When Opposites Attract

by DogDrawler

A party is thrown to celebrate the next generation of Omega wolves. Under a sky full of stars, laughter and fun ensure until Kate arrives in search of Humphrey. She comes with an offer he can't refuse.

When Opposites Attract (written from September 3rd, 2023 to August 21st, 2024)

Omega wolves boasted a plethora of degrading titles. Their colorful designations as rascals or scamps, rapscallions or pranksters, reprobates, twerps, and everything in between thrived on the tongues of their higher-ranking counterparts. Pejoratives awaited them each day. High jinx intimately followed their shallow pawprints as they navigated through an unfriendly climate. Alphas' tolerance of foolery was superficial at best, a shoddy illusion meant to prop up an aging state of denial. Omegas took pride in their shenanigans, but what they saw as a mark of importance the Alphas saw as a mark of unimportance.

The principles of Pack Law guided wolfkind. According to the ancient codes, nothing mattered more than the pack's survival. Every member pulled their weight. Every member put their packmates first. There could be no room for laxity, no room for distractions to spoil one's reputation. Anyone unwilling or unable to contribute to the pack's well-being surrendered their right to fair treatment, and this widespread belief preserved the hierarchy. The majority of Alphas acknowledged the role Omegas played but refused to see it as essential. What Omegas provided couldn't be equal to what Alphas provided. Omegas didn't hunt. They didn't patrol the borders. They neither fought in battle nor studied herbalism. Hence, what productive qualities entitled them to fairness, that excluded them from harassment or shunning? What qualities of theirs indicated they acted responsibly or with dignity? Alphas go through the trouble of protecting them and only ask for obedience in return. In contrast, Omegas go through the trouble of having a good time. Much to the perpetual eye-rolling of their higher-ranking counterparts, they were wonderfully skilled at it.

Nowhere exhibited the spirit of Omegas like Western District No. 5, colloquially known as Peterland. The district arose following the bloodiest war in the Grand Valley. A squabble over food led to the Easterns and Westerns locking horns in the appropriately named War of the Divide. At the center of hostilities, two intransigent visionaries competed for control, the eccentric wanderer known as Peter the Demented and the respectable headwolf known as Joseph Amberhill, the patriarch of the greatly esteemed Clan of Amberhill. They both led fierce battles. Neither side gained an advantage. Then, two years later, mediators imposed a truce. The war's hasty conclusion ushered in the Age of Aggression in which Peter and Joseph, now chieftains of the Eastern and Western Packs, promoted their view of each other as mortal enemies.

While Peter learned to cope with the uneasy arrangement, the Westerns mulled over invasion plans. Joseph decried the Easterns. He considered them an illegitimate faction, but he failed to persuade his commanders to keep the conflict alive. It forced him to redirect his anger. Who could he blame everything on without losing support? The Omegas were the obvious answer. During the War of the Divide, Eastern Alphas declared Peter's classification ceremony invalid. To remove a major barrier on his path to becoming the Eastern chieftain, they granted him Alpha status. It marked the first and only time a wolf in the Valley took on a class different than the one originally assigned, something the Western chieftain could not recognize in the slightest. What started out as apathy toward the Omegas converted into hate as Peter rose to prominence, and in no time at all, every low-ranking wolf was deemed an agent of corruption.

Joseph responded with segregation. He called his land of confinement "Peterland." The thinking went that if the Omegas couldn't be separated from the perceived aggressor of the war, they would be isolated for good. Joseph spent the rest of his life forcing Omegas out of their ancestral dens. He relocated them to the same area where his Alphas discarded the remains of kills. Under a patchy canopy, bones unfit for use such as skulls, vertebrae, and hooves became symbols of death. Years of festering body parts radiated disease until the land reeked of decay insomuch that every tree grew sickly and discolored, the waterhole laced with contamination. Omegas who drank from it fell ill. The segregation policy forbade healers from rendering medicine, which allowed parvo and distemper to run rampant. Long and brutal recoveries awaited the survivors due to Alphas severely restricting food. There was no way out of it. An escarpment forming a C-shaped boundary limited escape to just a few narrow passages, easy for Joseph to secure with minimal patrols. From there, things got worse. Urine mobs would terrorize Peterland. They cornered Omegas and left scent marks on their bodies, spiteful messages meant to degrade them, and because scent marks were notoriously long-lasting, unable to be washed off in the fastest of streams, they dealt with lifelong trauma.

By the time Joseph's grandson, Winston, ended segregation, close to eighty percent of the West's Omegas had been forcibly relocated. The population, however, only suffered a ten percent decrease. The reason? The positive attitudes of Omegas worked as an effective countermeasure. It hid in plain sight, a contagion of their very own. As a pup, Winston discovered its power. The glowing optimism the Omegas exuded at all times maintained their overall health. At no point in their isolation did they seem hopelessly depressed or unwilling to partake in their proverbial mischief. They belted out nursery rhymes in the morning, then broke into freestyle dances in the evening. Abhorrent conditions failed to stop them from throwing impressive parties at which Omegas of all ages could get tipsy and twirl themselves into a coma. The last one to barf often got to host the next party. But witless convention aside, it begged the question: could happiness be the cure for every ill?

Omegas were said to be oracles of emotional intelligence. They acted on whims and achieved fulfillment through simple pleasures. Alphas planned out every action. Pleasure for them came in the form of discharging duties. They thrived on logic, or so the tan she-wolf, Kate, was told. Like her father before her, she discovered the power of Omegas' optimism. She found herself drawn to it, lost to its charm. It questioned everything she had been taught about the world. Then further contemplation gifted her with an indispensable truth. For opposites to attract, the source of mutual happiness required a force equally comprised of emotion and logic. That force, she realized, was love of the most genuine kind.

---

March 18th, 2012

Tonight nourished a festive ambience. For the first time of the year, the rock fields gave off adequate heat as the period of sunshine lengthened. Like basking in the echoes of a day, the wolves of Peterland's centermost den grounds lolled over these oases of warmth interspersed between the emaciated pines, inspiring them to howl rambunctiously at the cratered orb whose tenderhearted glow enhanced the aura of coziness. The moonbeams concealed the foul appearance of the district and conferred a sense of magnificence on even the sickest Douglas firs while the congress of spirits that were the stars twinkled with striking fervor.

The newest generation would graduate from school in two days, so what better for the Omegas than to settle on a banquet. Attendees indulged themselves in delectable elk ribs and whitetail sirloin, luxury meats that the lower class were routinely denied from enjoying. Because Alphas took priority, they received the healthiest and tastiest meats, the Betas received fair to middling shares, and the Omegas were left to apportion leftovers from less desirable animals like minks, marmots, and ptarmigans. That wasn't the case tonight thanks to a recent food surplus. Omegas were free to stuff their bellies. Between swallowing and helping themselves to another bite, they produced short celebratory howls.

The number in attendance swelled to three dozen and counting. Anyone who could hear the fun was welcome to participate. As more and more rushed in, they naturally organized into two teams. Both sides flung jokes back and forth to see who could evoke the heartiest of laughs, but the arrival of a big name soon halted their folly. He was the most popular Omega by a long shot, a stand-up extraordinaire, a maker of original games, and the undisciplined goof you could count on to frisk across meadows of frost or dive into snow dunes that could swallow a wolf whole. He dared not to miss a single shindig.

During the two years since the Great Display, Humphrey became the most famous Omega since Peter the Demented. Many of the lower class revered him. He was a living legend, the one who stood up to the unyielding dominance of Alphas in the face of certain punishment. Because of his unprecedented union with an Alpha, reported attacks against the Omegas reached an all-time low within the Valley. Humphrey's father-in-law, Winston, began the process of cracking down on violence against Omegas seven years ago, but Humphrey completed the work as an unintended consequence of his pursuit of Kate. Older Omegas wanted to show their appreciation, and younger Omegas and Omegas-in-training, known as Kappa wolves, were eager to learn all they could from him.

That was indeed true for the Kappa named Finnegan. He and a few other dedicated peers went so far as to chow down their meals with as few bites as possible, so they could use the bones to jot down records of Humphrey's comedic tales. Humphrey brimmed with stories. They spilled out of his mouth like the drool of a starving pup. His logboarding ones were especially huge riots. With the support of his closest friends, he spent an hour regaling the feasting partygoers with his long history of crashes, so long that Finnegan ran out of ribs to inscribe within the first ten minutes.

