Alpha of the Pack

The Search

It had been just a few days ago that Flame's mother died. He remembered seeing the fire in her green eyes die away as she drew in her final breath, he remembered her very last words. He remembered everything. He also knew that this memory would never leave, not even after he himself drew in his last breath.

Misty, Fang, Flash, and his father all helped Flame drag their mother's body to the grave they had dug just at the edge of the clearing, setting her in carefully and burying their noses into her deathly cold fur for the last time before the earth would swallow her up. That day, grief and sorrow was all he could feel. He slept by her grave, never wanting to leave her. Sunset had finally convinced him to return to his own nest, as the nights were turning colder.

Flame looked around the clearing. His father was chatting with a few other wolves while Misty and her friends, Dawn, Violet, and Ginger all shared a piece of the newly made kill.

"Flame, there you are. I was looking for you," a nasty voice came from behind him, making him flinch. Fang laughed as he dragged Flame by his scruff out of the clearing. Fang was a highly ranked wolf. He was large, muscular, and brave. He met every expectation from the beta and was very 'successful'. Sure, he was strong and attractive. But his intelligence level was about a negative one.

"Time for your punishment, little rat," Fang snarled with icy hatred. "Now that mother is gone, no one can protect you." Flame was shocked by his words. Did he ever care about mother? Or was she just there to guide him for the first part of his life, only to be forgotten once he could take care of himself?

Fang snatched Flame by the scruff and threw him onto the cold earth, his head smacking the ground. Fang snickered with laughter. Flame groaned at the pain striking through his forehead. Fang trotted away, his head thrown back with laughter. Flame narrowed his eyes and shook his head. So this is what kind of jerk Fang had become.
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Flame was going to do it. He was going to search for his mother's killer today. Flame had been looking for leads on what kind of animal it had been. So far, he found a couple of bite marks that were smaller than a normal wolf's. Nothing too major. He couldn't suspect what animal it had been yet.

"Flame, if you're looking for leads, you should try asking those who saw the animal, er, those who are not in shock. I hope you find out," Sunset's voice sounded from behind where he was sitting. Flame whipped his head around to find the beautiful she-wolf standing there. Her beautiful gray and orange fur was shining in the sun.

"Yeah, I almost forgot about the witnesses!" Flame said. His paws were suddenly tingling with excitement. The witnesses! They would know exactly what the attacker would look like!

Flame bursted into the clearing. Alpha was grooming the alpha female, Juniper's, fur. Juniper was a tawny she-wolf with black markings above her eyes. She was a wolf of beauty, the most respected in the pack. She was also a great hunter, and she was very generous and caring to everyone, no matter their rank.

Flame bounded past them, heading straight for medical den. Behind the tangling vines that were blocking the entrance was his father hard at work. Flame's father had been distant from him ever since his mother's death. He rarely spoke, only mumbling a few words to him before trotting away.

"Father, I came so I can ask you about the attack," Flame said. His father did not look up from what he was doing. Still sorting the herbs and medicines, he flattened his ears to his head.

"I don't want to hear it, Flame. Go ask someone actually willing to answer," his father growled. Flame drew his ears back and glared at him.

"Look, I know the attack was devastating, but you can't be like this forever, Dad. You can't shut out what's happening around you, and you can't keep living in the past. Come back to this moment, Father. Come back to where we need you," Flame said. His father glanced up from his work. He drew his lips back and revealed his teeth. A growl rumbled from his throat and he lunged for Flame. Taking him by the scruff, his father dragged him through the vines and threw him to the ground.

"Stay out. I don't want to see you until you get that attack out of your mind," his father spat. Flame shrank back and tucked his tail in. His father stalked back through the vines, leaving Flame flattened to the ground in fear.

Looks like Flame wasn't getting help from anyone. He was going to have to search by himself. Alone.