(written from October 7th to October 11th, 2022)

Chapter 1: 'Tis the Season

December 15th, 2012

Christmas was the only holiday the wolves of Jasper Pack shared with humans. No one knew precisely when or how the festivities first began in the Valley, but legend stated that a band of Omegas was taken by humans. As part of an experiment to test their level of tameness, the Omegas were treated as domesticated dogs for two weeks in late December. It was in their captivity, they observed humans perform their own traditions, and when they were returned to the wild, traditions such as caroling and decorating one's home were spread throughout the Omega communities. Next, it was thought the observance was gradually appropriated by Alphas seeking an easy day for themselves, and from then on grew the modern form of wolf Christmas. To say that every wolf loved the holiday would be an understatement. It was the only time the social hierarchy was ignored. Omegas could interact with Alphas without fear of put-downs and Alphas could suspend their busy routines and relax. It was the day everyone could mingle and do fun activities together.

Since Humphrey and Kate knew this year's Christmas would be the first with their pups, they sought to restore a tradition that was once incredibly meaningful to the Grand Pack during its early years. Long ago, members of the royal family would have grand feasts, inviting friends and special wolves to the royal den, sometimes including leaders from other packs. A feast could only be possible during periods of food surplus. As a result, they became symbols of prosperity and happiness, which was why the tradition ceased to exist during the two decades of tension spanning between the start of the Black Mountain War and what became known as the Alpha and Omega Event, the day Humphrey and Kate made history as the first interrank couple. The two wolves' love for each other led to the East and West's reunification, spurring a new age of prosperity and happiness, so bringing back the grand feast seemed appropriate. Kate, being the Alpha she was, took charge. Christmas was ten days away, and she wanted her mate's help with cleaning and decorating the family den, or the Western royal den as it was formally known.

"Okay, parents' first dinner. Let's get this place in order." The first thing Kate wanted to change was the broken logboard near the mouth of the den. It was the same one the couple used in order to rescue Winston and Tony two and a half years ago. "Oh, Humphrey, can you move the logboard to the wall?" The Omega stepped closer to the two wooden pieces. Out of all of his logboards, he considered sacred the one that survived the stampede. It hadn't been moved an inch since he brought it into the den.

"This is where we fell in love," he reminded the Alpha as he reminisced fondly.

"I know... Against the wall," she repeated firmly. The Alpha was far less sentimental.

Begrudgingly, Humphrey pushed the log with his head—with minimal effort. "Completely against the wall," Kate clarified.

"I don't know. I think the angle makes it a little less..." Suddenly, the Alpha walked past him and pushed it herself. "...militant," he finished.

"Oh, and I almost forgot. Can you retrieve the buried bones?"

"Retrieve? As in dig them up?"

"Right. Where I buried them." She pointed her snout to the loose dirt in the center of the floor.

"We're serving bones? Our first dinner?"

"Are you criticizing my dinner choice?!" she snapped.

"No! No, no. Not at all. Bones have lots of... roughage," the Omega replied nervously. Kate shook her head as she moved on to another part of the cave.

"Humphrey dear... just dig!"

"Sheesh, what am I? The family pet?" he remarked under his breath. After he began digging, one of his Omega friends appeared from outside. Humphrey smiled. It had been many months since he had last seen Salty. During his time as a young father, it was rare to have an opportunity to speak with any of his Omega friends.

"Hey, Humphrey," Salty greeted. "Nice digs."

"Ugh, don't get me started."

"Looks like you already have. How's life with an Alpha?"

"Efficient," he answered, mimicking Kate's voice.

"That is what we thought," Salty replied.

"'We'?"

"The guys. We thought, 'Wouldn't it be cool to take our Omega brother to the wild berry patch?'"

"Yeah, I'm not really a fan of berries."

Humphrey remembered eating them the first time when he tried to impress Kate years ago. It wasn't the best experience.

"Fermented berries," Salty corrected. Immediately, Humphrey's opinion switched.

"I... love... berries." Humphrey had totally forgotten about the alcoholic variants that sprang up naturally near Moonlight Howl Rock. Not long ago, the Omega had a cache of fermented berries near the back wall, but his mate soon discovered it and ate what was left without telling him. Humphrey had been without a buzz longer than he wanted to be, and this was his chance to reclaim it before Kate could torment him with her nagging.

"Oh, hi, Salty!" Kate greeted. She then noticed her mate no longer digging. "Humphrey... did you find all the—?"

"Hey, Kate, got an idea here! How about a few fermented berries to go with the dry... uh, I mean uh... the delicious and nutritious marrow! Heh, heh! Right, Salty?" His scrawny friend replied with a short howl. "Come on, what do you say?" The Omega sat upright and panted which reddened Kate's face.

"Humphrey... you're begging."

"Sorry. Instinct."

"Um.. well... okay! It would make for a nice before-dinner snack."

"In so many ways," Humphrey added hungrily.

"And it is the holidays after all."

"Joy to the cave."

"Okay, Humphrey," she yielded. "Oh, if you see some holly, bring that back too."

"'Tis the season!"

"And if you see the pups, send them home."

"Okay! Love you, babe!" The two Omegas took off.

Meanwhile. . .

Near the Ceremonial Valley, the three pups were busy examining the slope their parents sledded on during the stampede. While every wolf knew Humphrey and Kate for their famous declaration that violated pack law, it was their daring rescue that made them heroes in the eyes of the pups.

"Whoa! Dad and Mom were able to logboard this?" said Stinky.

"Woah!" Claudette exclaimed. None of them expected the slope to be so treacherous.

"I don't know if that's even appropriate for an Alpha," Stinky remarked.

"I think it would be killer, Stinky," Claudette replied, "and I'm an Alpha-in-training."

"And remember... Dad is a proud Omega as I hope I'll be," said Runt.

"Well, as the future leader of the pack, I wouldn't allow Alphas to be doing things like this," said Stinky, widening his chest.

"Mm-hmm," Claudette agreed sarcastically.

"How about things like this?" said Runt. "Pick a tree. Any tree."

"Runt, do you need to take a whiz?" his sister asked.

"What?"

"Claudette, inappropriate," Stinky reprimanded, "This is male-to-male stuff, alright?" He turned back to his brother. "Runt, do you need to take a whiz?"

"What is wrong with you two?! I may be the runt, but give me a break! I was born only like a few minutes later than you wolves."

"But you're still so cute," Claudette replied, which irked Runt. The little pup couldn't stand the C word.

"Cute?!" he exclaimed. He would show them what he actually meant when he asked them to pick a tree. He chose one himself, one tall enough to be a challenge, and ascended the trunk at unimaginable speed, much faster than his siblings had ever noticed. Although half their size, many months of tree-climbing practice made Runt on par with their strength and twice as agile. He was still the only wolf of the Valley who could climb trees—at least the only one willing to do so—and he was proud of it.

"Runt, it is unsightly for a wolf to be climbing a tree!" Stinky reminded. "Runt!" His brother ignored him. The earthbound wolves could only see Runt's rear end as he climbed onto the highest branch he could reach.

"I think he's saying, 'Talk to the butt,'" Claudette suggested to Stinky.

