Hey there everyone.

So...my last update here, back in June I think...probably wasnt a very encouraging thing for you guys to receive. I hardly expected to receive so many responses, full of encouragement and kindness, wishing for things to get better. It was amazing...to go back and read those when times were tough.

Things are much better now...and I have that encouragement and my friends to thank for that. I can't begin to describe what it was like to have them stand by me and help me through things, offering their time and support. They kinda picked me back up and set me on my feet...then we worked through it.

It took a while for my joy for art and writing to come back, but it did...maybe even better than before. But I know for sure that I am forever thankful to one of my friends that started helping me write WSB. They not only brought back my passion for it, but they've brought a new joy to writing that I can't always put into words. I've loved working with them and coming up with ideas together. 3

So I thank you guys, I thank all of my friends, and I thank my new co-author/word smith for the IMMENSE help. These new chapters and I are deeply indebted to them. 3 3 3 Love you guys.

I hope you guys enjoy, as the story progresses and I reveal what's in store for Blue and company.


"Jurassic World: Why So Blue?"
Chapter 32
"Omegas Such As I"


~Blue's POV~


They were all like her. Once respected elders, a proud beta, loyal subordinates, and younglings with bright futures; now reduced to omegas, less than valuable, allowed into the pack but not welcomed there, treated like dirt and content to be left unnoticed.

That's how Blue used to feel as an omega under Kilo's leadership. Of course, as time went on she realized that such low feelings weren't the truth of the situation. It was proven that Kilo wasn't going to hate her for all eternity, nor would she always feel so out of place in the pack. She was capable of gaining respect in their ranks….capable of gaining their affection and trust…. Capable of being more in her alpha's eyes….

But that was gone. Kilo was gone, and she came to know the true fear of what it meant to be an omega under a ruthless alpha's authority. She saw that fear mirrored in the Waterfall Pack members' own eyes. They lived each day wondering how they were going to get their next meal and feed the younglings. How they were going to defend themselves from Muerte's followers, or Muerte himself. How they would keep their sad little lives together and somehow find the strength to keep going….

Blue decided that she didn't have it bad as Kilo's omega. She would take that back in a heartbeat; sacrifice the acceptance and awe she had come to see in his gaze, or the gentleness in his voice when he chittered to her, if only she could spare her family of their heartache. She would take back Kilo's distrust and anger if only he would be returned to them. If only Muerte's victory had never happened and things would be back to the way they were, Shadow would still have her brother, and the pack would be under the protection of a true alpha…

Such were the thoughts Blue endured during her sleepless nights. Those nights when hunger and worry kept her awake, fearing the nightmares which had returned to her dreams; no longer terrors of the Indominus, but terrors of the tyrant raptor now in command. She suffered images of his yellow gaze and his bloody sneer, but Kilo wasn't there to ward them away. His strong presence wasn't there to calm or make her feel safe anymore…

She desperately wished she knew her alpha's fate. Was he still alive? How would he have survived his wounds out in the open forest? Did they make him incapable of hunting? Defending himself?

Splat!

Suddenly, Blue was torn from her inner thoughts when a drop of water landed right between her eyes. She blinked quickly and reached up with her paw to wipe it away, but that did little use. Not two seconds after a second drop came down on her muzzle.

Splat!

The female let out a tense growl and tried not to curl her lips. No longer lost in thought, she was reminded of her physical surroundings and thus…..further distraught by it all.

If only she had the power to fix things. She'd start with her family's less than desirable means of shelter.

Blue laid just inside the crudely fashioned den of branches and foliage, but despite being under cover, she was subjected to the elements just the same. The ground beneath her belly was wet from incessant amounts of rainfall. The leaves above her head were leaking, dripping water down across her back so that she had begun to shiver slightly, despite the tropical humidity. Being soaked for hours at a time with no relief would do that to a body…..

Each storm that came with the start of the rainy season was a miserable time Blue hated. Meanwhile, Muerte and the higher ranking of his pack were comfortable in a nice dry cave. THEIR rightful den that he stole.

So, it all added up to Blue's exhaustion and weariness. Hunger, anxieties, regrets, and the cold wet weather with no escape from it. It made her so angry….so wishful that she was stronger, and could take the pack's problems all onto her own shoulders as Kilo did.

But she couldn't…..she wasn't as strong as Kilo was. The most she could provide them were scant servings of meat, passed on from the gifts that Muerte gave her after every hunt. She knew it helped, and aided in Star's improving health, but she wished she could do more.

Poor Shadow was becoming more and more enwrapped in her stresses as the group's stand-in leader. Blue could tell she missed her brother terribly. She didn't chirp as happily as she used to, nor were her golden eyes as bright.

From where Blue laid, she turned and gazed deeper into the den. Though it was still early morning, and shadows were intense in the trees, she could see the shapes of her family. They lay huddled together for warmth in the damp conditions, adult raptors forming something of a circle around the adolescents and Star. Shadow lay curled up against her mate's side, nuzzling her face into the crook of his throat and whimpering softly in her sleep. Blue could only assume that the beta was suffering in her dreams just as much as she was.

A quick once over across each of the raptors assured her that all of them were asleep. Even the younglings, hiding from the cold against an adult's body.

Splat!

A particularly large drop of water made Blue groan and rub at her eye with the backside of her paw, being careful of the three healing gashes just behind her left eye socket. They were still very tender and had begun to scar, tiny bits of her scales sluffing away with scabs, leaving behind shallow but noticeable pale lines of flesh.

With bared teeth she turned back to the meadow outside their den…...but just in time she caught movement with her eye, flashing across the clear zone so fast she wondered what she saw.

Who was moving about in this weather?

Concern touched the female and she became frozen still. From where she was, she could view most of the open meadow, right up to the entrance of the cave den. Through the haze of the rain, she saw the mess their home was reduced to, from lush greens and tidy spaces to trampled grass worked into ugly bogs of mud. The tidy spaces were littered with bones and carcass scraps from the pack hunts. Despite the cleansing of the rain, the air smelled heavily of filth that made her muzzle wrinkle.

Again, Blue saw a flash of movement, closer than before. Out of protective instincts she curled her lips and narrowed her eyes, legs tense should she need to get to her feet quickly. Ever so softly she gave a warning growl.

She could see a raptor's form stalking just outside the trees, some yards down from her. Their head was low and swooping nervously about, while their tail -heavily feathered, she noted- flicked and swished side to side.

A rival threat come to taunt them? Muerte himself?

Blue took a deep breath, and through the undertone of filth she recognized the scent of a male raptor. Definitely a male, but seemingly younger. Odd.

The stranger came to a stop and lifted his head high. Blue tensed, but then she saw him stoop down over something just within the tree line. He didn't seem aware of her presence, nor did he get any closer. Blue tilted her head at this and let her lips fall into an expression of confusion.

What was he doing?

Suddenly, the silence in the meadow was broken by a shrill cackle. Blue went wide-eyed as the stranger shot backward, almost falling over as a second raptor…..one Blue didn't know was there…... revealed itself from the bushes with snarling teeth and a swinging paw. It's voice came out broken and gurgly, then its anger cry broke into a pained whine.

It was Beauty. Blue recognized her striking colors even from where she laid, and saw her blue eyes through the rain.

No doubt the female was forced to find shelter in the trees, if Muerte banished her entirely from his harem and the den luxuries they were treated to. She was a wet mess…..the wounds from Muerte's claws caked in mud and festering with nasty infections. Her dulled blue eyes were tainted with sickly agony. She held her broken paw out in front of her, but the paw itself was much different than the last time Blue saw it….mostly because it was simply gone.

As time had gone on, Beauty's flesh became swollen and fevered. The shattered bones in her paw deteriorated into an unsightly mush, until eventually, instincts demanded harsh measures to be taken for the sake of survival.

To slow the spreading of infection, Beauty was forced to gnaw her own paw down to her forearm, down to clean flesh and bone. A painful measure…..but it seemed to help. She was still alive, though Blue couldn't see the talon gash down the female's belly, and she assumed it would be in just as terrible shape as the other wounds. Muerte knew what he was doing….sentencing her to a long gruesome death…...

Another sound drew Blue's attention back to the strange raptor. She looked up in surprise, upon realizing that sound was a tender coo, and she saw the unidentified male creep close again. He kept his head low, throat bared and tail wagging in affection.

