Chapter 16: Twists (written from April 27th to April 28th, 2020)
At dawn...
In the Northern territory, Alabaan continued to walk away from his former partner. He became angrier with every step away from Rocky. Surprisingly, that young wolf meant something to him. Alabaan usually never cared about anyone, but Rocky was different. He had never met anyone so similar. It was like they had a telepathic connection. But now that connection was severed. But Alabaan figured it must've not been as deep a connection as he had thought. Alabaan was no pack wolf. He had no long-term attachments. The only thing that ever came close to one was Rocky. Alabaan thought the Beta wanted to be his sidekick or partner-in-crime. He had plans to teach him more things. At first, Rocky wanted to leave the Valley, but quickly, they developed a bond that kept Rocky from separating. Then, out of nowhere, Rocky wanted to settle down at his birthplace.
"Maybe it was that weird she-wolf, Dani," Alabaan muttered to himself. "That bitch could have manipulated him while we were separated. Still... Rocky is definitely smart enough to make his own decisions. And he chose wrong! Living a life of luxury is nice, but it ain't an authentic way to live. If there's a she-wolf I want, I'll find her even if she's in hell. Having every she-wolf at your disposal takes all the fun out of it! Sometimes I know who I want. Other times I'm an opportunist. Either way, I hunt. It's a game. Rocky has no sense of a game!"
A smell then entered Alabaan's nose. It was a Northerner scent. He changed his velocity to keep his own scent from going to the Northerner. But after a minute, the Northerner scent kept getting stronger. It was coming from multiple directions. He was surrounded! His heart rate increased threefold once he realized he was being tracked down. He had walked into a trap!
The Northerners were the most skilled hunters in the Valley, and they were the strongest. Alabaan knew that more than anyone. For the past year, every time he entered the Northern territory, they always attempted to catch him. They were never successful since Alabaan was quick at throwing off his scent. But this time, it seemed like they were ready for him. They were closing in fast. Some of them could be seen on the horizon. He happened to be in a bad spot where he couldn't do anything to weaken his scent. There were no puddles of water, and the nearest river was surrounded by naked hills. It was like the Northerners had waited for the grey wolf to step foot in the area.
Realizing escape was impossible, Alabaan came to a halt and let the Northerners pin him to the ground. The group's leader walked up to him and introduced himself.
"Hi. My name is Daniel. I'm the second-in-command of the Northern Pack."
"Does it look like I give a fuck?"
"You're quite a hard wolf to find. But death will come easier." The Alphas pinned all of his legs down as Daniel approached the grey wolf. He placed his claws on Alabaan's neck. "I have orders to bring you in dead or alive. Give me one reason why I should do the latter."
"May I ask why you guys want me so bad?"
"Well, you should know, criminal. You've been on our wanted list for a long time, but after a brutally murdered she-wolf was found on our southwestern border with your heavy scent, I knew it was time to act fast and take advantage of this unique area." Daniel then pushed his claws in, making Alabaan scream.
"IT WASN'T ME, OKAY?!"
"What?" Daniel tilted his head. "Don't bullshit me!"
"I don't kill wolves! Has there been any evidence of me killing others?!"
"It doesn't matter. Even if you're telling the truth, you're still going to die. There are plenty of other crimes we know you have committed, and all of them together are equal to multiple death penalties."
"At least catch the real murderer! I told him not to go too far, but he did it! Now she's gone..."
"It's not just her that's gone," Daniel replied. "She was carrying an unborn pup..."
"Oh, fuck..."
"Yes... and you killed them..."
"I DIDN'T KILL THEM!" he shouted.
"Why should I believe you?"
"I shouldn't be the only scent on that she-wolf..." Daniel thought back to the meeting he had with Matt and the border patrol who reported a dead pregnant wolf with Alabaan's scent. The border patrol took note of a second scent that was found inside the vagina, a scent of another individual. The second scent was disregarded since catching Alabaan before he escaped was a much more urgent matter to discuss.
Daniel cleared his throat and asked Alabaan a question.
"Who is this other wolf?"
"His name is Rocky." Daniel was shocked to hear that name.
"Are you seriously saying that the heir to the Western Pack committed this murder? You're crazy!"
"Unbeknownst to all of you, Rocky is crazy. You said it yourself. I'm a dead wolf no matter what, so I ain't saying this to save my ass or anything. If you don't believe me, have somebody sniff him to confirm that the other scent was him. At that point, you can't deny that Rocky was a part of it." Daniel was astonished. He backed away from the grey wolf and looked at the Alphas holding him down.
"Take him to Den 23, and make sure he's secured," Daniel ordered.
Meanwhile...
In Shadow Forest, a noise awoke Shadow. He could see a group of big wolves passing through the vicinity. He was in Sasha's den for the third time. Two of those times were for the night. While Sasha continued to sleep, Shadow sneaked his way outside to check out what was happening.
"Alright!" said the leader of the buff Alphas. "I think we're safe here." The Alphas made a circular formation around Rocky. The leader then gave him the bone that held the Pack Leader's Oath. "It's dawn now! Say these words aloud! Hurry! Before somebody finds us!"