"Don't forget what Mom and Dad always say!" said Runt. "Our uniqueness makes us strong!" On the highest branch, the pup came across a gathering of blue jays. The dozen or so perching birds were shocked to see a wolf in their midst. "Hey, what up?" Runt greeted. The pup used his paws to mimic flapping wings. He was trying to communicate with them!

"That is unique, alright," said Stinky as Claudette snickered beside him.

Runt walked down the branch, to the farthest he could go without it snapping. Up high, he was able to see large portions of the Valley. He could discern Moonlight Howl Rock, Mt. Victory, and he could even see Rabbit Poo Mountain, but much farther than that, he could see the perilous Rockies that enclosed the entire Valley. The Canadian Rockies put the other mountains to shame, trapping the wolves inside a cage of geography. There was only one route through the Rockies that was considered safe. Runt squinted so he could make out a distinct gap in the range. It was known as Eclipse Pass, and as he squinted extra hard, he could see a green point of light shining through it. It was the entrance to the old country known as Banff, Jasper's sister park to the south.

"Wow, this rocks! You can see Banff! And—" Peculiar movements on the ground then caught his eye. "Hey, check it out! I see three wolves closing in on us!"

"Are they of our pack?" Stinky asked.

"Hm, not that I recognize."

"Well, maybe I should go welcome them!"

"What?!" Claudette exclaimed. "Remember, Grandpa Winston said there were Rogue wolves in the area."

"Let me handle this," said Runt. "HEY! WHO ARE YOU GUYS?!" The adult wolves looked up, astonished to see a pup in the sky. Suddenly, they scattered. "Well, that was real."

"Wait a minute," said Stinky. His nose twitched madly. "I do believe there is a large inhabitant entering our presence."

"Like what? A moose?" Claudette replied.

"No... It is..."

"A GRIZZLY!" Runt yelled. "I see it right there!"

A light brown bear quickly approached Stinky and Claudette. It was strange to see a bear wandering alone, deep in pack territory. That meant it was only around to cause trouble, but neither of the two pups was daunted, for they were the offspring of Kate.

"No worries. We got this," Stinky assured.

"Let me do my thing," said Claudette. Like her mother before her, she knew how to use a bear's huge size to her advantage. "Come on, big guy! Show me whatcha got!"

"Go, sis'!" Runt cheered from above. His siblings slithered in and out between the legs, befuddling the mountain of fur. Roars were met with innocent chuckles. Then Claudette gave it a chance. She shook her tail in front as a way to have it follow her.

"Okay, right this way, wolf-eater!" she taunted.

Claudette planned to catch it off guard by doing the spin-out move. She ran far ahead of the beast and met up with Stinky at the edge of an outcrop, but her brother needed to tell her something.

"Claudette... other wolves, and not of our pack." As if on cue, the new wolves from earlier leaped from out of nowhere. To the pups' amazement, they pounced on the bear and bit it fiercely, showing no mercy. It was clear the bear was young and inept. It had no way to stop the overwhelming sequence aside from fleeing the scene. Stinky and Claudette didn't know what to think. What wolf or wolves would be bold enough to attack a bear directly? "As future leader of this pack, I say CHARGE!" Nevertheless, the pups joined the new wolves who ran a short distance after the now-bruised bear to make sure it wouldn't consider a second round.

"And pick on your own size next time!" Claudette yelled. Once the grizzly was gone for good, her brother wasted no time meeting with the adults. It was at this point Claudette noticed one of the new wolves was missing. Runt had reported three wolves, not two. She lifted her head to ask Runt for confirmation, but surprisingly, the top of the tree was bereft of him. "What?" Where had he gone? Runt couldn't be seen on the ground. Claudette was beginning to get very suspicious of the new wolves.

"I don't believe I had the pleasure of a formal introduction. My name is Stinky, and that's my sister, Claudette. And somewhere around here is my little brother, Runt."

"Runt? Ha, ha, ha!" the wolf with large bags under his eyes laughed. "Aren't you Winston's grandpups?"

Stinky turned to Claudette, grinning with pride.

"See? They saw him in me!"

The she-wolf shook her head and squinted her eyes.

"So... what? You guys just here to hang out?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're... we're just passing through," he answered Claudette.

"What pack are you from?" Stinky asked.

"We're from Banff," he answered vaguely. "Just lost our way."

"Yeah uhh... we'd better get over the train tracks before nightfall," the second new wolf added.

As the new wolves left, Claudette motioned Stinky to follow her. They walked to the base of the tree that Runt had climbed. What they saw in the dirt was an obvious tussle.

"Just what I thought," said Claudette. "Pawprints! Right by the trunk! I think Runt was jumped! He probably rushed down to help and—" Stinky interrupted with his olfaction.

"The third wolf was here."

"Not a 'third wolf,' Stinky, the third Rogue..."


(written from October 12th to October 14th, 2022)

Chapter 2: Family Gathering

"Ha, ha, ha! Yeah! Oh, that was fun! Fermberries are awesome! Ha, ha, ha! Oh, back to the grind." Humphrey and Salty returned to the family den. In Salty's mouth was a shoot of fermented berries or fermberries for short, enough to refill the cache. Holly couldn't be found, though Humphrey wore a string of white flowers that he had his other friend, Shakey, assemble into a necklace. He hoped the substitute would please Kate, but he knew it was silly to think she would have any trouble finding something else to disapprove of.

Humphrey gasped. The den had been thoroughly cleaned, all food scraps removed, decorations pushed to the walls, and pelts waterfall-washed. Kate herself had bathed, reviving the golden luster of her coat, and as part of her formal appearance, a purple flower hung adjacent to her left ear. Her expression, however, was less immaculate. Along with a scowl, a paw disciplined the floor with unabating taps.

"Uhh... I think I'll just drop these off and go now." Feeling the heat of Kate's eyes, Salty released the twig and allowed the couple their privacy. In the meantime, Humphrey hoped to flatter the she-wolf.

"H-hi, Kate! Oh, look at you! Grrrrow! Heh, heh! All glammed up for Mom and Dad, huh?"

"That was an awfully long trip to the berry patch," Kate replied

"Psh, yeah... but look at all the holly I brought back with me! Deck the cave! I know it's not the holly you were thinking of but—"

"It'll do," she assured. The Alpha removed the flowers from Humphrey's neck and carried them to a protrusion of the wall where they could hang prominently. "Did you see the pups?"

"Uh, no, I didn't," said Humphrey.

"Yoo-hoo! We're here!" a cheery voice announced. The first guest of the feast had just arrived.

"Great," Kate murmured. "Hi, Mom!"

"Look at that view outside!" Eve commented. "The midday is so rich, so clear!"

Next, the retired pack leaders sauntered up the stone ramp. Humphrey, Kate, and Eve could already hear their humorless conversation. The old Alphas were engrossed in multiple reports of Rogues being sighted in the Valley. Tony was especially impassioned as most of the Rogues' high command originated from the East.

