Chapter 6: Lockjaw (written from October 29th to October 30th, 2022)

"Uh, what took so long to get through the forest?" asked Marcel. The birds alighted.

"Hm, we had to deal with something," answered Kate. Stinky, Claudette, and Khanyue walked passed them.

"Did you know that there's a bear cub following your pups?"

"Yes," Kate answered Paddy. "We... adopted her."

"Uh, yeah, just for now," Humphrey clarified. "She lost her mother."

"Are you wolves crazy?!" Marcel exclaimed, throwing his wings up.

"Yep," said Humphrey.

"Drama wolves," Paddy whispered. The goose nodded in agreement.

"You pups stay here with Paddy," said Kate.

"And we mean it," Humphrey stressed. The couple and Marcel walked ahead.

"Ugh, totally unfair," said Stinky. "We couldn't go the extra mile. An injustice!"

"This is so wrong," said Claudette.

"Uh, wait, wait, wait. Marcel and I agree with your parents," said the duck. "There are so many Rogue wolves on that hill. It would be... extremely dangerous."

A few minutes later, Humphrey and Kate reached the point before their scent could be detected. They were lucky to oppose the wind, but the noses of Alphas could still smell them if they were within half a mile.

"Okay. Now prepare yourselves," said Marcel.

"For what?" the Omega replied. His mate peered down the field. There was a tall hill crawling with Alpha wolves.

"Oh, my gosh. Even with our entire pack here, they'd outnumber us."

"Kate, look." Humphrey directed her attention to their son. Runt was on the highest ledge guarded by a female Alpha. King was near the bottom scanning the field for Grand Pack wolves. He was waiting for them.

"Humphrey, you distract them, and I'll sneak around the back and grab Runt."

"Distract them? How am I gonna distract an entire pack of big, bad Alphas?"

Meanwhile, Winston, Tony, and Garth arrived at the field.

"Wait," said Winston, sniffing the air.

"What is it?" asked Tony.

"I smell..."

"It's just us," said the duck. The pups and the bear cub revealed themselves.

"Paddy?"

"And us," said Stinky.

"I knew it. I knew your smell would give us away," said Claudette, facing her brother.

"What are you doing with a bear cub?" their grandfather asked, now bewildered.

"We kind of adopted her," Claudette answered.

"Adopted her?!" Tony exclaimed.

"Oh, trust me. Logic is not our friend here," said Paddy.

"She was lost," the she-wolf pup added.

"Okay. Where are Kate and Humphrey?" asked Winston.

"Under Marcel." The duck pointed his wing to the sky where his best friend flew.

"That's Marcel?" said Garth.

"In all his overstuffed down," Paddy replied.

It was the first time Garth had ever seen either of the two birds. He had assumed they were hawks, fellow predators.

"Okay, Lilly. Stay and watch over the pups."

"I will," said Lilly. "Hurry back, my macho Alpha."

"Hm, miss ya."

Winston, Tony, and Garth walked ahead to meet up with Humphrey and Kate.

"Dad?"

"Kate, Humphrey," Winston greeted. "We're here to help. Our other Alphas are right behind us."

Tony peered at the hill.

"Some of those wolves used to run with my pack."

"Right. They'll recognize us," said Winston.

Suddenly, the Omega had a brilliant idea.

"But they don't know me... as an Alpha."

Later...

"They haven't come for Runt?" said the Rogue leader.

"No," Shaun replied. "There's no sign of any of them."

"Hmm. This is not like Winston and Tony."

Shaun then caught sight of a wolf in the field.

"Wait! Over there."

"Who is that?!"

"That is one big wolf!"

"It's huge! It must be a special class of Alpha. We must go greet him. Recruit him!"

Little did they know that they were seeing an Omega. In a patch of very tall grass, Humphrey appeared twice his height. In the grass where the Rogues couldn't see, Garth was underneath the Omega, skulking. Humphrey stood on Garth's back.

"Hey, Garth! They're approaching!" he informed with a whisper.

"State your territory. It'll keep them from coming too close," Garth instructed.

"You want me to pee?!"

"No, you fool! I want you to howl."

The Omega blinked. Howling was easy for Humphrey. He tilted his snout to the sky and released a single note. The sound was good but it didn't have anywhere near the strength to be considered worthy of an Alpha. Garth grimaced.

"Did you hear that weak howl?" Shaun commented with a chuckle.

"Do it bigger," said Garth, "like a real Alpha."

"That is my howl!" Humphrey replied. "They're coming closer!"