"...so a year ago, the four of us were tearing up this new slope we found near the edge of the Valley. We were able to knock out some three-sixty spins, a few snake maneuvers—I mean, we were just owning that bad boy—and Mooch puts forward the idea of everyone switching positions!"

"It seemed like the right time to mix things up," Mooch explained.

"We thought the idea had potential, so we gave it a try. Salty switched places with Shakey, and I switched places with Mooch, so I was in the very back while Mooch took my position up front."

"And wouldn't you know? We couldn't see diddly-squat!" Shakey exclaimed. The crowd chuckled.

"Well, I totally could, being the tallest one and all," Salty clarified, "but it was still gnarly as all heck."

"And you know why? Because it wasn't just a boulder of fur blocking our view," Humphrey continued. "It turns out having a boulder of fur that rarely takes a bath could also be a problem. All that stink we've been avoiding for years... starts blowing right into our faces! To say we were only discombobulated would not do it justice. Our eyes watered. It hurt to keep them open, and I imagine that's less than ideal if your job is to guide the log." Humphrey gestured to Shakey, who was flanked by the she-wolves, Reba and Janice.

"Turning has always been Salty's thing," Shakey asserted. "These chronic tremors I suffer from make me a total klutz. I'm the smallest as it is, and they expect me to maneuver the log with Mooch blocking my entire view!"

"You must've been so brave!" said Reba.

"Yeah, you were thrown into a hairy situation, and you came out alive! That's totes bodacious!" added Janice.

"It is? I mean, of course it is!" Shakey replied. Reba and Janice then kissed his left and right cheek, respectively, setting off a series of shivers as if he no longer wore his dark grey coat. "W-what can I say? My p-parents were Alphas. Maybe their toughness is starting to peek out."

"Oh, something's peeking out alright," said Humphrey. The crowd roared with laughter. Shakey crossed his hind legs, awash with embarrassment.

"Heh, heh... Sorry about that! I guess I walked right into that one. Continue with the story, Humphrey."

"So... Shakey and I were basically riding blind. Mooch informs us that a wall of rock is dead ahead, our names written in blood on it. I ask him how close it is, and he goes—"

"I CAN SNIFF ITS BUTT! THAT'S HOW CLOSE IT IS!" Mooch shouted, reenacting his panic.

"Yup, so I stuck my neck out to try to search for alternative paths, but none were viable. We just so happened to end up in a rugged part of the forest. If we made any sharp turns, we would tip over. The only way to avoid crashing was to do whatever it took to slow down. Luckily, what Mooch said reminded me of what I had to do. As the new emergency wolf, I figured I should just copy what Mooch usually did and use my butt to apply friction. What else was I going to do? As much as I didn't want to sacrifice my beloved keister, I couldn't ignore that our lives hung in the balance. I told myself, if we bit the dust, who would be there to nip the Alphas' hindpaws? Who would be there to freshen their dens with flatulence? We had so many plans. We had so much to live for. No, we couldn't go out like that. I had to do what needed to be done and, ohhh, sweat Lupus, did that really hurt... I honestly have no idea how you do it, amigo."

"Being a shaggy dog has its perks," Mooch revealed.

"Suffice to say," Humphrey resumed, "I wasn't going to be able to slow us down in time. Even if we somehow concentrated our windbreaking to neutralize our speed, it likely wouldn't make a difference. We were simply going too fast, so we slammed into the wall! There was this loud snap! Turns out it was the logboard splitting between Shakey and Salty, and they were hurled into the air in opposite directions! Shakey was sent over the wall, and Salty was thrown high into a Douglas fir. Mooch and I were, like, badly bruised but otherwise okay. I eventually dragged my body over to Salty. I looked up. Salty hung there, slumped over a branch. He snickered to himself. I thought that was weird, so I asked him why he was snickering when we just had our worst crash ever, and he said he just came up with a good pun. I said, 'Alright, let's see what you got.' He says, 'I've figured out what my favorite tree of all time is.' 'What is it?' I asked. He then says... 'It's lu-pine.'"

Chaos consumed the crowd. The punchline caused many to fall on their backs and spit out the food they had been chewing. Nobody held it in.

"Ha, ha! You kill me, Humphrey!" cheered one of them.

"These dogs still got it!" another praised.

Humphrey and his gang grinned blissfully. All four of them believed they reached the pinnacle of their lives. Providing entertainment for a banquet and succeeding in getting everyone to collapse in hilarity produced the greatest sense of pride that every Omega hoped to experience. Although Omegas wanted equal treatment from the Alphas, they didn't want it if it meant being assimilated, or at the cost of being able to do what Omegas did best. The purpose of an Omega was to spread joy, to shed smiles where there are frowns, to shed fun where there is boredom, and to shed love where there is animus. What purpose could be nobler than that?

Humphrey was the perfect Omega, Finnegan thought. He had everything going for him: infectious charisma, side-splitting humor, and immaturity for days. It made his strange marriage all the more strange. His personality was the polar opposite of his mate, yet issues between them somehow never threatened to tear them apart. Wolves took to calling their relationship "chaotic harmony." Alphas and Omegas alike struggled to comprehend the paradox. How could something that makes absolutely no sense make perfect sense at the same time? The only thing that could be concluded with certainty was that it was new, and Alphas were distantly more likely to be suspicious of the new.

Finnegan was part of the second generation born after the Great Display. Aside from the one time Humphrey visited Omega School, Finnegan knew through his widowed father, Sheridan, everything there was to know about Humphrey. Sheridan was the first Omega outside of Humphrey's gang to pick up logboarding. Sheridan and Humphrey were good friends, and if not for the latter's vouching, the chieftain, Garth, wouldn't have appointed Sheridan to the position of prime counselor, which was the highest position an Omega could attain. As a position on the wolf hierarchy went, it wasn't anything that special. The lowest-ranking Alphas such as patrols and secretaries were still higher than the prime counselor and could bully one on a whim without consequence. Being prime counselor gave you permission to attend meetings with Alphas and be a representative voice, but Alphas reserved the right to ignore, dismiss, and even traduce you for any reason. Nevertheless, Omegas still considered it an enviable position, and since Finnegan now had to fight against concerns over nepotism to become the next prime counselor, studying Humphrey became even more important. The Kappa approached his idol anxiously.

"Yo, Finnegan, right?" greeted Humphrey.

"You remembered me!"

"Sure I do! How could I forget Sheridan's little pup, Roadkill Randy?" It was incumbent on Humphrey to assign each and every Kappa with an absurd nickname. "Roadkill Randy" became attached to Finnegan owing to the long black stripe that began between the Kappa's eyes and tapered off at the tip of his tail.

"Yep, that's me! Gee, the first time I met you was the greatest honor of my life! Tonight I might just swoon!"

"Please, leave the swooning to the opossums. There's no honor to be had. I'm just your average fun-loving Omega. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Really? But how can that be?" Finnegan inquired with a whine. "Average, my butt! For heaven's sake, you're married to an Alpha!"

"Wrong. I'm married to Kate. There's a difference," Humphrey corrected tonelessly. The abrupt seriousness threw the Kappa off.

"Ohhh... You're right! I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to disrespect the love of your life."

"No worries, trainee. I've been beaten to a pulp twice. You couldn't offend me even if you tried. You can address me in whatever way works for you. I just don't want to be this hero, you know? Because I'm not... All I did was follow my heart."

"Oh, right. I remember you said that when you visited my class during the first winter moon. You shared with us your greatest story, the one in which you embarked on a great adventure outside of Jasper! You said you followed your heart, and what you found was a girl worth a war. You later gave us the Great Display. You showed everyone what true love looks like. Man, I wish I was around to see it."

"The Great Display? So that's what they're calling it? See, that's where I have a problem. It's not supposed to be 'great.' Sure, it was great for me in the sense that I got what I wanted, but being with who you actually love should be typical. It wasn't just Kate I was fighting for. I was fighting for myself as well. If I had gone through with my plan to leave Jasper, I don't think I would've lasted long. I spent my whole life up to that point trying to outrun loneliness, and it was exhausting. I wanted to stop holding back. I wanted to be with her because I knew in my heart that she felt the same way. What we had was completely natural. With that said, the Great Display does perfectly finish my greatest story. After a long journey featuring daring action sequences and hilarious comic relief, the good-looking protagonist howls a requiem to his dearest friend, a ballad so powerful and awesome that it brings her back from the dead, thus allowing the underdog to get the girl of his dreams. What more could ya want?"