"Somebody did," said Shadow. The big Alphas gasped. The leader glared at him.
"Not too many wolves can sneak up on us!"
"What's going here? Rocky? Is that you?"
"They're forcing me to become pack leader today!" Rocky cried.
"What?!" One of them then punched Rocky in the face.
"It's none of your damn business, wolf! Get lost!" said the leader.
"I live here, sir, and I see you're doing something against someone else's will. I won't stand for that." The leader cracked the joints in his forepaws. He came closer to Shadow until their noses were almost touching.
"What are you gonna do about it, old wolf? Hmm?!"
"This." He headbutted the leader in the head at lightning speed. He dropped to the ground in pain. The other four Alphas charged at Shadow in response. One wolf came too vulnerable, and Shadow managed to throw him away by grabbing his scruff. Another was barking and growling too close, so Shadow nicked him on the tip of the nose. But a third wolf grabbed one of his hind legs and pulled really hard. Shadow slid and fell to his back, and the third wolf began biting his chest. But after two seconds into it, the third wolf was being pulled away. The leader pulled his tail.
"He's mine!" he shouted. The leader grabbed Shadow and threw him into a tree trunk. When he went back to the ground, his broken paw landed in an awkward position.
"Ahhh! FUCK!" Shadow cried. He lifted his right arm to see the damage. He couldn't move his paw at all. It seemed that the bone in his paw had broken much further as now the end of his foot was dangling like a leaf. Shadow stood up on three legs and got into a submissive stance.
"Serves you right," said the leader. Suddenly, he was attacked! Sasha pounced on him and started ripping apart his face. The leader managed to break free, but his face was bloody. He and as well as the big Alphas were horrified and frightened beyond belief as Sasha came to Shadow's side and protected him. They had never seen a she-wolf so ferocious.
"YEAH! RUN, YOU PIECES OF SHIT! RUN! I WILL TEAR YOUR BALLS OFF! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, BITCH! YOU DON'T MESS WITH MY FRIEND!" Four of the big Alphas, including the leader, didn't want a piece of her, so they fled screaming. One wolf was bold enough to charge, but before he could get within a foot of her, the ground beneath him collapsed, and he fell into one of Sasha's tunnels. He squealed and yipped as rock and dirt went in with him and crushed him.
"Wow..." Rocky couldn't believe what he just witnessed. "You're amazing, whoever you are!"
"I'm Sasha. You're free now."
"Thanks a million!" Rocky picked up the ancient bone and went back towards Kate and Humphrey's old den where he was taken from. He hoped that Dani was alright. The wolf who fell in the tunnel exited from the mouth of Sasha's den and disappeared as well. Sasha decided to tend to Shadow's paw.
"On a scale from zero to ten, how much does it hurt?"
"What Rocky said: a million! Fuck! Fuck!"
"Okay. Okay. Let me see, Shadow." She examined his dangling paw. It appeared that it wasn't connected to anything inside the skin. Shadow was in distress.
"I can't feel my paw! I can't feel my paw! That's it, Sasha! I'm fucked up! Ohh, I'll never walk properly again..."
"Relax!" she told him before muttering. "This looks weird for a broken paw... Wait a minute..."
"What is it?" he asked.
"Shadow... do you trust me?"
"What?"
"Do you trust me?" she repeated. He realized she was about to take a leap of faith. Shadow looked into her magnificent lilac eyes, breathing heavily. He looked deep into her pupils and saw his reflection. Seeing that made him take his own leap of faith by expanding his trust.
"I trust you," he whispered, scared of what was next.
"Alrighty... I need you to hold your arm as still as you possibly can."
"Okay."
"I mean it... 'cause this can go south real quick. Here, take my tail." Sasha moved her body until her midline was almost perpendicular to the direction Shadow was facing. This allowed her to bring her tail close to Shadow's muzzle as she worked on his paw. "Bite my tail when you feel the pain," she instructed. Shadow nodded. "Alright, here we go..."
Shadow lay his chest on top of his right arm to keep it steady. Using her forepaws, she grabbed Shadow's dangling part and pushed it back into the place it was supposed to be.
"HMMMMM!" Shadow bit into Sasha's bushy tail. Immediately, she had a sense of the pain he was going through. In a way, it helped her figure out where the more sensitive parts of the affected area were. Unfortunately, it was those parts that she sought as she needed to move the distal piece of his paw towards the proximal piece.
She pushed in the unconnected piece more and more. She felt the pain of her tail increase too, and it encouraged her to go farther, so she could end the process faster. After two more big pushes, there was a loud pop. His paw snapped into place and was no longer dangling. It also no longer looked broken. "I... I can feel my paw again!" Shadow exclaimed. "The paresthesia is going away! I don't understand... It's broken, but it doesn't look broken anymore."
"That's because it never was broken," Sasha replied. "I realized that it was actually dislocated. It seems that Alpha almost made your paw come off completely, so I figured I had to push it back in. Thankfully, it worked. Your paw should heal a lot quicker now."
