AN : This chapter should fill in the confusing gaps of chapter 6 which I apologize for I probably should have thought that one through some more. Yes this is the last chapter kind of an abrupt ending I know, but I never intended on this story being too long anyways and i had some writers block. Let me know if you think I should write a sequel to this focusing mainly on Lilly. -xXSHADOWOLFXx

Chapter 7

Lilly was still shaken by the surprise appearance of Humphrey as she lay beside her mate Kodiak. In the dark his strong steady breathing calmed her restless thoughts. Shortly after they had been taken into Shades pack he fell deathly ill naming Kate his successor because she was the one of the only alphas left to take his spot. Her first decision as pack leader was to head back to Jasper and back to their old lives. Everything was going great for Lilly until Kate's hunting accident. The stampede happened without warning and Kate became caught in the middle. She clearly remembered her sister's scream, her cry for help. She remembered the sickening crunch of bone as the caribou trampled Kate. She remembered the feeling of warm blood that gushed from the wounds she sustained. She remembered the feeling of helplessness as she watched Kate slip away from her. But most of all she remembered the words her sister spoke before she died.

"Lilly...I name you the next leader of the pack." She whispered.

"But Kate." Lilly protested as she cradled her beloved sister.

"I have faith in you sis'. You should too." Kate said with her last breath.

That day would be forever etched in Lilly's mind. But somehow through the haze of sorrow and loss a light shone through the darkness, his name was Kodiak. He filled in the empty space that was left by the loss of Humphrey and her sister. He defended her and the pack fiercely willing to give his life for their safety. Kodi was absolutely unequivocally fearless, nothing not even a thousand bears could phase him. Yet he had always had a soft spot for Lilly since the day they met. No matter what you asked of him he would do it without questioning. He was talkative and out going but would never interrupt you no matter the importance of the subject. Putting the good of the pack first was what he did best, better than any wolf she had met, save for her sister. Sunlight peeked through the entrance of the den signaling the start of the day. As she stood preparing to leave the den Kodiak twitched in his sleep. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek lightly so as not to wake him even though she longed to see his dark green eyes.

"Humphrey...I'm sorry." she whispered setting off to begin her first round of boarder patrol. Wolves all around her were beginning to stir from their slumber emerging from dens nestled in the cliff side. She took a quick head count only to find they had lost six wolves last night. Hunters had been chasing her pack for the last week posing as park rangers, they had killed close to a fourth of the pack.

"Lilly wait up I'm coming with you!" Kodiak shouted as he sprinted towards her.

"Kodi you should be sleeping." Lilly chastised him.

"Don't you want some company?" he asked, playfully nuzzling her. She let the question hang in the air for a moment.

"Of course I do meat head it gets boring out there." she grinned nipping his ear. Smiling Kodi kissed her cheek.

"I love you Lilly, I always will, I promise you."

Humphrey cautiously eyed the piece of meat Kali had thrown in front of his paws.

"Eat please..." Kali encouraged. "You're going to starve if you don't." Without answering Humphrey curled into a ball and closed his eyes, a tear rolled silently down his muzzle. Kali shook her head sadly and padded out of the den. Humphrey wished with all of his might that this nightmare could come to an end. Every aspect of his life he had given up too find Lilly, was for nothing. He felt like a complete failure. The world seemed darker now as if their could be absolutely no joy in it. Humphrey loved her, he knew it from the bottom of his heart but now he would never have the chance to tell her. Trying to clear his thoughts Humphrey took a deep breath. He could smell the fresh meat that he refused to touch but also something else. To him it smelt like the forest after a rainfall, but he knew it was Kali's scent. He took a small bite of juicy red meat and chewed thoughtfully planing what to do next. After much deliberation Humphrey decided the best thing to do was fix things with Lilly. When Humphrey asked Kali to accompany him she agreed instantly claiming that he wouldn't last more than two minutes without her.

"Kali You don't have to come, really it's okay." he said sullenly gazing into her deep gold eyes.

"Not a chance Humphrey, I'm here for you." she replied nuzzling his neck. Humphrey returned the nuzzle and kissed her softly. Together their eyes glinted in the rising sun that cast a mosaic of colors across the valley below. Finally they broke apart and began to head side by side down the narrow winding path in search of Lilly and her pack.

Snow had begun to fall by the time Lilly and Kodi finished patrolling the boarders.

"Could we stop and rest for a minute?" Kodi inquired as they approached a small winding creek. Lilly nodded and wondered towards the water for a drink. "Wait Lilly, I'm actually not tired." he confessed.

"Then why did you want to stop?" she asked confused.

"There's...s-something that, I wanna to ask you." he stammered. "What...what do you think of pups?" Lilly gave him another confused look. "Our...pups, starting a f-family with me." he finished. Lilly said nothing, but instead leaned forward to kiss him. He moved in to meet her muzzle, and her heart began to beat faster as he returned her kiss. She lovingly nuzzled Kodiak's face and took in his scent mixed with the cool winter air and the smells of the forest. His eyes sparkled as he gazed at Lilly. She closed her eyes and whispered in his ear.

