Well, the poll has officially ended, and it's official: You guys really want to read the alternate ending now!
So here it is!
WARNING: Keep some tissues handy! That is all. And no, this has not been beta-read by anyone, so . . . yeah. And yes, this is Part TEN; the official ending of "Forgive Me" will be Part NINE.
Also, if you haven't read the earlier parts of the story yet, check them out before you read this alternate ending! Thanks!
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Part TEN: Alternate Ending
This sequence was based on the original idea that I had for ending the story (of course, the story changed for more character development and other stuff). This sequence would probably take place after Part FOUR when Dusty has her first puppy. This is the more depressing, and dramatic ending that I originally thought would suit the story better, but I changed my mind; I thought you readers would be more interested in the growing conflicts if I wrote out more of this story (it was starting to get interesting . . .), Enjoy!
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The silver bitch let out a sigh after giving birth to the pup. She turned to it, licking it dry and in awe at the beautiful sight of the thing that she had pushed out of her.
He was that reddish-gray color that made her shed a tear of joy, and she wished that the one she loved was here to see his newborn son.
Oh, Kodi . . . . I love only you . . .
She knew that he wouldn’t want to miss this moment for the world, but the risk of her return was so great. She only thought of him at the moment and their child together, not the fact that if she got caught right now, there would be two lifeless bodies in the boiler room.
Please, God, if there is a way for him to be with me, please let him come now . . . . before it’s too late . . .
She felt weak with fatigue after delivering the young child, and collapsed onto the blanket that was underneath her. The gray dog knew her strength was fading fast, and there wasn’t much time left. The pup whimpered by her belly as it searched for a teat to suck.
Hush, little one, she cleaned her baby and led him to the closest nipple.
There. Go and eat. You need your strength now to live and grow. She felt the pup’s newborn lips bite down on the teat and begin to suck the nourishing milk from within.
Ooh! Already you’re strong! Just like your sire. She stared deeply at the newborn and thought.
I’ll call you . . . . Klondike . . . both of our initials can be found in that name. I’m sure your father would love to see you . . . Her eyes began to close as she felt gravity pull her head back down to the ground and a strong contraction surge through her body.
Uhhh! She pushed, allowing her labor to run naturally and smoothly as she could feel the form of a newborn puppy push closer and closer to the opening of her cervix. The gray husky paused to catch her breath, quickly yet evenly making sure that her breathing was calm and that she had enough strength to give birth again. After half a minute, the laboring bitch lifted her upper body from the blanket, giving the second puppy a slip out of the birth canal. She lifted her tail from the ground as the wet fluid and the body of a puppy emerged from her tail-end. She let out a sigh as she began to clean the newborn, but something wasn’t right.
The puppy was cold, even with her warmth and clean tongue around the newborn’s body.
No . . . . no . . . NO!!! A tear of sadness fell down her light-gray markings as she tried her hardest to revive the puppy, but to no avail. The puppy was still-born, much to her chagrin. But she continued to remind herself that she did have one puppy that was healthy and very much alive, licking it and nuzzling his coat as he started to crawl beside her warm fur and lied near the body of his dead sibling.
Oh, I’m sorry, little Klondike. It seems that she wasn’t meant for life here. But I promise I’ll deliver a younger brother or sister for you. I won’t give up hope on that.
The hours passed, and the birth process continued again.
Uuhhhh . . Ah! Every push, every gasp, every birthing cry she released gave her hope that she would keep her oath to her son – she was determined to give her son a sibling, no matter what.
Oh . . . OHHH! She wasn’t going to give up yet. She had survived almost two months in the wilderness carrying her and Kodi’s pups; the silver husky wasn’t going to end this journey showing any weakness.
Aah! . . . Ahhhh. At last the final pups were delivered. She was tired, frustrated, and still unhappy as she continued to lick her latest pups. Each one was born cold . . . still-born. She tried to circulate blood through their bodies with her nose, but to no avail. There was no hope to save them.
All dead . . . . four daughters . . . one son . . . all gone . . . . Her tears flooded her vision of the bodies of five lifeless puppies and her sight of the only survivor.
