~Rebirth~
“Other’s life’s don’t concern us.”
She reeled back as his voice repeated itself constantly in her mind. She knew she was supposed to be used to him by now, but the feeling of having both his and her soul in her body, still made her head reel.
Just relax, she coached herself, it’ll be over soon. He’s just trying to help. He would never hurt me.
“They will get in the way of our project. We don’t need them, they are irrelevant. So erase them from life, from history,” the voice continued, as it quickly assessed her body.
Nex nodded her head, though inside she was slightly panicking. Erase? The Northern Aurora? I have to ‘erase’ them?
Though the she-wolf, knew this was her purpose, she still found it hard to comprehend.
“You are hesitant. I shall help you.”
You don’t have to do that! Nex told the voice, I-I can do it!
“No you can’t.”
And then it suddenly began.
She felt his energy begin to fill her body. It strengthened her, like a battery, giving her power.
It surprised her, how much better she felt.
She let him bathe her in the energy, feeling relief as the energy found its way to every pore, every muscle, and every organ. She felt his spirit enter her body, and begin to reside in her heart.
“Concentrate Nex, fuel me. Let me become you. Full-fill your purpose.”
Nex nodded, Fulfill my purpose.
The she-wolf gave a small smirk, as her beautiful yellow orbs, turned a brilliant blood-red.
And then, as if two voices were coming from her mouth, Nex replied, “Yes, Master.”
///
A lone howl echoed through the territory of the Northern Aurora. It sliced through the rain, awakening almost all occupants.
The snow white female, with the light tawny mask, lifted her head from her paws. Her eyes flipped open, revealing two brilliant azure orbs.
“Hmm?” She gently tipped her head to the side, as she assessed the situation, Why now?
Carefully, she nudged her mate. It took a couple of licks across her face, before he slowly opened his grey eyes.
“L-Luna? What’s the m-matter?” He asked with a yawn. He eyes searched their small cave for any disturbance, but saw none.
Luna lifted an ear, “Listen.”
Her mate did as he was told, just as the howl sounded again. He dropped his ear in disgust.
“A meeting? Now? In this weather?” He cocked his head toward the entrance for emphasis, “Doesn’t Rue have anything better to do?”
But, he still stood and stretched, eyeing the small storm outside. “After this, she’s getting an earful from me!”
“Dante!” Luna giggled, “She’s the alpha, hush!”
Dante shook out his coal-colored coat, with a laugh, “Oh, please.” He leaned down to lick his mate’s nose, “I’ll be back soon. This won’t take long.”
“Wait,” Luna protested, as she tried to get to her paws, “I’m coming.”
Dante chuckled, “No you’re not.” He gently nudged her back down, “Not with those pups still in your belly.”
Luna growled at her swollen stomach. “It’s not like I wanted them,” she joked.
“Neither did I,” Dante replied with another chuckle.
Luna shot him a glare.
“Kidding!” He lied.
Luna continued to glare, as he stalked towards the entrance.
“Be safe, love,” Dante smiled, “I’m just going to see if I can get anyone to stay with you, before I go to the meeting.”
“I don’t need to be pup sat,” Luna scoffed. Dante sighed, This conversation? Again. Don’t I already have enough problems without having to deal with this?
“Sorry. You know I worry— Ah, Kessa!”
Luna sighed again, as an older female entered the cave. She had a vibrant coffee-colored coat and a huge ego that basically surrounded her whole body in an invisible aura.
“I heard the howl,” Kessa smirked, “Knew you’d need a babysitter for her.”
Luna growled, insulted, but both Dante and Kessa ignored her.
“Bye girls,” Dante joked, “Have fuuun!” He then raced away from the cave.
He found it hard to contain his giggles, as he heard his mate shout, “Mouse-Brain!” from the cave. And, by the time Dante was safely out of Luna’s hearing, he let go a whole pack of snorts and chuckles.
When he was through, he sighed happily, “Alright, now on to find out what Rue wants.”
///
When Dante reached the meeting grounds, which was actually a whole cleared space in the woods, he noticed that most of the other pack members were missing. And the ones there were looking at each other in confusion. There was no sign of their alpha.
If that was a false call, Rue…, Dante growled internally, his fur drenched from the storm, as he walked into the clearing.
The other wolves looked up in surprise, when Dante entered. They were quiet for a moment, before they all started attacking him with questions.
“Where’s Rue?”
“Have you seen her?
“What’s going on?”
The he-wolf tried to answer quickly, but it seemed every time he gave a response, another question popped up in his face.
He was about to make an excuse, that would probably blow up in his face, when he felt a sudden tug on flank, sending him backwards.