"There's always more," Finnegan replied. "Life may be boring for you now that things have gone quiet, but that doesn't mean it has less meaning."

"Yeah…" Humphrey straightened his smile and lowered his ears.

"Are you okay? Was it something I said?"

"You're good, Finnie. I just had a rush of nostalgia. I admit… sometimes I want to go back to those days when it was just a stupid crush, so we could fall in love with each other all over again. Don't get me wrong—our marriage has been wonderful! Like, if I could reverse time, I'd do everything exactly the same, right down to every breath I took, but nothing beats the initial wave of emotions I felt, when everything was new, exciting, and dangerous…"

"Dangerous, you say?" replied a familiar she-wolf. It brought the chatter among the Omegas to a sudden halt. To everyone's shock, Kate joined the party without a single wolf noticing. Alphas often wore their stringent demeanors like another coat of fur. They were easy to spot in a crowd, but somehow Kate managed to blend in—too well actually.

"Hee, hee!" she giggled. "I was wondering where my handsome snuggle buddy ran off to. Should've known you'd be here."

"Bro, did she just call you her 'snuggle buddy'?" Salty whispered.

"Yes... Yes, she did," Humphrey whispered back.

"Since when does Kate use pet names?" Salty asked.

"She doesn't," Humphrey answered, emulating his friend's concern. Mooch and Shakey exchanged their own worried looks.

Kate's off-kilter presence baffled all of the Omegas. For the first time ever, they weren't sure if they should formally acknowledge their superior with obsequious groveling. Superimposed on her coy posture, half-closed eyes and an uninhibited smirk rounded off a desirous gaze. Humphrey couldn't tell if he struggled to find his words or if the words struggled to find him.

"Oh... Hi, honey... What's... What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Everything is fine... I was just... missing you is all. I miss my handsome Omega!" She pounced on him and attempted to lick the astonishment off his face.

"Woah! Looks like somebody's frisky tonight."

"You could say that... I love you by the way."

"Awwwww!" uttered the crowd as Humphrey blushed.

He stood back up. "Aw, I love you too, honey… You're welcome to play with us if you want! If there's any Alpha welcome here, it's you. I bet you had a long day with Falcon Squad. They sure like to run you ragged."

"I could use some relief, yes," she replied in a suggestive tone.

"Lucky for you, I have just the thing that can help. I hereby declare Peterland to be Kate's personal stress-free zone! Anytime work has you bushed, you can just come over here, and my friends'll take the load off. Won't you, guys?" The crowd nodded in approval. "If you're extra lucky, you might catch us swoofing."

"Swoofing? What's that?"

"It's an age-old Omega favorite that we carry out on special holidays. It's like mud-wrestling, but all of us get super drunk—like, totally smashed. It's beautiful mayhem. You won't want to miss it!"

"I appreciate it, Humphrey. I would love to play with the Omegas, but right now, I think I just want to play with you."

"Um… just me?"

"Yep... Just you," she answered, her vowels dipped in a lustful resonance. She then spun around to let her tail gently brush his muzzle as if beckoning to him. "Is there a problem with that?"

"What? No, no, no! I'm just… curious why." He tilted his head in oblivion.

Kate stopped herself short of releasing a frustrated sigh. "Come on, Humphrey. Don't make this difficult. Would you care to explain, Salty?"

The lanky wolf nudged Humphrey's foreleg. "Dude, don't you get it? Kate's in heat! That's why she's acting funny."

"Oh... Ohhhh..." He then gulped. The reality of the moment sunk in like a hunter's teeth through a plump deer's neck. "So… you're in heat, huh?"

"It's that time of year... The air is warm, the stars are calling out to us, there's finally some food to go around... and, go figure, I have a perfectly good stud staring back at me. I'm itching to see if that 'fun-loving' title of his holds true."

"Ooooo!" The Omegas released a storm of whooping and hollering as Humphrey blushed so hard he couldn't keep up his stare.

"Ya hear that, fellas?! Winston's daughter wants to dig him out!" someone remarked. Comments of encouragement rained down.

"Atta boy! It's about time you see what you're made of!"

"It's an invitation, Humphrey! This is your chance!"

"You better jump her bones 'fore she cools off," a female Omega advised. "Optimum heat lasts for just a few hours. That's when it's the best."

"Guys, please. Heh, heh! Take it easy on me," Humphrey begged.

"Hmph. Who's embarrassed now?" remarked Shakey, having been absolved of his indignity.

Humphrey's celebrity status didn't spare him from the older Omegas, who were known to take delight in razzing the virgins. He believed Kate was getting the job done on her own accord as she was apparently going through a strong heat. It brought to light a noteworthy difference between her and other Alphas. She seemed to relish the exploitation of his humility, whereas a less hot-blooded Alpha might've taken offense at the older Omegas' comments and dismissed them as inappropriate. Most Alphas were doggedly prudish.

"We told each other we would wait another year," she continued, "Well, that was a year ago. You're not the only one who wants something new, exciting… and dangerous. I want that too. In fact, I won't sleep until those early, playful times are recaptured. You know me. I love a good challenge."

"Kate... I've been thinking… I know a few moons ago I said we should try for pups, but maybe it's not such a good idea after all…"

"What do you mean?"

"We already made history once. Are you sure we should make that a habit? I mean, marrying an Alpha is one thing, but having pups with an Alpha? I'm just not sure I'm up to the task… What if I can't handle it? What if we have a bunch of Alpha pups? How would I be able to teach them? I know there are Sigma wolves like Shakey who come out okay, but what if he's the exception and not the rule?" Humphrey was a Sigma himself but refused to acknowledge his true parentage. The earliest days of his life were marred by horrific abuse. Kate placed a paw on his chest, where she lovingly smoothed out his prickly fur. She knew that no one else but her could ease the lingering doubts that his biological father put in place long ago.

"Get outta here, sweetie. You're the one who convinced me to have your pups, and now you're having second thoughts? Aren't you forgetting what you told me a few moons ago?"

"Yes, we are a team," Humphrey replied.

"That's right, and you know what we did as a team? We took on humans, we took on bears, and we survived the largest stampede anybody's ever seen. We're downright unstoppable. Do you recall what you told me on the train? This is just another one of those world adventures you spoke of. If it's unknown territory we're running blindly into, then let's run through it together. Face it, Humphrey. Everything we do makes history. Let's take control and do it for ourselves. Stick with me, pup. We'll go places."

Humphrey chuckled at her reference. He then took a deep breath. "Hm... You got me there. Darn it, Kate! What would I do without you?"

"Get yourself killed in a logboarding accident, I suppose."

"Ha! You're probably right… So I guess there's no backing out of this."

"Not necessarily. We don't have to do it... We don't have to make such a momentous choice... This is as much a decision for you as it is for me. We shouldn't proceed unless we're one hundred percent in agreement."

"So, just to be clear, your dad hasn't been bugging you about it? This is what you genuinely want?"

"To tell you the truth, Humphrey... Since the day you asked for pups, I haven't dreamt of anything else. I haven't been able to resist imagining tiny pawprints in the den, chewed-up playbones buried near our pelts, fuzzy tails that tickle our noses at the crack of dawn… And best of all, I can't resist imagining you by my side as we watch them grow up and make history of their own… I don't think I've ever wanted something so much..."

For a few precious seconds, Humphrey studied his lovesick partner. A lifetime of exploration couldn't help him put into words the extent of her beauty he could escape to. She obviously took the time to prepare for their encounter. Next to her left ear hung the ceremonial flower of the Goldstar Clan, the purple six-petal anemone. Clanship and its traditions had mostly gone out of fashion in the Valley generations ago, but Kate frequently wore the flower whenever she and Humphrey visited Moonlight Howl Rock. It symbolized their love destroying the old world, that what they were experimenting with was once universally deemed as unnatural and profane since time immemorial, but on the other side of that symbol lay another, that what they were achieving was likely going to be the start of a better world for wolves of all packs, the emergence of a cultural revolution.

Subscribing to this perspective flooded him with gratitude. He felt so lucky to have Kate as her fur shined with a fierce gold, the same gold that watered the seed of his infatuation the moment he first laid his sapphire eyes on her. Humphrey then admired her lean, muscular frame, the streamlined curvature of her figure imbued with entrancing splendor. For what seemed like an eternity, he did his best to hide the invigorated libido that Kate's body would induce. Now he wondered just how selfish he could let himself be. He chuckled again. He believed he didn't deserve Kate, but who was going to stop him from enjoying her anyhow? His tail wagged in anticipation as a perceived stiffening between his hind legs became increasingly difficult to ignore.