Klondike . . . . I broke my promise to you . . . . I’m sorry. . . That’s all I can say to you . . . She let out a long breath as her head fell onto the ground, weakened by her lack of strength that she used to give birth.
I have nothing left to give . . . . Oh, if only I could see you again, my love . . . . The bitch closed her eyes in a slight sleep, as dreams of her lover ran through her mind. She also thought about what could have been: Little Klondike running on the beach with his five other siblings and his parents; everything would feel like paradise. She sighed as she thought to herself,
Could this ever really happen? Will I ever see him again? I want . . . I want him to see . . . his son . . .
When she awoke to the tug of Klondike’s toothless bite, her eyes began to flutter open slightly as she heard a warm voice . . . someone that she had long ago forgotten, but wanted to hear for so long.
“Dusty? Are you okay?”
“Hmmm . . . ahhh . . . who’s there?” Her head weakly rose toward the figure that was by her side. Her vision was blurry, but she recognized the burgundy-colored creature anywhere. “Kodiak? Kodi, is that really you?” She spoke slowly, her strength almost depleted.
“Yes, yes, it’s me, my love.” He nuzzled her gently and kissed her nose. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Same here, but I had to let you see your children . . . I mean, child.” Dusty’s eyes again swelled with weeping, still saddened by the loss of most of her children with Kodi. He sniffed the living puppy that was nursing on Dusty’s nipples. “This is Klondike, our only surviving son. He looks just like you, you know.”
“And you,” Kodi smiled in awe at the sight of the tiny bundle of joy. “He has your gray color on his coat too.”
“Yeah . . . . I’m . . . glad . . .” She had just enough strength to let out a smile before her head again collapsed to the blanket where she had given birth.
“Dusty!” Kodi rubbed her body with his face, but she didn’t move. “Dusty! Don’t die on me now! We have a son together! He needs you! I need you! I can’t lose you forever! Not like this!” Tears flowed down his face as he continued to try and wake the dying dam.
“Ko . . . di . . .”
“Dusty?”
“Ko . . . di . . . please . . . please take care of our son . . .”
“No! Don’t say things like that, Dusty! You’re a fighter – you can survive this!”
“I . . . can’t . . . no strength left . . .” The smile was still on her face as she turned her sapphire eyes to her mate. “Take care of Klondike . . . raise him as your son . . . tell him about me and his siblings when he’s older . . . protect him with your life, Kodi . . . Burn the others in the fire . . . and let my body join their ashes . . . that way, no one will know I was ever here . . . Will you do this for me, my love . . . my last will?”
Kodi couldn’t bear to burn his children and his lover. He didn’t want to lose her for good, but he knew that it had to be done.
“You know, I’m not sure if my heart can bear to lose you again, but if it’s what you wish to be done, I will do it. All for you, Dusty.”
“Oh, Ko . . . di . . . I . . . love . . . you . . . so much . . . “ The two of them shared a parting nuzzle and a kiss before the light gray spoke with her final breaths. “I . . . will . . . be . . . in . . . your . . . heart . . . forever . . .”
“And you will always be my silver angel, watching over me and our son.” Kodi whispered softly as he watched Dusty’s eyes close, never to have that gray-blue sparkle ever again.
With a heavy heart, Kodi pulled his son away from his mother’s teats, but Klondike knew something was wrong. He began to whimper sadly, seeking his dam’s warmth. The pup’s father found a blanket, covering the child with the false warmth that was the best that he could find. He didn’t want him to witness the event that he had to do next; he wouldn’t understand the situation at all.
The next few minutes were the most difficult moments that the young father would ever have to take part in. Kodi grabbed and moved each of the bodies of the ones he loved – his five still-born puppies and the love of his life – into the roaring fire of the boiler room. He cried at the sight of their smoldering flesh within the flames and thought of nothing but the memories that he would always cherish: the first time they ran on the mail team, the first training lesson that they had on the sandy beach and the sea, and the first and only time that they had made love . . . creating the son that was now crying beside him and the five others that had joined their mother in death. Kodi shut the boiler door when he was finished. The scent of the burning flesh and husky fur filled the air as he turned to the boiler room door and walked outside; his son was hanging from his father’s powerful jaws.