Two years before the Alpha and Omega Event, the Eastern Pack experienced a schism. An outsider who called himself King radicalized a quarter of the East's Alphas and mobilized them around the extreme ideology of Alpha supremacy, the belief that Omegas were the cause of every ill that affected wolfkind. They became terrifyingly heartless wolves who disregarded most rules of wolf conduct. Seeing them as potential traitors, Tony exiled them to Banff, but it was there they thrived. They created the first known all-Alpha pack, the King Pack, and for the next four and half years, they terrorized both Jasper and Banff. They stole food, harassed border patrols, and attempted to kill any Omega who was unlucky enough to come across them alone. Since Kate married Humphrey, attacks from the Rogues had increased tenfold. It was clear their ambitions were set on the Grand Pack after news spread of an Alpha mating with an Omega.

"We should gather up the Alphas and hunt those Rogue wolves down," Winston suggested. The Eastern nodded in agreement.

"Let's give 'em the ol' lockjaw maneuver!"

"As usual, they're talking about war," Eve groaned. She rolled her eyes.

"Hello, Kate. Hello, Humphrey," Tony greeted.

"Welcome to our little home," Kate replied.

"Hey, Dad, put a paw up!" said Humphrey, trying to be friendly, but Winston simply ignored the high-five offer. The pack's new rival left him with unshakable wariness.

"The Rogue leader wanted to be king and couldn't! Now he has formed an all-Alpha pack..."

"I'll show him all-Alpha!" Tony challenged.

"Um, fermberries anyone?" Kate offered, wanting to put the Alpha business on hold.

"Fab!" Eve exclaimed.

"Wait! Kate, those are my berries!" said Humphrey, but Kate shushed him. The guests each took a spot to sit as Kate distributed the meals.

"Is Garth coming?" Tony asked. "I need him to see life in a cave. He and Lilly have been living in the tall grass."

"They're just free spirits," Humphrey replied.

"You know the younger generation," said Eve. "Organic this. Natural that." Eve then hiccuped after chowing down a multitude of fermberries. "Gosh, these are good!"

"Hey! Easy with those, honey!" Winston cautioned. He knew his mate had a low tolerance for alcohol.

"Oh, heh! Hi, everyone!" greeted the current pack leader, Garth. "Sorry, we're late! Lilly and I took a little detour." He and the white Omega arrived, giggling and panting, for they had raced each other to the top of Mt. Victory.

"Hi, sis'!" Kate greeted. The two she-wolves passionately hugged.

"Garth, it's time you found a cave," said Tony, "I told you I'd give up mine!"

"Lilly and I like living in the grass." He eyed his mate who blushed beside him. "The very tall grass," he added with a smirk.

"Well, in case you change your mind, we can offer our den!" said Kate.

"We can? But this is our winter den!" said Humphrey, but the Alpha shushed him again.

"It's fine. We'll just stay in our summer den permanently. Garth deserves the best views in the Valley. A pack leader shouldn't settle for the grasslands."

"I appreciate the advice, Kate," Garth replied. "I'll certainly think about it."

Just then, Kate noticed over Garth's shoulder Stinky and Claudette entering. She happily rushed to meet them.

"Hi there! Where's Runt?" The two pups panted heavily. They exchanged a look of urgency that made their mother's heart stop.

Later. . .

All Alphas of the Grand Pack were placed on high alert.

For many hours, the Eastern and Western royal families, excluding Stinky and Claudette, tracked the smell of Rogues together. Kate, having the best nose in the group, ran the point position. Smelling out the Rogues was normally easy, but the ones that took Runt were thoughtful. They made sure to throw their scents in misleading directions. Kate's heart had yet to restart, her breath yet to be unheld. After the fifth grueling hour of searching, the tan she-wolf lost herself in frustration. She managed to get within a mile of the Rogues, but getting closer proved challenging. If she could at least get a visual, she could put together the place they were taking Runt to.

"Where are they?" she muttered desperately. Her mate then nudged her.

"You can find him, Kate," he encouraged. Humphrey was right. She could find him. She only needed to let her panic not distract her. The Alpha took a deep breath and wiggled her nose meticulously. It was then she realized she had to take advantage of higher ground. She led the family to the edge of a cliff.

"Right there," she said quietly. Three dark-colored wolves sped away in the distance, the middle one carrying a pup by the scruff. They soon changed their course and sprinted down a southerly trail with Eclipse Pass in their sights. "They're going to Banff! We have to go now!"

"Listen, it'll be nightfall soon," her father informed. "Let's prepare a contingent and go at daybreak."

"We can't wait. We know where they're going now," Humphrey retorted.

"This is the Rogues," Tony reminded, "They will have A LOT of wolves!"

"This is what they want... Lure us to the other side and then attack," added Lilly.

"I'll go organize everyone," said Garth before running back to Mt. Victory.

"Are you sure waiting is the right thing to do?" Humphrey asked Winston. "What if they torture him?! Or kill him?!"

"If they wanted him dead, they would've already done it. This is obviously part of a plan to force our paw. Trust me. It'll be much worse if you two end up captured as well."

"With all due respect, Dad," said Kate, "I won't let that happen."

"These aren't some token Alphas we're talking about. Please," the old wolf begged, "I can't lose you too."

"You won't," Humphrey replied. The Omega rubbed his head against Kate in an effort to ease her stress.


(written from October 14th to October 18th, 2022)

Chapter 3: King of the Rogues

A line of Alphas stood shoulder to shoulder. Garth paced back and forth near the stone ramp, studying his assembly of troops. Also pacing back and forth was Wintson who was in the cave with Eve, Lilly, and Tony.

"Kate and Humphrey... They're always doing things their way."

"Don't they realize how dangerous the Rogues can be?!" Tony thundered.

"I know what the Rogues are planning," said Lilly.

"What is it, my smart Omega?" said Eve.

"They want us to send most of our Alphas to find Runt and get trapped by the winter. Then they'll have another force... outflank us... who will attack... and destroy our home. The Omegas... The Betas..."

"Well, let 'em try it!" Tony challenged. His Western counterpart sighed.

"We'll have to go with a smaller contingent. Leave some Alphas here... just in case."

Tony nodded reluctantly. His son then approached.

"Everyone's ready to go at daybreak."

"We can only bring half of them. I'll explain later," Winston told him.

"I'm coming too," Lilly informed. The pack leader blocked her from exiting.

"No. No, Lilly. This is an Alpha affair."

"No... This is a family affair," she corrected.

"I'll stay here... with them," said Eve, gesturing to the remaining pups who were asleep.

It was settled. At the crack of dawn, Winston, Tony, Garth, Lilly, and half of the assembled company would begin their search for the King Pack. The journey to Banff took roughly a day and a half. That meant Runt had to endure at least one night with the Rogue leader. The thought greatly disturbed the Grand Pack wolves. They needed to save Runt quickly since this was only King at his most reasonable. Unlike Winston, Tony, or Garth, King didn't fear bloodshed. He was a warmonger, and the possibility of him changing his mind and killing Runt at the earliest convenience couldn't be ignored. One of the reasons why Humphrey and Kate's stealth operation carried great risk, Winston believed, was that it could be exactly what King wanted. In his eyes, Humphrey and Kate's marriage was blasphemous, an abhorrent desecration of the natural order. If the Rogues captured the couple... The old wolf couldn't bring himself to consider the events that would follow. He prayed he wouldn't have to save his daughter and son-in-law on top of Runt. He also hoped he could somehow reach Banff before Humphrey and Kate did, even though it was very unlikely. He and the rest of the family needed a good night's sleep before committing to not just a long walk but a potential battle, one against brutes at that.