“Hmm? Ah?” Dante asked from the ground, where he was sprawled on his back, “Who did that?”
The wolves surrounding him shrank back, becoming quiet. Dante looked up in surprise. “Who did that?” he repeated.
He was answered by an extremely high voice.
“Ah, Dante!” a small face filled his vision.
“Shay?” Dante answered the tiny black she-wolf. Shay nodded, as she helped nudge Dante to his feet.
“Sorry about that,” she apologized, her gaze following something behind Dante’s back, “Damien’s a little—you know—pushy?”
Dante turned to glare at the larger wolf behind him. “Mouse-Brain,” Dante told the wolf, repeating his mate’s insult.
But, just like Dante, the older wolf didn’t take it as an insult. He chuckled and then opted to fire back a retort, “How could a Beta act like such a pup?”
The wolves around them gaped.
A Beta was much higher than any other rank (other than Alpha or Elder). It was unwise to speak to such an authority the way Damien just had.
But Dante just snorted.
If it was any other wolf, he may have launched into a long and boring speech about ranks and respect, but since Damien was, in fact, his brother, Dante saw no need.
Damien laughed, “No more name-calling then, Little Brother?”
Dante shook his head, “Sorry to disappoint you, Delta, --oh, whoops, guess I had one left.”
Damien sneered, “Yeah, guess you did.”
Shay glared at her mate, “That’s enough. You’re acting like a pup yourself, Damien.”
Damien looked away, while Dante smirked, basking in his own ego. Thank Aniu that Luna isn’t here. She defiantly, wouldn't have let me get away with that.
“Don’t, Shay. Your only increasing it.”
Dante seized his basking and glared out towards where the voice had sounded.
You’re laaaate.
The voice laughed a deep, yet feminine laugh.
“It’s about time you showed up,” Dante snorted, as the red and white she-wolf emerged from the woods, “We’re getting drenched.”
The she-wolf smiled, “Is that any way to talk to your Alpha?”
“Yes,” Dante said, while nodding for emphasis, “It always is, Rue.”
“Well, from you, maybe,” Rue smirked, “But I think everyone else has a little more class. A little more respect.”
Damien snorted from behind Dante.
“Okay,” Rue re-considered, “Maybe not everyone.” Then she laughed along with Dante, as Damien flushed red.
Dante couldn’t help, but notice how nice her laugh was. How it almost sounded like bells.
He also couldn’t help, but notice, her unique design. It was so …beautiful.
Her undercoat was a mixture of silver and white, while her upper-coat was a deep red. Down her back, danced a silver spiral.
Oh! How could he forget her eyes, one was red, and the other was a deep--
Stop it Dante! Dante scolded himself, You already have a mate. A very nice, wonderful, PREGNANT mate.
But, it didn’t make him feel any better.
Still, he kept these thoughts to himself. He did love Luna. With 99.9% of his being, but that small .1%, it yearned for Rue. That .1% made him feel guilty. It made him feel as if he were cheating on his mate.
But at the moment, he pushed those thoughts away and instead tried to focus on Rue and her ‘emergency meeting.’
Luna gave a small sigh, as yet another kick came from within her belly. It had been the seventh kick in the past five minutes, and the she-wolf couldn’t help, but be a little nervous.
“Should they be so…active?” Luna asked, as she nudged her own stomach, “Isn’t a little early?”
Kessa lifted her head from her paws and yawned, “They’re fine, Luna. Stop worrying.”
“But…”
“Relax.”
Luna gave a small whine, but settled her head back onto her own paws, “If you’re sure…”
“I am,” the brunette she-wolf retorted, “Calm down.”
Rue looked out at the small group of wolves assembled. She couldn’t help, buy cringe at how small her pack had become. The killings are getting worse. The she-wolf sighed; we have to get to the bottom of this.
“Dante,” she called to the he-wolf, “Come here.”
The Beta did as he was told, and wandered away from the other wolves towards his alpha.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean you’re not sure? What’s the point of this meeting?”
Rue didn’t answer at first; instead she just stared at her Beta, as if trying to see through him.
“What? What’s the matter?”
“K-killings.”
“Huh?”
“Killings.”
Dante cocked his head to the side, “Rue, what the Aniu are you talking about?”
The Alpha sighed, “Just as I said, ‘killings.’” She divided the word into two syllables for emphasis.
“What killings?”
Rue’s patience was running low. She hated herself for having to ask of her Beta for help. She hated asking anyone for help, but Dante was defiantly the last one she would have ever wanted to ask. She felt that every time she asked him, she owed him just a bit more. And over the past few moons, Dante had gathered much from Rue.