"Kate, what you just described was paradise… I take back what I said about suggesting it wasn't a good idea. I was scared I wouldn't be able to measure up to you. I mean, you're an Alpha, and you always will be, but time and time again you run the extra mile to remind this lucky Omega of his true worth... because you love him."

"Lucky or not, you fought so hard to win me over, and now I can't live without you. You're stuck with me, Omega. You can't get rid of me, even if I die. I'll just crawl out of the grave and sniff you out."

"You won't have to. The grave would be made for two."

"Aww, Humphrey…"

"My beautiful Kate, you would make me the happiest wolf in the world if you gave me pups… just as long as it's okay with my friends..."

"Dude, go for it! You got yourself the hottest she-wolf in the Valley!" Salty encouraged.

"Don't worry about us," Mooch added. "I can keep an eye on Peterland. You do your thing."

"Yeah," said Shakey, "both of you deserve to live your lives to the fullest!"

"Oh, gosh, I'm gonna be an uncle!" Mooch exclaimed.

"Ha, ha! Come on, Humphrey, let's not disappoint him," urged Kate. "What do you say we do it on the stone ledge in front of our den? Mt. Victory is only a frolic away."

"Under these breathtaking stars? I'm digging this mood already."

"It was you who first brought me to the summit of Moonlight Howl Rock when we were pups. For that reason, I often catch myself looking up at the sky when you're on my mind."

"Huh, you would've loved my foster mom."

"What was her name again?"

"Colleen, and she used to tell me I had the 'eyes of the wild blue yonder.' That was her complicated way of saying I was smart and witty."

"How cute! I've always had a thing for your blue eyes. Did your foster dad ever drop the odd zinger?"

"Sure did! He once quipped, 'As you walk through life, every fart you let out pushes you forward.'"

"Hmm, now I know where you get your sense of humor. I hope you know you're gonna make him proud by the time I'm through with you…"

"You know… I was thinkin' maybe we could get it on right here. I can make all my friends more jealous than they already are! Ha, ha! But all kidding aside, anywhere will suffice. The only thing I need is the aphrodisiac my heart beats for..."

— A&Ω —

The summit of Mt. Victory appeared ideal as the couple's site of passion. The highest point in the Valley was rife with historical adornment. Originally a post for studying caribou traveling patterns, it had long been the home for the Canisians, the oldest wolf lineage in Jasper, and during the Age of Aggression, it was occupied by the Amberhills, whom Kate's father was a member of. Scores of high-profile Alphas visited the mountaintop regularly as they preferred a grandiose location for their private conferences. Because howls traveled far without the vegetation in the way, it was the best location for disseminating messages throughout the territory, but these benefits among others didn't appeal to the current Grand Pack chieftain, Garth. In a move that many described as bizarre, he declined to reside on the summit, instead choosing not to live in any den at all; he favored sleeping in whatever meadow he and his mate, Lilly, wanted to sleep in on a given day. This resulted in the retiring Alphas, Winston and Eve, passing down the summit's den. It became Humphrey and Kate's so-called "winter den" as they decided to limit their residency to the autumn and winter seasons. It was during the colder moons when the stone ledge confronted a special grouping of stars. Like a wolf's snout protruding from the mountainside, the stone ledge pointed directly toward the wolf-shaped constellation named "Lupus," the Old Wolfish word for "wisdom." Although the warmer moons fast approached, Lupus remained perfectly visible in the sky, his watchful, scintillating eyes awaiting to judge the amatory ritual.

The couple strode across the log bridge, determined to perform life's oldest dance. They scampered up the stone ramp on their way to the stone ledge, which Kate had prepped ahead of time. A collection of muskox pelts bestrewn with boreal carnations comprised a soft layer that hugged most of the exposed bedrock. Placed end-to-end along the layer's perimeter were femurs and tibias, each one etched with intricate wavy designs. The Omega took a second to marvel at Kate's surprisingly competent artistry. In the meantime, Kate scurried into the den. She grabbed something special that she knew would firmly plant Humphrey at her beck and call. When she emerged, he gasped.

"Where on Earth did you get that?!" he asked vociferously. Wrapped in cellophane, a tasty treat covered in varicolored sprinkles hung from Kate's jaws.

"Don't tell my dad, but I ventured near the ranger cabins. Poor human tourist had his lunch sitting out on one of the picnic tables. I yoinked it when his back was turned."

"Heck yeah! My baby stole a cupcake for me! Not many wolves can say that."

"Who said this was yours?" Kate retorted with a raised eyebrow. She then set the cupcake down.

"It's not?" replied Humphrey. He tilted his head sideways. The notion of Kate developing a sweet tooth on the sly seemed a bit far-fetched, but he couldn't bring himself to rule it out.

"You'd be eating yourself. The cupcake is you, silly. You're both sweet, innocent, and devourable."

"Aw, man, you and your teases. There's only so much of it I can stomach!"

"I suppose I could give it to you, but you're going to need to be a good boy just to have a bite. Don't worry… I'll play nice," she assured.

"I have to say… you've really outdone yourself. Usually, I'm the one who goes all out for our dates, but this is insane! You've really thought it through."

"I can't take all the credit. What you did for me on our first-year anniversary gave me some ideas. Plus, I had some assistance from my fellow squadmates. They helped me big time with the muskox."

"Did they know what you were planning for?"

Kate shook her head. "But I did tell Garth."

"Why him?"

"It's customary for couples to notify the chieftain when they're seeking to mate. If we're going to show the world that Alphas and Omegas can be together, we should stick to formalities."

"Isn't the whole idea that we're breaking them?"

"A few of them," Kate corrected. "Just the ones that keep us from being happy. If we start acting crazy, then wolves won't be on our side."

"I guess that makes sense."

"The threat of another terrible war was what allowed an exception to Pack Law. There's finally been real peace, which I shouldn't have to say is a good thing. I can't tell you how nice it is to see my dad truly happy after all this time. It used to hurt me to see him sit on the stone ledge for hours on end, cold and unmoving, constantly wary of the East. He sometimes couldn't sleep and felt the need to watch the Dividing River all night long. I'm glad those stressful times are behind me, but that means we shouldn't get carried away. We have to be careful. Since the packs have reunified, there isn't anything to come to our rescue should society… retreat."

"What makes you think that could happen?"

"I'm talking about a backlash, Humphrey. If my dad has taught me anything, it's that change normally isn't straightforward. There are plenty of Alphas out there hoping we fail. The last thing they wanna see is me adopting your personality, your mannerisms, and vice versa."

"Ugh, it's so frustrating that I keep having to explain to everybody that I love you for you. Why would I want to turn my best friend into someone she's not?"

"What we do honestly isn't any of their business, but Hutch has caught wind of these sentiments going around. We proved it was possible for there to be true love between classes, so the wolves against us are shifting their arguments. Instead of saying true love can't be possible, they're saying it shouldn't be. I'm telling you, Humphrey. Some of them lie to themselves just to fit in. Earlier this week, Hutch reported a few Alphas trying to make the case that too many interclass pairs would lead to a dysfunctional pack, and one of them was a former Alpha School classmate of mine, who had once caused a big ruckus for admitting to having a crush on Sheridan. Talk about irony."

"Well, it's their loss," Humphrey replied. "I may be biased, but I happen to think that partnering with someone who compliments you is pretty frickin' sweet. If they aren't brave enough to fight for what they want, that's understandable, but attacking us after all we went through to get back home is a lame move, not to mention that they're freaking out over nothing. The rule was amended to only allow you and Garth to choose an Omega as a mate, right? So it's only the chieftain's immediate family who are exempt. Not exactly progressive if you ask me. It's like those Alphas view interclass pairing like it's a sickness. What a steaming load of caribou dung! Well… at least I can find solace in the fact that we're clearly the smart ones."

"And the sexy ones. Let's not kid ourselves."

"Oh, totally. And, by the way, I think—"

"Shhhhhh…" Kate set a paw on Humphrey's lips. "Less thinking. More doing. We've talked long enough, don't you think?"

"Sorry… I guess I'm kinda nervous…"

"That's alright. I like it when you're nervous." She drew her face close to his. Before Humphrey knew it, a suggestive whisper slithered down his ear canal. "Your fidgeting titillates me…" She then tickled the inside of his ear with her tongue. Humphrey felt his heart jump out of his ruffled chest.