"Let's all get some rest," he suggested.

One after the other, the adult wolves joined the pups and slipped into the quietude of the night. Little did they know that the pups had their own plans...

December 16th, 2012

Exactly twenty-four hours later, the Rogues who kidnapped Runt arrived at the King Pack. Their names were Shaun, Blader, and Smith, and it was Blader who brought Runt to the edge of one of the Rogues' outposts called Killers' Hill. Normally, pups at Runt's age were too big to be carried by the scruff, but Runt's size, as his name suggested, was below average. In contrast, the Rogue leader was huge. A pack of pups could fit in his shadow. He was the most muscular wolf Runt had ever seen—and the most scarred. The Alpha was predominantly black. Shades of dark grey stained his face and underbelly, and a snake-like pattern of grey banded his legs. His fur was bristly but not so dense to conceal a life of unimaginable violence.

After taking a bow for his supreme ruler, the wolf with the baggy eyes named Blader carelessly dropped Runt. The pup plopped into the ground.

"Oof! Nice..."

"This small wolf is Winston's grandpup?!" King asked rhetorically. "Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha! The great Alpha of the Western Region is producing runts!"

"You gotta problem with that?!" yelled Runt. The Rogue leader expressed vindication.

"See what happens when you let your Alpha daughter marry an Omega!"

"And you are?" Runt asked. The Rogue leader gasped. He had hoped the pup already knew.

"King," he answered menacingly. At that moment, a dull bronze she-wolf stepped to his left side. Unlike him or the other Rogues, her body was scarless.

"Hm. Original," Runt replied. "And let me guess... you're Princess?"

"Yes," the female answered, in a much softer tone than King.

"Well, King, don't blame me... if you were rejected by my great uncle."

The remark induced King to snarl in Runt's face, forcing the pup to cower.

"Father! Let me handle him." Princess interjected. The she-wolf grabbed the pup and took him away.

King confronted the three males.

"This is all you brought me?! What about the other two?!"

"Hey, it got complicated," Shaun replied. "We had to fight off bears, and this guy was in a tree!"

"Excuses! I sent all three of you for a reason! Elgin told me you guys were the best at stealing!"

"We won't fail you again, sir," said Smith.

"You're right. Otherwise, you'll have to answer to my daughter, and she isn't as merciful as I am. My beloved Princess has more skulls to her name than I do, so a mission to take out Elgin won't be extraordinary for her. His underperformance displeases me. I hereby strip him of his status as second-in-command!"

"But, boss," said Blader, "you know he won't like that. Once he returns from the campaign in Yoho, he may—"

"DO WHAT?!" King snapped. "Has he forgotten who made him who he is?! Oh, I'll be sure to remind him in the message I'll send. If he wants the title back, he has to earn it. Let's have him conquer the elusive wolves of the Breeze!"

"But, sir, conquering the Breeze is impossible. They're too fast! I mean no disrespect, but this is just like your goal of conquering the Valley. It's fantasy!"

Suddenly, King pounced on Shaun and choked him.

"WE ARE ROGUES! Nothing is impossible! I will rid Jasper of those revolting Omegas, and I won't hesitate to kill every Rogue that makes it difficult for me! Understand, you inbred coyote?!"

Meanwhile, at the top of Killers' Hill, Princess dropped Runt inside a small crater in the rock.

"My, what large teeth you have," he commented timidly. King's snarl was that of a tsunami that washed his courage away. He shivered intensely, however, it was not out of fear.

"You look cold," said Princess.

"No, I'm just, well... Okay, I'm freezing," he admitted. The pup struggled to adjust to the climate of Banff.

"And probably hungry," she added before digging up a cache.

"I uh... I'm a picky eater. Just warning you." The she-wolf then tossed him a piece of her ration. The pup immediately salivated. "But... I can be flexible."

Princess studied him as he devoured the caribou muscle. Despite her being middle-aged, Runt happened to be the first pup she had ever seen. There was never young in the King Pack as every Rogue was a male recruit except for her. She found his proportions bizarre. He was a chubby little thing equipped with four stubby legs and a head half the size of his trunk. "Mmm, yummy!" he said before burping. Only half his meal was eaten. To her surprise, he tossed back the remainder.

"Why aren't you eating the rest?!" Her question brimmed with seriousness. "Don't you know how scarce meat is?"

"I was leaving the other half for you. You know, like sharing. I guess it's an Omega thing."

Princess turned around and exposed her glaring face to the moon.

"When we have a kill, those who eat... are those who fight for it."

"And I'm sure pups do really well under that scenario," he replied, raising an eyebrow.

The Alpha swung back. Her frightening growl made the pup shrink and retreat to a small patch of grass.

"The Alpha pups will... Sleep there. It'll be warmer."

Later. . .

Princess stood in charge of the Rogues watching Runt. As the night dragged on, temperatures plunged until the bed of grass became insufficient. The jaws of coldness denied the pup his sleep. He shivered relentlessly and developed a terrible cough, the onset of hypothermia. Because there were still plenty of hours left until the first rays of morning, the realization that the pup may freeze to death came to Princess. It gave her an idea. She would alter the plan to help secure the main objective.

"You see, he is weak!" her father spat. "If he were pure Alpha, he wouldn't be cold!" Suddenly, Princess walked forward and laid her body on top of their captive. "What are you doing?" King asked.

"Making sure our bait stays alive," she retorted. "Father, I ask that you let me stay behind. If this pup is allowed to live, I can continue to distract the rescue brigade while your force attacks the Grand Pack territory."

"Why you? I can stay behind," said Shaun.

"No," Princess asserted. "The rescue brigade will have Kate and Garth, and they will certainly end you. I will engage them because I have the skill to win, and with Kate and Garth dead, the rest of the Grand Pack will collapse."

"Sir, we need Princess for the assault on the Valley," Shaun argued. "We can let the runt die. With Princess on the assault, it'll be easier to gain a foothold, and together, we can defeat their best Alphas."

"If you would've brought more bait, we wouldn't be having this discussion!" King snapped. "My daughter will soon be Queen. She's never failed me or our cause, so what my daughter says goes!"

Meanwhile. . .

Near the southern fringe of the Valley, Humphrey and Kate raced through a raging thunderstorm.

"Are you sure this is a shortcut to Banff?"

"Positive. The Omegas used to logboard here," Humphrey replied. "All we gotta do is get over the stream."

But the stream they found was less creek and more ravine. Floodwaters clawed the land, uprooting trees and rocks wherever they flowed. Erosion was more extreme closer to the Rockies where water tumbled faster due to steeper slopes.

"Uh, I thought you said this was a stream!" said Kate

"Okay... Wrong season."

"How are we gonna get across this? Hmm."

A familiar thing then caught the Alpha's eye. She grinned, much to Humphrey's dismay. He knew what she was thinking of, and he didn't like it.

"No, Kate! No vines!"

