A Son of Wolves

Chapter 5: The Truth of the Heart

Kate and Humphrey came crashing through the trees and bushes, shouting out in nothing but pure desperation and fear for their son. Leo had already vanished into the trees by the time they saw he'd turned and run away, they didn't even have time to see him go, he was long gone. They ran through the forest and the territory, shouting his name, all day long and never resting. They never stopped, it was the early morning the incident happened, they hadn't heard or found him. They found his scent, but he'd used a clever technique his mother taught him once to hunt. They followed his scent to a nearby stream, only then to lose it after he jumped inside and therefore masking his scent. It wasn't deep, so he wasn't carried downstream in it, they found wet prints, but they too faded after a few steps. They searched and searched, soon joined by Winston, Eve a few hours later. Then as the night drew ever closer, Lily and Garth who refused for Leo to be blamed came to their aid. Tony didn't take back anything he said, he was right about everything, how Leo was the human who was not to save them, but to lead them to their deaths as Garth nearly was. Garth merely snarled in his father's face after having his wounds dealt with and came out to find his nephew with his mate, in-laws and friends.

But the night only drew closer, and several times had they found Leo's scent again, it seemed to be leading in circles, not showing any direction to where he could be going, it just showed he was trying to get away from them. Dusk came in what only felt like a few hours after they first found it. It felt an eternity that they had been searching, but the night came quicker then expected, as did the cold. Kate wasn't going to rest, and neither was Humphrey. They could hear the other calling not far behind them. Unable to keep up due to the worry fuelling them to keep going. "Leo!" Kate yelled. Finally the moment of fear came to her; it's been nearly twelve hours since Leo ran away, now she was ready to break down into tears. Humphrey tried to remain strong for his mate, but he too was struggling to keep himself together. "Leo please!" Kate called as she finally started to cry and hanging her head. Humphrey came to her and wrapped his paws around her and let her cry into his chest.

"It's ok, maybe we should try at home again, he might have gone back."

"We've checked, three times!" She wailed into his fur.

"Kate, maybe we should head back a little." Winston suggested as they caught up. She wiped her nose and Humphrey her cheeks.

"His scent isn't around here." Garth added. "The last we smelt of him he was closer to the dens, we should head back." She nodded and took off past them with Humphrey close beside her and the rest of the family not far behind. Only unbeknown to them, Leo was sat in a tree just beside them, trying not to cry when he saw his family just underneath him.

The trick he learnt from his mother served him well; they didn't smell him up there. He was wet, dirty and cold now that the night was starting to settle in, but now that his family had run away, he was able to let the tears begin to fall again. He wrapped his arms around his knees and cried quietly into them, as he sat back against the tree, but remembering to keep quiet so no-one heard him.

Everything was his fault, nobody wanted him in the pack, he let his Uncle Garth get hurt because of him, he disobeyed his parents and the rest of the pack hates him. He tried ever so hard for as long as he could remember to patch things up with Tony, but no matter how hard he tried, he either made a mess of it of it would only make things worse between them. Now he's hurt his family both physically and mentally, and let the pack hate him as well as his father's friends. Leo loved Salty, Shaky and Mooch, he loved the time he, Humphrey and them went Log sledding and played Omega games. But Leo saw the way they looked at him, like he wasn't one of them anymore. Tony hate campaign against him influenced the entire pack against Leo.

He looked back around and down to the forest floor, no-one was around, so he had the chance to move further away. He wiped his cheeks and carefully climbed down the tree, also making sure to keep his footing quiet; his parents had far better hearing then his. We started walking again, he wasn't sure where, just away from the wrath of Tony and the pack.