This surprised Blue greatly. She did not remember seeing any additional male raptors sharing a bond with Beauty….she assumed Muerte was her only bond…...but maybe not? What other bonds could she have?

She snorted and wrinkled her nose again. She had not fully figured out the concept of mates yet….and it troubled her even more so when the rivals' twisted standards challenged everything she had learned thus far.

Watching Victor and Shadow taught her about deep bonds of commitment, to a single raptor, loyal to one another with a deep-rooted affection. She had come to greatly approve of such an idea…...but then she saw the rivals and their ways. Muerte and his disloyalty to Beauty for another female…..then the horrifying moment she figured out he had, in fact, countless female companions.

The idea of Beauty having more than one male bond was less absurd in that mindset…..but Blue's raptor instincts hated it just the same. She ducked her head and watched on, hoping she could identify the assumed "side lover".

He was getting slowly closer to the wounded female, still wagging his tail, baring his throat and uttering anxious coos. Beauty had gone quiet and was regarding him with her glazed eyes, mouth parted with wheezy breaths and lips twitching as though undecided in her reaction.

Blue noticed something in the male's mouth, just before he let it plop onto the ground in front of Beauty. The smallest of meat scraps on a rib bone. Hardly a meal but an offering just the same.

Beauty regarded it blankly. There was a moment of silence, then she reached down and snatched it up in her jaws. The male gave another happy tail wag and moved to nuzzle her face, but the moment of affection was short lived. She flashed her head up and snarled at him, then Blue flinched when she struck the side of his neck with her remaining paw, slicing him open in a small but deep wound.

The male yelped and jumped away, continuing to wag his tail despite the attack and whimper frantically, begging for acceptance even though it wasn't given to him. Beauty seemingly had no intentions of giving it to him.

Blue tilted her head again. An unwanted suitor perhaps?

She watched the male finally give up trying to gain Beauty's attention. Promptly turning to leave, he stepped out of the shadows and lifted his head…..but in doing so he looked right to Blue, and the two raptors made eye contact for the first time.

She was….surprised by him.

He was young, maybe three years younger than her. His body was naturally lean, not compact and muscled like Kilo. His claws were small and his face held a gentler bone structure to it.

His color was eye-catching in comparison to most of Muerte's followers. The base was a soft earthy brown, darkening to a deep chocolate over his spine and face. Down his neck and sides were splashes and speckles of an even deeper chocolate. The crest of his neck sported a soft mane of brown feathers, and so did his tail.

Blue found herself stuck on his eyes, of all things. Shades of crisp yellow towards the front of his irises…..but they changed color towards the back. Deep blue, like a body of water.

His gaze itself held an innocence and energy, both nervous and curious as he arched his neck and stared at Blue through the rain, as though she surprised him just as much as he surprised her. His feathers would have fluffed up if they weren't smattered down from the wet.

Ever so softly, he chuffed to her. His voice was soft and friendly. She couldn't help but chuff in reply…..even though she had a better mind to resent interaction with one of the rivals.

Something about him was grabbing her interest and wouldn't let go.

Blue finally shook her head, and the young male clicked his teeth together before slowly turning to walk away. His neck was bleeding, but he didn't seem to notice the pain. He seemed content to bear Beauty's marks….

Once the male had gone from sight, Blue relaxed and sunk back into her resting spot. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, before glancing again to her family inside the den. She hoped that no one had woken to the sound of her protective growls….

All seemed to be asleep….until Blue found herself looking at the dim reflection of little yellow eyes peeking out from over Shadow's body. Ever so softly she heard a chitter calling out to her, weak in tone and begging for her answer. Star, requesting the comfort of her presence.

Blue groaned, guilty that she had woken someone up, but she bobbed her head and cooed in response, knowing there was little chance for Star to ever go back to sleep on her little raptor wagged her tail and started clambering over Shadow's back and all obstructing adults in order to get out of the nest, cooing and purring happily. Blue grit her teeth at each one and chuffed when an adult was slightly disturbed from their sleep.

Be careful!

Finally, the overeager hatchling made it free, and in standing up on her own she looked at Blue and took a deep breath. Her tiny frame shook with it, but she was standing…... a vast improvement from her state of waiting on death's doorstep.
With Blue's permission, Star began tiptoeing forward. She was still somewhat unsteady on her feet and still very thin, but her scales were regaining their luster. Her eyes looked up and they were no longer glazed with illness.

The two females met each other with gentle cooes and purrs. Blue reached out to lick the youngling's face, and Star wagged her tail before rubbing up against her guardian's damp chest. The older raptor's neck and head served as cover from the raindrops leaking into the den, but she sought her warmth and seemed perfectly content to plop down across her forearms.

Blue let out a deep breath. Star needed to go back with her parents, to sleep and stay warm with the adolescents.

An exaggerated whine was the only reply. Yes…...Star was indeed feeling better, thanks to the meat Blue was able to give them after each pack hunt. Not that the omega was allowed to go on the hunts, of course. She acquired the meals through other means….means that made her gut turn with disgust.

Muerte tried his very best to play the part of "gentle and generous alpha". Blue could see straight through his lies…..but every day that he came to them with gifts of meat, she couldn't bear to turn him down. He knew that they desperately needed the food, and using that desperation to his advantage, he forced Blue to come close and accept his gifts. No one else could do it in her place.

Each time, without fail, she was required to stand and let him caress her before he would let the meat go. Fond little nips and nuzzles that made her scales feel dirty, so that every time she turned and fled from him, she would commit to a thorough grooming whilst the rest of the pack ate. Sometimes Shadow would offer apologetic gestures and help her clean the feeling from her body…...but none of them could put a stop to it without risking the consequences…..

Whatever the male was seeking from her, -Blue didn't know for sure-, she hated it. With every part of her instincts she despised his wants and wanted to hurt him for it….but she was too frightened of him at the same time.

Kilo had never made her feel like that before, when he was alpha. She was nervous of him, at first…...but he never put such a sick feeling into her stomach. He never touched her that way and made her scales crawl. He had come to speak to her with respect and gentleness…..not hidden desire and dishonest affection. When he touched her, he touched her with innocent intentions, to check her for injury after a hunt or congratulate her on a job well done.

The two males couldn't be more different…yet still something about them was similar, and that thought terrified Blue. She couldn't put her claw on it, thus she tried to ignore it, and instead she was overwhelmed with the pain of Kilo's absence. She grit her teeth together and stooped down to gently nudge Star's back, to which the little raptor groaned and slowly got to her feet.

Dramatically trudging away from Blue, she made one last attempt to get her way, whimpering and ducking her head low as though she was just as ill as before. She puffed her nostrils and looked up at the older female with big eyes.

Please?

Blue made a rumble as though laughing. She scolded Star with her voice, and Star growled sharply. FINE! She'd go back to the nest!

Inside, Blue was overjoyed that Star had the energy to pull off her old stunts of exaggeration and dramatic acts. Even in such dark times she was a light of hope for the pack…...a sign that things could get better.

Now they just needed to make sure she continued getting better. One or two missed meals and all improvement could jump backwards. They weren't out of the woods yet.

But, as Blue watched the youngling shuffle back towards her sleeping mother, she saw her come to a stop and lift her head with a soft chirp. Her tail shot up and her arms tucked under her chest in an alert posture, nostrils quivering and head tilting from side to side. Her eyes stared into the bushes to the right as though she had seen something exciting.

Memories of Star bolting during the youngling field day shot into Blue's brain.

Star…..don't even think about it!…

Then, chittering wildly, the youngling burst to the side! Straight into the bushes she disappeared and the older female went wide eyed in shock.

STAR!

What had come over her? Where was she going?

Listening to Star's distancing cries and the rustling bushes, Blue shot to her feet and was just about to lunge after her, when she heard a sleepy rumble from behind. Her heart dropped into her stomach and she turned to see two raptors sitting up in the nest. A pair of golden eyes half lidded with exhaustion, and a pair of alert rose eyes.

Alden was more aware of the situation than Shadow, and he was lurching to his own feet with a concerned rumble, waking the mother up somewhat so that she too was looking around in concern. What was going on?

Blue groaned and bobbed her head frantically. Star had run off!

