Okay I know you read the last chapter... and I also know you didn't leave any comments... but since I felt bored I wrote this anyway... remember, reviews are what keep me going... if you don't like it don't review it... if you do like it then shame on you for helping to kill creativity... -_-

Pack of Outcasts

Chapter 8: Where to Now?

"That's them! That's the wolves that attacked us!" The large brown male shouted as Tib and the pups burst through the brush.

"Well we can't have that now… can we…" a large grey male growled, turning to face the newcomers.

"Stay back…." Tib ordered the younger members of his group. This was the last thing they needed.

"Thought you could get the better of us huh?!" The gray male snarled, walking closer with his hackles raised.

"Everest… be careful…" a light gray female said cautiously.

"Don't worry Rose… these trespassers will learn not to mess with our pack." The large male snapped. Two other, smaller, males came up and flanked the alpha. Even the two that had attacked them earlier circled around to the sides of the pack, their fangs barred.

Tiberius let out a low growl as Tobi stood at his side, ready to fight. "We don't want to fight!"

"I see… not when your outnumbered now," Everest sneered.

"We didn't attack them!" Tobi blurted out.

The female glared at the large brown wolf, "Syphon…!?"

"What! They attacked us mom!" He barked back. "Right Terrik?" He glanced over at his companion.

"Um… yeah… they did…" Terrik said hesitantly.

"Can it you bastards!" Tib growled. If they were going to fight, at least get it started, he hated waiting for the inevitable.

"My pleasure!" Everest snarked, bolting away from the other wolves and heading straight for Tiberius, his fangs wide, glistening in the sunlight.

"Dadda WAIT!" A voice cut through the tension in the air.

Everest stopped a few feet in front of the tan wolf, staring him in the eye, "WHAT?!"

"Em…. They didn't attack Syphon and Terrik dadda… I saw it." A white and tan speckled female walked out from behind Ember and Sasha, startling them slightly.

"You have five seconds Flurrie…. Before I rip them to pieces."

"Syphon attacked them… an… and Terrik helped him." The young female said franticly. "Syphon's lying again momma."

Everest shot a quick glance at his oldest son, the look on the wolfs face was enough to tell him that Flurrie was telling the truth. Syphon lowered himself to the ground, placing his paws over his head as his father walked over to him. "Your lucky I don't kill you myself!" he growled, grabbing his son by the scruff and giving him a couple hard shakes. "In the den… NOW! Both of you!" He yelled at the two. Syphon bolted up and darted past his mother, his tail between his legs. Terrik limped off after him, yelping as Rose nipped him in the shoulder and followed the two boys into the den.

"I'm so sorry about my sons…" Everest said, turning to Tiberius. "They can cause a lot of trouble and often get in over there heads."

"Don't worry about it… we'll be fine."

"Okay, I wont… but what were you doing in our territory anyway?" The gray alpha questioned. "Your not from around here are you?"

"No we're traveling, trying to find the rest of our pack."

"There's more of you?" One of the smaller wolves piped up. He was a light brown and had a white blaze on his forehead as well as one white paw.

"Tinder, be quite." The other wolf scolded. This young wolf looked rather like his father but lacked any of the facial markings that all the other wolves seemed to posses to some degree.

"Quiet you two." Everest scolded. "How many more are there?"

"Just one… our alpha." Tiberius said, not sure if he should have included the last part.

"Really?" Everest said intrigued. "We don't get many lone wolves coming through here, let alone whole packs."

"Yeah, I guess not. Real sorry for disturbing your pack."

"Think nothing of it. My mate and I have plenty to deal with as it is."

"Um… excuse me…." Ember said aloud, drawing a paw up to his chest as the young gray wolf tried to sniff him.

"Jason…"

"Huh? Oh… sorry…" The wolf said, sitting down a few feet from the black and white wolf.

"Please excuse my sons… they've had little contact with outsiders."

"Ehem…"

"Ah… yes…. And my daughter… this is Flurrie." Everest said, slightly annoyed at all the interruptions.

"Nice to meet you all," the speckled white female said, lowering herself gracefully in a bow.

"Likewise," Tiberius said, reaching up and closing Tobi's hang jaw with his paw.

Everest let out a slight chuckle, "I take it you haven't met many females on your journey?" Glancing past Tib at Sasha. Sasha sat slightly behind Ember. Her eyes getting bigger as Tinder nosed his way over towards her.

"Tinder…" Everest said, the pup stopping, sniffing the ground around the pups feet.

"Huh?"

"Go check on your mother… see if she needs any help."

"Oh… okay." Tinder said, giving Sasha one last sniff.

"Now!" Everest barked.

Tinder bolted off as Flurrie let out a slight chuckle. She walked over and sat in front of Sasha. "Hi, I'm Flurrie, what's your name?"

"S… Sasha…"

"Sorry about my brothers…" Flurrie chuckled

"Oh…" Sasha said, a little on edge.

"They've never met another female before…"

"I… um…"

"You don't talk much do you?"

Everest walked over beside Tiberius, "So tell me about your journey, where you heading?"

"Well, um…" He started explaining as the two of them walked off. Leaving the twins and Ember with Flurrie and Jason.

"I've never seen a black wolf before!" Jason said excitedly, bouncing in Ember's face.

"Um… Tobi…" Sasha whimpered.

"What?"

"I think something's wrong with me…"

"Huh?" Tobi said, cocking his head to the side.

"Ha… no wonder my brothers were interested in you…" Flurrie said, sniffing Sasha.

