Chapter 33

"Brother, My Brother."

4/21/17

"Loki! Help me!" The young white furred pup perks his head up from the deer leg when he hears Fenris. He races across the clearing of their camp and sees Rush, Raven and Mace cornering Fenris. Fenris' tail is tucked between his legs as he tries to show submission and surrender.

Rush cackles. "Look at his tail! Surrendering like a cowardly dog!"

"What kind of self respecting wolf surrenders so quickly?" Raven sneers.

Mace cuffs Fenris across the muzzle, knocking him down.

"Get up, dog!" Mace barks.

"Yeah, dog! Get up and beg like the lowly dog you are!"

"Are you hoping for your doggy sire to come to your rescue?" Rush growls, slamming his paws on Fenris' small body.

"Loki!" Fenris yells. Loki growls as he slams his body into Rush and bites Mace's nose, making the grey and white male yelp and recoil backwards.

Loki bares his teeth on the bullies. "You again?! I thought I made it clear the last time you pulled this! Never go after my brother or you will feel my wrath!"

The three wolves quickly run off with their tails between their legs.

Fenris rests on his stomach and looks at his brother with big yellow eyes.

"Thanks, Loki."

"Don't start that." Loki growls, looking at him. "Where the heck was Alpha? She was supposed to watch those three."

"She left. She also said they will teach me how to be 'wolf' enough."

That is the biggest load of elk dung I've ever heard. Loki thought. Loki helps his floppy eared brother off the ground and nuzzles him.

"I can't always chase off every idiot that attacks you." Loki says softly.

Fenris blinks. "Of course you will. We're brothers, we will always look out for each other."

Loki growls ruefully.

Fenris. Always so trusting, probably more than me.

Loki lies on the sunbathed rock as everyone went to work. Only one wolf wasn't present: Fenris. Mace drops a rabbit in the pile of rabbits and squirrels. Loki grabs a rabbit and walks to the bramble den.

Fenris almost bumps into him on the way out. Loki places the rabbit near Fenris' paws.

"Here."

Fenris looks down on the white rabbit.

"Feeding the dog, Loki?" Reap calls out. Half of the wolves snicker at the jibe, Fenris pushes the rabbit and stalks past Loki.

"Fenris, Fenris wait!" Loki chase after his white furred double as they come close to the barn.

"Stop following me." Fenris snarls.

Loki gathers his speed and blocks off Fenris. The normally submissive Fenris bares his fangs and flattens his ears.

"Get out of my way!"

"Fenris, just listen…"

"No!" Fenris howls. "I'm done listening to you! Why should I have to listen to you?! You abandoned me the moment Alpha promoted you to Delta!"

"I'm trying to help you!"

Fenris snorts. "By letting me fall?"

Loki growls. "I'm working up ranks! When the time is right, I'll challenge Prideful as Beta and challenge Alpha for her place. You can make it as a Mu or a Kappa if you put in the effort…"

"You think I never tried?!" Fenris barks. "I tried convincing Alpha but she wouldn't budge! She's too determined to punish me for her mistakes! And the pack - they sabotage every opportunity I could think of until Alpha made me an Omega to stop me! I'm sick of being a lightning rod! I'm sick of being the half-dog joke of everyone's jokes!"

"I will always be a half-dog like you, but you don't even look like a dog! Your ears are pricked like a wolf! I have no chance of succeeding in the pack so long as everyone is a complete pile of-!"

CRASH!

The two brothers jump at the thunder. Fenris took his chance and bolts past Loki and into the human city.

"Fenris, no!" Loki calls out. Fenris' white fur vanishes in the distance. Loki's heart breaks as tears sting his eyes.

This is my fault. I shouldn't have been so focused on climbing the ranks. I should have been more attentive to Fenris!

Loki growls as he shakes his head.

No. This is Alpha's fault, as well as the pack. Don't worry, Fenris. I'll change the whole pack's system, then it will be safe for you to come back.

Fenris tries to look for a place to get out of the rain and sought refuge inside of a small, wooden den.

"Don't come in here!"

Fenris is pushed out by a black and white Farm Dog female.

"But I have no place to go!"

"Tough! It's not my responsibility to look after every stray dog in the city!"

Fenris whines. "You don't understand… I just left my pack, I don't know what to do next…"

"Pack?" The Farm Dog's eyes widen. "You're a wolf?"

Fenris tucks his tail between his legs. "Please don't be scared! I just need to get out of the rain…"

"I'm not scared, just shocked. I was told that wolves lived in the mountains, you're the first wolf I've…"

The Farm Dog sniffs him on his nose, and blinks. "... You're half-husky?"

"Husky?"

"You're a wolf-dog. I heard of those, too, but their not very good Leashed Dogs."

Fenris frowns. The Farm Dog lets out a sigh. "Alright, come in, but my Longpaws should be back in a day or two."

Fenris nods gratefully and enters the small den.

"I'm Fenris, by the way."

"Fenris? Like the wolf from Greek legends and stuff?"

"I'm not sure. My mother just gave me the name along with my brother, Loki."

The Farm Dog blinks again. "The trickster? Your Mother-Wolf had strange taste in names - Loki is the worst...at least that's what my Longpaws say."

"Right…" Fenris decides not to press for information. "And your name?"

"Jessie."

"Jessie." Fenris confirms. "When you say Longpaws, are you referring to tall, bald creatures that stand on two legs?"

"The very ones." Jessie says. "Now, wolf-dogs aren't well received by Longpaws, so you have to be on your best behavior if you plan on sticking around."

"Why on earth would I stick around?"

Jessie nods outside. "This is just the beginning! Fall is preparing to turn cold, and you can't leave on your own when Winter comes. It's best to wait for spring to arrive and head off."

Fenris is uncomfortable with staying in the exact position where his biological father is, assuming he is still alive. He also knew that his chances of surviving this "Winter" thing is slim without the help of a pack.

"Okay. I'll try, Ms. Jessie."

"Another thing, don't call me 'Ms.' it makes me feel old and I'm only two years old!"

Fenris finally left the wolf pack, and Loki is guilt ridden. Loki only did what he did to try and change the wolf pack for Fenris to live in peace, but Fenris didn't see it that way. Now Fenris is staying with Jessie the border collie.

What will be Loki's next move, now that his brother is gone? Will the wolf pack turn on him as he is the only half-dog in their ranks? ~ Kyubi