"I'm a good boy," he replied in hopes of evoking the same reaction inside Kate. She chuckled at his meager attempt.

"Say it again. Like an Omega this time," she ordered.

"I'm… I'm a good boy… No… I'm your good boy…" The onset of an amorous stupor saturated his words. Kate licked her lips as the Omega's pathetic cadence proved to be appetizing.

"Hm… And don't you forget it."

"I won't," the Omega promised.

"Hush now. Let me get a good look atcha."

The she-wolf prowled in elongated circles around her prey. Her golden tail wagged excitedly. She admired his figure the same as he admired hers. Every inch of him she inspected reinforced her sultry countenance. As the she-wolf devoured her bottom lip, the Omega sensed his impending doom. There was no contest. The esteemed Alpha and all her impressive records as captain of Falcon Squad stared him down, but it simultaneously turned him on. His composure began to falter. He badly wished for Kate to skip the yatter and just lift her tail, or, as he once mockingly referred to it, "the compulsive dust sweeper of the cave." Humphrey often tracked in dirt inside their home, but now it was time to dirty the Alpha. His mind set on peacefully conquering the lush territory that was her body. At the moment, he needed to play his part. He knew better than to deviate from Kate's plan, for once a plan of hers was in motion, there was no stopping it. "You were always a little rawboned before we married," the Alpha remarked. "Good to see I've put some muscle on you."

"Hey, that's because when you play, you play to win. I just play for the heck of it."

"Aw, what's the matter? You mad because I beat you to the den?" she replied sarcastically, taking the time to feign sympathy.

"Why would I be? I can't see your tush if I'm ahead of you! Ha, ha!" Kate playfully rolled her eyes at him. "No… I'm mad because it was supposed to be a frolic! You turned it into a race! Everything's a race with you, Kate."

"Not this. I wanted to get our blood moving before we got to work. The real race is about to commence."

"Well, then what are we waiting for? The zombie apocalypse? I was ready yesterday."

"Patience, Omega. You'll be rewarded soon enough."

Humphrey closed his eyes. He tried to collect himself and arrange his loopy inner monologue into calming lyrics, but it didn't take the mind of a genius to know that was a fruitless endeavor. The urge to mate was becoming instinctive. No longer did suggestive thoughts trigger his body. His body now triggered suggestive thoughts. This transformation progressed more and more by the second. The Omega never felt so restless. "You're so cute when you squirm," Kate teased again. "You want me so bad, don't you?" That was when Humphrey realized what Kate was doing. By circling around and wagging her tail, she fanned her persuasive scent and trapped him with it. Only an Alpha would do such a thing. What she did to Humphrey was not unlike a tactic used by many accomplished hunters when they encountered particularly skittish caribou. The last resort often involved circling the caribou and propelling the scent of something familiar in its direction, thereby giving it a false sense of security, but Humphrey knew better. He kept his eyes on the she-wolf. Regardless of which direction he faced, he could no longer think of anything else but the pink blossom between her hind legs, its aromatic allure impairing his sense of balance. It reminded him of his experience of being tranquilized by the park rangers. He felt drunk, but instead of succumbing to drowsiness, the intoxicant infused every corner of his being with raw energy. His heart pounded.

"Kate… I…"

"What is it?"

"I… I'm losing control… You don't know how long I've fantasized about this… And I don't mean in the past year but long before Idaho, before we… realized we were meant to be. For so long, I've had to restrain that part of me… out of respect for you of course, because of your illustrious upbringing. I didn't want to, like, come across as indecent or licentious. I know… that you know that… I'm not the type of guy to—"

"Humphrey," Kate interrupted. "Open your eyes." The Omega followed her instruction. What he saw took his breath away. His mandible hit the ground.

Kate positioned her hindquarters a few inches away from his nose. She took the classic mating posture for females, which called for a sloped back, forelegs splayed out, the chest and elbows in contact with the ground, and the rear end lifted as high as can be. The posture was identical to the so-called play bow or ready pose, but this specific context delivered the message loud and clear. It was Kate declaring her receptivity.

Upon reading the message, Humphrey stepped closer to the edge. He was moments away from acting on his urge. He panted ravenously. The awesome sight rendered him dumb. Puddles of drool formed between his forepaws as the muscles inside his lower abdomen and thighs twitched. He soon slipped past the point of no return. He couldn't look away. The Alpha wiggled her butt as she held her tail to the side, an enticing gesture known as flagging, and it led to his member ultimately poking out of its sheath. "You know what to do, right?" Kate looked back to see Humphrey give a slow, delicate nod. Just as she wanted, he was hypnotized, put under an irreversible spell that would professionally assassinate any shred of hesitation, moderation, or relaxation he had left. She would make sure her mate would have his fantasy and then some, a venereal act so fulfilling that it could never possibly be replicated. Ever. Just like their initial feelings for each other were.

Humphrey stood on the brink. He held out as long as he could to savor the unfathomable amount of lust coursing through his veins. The entirety of his body ached. He gawked at his destiny in the midst of agonizing hunger. He whined frantically like a pup, like a newborn begging for milk. The Alpha usually couldn't stand begging. Wolves of her caliber were taught since birth to rid themselves of any semblance of weakness. She couldn't jeopardize her self-respect, but bossing Humphrey around was an innocent kink of hers, perhaps a way of giving back some of the fun he endowed her with. Over two years ago, when they were unencumbered playmates wasting away the autumn moons, Humphrey loved to shove her into piles of maple leaves or hide within them, so he could jump out and scare her. The she-wolf would later respond in kind by tackling the Omega. During their wrestling matches, she loved getting him to squeal every time she pulled his oversized ears.

All Omegas were submissive to her as they were to any Alpha, but Humphrey's flavor of submissiveness intrigued her the most. If approached by someone above you in the wolf hierarchy, you were generally required to acknowledge their superiority via so-called submissive performances, which varied from a simple head bow to being upside down and exposing your midline. The degree of submission depended on the amount of separation between you and the other wolf's rank. The Omega ranks were seen as far below the Alpha ranks; thus, if an Omega found themself in the presence of an Alpha, they were often required to humble themselves to the extent of abject humiliation. However, Humphrey couldn't humiliate himself in front of his crush. This was not because he had trouble being submissive but because Humphrey didn't mind being Kate's inferior. As a matter of fact, he liked it, and it took until Humphrey's spine-tingling howl inside the open train car for Kate to realize that he wasn't alone in that regard.

She would come to learn that Humphrey's particular subservience reflected his adoration. He was deliciously charming. She found so much delight in teasing him because of how laughably easy it was to put him in a trance, which her pink blossom was doing to him presently, but its potent fragrance was just a means to reach a thrilling climax. The Omega pleaded for spiritual sustenance. He pleaded for the cleansing of his sins expected to supplement explosive vehemence. Staring back at him was a swollen orifice with his name on it. Who was Kate to make him wait any longer?

"You've been such a good boy, Humphrey… I'm sure Lupus would agree… Now I want you to give me your all… Right now!" she commanded.

Within a fraction of a second, Humphrey jumped onto Kate. He grabbed her flanks with his arms and undertook pelvic thrusts in rapid succession. The rest of his member slid out, and not a second elapsed before it unceremoniously stumbled into its rightful habitat. The insertion was initially an odd sensation for Kate. "Ooo!" she exclaimed.

Their souls immediately collapsed into a fiery wonderland. The embers of their burning passion hitched a ride on the early winds of spring, finding a parched forest of innocence to set ablaze. Their youthfulness went up in smoke. Feelings intermingled to such an exhilarating degree that neither the Alpha nor Omega could tell them apart, and just as the couple's ritual melted away the social constructs that had once been a wall of thorns between the two, it also melted the wolves' insides. Humphrey had been dead wrong. Getting it on didn't make them unclean. It purified them. To think he assumed knocking a crowd dead was the best feeling an Omega could experience!

"Okay… Much tighter than I expected," he muttered. "Ooo…" He closed his eyes again and wrinkled his snout. It was a race to the top, but this one he intended to win… and win outright.

"Geez, I didn't realize you were so big!" Kate remarked.

"Should I stop?"

"No! No! Don't stop for anything!"