What did Tony mean by "run along human?" Leo wasn't a human; he was a wolf, son of Kate and Humphrey who were also wolves. He heard about them when his parents went on their adventure. That they were taken by humans and to a far away place where they then had to walk for a long time and see more humans on the way. He had never seen one before, and he wasn't sure if Tony had, or else he'd clearly see that Leo and Humans weren't the same. Sure Leo knew he was different then the other pups, his parents and the other wolves, but his mother and father always told him that he was a special wolf, one that would one day do something amazing and show the others how special he is. He knew he didn't have a tail, all the fur, or the senses they had, but he still had a small amount of fur, claws, paws and the same colour eyes as his father. But his differences were because his parents always told him he was a special wolf, and one that would do something amazing one day. But why would Tony call him a human? Was it because he hated them, so he called Leo one because he acted like it? Was it because of that, that Tony loathed him to the point Leo reminded him of a human?

Kate and Humphrey ran back to their den, only to see and smell that he hadn't been here recently, the only smells were the old ones of this morning, he hadn't been here since then. Kate choked on a sob, just as the rest came running up to meet them, all panting out of exhaustion. They too saw and smelt that he wasn't here. Kate walked inside the den and towards the spot where they usually slept, scenting the ground where Leo fell asleep that morning. It still smelt of him, now it was the only thing they had of him. The rest of the family walked inside not saying a word as they all sat and stood in a circle, wondering if there was anything they could do. They didn't think Leo was going to be a good Alpha, let alone a wolf, but it turns out he was very good at concealing his scent, something not many Alphas can do. But he was able to pull it off, and he was still a pup.

After minutes of sitting around and Kate quietly crying into Humphrey neck, Sahara peered into the den and seeing what had become of the family. But she bore good news. She coughed, making them all look up at her. "Not now Sahara." Eve muttered.

"I know where he is." She said calmly. Kate shot her head up and was in front of her before anyone saw it.

"Where is he, please tell me." She said quickly and desperately.

"It's better I show you, come on he's not that far." She said turning around and walking away. Kate and Humphrey looked and each other puzzled as to her mysteriousness, but they followed her. Winston, Eve, Lily and Garth stayed behind, feeling that this was something they had to do. They started down the slope, but Sahara slowed to talk to them. "I think it's time he knew who he is."

Leo sat looked down at his reflection in a stream, having a rest from his long walk. Not because he was tired, but because he felt another crying fit start to come on. He quietly cried to himself as he stared at his reflection. He didn't look anything like a wolf, not like any wolf he'd seen anyway. He walked on two paws, not four, he didn't have the fur all over his body, and he didn't have the sharp fangs like Tony showed him all the time. His body looked completely different in every way he thought, it started to make him think, was he a wolf?

Two tears fell off his face and into the stream, making it ripple and hide his reflection. He sniffled and wiped his cheeks as it started to clear; only he saw something else. He looked either side of his reflection, and he could swear he could see his mother and father. That's when he heard a separate sniffle that wasn't him. He looked to his right, his mother sat looking down at him, and to his left was his father, both with damp cheeks and red eyes from how much they had been crying. He took his hand and placed it on Kate's cheek and looked into her pained yet relived eyes, seeing and sensing how much she was hurt and relieved like she had found something she had spent eternity looking for. She took her paw and brushed the back of it against his cheek as a tear fell down her cheek. "I'm sorry mom." Leo muttered as another wave of tears hit him. She let another tear fall down her face as she pulled him to her chest and cried over his shoulder. Humphrey came behind them, wrapping his paws around both of them. "I'm sorry for running away." He sobbed into her fur.

"Don't be sorry." Kate sniffled. "It wasn't your fault; nothing was your fault Leo."

"But the bears chased me and hurt Uncle Garth and made Tony angry and the pack. Everybody hates me."

"Uncle Garth is fine." Humphrey said as they all pulled away. "He's all better and will be fine."

"Grandpa isn't mad, neither is grandma or Aunt Lily, only Tony and you know how he is." Kate added and trying to put a small laugh at the end.

