A/N: Well, here it is, the finale of Lone Wolf's New Life! It's not going to be an easy chapter, trust me...I had to stop and take a breather to keep from crying multiple times! I'm sure you guys wanted more, but it's about time to end it. I apologize to anyone that gets disappointed by me ending it here, but it's that time. Hope you all enjoy the new and final chapter!
Ten Years Later – Overall POV
It's been ten years now since Lilly and Cody's kids had gotten married to their mates. Onyx and Amber have had three litters of two pups each and Krystal and Jake had two litters of two, then three pups. Eve and Winston's son, Colt, became an Alpha and a really good one, too! He and the girl he married, Claire, became the new pack leaders when Winston and Eve passed on.
Lilly and Kate were heartbroken, to say the least. They never even got a chance to say goodbye to their parents…..The four of them were down in Sawtooth National Wilderness on a little vacation when it happened. The only way they found out was by Hutch, even in his old age, running to inform them since he knew exactly where they'd went in the park. The next few years after that were sorta downhill from there.
Kate and Humphrey seemed to be getting tired of each other and were arguing a lot more. It finally got to the point where they divorced, but they still were in love with each other. As many times as Humphrey tried to apologize, Kate just turned him away, which got him seriously depressed over time. Enough that he commited suicide by jumping off a waterfall with her watching. She was devasted and always believed she was the cause, but Lilly and Cody kept telling her it was his choice and not her fault.
She never got remarried or tried to find another mate after that. The day after she turned eleven years old, she passed in their den, telling everyone not to worry and that she'd be with Humphrey and her parents again now. Lilly cried and cried for a week straight, only stopping once in a while to eat a tiny bit of food or get some water.
A year after Kate died, Lilly and Cody did as well, peacefully in their sleep together. Onyx and Krystal found them dead the morning after they did, heartbroken as well. They took it a little better then Lilly and Kate did their parents, but it was still extremely hard on them. At least they got to see them one last time before they passed, which is what they wanted.
Krystal and Jake had relocated with their kids to Sawtooth a month after, feeling they needed a change before they too passed. Nobody has heard from them for over six months now, so everyone assumes they have already.
The Western and Eastern packs united again after splitting apart for a short while, thanks to Garth and his mate, Luna. They became the Eastern leaders after Tony passed, only a short time after the packs initially united. The combined packs were able to work together efficiently for food and the entire territory became caribou-rich once again, providing more then enough for all the wolves.
In the main pack leader's den, Eve and Winston's old one, Onyx and Amber were laying inside with Colt and Claire. They were discussing the territory border security to help keep unwanted ones out. The conversation started to drift onto the topic of how much time they all had left, and that's where we join them.
Onyx's POV
"I know I'm getting old….I'm almost 12 now. I can feel my day is coming…." I said, a small smile on my weary, elderly face. Amber was smiling too and said "I know, I feel it too for me….Just promise me one thing, okay?"
I nodded and said "Anything, sweetheart…." She nuzzled me and said "Wait for me….I want us to go at the same time so we don't miss a second together…." I smiled more and nuzzled her back, tears in my eyes and said "I'll try my hardest, you know I will…."
Claire was on the verge of crying and said "I can't believe this is happening! You two can't go yet! We'll be the only one's left from our generation!" Colt weakly smiled and said "They know, hun….It's not like they can control it."
She sniffed and said "Well, when you feel it's finally time, we want to be with you….It's the least we can do." Amber and I both nodded, her saying "We will. Thank you…." Colt hugged us and said "Don't mention it, old man…." I chuckled and said "Alright, kid….Amber, you feel like going for a little walk?"
She smiled a little and said "Yeah, that sounds good right now. I need to keep moving around before I completely can't anymore." We all laughed a little and I said "Okay, love. We'll see you two after while, okay?"
"Okay, we've gotta go check in on a patrol team now anyway." Claire said as they got up. Amber and I did too, my back popping and cracking as I did. "Oof….Seems everyday it gets a bit worse…." I said, twisting my back a little to relieve the slipping discs.
"See you guys in a bit." Amber said as we walked out of the den and down the slope. "So, where do you think we should go?" I asked, looking around. She shrugged and said "Where ever we feel like….How about our little secret spot?" I smiled and said "Oh, that one? The one were Damien and Nava and made?"
She giggled and said "Yeah, that one! I know we can't really do anything, but it'd be good to just relax there again….I always feel like nothing's wrong when I'm there…." I nuzzled her and said "Then let's go! Sounds like a good plan to me." We walked off together to the river and upstream to where our spot was hidden behind a small waterfall.
We made it there about ten minutes later and as soon as we walked in, she smiled and breathed a content sigh, saying "I love it here…." I smiled too and said "So do I….So peaceful…." She laid down on the cool dirt with me right beside her.
"Onyx?" She asked, laying her head against mine. "Yes, love?" I asked, licking her cheek. She had a tear in her eye and said "I know our time is soon….I think mine's gonna be today…." I turned to look at her and said "Don't say that….You've still got plenty of time left in you."
She weakly smiled and said "As much as I want to accept that, I know it's not true….Just promise me you'll stay with me when it happens." I started to get choked up and said "I….I promise….I love you, Amber! Until the end of time!"
She deeply kissed me and I returned it, making her purr a little. We continued kissing for a while, tears running down both our cheeks and dripping onto the ground. We spent at least twenty minutes kissing, trying to make every second count.
