SNOW
AN ALPHA AND OMEGA STORY
kwa Snow
CHAPTER I
LONE WOLF
I
It was a beautiful siku in Jasper National Park. The sun was out and the radiance of the green nyasi shone in the bright morning light. A gentle cool breeze flowed through my fur, making my kanzu, koti sway from side to side. The storms had been brutal the past two days but no matter the weather, nothing was going to ruin this perfect day.
I was playing with my new friends, Jessie and Ryan. Jessie had grey fur, manyoya with a white underbelly, her eyes a striking ice blue. Ryan's fur, manyoya was golden, and he shared the same white underbelly as his sister, but he had strange turquoise eyes, a rare thing for a wolf.
We were playing Pin the Wolf. We chased around, trying to pin each other to the ground. As we laughed and fell about, we heard a voice coming from my newfound friend's den,
"Jessie! Ryan! It's time for your Alpha duties!" shouted their dad, Humphrey.
"Coming dad!" they barked in unison.
I looked toward them as they started to run off.
"I'll see wewe guys later for the hunt, I better go tell mom and dad what I'm doing if we're going to disappear for a few hours!"
Ryan turned his head back and with a sly grin, said;
"Sure Snow, I'll meet wewe at the hunting grounds before the sun starts to set. Don't forget!"
I smiled and nodded my sarcastic agreement as Ryan sprinted to catch up with his sister.
~
I got back nyumbani and found mom and dad sitting at the mouth of the den, enjoying the sun. Rose greeted me warmly as I trotted up to them. Midnight stayed quiet but he was always like that.
"Hello son. Did wewe have fun with Jessie and Ryan?" she asked as she pulled me in to a comforting hug. "You look like wewe did!" she alisema with a caring smile forming on her muzzle.
"Of course, mom. Actually, I was going to tell wewe something -"
"Let's go into the pango and talk about it Snow. I'm pretty sure whatever it is, the whole territory doesn't need to hear it."
Rose got up and went inside, and Midnight followed dutifully after her. Once inside, dad turned to me.
"We'll son, what is it? Did wewe get a girlfriend at last?!" he asked as he chuckled at his joke.
"DAD!" I exclaimed, giving a harsh ngumi, punch to his leg. "You know I'm not old enough for that!"
He yelped playfully, pretending I'd hurt him badly.
"Ha ha, okay son, I'm sorry. What's the big news wewe have for us?"
"Nothing, I'm just going hunting with Jessie and Ryan so I won't be back for a few hours, that's all."
"That's it? I mean, that's fine son, at least you're helping feed the pack. That's all that matters. Just be careful, we don't want wewe getting hurt. Remember you're only young and not as strong as the other wolves."
I noticed my dad had a worried look in his eyes. He turned to look at mom.
"I don't think going inside for that was necessary Rose..."
"Midnight honey, I was only concerned for Snow. Now if wewe don't mind shutting your hole before I rip out your -"
"Honey, that's enough. I don't think Snow wants to hear this." he said, putting his paw over my mother's muzzle.
She pushed his paw to the ground, tapping it in annoyance as she pulled away from him, clearly miffed.
"Don't worry dad! I'll be careful. One siku I'll be the greatest Alpha ever!" I beamed, as I moved closer to give them both a hug.
I turned and started toward the entrance to the den, but was stopped in my tracks kwa the appearance of three dark furred Mbwa mwitu loups with demonic red eyes.
"Wh-wh-who are you? What do wewe want?" I stammered, frozen to the spot.
Dad stepped in front of me.
"Get away from my son." he growled flatly under his breath.
Mom was in front of me too now, desperation and anger in her voice.
"You heard him! Get Lost now before I rip out your throats and tear your carcasses apart!"
The biggest of the three intruders laughed, and waived his paw at the other two, motioning them to attack. They responded instantly, pouncing at my parents giving them no time to react. They spun in the air and kicked their hind legs out, landing crunching blows with enough force to trigger an earthquake at each intended target. My parents. My flesh and blood.
Terrified, I hid in the corner and squeezed my eyes tight, wincing at the sound of crunching bone.
~
Although an age seemed to pass, and I desperately wanted to keep MY eyes closed, I had to look, had to see what had become of my parents. I opened one tear stained eye, only to be horrified kwa the state my mother and father were in. They had been beaten badly, matted blood-stained fur, manyoya hanging from their bruised and battered bodies. There was still some fight left in them however.
Seemingly tired of wasting his time, the pack leader of this group of evil hounds came at me all at once and struck me with his paw, claws fully extended, ripping into my chest as I screamed in pain.
Seeing their son injured so horribly, Midnight and Rose both screamed and struggled to get to their feet but were knocked down yet again kwa the two wanyama that had attacked them so mercilessly.
"SNOW!"
"NO!"
"LEAVE HIM ALONE Y-Y-YOU MONSTERS!"
"PLEASE DON'T HURT OUR SON! HE'S DONE NOTHING TO YOU... PLEASE!"
They pleaded and they pleaded, but the Mbwa mwitu loups just walked away as one of them grabbed me kwa the scruff of the neck.
"MOM! DAD! HELP ME!" I screamed.
The mbwa mwitu who was carrying me kwa the scruff of my neck spoke in a muffled tone.
"Say goodbye to your precious parents kid because it's the last time you're gonna see them again."
"GO TO HE-"
I tried to finish my sentence but it was cut short when the mbwa mwitu hit me with a very hard object which seemed like the moon had just crash landed on my head. Everything started to fade into black as my moyo rate almost slowed to a stop, and I fell headlong into the abyss of unconscious sleep.
