A/N: Here's Chapter 4. There'll be one more chapter for this before the New Year, then I'll be focusing my attention on *For Better or Worse*.
Chapter 4
- - - Negotiations - - -
Jasper Central; April 29th, 2018
Nars awoke to pawsteps entering the den and groggily sat up, while opening his eyes to see Felix approaching him.
"Oh, what do you want?" He groaned, as Felix sat down in front of him.
"There's been a change of plans." Felix said, then Nars scoffed.
"Again? Let me guess, we're aiding the Easterns now." He grumbled in disgust.
"Actually, the Eastern Pack has been taken over by two of their own members and are threatening war on the Westerns." Felix explained.
"So, what do you want from me?" Nars asked.
"While he is away, John has left me in charge of the pack." He said.
"I know that." Nars replied in annoyance.
"I won't let Jasper fall to ruin just because of a couple of idiots in charge of one of the territories." Felix insisted.
"And just how did you come across this information?" Nars asked. Felix stepped aside and Lilly entered the den, causing Nars to recoil back with surprise.
"You." He said.
"You remember me?" Lilly asked, then Nars nodded.
"You're Winston and Eve's second daughter and Kate's sister. You're the reason I lost to her in the Great Wolf Games." He stated, as he remembered the time Kate used her new move to beat him in the Games.
"Did I distract you that much?" Lilly asked, innocently, making Nars growl under his breath.
"You have no idea." He mumbled, as he glared at her in the eyes.
"Because of you, the North has been ridiculed and I was disgraced by my own pack." Nars growled.
"Really? I caused all that? From what I remember, all I did was sit in the crowd." Lilly said.
"Your white fur reflected the sun in my eyes." Nars replied, nonchalantly.
"That's such a lame excuse." Lilly giggled.
"Alright! We have more important matters to discuss." Felix interrupted.
"Fine." Nars muttered.
"We should get the pack ready to move at first light." Felix said then turned towards Lilly.
"And you should get back to your pack before anyone notices you're gone." He added, then she chuckled.
"I think it's a bit late for that." she replied, then she took off into the night.
"Just how did you two meet?" Nars asked, after Lilly was gone.
"I saved her life." Felix answered.
"I want everyone who's left doing full shifts along the border!" Hutch ordered, then a few Alphas took off towards the eastern border. The sun was beginning to rise over the mountains, which meant an attack from the east was imminent. Claws stepped up beside him and he turned his attention towards her.
"We didn't have enough Alphas to defend ourselves before. We definitely don't have enough now." Hutch muttered.
"I already knew that." Claws replied, then Hutch eyed her suspiciously.
"Tony had us spying on you." She said.
"Sounds like you need a few reinforcements." A voice said from behind them. They turned to see a light gray wolf standing behind them with five other Alphas by his side.
"Who's…?" Hutch started, then Claws leaned in towards his ear.
"It's John." She whispered.
"I ran into an Eastern scout and found out your neighboring pack has been taken over by two incompetent Alphas." John said.
"I didn't think they were smart enough to send out scouts for reconnaissance." Claws noted.
"There is only one way this upcoming war can be prevented. My pack may not be a warmongering society, but we'll make short work of the Easterns." John explained.
"Especially when they're being led by a couple of idiots." Claws muttered.
"Maybe there's a way to resolve this peacefully." Hutch said.
"How so?" John asked.
"I mean, why are they even in power in the first place?" Hutch asked.
"They're the only Alphas left with any leadership status." Claws answered, reluctantly.
"Exactly. If we… remove them, who will the pack follow?" Hutch asked.
"Me, most likely. Just like they did before for a… day." Claws answered.
"It won't end there." John said.
"What do you mean?" Claws asked.
"I may be young, but I've seen a few packs fall apart, most of which my father told me about, and each and every time it had something to do with no leadership." John explained.
"So…" Claws started.
"Unless the Eastern Pack finds a strong Alpha bloodline to lead them, it will fall apart. Wolves will turn Rogue and fight one another for dominance." John explained.
"Well, we've already decided to merge the two packs-" Claws began, but was cut off.
"That cannot be done overnight. By Pack Law, there must be a union to forge an alliance, or merger in this case." John said.
"So, you're saying…" Hutch started.