"Tony called me a human." Leo said, making both Humphrey and Kate look at one another. "Why did he call me that?" They didn't look down at him; they couldn't; not now they knew where this was going. They had spoken while they ran here and following Sahara after she saw him climb out the tree. But it was Sahara who answered and stepping out the shadows.

"Leo, you are a very special person, like me and your parents have said." She started making them all look at her. The parents let her speak seeing as they just couldn't bring themselves to tell him. "Leo there's a story in the stars…" She said pointing up to them. "One that says a human will come to the pack and save us. Leo you're not a wolf, you are the human that is meant to save us from the humans." Leo didn't understand. How was he a human? He's a wolf, a child of two wolves and that lives with a pack of them. He wasn't a human. "Human's don't have tails, walk on four paws, have fur all over their bodies or have senses like we do." She continued. "Humans walk on two paws, wear different furs and can take them off; they can't do the things we can do. Human's climb trees and like to touch things, Wolves can't and don't. Do you understand? You're a human." He looked at her, now it all made sense. He could do things his parents and other pups couldn't do and couldn't do things they could. He could climb trees, take his fur on his legs off and back on again. He couldn't hear, see and smell things like the others could, or run as fast or howl like he hears them several times. It now made so much sense to the young boy, he wasn't a wolf. But he didn't understand it, how? He has always been a wolf for as long as he could remember.

"But you're my mommy and daddy." He said looking back and forth from Kate and Humphrey.

"Yes, we are buddy." Humphrey replied. "We are, but sometimes some people look after other wolves children because they can't. You're our son, but we have been looking after you because no-one else could."

"We love you Leo." Kate added and making him look over to her. "We're sorry pup; we were going to tell you some day when you are older. You maybe human, but you are our pup, our son." He crashed himself into his mother's chest, and she put a paw around his back to keep him close.

I'm not angry." He said. "I love you mommy."

"I love you too Leo." She sighed and looking to Humphrey who had a small smile.

"But we need to take you somewhere now Leo." Sahara added and making him look over to her and Humphrey and Kate looked at her as well. They didn't want this to happen, their expressions said it all, it said how they never want to let him go. But they didn't have a choice. A human needs to be with a human, and a wolf with a wolf. Leo needed to be with his own kind, as he should have been. He couldn't go back to the pack, for they all wanted him dead for what he did and could do in the future as their destroyer, not saviour. Kate pulled Leo to her tighter, not wanting to let him go. But when Humphrey tapped her shoulder and they shared a look, she released her grip.

"Where are we going?" Leo asked.

"It'll take a while, we'll show you when we get there." She said turning her back to them and walking away. Leo jumped to his paws and walked beside his parents, behind Sahara. Leo still didn't fully understand what was wrong. He knew he was a human, and that his mother and father were looking after him because no-one else would. But what did they mean by that? Why did no-on else want him? They were his parents, not someone he didn't know. So what if he was Human, Kate, Humphrey, Winston, Eve, Lily and Garth were his family.

They walked into the darkness of the forest, not for long; only two hours did they walk before resting for the night. Sahara was an Alpha and could go on, as could Kate, but Leo was still young, and after running and climbing all day, he was tired. Humphrey was fairing ok, but wouldn't admit that he too was now starting to tire. Kate and Humphrey slept around their son, unbeknown to him, for the last time. Sahara slept on the other side of Humphrey, keeping close after he suggested it due to the cold season beginning to set in. They all needed all the body heat they could muster and share in this cold night.

The next morning, Leo awoke to a rocking sensation, the feeling that he was moving side to side and bumping up and down slightly. He was on Humphrey's back, obviously they were moving again, but to where? He clambered off, and walked by his side for the rest of the day. Leo wanted to play, which they did, It made Kate smile, for she knew this wasn't going to last that much longer so she wanted to make the most of it. Sahara watched as mother, father and son played tag around her, running around trees, through bushes and over logs. She wasn't one for pups, it wasn't that she didn't love them, because she did, it was because she didn't desire her own. She didn't want a mate in her stage of life, nor children, she was happy how she was. She was the same age as Kate and Humphrey, so she still had a few years left. It was when Leo spotted that she was only watching; that he ran up to her and gently shoved her yelling "tag!" before running away. She froze, unsure of what to do. But when she saw Humphrey and Kate running from her, she giggled and started to pursue them.