"Ah, who am I kidding?! It's not like I'll be able to! Never have I felt this good in my life! Oh, please, Eve, don't kill me… Forgive me for what I'm doing…"

Blithesome moans rolled over the summit. The music of reproduction had an unmistakable, punchy rhythm that gave it away, the couple's grunts battering the interseasonal zephyr. Working in thunderous pairs, they bore the potential of waking up the legion of Alphas lower down the mountain, but not a smidgen of extraneous thoughts possessed a chance of condensing. Only thoughts that took part in savoring their exquisite duet held water for the time being. Soaring in the sky of pleasure, what care could they lend to the land below, to the heavy-eyed wolves bound to their dens? They indulged in total gratification, their formerly pent-up eroticism slackening their tongues until they swayed precariously, similar to the autumn leaves that once drizzled down onto the playgrounds from which their blasphemous connection germinated. The Alpha and the Omega screamed their fulfillment as every memory they shared raced through their combined psyche. The painful memories, the times when their love was put to the test, careened and skidded between them, but each served to be a reminder of their steadfast resilience, what it took to make the impossible possible. Soon the robbery of each other's virginities ushered them to the same conclusion: to make love was to weather a storm of torturous ecstasy!

Humphrey could now expel his deepest feelings into Kate. Each thrust he undertook was like a wave battering a sea stack. The storm surge was reshaping the Alpha into someone who could never let her mate go, not until their futures of parenthood were sealed, and for that to happen, their lovemaking needed to hurt more.

"Harder, Humphrey! HARDER! We want something dangerous!" The Omega was way ahead of her. Before she finished her latest command, she stroked the bedrock with her breastbone as Humphrey pushed her further into the muskox pelt. The growing intensity of his thrusts enfeebled her, turning her hind legs into mush, but she knew her desire wouldn't be quenched unless she powered through it. She fought against conventional logic and completely gave herself up to the lower-class wolf. "That's it! Ride me like I'm one of your logboards! Crash into me! Push me into the ground! Unfurl yourself! If you really want this Alpha, YOU HAVE TO OWN HER!"

Humphrey then mustered the loudest, most masculine growl an Omega could. He was now acting entirely by instinct. This was the sole opportunity he would get to exert dominance over Kate, and he would take it if it was the last he ever did. As the male wolf, he needed to properly lay claim to his partner. First, he bit her scruff. Then he used his arms around her waist to pull her closer. This was done to prevent himself from slipping off her body, but it also signaled his ownership.

Thousands of years ago, before the concept of marriage, females were no more than producers of offspring. They weren't part of any class, and their only purpose was to provide pups for any male strong enough to subdue them. Males laid their claim, but it was not for asserting dominance over females; on the contrary, it was to assert dominance over other males in the pack. The sign of ownership warded off competing admirers. Laying claim then evolved. What was once a smart strategy became instinctual for every male wolf. Peak arousal could no longer be achieved without doing so, and this opened the way for she-wolves to rise in status as they eventually made use of their value as the producers of young to wield significant influence. It was thanks to them that Kate was able to wield her influence on Humphrey and enrich his night with wondrous flirtation. It was thanks to them that she could tease a low-ranking wolf to the point where she could get him to growl at her and cling to her neck, even if it was for this one moment in time that may never happen again.

She wondered for a while if it was possible for an Omega to lay claim to an Alpha. It pleased her to find out that it was. Humphrey may have been inferior to Kate and actively embraced his inferiority in her presence, but just as she predicted, the roles switched once Humphrey's self-control eluded him. Not that she was complaining. If there was any time she wanted to be dominated, it was when she and her lover consummated their marriage. Moreover, she still had the final say. This tough-minded version of Humphrey still had the original's mediocre strength. She could break free of his grip at any moment, but why on Earth would she consider a blunderous course of action, especially as they were now getting to the best part?

"That's it, my Humphie," said the Alpha. "Ooo… I can feel you swelling up… It's getting tighter…"

"I think I'm almost there, Kate," he informed between grunts. He then tugged her scruff. "Oh, gosh…"

"Yes… C'mon, Humphrey, you got this!"

"I'm so close! I'm so close!" he shouted as he clenched his teeth. He was careful not to bite down so hard that Kate would bleed.

At last, the moment of triumph arrived. A gush of soothing warmth erupted inside the Alpha. "Ahhh!" they cried. Humphrey let up his assault. He released her scruff before pulling his dog-tired face across her left shoulder. It was done. It was finally done.

As their breaths were kept at bay, their spiritual and physical bond strengthened to the max. They then trembled, the storm of tortuous ecstasy dazing them with bodily thunderclaps. Heavy rain suddenly poured onto Mt. Victory. The moon and its tenderhearted glow vanished. The winds violently picked up speed, and taking the place of the twinkling congress of spirits were cataclysmic flashes.

Sitting on the stone ledge was a stern, brawny she-wolf and her eldest daughter. They directed their gaze toward the south and looked down at the open space near the chieftain's den, a level that was a few feet below the shelf. Staying dry underneath her intimidating mother, the four-month-old Kate peered at the unexpected meeting between her father and a group of Alphas led by Malcom the second-in-command. They had called her father to inform him of a terrible incident. They whispered the news in his ear, whereupon Kate and her mother witnessed his astonished reaction.

"What do you mean he was killed?!" Winston fumed. The sky continued to roar. Kate wouldn't be able to hear the rest of the conversation, but she noticed Malcolm gesturing to a tiny figure that clung to his right foreleg. It was a male pup she didn't recognize. To her shock, he still had his bright blue eyes. They would normally be overthrown by greens or browns after three weeks of age as wolves that retained blue were incredibly rare. Up until now, the only blue-eyed wolf Kate knew was her father, widely regarded as the most effective chieftain in the history of the Western Pack. Alphas often said that blue eyes gave Winston good luck, something that the male pup clearly lacked as the rest of him was less impressive. Kate would never look at her sister the same way again. Lilly might as well have been chubby next to the male pup's scrawny, pathetic build. His fur was a complicated mixture of greys and blacks, but flashes of lightning revealed curious red stains around his face and mouth. The rain hadn't washed them away completely.

Kate watched him shiver in fear despite her father's best efforts to introduce himself in an affable manner.

"Winston! What happened?!" her mother yelled, annoyed at being left out.

After wrapping up a quick exchange with the second-in-command, the chieftain walked back up the stone ramp.

"Go inside the den, Kate. Your mother and I need to talk."

"Yes, Dad," she replied but not before bowing her head.

She scurried back into the chieftain's den. Unbeknownst to him and his mate, the spirited pursuit of a bushy-tailed woodrat led their daughter to discover a secret tunnel several weeks prior. It connected the deeper chambers to an exit barely wide enough for her to squeeze through. Before long, Kate situated herself behind a boulder covered in feather moss. She twisted her ears, so she could better listen in.

"So… what happened?"

"I doubt you'll believe it," Winston replied.

There was a short pause before Eve responded incredulously. "You mean to tell me this… Omega pup… is responsible?"

"It's not what it looks like... I trust him when he says that he didn't have a choice. Just look at him. He's dangerously underfed. Given what happened to his mother, I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that his father harbored ill feelings toward him… Excluding Lilly, he's the only Omega pup residing on the summit. I should've known his father would scapegoat him. Herschel always spoke against my sympathies for Peterland."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Eve. "We of all wolves know how difficult it is for Omega Sigmas to fit in here. The summit of Mt. Victory is no place for a wolf like him. It sure isn't for Lilly. That's why we have her stay with the prime counselor on most days of the week."

"You're right. Although I don't want the Omegas to fear us Alphas, it's increasingly obvious to me that we shouldn't live in the same area. I'll have Malcom escort him to Florence and Colleen. They're a nice couple who live not far from the prime counselor. Colleen's had trouble getting pregnant for years, so they've been looking into foster care."

"Yes, foster care will do him good… unlike what I'm about to do to you, young she-wolf! You know better than to snoop around! I'll rip those ears clean off your little head!" Eve threatened. She recognized her daughter's ears protruding from the boulder behind Winston.

"Ah, sorry, Mom! Please, don't hurt me!" Kate squealed.

Flashbacks of her mother's unforgiving wrath sent her back through the narrow tunnel. Crawling on her stomach, a chilly wind slowed her pace. How odd. How could there be a gust of air this deep underground? She noticed the exit glowing soft reds and yellows. It should be the inside of the den ahead. She should see her pelt and her disfigured playbones neatly arranged by the stone wall, but instead, it was the future calling. Her future. The closer she moved toward the exit the older she came to be until the four-month-old Kate turned into a five-month-old Kate. Her head poked out from a pile of maple leaves. She was not back inside her parent's den. Rather, she found herself on the trail between Mt. Victory and the practice fields for the Great Wolf Games. As she stood up from the leaf pile, the boisterous laughs of two wolves ticked her off.