"Sasha, are you okay?" Ember said worried for her.

"Are you kidding?" Flurrie barked. "You can't smell that?"

"Smell what?" Tobi said, walking up and sniffing his sister. Sasha was obviously very uncomfortable at this point.

"You guys have no clue do you."

"No…"

"Honey… your in heat."

"WHAT!" Sasha bolted up onto all fours. Her tail flying like a flag in the wind.

"I'd keep your tail down if I were you." Flurrie scolded, "Unless your advertising."

"Sasha, that must be how they found us. They could smell you."

"Great… so this is all my fault now." She felt miserable.

"Well it's not your fault." Ember said, standing next to her, and moving away from the odd gray wolf that was just staring at him.

"Jason, can you cut that out? Your starting to creep even me out." Flurrie said, a shiver running down her spine.

"Eh, sorry, I'm gonna see what mums doing." The gray wolf stood up and trotted off.

"What's up with him?" Tobi said watching Jason trot off.

"Jason? Oh, mother said he hit his head when he was really little, he's been a little quirky ever since."

"Okay, I guess." Ember felt a shiver run from the tip of his nose to the point of his tail.

Sasha sat down. Curling her tail up under her. She just wanted to crawl up and die. She felt terrible for causing all this. Why did she have to go into heat know? Why was everyone staring at her? "What?!"

"Nothing…" Tobi commented, looking up, thinking.

"So your trying to get back to the last place you saw your alpha?" Everest asked, sitting down on a hilltop, Tiberius standing behind him a little ways.

"Yeah, can you help us?"

"I'm not sure how much I can help you Tiberius. I can take you as far as our border, after that your on your own."

"Thank you."

"We'll set out in the morning. In the meantime I recommend you find a place nearby, and out of the wind."

"Thanks again."

"No problem…" The gray wolf said, soaking up the final rays of the sun as it set.

Tiberius walked off and returned to the rest of the group. Sasha looked upset somewhat, and Tobi was lost in conversation with the young female. Tib walked over, causing Ember to quickly get up and move a couple of paces away.

"Sasha? Everything okay?" Tiberius laid down beside her. "Hey… you can tell me."

"Oh Tib… I'm sorry…" She sobbed, burying her face in his fluffy warm fur.

'Sorry? Huh, for what?" Tib said, comforting her.

"For causing all of this… it's all my fault… I shouldn't have come… I almost got everyone killed!" she cried against the older wolfs chest. "And on top of all that I'm in HEAT!"

Tiberius kept quite, the best he could do was just be there for her. To be a shoulder she could cry on. Wait… she was in heat? He bent over to sniff the top of her head. CATS! He should have noticed that before, especially considering how strong it was. No wonder those two young males were so interested in her.

"Sasha, it's not you fault… can you forgive me… I should have paid more attention to everything."

"Huh?" She said, looking up, her face stained with tears.

"Sasha, I'm sorry… I wish Mist was here… she could help you."

"That's okay… I have you… what more do I need." She snuggled up against him.

Tiberius settled down, being careful not to disturb the sleeping she-wolf. He placed his head on top of hers, I guess they would be bedding down here tonight. Tib dozed off after few minutes, it had been a long day.

After a while Tib was awoken by someone nudging his shoulder. He rolled over, and looked up at the wolf standing next to him.

"Ember? What is it?" He said, slightly annoyed.

"I had a question?" The pup asked, sitting down on his haunches.

"What's the question?" Tib yawned.

"I uh… what's… what's heat?" The pup asked innocently.

"Really? This late at night?"

"Please?" Ember whined.

"Okay, fine… you listening?"

"Yup."

"Heat is when a she-wolf's body is ready to have pups… they smell different and all the males get interested in her."

"Is that what Sasha has?"

"Um, yeah. Why?"

"She just seemed scared is all."

"I guess it can be scary, the first time. I wouldn't know, she'll get over it."

"I wish I could help." Ember mumbled, lowering his head.

"You can help by giving her space and treating her as if nothing is different, understand?"

"Yes, I understand." Ember said, getting up to return to the spot he had picked to sleep.

"Hey," Tiberius spoke up, making Ember stop and look back. "Thanks for protecting her earlier… If we ever have some down time I'll teach you a thing or two if you'd like…"

"I would like that very much."

"Good, get some rest… there gonna take us to the border of their territory and point us in the right direction in the morning."

"I will, and thanks."

"Good night Ember."

"Good night sir."

Ugh, dang pup was gonna keep calling him that. I guess he could get used to it, maybe. Tiberius dozed settled his head down and tried to get some rest. He heard some movement and lifted his head up and looked over to where Sasha was. She was no longer sleeping, instead sitting up, she looked away from the others. Tib watched her for a minute, silhouetted against the night sky. She slowly got up and walked a few paces before she stopped, looking back.

"Sasha? Where you going?" Tib whispered.

"Huh? Oh, nowhere…"

"Then what are you up to?"

"I… I just felt like being alone for a while."

"I'm gonna have to so no to that."

"What?! Why?"

"Your in heat… and there are other wolves about."

"But, I can be careful," she whined.

"I know you would be, it's the other wolves I don't trust…"

"Oh…."

"Why don't you lay back down here?"

"I guess I could do that…" She walked back over and laid down, her back up against the older wolf.

"Comfortable?"

"Yes… good night Tib," she let out a yawn before drifting off to sleep once more.

"Sleep tight little one…" Tib said softly as he laid his head on top of hers. She was his little angel, he wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for her. He couldn't let anything happen to her, not this time.

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