Whoa, two chapters in one day... who would have guess that!

My creativity is advancing at full speed.

Rovio decided to add this story to his favourite ones... Thanks for the support, man! I really appreciate that.

However, as always, three are my requests: Read, Enjoy and Review!

Chapter 8: Tragic Memories, Part Two

A couple of weeks has passed since Valen and Grin had met, they couldn't be happier. They spent all days playing games, chasing each others. Valen was really happy, he finally knew what it meant to be a father: Grin seemed to be a perfect child, one that everyone wanted to have. Grin, on the other hand, was living those carefree days that he had been denied in the other pack: he laughed non-stop, free from oppressions and persecutions of all kinds. They often lied down on their backs to observe stars, when sky were cloudless, trying to find pictures of the stars, and this night was one of that nights.

Nights were getting colder, day after day, but they were wolves, their fur kept them warm, and they used to sleep next to each other to share their body heat, or rather to keep Grin warm. They really looked like just father and son. Valen was truly having good times with him.

They both were facing the endless, cloudless, dark night sky, waiting for stars to shine.

"So this is the true joy of having a child of whom my old friends continued to speak of" Valen thought to him. "It's truly the most amazing thing that happened to me… i've never felt so full of joy in my entire life… If only I had knew the truth… If only I had acted more rationally that time…"

Tears silently were falling down his cheeks, thinking about those absolutely wrong events…

FLASHBACK

"What he did just say? My wife's pregnant…how is that possible… I didn't see her for about a month..."He thought, trying to hide his astonishment as much as possible. "Did she just… no, it's not possible, she couldn't… could she…?"

"Uh…oh thanks Iko, but tell me, can I see her now?" He managed to ask, in a slightly annoyed tone
"Hmm… i suggest you to let her rest… I think she's really tired, both physically and psychologically…" Iko answered him in his quiet voice tone.

"Ah ok… however i think i'm gonna take care of some business, do you mind to tell her to go to our den and wait for me there?"

"Of course, sir"

"Okay, I really appreciate your help"

"Don't mention it, sir, it's my job and my duty" He bowed slightly to show Valen his respect, and Valen nodded in approval. He then moved to main ground, and while he was pacing to get there, he thought what to do.

"She couldn't have betrayed me… I think she loved me…" He thought to himself, some tear escaping from his eyes.

Then sadness was replaced with surprise as sudden realization that hit him like a brick: "Where she had been all this time, huh? She trained new Alpha recruits… And she wanted to test their…"resistance" in a very tiring discipline… but they haven't taken proper precautions, who knows, perhaps due to hurry to satisfy their animalistic needs… and here we are: she got impregnated by another wolf. Now I understand everything, why she was so excited to be assigned to recruiting new Alphas… Now i got all of your dirty plans and games you do behind my back… I'm gonna make him pay for all…THIS!"

Suprise was immediately replaced by anger, and revenge's desire.

He arrived to his pack's main ground, and howled a summoning howl esclusively for Alphas. In few instants, all Alphas were around him, including just-returned new Alphas.

"Brothers, I have summoned you there because i wanted to have a private chat with new Alphas, to make me congratulate to them for their achievement and to wish them some things, as a routine."

Older Alphas chuckled, and left, returning to perform their previous assignments, while new Alphas were staying over there, ready to listen to his speech.

"Girls, i think we have to postpone your… "speech", i think my wife is better suited to talk you to… such woman things, and i know she'd love to talk to you personally about… these things…" Valen said to them, arousing some womanish giggling amongst them. So woman began to leave the main ground, leaving four new male alpha recruits.

"All of you, come with me" He said in a changed tone of voice. "We're gonna talk about this in a more isolated place". New male alpha wolves looked at each one another, and decided to follow their Alpha leader. They walked for about ten minutes, until they stopped into a small clearing.

Valen, the Alpha Leader, turned to them, while he had assumed a very scary frown, and begin to speak:
"Do you all know Oya , don't you?"

"Yes" one of them said, "She was our teacher in Alpha school, and of course, your wife,sir, but why you asking us such an obvious thing?"

"Well, because she's PREGNANT now…"

Their face lit up: "Oh, sir,congratulations!"one said, "It's wonderful!" another one said. They began even to howl in happiness.

"SHUT UP!" He said, full of wrath.

"I know… I know the father is one of you…And if responsible won't come out, I assure you that you will not leave alive this clearing…" He began to crouch in a fighting stance, ready to know the truth.

Wolves gulped in fear, and one stuttered to Valen: "S-sir, but i-it's a j-joke, i-isn't it?

Valen was slowly losing his mind: "Time for jokes had ended from the moment you set foot in Alpha School… if responsible has gut, come forward…Or all of you won't see dawn of the next day, i assure you".

Wolves were slowly backing away, but this action had sent to him a loud and clear signal: they know the culprit. Anger overwhelmed him, causing him to lose every shred of humanity. He launched himself with no mercy on the unfortunate jumble of wolves. They have no fighting experience to use against him, they only have trained to fight wars… On the other hand, Valen had almost seven years, and had survived many wars and tragedies, proving to be the strongest of the pack, and not for nothing he had become the pack leader.

