crept across his face and he moved in and gave me a quick tentative peck on the lips. It was warm, slightly wet and quite soft but it felt ok.
Leo moved out of the kiss "How was that?" he asked small smile still on his face.
"Pretty good." I said quite surprised and I licked my lips slightly savouring the sensation. "Could we… do it again?" I smiled.
Leo laughed out loud and his previous smile came back to him. "Of course."
END OF FLASHBACK
That was how it started and before I knew it I was madly in love with my golden eyed wolf. But then we were caught by Violet and all hell broke loose.
I was about to think of a more intimate memory of Leo when I heard a sound from somewhere in the darkness. It started quiet but as it got louder I began to understand more of it. It was a voice, a female voice. "Adam! Wake up! Adam!" Suddenly a light seemed to appear out of nowhere which blinded me and I awoke in a den, it was dark outside and my body was sore all over.
End of Adam POV
Kate had been sitting in the healers den getting aid from her sister when Adam started to talk in his sleep showing that he was coming back to consciousness. Eventually after much coaxing he finally awoke and immediately tried to stand. He was delirious and started to move to make his way out of the den.
"Adam! Sit down you're not nearly ready to start moving around!" Lily said in a stern voice. Adam started to ask questions at a thousand miles an hour. Where he was? Who everyone was? But the most frequent question was where Leo is? Is he ok? Why won't anyone let him see him?
"Marc! Can I get some help in here?" Lily shouted as Adam attempted to barge past her so he could search for his mate.
Marc quickly came into the den and managed to gently put Adam back on the floor. But he seemed to recognise Marc and stopped struggling but then started to babble on about someone called Violet and the word bitch was mentioned usually within the same sentence.
"Who's Violet?" Kate and Lily asked almost at the same time. Marc didn't answer but somehow managed to calm down Adam before he fell asleep as all of his attempts to leave the den had made him exhausted.
Marc turned around and chuckled "A few years ago, I was sent with Adam to a place called Yellowstone where he was meant to marry Violet the pack leaders daughter, problem is Leo also came from Yellowstone as well."
"Oh I can imagine exactly what happened next." Lily chucked.
Marc nodded and added "I couldn't stand Violet. I'm glad Adam ended up with Leo, Violet would have destroyed any chance of him being happy." Marc turned to Adam's sleeping form and whispered "Stay strong Adam, we need you back in the land of the living before something goes horribly wrong." Before turning and exiting the den.
"What was that about?" Lily asked looking over at Kate who had a slightly annoyed expression on her face.
"When we came back from the western mountains. Tim's reaction to seeing his son was… well it was bad and the way he spoke to Humphrey." Kate shook her head "I never thought he had it in him."
FLASHBACK
The wolves of the united pack and northern pack had started to come closer to the valley of Jasper Park. Kate had awoken to find herself being carried on the back of her mate, Humphrey. "Finally, we're back." Kate said as she yawned and then cringed at the pain that seemingly came from all over her body.
"Good to have you back, Kate. You were beginning to get heavy." Humphrey's voice rumbled through Kate's body making her shiver happily.
"Humphrey didn't you ever learn not to comment on a females weight." Kate said teasingly and giggled when she felt Humphrey's body tense up.
Humphrey turned to the wolves behind him "Let's pick up the pace we are almost home."
Many of the wolves cheered and started to move with renewed vigour.
"Don't think I didn't notice you clearly try to divert the subject. You're going to pay for that later my crafty omega." Kate smirked.
Humphrey didn't reply but Kate smiled as she felt a chuckle from him rumble through him again. They remained silent for the next few minutes but it didn't last long. As they entered the valley Kate felt Humphrey tense up once again but he didn't stop moving as though he was trying to hide his reaction to something.
Kate had been resting in his shoulder fur and looked up and immediately felt a pang of guilt as they closed on the den area. There waiting for them was Tim and Rachel and many families of the wolves who had gone on the mission to take down Garth. But Kate immediately understood Humphrey's reaction as some of those families who waited expectantly for them to arrive would never see their loved ones again. They had reached the point where those families had started to move forward to spot their friends, brothers, sisters and mates along with those who were more fortunate and it broke Kate's heart to see the confused expressions on their faces.
"Adam!" Rachel screamed as she moved forward with Tim towards Marc who with the help of Lily and two other healers was starting to carry both Adam and Leo towards a healers den.
"Marc! Tell me this instant what happened to my boy?! Is he ok?! Tell me!" Rachel frantically spoke as she looked over the injured form of her son and Leo. At that moment more screams and cries of grief joined with Rachel's as families found their wounded brethren or learnt the news that their loved ones had died in battle.
"He will live ma'am. He is unconscious but alive. I know that Lily and the rest of the healers will do their best to help him recover."
Lily turned to her fellow healers "Come on let's get them into the den." As they moved off with both Adam and Leo. Rachel followed alongside; a stricken look on her face as tears dropped from her muzzle. Humphrey was just putting Kate down gently for her to rest when she felt a shadow cast over her. She looked up to see Tim but with an expression she thought she would never see on the wise old wolf, one of pure rage and despair.
"How did this happen Humphrey?" Tim said his voice dark with a deep growling emanating from the back of his throat. Kate was scared; Tim's anger reminded her of being told off by her father but this? This was a thousand times worse.
Humphrey stood up straight and tried to keep himself calm in the face of such anger. "Tim I understand you're upset but-" Humphrey began but Tim cut him off.
"Upset? I am far more than upset." Tim growled "You gave me your word that you would keep my son safe and yet here you are standing before me while my son waits on deaths door."
Kate knew that the despair of seeing his son beat up the way he was had pushed any sense of being reasonable to the back of his mind but that stung. It was as though Tim was saying it should have been Humphrey who should be the one who took the fall. "It wasn't Humphrey who injured your son it was one of Garth's lieutenants called Candu, he is the only one to blame in all of this. Adam told Humphrey to go on after Garth, even after he was injured by the humans." In retrospect Kate immediately wished she left that last part out.
"So you left my son behind wounded and outmatched so you could fulfil your petty desire for revenge?" Tim snarled when Humphrey didn't answer and he started to walk away.
Kate looked up to see that Humphrey had a look of shame cross over his face. It wasn't his fault.
"Tim wait I-" Humphrey called out but Tim cut him off again.
"Do not speak to me like you know me boy! I definitely don't know who you are anymore." Tim said his voice laced with disgust. "You better pray that my son survives otherwise I will take my pack North and you will never hear from us again!" he stormed off and both Humphrey and Kate were left gobsmacked at the anger and mistrust Tim showed them in that moment.
Humphrey growled in frustration and started to pace back and forth. Kate was about to tell Humphrey that Tim was too upset and his words had no merit. He had tried his best with what he had; no wolf could have done more. However, she suddenly noticed a wolf coming towards them. It took a moment for her to recognise who it was but when she did her heart leapt for joy.
"Mother!"
A/N: Whoa, that ending was intense! I hope you enjoyed the first part of the recovery of the pack, I will try to get part 2 out very soon. In this chapter I wanted to show some more development of the characters backgrounds as well as showing that winning isn't always clear cut. In part 2 we will see Humphrey challenged both physically and mentally to finally take on the role as leader of the united packs. See you in the next chapter!