"Ha, ha! Nice one, Humpster!" Salty cheered. "She never saw you coming!"

"All in a day's work," Humphrey replied.

"Did you just push me into a pile of leaves?!" Kate growled.

"Yeah, it's called having fun! Don't you Alphas know what fun is?"

"Of course we know what fun is. That's the whole point of the Great Wolf Games."

"Hmm, is that so? Is it the reason why you want me on the team?"

"Umm… no… I want you on the team because… I saw you had good form when you dived into that mud puddle."

"That's it?" replied Humphrey, apparently unconvinced.

"My dad wants to give Omegas a chance to prove themselves. That's why my sister's on the team."

"Your sister's an Omega?"

"Yeah, her name's Lilly. You know her?"

"We do," said Salty.

"But she never told us she was related to Alphas, let alone Winston," Humphrey added.

"Huh…" The revelation lowered Kate's ears.

"Anywho," Humphrey continued, "I accepted your offer because I do think we deserve more respect, but you should tell your daddy that we don't need to prove ourselves. You know how many rough patches we've been through? How many stormy nights we've weathered? Too many to count! How much more proof do Alphas need?"

"Stormy nights," she repeated under her breath. A particular night in the rain came back to her. "Wait a second. I've seen you before! I saw you on the summit of Mt. Victory not too long ago. You were with Malcolm… It was during a storm and…"

"Geez… Out of all the memories you could bring up, it had to be that one…" Humphrey turned away and tried his hardest not to cry.

"Woah, dude, are you okay? C'mon, talk to me."

"You wouldn't understand, Salty… but I'll be fine. I just wish she hadn't reminded me of that time when I faced Winston, especially as I'm about to see him again."

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to reopen an old wound. I was just—"

"No, you're good, Kate!" Humphrey assured. "I know you didn't mean to."

"I was just trying to say that I didn't forget you. I wondered for a bit if there was anything I could've done to help… you know, make you feel better. That's all. I won't bring it up ever again."

Humphrey and Kate's eyes locked. Salty tilted his head in suspicion. He detected a strong synergy between the two—which was a cause for concern.

"Thank you," Humphrey replied. "It was the worst day of my life, though I'm glad to hear that someone like you was looking out for me."

The two wolves blushed.

"Hey, Humphrey, we should probably get going," Salty urged. "I don't think it's good to keep her parents waiting."

"Especially my mom," added Kate. "She's the head healer, but don't that fool you. Half of her patients result from disagreements with her, so whatever you do, don't get on her bad side."

"Ehh, I can take her," Humphrey replied smugly.

"Are you dense or something? You should see the caribou she hunts for me, or should I say mutilates for me. I would think twice before joining them."

"Kate, I'm an Omega. I don't even think once."

The tan pup snorted with laughter. "Ha, ha, ha! Okay, I have to admit. That was pretty funny. I can't remember the last I laughed."

"Why, thank you!"

"C'mon, let's pick up the pace." The tan pup retook the lead as they continued down the trail. Salty held his arm out to block his friend from catching up to her.

"Dude, cut it out," he whispered.

"Cut what out?"

"Whatever you're doing. It's not good."

"What's got you so angsty all of a sudden?"

"I see the way you're looking at her. You gotta be careful, dog, especially since she's the daughter of Winston. He may be nicer than the chieftain before him, but that doesn't mean he'll let you off. Sheridan told me that even looking at a female Alpha a certain way can get your ear pierced!"

"You have nothing to worry about, Salty. I know the rules. Besides, I hate Alphas. You know that. Kate and I were just being friendly. That's a thing, you know? You'll see what I'm talking about in Omega School."

"It seemed a little too friendly to me. I'm just trying to protect you."

"Oh, put a mouse in it," Humphrey dismissed. "Like thousands of years of our culture are going to burst into flames just because I looked at an Alpha two seconds longer than I should've. Give me a break."

"I guess you have a point."

"Duh, because I'm sharp. Get it?"

"Hey, with jokes like that, you'll definitely scare Kate away so keep at it."

"Oh, you've just earned yourself a wolf pile!" A grey blur tackled Salty. Before he knew what hit him, a pair of forepaws pushed his head into the crumbling leaf litter. A joyful Humphrey rose above his chest. "Hey, Kate!" Humphrey called. "You wanna get in on this?!" That was when the Omega noticed her absence. "Kate? Kate, where'd you go?!" Did she abandon them? Could it be that Humphrey was too much Omega for her to handle? He looked down the trail, his eyes traveling up the winding path that led to the summit of Mt. Victory—except it wasn't Mt. Victory anymore. A mountain ten times higher had taken its place. Humphrey blinked. He could see Kate at the top, a mere speck hanging in the wild blue yonder like a dainty star in broad daylight. She was a pup no more. She was a full-grown she-wolf!

Kate panted heavily. It seemed she climbed the tallest mountain in Canada. She stood on the peak, her and Humphrey's romantic zenith, from which she could now see the farthest reaches of wolfdom. She strode through the past and could now obtain glimpses of the future. Their future. It lay close to the inflamed horizon, immersed in the hopeful glimmer of daybreak. Getting there required the couple to settle for pathways shrouded in fog. Not exactly the most soothing of options. For all they knew, a treacherous chasm bided its time until the moment came to catch their feet by surprise. They wouldn't know when to reverse course until it was too late. But such was life. Both wolves risked everything to follow their hearts. They dared to be together in a world that celebrated division, that imprisoned itself in oldfangled customs. Their pawprints crisscrossed many unknown territories. Who was to say they couldn't traverse another?

Just like that, the race was called. Humphrey's eyes fluttered. Exhausted as can be, he prepared to let go of Kate's waist and pass out on the cushioned rock. He gasped for air. Its fresher taste led him to believe he was given a new set of lungs. The Omega's life could now be comfortably divided into two parts: his life before mating with Kate and his life after. The journey of self-discovery she put him through rendered him gobsmacked. Most amazingly, he learned that feeling—the act of feeling itself—worked a lot like a muscle. If unconditioned, one could overexert their ability to feel. In the heat of passion, Humphrey tried to soak in every ounce of pleasure, savor every millisecond of sublime stimulation. It overwhelmed him, but he didn't necessarily view that as a bad thing.

In Humphrey's view, what's "bad" could sometimes be turned on its head. Like other Sigmas, he viewed the world differently from most wolves. He saw the good in the bad and the bad in the good. If he spotted an Alpha minding her business, walking on the path with her tail held high and her ears pointed forward, was he to turn a blind eye? Of course not. Especially if her name was Kate. It mattered not if he got in trouble. The Alphas could rain hell on him, and he would still consider her fall onto the leaf pile to be of utmost importance. He longed for someone to continuously subject to his inner maverick, and he chose Kate on a lark. If done strategically, teasing others in a shameless and shocking way carried the effect of inducing a warm fuzzy feeling whether the victim wanted it or not, akin to a cruel sort of kindness. Too many Omegas played it safe around Alphas for fear of being struck by their rageful claws but not Humphrey. His biological father showed him the worst an Alpha could do. He considered anything less a heavenly gift, and so he tried his method of cruel kindness on scores of Alphas, gaining a number of scars in the process. Then along came Kate. He shoved her into leaf piles of fun, and it would cause her to laugh since no alternative presented itself. Nearly two years later, she would return the favor by shoving him into a leaf pile of unfettered arousal.

"That… was… amazeballs…"

"You know, I think we should see other wolves," Kate replied sarcastically.

"Ha—Owww! Can't laugh! Can't laugh! It hurts!"

"You're still inside me. It's okay. You're good to get off now."

"Yeah… about that."

"What? What's the matter?"

"Nothing at all! It's just… I can't…"

"What do you mean you can't?"

"Oof!"

"What?! Ahh, Humphrey, we're stuck!" Kate screamed.

The Alpha panicked. She frantically bolted into the den, taking Humphrey with her.

"Ow, ow, ow! Wait! Kate, stop! You're hurting me! Oof!" The Omega lost his grip and dismounted, but the wolves' rear ends remained firmly attached. "Kate, you're dragging me around!"

"Oh, gosh, sorry! Are you okay? You're facing the other way!"

"My member is flexible. Just don't pull it out of me, okay? I might need it for later."

"What's happening?! Did we do something wrong?!"