"Remove Lyle and Link from power and you may get the pack back, Claws, but sooner, rather than later, a decision must be made. Unless you want the Eastern Pack to collapse, then according to Pack Law, a high-ranking Alpha from both packs must wed." John explained.
"You're kidding." Claws said.
"I'm afraid he isn't." Hutch replied.
"Ugh…" Claws muttered in disgust.
"Besides, let's worry about one problem at a time. We don't even know if what happened to the others is permanent." Hutch added.
"Permanent or not, it doesn't matter. Assuming they will return, who knows if they'll return in time before the Eastern Pack collapses. After that, it'll be too late." John stated.
"The last wolf who stood in our way is now gone. What do you say about that, brother?" Lyle asked. Lyle and Link were inside the Alpha Den, celebrating their new pack leadership.
"I still feel as though we shouldn't have kicked Claws out. I mean, what if what she said was true?" Link asked, then Lyle scoffed.
"She was just trying to scare us." He assured his brother. A scout suddenly ran into the den with a worried expression on their face.
"Sirs. I just spotted the Northern Pack less than an hour's journey from the western territory." He said.
"What?!" Lyle raged.
"Guess she was telling the truth. Might as well just give up now." Link muttered, then Lyle glared at him before turning back towards the scout.
"Order all Alphas to gather in the feeding grounds. We march now." Lyle ordered, then the scout left the den.
"And… Why are we going to war against the Westerns again? I thought we were past that." Link asked, then Lyle sighed in annoyance.
"We're doing what Tony would have done." Lyle answered.
"Okay… but he was pretty stubborn and look at where he is now." Link replied, then Lyle growled.
"Look, are you with me, or not?" He asked.
"I'm always with you, brother. I just think that fighting a war against both the Westerns and Northerns, while we also only have half of the pack, is stupid." Link answered.
"Hello, am I interrupting?" A voice asked from the den entrance. Lyle and Link turned their attention towards the source of the voice and saw Nars standing there.
"Who are you?" Link asked.
"What are you doing here?" Lyle asked.
"To answer both of your questions, my name's Nars and I'm now your prisoner.." Nars answered, then the two of them stared at him in confusion.
"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I'm a Northern wolf and I am now your prisoner." Nars clarified.
"But… why?" Lyle asked.
"Because I don't like it in the Northern Pack and I can give you helpful information that will let you win your war." Nars explained.
"Like what?" Link asked.
"Like, where John is hiding in the Western territory." Nars answered.
Felix was sitting atop a cliff that overlooked the valley. The sun was high in the sky now and he could see the entire territories of the Eastern and Western Packs from where he was. Within a few minutes of watching the Eastern territory, he spotted Nars and two other brown wolves with him headed for the Western territory.
"Sir?" An Alpha, who was standing beside him, asked.
"Lilly's information was correct. We go to Plan A. Lead the pack into the Eastern territory and lock down the borders. If anyone gets in your way, you have my permission to use force. Non lethal only." Felix ordered, then the Alpha nodded and left. A few moments later, a howl echoed across the valley, signalling the Northern Pack to move in.
Lyle and Link were following Nars towards the Western territory when they suddenly heard the howl.
"What was that?" Lyle asked, as he and his brother stopped to listen.
"Sounds like your war is about to start." Nars said.
"Well, then we should go back where it's safe." Link replied.
"Go back if you wish, but I'm sure the Northern Pack has already taken over the territory." Nars stated.
"Wait, you tricked us!" Lyle exclaimed.
"No… What I said was true. John is in the Western territory and if you want to win this war, you must take him out. It's not much farther until we reach the den he's staying in." Nars replied.
"But we're in the middle of nowhere." Link pointed out.
"Yeah, wouldn't he be somewhere where there's lots of wolves around?" Lyle asked.
"That is Northern tactics 101. The obvious choice would be to surround yourself with plenty of your followers for protection, but no one would ever think that a strong leader such as John would hide in a secluded den in the middle of nowhere." Nars explained. He continued on ahead while Lyle and Link stayed behind a little bit.
"You believe what he's saying?" Link asked.
"I'm not sure… but if he leads us astray, we kill him." Lyle answered.