Shadow went wide eyed. She let out a choked yelp, then shot to her feet and jumped over sleeping raptors with surprising agility.

The beta was out of the nest and looking around with soft chitters calling for her daughter. She kept her voice down, not only to avoid disturbing the rest of their sleeping family, but to also avoid alerting any of the rivals.

If they knew there was a youngling unattended in the meadow, there was no telling how many of them would be game to take advantage of poor Star.

Blue sensed this urgency, and she moved to bump Shadow in the direction Star disappeared.

That way!

As Shadow silently dove into the brush and Blue followed her, Alden pulled up behind and the three of them began to search. Unable to call out for Star, they depended on sound and smell to locate the youngling…...though both were a challenge during the rain storm.

Minutes passed, and Blue began to panic as it became longer and longer since they last heard Star's voice. They poked their heads into every bush and cluster of foliage, Shadow beginning to whimper and whine for her daughter's safety.

Where did she go? How did she disappear so fast?

Suddenly, as Blue walked by a particularly thick bush, she heard an ever so quiet bark and the scuffling of claws through the dirt. Her head flashed around and she chuffed urgently to the others.

There!

Shadow and Alden both spun as Blue crouched and tried desperately to peer into the bush. She was baring her teeth and chittering for Star to come out, beginning to add a stern-ness to her voice, trying to make the youngling understand just how much trouble she was causing.

Come out!

The female shoved her face into the prickly leaves and twigs, and with closed eyes she nosed around, hoping to brush up against Star's body. There was a shocked yelp and more scratching as a little raptor tried fleeing away. Movement just to the right of her muzzle, the smell of a young raptor shooting into her senses

GOTCHA!

Blue snapped her face to the side and opened her jaws. Firmly, but without hurting, she clamped them down over what felt to be a little tail, and withdrew her head from the bush with a victorious rumble. Alden and Shadow both seemed to calm and the mother arched her neck in preparation for scolding her runaway child.

But, when Blue stood up and turned, she looked down…...and her golden eyes bulged in absolute shock of what she was actually holding in her mouth.

The raptor she was holding was not Star…..but a very tiny hatchling she had never seen before. Immediately after being pulled from the bush it began thrashing about, frantically screeching as though it were being murdered. Danger and death calls combined, which startled Blue so much that she yelped and opened her mouth.

With a loud splat and wail, the unidentified youngling plopped into the mud and for a moment just laid there. Bulging yellow eyes stared back up at her, then they closed and a little muzzle tilted back in a continuation of that terrible cry.

Shadow bared her teeth in an expression of shock and warbled at Blue. Where did the hatchling come from!? Alden seemed to share that question as he blankly stared down at the ball of muddy terror and made upset rumbles in his chest. His talons were clicking together and his quills were shivering.

Where was Star?

Almost on cue, they became aware of happy trills and more movement from the bush. All three adults fixed their attention on it as a tiny grey raptor crawled out, yellow eyes wide and mouth gaped with a happy chirp.

Friend!

Star acted as though nothing at all were wrong. She looked up at Blue and wagged her tail in playful greeting, before looking back down at the squalling hatchling in the mud. Her tail stopped wagging and she tilted her head with a perplexed grunt.

What was wrong with her friend? What did Blue do to him?

To that, Blue made a baffled chuff and arched her neck. What did she do?! She did nothing!

Shadow suddenly snorted, and as though she had collected herself out of a stupor, she shook her body and stomped one foot.

Star!

The sharpness of her voice both made the unidentified hatchling scream louder, and Star suddenly stand very straight. It took her a moment to realize that Shadow and Alden were actually present, but once she did, she ducked her head and wagged her tail. Her happy voice shifted to sheepish concern, sensing that mother was upset but unsure what it could be for.

She just wanted to make a new friend when she saw the little hatchling by their den. Was that bad?

Shadow grunted and flicked her tail. She was very rigid, still breathing heavily and clenching her muscles in a display of great stress. Blue noticed this of their beta and couldn't blame her….not after losing Kilo.

Losing her sole surviving daughter even just for a moment must have given her a heart attack.

So, with the cries of the baby ringing in their ears and Star a little alarmed, Shadow marched forward and gurgled sternly.

Come. The meadow was no place for younglings to play….not anymore…..

Blue grit her teeth together, as Shadow towered over the little infant still terror-crying in the mud. Her frustration with Star seemed to accidentally translate as aggression, to which the poor thing began to curl up and raise its pitch. If it wasn't completely frightened before, then it certainly was now.

Danger! Help! Mother!

Mother?

So wrapped up in the baffling discovery of a surviving hatchling in Muerte's pack, they had all recognized the help call far too late, and forgot to even consider the presence of a mother or father.

It was then that Blue began to hear cackling from elsewhere in the trees, accompanied by sharp thuds and cracks of breaking foliage. Her eyes searched the shadows but the incoming danger appeared faster than she could alert the others.

Look out!

A raptor lunged from behind Alden in a whirlwind of snarls and flashing teeth, but she - a female by voice and by scent- didn't stop. It only took a fraction of a second for amber red eyes to locate the crying hatchling, and only a moment more to crash into Alden's ribcage, sending the male staggering out of the way.

Shadow was next in the mother's path of rage. Blue heard their beta yelp as she was headbutted across the backside, so hard that she was bowled off of her feet into the mud, away from Star and the crying baby who was rejoicing with shrill whimpers.

This left Blue as the last line of defense.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The mother raptor slid to a stop with both feet planted on either side of her child's body, facing Blue and snarling at her. Shadow was frantically trying to get to her feet, cackling for the fear of Star being in danger, while Alden was turning and catching up with the action.

Blue simply stood her ground as this happened, puffing out her chest as Star yelped and dove between her own legs, keeping her eyes forward and holding her breath for the chance that she would be attacked next. She could only spread her arms and look as determined as possible.

The mother glared at her through her own determination of protecting her child….but Blue was secretly also keeping one eye on Alden as he pulled himself together.

She was counting on the male joining her, and his presence giving her the upper claw of intimidation.

He whirled on the female with a fierce deep chested snarl, rosey eyes almost on fire with the rage that his family was under threat, just as the mother was protective of her child. It never failed to surprise Blue how quickly the gentle male could turn lethally aggressive, betraying his normally reserved image.

After Alden had shown himself, the mother raptor turned to see him, and for a small moment she flinched backwards a step. Her body conveyed nervous hesitation, but she steeled herself and spread her arms with a challenging growl, stepping back over her child.

They faced off for a moment, growling at each other and wondering if someone might make a move. Alden attempted to creep around to the left, but his movements made the mother bristle and warn him with a louder snarl, forcing him to back off again.

It seemed to Blue that they were quite stuck against each other's wits. No one wanted to give, until she caught movement again from the side, where Shadow had been shoved down. The female was finally on her feet and had wiped the mud off of her face, but she seemed far less calculative than Alden. In the moment her flaming eyes latched onto Star again, she was snarling and jumping forward blindly. Even Alden flinched and skirted to the side in surprise of her.

But it was the rival mother's reaction that caught all of them off guard. Blue was hoping for intimidation…..only when Shadow erupted in front of Alden and gave challenge, it seemed as though the standoff was going to end as quickly as it had begun.

The strange female wasn't deterred at first, but as she met Shadow with her eyes and gave a loud cry, a look of confusion swept over her, followed by a double take. Flared nostrils hastily sucked in identifying scents. The ferocity faded from her face and was replaced with something else…..something more of surprise and shock…..

Suddenly, every note of aggression fled from their rival's body. In an instant her amber red eyes bulged with terror and her body crumbled backwards, nearly atop her child whilst stuttering a shrill yelp.

I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

At first, none of them knew what to think. Each had expected the stand off to continue….not for it to all but forfeit with Shadow's mere appearance.

Alden didn't know what to do next. His arms dropped and the fierceness in his own eyes changed to bewildered unease, looking to Blue for an explanation. His lips also dropped as he took a step backwards, losing the nerve to be aggressive, confused by the sudden change.

Equally surprised by the change as Alden, both Blue and Shadow exchanged unsure glances. Everything got so quiet that the falling rain was the only noise around them, as thankfully the young infant had also stopped screaming while he cuddled against his mother's belly and shivered, staring up at Blue like she was a monster from nightmares.
The mother looked towards Shadow with a similar fear.

