When I woke the next day, it was past noon already. I yawned and sat up to stretch, reliveing my cramped muscles. I looked down at Lilly and she was still asleep, smiling and purring. I leaned down and kissed her and walked outside for some water. I sat next to the creek and started drinking, feeling like someone was watching me. I looked up to see two glowing eyes in a bush in front of me across the creek. I backed up and got into a defencive stance, ready for a fight.
"Come out of there! I can see you!" I yelled, backing up. Suddenly a grey and white wolf jumped out at me, tackling me onto my back. He stood over me, growling. "What are you doing at my den?" he yelled, snarling in my face.
"Your den!? I've lived here for over two years with my mate and kids!" I calmy said. He growled even louder and said "Bullshit! I lived here for 4 months!" I was confused and said "You're mistaken, friend...How far was your den from the feeding grounds?"
"About 3 miles...Why?" he asked, angry. "This den is just under 2 miles...I think you got a little lost." I said. I looked off to my side to see a flash of white broadside the wolf, knocking him off me and into the water.
"What the fuck are you doing here attacking my mate!?" Lilly yelled at him. He climbed out and went to jump at her, but I got in front of him, stopping him. He looked at me and then at Lilly and suddenly stopped moving.
"L-Lilly?" he asked, astounded. "How do you know my name!?" she yelled, backing up. "I-it's me...Ratchet...You don't remember me?" he asked. Lilly thought for a couple moments and said "Is it really you? I thought you were killed!?" she asked, confused. I was shocked but decided to let them talk.
"I don't believe it! You're alive!" she yelled, running over and tackling him. She licked his cheek, upsetting me. "Lilly! What the hell!?" I asked. She turned to look at me and said "Cody, this is Ratchet...He's one of my best friends!" she said, smiling widely.
"I missed you, Lilly! How've you been?" he asked, getting up. "Great. This is my mate, Cody." she said. I nodded and said "Nice to meet you...I guess." "I'm sorry about attacking you. I thought this was my den..." he said, hanging his head.
"It's alright friend...How do you two know each other?" I asked, still confused. "Lilly and I grew up together here. I was out one day with her on a walk and I got attacked by two other wolves. I thought I was going to die. They knocked me out and took me to some other place. I've spent the last year and a half finding my way back here." he said.
"Wow...I'm sorry to hear that, Ratchet. How did Lilly not get taken?" I asked. "I tried to fight them off while she ran home, but they overpowered me. They didn't go after Lilly, luckily."
"I ran back to Mom and Dad's den and told them about it. They sent a search party out, but couldn't find your scent after a couple days. We all assumed you were dead..." Lilly said, tearing up. I hugged her to comfort her when Ratchet asked "So, you two are mates?"
I nodded and said "And we have kids. What about you? Any family?" He started looking sad and said "I had a son with a wolf where I was taken, but he died from sickness...She died from falling off a cliff." He laid down and started to cry. Lilly walked over to comfort him and said "I'm so sorry, Ratchet...I'm sure they were great." He nodded and said "They were...My son looked just like me...Carol looked a lot like you, but had orange on her paws and tail."
"Have you talked to Winston and Eve yet? I'm sure they'd like to know you're alive." I said. He shook his head and said "No, not yet. Would you guys mind taking me over to see them?"
"Of course. Maybe on the way over we'll run into our kids..." Lilly said, smiling. He got up and said "Thanks...Winston was always like a father to me..."
"Didn't you have any parents when you were growing up?" I asked. "No, my mom and dad left me in this pack just after I was born. Winston took me in and helped me out." he said.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Come on, let's go see them. It's a bit of a walk." Lilly said. We all started walking to their den and about halfway there, we saw Krystal and Jake sitting under a tree, kissing
I cleared my throat and they looked over at us. "Oh, hey guys...Uh, who's this?" she asked, looking at Ratchet. "Krystal, this is Ratchet...He's an old childhood friend of mine. This is my daughter and her boyfriend, Jake." Lilly said. "Nice to meet you two. I must say, you two make a cute couple." he said, smiling at them.
"Well, thank you. And Mom, he's my mate...Not just my boyfriend anymore." Krystal said, laughing. "Oh, right...Excuse me. Mate...Better?" Lilly asked, laughing. Krystal and Jake nodded and I said "We're headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's den. You guys wanna join us?"
"No thanks, Dad. Mom I would like to talk to you in a little bit, though." Krystal said. "Okay, we'll only be a few minutes." she said. We walked off to the den and went inside. Winston saw Ratchet and got in front of Eve, defending her.
"Who's this!?" he asked. "Dad, this is Ratchet...Remember?" Lilly asked. Winston studied him for a minute and said "We thought you were dead! How've you been?"
