Chapter 9:

"Wa...Hoo!" I shout just as our log sled ramps a large rock. Not much has happened since Kate left, except I've gotten a little bigger and we have mastered the art of log sledding.

"30 degrees to the left, Salty, give her some sail draft!" I say. Salty stands up.

"I think I can taste the wind, no, just a bug."

"Mooch, ready?" I look back at him, he nods, "Lower the boom!" He then slings us into the air, and when I hit the ground all I can hear is...

"Wolf pile!" Before they all fall on top of me. When I pulled myself out, I could hear them complaining behind me. I was around the age of ten months now, I really don't know when my birthday is. I'll just say it's in 2 months. I walked up to the edge of a cliff, looking over to the hunting grounds, but something caught my eye. Kate, she was trying to catch us lunch.

"Well, well, well. Look who's back from Alpha School," I say.

"Forget about it Humphrey, Kate's an alpha now, and you're... an omega," Salty said.

"Relax guys." I say while letting out a chuckle, "We're just friends."

"That's right, just friends." Said, Mooch.

"You better set you right over there, " He said pointing to a couple of wolves, "Reba and Janice, the vegetarians."

"Ok...Well, looks like we're eating caribou tonight boys." I say.

"Hey, hey," Mooch said as he pointed to some more wolves on the other side of the hunting grounds.

"Eastern Wolves."

Kate's POV:

I just came back from alpha school and my mom had me hunting us some lunch. This will officially be my first hunt. I, Candu and Hunch was gaining on 2 caribou. But right before I pounced on it, I noticed some movement in the grass behind them.

"Candy, Hunch, we've got company," I whispered. Before we could do anything, they jumped out at our Caribou, missing them and scaring them off.

All the other wolves started chasing them as I let out a low growl and followed. As I was chasing them, I saw wolves running back...

"Caribou!!!" I yelled as I started to run away, "Scatter to the side I yell to everyone. I was able to climb up on the ledge but noticed that two other wolfs weren't as lucky.

"Settle the score, Leader," I whisper to myself as I run after them.

Humphrey's POV:

"Wow, look at those moves," I say as I witness Kate jumping Caribou to Caribou trying to save them Wolves.

When she saved them, however, they all started to fight. She couldn't break it up alone, so, "Alright Omegas, duty calls." Me, Mooch, Salty, and Shaky all slid down to the rest.

"Hey, Kate," I say.

"Humphrey?" She replied.

"I'm still going to tear this, snaggletoothed, fool apart," Candu said and then they continued to fight.

"Alright, Guys, lower the boom," I told them.

"Humphrey! We don't have time for fun." She said.

"Well, now, just, hang on," I say as I put my paw up to her. Salty and Shaky picked up Mooch by the legs, swung him like a swing, and released him In the air. When he came back down he landed on the fighting wolves as they all yelp. "Now, Guys, Guys, come on. Don't get your fur into a bunch. Look, the caribou are laughing at us." I say as I point to the mocking Caribou, "Now that's a moon I don't want to howl too..." I was cut off by Winston.

"Western Hunt group, return to the den. The two of you, go home." They started growling, "Now!" He shouted and that's when they quickly left.

"Great, my first hunt and I blew it." She said.

"What?! Kate, Kate, Kate, Kate, Kate, don't beat your self up, you were amazing. And if anyone hungry they can eat..." I thought about it for a minute, then I pull some berries off a nearby bush. "Berries! They're... Nutritious." I say as I took a bite.

"Ha, yeah. Tell that to a hungry pack." She said as she left. I followed her back to the pack and found some wolves to talk to. Hunger would go down if everyone ate berries.

"Hey guys, honestly, caribou is overrated, how about I present to you: Berries!" I told them. They didn't like the idea too much since they started growling. "Ok, how bout squirrels?" I say as I heald some in front of them as a joke. Their mouths dropped and they started drooling, I slung the squirrels behind me, "Hehe, bad joke? Flying squirrels." I say.

Winston's POV:

I had a meeting with the Eastern Pack's leader, we need a way to stop these raids. Candu was jumped earlier today and I can't risk another wolf getting hurt. I'm near the river that separates the West pack from the East, Tony should be here at any time. Tony is an Alpha male wolf with brown fur and eye color. Speaking of him, here he is now.

"Winston!"

"Tony!" I replied, "You are one crazy wolf, you know that?" I say, I and Tony are circling each other.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Like that game of tag during our hunt." I said.

"Do you have a problem?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Unite the packs, Winston! It was you who gave the big speech that your daughter, Kate, and my son, Garth, would marry and unite the packs!" He said, "Garth knows his responsibly, does Kate." He asked.

I nod, "She knows."

"Good, then she can meet Garth tonight. I won't let my pack starve, Winston. If I have to, we will fight for the valley." He said as he walked off.

"That would be a big mistake," I whisper to myself, but when I turned around, I saw kate standing there in shock. "Kate! It's..." I started.

"It's ok dad, I understand, it's... it's my responsibility."

Humphrey's POV:

Me and the guys have just got ready for the howl, they were more excited than me because, for some reason, I didn't feel like going. They were up the hill aways trying to pick up some girls. I was walking up the large rock with these two female wolves in front of me. I saw Salty try to impress them, poorly.

"Wow guys, I say the whole thing and I've got to say: I'm surprised they didn't just fall all over you, I mean when you yelled, hey..."

"You think you could do better." He asked.

"Please. Next girl up this hill, she's mine." I say in confidence as I turn around, but then I see Kate. She has groomed fur, which is shining in the moonlight, and she has this little pink flower in her main.