No one dared to snarl. It all happened so fast no one knew what to think.

In this quiet...Blue supposed she got her first good look of the odd little pair of unidentified raptors. Next to even Alden's gaunt frame, the female looked like a delicate china doll with an elegantly structured face and agile physique, smaller in both bone and in stature.

Her color markings were unique, which made it hard to believe that no one had noticed her in the pack before. Shades of golden tan and sandy tones, accented by rusty markings like tiger stripes flowing from her spine and down her sides. Around her amber red eyes were swirls of white markings, accompanied by little speckles like extravagant face paint.

Unfortunately, -like all of Muerte's followers- the mother's physical condition was unsightly. Her body was underweight, and had low muscle definition because of it. Her otherwise colorful scales were a dull ill tone, while her amber eyes looked about in an almost tired way…..like coming to the aid of her endangered child had sucked her energy dry.

Blue could not recall ever seeing the female before….but then, she was uncertain just how many raptors Muerte held under his possession. She flared her nostrils to better take in the stranger's scent, and immediately she was pushed back by Muerte's own foul stench. Her muzzle wrinkled and she coughed a bark of disgust.

Her mind shot out questions of defensive worry. This female belonged to the tyrant alpha himself? As Beauty did?

But that idea seemed…...half true. When Blue looked into the mother's wild amber red eyes, she did not see pride of stature as Beauty so passionately flaunted. She saw terror, and emotional pain that ran so deep she could not find its origin.

Breaking the quiet, there was a whimper from the female, shaky and unsure. She bowed her head, expressing fear and submission as she shielded the little youngling between her legs. She dared not raise her lips or communicate aggression. She only looked at the three raptors facing her, and began to plead. She begged for their mercy, as though she expected them to murder her and her child.

When Blue realized this fear came from abuse and mistreatment, it made her lips twitch in anger. It was the kind of fear she felt in her own heart when she was forced to interact with the alpha. This female was not a willing partner as Beauty was….but a lost and afraid captive...like them. An omega like her. A "sister in pain".

Meanwhile, as Blue made this connection in her mind, Shadow had begun to pace back and forth. She was on edge, separated from Star and having been attacked not moments before. She didn't know what to think of the raptor groveling in the mud before them, or of Alden and Blue becoming so hesitant to show defense in the light of this attack…..and the panic moment following it.

The Beta's eyes flashed to Star, who was hunkered down between Blue's legs, staring wide eyed at everything that was going on. She wanted to be there with her….to hold her child and assure she was the safest that she could possibly be.

So, Shadow arched her neck and chuffed. This gained Blue's attention, before she strode forward, approaching with authority in her gait. Her lips curled and she bobbed her head in a threat for the strange raptor to move aside. She expected maybe the rival would becoming scared again and simply obey her commands.

But the approach warranted the wrong reaction, and the frightened female lifted her head to see Shadow coming. Her amber eyes bulged again and her body tensed, before she opened her mouth in a shrill cry, intensifying with each step closer. She seemed absolutely terrified of Shadow.

Realizing this and the sensitivity of the situation, Blue ushered Star towards her mother and countered Shadow's approach. She cut the beta off totally, to which Shadow snorted.

What was Blue doing?

Blue made a gentle coo and arched her neck, displaying an ever so soft tone of dominance in her actions -only enough to get her wishes across. The female was not a threat. She was just as much a victim of Muerte as they were, Blue could smell it.

Could she handle this situation for her Beta? No one would be hurting the female OR her son. The Waterfall Pack could be friends to them. They could make this work.

Alden, Shadow, and the weary mother all shared confusion. Shadow especially seemed opposed to the idea. Friends? In what way could the rival have possibly earned their friendship, and could be deemed not a threat? Why should they be so quick to trust her? Had Blue gone mad?

After a long moment of looking into Blue's pleading eyes, Shadow made a disgruntled gurgle. She would entertain Blue's request and see what she was up to, for the time being…...but she was far from happy about it.

First thing's first, the rival would never be their friend. Understood?

Blue simply chuffed. She knew she was taking a risk, and they were hardly in the position to take risks….but she truly felt that this was a risk worth taking….and she felt that their beta would come to see it as well.

Once Shadow finally began to back away, Star huddled close against her feet, Blue was given the chance to attempt what she hoped would gain the strange female's trust. She turned and looked down at the flustered raptor, then gave the gentlest of coos, in an effort to convey no threat towards the pair. She wished for peace. Not fighting or pain.

The other female looked back with only widened eyes as a response. She had not witnessed such mercy from another in a long time, much less had the mercy displayed in her own direction….

Blue looked down further to see the adolescent beginning to curiously peek out from underneath his parent. She saw bright yellow eyes and a face with markings not unlike his mother's, shrouded by her shadow. When he curiously stepped halfway into the light, the omega sucked in a breath of horror.

The child was…..ugly, simply put. No amount of kind sugar coating could deny it, past the absolute terrible shape he was in -also not unlike his poor mother.

He was of very dull colors. Shades of dirty brown and faded orange tiger stripes, with what Blue thought was an ever so slight coloration of gold against his underbelly…...but she wasn't sure. It was hard to look past how skinny he was, with jutting backbones and hips, accompanied by a hollow look in his face, all ribs showing.

For a moment he stood there, eyeballing her, but suddenly Blue noticed that he was slowly teetering to the left. He didn't seem to notice, further and further tilting in such a peculiar way that Blue's head tilted to follow him…..until he finally swayed and let out a yelp before splatting into the mud on his side. His mother purred softly and Blue blinked.

That was odd….

Struggling onto his belly and trying to get back on his feet, the youngling groaned and kicked out, whipping his tail in an effort to shift around. At first Blue didn't think a thing of it….but then her eyes strayed to his tail itself. It didn't look quite right to her...but how?

Suddenly it seemed to click in her head, and horror struck. She drew her head back and gave a choked yelp. His tail! Where was it!

The youngling's tail wasn't gone, by any means, but a significant portion of the end seemed to have been severed away, ending in a blunt tip some inches short of it's normal length.

Jumping to conclusions, Blue's mind shot to some minutes before, when she had pulled the infant from the brush…..by his tail. Had she bitten it off? She was certain she had been gentle!

She suffered this horror for a moment or two, but rationality assured her she was not responsible for the wound, having not seen nor tasted any blood. Her worry lessened slightly and taking the time to focus, she came to see that the infant's little stub wasn't bleeding at all. It was nicely scarred, in fact. A wound long healed.

That explained the moment of clumsiness, somewhat. A raptor's tail was their counter balance, pivoting with their movements and helping keep them up on their feet, even during the greatest stunts of agility. Losing a portion of it was far from a death sentence, but it was something the poor infant would have to adapt to.

Wounded, frightened, and hungry...it appeared his mother tried her very hardest to provide for him in such a hostile environment. Blue admired her for that…...and did not doubt that it was through great sacrifice that she was able to feed him, sparing him from the Lysine sickness as they were fighting to spare Star of suffering from it again.

Blue eventually decided what she would call this little one.

Mud, for the lack of any better title. She did not know many human words by sound, but she knew mud, and the poor fellow was the color of mud. His mother, with her pale tan coloration resembling what humans called dust...could be Dust. Mud and Dust.

Gentle with her voice and her body language, careful not to startle "Dust" again, Blue stepped closer with a friendly coo. The female looked up from tending her baby and cocked her head to one side, fighting a nervous curl in her lips but appearing somewhat calmer, shocked by the omega's unexpected behavior. She still wasn't sure what to think of it….but maybe she had half the mind to wonder if it was all a trick.

It wouldn't be the first time a raptor had tried being deceptive, either to catch her guard down, or to get close to her son. Remembering those experiences pulled her lips up ever so slightly. Her body squeezed closer over Mud's own and her chest rumbled with a shaky warning.

Stay back!

Blue held her ground and ducked down in another gesture, one of gentle protective dominance, which felt so distantly familiar to her. A better tool in this particular moment for this particular raptor, she sensed; like old experiences and memories of reassuring her sisters in moments of doubt, when she was beta and such things were her job in the pack.