They played while they followed Sahara, all day, catching breakfast and lunch as well. They played hide and seek, tag, hunter and hunted, I spy, all kind of pup-like games. Their running around only made them reach their destination quicker.

It was when they began to hear voices, belonging to not wolves, but humans from not far away, did they gather Leo back together and the seriousness of this trip come back to them. Kate froze, making Humphrey do also while Leo and Sahara walked on. He nuzzled her neck and said. "He's supposed to be here, with his own kind."

"I guess it's the right thing to do." She muttered as she kept on walking.

"No matter what happens…" He said licking her cheek. "He'll always be our son." A ghost of a smile crept onto her face as they caught up to the others. A few minutes more, and they were where they needed to be. A large yellow box like thing came into view, so they hid behind it and peaked around. They saw a massive human den one that had lots of humans, adults and pups walking and running around in behind a fence. Leo looked on in amazement. Now he fully believed he was a human. He looked at one human pup that looked like his age; pick something up with his paws. He looked down to his paws, seeing they were the same. Not only that, but that they didn't have a tail, sharp fangs, elongated muzzles or fur apart from the part on their heads.

Kate and Humphrey looked down to their son, seeing in his eyes at how amazed he was that there were others like him. Fully of such curiosity and wonder.

"You see." Sahara said making him look up to her. "There are many like you, but none quite as special."

"Leo, we want you to stay here for a while." Humphrey said as soon as he finished, he just wanted to say it before he chickened out and couldn't bear to send his son away. Leo looked up at him, puzzled and confused. "We want you to stay here for a while to learn how to be a human, then we'll come back for you."

"Do I have to?" He asked.

"Yes honey, you do." Kate said. It felt like stones in her heart to say this and send her son away. "Here you'll learn about who and what you are, you'll make friends and learn to be a human."

"Like Alpha School?" He asked.

"Yes, like Alpha School." She giggled lightly as a tear fell down her face. "We'll come back and get you in a week when it's over, but you need to stay here. Can you do that for us?" She was ready to burst out into tears at this point, she never thought or wanted to think that she'd have to send her son away. They were lying; they weren't going to come back. Sahara made a mistake; Leo wasn't the one that would save them from the humans. It's been four years and that has never happened, so it was not meant to be. If it was Leo then she wasn't going to be alive when it was. She only had five years left on her at best, whereas Leo could have ninety five more. If Leo was the one then she wasn't going to see it, unless her project would work. A project she is dying to get the pack leaders permission to start.

Leo looked back out to the human's, still with eyes of wonder as they laughed and played around with things and the adults watching on. He was about to take a step out when Kate stopped him. He turned back to face her while stepping back around the yellow box and she raised her paw. She removed off it something she had spent most of last night and the journey making while they took breaks. It was a small piece of wood, carved into a thin triangle and a smaller triangle in the middle of it filled with golden tree sap. On each point of the triangle, was a single, tiny, letter skilfully carved into it. "L" for Leo at the top, "K" for Kate on the bottom left and "H" for Humphrey on the last bottom right point. Wrapped around the triangle going around and through the centre of it were a sliver fur and a tawny brown strand of fur, one belonging to Humphrey, and the second to Kate. It coiled around the three sides of the triangle, the strands glistening in the sun's light. She thread them through before adding the tree sap which then solidified withing and holding it all together. The triangle was secured to a vine and wrapped around her paw, which she then undone and tied back around his neck as a necklace.

He looked down at it and looked closely at the centre, seeing something else. The middle was filled with the tree sap, only adding more to its beauty. It was skilfully and very cleverly made. "For luck." Kate said pulling him back to her.

