Author's Note: I apologize for the re-update here, but I needed to make an announcement and updating a chapter with just an author's note is actually against the FanFiction policies. With that said, I am very sick right now. I have been sick off and on for the past three weeks but working out under a hundred degree weather in the fields for seven hours a day really doesn't give me much time to recover. As a result, I have gotten worse; very much worse. I work on this story when I can, but it is very hard to find time because I come home from work sick and have to rest just so I can go tear my body up the next day. This is the worst job ever! So anyway, I wish I could write with this story, but I may have to go until the weekend without an update. Fortunately, for all of us, this stupid job ends on Friday. I will not be re applying to be hired again. Thanks for your understanding, and I really am upset at this situation.

Humphrey Loves Kate

Chapter Thirty-Four

Garth moved slowly the next morning. His dad was busy making final preparations for the long awaited wedding ceremony, so he was left to get himself ready for his big day. A couple of the male wolves that had been Garth's companions back in Alpha School came over to help him out and advise him, but other than that, Garth was almost completely alone. After Garth had gotten himself ready, he looked at his reflection in the water to make sure that he was satisfied with his appearance. When he had finished everything, Garth met up with his dad and they along with some other Eastern Pack wolves walked to the Western Pack valley, where the ceremony would take place.

Garth watched as his dad walked over to Winston and sat down beside him. Immediately afterwards, Garth found himself staring at his future mate, Kate. It was obvious to nearly everyone that Garth was very nervous. Frankly, however, he had a right to be nervous. After all, he still loved Lilly and he really did not want to marry Kate. Garth wasn't sure how he could possibly let the masses know that he loved an omega at this moment, however, so he spoke to Kate. "So…. Are you ready?"

Holding her body very low in a nearly crouched position, Kate answered Garth. "Ahem! Yes."

Garth could tell something was a bit wrong on Kate's end as well. This fact actually made it easier on him, because it meant he was not the only one upset with this marriage. "Good…" Garth trailed off. He glanced behind Kate and caught sight of a scene that melted his heart. Just next to Winston, and as sad as ever, Lilly sat with her head down. She looked as if she was about to cry. Lilly did not want to lose the perfect wolf for her to her sister.

"Are you okay?" Kate questioned snapping Garth out of his trance.

"A ha ha!" Garth nervously laughed. "You bet. No problems on this end. Ready to go, go, go!" Garth lied to Kate as he stretched back with his head lowered and paws sticking straight out. He caught a glimpse of his dad, Tony, anxiously signaling him to hurry up. "So you wanna start this thing, or me?"

"We'll start together," Kate said.

"Start together… A ha ha." Garth responded nervously.

For the next few moments, he and Kate began and performed the marriage ritual that wolves had been doing for thousands of years. Just when Garth had his eyes closed and was prepared to accept Kate as his mate by rubbing noses, however, Kate stopped the ceremony and backed away from Garth. Garth, unable to find Kate with his eyes closed, stuck his paw out in front of him to see if she was there. Finding nothing but air, Garth opened his eyes and whispered, "Kate, what are you doing?"

Kate nervously stared at Garth with a shocked expression frozen on her face. Snapping out of her trance, Kate looked at her parents and back at Garth as she spoke. "I… I can't."

"CAN'T! HA HA!" Garth rejoiced to himself in front of everyone. He was simply overjoyed that things might actually work out in his favor for once. There was a growing chance that he would not marry Kate. As Garth suddenly realized what he was doing, he tried to cover himself up. "I mean, ahem, you can't?"

Like a fan upset at the umpire, Tony started protesting from the audience. "What is this Winston?" he angrily said. "Why can't she marry Garth?"

"Quiet," Winston warned Tony. Approaching Kate, Winston whispered, "Kate, Kate! Wh-why can't you marry Garth?"

"Because… I…" Kate appeared to have something crazy to confess much like Garth did. "Ha! I uh… fell in love with an omega," she nervously finished.

"An omega?" Winston exclaimed. Eve fainted right next to him.

Tony growled as he spoke and approached the scene. "Ha ha… An alpha and an omega. That's against pack law."

Garth was nervous and upset by all of this, but he knew what he had to do. Now was the perfect time to confess his love for Lilly. Besides, it would help Kate out. "Dad," he began. "I also am in love with an omega."

When Lilly heard this, her sad head popped up from its low position. She gasped as she looked straight at Garth unable to believe what she had just said. The wolf she loved more than anything or anyone in the whole world had just confessed that he loved her. This was the happiest day of Lilly's life.

Garth walked straight towards Lilly and looked at her as the elder wolves struggled to comprehend what they had just heard. Garth smiled at Lilly and she smiled back at him in silence. Finally, Lilly asked,

"Do you really mean it?"

"Of course. How could I ever lie to you?" Garth said.

"Oh Garth," Lilly began. "I love you too."

Garth continued to stare at Lilly. He knew that there would be consequences for what he had just done, so he tried as best as he could to just live in the moment that he and Lilly had just created among all the chaos around them.

Author's Note: Don't worry, I will try to get myself back on track. Just know that I am exhausted and really struggling with all the nasty stuff going on in most likely one of the worst summers of my life. But I only spent half of it in my terrible job. And I had planned to write this story quickly and help out at my OWN home this summer. I had to give it all up to do this. MISTAKE! So, I'll just learn from it and move on, hopefully to get a better job when school starts. Oh yeah, review! It encourages in times like this.

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