~
I awoke bolt upright from the nightmare breathing frantically, looking around in a panic to see if anybody was there. I began to calm as I recognised I was in the comfort of my own den, alone. Stretching my legs, I reluctantly looked outside, feeling the dawn sun warm my face as it strained my tired eyes. My pango was roughly a mile from Jasper Park, outside of the border of the Western Territory, and I always enjoyed watching the sun rise from here. It was one of my most favourite things to do, watching the ball of moto bring its morning light over the territory. Each time it climbed above the horizon, it brought a golden glow to my white fur, and gave me the warmth I needed as it rose.
I laid down at the mouth of the den, resting my head on my paws, my thoughts lingering on the nightmare fresh in my mind, wondering why it kept coming back to me. It had been five months since the events it reminded me of had occurred, yet every time I woke from it, I still felt like it had happened just the siku before. I touched the side of my face to wipe away a solitary tear as it rolled over the scars left me kwa the dark coloured mbwa mwitu in my dreams.
"No one will ever get away with this without suffering the consequences, even if that means sacrificing my life to protect those around me." I muttered to myself, as I had done so many times before.
I stood up, and took in the mesmerising view of the Western Territory. Starting off down the hill, it was hard not to fall asleep as the glistening dew nyasi sprang softly beneath my feet, it was that comfortable. As I walked towards a lake and approached the crisp, clear water, I looked down at my reflection and saw samaki swimming through my likeness. I dipped my paws and threw water at my face to wake myself up, and lowered my head to lap at the refreshing cool water, taking my mind off the bad thoughts running through my head. A twig snapped behind me.
I turned my head to see who was there, and my blood ran cold. I spun round and was confronted with the dark mbwa mwitu of my dreams, the one responsible for the scars on my face. Who aliiba me from my parents. Standing before me, he stared intently at me, his eyes unblinking, as if focused on my very soul. A deep, guttural growl formed in my throat, and my words were slow, and deliberate;
"You've got some nerve, inaonyesha your face again."
"I'm surprised you're still living after five months out here on your own." he alisema as an evil grin grew across his face.
"I should tear wewe down where wewe stand. wewe are going to pay for what wewe have done to me. And my parents."
"Oh cry me a river. There comes a time where wewe have to man-up kid and it's obvious that hasn't happened." he chuckled.
"You obviously haven't learned that if wewe take someone, they are going to want revenge!" I snapped back, growling louder as we slowly stepped toward each other.
"I'm guessing they'll be your last words? In that case, bring it on!" he said, his face now close to mine.
I drew my razor sharp fangs and pounced, aiming to sink my teeth into his throat but before I could deliver the first blow, he stepped aside using his fast Alpha-trained reflexes. Where I had not trained for the past five months, he was a lot quicker than me, but I managed to land a bite on his hind leg. He yelped as the pain surged through his body, the copper taste of blood sweet in my mouth as it seeped from the bite. I turned and licked the blood from my fangs, and felt a sudden, strange surge of energy flow through my body. It felt like I had the ability to do anything as the adrenaline coursed through my veins.
"When are wewe going to give up, kid? Isn't it obvious that you're going to die under my paw? wewe know, I got told something before I came back to see if wewe were still alive. Sometimes the people that wewe want there the most, aren't. It's a shame that the people wewe want, aren't here. To see wewe die..."
"That might be true but wewe have overlooked one thing. No matter what the situation, I will never give up, and those who oppose me, will die kwa my teeth, and claws! As your blood drips from my mouth, your death will be a pure slice of revenge!"
I sprinted around the trees and as he pounced at me once more, I aimed to miss him directly, and instead tackle him down the steep kilima we were now on. As we tumbled, trying to break out of each other's grasp, we snapped at each other, biting and tearing at chunks of fur. In a blur of limbs, we reached the bottom and I landed on juu of him, pinning him down in the process.
"Any last words?!" I snarled.
"Yeah, death comes to the ones wewe love!" he laughed demonically.
He wasn't going to be laughing much longer I thought.
I sank my razor sharp fangs deep into his jugular, and the blood flowed fast, almost choking me. I held him there for what felt like an age, his eyes locked with mine, resisting his struggles until his gradually weakening body went limp, and his eyes became dull and lifeless. Releasing my grip, his head dropped to the floor like a rag doll, the neck clearly broken. I hadn't realised how savage I had been, blinded kwa the anger I had lived with the past five months.
Heading back up the kilima to the lake I ran to the water's edge and jumped straight in, ignoring the icy cold to get the blood and dirt out of my fur. I had to wash what had just happened out of my thoughts and my usually white fur, manyoya was stained a deep, dark red. I finally pulled myself out of the water, and despite having done so many times before, I stretched out in the sun and felt so grateful for the warming rays as though I had never experienced them before.
After a while I had dried out and stopped shivering from the cold of the lake, so I got up and started to walk back to the pango to think about what I could do now that I had gotten my vengeance. I realised I was hungry so I went hunting for something to eat. I was lucky enough to chance upon two foxes and quickly caught them both, going for a quick kill, a distaste for violence still lingering from earlier events. I savoured my meal, the taste of blood refreshing my memory in a flash and though bitter, felt satisfying that it brought to an end the anger and yearning for revenge I had carried for so long. Well fed, and now able to relax, I laid down in my pango to nap, and quickly fell into a blissfully peaceful sleep.
~
In the Western Central Pack, Humphrey was pacing back and forth, restless and uneasy.
"Kate?"
"Yes Humphrey?"
"How do wewe think Midnight and Rose are coping?"
"I don't know, they haven't left their pango in years."
