In the Shadows of Greatness

A Fate is Born

Fallow nudged the tiny pups closer to his mate. Seven beautiful little ones squirmed and yipped loudly into the night. Bea licked them free of the goop on their young pelts.

"I'm amazed your human-pack let me in," He said absentmindedly.

"They recognized you are my mate, Fallow," She pressed her nose to his cheek. "They know you mean our pups no harm."

"Well, humans rarely ever trust wolves," The brown wolf hummed. "I was sure the big one would shoot me."

"Gary only shoots prey," Bea chuckled. "He'd never shoot at anything that looked wolf-like or fox-like."

"He'd better," The wolf gave a short growl.

The pups quieted, suckling Bea's milk. Fallow took a closer look at them. Of the seven, six looked brown, tan, or a mix thereof. But the seventh, their tiny little runt, intrigued him. She had stark snow white fur, her tail tip and ear tips blacker than night. Of course, Bea's own mother had fur like snow, and the pup could have inherited it from her. But wolves of his pack very rarely ever carried such fur, always ranging from greys to black to reds and blues and browns and silvers. The only wolf he knew with such fur was Moon-Howler, Alpha of his pack.

"Thinking of the pups in your pack again, my love?" Bea licked his ear.

"Yes, yes," He shook his head clear of those thoughts. She just had her grandmother's pelt, nothing more or less.

Fallow stayed for two more nights, hardly leaving his mate's side. He was incredibly proud of his squirming and yipping offspring. On the fourth night, the door to the warm shed burst open, revealing bulking shapes silhouetted in the moonlight.

"Fallow," He heard his Alpha's voice. The wolf bowed his head while Bea stared right ahead.

"Hello," She greeted him. A wolf behind the powerful leader scoffed at her. "You must be Fallow's Alpha. Have you come to see our pups?"

"Indeed I have," The white wolf nodded slowly. Bea gave a curt nod, silent permission passing between the two.

Moon-Howler bent his nose to the tiny creatures. They squeaked when he touched them, earning a chuckle from the large hunter. The runt, however, twisted onto her back and swiped at his nose, making him jump back.

"My," He hummed. "Fallow's mate, what is your name?"

"My humans named me Bea," She said.

"Bea," Moon-Howler straightened himself. "I would like to take your runt into my pack."

"Moon-Howler, you can't be serious," A ruddy red wolf growled. Moon-Howler snapped at her muzzle.

"I want this wolf-dog in my pack and you will not question me, Dusk," He said. He turned back to Bea, nudging the runt.

"Would you also take my second smallest?" She asked. "I wouldn't want her to have only her father in the pack, and my youngest deserve to be raised among such noble wolves."

"You never told us she was a flatterer, Fall," Dusk sneered.

"Very well!" Moon-Howler barked. Fallow picked up his smallest son, while the white wolf thanked the mother. Carefully, he grasped the little pup and left the shed.

He followed the well worn path to the clearing and up the rocky slope to the cave den. He set the pup next to one of the nursing mothers, explaining briefly who they were and ordering her to care for them.

The Alpha flopped onto his nest, wondering about the Runt's strange fur, so similar to his own. Whatever the small one's destiny, he thought as he drifted off to sleep, She will change this pack.