Nars led them further west, gradually curving north so Lyle and Link wouldn't notice, until they came across a secluded den.
"John should be inside. Though I must warn you, he's not easy to take by surprise. You have to be quick and stealthy." Nars said.
"Right." Lyle muttered, then the pair cautiously entered the den while Nars stayed outside. He looked up above the den toward some bushes and gave a slight nod before leaving.
Lyle and Link went further into the den until they spotted the silhouette of a wolf towards the back. They nodded to each other, then quickly pounced and landed on a pile of leaves.
"What?" Lyle questioned, confused, then they both heard pawsteps by the den entrance.
"It's a trap!" Link exclaimed, as three Northern Alphas and Felix entered the den.
"A very good one." Lyle muttered with anger.
"Actually, you were both just too ignorant to see what was plainly in front of you." Felix said.
"What?" Link asked, confused.
"I rest my case. Take them and put them in a prison den. John will decide what to do with them later." Felix ordered, then the other Alphas moved closer towards the two brothers. They tried to resist, but were quickly overpowered by the bigger and stronger wolves before they were dragged out of the den.
"Sound the victory howl. This war is over." Felix said, then an Alpha let out a long, low howl.
John, Hutch, and Claws were in the feeding grounds preparing any remaining Alphas willing to fight, though they were confused as to why the Easterns hadn't attacked yet. Hutch was just about to order the Alphas to move out when they heard the howl.
"What is that?" Claws asked.
"That's the victory howl. Lyle and Link must've been captured." John said.
"What? How?" Hutch asked, surprised.
"The howl came from the north. I'm going to go check it out, but I'm assuming that Felix had worked out a plan and acted on it." John explained. He threw back his head and let out a long howl, then after a few moments another one was heard from the east.
"My pack has secured the Eastern territory. The Eastern Pack has fallen." John concluded.
"That's it?" Claws asked, then John nodded.
"So, what now?" She asked.
"Now you have to make a decision." John answered, then Claws was about to protest, but he held up his paw to silence her.
"But you don't have to make it right now. Discuss it with Hutch. Once you make your decision, I'll take my pack back to the north and we'll consider ourselves allies." John added, then turned and headed north.
"He's too serious." Claws muttered.
"He reminds me of Winston in his youth." Hutch replied.
Felix watched the Alphas place Lyle and Link inside a den while two others stood outside to guard it. He heard pawsteps nearby and saw John approaching before standing beside him.
"That's them in there?" He asked.
"Correct." Felix answered, then a few moments of silence passed before he spoke up again.
"Sir, I apologize for taking matters into my own paws, but-" He started, but John held up a paw of his own.
"No need to apologize, Felix. I would've done the same in your situation. You saw a chance and you took it. I can't expect any less from you." John said.
"Of course, Sir." Felix replied.
"Besides, if you hadn't, we would've had unnecessary bloodshed on all sides." John added.
"By the way, whose plan was it anyway?" He asked.
"Mine and Nars', but it wouldn't have been possible without the information Lilly provided us about these two." Felix explained.
"We'll get out of here soon enough!" Lyle shouted.
"Where is Lilly?" John asked.
"I assumed she went back to the Western territory." Felix said.
"Well, she isn't there." John replied, then frowned.
"Any idea where she went?" He asked.
Lilly was on the south side of the Western territory as she looked back in reminiscence at the fond memories of her puphood.
"Leaving so soon?" Felix asked, making her jump in surprise.
"Felix! Don't do that." She exclaimed, while he chuckled.
"I'm sorry, Lills." He said, while she calmed down.
"But seriously though… Why are you leaving?" Felix asked.
"What makes you think I'm leaving?" Lilly asked.
"Oh… only the fact that your Omega friends said you would be gone for a few days and you never mentioned anything about that to me." He explained.
"I'm sorry, but I need to leave. I have to find Humphrey." Lilly replied.
"Why?" Felix asked.
"The packs are in shambles. Fortunately, Humphrey may know a thing or two to bring everyone together peacefully." Lilly explained.
"Do you even know where to look for him?" Felix asked.
"No…" Lilly answered, reluctantly.
"But I have to find him." She added.
"Alright, then what should I tell Hutch? He'll be worried about you." Felix asked.
