prelude

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Happiness spanned across the Alaskan wilderness as two wolves loped shoulder-to-shoulder through the sun-kissed snow and beneath the baby blue sky.

Though it was winter and times were harsh, for these two lovers, it was a euphoria.

They were alpha and alphess to the Denali pack, one of the supreme and largest packs in the Alaskan hinterlands. The two cantered on, yips and contented barks filling the icy air around them as they played.

Vidal - in the lead - was a sleek, dark female whose fur danced in the wind like delicate black smoke. At her heels was her male suitor, a heavily-muscled and heavily-scarred king named Jupiter. He was a blur of rusty-red and blazing auburn eyes - a fire ignited by the sight of his mate.

She would often tease Jupiter. She would nip at his tail, only to bound away when he turned around. She would bark for him, jump on him and tug at his rounded ears, just inviting him fall into an abyss of rapture and love.

So fall he did.

* * *

Bitter winds and stinging blizzards drifted away as winter came to a hasty end. The land was once again replenished and green, prey abundant and sky clear of clouds and storms.

In the midst of chirping birds and sashaying grass, were fifteen wolves. They were crowded around a small, leaky den dug in a diminutive butte. They were restless, their noses kept on pivoting back to the opening, where lied who-knew-what.

Jupiter was among these wolves, but he did not keep his distance. The male inched towards the hole, and hesitantly peered into the darkness before a lithesome black snout emerged and bit him on the nose.

A yelp escaped him and he immediately backed away. His nose throbbed, but the urge to discover was even stronger.

Jupiter returned to the rest of the pack and lied down, perking his ears towards the dark hole. Though he couldn't see, he could surely hear. As he caught the sound of faint whimpers and whines, he couldn't help but wag his tail.

Covering his aching nose with his paw, Jupiter pulled back his jowls into a smile and closed his eyes, allowing the cacophony of the next generation lull him to a peaceful, happy sleep.

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