"They won't stop until you have a big howl. It's a power thing."

"Ahhooo—ugh, ugh! Ow! Ugh! Ow!" the Omega coughed.

"What was that?!" Garth exclaimed.

"Give me a break! I had a cold a few days ago!"

"That's odd. A giant Alpha that can't howl," they heard King say.

"Ah, gosh! They're running now! And it doesn't look like the welcome wagon!"

"Okay, Humphrey. When I say now, yawn!"

"Yawn?!"

"Yes! Yawn big! Now!"

Garth then howled in Humphrey's place. The Omega tilted his head up again, but a different wolf's voice seemed to emanate. The grass shook as Garth let out a thundering howl meant to warn the incoming Rogues.

Sure enough, it worked. King, Shaun, and Blader promptly stopped in their tracks. All three of them gasped.

"That was Humphrey?" Kate whispered to herself.

Humphrey's mate had slinked around the field while the Rogues were distracted. She had climbed an unoccupied slope of Killers' Hill and was within thirty yards of Runt and Princess.

"We respect your territory!" King announced. "Come into ours!"

The Omega struggled to form a response.

"Uhhh, mm-hmm!" He then whispered to Garth. "Okay, move forward, slowly." The red wolf nodded.

"It's like he's floating," said Shaun.

"I come... to the edges... of thy territory!" Humphrey yelled, faking a deep voice.

"What pack are you from?" King asked. "I've never seen an Alpha as big as you!" The opportunity to recruit such a tall wolf made the Rogue leader smile.

"Well... that is because where I come from... we eat... bears!"

"Bears?!" Shaun exclaimed.

"Where did you come from?!" King asked excitedly.

"I... was... chasing... the biggest grizzly! In Alaska! And uhh... next thing I know... I'm in Canada! Nice people! Heh, heh! Err... Um... The bear! Well, I was uh... I was just about to dine on it! Yes!" Humphrey gestured to the bear carcass fifteen yards to his left. It was, in fact, Tony lying on top of Winston. Tony's brown fur was barely seen above the grass. As long as King didn't smell them, it was just enough to confuse Tony's back for a dead bear.

"You caught it?!" King exclaimed. The Rogues made short celebratory howls.

"We never speak of this again," said Tony, feeling embarrassed.

"Let's not even talk about it now," Winston replied, equally so.

Soon, Humphrey looked up at the top of Killers' Hill and saw the female Alpha still guarding Runt. He needed to pry her away.

"Why, who is that beauty of an Alpha?" he asked King.

"Ah, my daughter! A supreme Alpha like all of us!"

"May I have a closer look?"

"Please! Come inside our territory!"

"Oh, uh... Oh, well, I see that she already has a pup so... never mind! Never... never mind!"

"Oh, no, that's not hers!" King replied.

"I would prefer uh... if she... if she meet me halfway!"

"Princess, quickly!" King summoned. The female Rogue began her trip down, leaving the runt by himself.

"Yes, beautiful Princess!" Humphrey continued. "Oh, my! If only we had Alphas as beautiful as you!"

His mate paused for a second.

"Don't push it, honey," she whispered. Runt heard his mother behind and turned around. "Runt! This way!" Kate directed.

"What is your name, mighty Alpha?!" King asked.

"Err... Um... uh... Lockjaw!" the Omega answered.

"Lockjaw?" said Shaun.

"That's unusual!" added King.

"Yes! Yes, well, once I ate a mountain lion!"

"That too?! Excellent!" King praised. "I never thought of eating a lion!"

"Talk about gamy!"

Suddenly, the Rogues collapsed into laughter.

"That's right. Keep 'em laughing, Humphrey," said Kate. "Okay, Runt, come this way."

"We could use a wolf with that strength and appetite! Come closer, Lockjaw! Join us!"

"I must... guard my kill! And look! A vulture is already here!"

"If he doesn't eat it, I will!" Marcel declared. The goose swirled overhead.

"My Alphas... if you join me in eating this grizzly bear... you too will become... a super Alpha!"

"I can't wait!" cried Shaun.

"Okay, now uhh... you, King, you're gonna be first. And then let's... uhh... How about the wolf next to you?" Shaun placed a paw on his chest. "Yeah, yes! You with the brown nose! Come forth for your grizzly meat!"

"KING! THE OMEGA IS GONE!" a Rogue from the Hill informed.

"Over there!" Blader yelled. On the east side of the field, Kate and Runt ran for their lives.

"What?! IT'S A TRICK!" King screamed. "ALPHAS, GET THEM! GET THEM ALL!"