"True Love is Selfless. It is Prepared to Sacrifice." Sadhu Vaswani

A collective gasp resonated in the crowd. Many could not believe what they had just heard Cain say;

Sam was an Omega.

Soon, all eyes were on said wolf, whose breath had just caught in his throat as the reality that he had just been exposed began to sink in. Looking to Terra, Sam could see that she looked just as alarmed as he did. looking back to Cain, Sam glared menacingly at the smug grin that appeared on the black furred Alpha's face, who, after a few moments of reveling in his soon-to-be victory, began to walk toward the Alpha-Omega family. As Cain drew closer, Sam could hear the sound of many Cain's Alphas snarling. However, his attention was mainly focused on Cain himself, who spoke as he inched closer to Sam and his family.

"Well now," he began lightly, a devilish smirk on his face, "this is quite a precarious situation you're in, isn't it Samuel?" Sam's eyes narrowed at the boastful Alpha, his hackles slowly rising, revealing his teeth and letting out a low growl. Catching on to this, Cain, his smile never wavering, added in a tone as if playfully chiding a child,

"Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you. You see them?" Looking behind Cain, Sam could see the many Alphas baring their teeth and snarling at him as Cain continued to speak. "If you do anything to me, they will tear you to shreds." At this point Sam was seething with anger, his Celtic blood boiling, his instincts telling him to rip Cain's throat out. But, he held himself back for the sake of his mate and daughter.

"If it were just me," he whispered loud enough for Cain to hear, "I would kill you right now." Looking back to Terra, who at this point was consoling a whimpering Anna, Samuel was able to calm himself before turning back to Cain. "But lucky for you, I would rather not do that in front of my mate and daughter." And with that, Cain's smile widened, which greatly unsettled Samuel and Terra.

"Funny you should mention your family, Samuel," Cain said ominously, "because what if I told you that there was a way for you and your daughter to leave hear, WITHOUT things getting too...messy?" The way Cain said the last word, accompanied by his ominous tone, sent a shiver down Sam's spine, making the fur from the scruff of his neck to the tip of his tail stand on end. After taking a moment to recover, Sam decided to humor Cain by inquiring what he had in mind.

"And how is that, Cain?" With his devilish smirk never once fading, Cain got straight to the point.

"First, Samuel, keep in mind that I am rarely this 'generous'; Your freedom, along with your daughter's," Cain said, his eyes landing a the still cowering Anna, only to travel up and stare lustfully at Terra, "for your mate." Sam took a step back, appalled that Cain would even suggest such a thing. But soon, everything he noticed about the dark wolf upon meeting him began to make sense. Looking back at Terra, Sam could see her eyes widen in fear. It was at that moment that he knew he would never allow Cain near his mate.

"Over my dead body," Sam declared, standing to full height so that he was now only an inch shorter than Cain, who maintained his eerie smile as he spoke.

"And I'm fine with that," Cain said, frighteningly calm, "for you see Samuel, I have killed to get what I want in the past, and will continue to do so in the future." what Cain said next really drove home for Sam, who snapped upon hearing,

"Just ask my brother, or maybe...King"

"NOOOOOO!"

Before Cain knew what was happening, Samuel pinned him to the ground with a snarl and a growl and began to attempt to latch onto the shocked Alpha's throat.

"MURDERER!"

he screamed at the top of his lungs, shocking every wolf present, Alphas and Omegas alike. However, the Alphas quickly overcame the shock and charged at the Omega attacking their leader, successfully wrestling him away and pinning him to the ground, all while Terra and Anna watched on in horror. Recovering from the shock that he just received, Cain stood himself up, his smile now gone as he menacingly stalked toward the prone Omega on the ground.

"I was hoping it would come to this, my friend," he growled menacingly, his claws scrapping against the rocks on the ground, "because with you out of the way, along with King, Terra will be mine." Cain then stopped as he stood over Sam, his eyes glaring daggers at the vulnerable Omega that was being held down by three of his Alphas.

