Chapter 2: Family Gathering (written from October 12th to October 14th, 2022)
"Ha, ha, ha! Yeah! Oh, that was fun! Fermberries are awesome! Ha, ha, ha! Oh, back to the grind." Humphrey and Salty returned to the family den. In Salty's mouth was a shoot of fermented berries or fermberries for short, enough to refill the cache. Holly couldn't be found, though Humphrey wore a string of white flowers that he had his other friend, Shakey, assemble into a necklace. He hoped the substitute would please Kate, but he knew it was silly to think she would have any trouble finding something else to disapprove of.
Humphrey gasped. The den had been thoroughly cleaned, all food scraps removed, decorations pushed to the walls, and pelts waterfall-washed. Kate herself had bathed, reviving the golden luster of her coat, and as part of her formal appearance, a purple flower hung adjacent to her left ear. Her expression, however, was less immaculate. Along with a scowl, a paw disciplined the floor with unabating taps.
"Uhh... I think I'll just drop these off and go now." Feeling the heat of Kate's eyes, Salty released the twig and allowed the couple their privacy. In the meantime, Humphrey hoped to flatter the she-wolf.
"H-hi, Kate! Oh, look at you! Grrrrow! Heh, heh! All glammed up for Mom and Dad, huh?"
"That was an awfully long trip to the berry patch," Kate replied
"Psh, yeah... but look at all the holly I brought back with me! Deck the cave! I know it's not the holly you were thinking of but—"
"It'll do," she assured. The Alpha removed the flowers from Humphrey's neck and carried them to a protrusion of the wall where they could hang prominently. "Did you see the pups?"
"Uh, no, I didn't," said Humphrey.
"Yoo-hoo! We're here!" a cheery voice announced. The first guest of the feast had just arrived.
"Great," Kate murmured. "Hi, Mom!"
"Look at that view outside!" Eve commented. "The midday is so rich, so clear!"
Next, the retired pack leaders sauntered up the stone ramp. Humphrey, Kate, and Eve could already hear their humorless conversation. The old Alphas were engrossed in multiple reports of Rogues being sighted in the Valley. Tony was especially impassioned as most Rogues originated from the East.
Two years before the Alpha and Omega Event, the Eastern Pack experienced a schism. An outsider who called himself King radicalized a quarter of the East's Alphas and mobilized them around the extreme ideology of Alpha supremacy, the belief that Omegas were the cause of every ill that affected wolfkind. They became terrifyingly heartless wolves who disregarded most rules of wolf conduct. Seeing them as potential traitors, Tony exiled them to Banff, but it was there they thrived. They created the first known all-Alpha pack, the King Pack, and for the next four and half years, they terrorized both Jasper and Banff. They stole food, harassed border patrols, and attempted to kill any Omega who was unlucky enough to come across them alone. Since Kate married Humphrey, attacks from the Rogues had increased tenfold. It was clear their ambitions were set on the Grand Pack after news spread of an Alpha mating with an Omega.
"We should gather up the Alphas and hunt those Rogue wolves down," Winston suggested. The Eastern nodded in agreement.
"Let's give 'em the ol' lockjaw maneuver!"
"As usual, they're talking about war," Eve groaned. She rolled her eyes.
"Hello, Kate. Hello, Humphrey," Tony greeted.
"Welcome to our little home," Kate replied.
"Hey, Dad, put a paw up!" said Humphrey, trying to be friendly, but Winston simply ignored the high-five offer. The pack's new rival left him with unshakable wariness.
"The Rogue leader wanted to be king and couldn't! Now he has formed an all-Alpha pack..."
"I'll show him all-Alpha!" Tony challenged.
"Um, fermberries anyone?" Kate offered, wanting to put the Alpha business on hold.
"Fab!" Eve exclaimed.
"Wait! Kate, those are my berries!" said Humphrey but Kate shushed him. The guests each took a spot to sit as Kate distributed the meals.
"Is Garth coming?" Tony asked. "I need him to see life in a cave. He and Lilly have been living in the tall grass."
"They're just free spirits," Humphrey replied.
"You know the younger generation," said Eve. "Organic this. Natural that." Eve then hiccuped after chowing down a multitude of fermberries. "Gosh, these are good!"
"Hey! Easy with those, honey!" Winston cautioned. He knew his mate had a low tolerance for alcohol.
"Oh, heh! Hi, everyone!" greeted the current pack leader, Garth. "Sorry, we're late! Lilly and I took a little detour." He and the white Omega arrived, giggling and panting, for they had raced each other to the top of Mt. Victory.
"Hi, sis'!" Kate greeted. The two she-wolves passionately hugged.
"Garth, it's time you found a cave," said Tony, "I told you I'd give up mine!"
"Lilly and I like living in the grass." He eyed his mate who blushed beside him. "The very tall grass," he added with a smirk.
"Well, in case you change your mind, we can offer our den!" said Kate.
"We can? But this is our winter den!" said Humphrey but the Alpha shushed him again.
"It's fine. We'll just stay in our summer den permanently. Garth deserves the best views in the Valley. A pack leader shouldn't settle for the grasslands."
"I appreciate the advice, Kate," Garth replied. "I'll certainly think about it."
Just then, Kate noticed over Garth's shoulder Stinky and Claudette entering. She happily rushed to meet them.
"Hi there! Where's Runt?" The two pups panted heavily. They exchanged a look of urgency that made their mother's heart stop.
Later...
All Alphas of the Grand Pack were placed on high alert.
For many hours, the Eastern and Western royal families, excluding Stinky and Claudette, tracked the smell of Rogues together. Kate, having the best nose of the group, ran the point position, but smelling out the Rogues was incredibly difficult, for they were cunning Alphas capable of throwing their scent into any misleading direction. Kate's heart had yet to restart, her breath yet to be unheld. After the fifth grueling hour of searching, the tan she-wolf lost herself in frustration. She managed to get within a mile of the Rogues, but getting closer proved challenging. If she could at least get a visual, she could put together the place they were taking Runt to.
"Where are they?" she muttered desperately. Her mate then nudged her.
"You can find him, Kate," he encouraged. Humphrey was right. She could find him. She only needed to let her panic not distract her. The Alpha took a deep breath and wiggled her nose meticulously. It was then she realized she had to take advantage of higher ground. She led the family to the edge of a cliff.
"Right there," she said quietly. Three dark-colored wolves sped away in the distance, the middle one carrying a pup by the scruff. They soon changed their course and sprinted down a southerly trail with Eclipse Pass in their sights. "They're going to Banff! We have to go now!"
"Listen, it'll be nightfall soon," her father informed. "Let's prepare a contingent and go at daybreak."
"We can't wait. We know where they're going now," Humphrey retorted.
"This is the Rogues," Tony reminded, "They will have A LOT of wolves!"
"This is what they want... Lure us to the other side and then attack," added Lilly.
"I'll go organize everyone," said Garth before running back to Mt. Victory.
"Are you sure waiting is the right thing to do?" Humphrey asked Winston. "What if they torture him?! Or kill him?!"
"If they wanted him dead, they would've already done it. This is obviously part of a plan to force our paw. Trust me. It'll be much worse if you two end up captured as well."
"With all due respect, Dad," said Kate, "I won't let that happen."
"These aren't some token Alphas we're talking about. Please," the old wolf begged, "I can't lose you too."
"You won't," Humphrey replied. The Omega rubbed his head against Kate in an effort to ease her stress.