"I'm going to check up on them to see if they are okay. I don't feel right, knowing that family has been ripped apart." Humphrey alisema with a tear running down his cheek.
"Oh don't worry Humphrey, I feel the same way. Come here."
Humphrey looked at Kate, a deep understanding held within his gaze as he pulled in for a hug. Emotion got the better of him and he softly cried into Kate's shoulder.
"I miss them so much Kate. My parents meant so much to me and now I'm never going to see them again and I don't know where they are." cried Humphrey.
"Oh me too Humphrey, me too. I also miss my parents!" Kate cried into Humphrey's shoulder now too, though he didn't mind even if it meant getting soaked kwa his love's tears.
"You know Kate, Eve and Winston were the best parents-in-law I ever knew and they gave me the upendo and care my parents used to give to me." Humphrey said, trying to ease his sobbing.
"Yeah, they were pretty good parents." Kate sniffed as she pulled away from Humphrey, keeping her paws on his shoulders.
Humphrey stared at Kate for a moment, a look of understanding in his eyes.
"You know Kate, this is what makes us special. No matter our sorrow, we always have a shoulder to cry on when we need it most."
"Oh Humphrey, that's the most beautiful thing you've ever said!"
"Really?!"
A huge grin formed on his muzzle as he gazed into Kate's eyes, ever amazed kwa the beauty of those golden orbs of hers.
"For real Humphrey. I upendo wewe so much."
Kate drew in close to Humphrey, their noses brushed together and their lips touched, in the most wonderful, caressing kiss in their whole marriage. Wishing it would never end, they savoured the kiss, then hugged each other tight in a lasting embrace.
"I upendo wewe too Kate."
"Come, we need to check on Midnight and Rose, see how they are coping."
Humphrey agreed and they both started off, walking together closer than ever before.
"You know Kate, we do have some spare time tonight. Maybe..."
"Maybe what, Humphrey?" asked Kate, her head tilted in curiosity.
"We can maybe go to the Moonlight Howl for a change?"
"Yes Humphrey, that would be great! It's been too long since we've been there."
They continued to walk along in a comfortable silence until Humphrey decided it was too quiet, and decided to break it.
"Do wewe remember when we first howled together?"
"Most beautiful siku of my life." sighed Kate.
"And wewe know what, Kate? That will be a night we will never forget."
Again, they continued to stroll along in silence until again, Humphrey felt the need to break it.
"Heh, wewe know I tend to think about what the pack would be like if wewe and Barf got married."
Humphrey looked at Kate with an inquisitive look on his face.
"We'll Humphrey, if that ever happened, I would put it this way. Bloodshed, Marafiki and family dead, and we wouldn't be alive. End of story."
Kate looked away from Humphrey and focused on getting to Midnight and Rose's den.
"Oh, that's something I'm glad that didn't happen!" chuckled Humphrey.
"Me too Humphrey. Oh, looks like we're here." Kate alisema as she pointed to the mouth of the den.
They approached the entrance to Midnight and Rose's pango and entered with extreme caution.
"Midnight? Rose? Are wewe home?" Kate enquired, a worried tone clear in her query.
"Come in guys." whispered Rose in a weak voice.
Kate and Humphrey both entered the pango and found Rose on the floor. It was clear that she hadn't been eating and was too weak to stand.
"Oh my Lord, wewe look terrible! When did wewe last eat?"
Kate's face dropped visibly, her expression one of concern.
"Five days ago." Midnight clarified.
"Humphrey, we have some spare caribou left in our pango from the last hunt. Would wewe mind getting it for Rose?"
Humphrey looked at Kate, nodded his head in agreement and headed straight out of the pango without wasting time on words.
"I'll be straight back!" he cried as he sprinted off.
"So Midnight what happened to your paw?" Kate asked
"Oh it's nothing..." Kate clearly didn't believe him so he asked him again
"Seriously Midnight, what happened to your paw?" Kate was clearly miffed at Midnight's RELUCTANCE to answer Kate's question.
"It happened from the awali hunt I went to." Midnight sharply responded.
"Ok, Midnight now I understand why wewe haven't been able to get chakula for Rose." Kate responded and looked to the mouth of the pango to see a rapidly approaching wolf.
Humphrey returned, bounding into the pango with two succulent chunks of caribou meat hanging from his mouth. He approached Rose and placed the meat beside her as she struggled to roll herself over to reach it. Midnight nudged her to help her reach the much needed nourishment.
"Thanks guys. I was starting to worry about Rose here. She hasn't eaten for so long after our loss with Snow. He was the finest Alpha I've ever raised."
Rose finally gave in and devoured the meal in front of her, ravenous from hunger. Regaining a little of her strength with every bite, she was now able to speak a little easier.
"Midnight... He's also the best son a mother can have."
"We'll, I hope wewe are going to be okay now Rose. Kate and I have some business to attend to."
Humphrey looked at Kate and she nodded in agreement.
"Wait!" echoed a weak voice through the den.
"Hmm?"
Kate and Humphrey both turned to look behind themselves in unison.
"Could wewe look for our son one zaidi time?"
"We'll see what we can do..."
Humphrey nodded and turned around with Kate and headed out of the pango and started their short journey to meet up with Hutch and Candu, the alpha hunting group leaders.
Kate now broke the silence as they walked.
Humphrey pondered this for a moment then asked "Do wewe think they might have had something to do with Snow's wolfnapping?"
"Don't be silly... No parents would ever do such a thing to their own child!" Kate snapped.
"But you're right Humphrey." she continued, "It's something to be concerned about."
Kate exhaled slowly and sighed.
