Runt In The Wild

Chapter Twenty Three

Pain shot through my back leg as I sat down, making me flinch slightly. But even that small movement caused my shoulder to sting. I gritted my teeth together as I waited for the pain to subside again. "You okay?" I looked to my right to see Leo looking at me with concern.

I smiled sweetly at him. "Yeah," I said as I licked the side of his face. I turned to look up at Alpha. Alpha stood at the top of an overhang that was on the side of the cliffs. The whole pack, and I mean the whole pack was here. We gathered on these cliffs whenever Alpha had important news for the whole pack.

Alpha howled to get everyone's attention. The wolves around me, once in their conversations, stopped now to look up at Alpha. "Yesterday, I sent a hunting patrol led by Kate. Leo, Sunlight, Lucky, and Dart went with her to the Deep Woods." Alpha continued to tell the pack about yesterday's events.

I sat there with an emotionless face as Alpha explained everything. I probably also spaced out because the next thing I know, Stacy, Dart and Stacy's friends are on the overhang with Alpha and several other Alphas. "Stacy, Dart and the others are traitors to the Wild Wolf pack for attacking a pack mate, an Alpha, and for attempting to kill her. I, Terrek, Lead Alpha of the Wild Wolf pack, hereby ban Stacy, Dart, Max, Macy, Lacy, Sebastian, and Nick from the Wild Wolf Pack forever." Alpha howled his deep howl into the sky as everyone in the pack joined in to banish the outcasts.

I howled, letting the feeling that I had built up into the evening sky. The hatred, the perseverance, the pain. Everything that I had felt ever since I met Stacy drifted away on the night breeze.

Finally, we stopped howling as Stacy and Dart as well as the others in her little group were pushed away by several Alphas. The crowd parted to let Stacy and the others through the center, and of course, I am right on the side.

As Stacy walked past me, she whispered into my ear, her voice raspy and thick with hatred. "This isn't over. One day, runts will disappear, and that includes you. You have always been a runt, and that's all you ever will be." I almost gasped as a blurred image flashed across my eyes. But for the first time, the image didn't clear. It stayed blurry and didn't show anything. What is going on?

Stacy continued to be led away by the other Alphas towards the border where her and her friends would be dropped off and forced to stay away. They were rogues, outcasts, wolves that the pack didn't want or need anymore.

Wolves started to leave the gathering area until it was only me, my friends, and Alpha, Kira, and Captain Mace. Alpha walked towards me with concern in his eyes. "How are you feeling, Kate?" He asked.

I gave him a small smile. "I'm fine, Alpha." Alpha dipped his head before he walked off.

My friends and I sat in silence for a few moments before Lucy finally broke it. "Well, since we don't have anything better to do, how about we hang out at the Hot Springs?"

We sat there thinking about it before I responded, "I don't know. Maybe we should get home. I mean, it's already dark."

"Kate's got a point," Leonardo started, "but we could always sleep at the Hot Springs. It'll be fine. Our parents know that we want to stay with you, and they saw us a little bit ago during the banning ceremony. Come on, Kate. We'll be fine."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Okay," I said when I opened my eyes. My friends smiled before we trotted off through the Golden Forest.

At night, the Golden Forest glows a magical blue color that seems to sparkle under the moonlight. It is one of the most beautiful sights a wolf can see.

I limped through the trees, leaning on Leo's shoulder for support, towards the Hot Springs. As we emerged from the undergrowth, the clearing seemed to sparkle the same blue as the surrounding forest. How has no body else found this place yet?

I laid down in the soft grass and stared up at the stars. I knew I wasn't going to jump in, but I wanted to say it anyway. "Last one in is a pile of bones!"

Like on instinct, my friends rushed as fast as they could towards the hot spring, leaping and somersaulting into the boiling water.

I gave a small, relaxed sigh as I continued to look up at the stars. I heard my friends splashing around in the spring, laughing with joy.

I smiled. I looked at my friends as they pulled themselves onto the shore, dripping wet. Lucy jumped onto Leonardo's back as he was shaking himself, and the two fell in a heap of wet fur.

I burst out laughing with the rest of my friends as Leo, now dry, trotted over to lay beside me. I leaned into his side, making sure that my healing wounds didn't touch anything.

I sighed happily as my friends leaped around playing as Leo rested his head on the top of mine. After a little while, my friends started to yawn.

Leo lifted his head and pricked his ears. "You guys can go home and get some rest; I'll stay with Kate," he offered.

Lucy quickly shook her head. "We can't just leave you guys here. We're in this together. We'll stay here with you."

But Molly said differently. "Well, it would be nice to get some sleep." Molly opened her jaws wide, yawning. "I think I need it."

My friends started to give in until Lucy sighed. "Fine; are you sure you'll be okay?" She asked nervously.

"Of course, we will," Leo scoffed.

"Okay. Let's go home then, you guys. See you tomorrow, Kate," Lucy called over her shoulder as her gray pelt disappeared into the forest.

"Bye, Lucy," I called after her. I leaned back into Leo and nuzzled deeper into his black fur. I sighed happily again. Leo's chest vibrated against my side as he chuckled. "What?"

Leo licked the top of my head. "Oh nothing, just you." I looked up at him and gave him a look that said "explain". Leo smiled sweetly and licked the side of my muzzle. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

I smiled and curled up beside him again. I yawned, and I started to close my tired eyes until I fell into a deep sleep with Leo by my side.

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Hey, guys! Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. Hope you like it! Are you mad at Stacy right now? Or wondering what the blurred image was about? The picture is of Kate and Leo. Well, hope you guys are doing great, and have fun! Ask questions and comment! Thanks! :)