Wolves of the Falling Stars Book 4: The Return

Chapter 35

Quiet Ocean was awoken by the sound of hushed whispers and whimpers coming from outside the den. Snow Fall had shaken her awake. Though dawn was only just settling over the pack, all the other wolves in training had their heads poking out the entrance of the den.

"What's happening?" Quiet Ocean asked.

"Sh," Daffodil Bloom said. "Come over and stand by me."

Quiet Ocean did as she was told. Looking between the spaces of the others' heads, she saw that there was a small group of rogues speaking to the alphas. Their scent easily pervaded through the pack. Quiet Ocean's face twisted in disgust at their stench. A big black wolf stood in front of the others, growling at the alphas.

"That must be Flint," Strong Boulder said aloud.

Quiet Ocean had heard stories of the leader of the Pack of Rogues. She had never seen him for herself, but he was intimidating. He had scars running down his face and body, and his yellow eyes almost appeared to be gazing into her soul. She found herself shaking.

"Please. Let's be civil. This fight doesn't need to happen," Raven's Wing said.

Flint let out a large laugh that echoed through the den. "If you do not feel prepared for the battle, then that is your fault. You're lucky I only came to talk today." He paused, then looked away from the alphas toward all the dens collectively. "Do you hear that, Pack of the Falling Stars?!" he yelled. "This battle will occur. Our army is gathered. We are ready. At the next full moon, we strike!"

With those words, he and the other wolves gave one last look before turning around and disappearing out of sight. The realization suddenly set in for Quiet Ocean. The next full moon. That was only a few weeks away. She had only been training for a short period of time. She didn't feel prepared to fight. She--

She had no more time to think. The pack had descended into chaos as wolves ran about, trying to tell the alphas to take more action. Others were running to their family members. Some were cornering in their dens, afraid out of their minds.

"Let's just stay in here," Snow Fall suggested. "It'll be chaos out there."

Quiet Ocean shook her head. She wasn't sure what was compelling her to do it. Perhaps the fear of death. She took off, ignoring her brother's cries and rushed straight toward the omega den. She needed to speak to her mother before she lost the chance to.

As Quiet Ocean approached the omega den, she heard sounds of anguish inside. She quietly tiptoed inside.

"Lily--Mom?" she asked.

The white she-wolf was hunched over in pain, having thrown up the contents of her breakfast. Dandelion Puff was near her sister. She glanced up at Quiet Ocean in alarm.

"Now's not a good time, Quiet Ocean. Your mother has bad memories associated with that wolf--"

"I am not your mother," Lily Petal growled at Quiet Ocean. "I'm no one's mother, mate, or sister," she snarled. "I just want to see him. Him and Morning Dew. I want to see them."

"Settle down," Dandelion Puff told her sister. "Quiet Ocean, you really should--"

"No," Quiet Ocean growled, marching toward her mother. "I came here because I wanted to know if you ever loved me or Snow Fall. The battle is approaching, and it's unlikely we'll all make it out alive. I just wanted to know if you would call me your daughter if we both lived through this."

Lily Petal cackled. "The only one I ever loved was Jay's Tail. And maybe Morning Dew. I never had the time to love you and your brother. As soon as you two were born, you were taken away from me and given to her. I have no feelings toward you, and you're a fool to try to have any feelings for me. I am not your mother."

"Quiet Ocean. You need to leave," Dandelion Puff said, more stern than Quiet Ocean had ever seen her.

Quiet Ocean took a deep breath, knowing this was most likely what she was expected, but she was upset anyway. If her own mother didn't love her, then who did? Who should she even call her mother?

"Fine. But I still care about you," Quiet Ocean said before turning around and taking off.

As she marched back to the den, she was stopped by another wolf bumping into her. In the panic, she simply thought it was someone rushing to their den, but she realized it had been deliberate. When Quiet Ocean looked up, she was staring into the eyes of Small Fox.

"Quiet Ocean, please. Can I talk to you?" she asked. "I just spoke to your brother. He said you might've been by the omega den."

Quiet Ocean had barely spoken to Small Fox since the truth had come out. They tried to maintain some relationship, but it had never been the same, and Quiet Ocean was still hurt from the lies. She mostly avoided her adoptive mother these days, even though it slightly hurt her to.

"Why should I?" Quiet Ocean asked. "What will you tell me? More lies?"

"No. Please, come here," Small Fox said. She led Quiet Ocean around the back of a den, out of sight from the rest of the pack members. "Quiet Ocean, I want to make things right between us."

"Oh? So you can die without a guilty conscience?" Quiet Ocean asked.

"No! Not at all! I know we haven't been on the right footing since the news broke. I'm here to take responsibility for it all. I should've known how harmful this would be for you and your brother. Though I never tried to play favorites between you two and Daffodil Bloom, it is clear Daffodil Bloom suffers less than the rest of you. I'm glad you two still take time to speak with her, but she admits that she misses us together as a family and--"

"So you're doing this for her sake?" Quiet Ocean asked, annoyed.

"No. Please just let me explain. I made this decision because I thought it would be what was best for you two, but I should've never let the decision be made. I agreed because I cared about Lily Petal, and when I lost most of my own pups, the decision seemed to be even more right, but I should've told you two from the start. I shouldn't have raised you on lies, and the pack shouldn't have been in on it too. It was wrong of all of us. It was always going to end this way," Small Fox explained. "I don't expect you to forgive me, but if I, or Golden Sun, do end up dying in battle, I want you to know that I love you regardless, and that I've always loved you. You're my daughter, Quiet Ocean, and while I know I'm not your mother anymore, I hope you know I'm telling the truth when I say how much I care for you."

Tears started to come to Quiet Ocean's eyes. It felt nice to hear Small Fox say it, but she was at a loss for words. She wanted to be angry, but it was hard keeping her guard up.

"What's wrong?" Small Fox asked.

"I don't know. I went to visit Lily Petal, I guess because I thought she would tell me she had always loved me and how hard it was for her to give up her pups, but she just spewed the same hateful comments she always does. I think I was looking for a mother, but...but I realize you've always been my mother all along," Quiet Ocean said, staring ahead at Small Fox.

"Quiet Ocean..."

"I can't forgive you. Not yet. But those words were meaningful, and...I love you too," Quiet Ocean said.

With tears in her eyes, Small Fox leaned forward and licked the fur between her ears. Quiet Ocean cried quietly, feeling comforted by Small Fox's tongue. She had missed having a mother.

"Please, stay safe in battle," Small Fox said.

"You too...Mom," Quiet Ocean said.

Small Fox laughed a little before crying again. Quiet Ocean missed being close to her like this, and she silently cursed herself for trying to push Small Fox out of her life. She wished she could just curl up against her mother's body like she'd done as a pup, but she was much too old for that now.

"I should probably head back, but...thank you for talking to me," Quiet Ocean said.

"Come share some prey with me and your father sometime before the battle, okay?" Small Fox asked.

Quiet Ocean nodded. As she headed back to the den, she blinked away the tears that were still stinging the corner of her eyes.