Chapter 15 Natural selection

Kate's POV

Escape, the impossible thing dangled in my mind tantalizing me to the point of tears. Humphrey had found us a way out but not even he knew the exact location of the saw toothed cave. Frustrated I groaned and rolled over waking Humphrey and causing him to ask, "Are you ok Kate?" I sighed and replied, "I'm fine, I just can't get over the fact that there's a way out that we just can't get to." Humphrey sat upright and nipped my ear before saying, "Yea but we can't give up, we only found out about it the other day and I'm sure we can figure it out." I sighed and nuzzled his neck affectionately and asked, "But how, we can't just go out looking for it. The grievers could trap us." He nodded and told me, "You're right, but I have to try." I shook my head and corrected him, "You mean we." He gave a small smile and agreed, "Yea, we…"

I sighed and licked the tip of his nose and asked him, "Why do you insist on trying to get yourself killed?" He chuckled and replied, "I'm an omega, it's my job to get into trouble." I shook my head and kissed him passionately before saying, "I just don't want you to go out there, not again." I lowered my head and tears threatened to take me but Humphrey quickly pulled me into his arms and whispered, "We'll be ok, my parents and the stalkers will take care of that." I nodded sadly but a tear escaped my eyes. Humphrey quickly wiped it away and licked my cheek before telling me, "We'll be fine, I promise."

Gratefully I stared deep into his electric blue eyes and smiled. He grinned and told me, "I think we'll get out sooner than you think." I yawned and said, "I hope so, I don't know how much more of this I can take." Humphrey's smiled and slowly approached the entrance of the den before sitting down. He looked at me and asked, "When was the last time you howled?"The question caught me off guard and I truthfully told him, "I don't know, I almost howled with Garth but I haven't howled with anyone else." He gave a small laugh and said, "Yea, I never thought I'd get to howl with you." I giggled and asked, "Is that your way of asking me to howl with you?" He shrugged and gave me a lopsided grin before answering me with, "I thought you'd like to." I smiled and told him, "I would love to."

He laughed and threw his head into the night sky and howled a long note that caused my heart to melt and my legs to tremble at the omegas song. He continued his howl and in a trance I slowly walked to his side and closed my eyes breathing in the cool night air and the peace that the song brought to the canyon below us. I threw my head into the sky and let my voice join his and he stopped in amazement and whispered, "You're amazing." I smiled out of the corner of my mouth and his howl joined mine once more. We continued and in a trance I was amazed at how perfectly our howls danced with one another in the night air and I knew that nothing could keep us apart. We finished the final verse of our howl and I slowly lowered my head and looked at Humphrey thinking, "Not even the forest can separate us." He seemed to sense my thought and told me, "The grievers won't bother us tonight."

I nodded and pressed my face into his fur and gave a small purr. He seemed a little surprised but gladly embraced me. He sighed a little and asked, "So what exactly did you have in mind when we find the cave?" I hugged him tighter and nibbled his ear a little before answering, "I thought we might just ask to leave." Humphrey's jaw dropped and he mumbled, "Ask them? There insane and evil, we can't just find a griever and ask him to let us go.." I nodded and hastily continued, "You're partially right but when the griever showed you the cave it could have killed us all while we were asleep. But it looked like it wanted us gone but I can't figure out why." Humphrey breathed out deeply and said, "This is really risky, but I think you're on to something." I gave a small nod and added in, "Kona thought the same thing and I went to talk to her and she told me to give her a night." Humphrey stiffened and he asked, "A night….as in she went out there!?" I bit my lip and answered, "Well, I don't think so but I may be wrong."

Humphrey ran for the cave exit and I quickly made sure Grace was asleep comfortably before running into the night in pursuit.
I yelled, "Humphrey wait!" He slowed down and called back, "I can't, she could be in trouble!" Exasperated I yelled, "She can take care of herself and besides, if the grievers wanted to kill her then they would have done it." Humphrey sighed heavily and told me, "Kate, she's a good friend and if she could be in trouble then we have to help." I nodded and said, "I know, so instead of running out blind let's look in Kona and Jake's den first." He quickly cut in, "Alright so let's get moving." I smiled and told him, "That's better." He gave me a small smile and started running along the dirt path that lead into the canyon. I shook my head and followed him along through the twists and turns making sure that I didn't slip and fall onto the rocks below me. I breathed a sigh of relief as the path began to widen. I gasped a little as Humphrey slid on the rocks but he clawed his way back onto the path grunting. I called, "Slow down a little, their dens not too far from here." He waved his agreement and I let out my breathe in relief that he was picking his way along the path with more care now. I looked down at the dizzying drop and mumbled, "We couldn't have taken the other route." Humphrey looked behind him and called, "Maybe, but I don't want to lose any more time."