Charlie used to get scared, when they were young. New stimulations in the training program would intimidate her, or Echo would play dominant too roughly, and Blue would have to soothe her back to the playful little raptor that she was. Back to happy tail wags and giggling chirps, which would please alpha Owen so that they could continue the training session.

How she missed her playful baby sister, and Delta's stern attitude…..Even Echo's challenges.

Focus, Blue!

Forcing herself back from such bittersweet memories, the omega supposed that was the same approach she should use for Dust. Slow and careful, lest she become too overwhelming and lose all hope of winning her over.

So, she lowered herself even further, into a crouching position, then onto her belly against the cold damp soil. Dust seemed appalled at her persistence, while Shadow made an impatient gurgle that questioned how much effort was going to be put into a near lost cause.

Blue wished that her beta would be more quiet. Each sound she made only succeeded in causing Dust to shift her attention and bristle defensively, and Blue would have to work at pulling her attention back. A couple times this happened until the omega gave a low breath and sat up to look over her shoulder.

Shadow stood tall and proud, looking all too much like a feminine version of Kilo, eyeballing Dust warily. Star on the other hand sat squarely upon her mother's foot and stared at Mud with all the enthusiasm which sent her barreling into the trees and started this whole mess. Neither were being very helpful so long as they were present. Poor Mud couldn't stop looking over and squeaking at the odd little girl that seemed so ridiculously infatuated with him….or rather would like to use him as a bouncing mat the second she mauled him in the bush.

The concept of "play" was very foreign to the lone youngling. His first experience of it with Star seemed much more like wondering what kind of she-devil descended upon him, and insisted she cling to him like a scale parasite.

Sensing this unease between the mother and son duo, Blue gathered up the courage to grunt, grabbing Shadow's attention before arching her neck. She dared to direct her confidence towards the female hoping to communicate the urgency in her next request.

She wanted Shadow to gather Star up, and leave. To go back to the den so that she could have some quiet moments alone with the new raptor, no distractions or reasons to be on edge.

For a moment Shadow seemed to blink and process what was asked of her. Then, as it suddenly clicked in her mind, Blue swore that she saw one of Kilo's expressions of stubborness flash across the female's face. Her lips twitched and her eyes narrowed into thin golden slits.

Leave Blue unattended with a strange raptor, one of the rivals no less? Was she mad?

No. Absolutely not! She wouldn't step foot out of sight from their omega, for the risk that she would be turned upon and injured, or otherwise killed. What would they do if Blue was killed?

In the back of Blue's mind, she was certain that the pack would get by just fine without her…...but that certainty faded with the following thought of how desperate their pack currently was. In their weakened state, every raptor lost was one loss of protection; of a guard, hunter, and caregiver for the younglings.

Blue was quite willing to risk death for her pack, yet at the same time self sacrifice wouldn't help them in the least. Being reckless was foolish in times like these, but she ever so wanted to be reckless now, for Dust and Mud.

A thought in her mind unexpectedly scoffed at the idea that Shadow was so certain she would be in danger. She believed she could take care of herself just fine against a raptor like Dust, matter of fact! She was a beta once too!

But she wasn't anymore, and they hadn't the slightest clue what her past was like, fighting against a terrible foe ten times larger than any threat Dust could offer, surviving by herself for the time that she did. They couldn't possibly understand how hard she was trying to suppress those rebooting instincts and memories at the loss of their alpha Kilo, begging to be a "good beta" and take more responsibility in his absence, while remembering that Shadow was already trying to fill that role herself. That she was still just an omega and they had no reason to see her as anything but.

No raptor communication could possibly describe what she had been through or where she had come from. They weren't like humans, who could recall their lives in detail. The instincts and memories were in her head, but she knew no words or ways to get them out. The raptor way of communication was very much in the here and now, and she could no more tell the pack of her life than Kilo or Shadow could reveal their past with Muerte to her.

Sometimes a terrible language barrier, in Blue's opinion. The humans seemed to have it so much easier that way.

Flinching again out of her musings, Blue sucked in a breath and pressed harder against Shadow's stubbornness. She stood, turned to face the female directly, and bobbed her head to ask again.

Shadow curled her lip, still dead set on refusal. No.

It continued like that for a moment or so, tossing back and forth between Blue's persistency and Shadow's resistance. Both raptors refused to back down from their goals and both raptors became more passionate in their side of the disagreement, until it seemed a decision would never be made.

Alden watched on in uneasy silence, the old male somewhat disturbed by the way things were playing out. He thought it was all rather juvenile to bicker like they were carrying on, but he also took it as surprising that omega Blue was so intent to convince Shadow to do as asked.

Quite different from the usual blue striped omega that Alden was so used to seeing. The one that never thought to question orders.

Looking over at Dust, he saw how she stared at Blue in a mixture of awe and anxiety. It seemed she was intrigued by the tone of attention given to her by the omega, but even Alden could admit that Shadow was being a bit….intense, and he couldn't truly blame the poor thing for reacting.

Suddenly, there was a sharp bark from Shadow, and the argument fell silent. Dust and Alden both flinched while Blue snapped her mouth shut, being stared down by two narrow yellow eyes, unable to quite translate what the beta was thinking.

She could remember being excited by the challenge of deciphering Kilo's silent thoughts….but now it was just starting to get frustrating. The two siblings were adept at silent brooding, it seemed.

So, Blue chose her next actions carefully…...and "carefully" meant giving Shadow a good long look in return. Without sacrificing her determined body language, she ducked her head down ever so slightly and gave a low gurgle. One final plead to get the beta to listen.

Once, they had enough mercy in them to give her a chance, when she first came to the pack. She was sad sight, in need of loving and care, and no one knew a thing about her…..but they trusted her. Why not show that same trust to this new female and her son?

Blue gave a sideways glance to Alden, who had been one of the first of the pack to see potential in her. Through her gaze she called for his help, to which the old male would have rolled his eyes if he could. He straightened his stance and made a long groan before looking at Shadow and daring to encourage Blue's intentions.

Maybe there wouldn't be any hurt in trying….just a little bit?

Shadow gave Alden his own helping of a stern look, but the female's stance had softened. She seemed to think long and hard to herself, till the point Blue was certain she would simply refuse again….yet eventually she arched her neck and gave a tense growl of defeat. All of them could tell how much she strained to do so.

Fine…..she would return to the den and leave Blue to deal with the rival female.

The omega would have liked to hop on her feet and coo triumphantly, but Shadow looked to Alden and snorted. He would be staying to watch Blue and make sure nothing bad happened.

The old male blinked and shook his quills out of surprise. Him? Why?

Shadow simply flicked her tail, almost sassily as a way to sweeten her defeat. Because he volunteered, when he sided with Blue. That's why. So it was only right he stayed with the Omega and saw her little crusade through.

Alden could only bob his head obediently and direct a snort at Blue, whom just let out a breath. They both watched as their beta stooped down to pick Star up by the nape of her neck, purring for the wiggling youngling to be still, before turning and striding back in the direction of the den. Her daughter's disappointed whines faded with distance, then went silent.

It was as if all remaining raptors could let out a long breath of relief, and the tension in the air lessened significantly. When Blue turned to face Dust again, she was met with wondering amber red eyes, mildly afraid and clearly curious to what was happening. No longer was she distracted by an aggressive beta, feeling like she needed to protect her son.

Maybe Blue could finally make a good "proper" impression, and convince her there really wasn't an enemy in the Waterfall Pack.

When she proceeded to lay down before Dust and greet her with a friendly coo, Alden laid down some distance away and kept guard. He received many glances from the strange female, and even more from her son, but the youngling still seemed to be more worried about Blue. She could tell it would take more than a gentle voice to win him over….after the fright she gave pulling him from the bush by his tail stub.

He stared and whimpered, then tilted his head straight up to look at his mother. She bent her neck down to bump him with her snout, to which he whimpered again and began to lick at her face. The way he nibbled her scales, almost asking her to open her mouth by prodding her lips, reminded Blue of how Star sometimes begged for food from Shadow; a youngling weaned from regurgitated soft foods. No doubt this little one hadn't been weaned from it long himself…...or rather, most of his meals were probably still regurgitated, due to the scarcity of food and his mother gathering scraps bit by bit.

But, Dust couldn't seem to help her son's hunger pangs. She gave a soft whine and pulled away from his pleads, just in time for her own stomach to protest with a loud gurgle that Blue couldn't help but hear.