"But we did it last time!"

"I was young, impulsive!" But the Omega had already lost the battle. The next minute, he dangled on a vine in his jaws, the turbulent river directly below, and between him and the threat of drowning was Kate. Like before, she locked her teeth onto his tail. "And now I'm old and impulsive... Kate, wiggle around. Wiggle!" he directed through clenched teeth.

"I'm trying! Whoa! Whoa!" The erratic winds of the storm made a controlled swing arduous.

"I don't know if I can hold you!"

"Well, you held me last time!"

"Yeah, well, that was a few years ago!"

"Are you implying that I've gained weight?!"

"Are we really doing this right now? Please, Kate... come on. Wiggle!"

As done before, they swung from one side of the ravine to the other, but unlike before when Humphrey used the technique for rescuing, they were using it to cross the stream, so they had to drop on a particular side. Fortunately, since this was not their first experience on a vine, they both knew what they needed to do. Barring the difficult wind, they made it to the south side with relative ease.

"Good job, Omega!"

"It's all in the tail," said Humphrey. "You know, what's left of it..."

They resumed their walk. An ocean of rain began to batter them, but Kate couldn't bring herself to find shelter with Runt's well-being on her mind.

"We need to move on."

Just then, a bolt of lightning severed a tree limb. It landed directly in the couple's path as if a sign from a higher power. The Omega certainly read it as such.

"Kate, we have to wait this out." A den was in sight, shabby but vacant. Humphrey led her to it. "Come on. Over here."


(written from October 18th to October 22nd, 2022)

Chapter 4: Taking After

December 17th, 2012

"I can't believe my eyes." A strange accent reanimated the couple.

"Marcel! Paddy!" Kate exclaimed.

"Guys, are we glad to see you!" said Humphrey. They exited the shelter without a yawn. Seeing the golf birds again gave them great relief.

"Ha, ha! And I you," said Marcel, hugging the she-wolf. The goose then motioned for Paddy to give his own hug. Begrudgingly, he waddled closer and embraced the Alpha. The duck wasn't the biggest fan of hugs. "You see, Paddy? That wasn't so bad."

"It was a... appropriate," the duck replied.

"How did you find us?" asked Humphrey.

"Let's just say someone's bad shot flew up and over the cliff."

"Never mind the wrong club," Marcel added.

"Well, this is really serious. The Rogue wolves have captured Runt!"

"What?!" Paddy exclaimed.

"This is terrible! I have seen these Rogue wolves," said the goose. "Mean things. They never share their kill with the birds."

"We think they're in Banff," Kate informed.

"Well, count us in," said Paddy.

"Why, of course! Yes, yes!" the goose added.

Later. . .

Before long, the couple and their newfound air support were within a few miles of the long corridor. From the couple's point of view, Eclipse Pass was an enormous letter V that cut through the snow-capped barrier, and above it, the sky appeared like a blue claw pointing toward Banff, or as they saw it, pointing toward their abducted son. They were making good time. Around mid-afternoon was when they expected to see Runt again; however, they were unaware of the fact that they were being followed and that they would see the rest of their offspring much sooner.

"Mom?! Dad!" yelled their oldest.

Humphrey and Kate were walking parallel to the ravine when they picked up one of the last voices they wanted to hear.

"Aren't those your other pups?" said Paddy. The duck pointed his wing.

"Stinky! Claudette! What are you two doing here?!" yelled Humphrey, throwing his words over the gully. The two pups were on the other side.

"We came to help find Runt!" Claudette answered.

"By yourselves?" said Kate.

"Um, yeah. Kind of," said Stinky. "We slipped away while everybody was sleeping."

"How the heck did you find us?" asked Humphrey.

"I sniffed you out!" the pup answered proudly.

"Great. All we needed," Kate whispered to the Omega.

"I think it's so charming," said the goose, "when the little ones' personalities match their parents'."

"Hm, yes, they are what you would call drama wolves," said Paddy.

"You two are grounded!" Kate shouted. "You hear me?! GROUNDED!"

"How does one ground someone in the outdoors?" said Marcel. His caddy shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we lost Runt... so we're gonna find him, like it or not! Together! That is what we'll do!"

"You're not going to talk us out of this," Claudette assured.

"You two, STAY RIGHT THERE!" Kate yelled as Humphrey flinched. The Omega decided to ease Kate's stress by going to the birds for help.

"Hey, guys, listen. Would you go talk some sense into the pups?"

As Paddy and Marcel flew up, Stinky and Claudette examined the ravine.

"How did our parents get across?" said the dark grey pup. His sister quickly realized the answer.

"Oh! Remember how they said they flew across on a vine? We were like, 'Yeah, right!'"

"Now, pups, do not get any grand ideas," said Marcel, but the pups ignored him. The perfect vine dangled between them and their parents, begging for tension. Stinky backed up by several yards to make it possible for him to gain more speed.

"This is for Runt!" He sprinted off the ledge.

"AHH!" screamed the birds.

"STINKY!" Humphrey and Kate screamed. He managed to catch the vine. "CLAUDETTE!" His sister managed to catch his tail.

After a few seconds, the vine's swinging softened until it barely moved.

"Uh, now what?" said Stinky.

"Um... uh..." Claudette was just as blank.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What do we do?!" the goose exclaimed.

"Okay, let's help them!" said Paddy.

The birds flew to the part of the vine above the pups and tilted their heads sideways, so the string could fit in their beaks. Next, they flapped hard to push the young wolves closer to Humphrey and Kate.

"Oh, no! I can't hold on!" Claudette yelled.

"My tail will never be the same!" cried Stinky.

"Push! Push!" said Marcel. It took all the birds' might to force the pups barely over the dry land. At the very edge of the ravine, Humphrey and Kate stood side by side to eliminate a harsh landing.

"Oh, my gosh!" Kate exclaimed. "What do we—"

"Drop! Drop!" Humphrey instructed. The pups released their grip and landed safely on their parents' backs. "Are you all okay?!" Humphrey and Kate carried them to a safer spot where they dismounted. Humphrey sighed and gestured to his mate. "They soooo take after you."

"Me?" the Alpha replied. "Humphrey, that is all you."

They both then gazed at Stinky and Claudette.

"Alright, you two," said the Omega. "Forget being grounded. Let's go get Runt."

Meanwhile. . .

Ten miles south of Humphrey and Kate, Winston, Tony, and Garth walked down a different trail to Eclipse Pass. Behind them, a sizable body of troops marched.

"I cannot believe those pups snuck out last night," remarked Winston who was between Garth and Tony.

"They're sly little guys," Tony added. "Take after their parents."


(written from October 23rd to October 24th, 2022)

Chapter 5: The Bear Cub

"We should get ready," said King. "They'll be here at any moment. Assume positions!"