They continued on towards the hunting grounds where Candu, Hutch, and the rest of the hunting group were sitting, talking amongst themselves.
"Oh hujambo Humphrey, hujambo Kate." Hutch smiled.
"Can we help you?" asked Candu.
Humphrey stepped forward, and explained in a commanding voice;
"Listen, I need Hutch and Candu to keep a close lookout on the Western border of the territory tomorrow morning. wewe will need to tafuta in that area for a mbwa mwitu named Snow. From what his parents told me, he was wolfnapped five months zamani and taken to the outlands of the Western territory but unfortunately they fell under deep depression and refused to leave their pango to go tafuta for him."
"Some parents, huh?" snickered Drake.
"DRAKE! You've just earned yourself a day's hunting ban starting tomorrow!" exclaimed Kate.
"DAMMIT!"
drake punched the ground in anger.
Kate continued, "Yes, we all know it sounds irresponsible but we cannot blame them. If wewe do find this Snow though, do NOT kill him under any circumstances."
"Yes ma'am!" nodded Hutch.
"The rest of wewe are on patrol. Normal routines. Humphrey walked away with Kate and they returned back to their own den.
~
I woke up after six hours of deep, restful sleep. No nightmares had plagued my dreams this time. I looked out at the dark but moonlit cloudless sky and saw a full moon rising against a backdrop of millions of twinkling dots of light stretching endlessly away across the cosmos. I remembered being taught as a pup that when a full moon rises, the Moonlight Howl was an ancient custom that took place when the moon was at its highest point in the sky.
I wanted out from the pango and headed over to the lake, and stared down at my reflection as I had done that morning and thought to myself, "If I have been gone for five months, will I be allowed back into the pack? I look nothing like I used to before."
The thought wasn't worth thinking about.
Again my thoughts wandered, "But it's true. Just look at me...".
I have a scar on my left cheek. My muscle tone is triple what it was before. If I just turn up at the central pack, I wouldn't be recognised kwa anyone. I'll be seen as a trespasser. I could be killed and eaten kwa the head Alphas. What could be worse than being eaten kwa old friends?
I laughed at that thought and sat down, pondering the possibilities. The temptation was too great however, not to go, so I made up my mind. I had to go.
I stood up and started off to a place that overlooked the Howling Rock. I had to make sure I wasn't trespassing in case I was caught unexpectedly kwa an Alpha patrol.
After half an saa I reached the spot and admired the view. I was in good time to see all the Mbwa mwitu loups from both the Eastern and Western packs arrive to to start their Moonlight Howl. I could see all kinds of couples. Omegas with Alphas, Omegas with Omegas, and Alphas with Alphas. It was a sight to see.
I spotted two familiar faces amongst the growing numbers, off in the distance. It was Jessie and Ryan.
My old friends. They have grown since I last saw them but I noticed something wrong when I saw Jessie was sitting on her own kwa her brother, Ryan. It looked as though she didn't have a tarehe and came with her brother instead. She whispered something into Ryan's ear and he nodded. She got up and walked off to a spot where she was able to be alone. Little did she know I was only a few dakika walk from where she was.
I found myself Lost in thought until my ears shot up like bullets at a sound I hadn't heard for a long time. She had begun to howl. I was star-struck at her angelic voice ringing in my ears. It sounded so beautiful. She sang like an angel, who had fallen to Earth. My ears were pricked up so intently, they felt like they were about to fall off as I listened to the familiar song I had learned when I was just a pup.
I remember memories
From a long, long time ago
I can hear wewe calling me
To never let wewe go
As the sun shines down on me
I hold the key to give
Take a hold of that destiny
I may give wewe light
Can wewe stay forever more
When are wewe gonna lead for me
No matter what it takes for me
I'll find you
Just to be with you
One zaidi time...
I looked down at her as she finished her song. A tear of happiness escaped my eye. As she turned to see if anyone saw her sing, I quickly hid in some bushes nearby to make sure she couldn't see me. She started walking back to her brother, and noticing it was salama I came out of hiding and sprinted back to my den. It look me twenty dakika to get there, and I returned completely exhausted. As I stepped inside, I collapsed into a ball of fur, manyoya and slept soundly through the night.
As I slept peacefully in my den, Jessie had returned to Ryan and now sat kwa his side. They sat in silence for a while. Ryan was the first to break it.
"So..."
"Whatever it is Ryan, I don't want to know about it." alisema Jessie, a discerning tone in her voice.
"Come on sis, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong!" Jessie snapped back.
"Okay, sorry." alisema Ryan, looking at the ground in disappointment.
"Ryan, I'm sorry for snapping at you, it's just that when I went to be on my own for a while, I couldn't help feeling that someone was watching me."
Ryan immediately looked at Jessie and asked "Really? Did wewe pick up any trace of a scent?"
"Umm, sort of. I could smell something odd." Jessie looked up at Ryan. "It was the scent of a familiar wolf."
"Don't worry, whoever it was, I'll make sure wewe aren't harmed kwa this stranger."
"That's the problem though Ryan, it was one of those scents wewe get used to, like you've known them your entire life."
"We'll, if I were you, I wouldn't trust on where your nose takes you, wewe might not like what lurks around the corner."
"Yeah, I know. It's just that... Never mind, I'll try to forget about it."
Ryan smiled and nodded in agreement. They both stood up, and started off back to their parent's den. When they got back, Kate and Humphrey were both fast asleep as they crept silently to their usual spots. They curled up tight and Ryan quickly fell asleep. Jessie however couldn't shake the thoughts of that familiar scent from her mind and it took her fervent mind much longer to find sleep.