Sighing to myself I wondered if his lack of fear for heights was caused by the insane log board stunts he did with his omega friends. A cold feeling gripped me and I quickly observed the night sky and saw a flash of shadow pass over us but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. I shuddered and Humphrey quickly asked, "Are you cold?" I shook my head and answered, "No, I think I saw a griever." He nodded, "There getting bolder, coming closer now than they ever have." I asked, "What do you think happened to the lurkers and the terror?" He briefly seemed to consider my question and told me, "Natural selection, it seems that only the strong survive and it's getting harder and harder to do that." I grimly asked, "So then we have a time limit to escape with everyone then?" Smiling he told me, "Don't worry, I'm sure we can find it before we'll have to worry about that."
I whispered, "I sure hope so, this pack deserves a better home then this place."

He nodded and pointed whispering, "There, I can see their den in the rocks." I squinted and used my paw to shield my eyes from the moons glare and said, "Ok, let's get down there." He nodded and gave me a small grin before asking, "Kate, have you ever log boarded?" My jaw dropped and I hissed, "Right now!?" He nodded and pointed to a small log that had become lodged in between the rocks. "It's the fastest way down." He told me with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and whispered, "Omegas, alright let's give it a shot…" Smiling he jumped down to the ledge barely keeping his balance and called, "Jump, I'll catch you." I raised an eyebrow and asked, "I think that I'll just jump on my own." Quickly I crouched and launched myself into the air flicking my paws foreword to create a flip that spun me safely down onto the ledge. Grinning I asked him, "So what are we waiting for." He pointed to the ledge and stammered, "Did you just…. but what..how…" Giggling I pulled the log out from the rocks and yanked it with a small grunt. I spat out the wood that had attached itself to my teeth and asked, "Well, now what?"

He recovered and said, "Well, hop on." Sighing I pulled myself in and he climbed in behind me cursing as he slipped and crashed face first into the side of the log. He quickly righted himself and casually asked, "Are you ready?" I gave a small laugh and nodded, "Sure, I'm ready." Grinning he kicked us off and the rocky trail grinded the thin layer of wood between us and the rocks and my heart leapt into my throat as I saw the dizzying drop from the canyon walls to the forest floor below us. I yelled, "Humphrey!" He laughed and yelled, "HOLD ON!" The log sled quickly accelerated bumping along the steep slope and Humphrey yelled, "Lean left! YOU'RE OTHER LEFT!" Quickly I leaned in the direction indicated and the log steered sharply away from the rocks and he sighed in relief. I asked, "Haven't you done this before?" He nodded vigorously and told me, "Of course, but…not on anything this steep." I yelped and asked, "Wait, WHAT?" He shrugged and told me sheepishly, "Well it was the fastest way." I growled a little and he yelled, "LEAN RIGHT!" I quickly jerked the log to the right avoiding a rock that would have impaled us both and he yelled, "Almost there!" I nodded and screamed, "HUMPHREY!" He quickly pulled back on the log just before hitting the forest floor and we skipped along the ground before slamming into a boulder. We both went flying and I smashed painfully into a tree a few meters from the point of impact.

I yelped and tried to stand but managed to only sit upright. I shook my head and groaned, "That was worse than the tranquilizers." I spotted Humphrey hanging above me in a tree and he called, "Well, if the grievers wanted to know where we are in the canyon then they do now." He slipped and clawed at the branch but fell and I winced as he hit the ground with a thud. He quickly pulled himself upright dusting himself off like he had when he jumped of the cliff after me. I giggled and he complained, "What, why are you laughing at me?" I shrugged and playfully nibbled his ear before answering, "Just my silly omega." He raised an eyebrow and told me, "That was really quite painful you know." I told him, "I think you're fine." Grinning he pretended to limp and said, "Oh come on Kate, have some sympathy." I pushed him playfully and retorted, "You're not hurt." He chuckled and abandoned his limp and said, "Your right I'm not." Giggling to myself I followed him through the maze of rocks and small trees that lead to Kona and Jake's den.

He called over his shoulder, "Does this seem bigger to you?" I nodded and fearfully saw that the forest was expanding. I replied, "I think it's getting bigger, the canyon has easily grown by half its size in the last week. Humphrey grimly said, "The forest is getting bigger then, I bet it's trying to expand to trap more wolves." I winced at the thought of the wolves that could become trapped here and I whispered, "But how, the rock can't move like this can it?" He nodded and said, "I bet it can, the forest doesn't work by the laws of our world. It exists to kill, and we can't let that happen." I shivered and quickly I pointed and said, "That's their den, but I bet their both inside fast asleep." He smirked and told me, "After our little joy ride? Not a chance." I grinned a little and poked my head inside and called, "Anyone here?" I got no reply and as my eye's adjusted I spotted a small lump in the back of the cave and I called, "Kona, Jake? Is that you?" Quickly I padded over and pulled the sleeping wolf over and screamed in surprise as Jake's eyes shot open and he pounced on me yelling, "WHO ARE YOU." I choked out, "It's me, Kate." Jake fell off me and he shook his head and said, "Dammit girl, you scared me to death."