She pulled back and smiled, saying "I love you too, Onyx….In this life and the next, no matter what happens…." I gently pulled her close to me, pressing myself against her. She purred and laid her head down, softly saying "Howl for Colt and Claire…." I tried to fight back tears as I nodded and got up, going just outside the den and letting out a howl for them to come quickly. They knew where our spot was, so they'd have no trouble finding us. I went back over to her and laid back down, feeling her starting to get colder. "You told me to wait for you….Now I'm telling you to wait for me." I said, putting my paw to her cheek.
She weakly smiled and said "I'm trying…." I kissed her nose and a few minutes later, Colt and Claire came running in, panting heavily. "We heard you, Onyx….What's going on?" He asked. I turned to them and whispered "It's her time…."
Claire's eyes went wide and they came over to us, laying down beside us. "Are you sure?" Claire shakily asked. Amber nodded and said "I'm sure….I can't fight it any longer then I have…." They both started to cry a bit and Amber and I started kissing, making damn sure we made her last bit of time worth it.
I don't know how much later it was since time seemed to slow down as we waited until she pulled back and weakly said "See you soon, love…." I started to break down as she closed her eyes, taking a couple more breaths until she suddenly stopped. That's when I completely lost it and started crying as hard as I could into her neck.
"Amber….I love you…." I whispered, tears soaking her fur. Colt and Claire were crying too, embracing each other. I lifted my head a couple minutes later, putting my paw to her neck and feeling she really was gone. I sniffed and said "I-I can't believe it….My soulmate is gone….She's gone…."
Claire hugged me and said "It's okay, she in a better place now….Much better then here….You'll be with her again in due time." I nodded and said "I know….Thank you, both of you….I'm sure you have something you need to be doing, but I'd really appreciate it if you stay a little longer. I'm going to go to sleep and I'm not so sure I'll wake up…."
"Of course we'll stay. You've been like a brother to me and I love you…." Colt said, hugging me. I smiled a little and said "Thanks….I'm coming, love…." I laid my head down next to Amber's, closing my eyes and rather quickly falling asleep and could hear them both crying a little as I did.
It felt like only a few seconds later that I opened my eyes to a bright white light, telling me the inevitable has happened. I started to get up, feeling like a had a brand new body with no pain and cracking back anymore. I looked myself over to see my fur wasn't faded grey anymore, but back to my original colors.
"Hey, you!" I heard Amber's voice say, giggling. I looked up to see her standing in front of me a ways, looking as beautiful as the first day we met. "A-Amber!? Is that you?" I asked in disbelief. She nodded and said "Yep, it's me! So, you were serious when you said you were coming, hmm?"
I smiled and said "Must have been….I'm dead now, aren't I?" She nodded again and said "Yeah, we are….But, don't worry, it's not as bad as it seems. Come on…." I smiled more and started walking to her, her tail wagging and the light getting brighter and brighter.
Colt's POV
I put my paw to Onyx's neck, feeling his heartbeat had faded away along with his breathing. I sniffed and said "He's gone…." Claire wiped her eyes and said "At least they went peacefully, and with each other…." I nodded and said "True. We should go get a couple others to help us bury them….This was there most favorite spot in the entire territory, so we'll do it here along with a small funeral."
"Good idea. Let's go announce what happened and see who'll help us." She said, getting up along with me. We started to walk out of the den-like area and I looked back at them, smiles on both their faces, which made me smile a little too.
We walked back to the feeding ground area where everyone was and went up the slope of our den to where we announce meetings from. "Everyone, we need you attention!" I yelled, everyone stopping what they were doing and looking up at us.
"Thank you. About ten minutes ago, the last of the previous generation passed….Onyx and Amber. They went peacefully in their sleep in an area they loved to relax at. If anyone would help us, we need to bury them there and do a small funeral for them." I said, tears running off my face. As soon as I finished talking, nearly everyone started to volunteer, making Claire and I smile a little.
"We only need two or three to help, but you can all be there for the funeral." Claire said, wiping her nose. Three of the Omega's came up the slope, the first of them saying "We'll help bury them….It's the least we can do for Onyx. He was kinda our mentor, if you will…."
"Thanks, guys….If everyone who's coming will follow us, please?" I asked as we went back down the slope and back toward the den where they were. It was about a ten minute walk back, mostly everyone whispering to each other about Onyx and Amber.
"They outlived everyone from their time…." We heard one wolf say. "They deserve much more then just a funeral…." Another said and so on and so on until we got there. Claire and I along with the omegas went inside and started digging to graves right beside each other.
We finished soon after and gently laid their bodies in them, covering them again with the dirt. Claire and I sat down and she said "Thank you guys for helping….We'd like to say something before everyone goes back…."
"Onyx was like a brother to me….The both of us always having fun together, even after my Alpha School. No matter what either of us were doing, we found time to hang out. He took after his father in so many ways, who came into this pack as a lone wolf." I said, taking a breath to help the choking feeling.
"He found his new life here and changed pretty much everyone's life, even if he didn't know it. His mate, Lilly was one of the first, the both of them falling in love since day one." I said, tears in my eyes. I tried to go on, but just couldn't without crying. Claire smiled a little and said "I suppose you can thank everything how it is today to that lone wolf….Everything is how it is because of the lone wolf's new life….."
Well, there it is, the official end of LWNL. I'm not happy about it, and I'm sure you guys aren't either. Please, review on it and also PLEASE recommend and pass it on to others to read if you can! I'm glad I got to be able to do this for you all...You have no idea how it makes me feel knowing at least most of you enjoyed it!