Humphrey awoke to the melodic tune of wolf howls. They weren't close. Probably on the other side of the mountains, but it still sent an ache in the gray wolfs chest.

At first, Humphrey assumed he was back home again, sleeping beneath the stars, snug and safe encompassed by his fellow wolves. It wasn't long before he remembered he was entirely alone.

Groggily, Humphrey crawled out from the hollowed log he sought refuge for the night and stared up at the smatterings of stars while he listened to the wolves songs traveling on the breeze. A bittersweet feeling poking his heart.

They were singing of peace, happiness, and love. They sang of harmony, dreams, and full belly's. They sang of thanksgiving.

The grey wolf closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp, night air while trying to temper the longing desire for companionship. He wanted to play with his friends. He wanted to run with the alphas. He wanted to talk to somebody.

To be hugged.

To be loved.

Tears welled up in the ex-omegas blue eyes and he allowed them to fall down his cheeks with no resistance. He'd made his decision and there was no going back on it, but that didn't mean he wasn't supposed to grieve for the loss. . . and he'd lost a lot. He'd lost his home. His friends. His love. His comfort and security. Everything he needed, he had to provide for himself. No one was around to help. . . nor mourn if he failed.

Humphrey wondered if he should join another pack. Maybe even the one currently celebrating how wonderful everything was.

No.

No matter how much happiness they sang about, every pack had their weeds. If he joined, he would only be planting himself in the same situation as before. Never having the freedom to choose his own mate because she carried a different rank. If he were to ever be a part of a pack again, it would be one that he created with rules of his own making. The first one being that all wolves could howl together.

Humphrey chuckled at his childish fantasies, knowing full well he could never be an alpha of pack.

Shaking his mind of any other thought, the lone canine listened to the songs for a while longer, and when they started to fade, he decided to insert his own song.

Tilting his head back, the grey wolf released a howl from deep within his soul.

He sang of heartbreak and longing.

Hunger and fear.

He sang of wet and cold nights, broken bones, confining collars. Of failure, shame, and self-loathing.

But after pausing for a breath, the tune of his howl changed as he sang of inequity and freedom. Of compassion, benevolence, and new beginnings.

He sang of courage, resilience, and maturation.

When the song ended, Humphrey felt like a great weight lifted off his shoulders, as if having severed the last of his ties to the past he no longer wanted anything from.

From here on out, Humphrey was a new wolf. Not an ex-omega. Not a wanna-be alpha. He was simply him. Humphrey the grey wolf.

After the fur on his cheeks had dried, the grey wolf smiled up at the moon and said his final goodbyes to his past and everyone in it before crawling back into his hollowed log to resume sleeping.


I did not mean for this one to be so short, but it didn't feel right tacking it on to the end of the last chapter and it didn't fit in the beginning of the next chapter so I decided to stick it on it's lonesome. Don't worry though! The next chapter will release shortly and will be much lengthier.