Wolf pack

Family Dispute

Nate felt his hair stand up on end as a familiar smell entered the air. It was hot, intense and deep with traces of venom and blood. It was a smell he wished he could have never experienced again.
"Melody, come here. Now." Nate held his arm out as his golden eyes swept across the trees.
She drew close to him nervously. "What is it?"
"Hopefully a false alarm. Here, the leaves on this tree are thick enough you could hide in them."
Nate stood back from her as he began to grow into his full form. He lay down, eyes still locked on the tree line. "Climb on my shoulders and head, I'll get you farther. "
Melody quickly climbed onto his back as he stood on all fours. Soon as she got a good grip he lowered his head and allowed her on. Holding on tight, Nate walked his front legs up the side of a massive oak. She reached for the closest branch and climbed upward, completely hidden within the leaves.
Looking down made her dizzy.
Once she was safely hidden, Nate let himself down. The smell was even stronger now. His raised his ears to their full height, his mane following along. His ears caught a faint voice afar off, immediately swiveling to pinpoint the sound.
Nate stepped to the side, letting the foliage encompass him as he watched the oak.
The sounds and smells grew incredibly close. He could hear the panting of four distinct wolves.
When the leader stepped out Nate was ready, rushing out of the foliage and baring his fangs. He felt his eyes flicker red in anger, the red he promised himself never to use without reason.
The blood wolf nearly bumped into his nose.
Nate would not let himself appear weak this time. He showed his sharp fangs and let out a low growl. If they wanted a fight he would give them one, and he would win.
What happened next he ever expected.
"Little brother! Long time no see?"
If this was some kind of joke Nate did not appreciate it, his growl only grew louder. "Do not taunt me Demon, return to the pit you came from."
The blood wolf only laughed again. "Not so happy to see me? I suppose that was expected. I realize we have never been properly introduced."
Nate folded his ears back, he was not in the mood to humor a werewolf who tried to kill him and eat Melody.
The crimson wolf stepped back respectfully and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Anubis Strider." He put extra emphasis on his last name. "You can call me Anu."
Nate felt his skin tingle at the name. "Strider? Is this a joke?"
Anu only grinned, his long fangs glistening. "What? Does Strider hold significance to you?"
The superwolf clenched his teeth. "Strider was my father."
"He was my father too. Strange coincidence isn't it?"
Nate felt his head start to buzz as pieces of a secret puzzle began to click together.
Memory.

A tiny black wolf couldn't sleep. He heard arguing. The pup followed his ears. It was his parents, Strider and Vulva. He reminded himself to stay quiet, this was secret.
He creeped closer then hid to the side in the taller grass.
A handsome, black wolf and a beautifully striped halera stood facing each other in a heated debate.
"I've seen this before! It is not safe."
"Seen this before? What do you mean they are only pups!"
"They nearly killed you!"
"That was only a medical issue. I survived didn't I? The hard part is over you can relax now!"
"NO! No Vulva I can't! I don't want the same thing to happen to you!"
"The same thing? What do you mean? Don't you want to let me mother for once?"
Strider sighed and looked off sadly. "There is something you need to know. I can't keep it from you."
Vulva nodded, trying to be understanding. "Ok, what is it?"
"You were not my first mate. Before you, I was with a werewolf named Rarka. We had a child. We could tell right from the beginning he was different. The moon changed him, just like our pups now."
She nodded again, listening.
"See, besides the physical differences, we did not immediately see anything wrong. Not until it was too late." He lowered his head. "I returned from an errand to find Rarka screaming. She had been nursing him. The little- the demon had venom we never expected. It killed her. I could not stand to raise him and gave him to the humans. I do not know what came of him."
Vulva stepped back. "And because of this, you are afraid of our pups now?"
Strider stood tall again. "Yes. I do not want to return to find it is too late. We do not know what they are capable of. They may be gentle now, but so was it."
"But we can't just abandon them!"
"Vulva, we can. We have to."
Nate couldn't listen anymore, running back. He cried and cried until he fell asleep. When he woke up everything seemed normal. He told himself it was all a nightmare, that it never happened.

Nate blinked the memory out of his head. He had always assumed it was only a nightmare he gave himself to recount for his parent's absence. One day they left on hunts and never returned. In his young mind he believed they were dead.
Having Anu stand in front of him meant his nightmare was true. Anu was that first child that killed Rarka. He was Nate's half brother.
That meant his parents had lived.
They had abandoned him.
He stepped back again as the pieces of the puzzle clicked tightly against each other.
"You.." Nate swallowed and looked at Anu differently than before.
Anu nodded slowly.
"It was your fault."
The blood wolf kept eyes on him. "You'll find many things are."
Nate's eyes shifted as a familiar figure stepped to Anu's side.
"Cleo?"
Anu turned and grinned. "Ah, yes. I believe you know each other. However we know each other better." He gently nipped at her ear.
Nate's eyes got suspicious as he looked at Cleo.
Cleo gently nudged Anu and stepped forward, bowing her head. "Hello Nate. This is my mate, Anu."
Nate opened his jaw to respond but the voice came from in the trees instead.
"CLEO?"
All eyes looked up at Melody, who had climbed back down to a lower branch.
She sat on the branch and looked down at the wolves below. "I'm glad you are safe. How did you get out of that horrible place?"
Anu chucked to himself. "She is High Alpha now."
Nate and Melody looked at each other in equal confusion. "WHAT?"
Cleo shrugged and grinned. "We have a lot to tell you about."
Jynx and Anya arrived, snapping Nates attention and setting him on guard again.
Anu stepped forward before he could say anything. "Nate my brother, how would you like to join a pack?"