At that moment, time seemed to slow down for Sam as Cain raised his paw, claws ready to end his life. Meanwhile, all Terra could do was weep and avert Anna's gaze as their family was about to become even more shattered. But, just as Cain's claws came down toward Sam's exposed neck, a sudden and powerful force slammed into his side, knocking him a good five feet away from where he just stood.

Opening his clenched eyes, Sam could make out the form of his savior, a grey-furred wolf, his hide laden with scars that appeared to be very fresh. However, just as he began to examine the wolf closer, said canine turned and quickly dispatched the Alphas holding him down. With a swift move, the strange wolf grabbed one Alpha's head, slamming it the the ground, thus rendering him unconscious. Another met the same fate as he found himself on the receiving end of a savage headbutt. As for the last, well, he ran upon seeing his companions fall with relative ease, which gave the new arrival the time he needed to get Sam back on his feet.

"Come on, kid, get up, get up!" the wolf urgently whispered. Still slightly disoriented, Sam did so and,after regaining some of his bearings was able to look into the wolf's eyes. When he did so, Sam instantly froze as he took in the ice-blue eyes that reminded him of very old friend.

"Who are you?" he inquired, slightly aghast. The wolf, offered a friendly smile, a smile that quickly faded when he heard snarling from behind him. Looking to the source of the sound, the small group of wolves froze as they witnessed Cain rise back to his feet, flanked by his hoard of Alphas. Getting into a defensive stance, the wolf bared his teeth at the demented Alpha, who did so in return.

"I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance, Rex!" Cain spat, his hackles raised so that almost all of his teeth were bared. Upon hearing the wolf's name, Sam couldn't help but wonder why it sounded familiar. He was soon brought out of the thought as Rex answered.

"And it's a good thing you didn't, Cain," Rex seethed, "because I wasn't about to stand by and watch you kill these wolves as you did my mate!" Upon hearing this, Cain briefly paused lowering his hackles as his face took on a more reminiscent expression.

"I will admit Rex," he began, "what happened to Melody was unfortunate. She would have made a proper mate and queen. But in this pack, the fate that befell her is what happens to those who defy me." Sam's eyes suddenly went wide in realization; Melody was the wolf he and Terra had found days prior. And knowing Cain, he would do the same to Terra. Walking to stand by Rex's side, Samuel snarled at Cain.

"You're insane," he growled, which only succeed in causing Cain to mull over the prospect in his mind, before he nonchalantly responded.

"Maybe, but look at the world we live in, and show me the pleasures of sanity." Looking to his Alphas, Cain gave the order; "kill the males and the pup, but my future queen remains untouched."

"RUN!" bellowed Rex as the first Alpha lunged at the group, only to be swatted away by Rex as the Alpha-Omega family began to run for their lives, shortly followed by Rex. Anna, who of course was still too little to run at an adult's pace, was being carried by the scruff in her mother's teeth. Before long, the air was filled with the sounds of howling, barking, and snarls as the small group was chased by the blood thirsty Alpha's behind them. Stealing a glance behind her, Terra could make out Cain leading the formation. Thinking while on the move, Terra ran over many scenarios in her head, each outcome worse than the one before. Finally, she realized that there was only one way to keep her family safe.

"DUCK OVER HERE!" she called to Sam and Rex, her teeth still clenched on her daughter's scruff, who looked in time to see her dive for a cave entrance low to the ground, which was covered by some heavy foliage. Doing as they were told, the two males jumped into their improvised cover just as Cain's Alpha forces ran past, completely oblivious to their quarry's move. After a few minutes, the footsteps faded, which allowed the group to catch their breath. However, their small celebration was to be short lived.

"We can't outrun them," Terra admitted, setting Anna down on the ground. Sam, after hearing this, nodded in agreement. Looking to his mate and Rex, he spoke.

"I'm open to suggestions." Rex looked to Terra, who had a forlorn look in her eyes, eyes that were slowly starting to rim with tears. With a sad sigh, he responded to Sam's statement.