She was a new Alpha, hadn’t been one for much more than a year. She relied much on her Beta, having never of had any experience of being in such high power before.
“Pack killings, I’m certain.”
Dante gave her another look, “Rue, it’s raining.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Dante sighed, “Some wolves just didn’t feel like coming out tonight, because of it.”
“W-What are you talking about?”
“The ‘killings.’ That’s why the pack looks smaller tonight—“
“N-no, no Dante!” Rue cut in, finally understanding what he was getting at, “It’s not the rain, the pack is getting smaller! They’re dying!”
Dante shook his head, “Rue, nobody is dying. The storm must be getting to you.”
Now Rue shook her head, “No. You’re wrong. I must warn the pack!” She started back towards the group of wolves.
“Rue, don’t!”
The she-wolf ignored him.
Dante sighed, and before he could think it all through, he felt his fangs dip into her ruby-colored flesh, as he dragged Rue back towards him.
“Un-hand me!” The alpha commanded, but Dante ignored her.
“I should take you to Layla,” Dante suggested, his fangs still piercing Rue’s flank, “She’ll know what to do.”
“Let me go!” Rue snapped, “I’m not sick! I must warn my pack BEFORE WE ALL END UP DEAD!”
///
“Worthless pests.”
The words echoed through the dark cave. They bounced off the stone walls and headed straight towards the cave’s occupants.
A young she-wolf, only about a couple moons old, lay in the center of the dank cave. She laid on her side, paws tucked into her swollen belly.
The older wolf couldn’t help noticing how innocent she looked when she was asleep. But as quickly as it had come, the thought was pushed from his mind. He had to do it and he had to do now.
So with a grimace, he wandered closer to her, quietly stepping over the older female that also seemed to occupy the cave.
I have to do this. Fast.
He sighed. Hopefully when he joined her in the next life, she would be at peace.
He leaned his head toward hers; his fangs were just inches from her neck.
Then he stopped. I can’t, I just can’t.
He pulled away quickly, just barely missing the low ceiling. “Damn it.”
The older she-wolf gave a low groan, then a small yawn. Her eyes fluttered open, but she really wasn’t seeing anything.
She sighed, resting her head between her paws. Moments later, she was asleep again.
The elder wolf let out his breath. Close. Very close.
He sighed once more before slipping from the shadows, out of the cave. I’m sorry, but I can’t.
And for a small moment, he thought he made it, well, until his back paw snapped against a twig.
///
Snap!
“Hmmm?” Luna’s eyes flipped open, as the unnatural snapping of twigs sounded outside the cave entrance. Her heart sped up, as she tried to nudge Kessa awake.
“Kessa. Kessa! Wake up! There’s someone outside.”
The brunette she-wolf groaned, but didn’t bother opening her eyes, “G-go back to sleep, L-Luna. It’s fiiiiine.” She gave a long yawn, “No one’s there.”
“Y-yes there is!” Luna squeaked, her voice going an octave higher, “We’re going to die!”
“We’re not going to die.” Kessa’s eyes fluttered a bit as she tried to nudge Luna back down with her paws.
Suddenly, a low groan sounded from somewhere outside. Both the females stopped. The only sound was their breathing.
It lasted for a couple of minutes, before Luna broke the silence.
“Kessaaaaaaaa!” The she-wolf began to panic even more,
Kessa had already gotten to her paws. “I heard it!” she snapped quietly, “Now shut up before he hears you.”
Luna nodded. “Okay,” she whispered.
Kessa nudged her softly, “Let’s make a plan.”
///
The intruder watched quietly. His eyes carefully following the she-wolves’ every movement.
“I screwed up,” he growled to himself, “They heard me, damn it.”
His partner gave a small laugh, “You make a lousy assassin.”
The he-wolf growled at her, but that only made her laugh more.
He turned away from her, “I don’t see you killin’ anyone, Aki.”
The ruby colored female, gently patted her cream stomach, “I don’t give valid responses to anyone who calls me that. I thought you knew me better.” She smirked.
“Fine, Akini.”
“I’m hungry, let’s hunt.”
The blood-eye colored he-wolf shook his head, “That’s still not valid to my question. And, anyway, what about the mission?” But, he was already following her away from the cave.
“Screw the mission, you already messed it up, let’s go hunt.”
He took one last look at the cave, before responding, “Alright, Aki”
“Don’t call me that.” She meant for it to sound stern, but instead she laughed, which, of course, totally defeated the purpose of trying to be stern.
///
Copyrights~
Main Cover Lineart (c) Sakujo
Story and Chars (c) Me