"No one can know where I'm going. I'm relying on you to make sure my disappearance remains a mystery. I don't want anyone trying to follow me." Lilly explained.
"That may be difficult. Hutch will send search parties." Felix pointed out.
"Then, you'll have to cover up my tracks." Lilly replied.
"Well, you better go. Everyone's too busy wondering what's going on, so you should be able to sneak out undetected. I hope to see you again, Lilly, but if I don't, then I'm glad we've had some good times together." Felix said.
"So am I, Felix." Lilly muttered, then she stood up and disappeared into the bushes and into the darkness of the night.
"A marriage between the packs would unite them. There's no doubt about that." Hutch said. Him and Claws were inside the Alpha Den, trying to figure out a compromise to unite the packs.
"Yeah…" Claws muttered, dismissively.
"We could just merge them. The East joins us, then the problem is solved." Hutch suggested.
"No, a lot of the pack members won't go for that. They won't see it as a unification, they'll just see it as a take over." Claws said.
"Well, how about…" Hutch started, but trailed off once he noticed Claws' expression and he sighed.
"You've already made up your mind, haven't you?" Hutch asked, then she nodded.
"Marriage is the only way to unite two packs without conflict." Claws stated.
"Only if both packs either have no leadership or do. The Western Pack still has Lilly. A merger is possible." Hutch pointed out.
"You really think Lilly is capable of looking for two different packs?" Claws questioned.
"No one is, but with a little help and advice, she'll be fine." Hutch insisted.
"I'll leave it up to her, but we won't tell her what happens if she doesn't accept. I don't want her to put herself in that position, just to keep me from marrying someone else." Claws finished.
"Well… that's better than nothing." Hutch muttered, then John entered the den.
"Oh, there you are. Did you happen to see Lilly anywhere on your way here?" Hutch asked.
"I did not." John answered, then Hutch sighed.
"But Felix did tell me that she hasn't been seen since last night." John added.
"That's almost a whole day ago." Hutch muttered.
"Where could she have gone?" Claws asked.
"I don't know, but if she was in the territory, someone would've seen her." John said.
"So, she left." Hutch concluded.
"It would seem so." John replied.
"Then there's only one thing we can do. I have to marry someone from the Western Pack to ensure my own pack's future." Claws said.
"Then, who are you going to marry? It can't just be anyone." John asked, then Claws was about to answer, but Hutch spoke up.
"Me." He said.
"What?" Claws asked.
"Right before Candu vanished, he told me I knew what I must do. At the time, I didn't know what he was talking about, so I just went along with it, but now I realize he must've known this would happen. My guess, he noticed that you, Claws, were the only one left in the Eastern Pack of any sort of leadership status, just like Lilly and I were to our pack. He figured that Lilly wouldn't be able to lead the pack, so that just left us to unite our packs." Hutch explained.
"You really think he had that figured?" Claws asked.
"No, but besides, to unite the packs, two wolves of the highest rank must wed." Hutch pointed out, then Claws sighed.
"You have a point. Alright, we'll announce the news." She said. Hutch stood up and exited the den, followed by Claws beside him and John in behind. They stood atop the cliff that overlooked the feeding grounds, where both the Eastern and Western Packs were now gathered.
"Tomorrow, our packs will be united! No more will we see each other as enemies, but as friends. Together, we will form a new pack. A united pack. The Central Pack of Jasper!" Hutch announced.
"Though, as per Pack Law, a high-ranking Alpha from each pack must wed. Hutch and I have decided, from lack of other candidates, to unite the packs through our marriage." Claws explained, then the pack howled in celebration.
"Seems they're happy with that." Hutch muttered.
"Now I know how Kate and Garth felt." Claws added.
Nars was sitting by a lake shore when he heard pawsteps nearby. He turned to see John approaching him.
"I was wondering when you were going to come by." Nars said.
"I heard that you led Lyle and Link into the trap… Though, I thought you were against my judgment?" John questioned. Nars remained silent in response, while John sat down beside him.
"Just tell me something… Why did you insist that we were all in danger?" He asked.
"Who told you?" Nars asked.
"Doesn't matter who told me." John said, but Nars didn't answer.
"Alright, it was Sapphire. You really upset her." John gave in, then Nars sighed.