At the highest ledge of Killers' Hill, Princess and Smith were tasked with guarding Runt. King, Blader, and Shaun situated themselves near the bottom. King planned to distract the incoming rescue brigade by faking a negotiation. On the south side of the hill, the rest of the Rogues consolidated into an army five hundred strong, an invasion force of wolves unseen in the history of Canada. They intended to circumvent the rescue brigade and head straight for the Grand Pack through Eclipse Pass. Since a large portion of Grand Pack Alphas, including the most skilled, would be in the brigade, the territory of the Grand Pack was vulnerable. Before Garth, Winston, or Tony will know what's happening, it would already be too late. After the territory collapses, the Rogues will use the natural defenses of the land to secure an advantage before any surviving Alphas of the rescue brigade return. The Valley was full of areas of strategic value, and it was this fact that necessitated a plan to draw at least some of the Grand Pack's forces out since attacking directly would've been suicide.

King wanted the Valley to become his new headquarters. Mt. Victory will be the jewel of his empire. In fact, if his plan succeeded, he would declare himself Emperor of the Imperial Pack; however, it was not going to be a role more powerful than his daughter. At the same time, Princess would succeed him as Queen, and she would be the actual supreme leader while the title of Emporer would be a religious role. Rogues will submit to the Queen, but they will worship and adhere to the Emporer and his teachings. It will be a society bent on eradicating Omegas throughout Canada and beyond, and once the last Omega is killed and all the wolves left are Alphas, the concept of an Alpha will disappear. They will be no ranks, no discrimination thereof. The entirety of the wolf world would be socially equal for the first time in thousands of years.

The Rogue leader salivated at the thought of this potential future. Because there would be no more discrimination, King viewed the death of Omegas as their salvation. Omegas that resisted were ignorant. Alphas that resisted were misguided. He needed to make examples of them. He hoped his daughter remembered that she needed to have the pup die where Humphrey and Kate could watch. Kate, in particular, needed to witness in full view the consequences of her betrayal.

His daughter hadn't forgotten…

"Wow, what a way to spend the holidays... away from my family," said Runt. "I guess it's possible I won't see them again, but as they say, a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. Oh, how time flies."

"Always does," said Princess. The pup swung around.

"Are you gonna eat me?"

"Eat you?" The she-wolf chuckled. "I'm sure you would taste very badly." She then frowned. When was the last time she had a genuine laugh?

His daughter hadn't forgotten, but unbeknownst to King, a mysterious hesitancy bloomed, and Princess found it utterly baffling. It didn't make sense to her at all, yet it took root and sprouted, growing with every passing hour. Was it guilt that she was feeling? How was that even possible? She was a killer and a good one at that. She couldn't afford feelings... But this pup, this miniature wolf, was unlike anything the Rogue had ever associated with. Whenever his bulging blue eyes stared at her, she experienced unusual activity in her chest... and it felt good, a weird kind of good, and it threatened to be more than a nuisance.

As the future leader of the Rogues, Princess had privileges. She was the only Rogue who could question her father, but altering the master plan couldn't be possible. Her father spent months gathering his army. No, it had to be done. The pup had to die. Her father would disown her if she didn't follow through, but why was she even contemplating? A radical thought then presented itself. Could it be that a pup's innocence was so profound that it was purer than the Alphaness of a Rogue? But why? She had killed scores of Omegas without feeling. What made a pup so different? What made a pup judgment-proof?

She continued to ponder as a goose and a duck flew in circles high above Runt.

"Even the birds smell death," said Smith, hinting at Runt's projected demise as a means to frighten, but it allowed the pup to make a cutting rejoinder.

"Yeah? I think they're smelling you!"

The offended Rogue raised his arm, claws splayed as he intended to disfigure the pup's face; however, Princess moved in between, challenging his growl with her own.

"Back away," she quietly ordered.

"Let me at that smart aleck Omega!"

"Nice. Did I cause this?" said Runt.

Princess asserted her dominance by scratching the rock underneath. Smith attempted to strike the pup again. Suddenly, Princess had a superfluous reaction. She walked towards Smith who subsequently walked backward. Princess knew he was unwilling to break his threatening stare against hers. He wouldn't look back to notice the hazard behind him. The Alpha clumsily stepped off the shelf and plunged fifty feet. Runt looked down and saw the wolf motionless where he landed. Smith was dead! "Walk it off!" the pup sneered. Runt had no sympathy for the Rogues except for Princess. She was the only one who wasn't a complete psycho. "You're just like my mom!" he commented as she returned to her position, but before she could, her father was already there full of rage and confusion.

"Why did you DO THAT?!"

"He was going to attack our—"

"If the rescue brigade doesn't arrive by sundown, the runt is of no use to us! Do you understand me?!"

Princess bowed her head.

"Yes, Father. It won't happen again."

Later. . .

Humphrey, Kate, Stinky, and Claudette finished traversing Eclipse Pass when the golf birds returned to them. Marcel and Paddy had flown ahead to scout out the King Pack, so a strategy could possibly be made before there was contact.

"He's alive!" Marcel informed. The two birds alighted.

"But he is surrounded by a pack... even larger than your own!" Paddy added.

"How fast can we get there?!" asked Kate.

"At your top speed, you can make it within thirty minutes," the duck replied. "We'll fly ahead again to acquire more information. Meet us at the point where you can get the closest to the Rogues without them smelling you."

"Got it!" the Alpha acknowledged.

Ten minutes later, the group of wolves slowed to a walk. Their paws ached. Traveler's fatigue was beginning to set in. Soon, Stinky and Claudette failed to keep pace with their parents.

Suddenly, Stinky's energy returned... in the form of his nose wiggling around.

"Ya smell any bears?" asked his sister.

"Yeah... Kind of."

His sister was surprised that she guessed correctly, though his reply was somewhat confusing.

"What do you mean, 'kind of'? Your snout is never wrong."

"This one is different. Only a small whiff of a bear... and it's right on our tails."

"Hi, guys!" said a feminine voice.

"A very small whiff!" Stinky emphasized. "Mom! Dad! Come look at this!"

It was a bear cub smaller than the pups. She had just caught up with them.

"How cute!" Claudette exclaimed. "Uhh, for a future predator."

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Keep going, kids. We don't deal with bears outside the Valley," said Humphrey. "They're all really cute and cuddly when they're that age."

"Come on, pups," Kate agreed. "Your father and I had ourselves a bad experience after HE played with a cub."

"It wasn't pretty. And neither was her breath." He nudged Stinky and Claudette away.

The cub approached the Omega and introduced herself.

"My name is Khanyue. Hey, can I come with?"

The Omega lifted a forelimb up to Khanyue's face.

"Talk to the paw. Go home." The bear ignored him and walked by, trying to follow his pups. The Omega quickly blocked her. "What is this, a parade?"

Then, out of nowhere, a porcupine came.

"So you're just gonna leave that cub alone, in the forest?"

"Who are you?" Humphrey asked.

"Do you know what will happen... *gulp* to that cute and adorable little cub?"

"What are you, his agent? You get ten percent of his cuddliness? Come on."

"You know the rules of the forest."

"I know the rules of survival. Eh, why am I having this discussion with you?!" The wolves continued down the trail. Suddenly, Humphrey felt a sharp pain and screamed. "OWWW!" He looked back and discovered a quill that had been ejected.

"Sorry. It was a reflex. Karma, my friend." The porcupine just as quickly disappeared.

"Okay. Time to move on. And fast," said Humphrey.

"But... But I'm lost," said the bear.

