Fatal Justice

† Chapter Thirty †

Sometimes being lost means becoming found. 

A blacktop road split the forest, its white and yellow lines unblending with the green that surrounded the human creation. He stood with his paws set on either side of the double yellow line. He hadn't been this close to humans for years now, their settlements were places he tended to avoid, and he curiously gazed down the winding path of the road. 

The light scratch of claws against the blacktop had him turning his head to look at Fox. They had grown closer over the past few days, their journey together had allowed them to almost read each other without words. Fox was asking why he had stopped with a simple glance, pausing at his side. 

He huffed, I don't know. He communicated nonverbally in response. 

Fox tilted his head. 

He shook his fur and then trotted off the road. Fox followed. He wondered if it was the road that led to the Canadian border, surely they had drawn close enough to cross soon, but he didn't exactly have a map so he was just guessing. They had taken a few detours along the way, too, as they discovered that they enjoyed hunting together. There was a thrill in sharing the chase with another. 

Suddenly, a fox darted out from behind a fallen log. 

He instantly looked over his shoulder. Tilting his head, he suggested the joke. 

Fox clacked his teeth, ears flattening a bit, as he despised the age-old joke now. Of course, he was only teasing his brother about the name for a wolf, but Fox decided to do something about it this time. Before he could blink, Fox had leaped onto his back. 

He startled and spun, throwing Fox off. His ears flattened in return but his eyes were wide as he watched Fox stand and shake the leaves and a dusting of snow off. Fox's eyes were intensely amused and after a moment, Fox crouched down. A slight tail wag accompanied the playful challenge. 

He contemplated his next actions. In all twenty-four years of his life, he hadn't actually played with another wolf before. He only ever knew how to fight and go for the kill. But, that was the past, and he wanted to build his own future now. He made his decision by awkwardly mirroring Fox's position. 

An amused snort left Fox, eyes glimmering playfully. He dug his paws into the soil and then he lunged forward. Fox darted to the side and he followed. They took off like jackrabbits through the forest, weaving around large stones, rugged trees, and fallen debris. 

Their paws hardly touched the snow-dusted earth and for a moment, they were two care-free souls, experiencing joy for the first time. Snow fluttered in their wake, dancing their way back to the ground. By the time they lost their breath, they had covered twice the distance they usually would have. 

A small stream of mountain water slithered down through the cracks of jagged rocks and they paused for a well-desevered drink. It was cold water but he lapped at it greedily. He had noticed how their surroundings were truly wild now, they had left the human road, and now it seemed that no human would survive in this rugged terrain. 

Suddenly, Fox barked and then he realized they weren't alone anymore. His spine went rigid when he saw the two black wolves that emerged across the stream. They were rogue but their movements were slow, calculated, and threatening. He felt Fox tensing beside him.

He found himself backing up a step when the two black wolves continued to move closer. Snarls rumbled from their chests, a warning, and he realized this was their territory--to some sense. He perked his ears, hoping to convey that they didn't mean any harm, but the black wolves came across the stream in seconds like shadows of death. 

He leaped in front of Fox before taking on one of the black wolves. It was two against two but he didn't know how well Fox could fight. He was only assured of his own ability. He tackled one of the strange wolves and they tussled with each other. He didn't bite or claw with the intent to kill and he noticed the wolf was doing the same. 

For a second, he was pinned beneath the black wolf, and then Fox was there. Fox tore the wolf off of him and then he lost sight of Fox as black wolves attacked them once again. He wasn't given a reason to go for the kill but the black wolf didn't leave him a chance to breathe. Their sharp claws and razor teeth just barely scratching each other. 

When they separated in the next moment, he snarled. It was the only form of communication he could use and he used it with ferocity. Instantly, the black wolf perked one ear, half pausing in its step. His head whipped around when he heard a wolf cry out in pain and he saw Fox had been thrown down by the other black wolf. His next actions were without thought as he ran to protect his brother. 

He bit into the scruff of the other black wolf and tossed it away from Fox. Then, he assumed a defensive position in front of Fox, who stood with a disgruntled shake of his head. The two black wolves closed in on them again and he lowered his head and snarled threateningly. There was a pause. He raised his head and clacked his teeth. 

It was a dominant move, something only an Alpha would do, and he had done it unconsciously as he made sure nothing happened to Fox. They had each other's back, no matter what, and he would live up to those words until his death. When the black wolves didn't move, he stepped forward with bared teeth. 

He was surprised when the two black wolves drew back a small step. He had established himself as the dominant figure and he stepped forward again. A snarl built in his chest, as he prepared to warn them off for good, but he glanced back when Fox unexpectedly bumped against him. 

Fox shook his head and he gave a confused response. 

When Fox nodded to the two wolves, he looked at them again. Their body language had changed, they were no longer threatening them, and he saw curiosity lurking in the depths of their dark eyes. They weren't vicious rogues that killed without reason, they had only been defending their territory, and he realized they weren't that different. 

There was a common misunderstanding in the stereotypical term of being rogue. Some would believe them to be monsters without a single trace of humanity, and there were some like that, but not every rogue had lost all ability to be human.

 Some, like he and Fox, were stuck in the in-between. They weren't bad, they were just lost, and these two black wolves were the same as them. Somehow, they had all crossed paths, and they were all looking for something--or someone--to follow so that life can have purpose again. 

He raised his head, ears perking towards the two black wolves, and they simultaneously lowered their heads an inch beneath his strong gaze. He had seen it multiple times, in many packs, but he never thought it would be him. Something he had never wanted but Fox had said it with confidence ever since they met. And now, these two black wolves saw him as one thing. 

Alpha.

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This might be my favorite chapter so far! 

It's honestly so thrilling to build something from the ashes. However, I am slowly realizing that I'm drawing closer to the end of this book. My planning chapter is almost empty. I think I might actually miss writing this book when it's over.