“Sorry, son. She’s gone to a better place now, along with your brother and sisters. But you’ll remember this when you’re older.” The new father now had to find a foster mother for Klondike to nurse. He wouldn’t last a day without mother’s milk for nourishment. Then he knew the only person that could help him.
“Mom?” The red husky called into the barn where his mother usually slept. “Are you in here?”
“Yes, I’m here . . . oh! Kodi!” She said at the sight of her son with the newborn puppy in his mouth. She got up from her bed, pregnant belly and all, and nuzzled her son. “Whose puppy is this?”
“He’s my son, Mom,” Kodi spoke with his ears and head lowered. “Mine and Dusty’s only son.”
“Oh, Kodi,” Jenna said, comforting him. “That’s impossible. There’s no way that she could get back into town. It was part of her punishment.”
“But she did come back, Mom. She gave birth during the night, but this one, our firstborn puppy – Klondike – was the only one out of six to survive.”
“And Dusty? Where is she? Is she all right?”
Kodi fell silent and slowly shook his head side to side. “She . . .” A small tear trickled down his face.
“Oh . . . oh, I’m sorry,” Jenna lowered her head as well. “The poor thing . . . .”
“Mom, I want you to raise and nourish him with your milk. He won’t survive without it.” Kodi pleaded. “Please, can you do this for me?”
“I don’t know if I can . . .” Jenna said. “He might reject me, Kodi.”
“But Mom, you’re due any day now! Your teats are swelled, ready for a pup to suck! Please, Mom . . . You’re my last hope . . . his last hope.”
Finally, she gave in. “All right, Kodi. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll raise Klondike. I’m sure he’ll fit in with his soon-to-be uncles and aunts.”
“Thank you, Mom,” Kodi nuzzled her and carried his son to his mother’s birthing bed, where Jenna soon joined the newborn, allowing him to suck her teats.
“Ooh,” she gasped by the touch of the young newborn’s bite on one of her nipples. “He’s strong . . . . like you, his father,” Jenna told him as he was about to leave the room. “And gentle, like his mother – his birth mother.” Kodi gave his mother a smile as she licked the pup clean. “I’m sure this is what Dusty would have wanted for him. I’ll protect and feed him, but don’t forget, Kodi: he’s your responsibility as well.”
“I know, but it’s going to be hard for me right now,” Kodi halted at the doorway. “I mean, I’ve just lost the only dog I’ve ever loved and almost all of my own children with her! I watched her die with my very own eyes! I even had to follow her final wishes, no matter how heart-wrenching they were going to be for me.”
“I know. I know it’s difficult for you to deal with your loss, but no one else knows that she came back, right?” Kodi nodded. “So we must forget that she ever returned. All right, Kodi?” Jenna knew this task would be even more challenging for her growing son.
“I don’t want to, but it’s best for us right now,” He walked back to his mother’s bed. “For my son’s life and mine.” He spoke, reminding his mother of the punishment that the two lovers were given almost two months ago.
“I know, but I think that your father and I can keep your secret until the time is right for him to know.” Jenna reassured him.
Kodi walked back up to his mother’s bed and softly nuzzled his son. “My little Klondike, I’ll visit you every day, I promise.”
The tiny babe squeaked a small howling cry to his father as a reply. “Oh dear,” Jenna said quietly. “I do believe that he has some obvious wolf in him!”
Kodi let out a light laugh and a sigh as he walked proudly through the door.
I promise you, Dusty, Kodi thought as he looked up at the now morning sky with a smile.
I will make you proud of our son. And I won’t forget you either.
I forgive you, and I love you . . . . even in death.
Alternate END
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Well . . . that was my original idea for the ending when I first thought up the story. Sorry it's such a tear-jerker. I plan on writing a fic following the alternate ending after I finish some other fics that are long overdue to be completed/written/etc., okay?
I promise, the actual ending is much different than this. But I will tell you this little hint:
At least one character will die.
yay for death.
But I won't say anything about who will kick the bucket. You'll have to wait for the actual ending to find that out!
Because I don't want to spoil anything for you guys that are really getting into this fic!
- Juuchan17
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Its 1.09 am here and i have to get up early... but i couldn't wait until i come back for school.... it's beautiful... but really sad