"I think your mate already has an idea in mind." Looking to Terra, Sam took in her sorrowful appearance. Looking back to Rex, then back to Terra, Sam finally put two and two together, slowly starting to shake his head at the realization of what Terra was about to propose.

"No, no Terra, I will not let you do..." Sam began to plead, only to be cut off by his mate.

"Sam," Terra interrupted, her voice cracking as tear finally fell from her eye, "if we keep running, they will catch us eventually. But if I surrender myself..."

"NO!" Sam yelled, a sorrowful rage building in him as tears were freely falling from his eyes, making Anna whimper as her parents debated what was to be done.

"I FORBID THIS, YOU ARE MY MATE, YOU DO AS I SAY!"

Terra's heart broke at not only the sight of her mate breaking down, but what he had just said, which greatly unnerved her greatly.

"That's Cain talking, dear...not you," She said as she stepped forward. As soon as Sam felt his mate bring her head up under his chin, he completely broke down, sobbing as he pulled his mate close. At this point Terra couldn't fight it herself, and joined her mate, their mixed sobs filling the almost empty space. Meanwhile, Anna was being comforted by Rex who looked on sadly at the broken couple.

"Samuel," Rex finally interjected, "we are not abandoning Terra, I promise you. But this is the best course of action. If you don't save yourself and your daughter now, then you won't be able to save your mate in the future."

Locking his now bloodshot eyes on Rex, Sam squinted slightly, not from crying, but because at this moment, Rex seemed awfully familiar. Pushing the thought away for the time being, Sam took a deep breath as he pulled away from his mate. Looking into each other's eyes, both wolves suddenly shot their heads forward, savoring a deep kiss, their tongues meeting it what could be their last moment of passion. Rex, in the meantime, covered Anna's eyes, which seemed a futile effort as she attempted to watch her parents. Breaking the kiss, Sam and Terra pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed in brief content until they heard the sound of howling return to the area outside.

"It's time," Rex said solemnly, leading to Sam and Terra reluctantly pulling a away from each other, "but remember, Terra, you do have allies in Cain's pack, not just Omega's." this peaked Sam's interest.

"Who?" Rex smiled.

"His name is Cody," he answered, "you've met him Terra. He is one of Cain's best Alphas. He is the secret father of Daniel and Elise. He is also... my brother." Taking this into consideration Terra nodded, and before leaving the small cave, gave her daughter a tender lick on the head.

"Mommy has to go for now, sweetie, but I will see you soon," she said warmly, her heart breaking even more as Anna flashed a trusting smile at her. Taking a deep breath, Terra exited the den, and just in time as Cain and his Alphas came over a nearby hill. The entire group stopped in their tracks as Terra approached Cain. Stopping just feet away from the black furred Alpha, Terra gave him a hard stare, one which Cain returned. But after a few moments, Terra sighed as she bowed her head in submission. Upon seeing this, Cain gave a toothy smile.

"Wise choice," he said condescendingly, earning a chorus of chuckles from the alpha's around him. Before long, Cain and his Alphas had left the area with Terra, leaving Sam alone with Anna and Rex. After a few minutes of staring in the direction his mate had been taken, Samuel was pulled back to reality as Rex spoke.

"It's still not safe here." Looking at Rex, Sam sadly nodded. "Follow me," he said, leading the way for Samuel, who, after picking up Anna in his teeth, began to follow Rex.

The sun had just finished setting when the group came upon a rather sizeable den, positioned far from the borders of Cain's pack. Looking back to Sam, Rex offered a comforting smile.

"We will make a plan in the morning, but for now, rest. My home is your home." Setting Anna down on the ground, Samuel offered a nod of gratitude before stepping into the den, followed closely by Anna. But upon entering the den, Samuel froze at the sight of a lone wolf laying at the back, their body covered in scrapes and bruises so severe that that showed from under there fur. The wolf, with a groan of discomfort, raised there head to see who had just entered the den, making Sam gasp, overcome with relief at who was laying before him.

"King!"