"Good, but could've been better..." he said, getting sad again. "Why's that, if you don't mind me asking." Eve said, getting up. "When I was attacked they took me to another pack where I lived for a while. I had a mate and son, but they both died..." he said, laying down and starting to cry. Eve's eyes went wide and she went over to him.
"I'm so sorry! How long were you there?" she asked, rubbing his back. "A little over a year...I've been searching for a long time for this place again." he said, wiping his eyes. "Well, it's great to have you back...Have you met Cody and their kids yet?" Eve asked. He nodded and said "Yeah, I've met Krystal and Jake so far...how many others do you guys have?"
"Just one other...Our son, Onyx. He's probably off with his girlfriend right now. In fact, let me howl for him..." I said, walking outside and howling. A few minutes later, Onyx and Amber came running up the slope to me. "Hey, Dad...what's up?" he asked, panting.
"I need you to come inside for a minute." I said, walking in. "Amber is welcome, too." We all walked back in and sat next to Lilly. "Onyx, Amber...This is Ratchet. An old childhood friend." Lilly said. They all shook paws and Onyx said "Nice to meet you. I've never seen you here before." Ratchet told his story, leaving Amber with watery eyes.
"That's so sad! I'm sure they'd be glad to know you made it back home, though." she said, wiping her eyes. "Thanks. That really means a lot to me." he said. "Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?" I asked. "I was trying to find my old den when I came across you guys. Would you mind helping me find it?" he asked.
"Of course! Let's go. Should take too long." Lilly said. "You guys go back to...uh, whatever you were doing." Amber blushed and said "Okay...Come on, Onyx. Let's go for a walk." He nodded and followed her outside. I heard her wisper to him "Do you think they know?" He shrugged and they walked off.
"Hang on you two. Before you leave I'd like to speak with you for a minute." Eve said to us. "Ratchet, can you wait outside? It will only take a minute."
"Sure, Eve. I'll be waiting under the ledge." He said, walking outside. "What is it, Mom?" Lilly asked. "Have you come into heat yet?" she asked. Lilly looked at me and said "I don't think so. Why?"
"Because a lot of others have a couple days ago. Have you been feeling well?" she asked. "Yeah, I've been feeling fine. Except last night. My belly was feeling real warm. I noticed it just after we ma-" she said, suddenly stopping. Eve looked at me, making me nervous. She got up and walked over to Lilly and put her paw on her belly.
"You still are warm...Mine is too. I just came into heat last night..." she said, sitting down. Lilly's eyes went wide and she asked "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. You could get pregnant again." she said, smiling. Lilly and I looked at each other and she said "But...We aren't ready for more kids yet." I hugged her and said "If you think about, we kinda are. Krystal is getting married, Onyx might be too...And they might decide to live with their mates now."
She thought for a moment and said "You know what? I think you're right...If they do move out, it's going to be real lonely there with just us." I nodded and said "If you're ready then so am I." She nodded and Eve said "Well, I just wanted to inform you. I'll let you two go help Ratchet."
"Thanks, Mom. Let's go." Lilly said, turning around. We walked outside and down to where Ratchet was. "So, ready to go?" I asked. He nodded and said "Yep. So, what was going on?"
"Just family matters. Nothing too important." Lilly said, smiling. He nodded and said "I think I might know where it is. I remember a big rock hill on the side of the creek..." I thought for a moment and said "I know where you're talking about. The creek is a little deep there. That's not too far."
We walked off towards it and after a while walking along the creek, found it. It looked very small...smaller then our den. "Sure it's big enough for you? You've gotten a lot bigger since you were a pup." Lilly said. "Yeah, it's fine. I still fit pretty well. I'll have to find a bigger one later on if I find a girl..." he said, laying down inside. "I thank you guys for helping me. Lilly, I'd really like to catch up later. It's been a long time since we talked."
"I'd like that too, Ratchet. Do you mind if Cody comes along?" she asked, smiling. "Not at all. I'm going to take a nap for a while. I'm tired from walking all day." he said, laying his head down. "Okay, Bug. See you later!" Lilly said as we walked back home. When we were out of sight of him, I turned to Lilly.
"Bug? What's that mean?" I asked. She giggled and said "That's what everyone called him. He was always bugging others. He used to call me Shine." I smiled and said "And with good reason..." She gave me a quick kiss and said "I really missed him over the years...I'm really happy he's back home." We walked inside our den and laid down, nuzzling each other.
"Do you think I'm going to be pregnant?" she asked. I smiled and said "I don't know...But I'll be happy if you are! Why don't we call the kids home and tell them about it?"
"Good idea. I'm sure they'd like to know they might be getting siblings." she said. I walked outside and howled for them. I sat down and waited until they got there. A few minutes later, they came into view with Jake and Amber.
"Hey, Dad. What's up?" Onyx asked, sitting down with Amber. Krystal laid down with Jake outside the den. "Your mother and I have some potenially good news." I said. "Let's go inside. You two are welcome inside as well." We all walked in and laid down with our partners and Krystal asked "So, what's going on?"