"Look for gigantic bear tracks. You'll be reunited with your grizzly mama in no time."

"I haven't seen her in days! I've looked everywhere."

"Well... look harder."

"I can't. If the mean wolves see me, I'm a goner."

Humphrey sighed. He couldn't argue any longer. The grey wolf grabbed the bear by her nape.

"Humphrey, what are you doing?" said Kate.

"Yeah, Dad. Stinky and I had our fill with a bear yesterday!"

"I do believe the cub poses a danger to us all," said Stinky.

"What if this were Runt?" Humphrey replied rhetorically. It made Kate rethink. The wolves didn't want to be hypocrites.

"Okay... She can come, but we have to get moving."

"Awesome!" Khanyue exclaimed. "I've never spent the holidays with wolves before."


(written from October 29th to October 30th, 2022)

Chapter 6: Lockjaw

"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 two weeks 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!"


(written on October 31st, 2022)

Chapter 7: Battle of Bears and Wolves

"Runt!" Lilly exclaimed. The Grand Pack wolves converged at the edge of the forest.

"Take the pups to the west side!" Winston recommended. "There's a route where the Rogues won't think to look."

"The human roads?" said Kate.

"It'll be okay," Winston assured. "Stay over there for as long as you have to. If things get dire, don't come back for us."

"Come on, pups! Quickly!" Humphrey ushered them westward.

"Well, what about me?" said Khanyue.

"You can come with us," Kate replied.

"Lilly, go with them," Garth ordered. Lilly stamped her paw.

"I'm staying here. I may not be strong, but I'm smart."

They both looked to the south. The Rogue army was closing in fast, a wall of teeth and claws seeking to obliterate them.

"Paddy, we have to do something to help!" said Marcel.

"Uh, let... Let me think. Hmm. Ah-hah! I have an idea!" The birds took off. They headed for an unknown location.

"The best we can do is slow them down," said Tony.

"They have a hundred times as many," said Garth, "so we'll fight two hundred times as hard!"

"Wait! Wait! STOP!" yelled Stinky.

"What do you have?" asked Humphrey.

"I smell a grizzly. A very... large grizzly!"

"Great! The more the merrier!"

The grizzly soon appeared from the forest.

"Heh, heh! You were saying?" said Kate. The Omega gulped in fear.

"It's my mom!" yelled Khanyue. The bigger bear stood on its hind legs while the cub jumped into its arms. "Mom! Stop!" Khanyue pointed at the wolves. "They made sure that I was safe!"

"Uh, hi there... I'm Humphrey. This is Kate, and those are our pups."

"And now they're in trouble," Khanyue added. Her mom appeared to nod as if she already knew.

"We can only mess the Rogues up, Winston. We won't be able to stop them," said Tony.

It was too late to outrun the Rogues. The battlefield was set. King and Princess took their place on a boulder. The army lined up behind them, waiting for their command to strike.

"They can't handle our numbers! THEY ARE WEAK! PURITY WILL WIN!" He turned to his daughter. To his surprise, she seemed on the verge of tears. "Princess... lead the rest of the pack to Winston's home and CLAIM IT!"

"No, Father... Not this time," she replied. She jumped off the boulder and ran back to where they came from. King was utterly dumbfounded.

"Princess? PRINCESS!" he screamed.

"You are not going to get my grandpups or our home!" Winston declared. Suddenly, he felt the puffs of multiple breaths over his shoulders. The old wolf turned around. "What the...?"

A wall of fifty bears formed behind the Grand Pack wolves. They couldn't believe their eyes.

"Mom, they're our friends!" said Khanyue, riding on her mother's back.

"Ha, ha! I'll be darned!" said Tony.

"And she is too!" Khanyue added, pointing at Lilly. The white wolf smiled. "But everyone else... they're fair game!" The adult bears then made a rallying roar. The Rogues looked at themselves nervously.

"I'll take good care of him," said Lilly. Khanyue hopped down and landed on the Omega's back.

"I think the playing field just got a bit more even," said Winston.

"This is going to be fun!" said Tony.

"READY TO BATTLE!" Winston cried. The old wolf led the charge.

The two sides met in a ferocious clash. The biggest bears were ten feet tall on their hind legs, swatting the Rogues one by one. Not holding back, each hit was instantly lethal. Bloodied bodies were sent flying tens of feet in the air. The fear of being brutally killed fractured King's army and wolves began crisscrossing all over the field. The bears were more organized than the Rogues expected. They formed a circle around the Grand Pack wolves and assisted each other whenever they faced an onslaught of bites. A few Rogues were able to squeeze through the circle, including Shaun and Blader. They chased Garth out and cornered him against a precipice.

"If it isn't the infamous Garth," said Shaun. "The strongest Alpha in the Grand Pack."

"I hear he is married to an Omega," Blader taunted. "A weak Omega!"

Garth then ducked as he heard a rolling sound. A log fell from the ledge above and landed on the Rogues' backs, shattering their spines. Garth looked up to see Lilly standing prominently.

"I could've handled them!"

"I know, but I prefer my Alpha without scars," Lilly replied.

"Bombs away!" yelled Marcel. Numerous flocks of blue jays led by the golf birds unloaded a rain of excrement. They made sure to aim for the eyes. Dozens of blinded Rogues collided with each other.

"Well, it was that or a windshield," said Paddy, chuckling.

The scene in front of King was complete pandemonium. A troop of his was either screaming in a random direction, a lifeless body soaring over the field, or falling victim to the claws of the Grand Pack wolves who were far more skilled than them at an individual level. Because of the bears, Winston, Tony, and Garth were limited to one-on-one fights that they could win easily. Regardless, King pushed his army to continue the battle, but with Princess gone, his mind was too jumbled with emotions to think of a strategy.

Soon, most of his forces withdrew, defying his commands. Going through the bears wasn't worth it. They accepted it as a loss but King could not.

"Stop! Stop! I ORDER YOU TO STOP!" His own wolves ran into him and knocked him off his feet. King gave one last glance at the Grand Pack wolves before joining his decimated army.

"Oh, look," said Paddy. "They're running away. Those cowards."

It took a few minutes for the dust to clear. The field was covered in bodies. Roughly three hundred Rogues had died. The bears' claws dripped with blood, and every part of their skins had punctures, scratches, or gashes. Miraculously, not a single bear died, but many collapsed from exhaustion.

Winston approached their leader, Khanyue's mother, as she licked her wounds.

"Thank you, whoever you are," said Winston. "You saved us... and Jasper as well."

The bear shook her head and pointed at Killers' Hill in the distance.

"No, it was the one he called Princess," said Khanyue, translating her mother's grunts. "Her betrayal made them fall apart."

"Who are you bears?" asked Garth. "We've never seen bears as smart as you."

"That's because we normally stay out of lupine affairs. We are the Bear Kingdom of Northern Banff. My mom is the current monarch."

"And you're a princess too?"

"Princess Khanyue to be exact," she clarified, "and my mom helped you because we have our issues with the Rogues too."


(written on October 31st, 2022)

Chapter 8: Winter Retreat

That night. . .