Humphrey tittered. "No, this means we did something right. Just relax, honey. This is totally normal. It's called being 'knotted' or 'tied.' It's part of the process."

"Oh… Okay… So… how long does this last?"

"Ehh, I want to say, between ten and twenty minutes."

"Okay… that's not so bad." The Alpha let out a sigh of relief.

"Humphrey! You there?!" shouted a young voice from outside.

"Gah! Spoke too soon!"

"Uh-oh. It's Roadkill Randy," the Omega informed. The ridiculousness of the nickname stunned Kate. She wasn't sure if she heard it correctly.

"Did you say Nose-pick Nancy?"

"No, that's another Kappa. I'm talking about Finnegan."

"Who's Finnegan?"

"He's that Kappa I was talking to before you found me."

"Well, shoo him away! We're kind of busy here."

"Wait, hold on. This might be important."

"What?!"

"Let me just see what he wants. It'll only take a sec."

"Humphrey, you're crazy!"

"Tell me something I don't know."

The Kappa almost walked up the stone ramp when the head of his idol appeared, silhouetted against the moon's glow. Kate and the rest of the Omega's body hid behind a stack of boulders.

"There you are, Humphrey! I was looking all over for you! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanted to be left alone!"

"You don't say. Sheesh, what the heck happened to you?" Blood covered the Kappa from head to toe.

"Oh, yeah, while you were gone, there was a food fight!"

"A food fight?! Aw, man, I should've been there! Who won? Was it Mooch? Nah, it couldn't be him. Mooch would never waste good food."

"Care to wrap it up, Humphrey?" exhorted the Alpha.

"Was that Kate?" asked Finnegan.

"Yeah," Humphrey answered. "Mind her. She's in kind of a… sticky situation." Suddenly, he lost his footing as Kate jerked forward. "Ow! Ow! Okay, we both are!" he corrected. "Anywho, what brings you here?"

"I was wondering if I could have your autograph! It would mean a lot to me!" The Kappa laid down the rib he carried in his mouth.

"Oh, sure. Why not. Just leave it right there. I'll get to it when I can."

"Thank you, Humphrey!"

"Not a problem. Take care of yourself, Finnie."

"Wait, may I ask you another question?"

"Make it quick. My wolfhood's on the line."

"How exactly did you win over Kate? What did you do or say that made her fall in love with you, especially after she distanced herself?"

"It is advice you're looking for? Sounds like someone's crushing on one of the Alphas."

"It's not me. I'm speaking on behalf of someone else, someone who looks up to you just as much as I do. As I'm sure you're aware, mating season officially starts as soon as our time in school ends. My friend is interested in one of the Alphas-in-training, but she doesn't know how to get his attention. We've heard your story many times over, but one thing never gets answered. How exactly did you change Kate's mind?"

"You and your friend are thinking about it all wrong. Her mind never changed. Society did. Kate reciprocated my affections because I stayed true to myself. According to her, she wanted to be with me from the beginning, but she couldn't because it would destroy everything she knew. You have to understand that we took a leap of faith. If not for the stampede, there would've never been a Great Display, the chieftains would've never accepted us, and there would've never been a grand wedding, let alone talk of pups. In fact, it was perfectly legal to have us both killed since we violated Pack Law, so while our love didn't just come about, our survival pretty much did."

"Ohhh… I think I see the full picture."

"So tell your friend to just be herself. If her crush likes her back, then herself should be enough for him. As my father would say, 'Love is like a fart. If you have to force it, it's probably crap.'"

"Great! I'll go tell her!"

"Yes, run along now. Stay outta trouble. Don't do anything I would do unless you can do it better."

The young wolf turned around and trotted back over the log bridge.

"Whew, I thought he would never leave," remarked Kate. "For a second, I thought you two were going to kiss."

"Need I remind you I've already been cursed with a serious relationship? I'm doomed to become the father of pups whose ears purely exist for decorative purposes."

Kate laughed. "Yeah, as we all know, parenting turns males into females and females into males."

"Look out, Kate. Next thing you know, it'll be me supplying the milk, and I betcha mine will taste like… butterflies and rainbows!"

"Ha, ha! Ohh, Humphrey, I love the way your mind works. Gosh, I wanna rip off your ears and stuff them in my mouth."

"Well, with how many times you've pulled them, they're hanging on by a few strands at this point, so it wouldn't be that hard of a task, though last I checked, you like to be challenged."

"That I do. Hey, you still want the cupcake? It's all yours."

"Keep it. I think I've been thoroughly rewarded. The last hour will go down as the best time of my life."

"No," the Alpha disagreed. "It will go down as the best time of your life so far."

It would be another fifteen minutes until Humphrey's member disengorged. During that time, he and Kate withdrew to the deepest room of the cave, the room in which Kate spent most of her puphood, when she wasn't engaged in preschool training sessions with her parents or off playing with the wolf she would one day call her mate. After they finally separated, the Omega began to zone out. He tried to stay awake by keeping his mind busy.

"So, you think this was enough? You know, to have pups?"

"Shouldn't you know that, being the Omega and all? They give more in-depth teachings of mating in Omega School, don't they?"

"But I'm asking you. I want to know what you think."

Kate thought for a moment. "Yes… I think this will do it."

"I'm still not sure if I'm ready. I just know there's nothing we can't do when we do it together."

"A good parent doesn't need to be ready. A good parent just needs to be present. And if there's anything you're good at, Humphrey, it's being there when I need you."

Humphrey smiled. He closed his eyes. "Hey, Kate," he spoke softly.

"Hm?"

"Do you ever think the Earth and everything on it are just specks of dust on top of specks of dust? Like, what is our place in the universe? When we die, will our spirits just do whatever? If I'm the first to go between us, I promise not to haunt you."

"Are you a philosopher now?" the Alpha replied rhetorically.

"Ugh, my brain isn't braining... I'm so tired all of a sudden."

"Just relax, honey. You've had a long night."

"I may have knocked you up, but you knocked me out… But seriously, do you ever think about that kind of stuff?"

"Of course not. Why would I?"

"I'm just saying. We wolves don't live very long."

"We just spent the night creating life, and now you want to talk about death?"

"I don't think death is the end that everyone says it is. During my last brush with it, I saw a world beyond anything I could ever think up—and that's saying a lot. My creativity is second to none, but this was something else… You were there, remember? You rescued me. How come you don't want to talk about it?"

"Because I almost lost you… and unlike the first time, it would've been my fault. You came to my rescue after I came to yours, and when I woke up, I saw the light in your eyes fade. It never mattered to me if that world was real or not, if it was just a crazy dream we shared. My focus was on one thing and one thing only: you."

"I understand. I didn't mean to pry. I'm sorry…"

"For what? Oh, boy… Leave it up to an Omega to always be so dramatic."

The couple shared a tender kiss. They rested side by side on the Alpha's old bed, a small caribou pelt, which had seen better days. A young Kate, racked with horrendous nightmares, left behind many holes and scratch marks. For a while as a pup, she wanted Humphrey, the wolf she regularly played with, to lie next to her, to ease her Alpha-driven anxieties before she dozed off. She knew her parents would never allow it. No Omega was allowed on the summit of Mt. Victory except for Lilly, but she and Lilly weren't close. She didn't know her sister like she knew Humphrey. The blue-eyed wolf was nowhere near as reserved, and despite living in Peterland, he wasn't nearly as distant. When she would return home after a tiresome spell with him, she still felt he was close by, always prepared to lend an oversized ear should the Alpha want to express her woes. The one thing she missed was his physical touch, and tonight she had it. She could nuzzle him until her sniffer went numb.

"I got another for ya. Why did the Alpha name her son Frost? Go ahead. Ask why."

"Why?"

"Because Frost bites. Get it?"

The tan wolf sighed. "Still cracking jokes, huh?"

Humphrey knew she wouldn't expect anything less. Their telepathic bond left little to the imagination. He buried his snout in her neck fur. He submitted himself to the golden muse who treated him with a night he dared not forget. "By Lupus, don't I love you…" The faint whisper caused the she-wolf to blush.

"I love you too," Kate replied. She nuzzled her partner again. It prompted him to release one last passionate moan.

Finally, the grey wolf slipped into a peaceful slumber. The Alpha watched her handsome snuggle buddy go limp. His muscles relaxed. His smile dissolved as he began to snore. She then lovingly dragged her tongue across his forehead. "Sleep well, my precious Omega…"

THE END