"Yes..."

Humphrey was absolutely miserable as he and Kali approached the packs territory. Nature laughed at his misfortune by gusting him with high winds, forcing the wolves to a walk headlong into the gale. Slowly but surely they approached the clearing they had seen the previous night. With each step Humphrey stomach filled with dread. He had no idea of what to say to Lilly because so much had changed. They were no longer simple omegas but played a different more important role in the lives of others. He glanced over at Kali before heading out into the open, she flashed him a reassuring smile. With his confidence renewed he stepped from the cover of the trees. Before he had a chance to look for her a massive explosion ripped through the clearing setting the trees ablaze. Fire spread rapidly preventing any wolf from escaping the death trap. Humans armed with menacing guns stormed from the flames shooting in every direction. Panic seized his brain sending his senses into over drive telling him to flee from the danger. A few wolves sprinted past him their grime covered faces streaked with tears from the acrid smoke.

"Where's Lilly?" he called after them. None of them answered but as if on cue she burst through the haze smashing into the surprised Omega.

"Humphrey! What are you doing here?" she asked coughing from the smoke that now completely surrounded them.

"I came to fix our friendship!" he yelled over the roar of the fire.

"I'm glad you're here but we have a slight crisis on our hands!" she screamed back at him.

"Yes we do have a crisis here don't we!" a voice shouted from the smoke, a voice Humphrey knew all to well.

"Garth." Humphrey growled as the red and white wolf stepped from the smoke.

"How dare you show your face around here, you monster!" Lilly spat at Garth.

"Don't worry Lilly this doesn't concern you I just came to finish off Humphrey. Something I should have done a long time ago!" Garth screamed in a fit of hysterical rage.

"Your crazy!" she snarled taking a step towards him.

"No, I'll handle this." Humphrey said firmly as he positoned himself in front of Lilly.

"Oh so useless omega can speak! Well done Humphrey." Garth mocked.

"Humphrey you don't have to do this lets go!" protested Lilly as she tugged on Humphrey's fur.

Humphrey barred his teeth and readied himself for a fight. "Alright Kali time to see if those sparing lessons pay off." He thought to himself. Adrenalin coursed through Humphrey's veins as Garth sprung at him. Humphrey was able to side step the attack and donkey kick the alpha's face.

"Not so useless now am I." Humphrey said as Garth rose to his paws. The two wolves continued to battle as the fire raged around them shooting sparks into the air. Both wolves tired quickly from the heat and in on last desperate attempt to end the fight Humphrey went for Garth's neck. Humphrey's bite hit home and his teeth sunk into the Alpha wolf's fur. With a strength he did not know he possessed, Humphrey spun and threw Garth through the air and into a burning log a few feet away.

Garth lay on the ground gasping for breath unable to get up and continue the fight.

"Humphrey leave him he's not worth it!" Lilly said hurriedly.

He nodded in agreement. Without warning a bullet ripped through Humphrey's shoulder spattering blood on the white snow. Yelping in pain he fell to the ground causing Lilly to call his name. She lay beside her long lost friend tears streaming down her muzzle, willing him to get up.

"No Lilly you go, get outta here I'll try and hold them off." he croaked pointing to a small opening in the wall of fire.

"What about you?" she cried. "You won't survive!"

"I know but if I did I'd be in a world were I could never be with you." he replied through gritted teeth. "And that's not much better than being dead."

"Humphrey I'm so sorry." she sobbed pulling away from him.

"Don't be sorry just live Lilly, not for me...for your mate. He needs you way more than I do." he coughed. "If you every go back to Jasper just make sure you tell them...I found you." Lilly nodded slowly and made a break from the gap in the flames. She turned and gazed at her friend for the last time, as Humphrey looked back at her he smiled. "I love you Lilly." he mouthed as the flames engulfed his frail body.

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Epilogue

The summer moon was now at it's peak as Lilly finished the story. The pups stared at their mother, eyes filled with amazement and awe.

"Humphrey did all of that for you? He really was a good friend." one of the pups yawned as he stretched.

"Yes...yes he was Shadow. The best Anyone could ask for." she stated. "Now off to bed, and take your sisters with you." As the trio hiked up to the den grumbling to themselves Kodiak nuzzled Lilly's neck softly.

"It must be hard for you to recount all of the things that happened." he sympathized.

"It is." she whispered. Kodiak pressed in close and kissed her cheek.

"Well you'll always have me, don't forget that." he smiled as she truned to face him, her eyes were red from crying.

"I should have stayed and helped him." she sobbed.

"Lilly, the only thing you can do now is remember and tell his story. That's how he will live on." he comforted her.

"I will Kodi." she said gazing up at the luminescent moon. "I will always remember."