"Woah, she has never looked that good," Shaky said.

"Yeah, I'll be right back," I say as I start walking her way.

"Wait, where do you think you're going." said, Mooch.

"Humphrey, your not allowed to Howl with her," Shaky said.

"We can eat together..." Mooch started.

"But, you know." Salty finished.

"Guys, I know, I know, plus, who said i was going to howl with her, what if i just wanted to talk?" I asked.

"Ok, but remember..." He starts.

"I know, She can't howl with meeeee..." I say just as i lose my footing and fall off the cliff and down below, where she was. But time seemed to stop, and i remembered something, from before Winston found me...

(Flashback)

"Humphrey?!" I remember someone says, but I didn't know who. I seem to have lost my footing, as i did here, and i fell, but this time, a lot longer ways. I had nothing to grab on to, just the water below, but when i hit the water, i snapped out of my trance...

(End of Flashback)Time resumed and i fell for a little more ways.

"Hey Garth, I'm Kate," Kate says. It was right then i landed right on top of the wolf i think was Garth. He yelped and i quickly got off.

"Humphrey!?" Kate said angrily.

"Wait, you know this coyote?" Garth asked. Garth was this big alpha wolf with red fur and green eyes.

"Coyote? Oh, i see, my size. You're, practically a moose!" I say.

"Just go away, dog!" He says.

(Flashback)

All i can remember this time is some really big wolf saying, "Alpha? He's barely a dog! Get him out of my face."

(End of Flashback)

"Dog! Now coyote was funny, but a dog? That one hurt." I say.

"Humphrey!" He said, now i could tell i was getting on his nerves.

"What?" I ask.

"Humphrey, you better leave. My mom told me that Garth has a low temper. If you make him mad, he'll kill you." Kate says.

"Don't worry Kate, he won't try to hurt me." When i said that, Earth charged at me, i dodged but barely. "Kate! Did you see that he tried to hurt me?" I say. Garth then breaths deeply, then he exhales.

"I don't have time for this." He says as he and Kate continue to walk up the hill.

"Humphrey!" I hear Winston call from his den. "Come here." I thought going would be best.

When I arrived at his den, I saw him looking over the pack. "Winston, I was just..." He cut me off.

"I don't care about that, I called you here because I couldn't handle you not knowing the truth." He said as I started to back up.

"What truth?" I said, unsure if I even wanted to know.

"Less than a year ago, when Eve was still pregnant with Kate and Lilly, the east pack was running low on food. Tony declared war on us to take over our pack so his pack could live. I gave him another plan, i said, 'if my daughter and your son got married, it would unite the packs and there would be no use of war. He accepted, and we didn't speak of it for a while. We needed to wait till they were both alphas, everything was running smoothly, Kate had no interest in any guy." He explained.

"So, how's this have to do with me?" I ask.

"Because, when i found you that one day by the river, i had a feeling, i knew, you were alpha material. I brought you to our pack and showed you to our trainer. He did like the idea too much. He called you a dog and told me not to bring you back. But i started to train you. When you met your three friends, you would hang out around them. I was fine with that. But you started to hang out around Kate, you two would hang out anywhere, and you would always go her way or chose her side before your friends, and you still do today. I was afraid of what would come in the future if you and Kate got married. Tony would declare war on us, plus, i couldn't say no to Kate. So i stopped training you, i let you hang out around the omegas and you eventually forgot all about being an Alpha. I thought i made the right choice, that's until you asked why you couldn't be an alpha. That's when i showed you the exercise den. I hoped you would stop after one or two visits but you didn't. Your still the same wolf you were 7 months ago. You lead your little group around, you're brave, like when you stood up to garth, and you're a problem solver. Humphrey, i don't know who you were or what you did be for i found you but i know, you'll be able to remember." He stopped.

"So, you lied..." I don't know why, but i hate it when people lie to me, probably from my past.

"That's not what I'm trying to get across here. What I'm saying is that your parents are out there, cause you and i both know that you ain't my son, and i sure ain't your dad. You aren't forced to be in this pack and if you ever need help, just ask. Me and my alpha team will escort you home. You understand?" He finished.

"I don't know, I'll, I'll be back," I say as i leave, i head do to the pond, i needed some time to think there.

I start starting in the water, i was thinking if i wanted to go back home or if i wanted to stay here. I heard something and looked up to see Kate coming my way, what is she doing here? I just put on a smile.

"Hey Kate," I said.

"Ah! Humphrey, what are you doing here." She said.

"Oh, not much, starting into the pond, so where's Barf?" I ask.

"It's Garth, and uh, we're just taking a little break."

"A break?!" I asked, shocked.

"What? Is that so strange?" She asked.

"Oh, no-no. I always like to take breaks... 5 minutes into a howl." I said, sarcastically.

"Well, i do." She said.

"I heard you howling partner. He's not a stud, not a stud, but like stud... A dud, that's it, isn't it." I say, messing with her.

"Ha! No." She says, "You'd be surprised to find out that he's..." She stopped.

"That he's...what Kate, finish your sentence," I tell her, but i notice she became a little wobbly. "Kate?" I say, waiting for any response now.

She collapsed on the ground, i quickly ran over to her. "Kate!" I shouted. "Ow." I felt something hit mine but. "These, darn mosquitos," I say right before i fall over.

How do you guys like this chapter? The next chapter might be a while, and probably not nearly as long as this one. Tell me in the comments what you all think. I have a new story out, check it out, it's called "The Great Games". Anyway, have a great rest of your day and...

Piece!