"Yeah, I didn't mean to." He muttered.
"Well, you don't need to tell me that." John replied. There were a few moments of silence between them as they stared into the water until Nars spoke up.
"What I was meaning earlier was… Obviously, this didn't happen to only our pack, but all of Jasper as well…" Nars began, then John stiffened at that fact, but it went unnoticed by Nars.
"What if… it wasn't just Jasper. What about the rest of the world? Or more specifically… Banff?" Nars wondered, then John sighed.
"You think this may have happened to King as well?" He asked.
"If it did, he has most likely already taken advantage of the situation and is in control of all the surrounding packs by now." Nars concluded.
"But, honestly, I was just upset. I felt betrayed and acted out, when I had no reason to." He added.
"If you need a Beta, I can suggest one of the triplets, Daron, Austin, or Star, especially. Though, I feel that Sapphire has the most experience in that sort of thing." Nars suggested, but John shook his head.
"I'm not looking for a Beta, Nars. I already have one." He said.
"Oh?" Nars asked.
"You acknowledged your mistake and I could ask no more of you." John explained.
"I will never question your orders again, Sir." Nars said, then John chuckled.
"You will be my Beta, provided… that you always question my orders." He said, then Nars smiled.
"You can count on it, Sir." He replied.
"You always question me!" Star shouted. Her and Sapphire were inside the main den in the area north of the Western territory where the pack had stayed the night before.
"Maybe I wouldn't have to if you had better judgment. If you stopped to think, before you acted." Sapphire said, harshly.
"Oh, you're just upset that my brother dumped you after the first date!" Star exclaimed.
"This has nothing to do with that. Besides… We both knew it wasn't going to work out from the beginning. You were reckless and could've gotten yourself caught." Sapphire replied.
"I got the job done. That's what matters." Star said.
"You got the job done. That's all you care about! Not the consequences of what could've happened." Sapphire snapped.
"Could've, but didn't. I was in and out of there before anyone saw me." Star reminded.
"You're taking too many chances, Star. One day, you're going to either get yourself or someone you love killed." Sapphire insisted. By now, John and Nars were approaching the den when they heard the commotion.
"Why should you care?! You never cared about anyone in your life!" Star shouted, then Sapphire fell silent.
"I don't want to lose you." She mumbled, then Star fell silent at that comment.
"Ruby and I only had each other. Now that she's gone, you're the closest one that I got to family. I don't want to lose you too." Sapphire explained. Star stared at her in disbelief, then she opened her mouth.
"I-I didn't realize… I'm sorry." She muttered. John stood beside Sapphire and placed a paw on her shoulder.
"It's alright. How about you go and take a break?" He suggested, then she sniffed and nodded before exiting the den.
"I'm sorry, Sir. That got out of paw." Star apologized.
"I would suggest you make it up to her somehow. Preferably before we leave." John said.
"Why? What happened?" Star asked.
"The Eastern and Western Packs have come to an arrangement to unite into the Central Pack of Jasper. Now, even with half our members gone, we are the strongest packs in Jasper. We are no longer needed here. We're headed home." John explained, then she left and two Alphas immediately entered the den.
"What is the meaning of this?!" John demanded.
"We're sorry, Sir." One said, while bowing his head in respect.
"We didn't find the wolf you were looking for, but we did find his scent trail leading south and out of the territory." The other Alpha explained.
"There's nothing we can do about that now. We're heading back home. You're dismissed." John replied, then the Alphas left, leaving him alone.
"Where are you going, Humphrey?" He muttered.
A small crowd of wolves were gathered in front of a large den, while another sat beside the entrance.
"Bring him here!" The wolf barked. Two Alphas dragged Humphrey towards the den and shoved him to the ground. His fur was ragged and he had bruises on various parts of his body.
"On your feet for Queen!" The wolf growled. The wolf tried to stand up, but he was too weak and he fell back to the ground. The wolf was about to force him to stand, but another suddenly came out of the den.
"All hail, Queen of the Alpha Empire!" They announced, then Humphrey looked up and turned his attention towards the inside of the den. A brown she-wolf stepped out and Humphrey gasped.
"Terra?" He asked.
A/N: Please Review and let me know what you think so far.
Till next time,
~Demonwolf102