"And so you never forget us." Humphrey added and completing the family circle. The parents breathed in his scent, for the final time. Never had they wanted to smell him like this or held him this tightly. The laugh of a human she-pup close by made them stop and looked back to make sure they weren't seen. They split apart, and Leo walked towards Sahara to hug her quickly.

"See you around kiddo." She giggled. He pulled away only moments later and after giving and getting a final kiss from his parents, he walked around the corner and towards the pups. Humphrey, Kate and Sahara peeked back around, seeing him bravely yet sheepishly walking towards the masses of humans. He was stopped when he came to a fence, and all he did was stand and look through it seeing as he couldn't get through. A few other pups came towards him on the other side of the fence and started talking to him; they were shortly followed by the adults, which made Kate and Humphrey worry, not knowing what they'd do. They ushered the pups away and knelt down to speak to Leo, they couldn't hear what was being spoken, but the body language of the human suggested he was friendly. Leo nodded, shook his head and spoke from what they could see before the adult guided him along the fence and through a part that seemed to open. He took Leo by the hand and led him through the pups who stared and laughed at him, before leading him inside the den. Leo stopped and looked back at his parents. Kate waved to him with tears streaming down her face as well as Humphrey's, and he waved back before walking inside with the adult and the door shut.

The next day, sometime after midday, Tony was riling up the pack for the third time since Leo ran away. Winston, Eve, Garth and Lily sat on the rise watching helplessly as Tony was cheered and howled for his speech about how trusting humans wasn't going to work, that if any come near the pack then they are a danger and should be put down on sight. The pack agreed, especially after what Leo did. Garth tried to persuade them that it wasn't his fault and Winston tried to talk sense into Tony, but neither worked. They looked on with disbelief as Tony was cheered and applauded. But that was brought to a stop when Kate, Humphrey and Sahara walked back into the Valley.

The Pack turned to face them, while Winston, Eve, Tony and Garth raced down and around to embrace them. It was over shortly when Tony came barrelling through the crowd, but to his surprise, Leo wasn't with them. "Where's the human?" He demanded.

"He's gone." Humphrey replied. The crowd gasped, and Tony's eyes widened while the pack conversed quietly amongst themselves.

"Gone where?" Some yelled from the crowd.

"Back to where he belongs, to the humans!" Sahara yelled. Winston looked down to his daughter in his paws, and she nodded up to him, confirming it was true before pulling her back to him.

"So now you see that I was right and you were wrong." Tony chuckled.

"You were never right Tony!" Kate spat, making the crowd once again gasp at her ferocity. "He was my son, and because of you we had to send him away. Because of you we can't have what we want more then anything in the world." She said before crying into Humphrey's neck.

"No!" He snarled. "Because of me I have assured the pack's safety, I have made sure the pack live the see another day before bears come back into the pack. Because of me, we no longer have a human in our midst!" He was appalled with cheers and howled as the pack behind him agreed.

"You just said it yourself!" Sahara replied. "You just admitted yourself that humans are a danger to us, so after we find the one that could possibly be the one to save us from them, you turn him down and send him away. Now we're all at their mercy."

"No-one believes your foolish pup stories, how and why would a human save us?" He snickered.

"Because he believes he's a wolf." She answered quickly. "Because he thinks he's one of us and therefore has the power to make the humans see that if we're not a danger to them then they won't be a danger to us. But you being so blind you didn't see that did you?" The pack couldn't believe what they had done. Sahara was right, Leo didn't have to do anything to save them, just be around them. If the humans saw that Leo was with them and that they weren't hurting him in any way, then they'd see that they weren't a threat to the humans and therefore the humans would leave them alone. If it came to where the humans and wolves fought, then Leo would fight for them, helping them in numbers and human strength. They had just scared off their chance at being truly safe from the humans, from being possibly gunned down by hunters in the morning or taken like Kate and Humphrey. They all started talking amongst themselves, now seeing that what they did was foolish. It wasn't Leo that nearly cost them their lives, it was they. Because of Tony, his actions and words and the pack agreeing with him, they have now put themselves and their pups in danger. Tony even stared to see that he had done wrong, that it was his fault they were in this mess, but he wasn't going to see it that way.

