And here I am again! Gotten some nice reviews, a few nice private messages, and even a few requests for a lemon or two. ::Snicker:: If I decide to do lemon, it will be in a separate story from this one so I can keep my teen rating. I am no stranger to erotic writing, but no promises either way. :)

Today's story involves something that I actually put way too much thought into. What exactly did Kate and Humphrey say while they were whispering to each other after the stampede? I mean we all know they expressed their feelings for each other, but that's a little obvious. And there was a lot more said than "I love you." I will fill in the blanks as I see fit. Shorter than my last two chapters, but the scene wasn't actually all that long. ;)

Enjoy!

The howling stopped, for all the good it really did him. Even though he had poured his heartache into the howl, the moment it was finished more simply rushed in to replace it. It was agonizing, and he wondered how anyone even started to heal after something like this. It was a short lived sensation, because the moment his mourning song ended he heard motion from where Kate lay at his feet. Hope came even before his gaze snapped to her, his heart clenching in his chest to see that she her eyes were open and she was moving. "Kate!"

Watching as she struggled to lift herself up on her forelimbs, he took a step forward before she turned her eyes to him. The confused look on her face, complete with the fact that she didn't seem to notice the rest of the pack around them, told him that she likely wasn't sure of exactly what had happened to her. Other than the fact that she looked delighted to see him, which warmed his heart further when she smiled and said his name. "Humphrey?"

There was no chance for him to keep himself from speaking what he felt. The past day had been a tumble from one emotional state to the next, with her marriage to Garth, deciding to leave the pack, deciding again that he couldn't leave without at least telling her how he felt, watching her die, and watching her come back from the dead. A sigh left him as he tilted his muzzle down towards her, his voice trembling as he spoke. "I though I lost you."

She shook her head with a light smile, her eyes holding his for a moment before she seemed to realize exactly where she was. Looking from one side to the other, seeing the members of both packs all around them, she drew herself up further so she could look at him closely. "Is everyone staring at us?"

He already knew that the pack had heard his words to her, and at the moment he honestly didn't give a damn what the rest of the wolves around them were thinking. He was only concerned with her. But his reply came naturally now that his heart had started to beat in a normal rhythm again. "Well, ah..." He looked up and over towards a pair of wolves that were chatting to each other, their eyes averted for a moment. "No, not every.. Not ever.. Well, yeah," he corrected when the pair turned their eyes back towards the two of them. He looked down at her with a slight grin. "Now they are."

"Oh darn," she said clearly, causing his grin to fade and his mood to fall slightly. Was she still concerned with what the pack thought after all of this? "Because I wanted to tell you something."

The way she said it.. That sweet, playfully affectionate tone of voice combined with the fact that she drew herself up to face him until their noses almost touched had him drawing back a bit in surprise. But when she learned closer, he tipped his head towards her and gave her his ear when she started to whisper to him. "I couldn't finish the marriage with Garth... When we were about to touch noses, I realized I just couldn't. It took him a minute to realize he was trying to touch noses with empty air."

This instantly caused his bushy tail to start wagging from side to side, a short laugh escaping him when he questioned, "What?"

That was followed by a leap and quick thump in his chest when she nodded with a smile and continued. "When my father asked why I couldn't marry him, I told him and the whole pack that I've fallen in love with an Omega."

Being anything but a stupid male, Humphrey didn't need to ask who she meant as he drew back and their eyes met. "Really?" he said hopefully, wondering if he had taken a blow to the head from one of the Caribou.

Her ear folded back a bit, and she seemed a bit shy despite the grin on her slender muzzle. "Uh huh," she nodded, watching him for a reaction.

Wow, wow, wow. His mind was running too quickly for him to grab a hold of anything really solid aside from utter delight at what she had told him. "Ok, well..." He paused long enough to glance towards Winston, knowing that the alpha male was nearby. Seeing only relief on his face at the fact that his daughter was still alive, the young Omega decided that he could only die once. And some things were worth the risk, especially the beautiful female who watched him expectantly as he learned in towards her. "Well I wanted to tell you something, too."

When she dipped her head and tilted her ear towards him, he pressed in close so that his nuzzled brushed against the tip as he started to speaking, something that drew an instant giggle from her even as he began. "I was heading for the train, ready to start my life as a fun loving long wolf when I realized that I couldn't leave," he began, listening to the swift brush of her tail of the ground as it began to wag. "I couldn't just leave without at least trying to let you know how I feel. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm glad you're the one who decided not to marry him. I'm not sure even a lone wolf would have stood a chance against a super alpha."

This drew another light laugh from her as she tilted his muzzle towards him, brush the two together in a motion that caused a tiny shiver of delight to race through his body. At the same moment, not far from where they stood, he heard Winston say clearly, "Maybe this can work..."

"I love you, Kate," he said, with a new sense of confidence even as Lilly called out Garth's name and tackled the unprepared male to the ground. "And it feels really good to say that. I've been waiting..."

"I know," she cut him off gently as she nudged his throat gently. "I love you, too. I'm sorry I..."

"I know," he cut her off in turn, drawing back far enough to look at her as they both grinned. Moving at the same moment so that they were face to face again, they closed the distance until their noses where touching. Rumbling gently, he savored the sensation of warmth from something that he had never expected to happen even as the packs around them howled and calibrated the marriage of two unlikely couples.

Later that night, when the packs were gathered together to celibate the night and the joining of two packs, the Omega who had never given up hope found himself on top of the world for a moment as he walked towards his mate on the peak above the den. And when he asked his mate if she was ready to proclaim their love to the moon itself, her reply was not shy hesitation or reservation as to whether or not they were doing the right thing. Her absolute certainly and the love in her eyes when she stepped up to raise her voice with his added more power to his song right from the start of the howl. The blending of their two voices carried beyond the pack lands, over the valley, and trickled into a starlit night while the same moon who had watched them howl together for the first time watched again. And would continue to watch the many, many to come after.

So when the Omega and the Alpha that he loved raised their voices and sing to their watchful moon, no one could have doubted or question the vows that were exchanged between the two.. In whispers.

And another one is done. ::Taps his chin in consideration:: Let me know what you think! You see the pattern thus far? That is 3 chapters that gained 15 reviews, and I wrote a 4th chapter. Not a bad deal, right? :)

R&R! Authors need love too!