The poor things were starving….probably more so than any of them.

Blue thought long and hard for a moment. It had been some hours since she and the pack had eaten last, so she herself didn't have any regurgitated food to offer, nor were there scraps left back at the den. Every raptor had gotten the very bare minimum of rations and leftovers were nonexistent.

Her nagging wish to help Dust and Mud remained however. How could she fix their hunger?

Silence passed, then an idea struck the omega. Muerte's hunters had returned that morning with meat from a good day's hunt, and the alpha's offering was where they received their meal…...but would all the scraps be gone so soon? The scraps fought over and exchanged between subordinates, clinging to pieces of bone that they gnawed for every last bit of sustenance.

Even if there was little, sometimes Blue could hear them bickering and spitting at each other well into the night following the hunt. There could still be a chance…...but it was a risky chance….and one that she had not tried since Muerte first claimed the den and she started the fight with Beauty.

Maybe she could venture out near the main den, and score herself some good scraps for Dust and Mud.

So, feeling more and more delighted by the idea, Blue lurched to her feet and turned to catch Alden's attention. He too was on his feet and anxious to see what she was up to, but she bobbed her head and communicated her wishes to him.

She wanted him to stay and protect Dust.

Alden blinked and shook his quills in dismay. Protect the rival? Why? Where was omega Blue going? What made her think she could order him around?

The elder seemed all too startled and nervous, but Blue cooed to reassure him that all would be fine. She would be back soon, and guarding a poor mother and her infant child wouldn't kill him, would it?

Alden snorted. Well no, of course it wouldn't….

Good!

Without another moment to question what was going on, he could only chirp and try to regain Blue's attention as she trotted away into the foliage. She left him to heave a big breath and flick his tail in frustration, before turning and finding two pairs of eyes locked on him as though wondering what the big deal was, raptors leaving left and right but still so much attention on them.

Alden met gazes with Dust for a moment, so that the female gurgled and nervously tucked her chin against her throat. He saw the fear in her sharp eyes, and for a moment he really did remember how helpless Blue was when he first met her out in the prey valley…..how she used to gaze at them with so much hope and fear combined.

He could see only a fraction amount of that hope in the rival female…...but just as usual his gentle nature was attracted to the thought of an unfortunate raptor needing care, even though he knew the pack's needs came first always.

Grunting and wriggling his fingers, Alden turned to go back to laying down near the duo. He coaxed his eyes away from Dust's own and proceeded to watch the place in the foliage Blue had disappeared into.

All these young feisty females telling him what to do…..stay here and keep watch!

He knew he was going to be in a heap of trouble if Shadow found out Blue left his sight.


~...~


She headed for the main den at a swift but silent pace, listening and sniffing at the air as she went. Her guard was up and her body rigid, but she was still determined to find a solution to Dust and Mud's hunger problem. The sooner the better.

When Blue finally reached the tree line closest to the den in the meadow walls, she eased to a stop and crouched amidst some thick brush to conceal herself. That began her evaluation of the "hunting grounds" before her.

The omega noted that it was still raining somewhat, and the ground was beyond saturated, meaning a good chance she might slip or trip in the mud if she wasn't careful. The evening haze and clouds weren't helping visibility.

But, Blue was relieved to find her hopes confirmed. Her golden eyes darted between rival subordinates that lingered in and around the outside of the clearing, some huddled over measly scraps of food, while others skulked from place to place holding chunks of it in their mouths, snarling at desperate raptors that followed and tried to take a shot at stealing.

Most of the higher ranks were unseen in the pack den. Blue assumed they would be eating off of scraps for some time…..but she wasn't brave enough to get herself caught in a nest of vipers for the sake of a bigger prize.

No...her best targets were walking about. Their scraps were still worth something, given they hadn't had the chance to sit down and eat properly, with such a distraction of raptors trying to snatch it every chance they got. A female close by had a small sized ration in her jaws, a somewhat easy target for Blue to handle…..

Before she could stand and creep out of the brush to make her move, however, Blue heard a loud growl and shot her attention to the right. There she came to see another raptor veering close to where she was; a large male, no doubt high in the subordinate rank as well, being crowded by three squabbling lower ranks that were trying to get the meat in his mouth.

It was actually quite the comical sight to Blue. He was a bit bigger than Kilo was, and standing on his toes was able to tower above the younger raptors, turning his head this way and that while they lunged and jumped to reach. Every once in a while he swung his arm, and they were all knocked to the side, but after a dazed moment they returned and he let out a frustrated bellow.

It was then that Blue saw the size of the scrap he was guarding, and suddenly her mind was split into an argument. The portion was every bit as big as the portions she ate from Muerte's gifts, and far bigger than any scrap she had hoped to get for Dust. Of course, better judgement told her it was a special kind of stupid to challenge such a brute of a raptor….but it was too good to pass up! She'd only find a better scrap if she ventured into the pit of vipers!

She studied the male for a moment as her heart beat impatiently. He was big…..but surely such a big frame couldn't run very quickly, much less through tight spaces and thick foliage. If she could just grab the scrap fast enough to make it into the trees….

Blue's developing confidence insisted she was much too nimble and swift to be bothered by a brute. That, coupled with her determination to feed Dust and Mud, resulted in a decision being made all too quickly.

She'd steal from the brute! What better way to make a good impression, than to make a big impression!

Changing direction, silently pleading for an opening, Blue crouched and bound her muscles for the charge. The brute male was coming just a bit closer in the process of warding off his three jackal companions, turning away from her, then turning broadside. One thief managed to nearly snatch the meat away, but in doing so Blue saw it loosen in the brute's jaws, and her brain flipped all mobile switches.

She shot out of the bushes in silence, only skidding slightly through the mud. She covered the distance in just a few bounds, shoved past one of the thieves, then leapt up at the brute with all her strength and snapped her jaws down on his prize.

It all happened faster than any of them were prepared for. One second the brute had his eyes on a fool that was getting on his nerves….contemplating a good way to cuff him upside the head…..the next there was a skinny little female practically dangling from the meat he thought he was protecting so well. Her weight got the better of his surprise and she plopped down onto her feet with it in her possession. He heard her triumphant cackle, but then she was off and diving into the bushes just as suddenly as she had appeared.

Wait….what?!

It only took a second for the four rivals to compute that they were ambushed, the brute becoming enraged that he was so suddenly robbed, and the three jackals miffed that it wasn't them who made the score. All four turned to make after Blue…..one jackal unfortunately being run down by the brute in the process.

Blue was certain she had just pulled the best move of her lifetime. With the meat in her jaws and the amazing taste of it on her tongue, she ran at a quick pace through the trees and tried to find her bearings. Just wait until Alden got to see what she did! Kilo would be so proud!

For a moment the omega felt sorrow touch her heart, and she remembered that her alpha was gone…...but suddenly she became aware of snarls and footsteps racing up behind her. She yelped and glanced back to see a particularly pissed brute coming up much faster than she ever would have thought he could run. Behind him three smaller raptors were trying their best to keep up.

Seemed they didn't like her little stunt….

Speeding up and taking to weaving through the trees, Blue attempted to lose her enemies. One by one the jackals seemed to tire of the chase and began to drop back, but low and behold the brute proved her wrong once again. He almost seemed to be gaining on her, eyes fixed and mouth open with ragged breath, but she could almost feel those breaths on the tip of her tail. She was starting to panic and regret ever thinking she could outrun him.

But, that didn't mean she was about to drop her score and save herself…..she was almost to the clearing!

When Blue burst through the trees, both Dust and Alden shot to their feet with shocked yelps. The omega immediately rushed to Alden and gave muffled danger cries past the meat she was carrying, just as the brute blasted through the foliage as well and came to a grinding halt.

Dust would have liked to think they were all dead meat. Alden gave Blue a wide eyed look that asked what kind of nincompoop trouble she had gotten herself into, before facing their new arrival head on and puffing out his chest. He placed himself steadfast between the females and the threat, claiming his protectiveness over them.

The brute, winded and somewhat shocked by all that was happening, glowered down at Blue as she took position beside Alden and puffed her heaving chest out best she could. He wanted his scrap and his pride back, after she made him look like such a fool…..but now that they were still and he got a good look at her, he almost seemed to recognize her blue markings.

