A/N: (cough, cough) heeey guys… So, remember when I said that A Wolf's Call would be up in a few days? Well, I guess I meant a few months. Sorry about that, but I really just lost inspiration for the fandom (and writing in general) for a long while, so I went on a bit of a hiatus. Nevertheless, those that follow me know I'm back if you've read my new active stories Stray and Old Flame. And now finally, FINALLY I'm bringing you A Wolf's Call and I sincerely hope it's worth all the waiting you've done.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ice Age. I do own Keeva.

A Wolf's Call

Chapter One

The sun was barely peeking over the tall pines, stubborn clumps of snow still clinging to the greenery. The shadows were still long, but growing shorter with the sun's steady ascension. Keeva opted to use them to her advantage for as long as she could, her dark pelt blending in seamlessly as she wove through the jagged patches of darkness.

Months had passed since the battle at Half Peak, Luca was dead, and Keeva continued to heal. Her wounds had closed and healed nicely, her fur had grown back in, hiding all traces of her scars from view. She had a slight limp now as she walked, her shoulder having taken a significant amount of damage, and it flared painfully when she strained it too hard running. Still, she had come out of it all in one piece, and she supposed that was the best she could ask for.

A musky odor drifted to her on the breeze, easily recognizable despite its faintness. A broad grin stretched across her muzzle, blue eyes lighting up with triumph. Finally! He'd done such a fine job masking himself this time, she was beginning to think she'd never find him. She pushed forward nose and tail high, her eagerness making her bold.

Bold hunters are dead hunters; herd animals are more dangerous than they let on. Keep your step cautious until you go in for the kill.

She tracked his scent to an open field, where she found him sprawled out in a snowless patch of dirt, soaking up the morning rays. Some of the grasses had grown tall, having not been grazed down for some time, so she attempted to use it to her advantage. Skirting a wide circle around him, she kept her body low, shielding herself behind the tall greenery. Her eagerness had quickly given way to hesitancy as she dawdled in one spot, thinking of the best way to go about this, allowing her scent to be pushed by the wind's will.

When you hesitate, your scent lingers. If your prey catches wind of you, you'll go home with an empty stomach every time.

Finally, Keeva decided it would be best to position herself behind him, and began stalking her way around him. When she heard the light shifting of rocks across the dirt, she whirled around to see that she had accidentally kicked aside some loose stones with her hind paw.

Always be aware of your body and what's around it. The slightest disruption can cost you a hunt, or even put you in danger.

Frowning at her own folly, Keeva pushed forward, determined not to make any more mistakes. Carefully, she stepped over debris until she was facing his back, watching the steady rise and fall of his breathing that would suggest he was sleeping. It stung to think she'd been at this so long she'd bored him into taking a nap, the least she could do was give him a rude awakening.

She stepped forward, blinded by her determination, and right onto a twig. It gave a loud snap under the weight of her paw, pulling a sharp gasp from her maw. Too much noise! Too much noise! Her head snapped up from her paw to look at him.

Hazel green eyes stared right back at her.

With a defeated sigh, Keeva slumped down onto the earth, her failure weighing heavily down on her. "Alright," she sighed. "When do you scent me?"

"I warned you about standing still," Diego reprimanded lightly as he got back onto all fours. "You did better than last time though," he added on in attempt to be reassuring.

Keeva just huffed, eyes falling to the dirt. "I'm never going to get the hang of this."

And why would she? Discovering you had some Alpha blood pumping through your veins didn't make you an Alpha. Omegas could be born to Alpha pairs, she'd seen it happen, and what a tragedy that always turned out to be. Alpha heritage or no, Keeva was first and foremost an Omega; slower, weaker-

"…What are you doing?" Keeva asked as she found her head tucked under Diego's chin.

"Hugging you?"

She could laugh at the uncertainty in his voice, as if he wasn't sure he was doing it right. "Far be it from me to object to your random bouts of affection." Keeva said trying her best not to give into the urge to nuzzle deeper into the soft fur of his throat. "But…why?"

"You were doing it again," he answered pulling a sigh out of the wolf below him.

Transitioning from a domesticated pet to a wild wolf was hard. Keeva was finding it difficult to give into instinct after being provided for by the humans for so long, but really she'd never had to rely on herself fully. Before she had the humans, she had her…mother? Could she still call her that? And Sage, her sister? She didn't want to think about that too much, made her stomach turn. Point was, they sheltered her, provided her every need, and prevented her from ever needing to give into instincts like hunting.

Sometimes she felt incompetent as a predator, and sometimes it showed. Sometimes Diego noticed, and when he did, they ended up in positions just like this one. And sometimes, damn her, sometimes she just couldn't help giving into such rare displays of his affection.

"You know, you really don't give yourself enough credit," Diego said. "You're doing fine."

Keeva scoffed disbelievingly at his words. "I haven't caught you once, not once, since we started doing this." The she-wolf pointed out bitingly. "I'd hardly call that fine." Embittered she added, "I'd bet even Omegas can run a track."

"Stop comparing yourself to them," Diego said firmly, a growl slipping between his teeth. "Their rules don't apply to you remember?"

Keeva hummed vaguely, of course she remembered. It was Diego's view that since she was more human raised than pack raised, then the laws and rankings of the pack simply didn't apply to her. She was neither Alpha nor Omega, simply Keeva.

It was a sweet sentiment, she thought. Stupid, but sweet.

"Alright, c'mon." Diego rose to his paws when it became apparent he wasn't going to get through to her this time around. "I'm sure Manny's managed to knot his trunk worrying about you."

Keeva rolled her eyes, offering a smile as she also rose from her place on the ground. She felt a pit forming in her stomach, heavy and uncomfortable. She didn't regret choosing the herd over the humans, far from it, but she really didn't feel as chalked up for the lifestyle as Diego seemed to believe she was. Nevertheless, she took her place at the sabre's side and let him lead her back to their remaining herd members.

A/N: My poor insecure baby! (sobs). I hope you enjoyed chapter one, hopefully I'll have chapter two out soon. Drop a review if you're feelin' it!