Wildheart's journey was long; longer than anticipated actually. He did not expect to be gone for this amount of time however much this was. To him, there was no true concept of time. He did not feel days and weeks as much as someone else might have. He just felt time move forward in the linear manner that it did. He simply knew that more time had passed than he thought solely because of the many cycles of night and day he had trudged through. It was more than he figured he planned for, and it wasn't his fault.

Once the Mutant Registration Act was passed in July he felt a certain fear for his ward; Pup. Though the wolf was no mutant, the young whelp was too curious for his own good at times and would no doubt get caught up in the violence if Kyle, also known as Father, was not there to keep him in check and considering his employers he felt that he was going to become quite active. So, he sought a safe place to set his ward free. The two of them traveled back to the homeland, the Canadian wilderness and their deceased pack's territory to look for any traces of surviving outliers. If Father could convince them to form a pack maybe, and keep Pup as their charge, he could feel more at-ease and return to his duties.

It had only been three suns and two moons since they made their exodus, and thankfully they were already in what used to be their home. The pack's bodies were decayed and sinking into the Earth already; Kyle made a note to later bury them. They deserved it. Though there was a more challenging task at hand; find the loners then attempt to bring them together. He seemed uneasy; this was not a task meant for him...he was a beta. He was not an alpha, and he did not possess the right qualities to lead. Yet here he was, trying to do just that. Pup looked to him as their leader and did everything as asked; everything from hiding in the brush while Father scouted the area to sticking close when it was time to hunt. Pup was a fine student, even if he did not yet possess the knowledge that this world was truly cruel. Not even as he looked at his dead dam's body rotting in the soil.

They were all dead. The entire pack was slowly being pulled back into the earth, murdered for unfair reasons. Old Mama, Mama, Sister, Brother, Alpha, Baby, and Nephew. All of their mangled, bloody bodies were going back to the ground from whence they came. Everyone came from the earth. The wolves may devour the deer, but once the wolves die then their bodies sink into the earth and become the grass. The deer devour the grass, and the circle continues. It is the circle of life, and though to Father it was unfair, he knew that it was a circle that could not be controlled. The pack was gone, but they still paid their dues to the Earth Mother. They all would pay their dues one day.

"Father, who are we looking for?" Pup asked, trotting alongside his heels as he kept pace. "The loners. You'll need someone to look after you when I go back." Father answered him, his tone sullen. He did not exactly want to leave Pup here, but knew it was for the best. "You mean I am not going back with you? But what about Mother, does she know?" Pup asked, and Father visibly bristled at the mention of her name. Mother. It was not an angered bristle, but merely a sting. Kali was Mother, at least in Pup's eyes. She took the collar to ensure Pup's safety. She, despite being feline, helped to care for Pup when she could and as best she could. To Pup, that was enough to call her Mother. But to Father, it meant that Pup considered them mates; Kali was not his mate. She was alpha, and Father was beta. They could never be mates. "Mother does not know, but she will understand." Father said with a short tone, continuing on. All other questions were left unanswered, Pup taking the hint that Father was not interested in discussing this further.

It took awhile before they encountered one of the loners. It was Grey Lady, a silvery female who was much older and unable to bear pups any longer. She was Old Mama's sister who left the pack when she was barely a juvenile. She had been just old enough to fend for herself, but not young enough to breed. Grey Lady was older than Old Mama and was supposed to be alpha, but she did not want the burden so she left to give Old Mama and subsequently Mama the title. Father only knew stories of Grey Lady, never seeming to catch sight of her though he swore sometimes at night she came to see Old Mama and they whispered in the darkness together as sisters. Once the sun would rise, Grey Lady always seemed to be gone like a ghost. Father always considered her a ghost.

"You are Grey Lady? Old Mama's kin?" Father asked, unsure at first but something told him he was right. She was silvery, moreso in her old age and with cerulean eyes that pierced into his very soul. She was wise, he knew this much. Old Mama seemed to get all of her smarts from Grey Lady. "I am my sister's sister. Who are you?" Grey Lady answered, her words holding a bit of mystery but to Father she did not deny it. "I am Father, and this is Pup," he replied while motioning to the lanky young whelp beside him. Pup cowered behind Father's legs, unsure of himself suddenly. Grey Lady was an imposing figure. The silvery female looked the both of them up and down, and it was surprising that she did not seem startled by Father's ability to communicate with her. Old Mama must have told Grey Lady this during one of their late night whispers. "My sister spoke highly of you, Father. And pup...he is my grandnephew is he not? He is Mama's last survivor?"

Father's eyes lowered, saddened slightly. So Grey Lady knew of the massacre; he wondered how she took it. "Yes. He was stolen by two-leggeds but he was freed by myself and my ma—alpha." Father had to catch his words at the end; Kali was not his mate. Kali was alpha. He didn't know how many times he had to keep telling himself that. "Oh? And where is your alpha? Is he close?" Grey Lady asked, her head tilted to the side a bit in a curious manner. She did not detect three scents; only two. "My alpha is not here. She is back in our other territory." Father's head dipped again, almost feeling foolish for acknowledging such a thing. Was the city really their territory? He sighed at the thought. Grey Lady merely snorted at him, looking down at pup and giving him a cautious sniff.

"Well then. Father, you must have come here with some purpose. Come and sit with me, we can talk." She motioned for him to follow her then, and the three settled down somewhere close but under the cover of the trees. Grey Lady would lie down, on her stomach as a sign of comfort but she still was rightfully wary; just not wary enough to be terribly defensive. "Now tell me what troubles you." Father and Pup sat down across from her, Father sitting cross-legged and Pup curling up in his lap. Father's hand went down to give Pup a quick pat on the head before he began to speak. "Our territory is no longer safe for Pup, but I cannot abandon it. There are things out of my hands that keep myself and my alpha from leaving," he explained, trying to be as straightforward as he could. "Our territory is also not suitable for him. It is laden with stone and rock, the game is scarce and the predators many. He would be safer out here, if you would take custody over him?"

Pup looked up at Father then, his ears back as he grew saddened. He did not want to be separated from Father; yet he knew it was for his own well-being. Grey Lady's ears perked, a perplexed look about her. "You really cannot leave this territory? It sounds utterly dreadful. You and your alpha would be wise to make arrangements to leave and come live here." Father merely smirked, shaking his head. "I wish. However, it is not that easy to do so where we live. It will take time." It certainly would, if they ever considered leaving. But leaving the city was not as easy as Grey Lady made it seem. Maybe in a few years things would change...but things as they were now made it impossible.

Grey Lady contemplated this for a while, as seen by the pensive look upon her face. Moments felt like hours, but soon enough she arrived at a decision. "I will look after him, Father. It is the least I can do for my kin." She nodded then, and Father breathed a sigh of relief. Pup seemed a little less worried then, but more curious now. Grey Lady was his grandaunt? Maybe she would help answer the questions about his family that Father did not want to answer. It seemed then that Pup was more on board with this plan; he crawled out of Father's lap and slowly ventured across to where Grey Lady lie, sniffing politely and curiously before he rolled onto his back before her and offered his submission. Grey Lady merely smirked, giving Pup a good lick. Pup squealed at the affection, returning the gesture to her muzzle. Father merely smiled; this was the kind of happenstance that he had hoped for.

But what he hadn't hoped for was the storm.