With a blind fury, he shredded, crushed and reduced to pieces every living thing that was on his way. Limbs and internal organs flow into an endless vortex of blood and death. His vision was completely obscured by rage, His body seemed to move with an its own will…

After what could be half a minute, he found himself alone, among the remains of what once could be called wolves, blood stench hovering heavily in the air. His muzzle and his paws deeply soaked with blood… with the blood of those traitor filthy wolves.

"I showed them my mercy… but they didn't take the opportunity… they might have been saved if they had reported the offender, but no… they have chosen the most painful way…" Valen said to himself.

Now, after arranging traitors, it was finally time to deal with her. Just the thought that she had betrayed him brought him on the verge of tears.

"How could she… after all this time togheter, How she could love and have sex with someone else…"

He quietly sobbed, while reaching main den.

There he find his beautiful mate waiting for him, tears in her eyes, too…

"Dear, doctor said i'm pregnant! Isn't that wonderful? We're finally become parents, and I bet they're gonna be so beautiful that everyone's gonna envy-"

"SHUT UP, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID, OYA, AND I'VE ALREADY KILLED THEIR PROBABLE FATHER…Oya, how could you did this to me, after I gave you my all… HOW COULD YOU?!" He started sobbing uncontrollably.

Oya's eyes widened in shock, slightly confused. "W-what did i do? W-what DID YOU DO?" with rising her voice tone into her second question. "No…no….please…don't tell me that… " Her eyes were letting tears go down her cheeks, "HOW COULD YOU KILL THEM ALL IN COLD BLOOD? YOU HAD NO RIGHTS TO DO SUCH A THING!"

Valen raised his head to look her straight in her eyes and begin to scream to: "ONE OF THEM HAD IMPREGNATED YOU, SO I HAD TO KILL HIM! BUT THEY DIDN'T TELL ME WHO THE CULPRIT WAS, SO…SO I KILLED ALL OF THEM!"

"Valen" she said, not looking anymore at him, tears continuing to flow from her black-greish eyes, "I've never betrayed you… you're my one and only love… I found i was pregnant before i left for Alpha school, about a month ago… I didn't want to tell you to make you a surprise… BUT NOW" she suddenly shouted "I DON'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO LOOK INTO YOUR EYES ANY MORE… YOU'RE NOT MY HUSBAND ANY MORE… YOU ARE A SICK MONSTER!" she yelled the last part.

That confession left him completely speechless. He acted before thinking. He killed four innocent young wolves for no reason. He wanted to die there.

She approached him, and with a fierce and swift movement of her left paw, she clawed his face with all of her strenght, giving him a giant wound that ran across all over his face.
Valen yelped from the extreme pain, but the real pain that was tearing him apart was inside.

He killed innocent wolves. He questioned his wife's loyalty. He was hit by his soulmate.

But there was coming something even worst for him.

Oya, suddenly growled, in between sobs:

"Leave NOW, and never come back here, unless you wanna die…your children don't deserve a father like you… you will be condemned to never see again your children for eternity!"

He will be forced to endure a life without knowing his sons.

He left, knowing that he deserved all this.

END OF THE FLASHBACK

"Valen, what are you thinking at? " A familiar voice said near him, bringing him back on the Earth, with a paw waving in front of his face.

"Errr… i was contemplating stars, and…I was caught by their extreme beauty…That's all…" He said, trying to invent a credible excuse.

Grin smiled and said "Yeah, whatever…I've been asking questions for two minutes, and you've not responded even once… I think you're getting too old…" He finished with a chuckle.

Valen, heard that last part, got suddenly up and said: "Maybe it's true, but you don't need to be too old to say that it's freezing out there!"

Grin rolled his eyes jokingly and said: "Oww come on, night is still young, couldn't we hang around a little more…please?" said, trying to convince him with his puppy eyes.

But Valen knew his weak spot: he couldn't wait to start his special training as Alpha, and they will begin tomorrow .

"Oh well, so i think we're going to postpone our special training's beginning if we're hanging around more, because i surely know that someone tomorrow is gonna be strained…" Valen said, sure to have drawn his attention.

"Oh, uh, i…changed my mind. I think a good night's sleep is just perfect for us, don't you think, Valen?"
"Oh, you finally put your head in place… Trust me, tomorrow's gonna be a very long and tiring day…We're gonna drag out all your abilities and qualities, and don't think i'm gonna go easy on you just because of you , understood? "

Grin excitedly said "Yes, sir!"
Valen smiled and said "Good boy… now let's go to rest for tomorrow, you need to wake up with all of your energies"

They reached their den togheter, entered into it, and laid back curling into two fur balls, standing very closely to each other.

Before they drifted to sleep, Grin said a thing that made Valen very happy: "Valen? May i tell you something?"

"Yeah, of course, you can tell me everything, you know"

"Well… I do not really know how to thank you enough for taking care of me… For welcoming me like a son…I love you" He said with his characteristic grin.

Valen, hearing those words full of gratitude, couldn't help but smile, and said: "You don't have to worry about anything…and yeah, i love you too, soon… Goodnight" He said, stroking lightly Grin's head fur with his paw, letting him fall into a deep slumber.

Poor Valen, such a tragic past... but, at least, he's acting like a real father...Oh, and don't miss their special training, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow... GrinWolf, over and out.