Alpha and Omega

Chapter 1: Prologue

The Northern Hemisphere was on the brink of being gripped in ice. In the huge human country of Canada lay a mountainous land, a beautiful nature reserve between Alberta and British Columbia. It was Jasper National Park, and within Jasper was an area simply known as the Valley where most of the park's wolves lived. Animals roamed freely. Everything was hunting or grazing among the gleaming lakes.

The Valley had its own unique landscape. In one area at the top of a hill, where the sounds of a waterfall could be heard, four young wolves were pushing a log into position. They were trying something none of their kind had ever tried.

"It's time to ride the slide and taste the wind!" their leader, Vi, shouted.

"Vi, you are totally genius!" replied her best friend, Mylo. He was considered the most laid-back.

"Come on, let's do it." The four pups got on top of the log and pushed against the ground with their hind legs.

"Air wolf!" Claggor shouted excitedly. All of them brandished their arms and paws and shook their heads with their tongues hanging out. They then realized that they hadn't pushed hard enough. The log was teetering.

"Guys, guys." Vi tried to let them know that they were still stationary, but the log immediately descended before he could finish the sentence. "We're not moving! Ahhh!" The pups felt the air rush past them. It was an experience like no other. Vi, a Violet wolf who had quickly become a leader of her group of friends, was surprised she hadn't thought of riding a log down a slope sooner.

Meanwhile...

A mile down the hill, a very different wolf played around. It was Caitlyn, and she was on a hunt.

"This caribou is mine!" she growled. The blue pup chased her prey through the thick forest. Her skills had improved since the Great Games that occurred a few months ago.

"Caitlyn, I'm not a caribou! I'm your sister!" Caitlyn ignored Mel's pleas. She managed to catch up to her. "Gotcha! Heh, heh, heh!" Her sister wasn't amused.

"Omegas don't play like this!"

"You can't escape the greatest Alpha ever!" Caitlyn replied boastfully before slamming into a tree that stopped all her momentum.

"Huh, well, I just did," said Mel, relieved for the time being. Caitlyn then shook her head and resumed her chase.

Later...

The pups were starting to get worried. The ride was fun, even for the timid pup Victor, but their speed seemed to only increase. As a result, the ride became unpredictable. The log shook side to side in an unnerving fashion. It didn't take long for Mylo to crack.

"We're gonna die!"

"Keep it steady! Keep it steady!" Vi tried to boost their confidence and make them take control of the situation, but things looked bad. Even she had to admit that. "What was I thinking?" The log swung around wildly as they careened down the uneven slope.

Suddenly the log went over a huge bump that knocked every wolf except Vi off. "That was great! We're flying today, guys!" With less weight, Vi could maintain control. She quickly learned to use her hind legs to steer, and after that, riding became a breeze.

Whoo-hoo!" The log flew over an area of trees. Vi looked ahead and saw someone familiar jump into the air in front of her, going directly towards her.

"Vi?"

"Caitlyn?" They looked straight into each other's eyes. Vi felt something she hadn't felt in a while.

Vi jumped from the log, abandoning it, and opened her arms. The two pups collided and plummeted straight to the ground together. "What are you doing up here?" She asked while they fell.

"I'm practice-hunting for our lunch," she replied proudly.

"Oh, good 'cause I'm about to lose mine." She proceeded to fill her mouth with her stomach contents.

"You are? Eww."

"I'll try to swallow it," she assured.

After her lunch went back down, both of them landed in the shorter grasses. They suffered no scratches or bumps, and they giggled. It was a funny moment they just had. On cue, her father called.

"Caitlyn!" The two pups turned to a boulder where the pack leader stood with his pronounced chest. He was the definition of noble. "It's time to go," he informed.

"I'm coming, Dad!" Caitlyn wasted no time.

"Where're you going?"

"Alpha School. It goes 'til spring." The amount of excitement in her voice made Vi worry. She knew somewhat what Alpha School was, but she couldn't believe it was starting today. Since the Great Games where they met, both of them played together on a regular basis. They were good friends. Who could split them apart?

"Spring? But that's like... a whole winter away." She thought at least she could accompany her on her way to the training grounds, but her father promptly put a stop to it. The large dark grey wolf towered over her which quickly put her into submission.

"I know you're Caitlyn's friend, Vi, but, by next spring, she will be a trained Alpha, the future leader of the pack." They all lived in a pack known as the Western Pack, but across wolfkind, wolves were divided mainly between two ranks: Alpha and Omega. They were considered opposites. Both of them had their own roles in society, but wolves of opposing ranks couldn't be in a relationship beyond a friendship. Caitlyn was an Alpha, and Vi was an Omega. They had separate destinies. "No doubt you'll be a clever Omega," her father added. "Learn to keep the peace."

Vi couldn't accept it. She liked Caitlyn a lot, too much. She couldn't lose her only female friend. They had been through so much. She looked between her father's legs as she continued to walk away. The swaying of her hips put vi in a trance. Her father knew what she was doing by separating them, but it had to be done. It was Caitlyn's future. Not long ago, he made a deal with his rival. He couldn't let them be friends even if he wanted to.

He brought Vi out from her trance by blocking her view. He faced the Omega, trying to teach her to know her place. "And Vi... remind us all to have fun."

"But... but..."

"Alphas and Omegas can't ma—" He then realized he was talking to a pup. "Err... Um... How do you say it?" Vi responded by randomly tilting her head with a bittersweet smile that helped regain the pack leader's focus. "That's our custom, the law of the pack." Caitlyn's father turned around to join his daughter. He couldn't look back. It was the law. Meanwhile, Vi's smile turned into a frown, but it only lasted a few seconds. Her Omega friends ambushed her playfully.

"Wolf pile!" they cried. They playfully jumped her, her fun side returned, and she began to forget why she was upset. Caitlyn could hear them playing. She giggled at their profound innocence.

"Silly Omegas..."

Vi then gave one last look at her best friend, tilting her head once more.