Humphrey, Kate, and their pups continued on the old mountain trail when it began snowing hard. After a few hours, each step left a print a few inches deep. The pups were walking side by side, but there wasn't enough warmth to satisfy them. They couldn't stop shivering.

"Humphrey," said Kate. Their progress slowed to a stop

"It's getting too cold, right?"

"Mom, Dad," said Stinky, "might we make it home in time for Christmas?"

"Let's talk," Kate whispered. Humphrey and Kate distanced themselves from the pups, so they could speak in private. "I'm not even sure where we are anymore," Kate admitted

"Maybe we could build a new den."

"Humphrey, by the time we build a tolerable one, we'll freeze to death."

"You have other ideas?"

"It's so cold," said Stinky.

"We're lost, aren't we?" said the youngest. He then had an idea. He hurried to the nearest tree and climbed.

"Runt?! What gives?" said Kate.

"Here we go again," Claudette remarked with a sigh.

"Runt, you get down here right now!" Kate ordered.

At the top, a sparkle from far away drew his eyes to the west. There, a line of shadow came into view.

"Hey, look! I see it! I see it!"

"I don't care what you see!" Kate replied.

"I see the human roads!"

"Really?"

"Really." The pup jumped off the tree and landed safely in a snow dune.

"How far, Runt?"

"Way down the mountain. I'd say ten miles or so."

"If only there was a fast way to get there," said Humphrey. Kate then nudged him with her elbow. The perfect logboard just happened to be nearby. "Oh, no... No, no, no! No, no-no-no-no-no-no-no!"

Five minutes later, a log carrying the wolves slid down the slope. The pups sat in front while their father took the steering position at the back end. "Alright, lean left!" he instructed.

"Now right!" Kate added. One after another, they evaded obstacles in their way.

"This is awesome!" said Runt.

"Whoa!" Stinky exclaimed. "I still don't think this is appropriate for an Alpha but..."

"It sure does rock!" Claudette finished.

"Rock!" Humphrey shouted.

"It does!" said Kate.

"No, rock! HOLD ON!"

Bam! Their means of transportation crashed. The wolves were flung forward. During the moment in the air, Humphrey and Kate hugged each other tightly. Next, they landed hard in the powder.

"Is everyone okay?! Is everyone okay?!"

"Guys? Guys?!"

Three smiling heads popped up from the drift near the Omega. "So... where're we headed now, Runt?"

Later. . .

Following the roads that had been cleared of snow, the wolves came across a sight only familiar to the adults. It was a small gas station.

"Oh, my gosh... It can't be... Kate, bite my paw! Please bite it!"

"What?"

"Bite it," he begged.

"Okay..." The Alpha bit his left forepaw.

"OW! Kate!"

"You said, 'Bite it'."

"I wanted to see if I was still asleep in a bad dream."

"Hey, maybe we can find those cupcake thingies."

"Good thinking, Kate. I'm starving."

The wolves made their way to the pile of trash cans abutting the gift shop. "It was a place just like this where your mother and I survived a mad hunter," Humphrey explained.

"Wasn't it like some big, bad dude?" said Runt.

"Yeah... Well... more or less."

"Is that him?" asked Claudette. The pup pointed a paw at the window of the gift shop's office. Inside, a man in overalls with a thick mustache was decorating a Christmas tree.

"Oh, my gosh, Kate! It's actually him!" Humphrey exclaimed. "It's Max!"

"He looks like a wimp," said Claudette.

"Don't let those chestnut eyes fool you!" Kate warned. "He is a killer!"

"Wait! There it is!" said Runt. The pup noticed the lights of the Christmas tree flashing. "The blinking lights! Awesome! That is what I saw from the top of the mountain!"

Suddenly, the human noticed the wolves outside which spooked Humphrey and Kate.

"Oh, gosh! Everyone behind the dumpster!" the Omega urged.

Max curiously watched the wolves hide behind the trash. He realized the adult wolves he saw were the same two wolves from the gas station farther south. Two and a half years ago, he aimed a shotgun at them, but he didn't intend to kill them as long as they kept their distance. Seeing Humphrey and Kate again was one thing, but seeing their new family definitely made him feel guilty. He then thought about his own family. A painting of him and his wife hugging their two sons was hanging on the wall. His sons were all grown up now, doing their own things, but it had been years since he last saw them.

"What's he doing?" asked Kate.

"I... I don't know," said Humphrey.

Max stepped outside and walked straight to his red pickup. A minute passed before he drove off. A peculiarity caught the wolves' eyes. "He left the door open?"

"Let's go see the tree!" said Runt.

"It's really pretty!" said Claudette.

"No... It's a trap," their mother assured.

"He wants us to go in there," Humphrey added.

As usual, the pups ignored their parents. They raced to the opening.

"Runt! Claudette! Stinky!" Humphrey and Kate ran after them. What they saw in the office room shocked them beyond belief.

In front of the tree, Max left three bowls of kibble! The pups dug in.

"Did he—"

"From gunshots to free food," said Kate. "Go figure."

December 18th, 2012

The family spent the night inside the building. The office was warm, and the sparkling tree with the gold star on top was a lovely comfort. After Kate was aroused, she looked back to see the pups sleeping in a cute little pile. She nudged her mate awake.

"Humphrey... here we are... trying to get home again."

"Hmm... I think... we already are."


(written on February 17th, 2023)

Epilogue

At Killer's Hill, Princess stared blankly at the map of the Valley. Arrows that she added showed how the outflanking force would've caught the Grand Pack by surprise. Had everything gone according to plan, a new age of wolfkind would've begun with her at the helm. Princess wasn't sure how her act of disloyalty would be received. She was considered the greatest Rogue. She had given her whole life to the belief in Alpha superiority. She was unquestioning as well as deadly, but did that make her immune to scrutiny from the Rogues? She was about to find out after her father approached. He hadn't returned to Killer's Hill until today. This was the first time he met his daughter since her refusal to lead the outflanking force.

A bulbous shadow devoured the dirt drawing. As part of the routine, Princess immediately stood at attention with her muzzle held high. King began to circle around, examining her scarless body.

"Princess, my dear... who hurt you?" he asked in a sympathizing tone.

"No one," she answered. Unexpectedly, King gave her a hug.

"It's okay. You don't have to lie to me... I hurt you, didn't I?" Princess couldn't think of what to say next. The words died on her tongue. "I love you, my daughter. I'm sorry. I put too much pressure on you, didn't I? You were trying to tell me you weren't ready to be Queen, and I didn't listen." Thoughts of the pup continued to fog the she-wolf's mind. She shook her head.

"I promise I will be ready. The Rogue empire will have a queen."

"Let's hope I'll live to see it," King replied. "The failure of our invasion will embolden the Valley wolves. Their defenses will grow."

"So will their fear... Time is on our side, and there are still plenty of territories in Banff where we can expand... such as that of the Pack of the Breeze."

"Ugh, the Breeze. That idiot Shaun was right. Conquering them is impossible. After the failure in Yoho, I figured Elgin had experience chasing wild geese."

His daughter then exited the den which caused him to raise an eyebrow. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Permission to slaughter every last member of the Breeze."

King thought for a moment. He smiled.

"Granted."

THE END