For a moment he clamped his mouth shut and grumbled to himself, then he looked past Blue and to Dust standing stiff legged over her son. His eyes narrowed further and his grumbles grew louder, as though the sight of them had suddenly made the idea of attacking less inviting.

Suddenly, the brute looked straight into Blue's eyes for a good long moment. She grit her teeth, expecting him to make a move…...but then he snorted, and all three raptors watched in surprise as he began to back slowly away. Some minutes after he had disappeared from sight and seemed to be gone, Alden turned to Blue and made a sharp gurgle.

What was she thinking!?

Blue sucked in a stinging breath and bobbed her head, absentmindedly gazing into the trees where the brute had gone, wondering why he had retreated so suddenly. It confused her….to see the recognition in his eyes for both her and Dust, but with that confusion was a deep relief that things went the way they did. She wasn't about to question it too much.

Realizing that Alden was staring at her….or more specifically the meat in her mouth, Blue acknowledged him with a wag of her tail and another rasping inhale. She went and got Dust some food, of course!

From behind, there was a noise like a gasping whine. Both Blue and Alden turned to see Dust staring at them, the shock of what happened lingering in her eyes, but her eyes themselves fixated on Blue in trepidation mixed with hope. She couldn't help but salivate and lick her lips, whilst Mud wiggled and almost fell over for his excitement at the sight of food.

For them?

Blue cooed at the sight of the two. Leaving Alden to go silent, she approached Dust and extended her neck out in friendly offering. Her grip on the meat was loose and her tail continued to wag in every hope that the nervous female would accept.

Dust almost didn't know what to do. Her stomach was twingeing at the scent and sight of the meat, her child was begging, and her desperation agreed…...but she looked up at Blue and hesitated.

This strange female risked much for their sakes. She challenged the authority of her beta, offered friendly gestures despite every reason she had to not trust her, then ventured out and risked being mauled by a larger raptor in order to get them food.

She really hadn't seen such behavior in some long time….it was remarkable and intimidating all at the same time.

Nervously, Dust uttered a very soft coo of gratitude. The very tip of her tail wagged slowly, then she extended her neck and opened her mouth in a gesture to accept the gift, to which Blue purred and surrendered it.

As soon as the meat touched Dust's lips, her jaws snapped shut and her eyes bulged. Out of habit, her body demanded to wolf the scrap down as quickly as she possibly could…..but she tried hard to resist the instinct. This seemed to be a safe place…...and there would be time to eat…

So, she gripped onto the meat so tight that blood and juice dribbled out down her chin. Mud was jumping and squeaking at her, but the moment she lowered her head into his reach, he was tearing into his meal with no hesitation. Bite after bite he tore free and swallowed, going on until Blue noticed with amusement that his lean little stomach was beginning to bulge out on his sides. He was so tiny, it didn't take much to fill him…..and eventually he plopped back onto his haunches with a string of meat dangling between his teeth.

He couldn't remember the last time there was so much to eat. Even after he was filled, there was plenty left for Dust to eat herself. She realized this with a happy trill, and promptly tilted her head back to swallow the scrap whole.

Content with her work, Blue licked her lips clean and might as well have been smiling. Even Alden seemed pleased by the good deed, the way he gazed at Dust and Mud with gentle eyes.

It was a short lived moment of peace and silence. Eventually, the old male looked at Blue, and he let out a long sigh to grab her attention. When she turned and saw the look he was making, she knew he meant to take her back home to the den.

Blue whined. The thought of leaving Dust and Mud alone again, right back to the struggles of finding food and defending themselves from the rivals…...made her heart hurt. This sister in pain was important to her. She didn't deserve to suffer or go hungry…

Could they take her back to the den as well?

Alden blinked and flicked his tail. Take the strange raptors back to their den? The last safe place in the meadow?

He snorted and shook his head. What would Shadow think?

Blue knew full well that Shadow wouldn't think nicely of Dust and Mud coming to spend the night with them…..but they had to try. Could he really leave them out alone and have a peaceful mind?

The male snorted. Blue saw how he glanced to Dust and pressed his lips hard together, but she saw pain in his features at the thought of leaving her alone to take care of her son by herself. It was no secret that he had a weakness for taking care of other raptors…..of those who were unfortunate but hardly deserving of their misfortune.

Blue could only assume this was due to Alden's past. She didn't have to know a thing about him to tell that his life started out rough, just as Kilo and Shadow's did.

Slowly, finding the nerve in him, Alden gave Blue a soft gurgle before lifting his voice to Dust herself. She looked up with a nervous glitter in her eye, one that he felt guilty in part for putting there…..but he spoke to her gently, personally inviting her with them back to the den.

For a moment Dust just stared at him and remained very quiet. When she made no sound, Alden pressed again and cooed, trying to express his sincerity in the offer. She uttered a soft growl in return and pulled her head back, but it was a sign of indecision.

Blue had won favor in the female, for what she did….but Dust had very little reason to place trust in Alden or any other raptors from the Waterfall Pack. She didn't much like males…..nor did she like Shadow.

Why were they so intent to gain her trust? How could she possibly give it to them?

Alden had no answer for that. There really wasn't a note of reassurance he could give to make her think otherwise…..there was only her and what she would choose to do next.

Blue chose to remain silent in this moment, and watched Dust think. Thankfully, the female wasn't as skilled in the art of silent thoughts like Kilo was…...rather her emotions and considerations were very expressive in her amber eyes. Fear, uncertainty, and protectiveness over her child…..but also curiosity and wonder. Even if it was slight, Blue could see it in there…...and she had hope they could get through.

Finally, Dust arched her neck and made a soft grunt. Though still unsure, she voiced a willingness to go with their offer.

ONE night, at their den. ONE, and no one was allowed to get too close to her son.

Blue was about to celebrate with a happy tail wag and chirp, but Alden surprisingly beat her to it. He stood up on his toes and swayed his tail back and forth, while giving a gentle rumble to assure Dust of her conditions. No one would step near her or her son. He'd make certain of it. Personally.

Blue tilted her head to the side. She wondered at Alden, but eventually just shook it from her mind and began striding in the direction of home. Dust stooped down and scooped Mud up between her teeth, gave Alden a wary look, then followed in behind Blue.

Any time the male got too close, she would give him a shaky gurgle, and he'd back off in respect of her space. Each gesture of respect seemed to surprise the female greatly, and each gurgle became softer than the last.

Blue purred to herself at the lead. Her heart was full.


~...~


When they arrived back near the den, Dust was on edge, and Alden had taken to uttering small reassuring sounds to keep her from bolting. With each step closer they could hear the pack more clear, whether that be Tango's hushed cooing amidst Mike and Curare's bustle, or Victor entertaining Star.

When lima made a sour growl, Dust would have liked to backpedal into Alden's chest, but Blue turned and bobbed her head. She would go ahead and let the pack know they had returned….make sure Dust and Mud's appearance wouldn't be so surprising.

Poor Mud could only stare ahead and shiver in fear of the noises he was hearing.

Leaving them, Blue crept forward. It was starting to become dark, as evening fell, but the rain had nearly come to a stop. The sound of her feet squishing through the mud alerted Shadow, who was laying at the entrance of their crude den.

The beta shot her head up and chirped happily at seeing Blue. This of course caught the attention of the rest of the pack, so the younglings came running out in a chorus of happy cries, Star crashing into Blue's ankles and rubbing against her. Close behind them were the adults, but the first to notice Dust standing by the tree line was Tango…...who flared her nostrils and made an unsure gurgle.

Who was that?

Blue saw Shadow blink and look over to see the female. In a moment the happiness in her eyes shifted to a look of shock, then confusion, and finally anger. Her lips twitched and her tail lifted up as an aggressive posture.

What was she doing here?

Dust sensed the hostility in the beta's low growl and shrunk backwards a step or two. In some attempt to keep her from running back into the trees, Blue stepped between the two with a pleading warble to Shadow.

Dust wasn't a threat to any of them. She was just scared, and needed a safe place.

Alden reinforced this plea with a concerned chuff, as he stood beside Dust. He could read the look in Shadow's eyes as the look of a mother and leader most concerned with the safety of her family. That concern could lead her to do something she'd regret…

Shadow looked to her elder and gave him a sharp snort, which questioned why he was so quick to side with Blue's ridiculous idea. Why did he let the omega bring a rival back to the den? Was he not concerned for their pack? Wasn't he smarter than that?