~
AN ALPHA AND OMEGA STORY
kwa Snow
CHAPTER I
LONE WOLF
I
It was a beautiful siku in Jasper National Park. The sun was out and the radiance of the green nyasi shone in the bright morning light. A gentle cool breeze flowed through my fur, making my kanzu, koti sway from side to side. The storms had been brutal the past two days but no matter the weather, nothing was going to ruin this perfect day.
I was playing with my new friends, Jessie and Ryan. Jessie had grey fur, manyoya with a white underbelly, her eyes a striking ice blue. Ryan's fur, manyoya was golden, and he shared the same white underbelly as his sister, but he had strange turquoise eyes, a rare thing for a wolf.
We were playing Pin the Wolf. We chased around, trying to pin each other to the ground. As we laughed and fell about, we heard a voice coming from my newfound friend's den,
"Jessie! Ryan! It's time for your Alpha duties!" shouted their dad, Humphrey.
"Coming dad!" they barked in unison.
I looked toward them as they started to run off.
"I'll see wewe guys later for the hunt, I better go tell mom and dad what I'm doing if we're going to disappear for a few hours!"
Ryan turned his head back and with a sly grin, said;
"Sure Snow, I'll meet wewe at the hunting grounds before the sun starts to set. Don't forget!"
I smiled and nodded my sarcastic agreement as Ryan sprinted to catch up with his sister.
~
I got back nyumbani and found mom and dad sitting at the mouth of the den, enjoying the sun. Rose greeted me warmly as I trotted up to them. Midnight stayed quiet but he was always like that.
"Hello son. Did wewe have fun with Jessie and Ryan?" she asked as she pulled me in to a comforting hug. "You look like wewe did!" she alisema with a caring smile forming on her muzzle.
"Of course, mom. Actually, I was going to tell wewe something -"
"Let's go into the pango and talk about it Snow. I'm pretty sure whatever it is, the whole territory doesn't need to hear it."
Rose got up and went inside, and Midnight followed dutifully after her. Once inside, dad turned to me.
"We'll son, what is it? Did wewe get a girlfriend at last?!" he asked as he chuckled at his joke.
"DAD!" I exclaimed, giving a harsh ngumi, punch to his leg. "You know I'm not old enough for that!"
He yelped playfully, pretending I'd hurt him badly.
"Ha ha, okay son, I'm sorry. What's the big news wewe have for us?"
"Nothing, I'm just going hunting with Jessie and Ryan so I won't be back for a few hours, that's all."
"That's it? I mean, that's fine son, at least you're helping feed the pack. That's all that matters. Just be careful, we don't want wewe getting hurt. Remember you're only young and not as strong as the other wolves."
I noticed my dad had a worried look in his eyes. He turned to look at mom.
"I don't think going inside for that was necessary Rose..."
"Midnight honey, I was only concerned for Snow. Now if wewe don't mind shutting your hole before I rip out your -"
"Honey, that's enough. I don't think Snow wants to hear this." he said, putting his paw over my mother's muzzle.
She pushed his paw to the ground, tapping it in annoyance as she pulled away from him, clearly miffed.
"Don't worry dad! I'll be careful. One siku I'll be the greatest Alpha ever!" I beamed, as I moved closer to give them both a hug.
I turned and started toward the entrance to the den, but was stopped in my tracks kwa the appearance of three dark furred Mbwa mwitu loups with demonic red eyes.
"Wh-wh-who are you? What do wewe want?" I stammered, frozen to the spot.
Dad stepped in front of me.
"Get away from my son." he growled flatly under his breath.
Mom was in front of me too now, desperation and anger in her voice.
"You heard him! Get Lost now before I rip out your throats and tear your carcasses apart!"
The biggest of the three intruders laughed, and waived his paw at the other two, motioning them to attack. They responded instantly, pouncing at my parents giving them no time to react. They spun in the air and kicked their hind legs out, landing crunching blows with enough force to trigger an earthquake at each intended target. My parents. My flesh and blood.
Terrified, I hid in the corner and squeezed my eyes tight, wincing at the sound of crunching bone.
~
Although an age seemed to pass, and I desperately wanted to keep MY eyes closed, I had to look, had to see what had become of my parents. I opened one tear stained eye, only to be horrified kwa the state my mother and father were in. They had been beaten badly, matted blood-stained fur, manyoya hanging from their bruised and battered bodies. There was still some fight left in them however.
Seemingly tired of wasting his time, the pack leader of this group of evil hounds came at me all at once and struck me with his paw, claws fully extended, ripping into my chest as I screamed in pain.
Seeing their son injured so horribly, Midnight and Rose both screamed and struggled to get to their feet but were knocked down yet again kwa the two wanyama that had attacked them so mercilessly.
"SNOW!"
"NO!"
"LEAVE HIM ALONE Y-Y-YOU MONSTERS!"
"PLEASE DON'T HURT OUR SON! HE'S DONE NOTHING TO YOU... PLEASE!"
They pleaded and they pleaded, but the Mbwa mwitu loups just walked away as one of them grabbed me kwa the scruff of the neck.
"MOM! DAD! HELP ME!" I screamed.
The mbwa mwitu who was carrying me kwa the scruff of my neck spoke in a muffled tone.
"Say goodbye to your precious parents kid because it's the last time you're gonna see them again."
"GO TO HE-"
I tried to finish my sentence but it was cut short when the mbwa mwitu hit me with a very hard object which seemed like the moon had just crash landed on my head. Everything started to fade into black as my moyo rate almost slowed to a stop, and I fell headlong into the abyss of unconscious sleep.
