Stormy Sky froze, glancing back and forth between his mother and the new wolves he had just met. Both looked as if they had seen a ghost. He turned to the brothers, but they seemed just as confused as him.
"What are you doing here?!" Gentle Breeze exclaimed.
"What are you doing here? And is this your pup?" Crow's Laugh wondered.
"Are those your pups?" Gentle Breeze asked.
"What's going on?" Stormy Sky asked at last. It seemed his mother had momentarily forgotten how angry she was with him for running off. He hoped to stall her for the time being.
"Yeah. You guys know each other?" Rock Path asked.
"These are my old packmates," Gentle Breeze explained to Stormy Sky. "They had gone missing awhile back and were presumed dead. What are you two doing out here?! The whole pack was in misery when you two went missing. Your parents have been mourning every day, Hazel Branch, and your sisters too, Crow's Laugh. But you two have been here the whole time?!"
"It's complicated," Hazel Branch murmured. She glanced up at Gentle Breeze. "And why are you out here and not with the pack?"
Gentle Breeze glanced at Stormy Sky. "It's complicated..."
There was a tension hanging in the air that scared Stormy Sky. He sat up and walked toward his mother, nuzzling against her soft fur.
"I'm sorry," he murmured to her.
"That's okay, Stormy Sky. At least I'm acquainted with who you were with," she murmured before licking the top of his head. With a sigh, she looked up at the others. "This is Stormy Sky...my son."
"Your son?!" Crow's Laugh exclaimed. "But who--"
"Feather Wings," Gentle Breeze answered. "I say that so honestly just because I have a feeling that the pups in front of you are yours as well. Which means, in some ways, we're the same."
"What does she mean?" Black Berry asked.
"Just a second, Black Berry," Hazel Branch said. She took a step forward and glanced at Gentle Breeze. "You won't tell?"
"Not if you don't tell," Gentle Breeze answered.
"But then, if the pack doesn't know, why did you leave?" Crow's Laugh wondered.
"It was going to inevitable they find out anyway. Plus, I wanted to protect Feather Wings' reputation. He offered to come with me, but I didn't want to get him more involved than he already was," Gentle Breeze explained. "So we said our good-byes, and I haven't been back since."
"You've been living out here by yourself?" Hazel Branch asked.
Gentle Breeze nodded. She glanced over at Stormy Sky and smiled. "Somehow we managed to get by. Don't you think?"
Stormy Sky nodded.
"I think our tale is pretty self-explanatory," Hazel Branch murmured. "It's very similar to yours, in fact. I couldn't stand to disappoint my parents, so I took off. I wanted to keep Crow's Laugh out of it, but he insisted."
"And I would do it again," Crow's Laugh said, licking Hazel Branch's cheek.
"Yuck," Black Berry said.
In a way, Stormy Sky was jealous. He had never known his father, and yet Crow's Laugh had done his best to keep the family together. He wished he had known the day that Feather Wings was affectionate with his mother. He loved his mother with his heart and soul, but they both seemed to know there was something missing in their small family.
"So these are your two, then?" Gentle Breeze asked.
"Yes," Crow's Laugh answered. "This is Black Berry," he said, pointing to the darker one. "And Rock Path," he said and rested his tail on the other.
"We had a daughter too," Hazel Branch murmured quietly. "She passed recently."
"I'm so sorry," Gentle Breeze said. "I couldn't imagine..."
Black Berry shifted uncomfortably. Stormy Sky figured it wasn't enjoyable reliving the death of his sister.
"What is she talking about?" Rock Path asked his father.
"You pups weren't supposed to be born," Hazel Branch admitted. There were shocks looked from her sons. "Don't look at me like that. I'm thrilled to have you in my lives now. Listen. I'm not a wolf."
"Hazel Branch," Crow's Laugh warned.
"Well, it's the truth, isn't it? I'm sure you two have always wondered why I look different than you, or why you're nearly larger than me," she said to her sons. "Normally, dogs live with humans. My mother ran away from her human home when she was a pup, and eventually, she worked her way up to alpha. I was born into the pack, same as anyone else, but I've always been different. My parents forbade me and my brother from having a mate and pups because of the tension that still existed between some wolves in the pack. It was easier to stop mixing dog blood and let the pack go back to normal. But then I met your father, and things just happened...We ran off to avoid getting in trouble..."
"Well, that's no fair," Rock Path murmured.
"So...we're part dog then?" Black Berry answered.
Hazel Branch nodded. "Yes, but it shouldn't affect who you are. You still have wolf blood running from you. You certainly look more like a wolf than me. And I know you two will grow up to be great wolves."
"Why did you run off, then?" Black Berry asked Gentle Breeze.
Crow's Laugh stepped in and answered for her. "She was an omega, one of the lowest-ranking wolves in the pack. It was not permitted for omegas to have mates or pups either."