"Well, honey...I might be pregnant again!" Lilly said, tail wagging. Onyx and Krystal's ears perked up and he said "Really!? That's great, Mom! I've always wanted a little brother." "And I'd love a little sister!" Krystal said.
"I'm glad you guys are happy about it...Just one question for you two." I said, looking at Krystal and Jake. "Yeah, Dad?" she asked. "Are you in heat yet?" I asked. She blushed and said "Yeah, I am...Yesterday afternoon."
"Have you two mated since then?" Lilly asked. Jake blushed madly and Krystal said "Yes, we have...I'm sorry, guys."
"For what?" we both asked at the same time. "I could be pregnant too and we're not even married yet." she said, hanging her head. Jake pulled her into a hug and said "We will be soon, love. If you're pregnant, then I'm here for you. I'd really love to become a Dad." She looked up at him and said "Really? You do?" He nodded and said "I've been thinking about it a while and was actually going to ask you later if you ever wanted to have pups."
"Well, to answer your question, yes I would!" she said, licking his neck. He smiled and put his head on hers and said "You'll be a great mother..." Lilly and I smiled at them and Onyx motioned for me to come outside with him. "I'll be right back, Lilly. Onyx and I are going outside." I said, kissing her. Onyx gave Amber a quick kiss and we walked out and over to the creek so no one could hear us.
"What's up, son?" I asked, sitting next to him. "I'm going to ask Amber to marry me." he said, smiling proudly. I gave him a hug and said "That's great! Just so you know, Humphrey saw you two the other day at the pond..." He blushed madly and said "H-he did?" I nodded and said "Yeah, but don't worry. No one is upset with you two. I knew it would happen sooner or later. We heard you two howl as well."
"Yeah, I knew someone would hear us...We could hear you and Mom as well as Krystal and Jake. I never knew you guys howled so well...Made ours sound bad." he said, laughing. I rubbed his back and said "You guys' howl was amazing! The entire mountain was silent when you two howled."
"Wow, really?" he asked. I nodded and said "Really. It was THAT good!" "Thanks, Dad. She was afraid it wasn't as good as the others." he said, smiling. "Well tell her I said that. When are you going to ask her?" I asked. "Tonight. I found a secluded spot right under the full moon at midnight. It's perfect..." he said. "Good. Let's get back to the den. Don't tell Amber anything I said except about the howl." I said, hugging him. "Okay, Dad." he said and we walked back inside to our mates.
"So, what was all that about?" Amber asked, kissing him. "Just guy talk. I told him you didn't think our howl was very good." he said, smiling. "It wasn't...I could've done better but I was nervous." she said, blushing. "Are you kidding me? It was fantastic. It silenced the entire mountain!" Lilly said. "Really? Thanks! I didn't think I sounded good." she said, smiling.
"Believe me, It was amazing." I said. We all talked for a while longer until it was getting dark. "Well, we're going to go get something to eat. See you guys later." Krystal said, getting up with Jake.
"Okay, see you guys later. What about you two? Going to go eat now?" Lilly asked. Onyx smiled and asked "Do you want to, babe? I'm not hungry right now."
"I'm good. Had a bit of a late lunch today." she said. "How about we go for a walk then?" he asked, smiling at me. "Sure! Where to?" she asked. "Just around the feeding grounds. I found a nice place to swim if you want to." he said.
"That sounds good! It's been a little while since I went swimming last." she said, standing up. Onyx stood up next to her and rushed out of the den, excited. "Woah, calm down! We'll get there...What's got you so excited?" she asked, laughing. "I really wanna go swim." he said, tail going a mile a minute. "Okay, calm down. Let's go before you break your tail off!" she said, laughing.
They walked off and toward the feeding grounds and when they were out of sight Lilly asked "What got him so excited?" I smiled and said "You heard him...He really wants to go swimming."
"I know when you're lying. What did you two talk about?" she asked, playfully putting her jaws around my neck. I laughed and said "He's going to ask her to marry him!" Lilly got surprised and accidentally bit down on my neck, driving her teeth in. I let out a raspy yelp and pushed her off, holding my neck. There was blood on her teeth.
"OH MY GOD! Please be alright!" she yelled. I was holding my neck, trying to stop some of the bleeding. Lilly ran outside and howled for her parents. She ran back in put her paws on my neck to help stop it. Eve and Winston arrived and ran inside to us, seeing me bleeding badly.
"What happened?" Eve asked, scared. Lilly shook her head and said "Not right now! We need to help him before he dies!" She was starting to cry and Winston ran over to me and picked me up on his back. He ran back to their den carrying me, blood dripping onto the ground the entire way. Almost halfway there, I started to pass out. All I remember before that was Lilly running behind me, crying heavily.