~
I awoke bolt upright from the nightmare breathing frantically, looking around in a panic to see if anybody was there. I began to calm as I recognised I was in the comfort of my own den, alone. Stretching my legs, I reluctantly looked outside, feeling the dawn sun warm my face as it strained my tired eyes. My pango was roughly a mile from Jasper Park, outside of the border of the Western Territory, and I always enjoyed watching the sun rise from here. It was one of my most favourite things to do, watching the ball of moto bring its morning light over the territory. Each time it climbed above the horizon, it brought a golden glow to my white fur, and gave me the warmth I needed as it rose.
I laid down at the mouth of the den, resting my head on my paws, my thoughts lingering on the nightmare fresh in my mind, wondering why it kept coming back to me. It had been five months since the events it reminded me of had occurred, yet every time I woke from it, I still felt like it had happened just the siku before. I touched the side of my face to wipe away a solitary tear as it rolled over the scars left me kwa the dark coloured mbwa mwitu in my dreams.
"No one will ever get away with this without suffering the consequences, even if that means sacrificing my life to protect those around me." I muttered to myself, as I had done so many times before.
I stood up, and took in the mesmerising view of the Western Territory. Starting off down the hill, it was hard not to fall asleep as the glistening dew nyasi sprang softly beneath my feet, it was that comfortable. As I walked towards a lake and approached the crisp, clear water, I looked down at my reflection and saw samaki swimming through my likeness. I dipped my paws and threw water at my face to wake myself up, and lowered my head to lap at the refreshing cool water, taking my mind off the bad thoughts running through my head. A twig snapped behind me.
I turned my head to see who was there, and my blood ran cold. I spun round and was confronted with the dark mbwa mwitu of my dreams, the one responsible for the scars on my face. Who aliiba me from my parents. Standing before me, he stared intently at me, his eyes unblinking, as if focused on my very soul. A deep, guttural growl formed in my throat, and my words were slow, and deliberate;
"You've got some nerve, inaonyesha your face again."
"I'm surprised you're still living after five months out here on your own." he alisema as an evil grin grew across his face.
"I should tear wewe down where wewe stand. wewe are going to pay for what wewe have done to me. And my parents."
"Oh cry me a river. There comes a time where wewe have to man-up kid and it's obvious that hasn't happened." he chuckled.
"You obviously haven't learned that if wewe take someone, they are going to want revenge!" I snapped back, growling louder as we slowly stepped toward each other.
"I'm guessing they'll be your last words? In that case, bring it on!" he said, his face now close to mine.
I drew my razor sharp fangs and pounced, aiming to sink my teeth into his throat but before I could deliver the first blow, he stepped aside using his fast Alpha-trained reflexes. Where I had not trained for the past five months, he was a lot quicker than me, but I managed to land a bite on his hind leg. He yelped as the pain surged through his body, the copper taste of blood sweet in my mouth as it seeped from the bite. I turned and licked the blood from my fangs, and felt a sudden, strange surge of energy flow through my body. It felt like I had the ability to do anything as the adrenaline coursed through my veins.
"When are wewe going to give up, kid? Isn't it obvious that you're going to die under my paw? wewe know, I got told something before I came back to see if wewe were still alive. Sometimes the people that wewe want there the most, aren't. It's a shame that the people wewe want, aren't here. To see wewe die..."
"That might be true but wewe have overlooked one thing. No matter what the situation, I will never give up, and those who oppose me, will die kwa my teeth, and claws! As your blood drips from my mouth, your death will be a pure slice of revenge!"
I sprinted around the trees and as he pounced at me once more, I aimed to miss him directly, and instead tackle him down the steep kilima we were now on. As we tumbled, trying to break out of each other's grasp, we snapped at each other, biting and tearing at chunks of fur. In a blur of limbs, we reached the bottom and I landed on juu of him, pinning him down in the process.
"Any last words?!" I snarled.
"Yeah, death comes to the ones wewe love!" he laughed demonically.
He wasn't going to be laughing much longer I thought.
I sank my razor sharp fangs deep into his jugular, and the blood flowed fast, almost choking me. I held him there for what felt like an age, his eyes locked with mine, resisting his struggles until his gradually weakening body went limp, and his eyes became dull and lifeless. Releasing my grip, his head dropped to the floor like a rag doll, the neck clearly broken. I hadn't realised how savage I had been, blinded kwa the anger I had lived with the past five months.
Heading back up the kilima to the lake I ran to the water's edge and jumped straight in, ignoring the icy cold to get the blood and dirt out of my fur. I had to wash what had just happened out of my thoughts and my usually white fur, manyoya was stained a deep, dark red. I finally pulled myself out of the water, and despite having done so many times before, I stretched out in the sun and felt so grateful for the warming rays as though I had never experienced them before.
After a while I had dried out and stopped shivering from the cold of the lake, so I got up and started to walk back to the pango to think about what I could do now that I had gotten my vengeance. I realised I was hungry so I went hunting for something to eat. I was lucky enough to chance upon two foxes and quickly caught them both, going for a quick kill, a distaste for violence still lingering from earlier events. I savoured my meal, the taste of blood refreshing my memory in a flash and though bitter, felt satisfying that it brought to an end the anger and yearning for revenge I had carried for so long. Well fed, and now able to relax, I laid down in my pango to nap, and quickly fell into a blissfully peaceful sleep.
~
In the Western Central Pack, Humphrey was pacing back and forth, restless and uneasy.
"Kate?"
"Yes Humphrey?"
"How do wewe think Midnight and Rose are coping?"
"I don't know, they haven't left their pango in years."