"I'm kind of glad we don't live in the pack. It sounds like a lot of rules," Rock Path admitted.
"There were. But at the same time, it was fun, wasn't it?" Hazel Branch said, turning to look at Crow's Laugh. "I still miss it at times. But I'm okay that I gave it up. It meant being able to raise you two."
"How have you gotten along, Gentle Breeze?" Crow's Laugh asked. "Come on in further, won't you? I think it's safe to say we're all the same ranking here."
"It's been tough," Gentle Breeze murmured. "There were some days I didn't think I could make it, but Stormy Sky has been so optimistic through it all."
Stormy Sky suddenly blinked in realization. "I almost forgot to mention. Rock Path and Black Berry have been helping me with my hunting and fighting skills. That's why I ran off today. Sorry."
"So that's how your hunting has improved," Gentle Breeze realized.
"I knew you'd get mad knowing I was going off with them, but I was so happy to meet other wolves!"
"And now here we all are," Hazel Branch said with a laugh. "Where are you living, Gentle Breeze?"
"A tiny old den near the meadow," Gentle Breeze explained.
"Why don't you move in with us?" Hazel Branch wondered. "It won't be a nuisance at all. Stormy Sky can train. We could even train you! Plus, it'll feel like having a bit of a pack again."
"I'll have to think about it," was all Gentle Breeze said. "But there's something I should tell you all. The pack is struggling. Things got worse once you left. There was a battle before I left. Many wolves died. They're coming back."
"I knew they were in the area, but I didn't know how intense it was," Crow's Laugh realized. "They were the reason for Golden Flower's death, you know."
"I'm so sorry," Gentle Breeze murmured.
"Hazel Branch?" Crow's Laugh asked.
"I know I shouldn't care, but I worry about them," Hazel Branch said. "I've worried about my parents and my brother and Moon's Shine and her family since we left. Are they all okay?"
"Lily Petal is an omega. The death of her mate, Jay's Tail, drove her to insanity. She was pregnant at the time when I left as well. I'm not sure how the pups are doing," Gentle Breeze said sadly. "But your immediate family is all okay, albeit still mourning your loss."
"I feel your pain, Hazel Branch," Crow's Laugh murmured. "It sounds like we've left them to fend for themselves. How much trouble were they in, Gentle Breeze?"
"They managed to fight off the rogues, but it was only a small number. They have a bigger army coming. I don't know much else, but I'm willing to bet not many other packs will ally with us considering we have dogs running the pack."
"There are six of us here," Hazel Branch realized.
"Where are you going with this?" Crow's Laugh asked.
Hazel Branch let out a nervous laugh. "I think we should return."
"What? Join a wolf pack?" Black Berry asked.
Rock Path somberly looked down at his paws. "Golden Flower would be so happy if she were here today."
"You can't be serious," Gentle Breeze said.
Stormy Sky was ignoring his mother's complaints, however. All he thought about was the joys of training, of meeting his father, and discovering what it meant to be a wolf in the pack.
"Yes, Hazel Branch, are you crazy? We left for a reason. We'll be punished, and who knows what they'll do to the pups," Crow's Laugh said.
"My parents would never harm me or the pups. Think about it, Crow's Laugh. Stormy Sky needs some training, but six extra wolves may make a difference," Hazel Branch said. "Did we really plan to be out here forever?"
Crow's Laugh narrowed his eyes. "Well, yes, that was kind of the plan."
"You two go, but we'll stay," Gentle Breeze said firmly. "Your parents may be more forgiving of you, Hazel Branch, but I'm still an omega deep down. They won't look at Stormy Sky fondly."
"You'll die out here alone," Hazel Branch argued. "Especially when winter rolls around. We've finally found each other. We shouldn't abandon this support system. We'll vouch for you, Gentle Breeze, and in turn, I hope you'll vouch for us."
"I want to see Dad," Stormy Sky said, staring up at his mother.
Gentle Breeze gulped. There was something she didn't appear to be telling him.
"I think we should go," Black Berry said triumphantly. "I think...I think it's something Golden Flower would've wanted."
"The pack's values are different in times of war," Crow's Laugh thought. "If we have any chance of being forgiven, it's returning now. Don't be so nervous, Gentle Breeze. Don't you miss Feather Wings?"
"Yes, but--"
"I think we should do it," Hazel Branch said.
"It's crazy to say, but I'm in too, I think," Crow's Laugh murmured. "I miss my family, and I'd love to show the pups the ins and outs of the pack."
"Gentle Breeze?" Hazel Branch asked.
Stormy Sky looked up at his mother. "I'm going whether or not you do," he said sternly.
Gentle Breeze stared at him in surprise. Stormy Sky couldn't fathom how he had said the words himself. He opened his mouth, ready to apologize, but Gentle Breeze spoke first.
"I must be insane, but I'm in," she said.
"We'll leave tomorrow at dawn," Hazel Branch decided. "I just hope we're making the right decision..."