Humphrey quickly ran in and asked, "What happened, I heard screaming?" Jake shook his head ruefully and answered, "Your mate here tried to jump me in my sleep." I gave him a withering glare but Jake looked back at me refusing to wither. He grinned a little and said, "Nice try, but remember I have Kona as a mate." I laughed and told him, "Good point." Humphrey fearfully asked, "Where is Kona?" Jake's grin vanished and he said, "She was right here when we went to bed but… She's gone now." Jake frantically ran outside yelling, "KONA! WHERE ARE YOU?" I quickly went to Jake's side and asked, "Did she give you any hints to where she would go?" Tears escaped Jake's eyes and he said, "No, she never said she was going anywhere and I didn't think she would try to, she is pregnant after all…" He said the last part accusingly and I shook my head and told him, "I'm sure she's fine." Jake nodded and said, "Maybe but I need to look for her." Humphrey came to my said and pointed and in a scared voice told me, "I don't think that'll be necessary."

I turned and saw a lone wolf emerge from the woods and Jake yelled, "KONA, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" I heard Kona grunt softly and reply, "I've been better." Jake ran over and tackled her and they both fell over each other laughing. Kona growled, "I'm fine, now can you please let me breath." Jake hugged her tighter and shook his head and told her, "Of course not my love." Kona nibbled his ear and he complained, "OW, ok I'm going." Smiling Humphrey and I watched the little scene and Humphrey mumbled, "They have the strangest relationship." I nodded in agreement and Kona came over and I asked, "Where have you been?" Kona winced a little and said, "Well, I found out what the grievers were after.."

My jaw dropped and I questioned, "But how, they can't be reasoned with!" She nodded and continued, "Your right, they can't but they want us dead for a different reason then mindless satisfaction." Humphrey asked, "How did you find out why there here and what they wanted?" Kona sighed and told us, "I went out and was attacked, but instead of killing me it gave me a nasty scar on my legs and it showed me exactly what they've had planned the same way they showed Humphrey the saw toothed cave. There still mindless killing machines but they have a purpose here. We would be the chosen, the survivors. The only ones that survive. But where also the only ones that can stop them, were stalkers, and were going to make sure their plan doesn't work.

I muttered, "So then that kicks out reasoning with them or them just wanting us out of their home." Kona nodded and answered, "It seems that way, but when I was attacked I saw the saw toothed cave and exactly what was inside it." Humphrey nervously asked, "So what exactly is in there then." Kona answered grimly, "Its a portal between our worlds, the forest may seem normal at first but natural selection is taking over and it's happening here faster then we can handle. We need to be gone and have closed the portal before it happens completely. This is the grievers killing grounds, they live here and kill everything until its a barren wasteland. Then they move on and wherever they go they make sure nothing can escape but them. First they find an area preferably with a population to kill off and then they separate it from reality. It then exists between two worlds like a reflection or a kind of mirror for them. They test the population and deem it worthy or unworthy of survival."

My jaw dropped and I asked, "But how, we got here by just walking in randomly." Konna nodded and told me, "So did I, the grievers are smarter than they look and are effective at corralling prey and they've been doing this for far longer then I would like to think." Humphrey whispered, "Natural selection, to its fullest."I gasped and said, "So when the grievers catch you they test your mind to deem you worthy of survival and thats why it didn't kill us when it came into our den!" Jake cut in, "Yea but we need to get out of here now! By tomorrow at the latest. Were out of time and we can't afford to lose anymore." Humphrey smiled grimly and said, "I agree, we need to be gone and have that portal closed before its to late." I asked, "But how?" Jake tentatively asked, "Why not just cave it in?" Kona nodded and whispers, "He's right, were over thinking things. Simply caving it in would make sure they can't leave as well as shattering the reflection so they can never do this again.

I nodded and said, "He's right but how can we cave it in?" Jake shakes his head and cuts in, "Let me take care of that" I asked confused, "But how?" Jake answered proudly, "I have my ways." Humphrey sighs and says, "Ok then after is caved in how can you escape." Kona throws in, "Your not playing the hero here." Jake kisses her happily on the cheek and says, "Don't worry, I'm not into the whole dying honorably with sacrifice thing." Kona growls, "You better not be." I looked at Kate and said, "What can I say, drama wolves..." She giggled and kissed me on the tip of my nose and told me, "I don't think we're any better but you were right. Were escaping soon."

(Well, that was crazy and I don't really know how well that came together but I hope it was a good read and don't hesitate to review or share your thoughts. Enjoy the next chapter guys!)