"I'm going to check up on them to see if they are okay. I don't feel right, knowing that family has been ripped apart." Humphrey alisema with a tear running down his cheek.
"Oh don't worry Humphrey, I feel the same way. Come here."
Humphrey looked at Kate, a deep understanding held within his gaze as he pulled in for a hug. Emotion got the better of him and he softly cried into Kate's shoulder.
"I miss them so much Kate. My parents meant so much to me and now I'm never going to see them again and I don't know where they are." cried Humphrey.
"Oh me too Humphrey, me too. I also miss my parents!" Kate cried into Humphrey's shoulder now too, though he didn't mind even if it meant getting soaked kwa his love's tears.
"You know Kate, Eve and Winston were the best parents-in-law I ever knew and they gave me the upendo and care my parents used to give to me." Humphrey said, trying to ease his sobbing.
"Yeah, they were pretty good parents." Kate sniffed as she pulled away from Humphrey, keeping her paws on his shoulders.
Humphrey stared at Kate for a moment, a look of understanding in his eyes.
"You know Kate, this is what makes us special. No matter our sorrow, we always have a shoulder to cry on when we need it most."
"Oh Humphrey, that's the most beautiful thing you've ever said!"
"Really?!"
A huge grin formed on his muzzle as he gazed into Kate's eyes, ever amazed kwa the beauty of those golden orbs of hers.
"For real Humphrey. I upendo wewe so much."
Kate drew in close to Humphrey, their noses brushed together and their lips touched, in the most wonderful, caressing kiss in their whole marriage. Wishing it would never end, they savoured the kiss, then hugged each other tight in a lasting embrace.
"I upendo wewe too Kate."
"Come, we need to check on Midnight and Rose, see how they are coping."
Humphrey agreed and they both started off, walking together closer than ever before.
"You know Kate, we do have some spare time tonight. Maybe..."
"Maybe what, Humphrey?" asked Kate, her head tilted in curiosity.
"We can maybe go to the Moonlight Howl for a change?"
"Yes Humphrey, that would be great! It's been too long since we've been there."
They continued to walk along in a comfortable silence until Humphrey decided it was too quiet, and decided to break it.
"Do wewe remember when we first howled together?"
"Most beautiful siku of my life." sighed Kate.
"And wewe know what, Kate? That will be a night we will never forget."
Again, they continued to stroll along in silence until again, Humphrey felt the need to break it.
"Heh, wewe know I tend to think about what the pack would be like if wewe and Barf got married."
Humphrey looked at Kate with an inquisitive look on his face.
"We'll Humphrey, if that ever happened, I would put it this way. Bloodshed, Marafiki and family dead, and we wouldn't be alive. End of story."
Kate looked away from Humphrey and focused on getting to Midnight and Rose's den.
"Oh, that's something I'm glad that didn't happen!" chuckled Humphrey.
"Me too Humphrey. Oh, looks like we're here." Kate alisema as she pointed to the mouth of the den.
They approached the entrance to Midnight and Rose's pango and entered with extreme caution.
"Midnight? Rose? Are wewe home?" Kate enquired, a worried tone clear in her query.
"Come in guys." whispered Rose in a weak voice.
Kate and Humphrey both entered the pango and found Rose on the floor. It was clear that she hadn't been eating and was too weak to stand.
"Oh my Lord, wewe look terrible! When did wewe last eat?"
Kate's face dropped visibly, her expression one of concern.
"Five days ago." Midnight clarified.
"Humphrey, we have some spare caribou left in our pango from the last hunt. Would wewe mind getting it for Rose?"
Humphrey looked at Kate, nodded his head in agreement and headed straight out of the pango without wasting time on words.
"I'll be straight back!" he cried as he sprinted off.
"So Midnight what happened to your paw?" Kate asked
"Oh it's nothing..." Kate clearly didn't believe him so he asked him again
"Seriously Midnight, what happened to your paw?" Kate was clearly miffed at Midnight's RELUCTANCE to answer Kate's question.
"It happened from the awali hunt I went to." Midnight sharply responded.
"Ok, Midnight now I understand why wewe haven't been able to get chakula for Rose." Kate responded and looked to the mouth of the pango to see a rapidly approaching wolf.
Humphrey returned, bounding into the pango with two succulent chunks of caribou meat hanging from his mouth. He approached Rose and placed the meat beside her as she struggled to roll herself over to reach it. Midnight nudged her to help her reach the much needed nourishment.
"Thanks guys. I was starting to worry about Rose here. She hasn't eaten for so long after our loss with Snow. He was the finest Alpha I've ever raised."
Rose finally gave in and devoured the meal in front of her, ravenous from hunger. Regaining a little of her strength with every bite, she was now able to speak a little easier.
"Midnight... He's also the best son a mother can have."
"We'll, I hope wewe are going to be okay now Rose. Kate and I have some business to attend to."
Humphrey looked at Kate and she nodded in agreement.
"Wait!" echoed a weak voice through the den.
"Hmm?"
Kate and Humphrey both turned to look behind themselves in unison.
"Could wewe look for our son one zaidi time?"
"We'll see what we can do..."
Humphrey nodded and turned around with Kate and headed out of the pango and started their short journey to meet up with Hutch and Candu, the alpha hunting group leaders.
Kate now broke the silence as they walked.
Humphrey pondered this for a moment then asked "Do wewe think they might have had something to do with Snow's wolfnapping?"
"Don't be silly... No parents would ever do such a thing to their own child!" Kate snapped.
"But you're right Humphrey." she continued, "It's something to be concerned about."
Kate exhaled slowly and sighed.