"I don't know what to say. I don't have the words... I... I can trust you..." Sasha then kissed Shadow on the cheek.
"No need to say anything. You were brave today too."
"Yeah but... you're making me look like a has-been." Sasha chuckled in response.
"Stop. Heh, heh. You know you've been through more hell. Besides, I dislocated your paw in the first place, so I'm only cleaning up my own mess."
"Well... we both know how much of a mess I am. I can't think of anything more fulfilling than watching you clean me up." Sasha looked at him and smirked. She carefully pounced on him.
The two wolves kissed each other and cuddled repeatedly under the tree. Shadow's defenses were now down. He could trust someone again... Any anxiety he had with her ceased to exist. He wasn't nervous about embracing her. She showed him a path to peace that he hadn't walked on in a long time. A younger version of Shadow took over as he surrendered and allowed her to rub his chest and abdomen. His mind became clear. She brought out a brighter life, a happier life, a life of love.
At this point, Sasha had become a full-fledged member of Shadow Forest.
Meanwhile...
Den 23 was the average-sized den that lay within the face of a cliff on the outskirts of the Northern Pack. It was once a space that was used as a temporary residence, but for the last year, it had served as a place for keeping prisoners sentenced to death. This morning, there was only one prisoner: Alabaan. His body was stretched out across the floor. He was on his back while all four of his limbs were fastened by caribou tendons strapped to heavy rocks. There was one rock for each limb.
The Northern pack leader, Matt, entered the den, eager to see someone he had been trying to find for ages. He walked up to Alabaan's head and sat down
"Never thought I'd ever find you. Enjoying your stay?"
"Yeah... I guess," Alabaan replied.
"What is your name?"
"Alabaan," he answered calmly.
"Well, Alabaan, Daniel told me about what you said about Rocky. I've sent the border patrol who discovered the she-wolf to test your claim. If your claim is correct, pack law states that he must die along with you. It would be very unprecedented if what you say turns out to be true. If Rocky dies, the royal bloodline of the Western Pack ends, and it may create a power vacuum that might destroy the West. It may meet its death." Alabaan nodded. "Are you afraid of death, sir?"
"Hmm... I fear boredom more."
"I see... It shows... We've been chasing you for over a year. All the stuff you've done... How do you sleep so soundly knowing you've traumatized so many lives? And now you've allowed a she-wolf to die on our borders, a pregnant she-wolf... What was her name?" Matt asked.
"Vyni."
"That's a beautiful name, and I bet her son would've been a handsome pup, but we'll never know... In the Northern Pack, we cherish the unborn. They are equal to the oldest wolf as much as the oldest wolf is equal to them. They are the future after all. And I'm glad that, soon, you will no longer be alive to mess with them anymore, plus I'm glad that, before you die, this den will be open to your victims, so they can come in here and spit in your face. I'm sure Kate and Humphrey would love to do that. I would tell them that I've finally found you, but I'm curious about how this Rocky situation will play out. When Winston was around, we made an agreement where we agreed on a semi-unification of our two packs. This treaty allows me to legally send troops into the Western Pack. I figure if the Western Pack collapses, I could easily take control of the territories. However, if you're wrong about Rocky, I will personally kill you for lying to me, and you won't enjoy any second of it."
"Fair enough. But I doubt any pain you could inflict would be worse than anything I've experienced as a puppy."
"Is that so? What exactly have you experienced?"
"Well, try to imagine this," said Alabaan. "You're a little pup inside a cave. You've never left this cave. You've only known darkness. It becomes your friend. Imagine being stuck in a corner forever watching your mom get beaten to death. You see your father, and he only knows how to keep you in your place. You only know how to be submissive, but it's never enough. You've seen blood so much that you've become desensitized, but somehow you're always still afraid. Even if it seems your parents get along, they always break into a fight where the father never loses. He owns everything. He owns... you. You can't talk. You can't even talk at all. You only know screams. You only know the footsteps of when you're about to get your ass beat. You wish you would die. You wish you would've never been born. You just suffer and suffer and suffer and suffer. You get beat until your bones break. You get forced to suck a dick. You get forced to masturbate until you become addicted, and you're stuck with addiction for the rest of your life. You ask yourself: why should I care? Why should I live? Then imagine when you're ready to die, you're ready to end it all in the most epic fashion, your dad is suddenly gone. Poof! The greatest weight is lifted from your shoulders... but you're left with nothing but the memories of suffering since birth... What would you do with that? How would you view the world after that? How could you care about the world after that?"
Matt stiffened his lips as he shook with fear. He had realized a dark truth, something from his past, something that Alabaan was alluding to. He couldn't let anyone know... Not Humphrey. Not Kate. Not even Daniel. Without a reply, he exited Den 23, unclear on what he should do with the grey wolf. Alabaan meanwhile smiled and laughed. Despite how much everyone else wanted to portray him as the evil in the world, they all weren't far behind. Hypocrisy knows no bounds.