Return of the Wolf-man

11. Hunting

Blaze had been true to his word and given up on Songbird's memory. He found himself smiling more and spending more time with his pups as a result.

Today was a special day, the day he would take the twins on their first hunt. He was worried to leave Shadow alone so he locked him in the storage passage. Shadow didn't really mind though, he knew his Daddy was doing his best to keep him safe in his own way. The young pup planned on sleeping the day away.

Blaze was a bit sad to find the twins were now able to climb up and down the rock face on their own. It meant they were growing up and soon enough they would be going off to start their own territories and families. He shook those thoughts from his head and focused on the task at hand. He had them shift into wolf form and follow him to a prime rabbit patch. He showed them to go downwind so the rabbits wouldn't smell you and how to slowly stalk forward on your belly.

Of course Blaine got too excited and ran into the patch before they were very close. To no one's surprise the rabbits bogeyed and Blaine came back empty jawed. He pouted when Blaze scolded him and he pouted even more when Blaze decided Kinvaris would be the one to strike the rabbits. To combat the pouting, Blaze had Blaine track down the next rabbit patch. His tail couldn't stop wagging when he found the next patch and he looked to his Daddy for approval. Blaze gave him a nod and the hunt commenced.

Kinvaris came back with a rabbit in his jaws. He looked so proud to have caught one. The rabbit kicked and struggled in his jaws, trying to free itself. A crunch told them that the rabbit's life had been ended. Blood trickled down Kinvaris's jaws and down his chin. Blaze couldn't be more proud of his son. Bring that back to the cave and stay there. Kinvaris ran off, his head held high with happiness.

It was a bit more difficult for Blaine to even get close to a rabbit. He would track one down and then get too excited and blow the hunt. After the fourth time of it happening, Blaze was growing frustrated. Calm down Blaine, you'll never catch anything acting like this. Blaine's ears drooped and he lowered his head in shame. He knew Blaze was right. This time Blaze led him to a patch of rabbits and when he knew Blaine was going to bolt in, he grabbed him by the scruff. This stopped Blaine and gave him that chance to calm down before going in.

When Blaine came out of the thick underbrush, Blaze did his best to hide his disappointment at his son's empty jaws. I got one! Blaine yipped when he dropped a baby rabbit at his Daddy's paws. That's great! Blaine couldn't stop bouncing up and down in excitement at his first kill. He didn't care that it was a baby, he only cared that he finally did it.

Blaze gave his son a wolfish grin and watched with amusement as he carried the baby rabbit with his tail held up high. Blaze let Blaine take the lead back to the cave and muffled his laughs at his son carrying the rabbit. At the bottom of the cave they shifted into beast form and scaled up the rock wall.

Did you get one? Kinvaris ran over in excitement. I did! Blaine's little chest puffed up in pride as he showed his younger brother the baby rabbit. Together the twins whoop and cheer at their success. I'm going to be big and strong like Dad! Blaine brags. Not if I get there first! Kinvaris taunts. You'll both get big and strong like me. Blaze informed them so they would stop arguing.

Meanwhile, Songbird was rubbing her temples in an attempt to make the throbbing pain go away. There was no use in calling them interrogations anymore, they were simply daily beatings. "You're so weak. He didn't even hit you that hard." Corporeal mocked, being a dick more than normal. Songbird chose to ignore him and continue trying to make the pain go away. "All you ever do is cry and whine. I expected better from a mother like you. You should be getting stronger to get back to them, not being a weak little bitch." "If you keep insulting me, I'm going to start singing along with the radio." "You wouldn't dare."

As soon as a song starts to come out of Songbird's mouth, Corporeal covered his ears and howled in agony. "I hate you so much!" He yowled. "Don't worry Grouchy, I hate you too." Songbird crooned back before singing some more. "You singing and pissing him off is my absolute favorite part of the day." Rhea grinned as she pulled up a chair outside of Songbird's cell. "I hate you." Corporeal glared at her from his position in his cell. Rhea gave no shits on what Corporeal said and started talking to Songbird.

"How long do you think I'm going to be here before the Judge kills me?" Songbird asked. She stopped rubbing her temples and instead leaned back on the wall. "I'm not sure. I don't know if he even wants to kill you," Rhea admitted, "I think he finds more joy in your suffering than anything else." A sigh escaped Songbird. "If I can't go back to my family, I would rather just be dead." "Again with your family." Corporeal groaned. Both women ignored him and continued their discussion.

Eventually the conversation died down and Rhea left to get them their secret second supper. While Rhea didn't particularly want to give Corporeal extra food, she knew that if she didn't he would throw a fit. As she's finishing dishing up the food, she hears a lonesome howl coming from the woods. It's so loud she could hear it through the brick walls of the jailhouse. The sound sent shivers down her spine. The howl caused Corporeal to perk up.

"Do you hear that?" Corporeal asked, putting his ear up against the window. Three more howls joined the first howl. Songbird's eyes glowed red as she listened to the glorious sound of wolves howling. "They're safe. They're alive." She whispered with happiness. Corporeal didn't hear a word of what Songbird had said, he was too busy listening to what the howls were saying. This wolf-man and his pups were celebrating the pups' first kills. He couldn't help but remember his oldest pup's first hunt. He never got to take his youngest pup out hunting before the damned Judge captured him. Corporeal knew his youngest was likely dead and that thought thoroughly devastated him whenever he thought about it.

"So you can cry but the moment I do it's a problem and I'm weak. Make that make sense." Songbird snapped at the softly crying man. "Shut up, I can cry all I want to. You have something left to live for, you don't have to be weak. I have nothing left so I can be weak all I want." Corporeal growled back while he wiped the tears off of his face. No other words were exchanged between the two and for once Corporeal spiraled into a flashback.

Corporeal's Flashback

Shh, it'll be okay. I told my only pup. He didn't seem to hear me and kept crying. I want my brother back! My son sobbed into his Mom's chest. I didn't want him seeking comfort from her since she was still sick but he wouldn't let me take him away from her. I hoped he wouldn't get the same sickness that they had. It killed his brother who was perfectly healthy and crippled his Mom. It would easily kill him since he's so young.

"I want my brother back!" He cried so his Mom could understand him. "I know my precious. I want Osvaldo back too." I watched as my mate stroked my son's hair and wiped away his tears. "You shouldn't be with me though, I don't want to get you sick." Finally! He crawled off of her and slowly walked up to me.

Dad! He wailed, wrapping his little arms around my leg. I've got you now, you'll be okay. I could feel myself crying with him. It was absolutely horrible to lose Osvaldo. I had to watch him waste away until he was nothing but skin and bones.

Later that night my mate was sleeping soundly in the nest and my son was sleeping far away from her. I watched him sleep, constantly checking to make sure he was still breathing. I was so terribly worried. My family was falling apart in front of my eyes. I looked away from his sleeping form and to his Mom's. Her breathing was shallow not that it mattered to me. I would rather she die and our son live than she live and he die.

I decided I needed a break and left our den. I walked through the trees, almost constantly stumbling and then I tripped. My head slammed into the ground and felt like it was spinning. When the spinning stopped I got back up and was shocked at was staring back at me. It was Osvaldo! He looked healthy and happy. But that's impossible, he's dead.

Walk a little straighter Dad, you're leading us. He told me before he vanished into thin air. Wait! Osvaldo come back! I screamed after him.