They continued on towards the hunting grounds where Candu, Hutch, and the rest of the hunting group were sitting, talking amongst themselves.
"Oh hujambo Humphrey, hujambo Kate." Hutch smiled.
"Can we help you?" asked Candu.
Humphrey stepped forward, and explained in a commanding voice;
"Listen, I need Hutch and Candu to keep a close lookout on the Western border of the territory tomorrow morning. wewe will need to tafuta in that area for a mbwa mwitu named Snow. From what his parents told me, he was wolfnapped five months zamani and taken to the outlands of the Western territory but unfortunately they fell under deep depression and refused to leave their pango to go tafuta for him."
"Some parents, huh?" snickered Drake.
"DRAKE! You've just earned yourself a day's hunting ban starting tomorrow!" exclaimed Kate.
"DAMMIT!"
drake punched the ground in anger.
Kate continued, "Yes, we all know it sounds irresponsible but we cannot blame them. If wewe do find this Snow though, do NOT kill him under any circumstances."
"Yes ma'am!" nodded Hutch.
"The rest of wewe are on patrol. Normal routines. Humphrey walked away with Kate and they returned back to their own den.
~
I woke up after six hours of deep, restful sleep. No nightmares had plagued my dreams this time. I looked out at the dark but moonlit cloudless sky and saw a full moon rising against a backdrop of millions of twinkling dots of light stretching endlessly away across the cosmos. I remembered being taught as a pup that when a full moon rises, the Moonlight Howl was an ancient custom that took place when the moon was at its highest point in the sky.
I wanted out from the pango and headed over to the lake, and stared down at my reflection as I had done that morning and thought to myself, "If I have been gone for five months, will I be allowed back into the pack? I look nothing like I used to before."
The thought wasn't worth thinking about.
Again my thoughts wandered, "But it's true. Just look at me...".
I have a scar on my left cheek. My muscle tone is triple what it was before. If I just turn up at the central pack, I wouldn't be recognised kwa anyone. I'll be seen as a trespasser. I could be killed and eaten kwa the head Alphas. What could be worse than being eaten kwa old friends?
I laughed at that thought and sat down, pondering the possibilities. The temptation was too great however, not to go, so I made up my mind. I had to go.
I stood up and started off to a place that overlooked the Howling Rock. I had to make sure I wasn't trespassing in case I was caught unexpectedly kwa an Alpha patrol.
After half an saa I reached the spot and admired the view. I was in good time to see all the Mbwa mwitu loups from both the Eastern and Western packs arrive to to start their Moonlight Howl. I could see all kinds of couples. Omegas with Alphas, Omegas with Omegas, and Alphas with Alphas. It was a sight to see.
I spotted two familiar faces amongst the growing numbers, off in the distance. It was Jessie and Ryan.
My old friends. They have grown since I last saw them but I noticed something wrong when I saw Jessie was sitting on her own kwa her brother, Ryan. It looked as though she didn't have a tarehe and came with her brother instead. She whispered something into Ryan's ear and he nodded. She got up and walked off to a spot where she was able to be alone. Little did she know I was only a few dakika walk from where she was.
I found myself Lost in thought until my ears shot up like bullets at a sound I hadn't heard for a long time. She had begun to howl. I was star-struck at her angelic voice ringing in my ears. It sounded so beautiful. She sang like an angel, who had fallen to Earth. My ears were pricked up so intently, they felt like they were about to fall off as I listened to the familiar song I had learned when I was just a pup.
I remember memories
From a long, long time ago
I can hear wewe calling me
To never let wewe go
As the sun shines down on me
I hold the key to give
Take a hold of that destiny
I may give wewe light
Can wewe stay forever more
When are wewe gonna lead for me
No matter what it takes for me
I'll find you
Just to be with you
One zaidi time...
I looked down at her as she finished her song. A tear of happiness escaped my eye. As she turned to see if anyone saw her sing, I quickly hid in some bushes nearby to make sure she couldn't see me. She started walking back to her brother, and noticing it was salama I came out of hiding and sprinted back to my den. It look me twenty dakika to get there, and I returned completely exhausted. As I stepped inside, I collapsed into a ball of fur, manyoya and slept soundly through the night.
As I slept peacefully in my den, Jessie had returned to Ryan and now sat kwa his side. They sat in silence for a while. Ryan was the first to break it.
"So..."
"Whatever it is Ryan, I don't want to know about it." alisema Jessie, a discerning tone in her voice.
"Come on sis, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong!" Jessie snapped back.
"Okay, sorry." alisema Ryan, looking at the ground in disappointment.
"Ryan, I'm sorry for snapping at you, it's just that when I went to be on my own for a while, I couldn't help feeling that someone was watching me."
Ryan immediately looked at Jessie and asked "Really? Did wewe pick up any trace of a scent?"
"Umm, sort of. I could smell something odd." Jessie looked up at Ryan. "It was the scent of a familiar wolf."
"Don't worry, whoever it was, I'll make sure wewe aren't harmed kwa this stranger."
"That's the problem though Ryan, it was one of those scents wewe get used to, like you've known them your entire life."
"We'll, if I were you, I wouldn't trust on where your nose takes you, wewe might not like what lurks around the corner."
"Yeah, I know. It's just that... Never mind, I'll try to forget about it."
Ryan smiled and nodded in agreement. They both stood up, and started off back to their parent's den. When they got back, Kate and Humphrey were both fast asleep as they crept silently to their usual spots. They curled up tight and Ryan quickly fell asleep. Jessie however couldn't shake the thoughts of that familiar scent from her mind and it took her fervent mind much longer to find sleep.
~