She was blinded by her anger, but Alden found himself bristling at the accusation that he didn't care for the pack's safety, or that he hadn't given thought to the idea of bringing Dust back with them. Shadow may have been beta but he wasn't happy with her tone.

The old male stepped forward and snorted. His very top priority was to protect the pack, as it was Blue's top priority. Neither of them would ever betray that, but he would not turn a blind eye to suffering, even if the ones suffering were so called rivals.

He had come to the decision that Dust was nothing like the rest of Muerte's pack…..and he would come to trust her if she proved trustworthy. He trusted Blue's judgement first of all.

If Shadow was out alone in the world with Star, struggling to survive, wouldn't she hope for raptors to find her and give her safety? How was that different to Dust and her child?

Shadow clamped her mouth shut and became very quiet. Star herself was still wrapped around Blue's feet, watching the adults argue with wide nervous eyes. She wasn't so startled by her mother's agitation, like before, as she was unsettled by the aggression they displayed towards one another.

She knew things were much different since her uncle Kilo disappeared…...but the youngling decided she hated this change most. She didn't like how her mother was looking at Blue.

With Shadow quiet, Star huddled at her feet, Dust shaking, Alden a little put off, and the rest of the pack on edge…..Blue gazed pleadingly at their beta and tried to think of a way she could soothe her. The female was struggling with more than they could see….trying to stay strong for them but still breaking under the stress of everything that had happened. Creating more stress wasn't helping, and if studying Kilo's expressions and eye emotions had taught her even the smallest thing…..Blue could see Shadow's pain. Maybe she wasn't as good at hiding it as Kilo was, afterall...

So, the omega purred. Pulling away from Star, she crouched low on her legs and crept up to the fuming beta, reverting back to an expression of great submission. She hoped it would assure she meant no harm by her actions and wishes….maybe Shadow would come to like Dust.

But Shadow looked down at the happy tail wagging and how Blue exposed her throat. She was still very quiet….but something new was in her eyes….a look too mixed with emotions to correctly read.

Concerned, Blue made one of her usual omega whimpers. Shadow instantly snapped without warning.

Making a shrill anger cry, she stomped forward so quickly that Blue fell over onto her back, legs up and eyes wide in shock of the sudden change. The beta stood over her and proceeded to batter her with vocal aggressions and fury. Her yellow eyes were slits and her teeth were bared to show dominance.

She was tired of seeing Blue play the omega act. It wasn't true, was it? How could it be?

With every day that she spent with the Waterfall Pack, growing more and more comfortable, she pushed the boundaries of her rank and furthermore pushed her luck. Because of her reckless disobedience, Muerte discovered them and their territory. Because of her Tango was injured, Kilo was taken from them -probably killed, and they were now subjected to the life they had to suffer with Muerte as their alpha.

Shadow had wanted to look past these things, because she trusted Blue…..but it had weighed on her over that time. Why, after Kilo's disappearance, would she suddenly become so dead set on having her way? Why challenge the beta's authority and try to bring the enemy into what little of a safe haven they had left? Why persuade her elder against her as well?

Those weren't the actions of an omega….so why keep up the act? What was she trying to prove?

Blue had become frozen on the ground, as Shadow's inner feelings suddenly poured out over her. The accusations sent her heart dropping into her stomach….to realize that her beta had secretly been threatened by her all that time.

Shadow thrashed her tail. All of Blue's behavior as of late, rubbed wrong against her dominant instincts. All she could assume by her sudden rise in confidence and doubt of authority, was that she was challenging authority.

Was it a challenge she wanted? Did she want to be beta? If she thought she could make such good decisions for the pack?

If Kilo were there, he would be disgusted. By insisting to bring yet another strange raptor amongst their family, they were disrespecting one of his deepest wishes and concerns.

Blue was disrespecting their alpha Kilo.

Blue whimpered and stared back into those fiery eyes. She was unsure what was going to happen next, but suddenly, there was a loud bellow from behind them. A raptor pushed out of the den and called to Shadow with a scolding tone only one raptor could ever use against her.

ENOUGH!

Shadow flinched and stood up, then turned in order to see Hook staring her down. With a curl in her lips she gave him an angry growl. Why was he yelling at her?

Her dear old uncle, responsible for raising her, just held his confident face and growled back in challenge. He didn't like how she was treating their omega, just as Alden had expressed. She was being irrational.

Irrational?

Shadow turned and snorted. She was protecting the pack! That was her job!

Hook corrected her with bared teeth of his own. Blue couldn't deny that she felt shivers down her back at seeing the veteran make such a fierce expression.
She was frightening the pack and letting her emotions get the best of her. Stand down.

Shadow puffed out her chest and glowered at her uncle, almost shaking as she tensed her body and tried not to lose it. Her eyes roamed to each face that watched on…...but her lips fell…..and she realized it was true, that Tango and Lima were looking on with nervous eyes. That the adolescents were huddled in the den, Alden was standing protectively before the rival female, Star was staring wide eyed at Blue laying on the ground…...and even Victor was staring…..a look of shock and disappointment in his eyes, acting as though he didn't even recognize her.

Her own mate…..her own uncle….her own pack was turning against her because of the omega….

But, heart breaking and nerves frayed, Shadow looked down at Blue and grit her teeth. She couldn't bring herself to make any sound, or show any more aggression. She could only wonder if Kilo was right to doubt letting the lone raptor into their family…..

So, she got away from Blue and spun on her feet, still not making a sound as she pushed past each raptor and found the den as a place to hide. Victor tried to coo to her, or to go to her, but she ignored his attention and sulked in a ball as far away as she could get. No one else dared to try interacting with her.

Instead, Hook stepped forward and chuffed softly to Blue, softer than he had ever spoken to her before. It encouraged her to roll onto her feet and stand…..though her heart was still in her stomach, and her brain was filled with the revelation of Shadow's hate towards her.

Hook arched his neck. He held no grudge against Blue….nor did the rest of the pack. She shouldn't listen to Shadow's tantrum.

Not listen to Shadow?

Contrary to the beta's beliefs, the last thing Blue wanted to do was undermine Shadow's authority. She didn't want to cause any of these problems….

But Hook brought it on himself to take command, and he looked to each pack member with that surprisingly gentle voice. It was time for bed…

From below, Star crept past Blue and rubbed affectionately against her leg. The youngling was a bit shaken up by her mother's actions….but was faithful to Blue's friendship. She went to her father and decided it would be best to sleep with him that night….away from mother….

The others followed, solemnly entering the den but keeping a good distance from Shadow. Even Lima was at a loss for her usual grumbling….but rather she gave small glances over at Blue and seemed almost apologetic. Not even she could see the justification in Shadow's beliefs, despite always agreeing that Blue could be annoying and a pain in her tail.

Eventually, everyone but Blue, Alden, and the two newcomers had nestled into their sleeping spots. Alden stepped forward and gently nudged Blue's shoulder with his muzzle.

Was she alright?

Blue sucked in a breath and reassured him with a shaky coo. She was fine…..just...discouraged.

The old male just grunted, then looked back at Dust and seemed to contemplate what they should do with her. She was watching them anxiously, but seemed to be wondering in her head why their little group was so dysfunctional.

Blue steeled her emotions and warbled to the nervous raptor, beckoning her closer. She obeyed after only a small hesitation, then seemed eager to learn what was to be done next. Probably to put the events she witnessed behind her, and focus on something else.

After looking around, Blue decided it to be wise that she didn't sleep inside the den that night. Instead she shuffled over to the tree line and found a good bush to curl up under, then watched as Dust followed and curled up under a bush just a few feet away. The two females exchanged looks that communicated a likeness…...a comfort Dust found in Blue's actions and the way her pack treated her.

Alden himself didn't know what to do. He watched the two as they settled in, lingering for a moment on Mud as he cuddled up against his mother's warm chest and peered about at everything with very awake eyes.

But…..eventually, he shifted and moved to the den entrance, where he lowered onto his belly and curled up to almost block the opening completely.

What amazed Blue, was that she couldn't tell if this was to protect the pack from Dust…...or to protect her from Shadow…..