"We can fight the humans!" He yelled trying to win back the pack. "We are many and they are a few, we are smart and they are stupid, we can fight them if they come near." His speech didn't get answered, for the first time, no-one agreed with him.

"Can you find him again?" Salty asked stepping forwards with Shaky and Mooch.

"He's with the humans now guys, he's not coming back." Humphrey answered while embracing Kate. "Even if he was going to save us and the humans did come, we'd die of old age before he did. He's still only a pup; we'll be dead before he's the size of a full grown human."

"Not necessarily." Sahara interjected, making all eyes fall on her.

"What do you mean Sahara?" Winston asked.

"I knew that we'd grow and age faster then the humans, that we'd all be dead by the time he's grown up. So for the last four years, I've been finding things the make something that can help us with it, something that will allow us the see him again."

"What is it?" Kate asked after finally settling.

"It's a recipe passed down my family through generations, one that stops the body's growth and aging process for a period of time. I finished it a few days ago, but I was going to wait and get permission before using it." For once, the pack of many fell silent, no-one saying a word in the awkward silence that shrouded her.

"Does it work?" Someone called out from the pack.

"It's believed to give the person who consumed it ten more years. I once had an ancestor believed to have taken it and lived to see and celebrate her ninetieth birthday." Once more the pack erupted in gasps. But the question that followed, would anyone be willing to take it?

"I'll take it." Kate said stepping forward.

"So will I." Humphrey said following after.

"Us too." Garth added with Lily by his side. They were followed by Winston and Eve, then one by one and two by two, the rest of the pack followed suit. Tony was left to stand on his own while they were led to Sahara's den to take this recipe she made. He sighed and shook his head and followed after them. They were foolish to listen to him, they caste out their only chance of protection from the humans. But no longer were they going to be foolish, no longer were they going to listen to Tony, now they were going to wait for Leo to return and save them from the humans, even if they waited ten years.

A heartbreaking chapter me thinks, what do you reckon? Leo's gone back to the humans, where he belongs and Kate and Humphrey are back where they started, pupless and alone. Will Sahara's recipe work? Will Leo ever return? Let's hope so. Can i just say, i know it's a crappy idea about the recipe, but it was the only thing i could think of that let them be with Leo (assuming he comes back) still be young. Had i not, then all the main characters would be dead and the story wouldn't be much of an A&O fanfic would it? Sorry if you think it's a crap idea.

On another note, i can't help but be remembered that i put my last story "Children of the Starnik" up as an M rated story, when there wasn't really any need for it. So i'm stuck with a decision i'd like my regular reviewers to answer, but anyone else can as well, those that have read my other stories. Do i write a chapter or two within or add to a chapter a lemon, or do i put it down to a T rating? If you think a mating scene should be in it, would someone like to write it? I'm not good at the whole sex scene thing. I could, but i'd make a mess of it, so i'm giving someone the chance to write a small chapter, at any point of the story, or make up a whole new thing. For those that have read it, you could do JackXMyka, ScottXRosie, LupaXFaolan, or DakotaXChance...any of the couples. Or you can be weird and do a completely different chapter that'll go up as another story like some cheating thing or a even weirder thing like LupaXDakota seeing as how "close" they were. Or FaolanX Myka, just try and add it into the story somewhere. For example, in season four when Lupa and Dakota were lying beside the water after admitting they don't care about what they tell one another, things could go a completly differnt way, if you know what i mean. ;) Would anyone like to do that? Let me know. Until then, i'm more heading towards putting down as a T rating. So until tomorrow morning folks. :) The FalconWolf