The True Rogue

Chapter Seven

As winter fully passed and spring approached we had settled comfortably into this smaller pack with Apollo and Star as our alphas, Artemis as their beta, Blizzard, Snowstorm and myself as mid-rank wolves and Cloud as our gentle omega.

By springtime Star's heavy belly and sweet scent showed a clearly expectant mother and we made sure to provide her with plenty of food as we followed her path through the territory, searching out potential den sites.

We were within the center of our territory and heading towards the western edge when I remembered a place I had seen before and coaxed Star and the pack to follow me.

A small patch of trees and bushes were nestled against a steep but small hillside. I bounded into the light tree cover, pushing to the back at the hillside and eagerly showing the sturdy fallen logs stacked among each other and tucked against the hillside.

Some of the trunks were partially embedded in the hillside as well, further adding to their stability as I showed that there was the beginning of a tunnel scraped out beneath them.

Star seemed unsure but interested as she sniffed around and I moved to the short tunnel, digging into it for a few moments. Before long the scent of fresh soil triggered Star's instincts and she padded over, wiggling inside as she continued what I had started.

Over the next couple of days we remained, Apollo and myself occasionally helping Star to finish digging out a tunnel deep enough until she felt content before she fully took over, digging back upwards a bit and then digging back and around to widen the area into a birthing den.

She dug it big enough so she could move around somewhat comfortably before finally exiting and laying at the entrance to the den tiredly. Apollo looked at her with a wagging tail and she returned it with a few thumps of her own.

Our alpha roused the rest of us then, leaving Cloud to look after her while he led us on a hunt. Within a couple of hours the pack easily felled a caribou and I killed another for myself, eating my fill before tearing off a hind leg that was heavy with meat.

Apollo did the same and we traveled home, feeding both Star and Cloud before settling down to rest. Blizzard and Snowstorm curled up with me as usual and I quickly drifted in a dreamless sleep.

* * * *

Within a week Star gave birth to three healthy pups, two males and one female from the scents that drifted up the den tunnel. The pack focused on providing plenty of food for her, keeping her and the pups well-fed until she finally brought them out to meet the pack.

All three pups were very curious and outgoing, wandering around the den site and refusing to go back in until Star carried them.

I knew then we would all have our paws full once they were big enough to truly run around and cause trouble and could feel Nyx's affectionate agreement as our tail wagged at the thought.

Once all three pups were back inside the den Apollo led Artemis, Blizzard and Snowstorm to hunt while I laid around with Cloud. After a bit a distant and unfamiliar howl caught my attention and I sat up, ears pricked as I listened intently.

After a few minutes the howl sounded again before suddenly cutting off and I stood, paws carrying me towards the call at a steady trot. I felt Nyx"s curiosity mirroring my own so I picked up my pace into a fast lope, quickly covering distance as remained alert for any other calls.

Soon I realized we were approaching the western border and felt a bit nervous but continued forwards anyways. Distant sounds of snarling and fighting slowed my pace a bit as I crested the hill and looked down towards the river.

I immediately saw the dark brown and black wolf from before with its back to the river, snarling and snapping as three other wolves took turns lunging at him.

I examined the three wolves closely, surprised at their mangy coats and thin frames and felt my shock rise when Nyx grew angry. 'Feral wolves.' she growled in my mind, though she kept her tone soft so as not to shock me further.

'Feral?' I questioned after a moment, feeling concern pass through us both as we realized the dark brown and black wolf's front left leg was heavily injured along with multiple other bites and claw marks along his fur.

'Others of our kind that fully lost their own minds and turned into beasts that live for the kill. Think of them like the wolves of the neighboring pack that lost themselves to the rabid sickness last year.' she explained as we moved closer and I recalled the pack at our eastern border that had been infested with rabies somehow last year.

I was forced to fight them all and put an end to their suffering as Nyx told me that I was the only one the sickness could not affect and I didn't want it to spread to my pack. 'Can we help him?' I questioned and felt her confident assurance as she surged forwards.

We moved together silently and quickly as we crossed the river downwind and out of sight of the other wolves before running back towards the noise of the fight. We bounded over the bank and leapt on to the closest feral, snarling and locking our jaws into its throat as our weight carried it into the other two feral wolves and sent them sprawling.

We quickly finished off the first and were on a second one before it could get to its paws, snarling and snapping as we dealt a fatal blow to its stomach before jumping back.

It collapsed to the ground with a struggle and we focused on the final feral, making sure to place ourselves between it and the injured wolf. After a bit of back and forth pacing we lunged at it, growling as we tumbled over and into the river.

We dug our hind claws into the rocky bottom, bracing as we rose up and snapped at the feral wolf's face and neck.

After a few moments we spilled back on to the muddy bank and soon overwhelmed it, its malnourished frame no match for our own fully muscled and well-fed one; living as a wild wolf gave me an edge most did not have.

Nyx receded a bit as I opened my jaws and let the dead feral fall, padding over to make sure the other two were dead as well before padding slowly towards the dark brown wolf. I relaxed my posture, wagging my tail and giving a slight whine to show I meant no harm as I approached.

The wolf immediately fell over, panting heavily as it gave a slight huff back. I slowly padded over, sniffing his wounds and whining with worry at the amount of blood on the ground.

After a few moments though I heard the sounds of branches snapping and leaves scattering as many paws were running this way. I crouched and bared my teeth warningly, fearing more feral wolves were approaching but paused when the injured wolf's nose nudged my back leg.

He did not appear to be concerned so I decided it must be his pack and stepped to his side as five wolves quickly appeared. Growls sounded for a second before cutting off as they all looked around at the dead feral wolves in surprise.

----------

A/N: Hope you are enjoying the story! Things are about to get real interesting:)