The White Wolf

Two wolves crossed the snow-covered terrain of Eastern Pack territory, one occasionally pausing to check for her pawprints. Snow crushed and crumbled under her paws, brushing against her pads as she self-consciously pressed harder. The white she-wolf examined her breath hanging on the cool air and waved her left forepaw at it. She giggled and more wispy smoke trailed from her mouth. A red-orange wolf ahead of her paused and looked back. The white she-wolf abruptly stopped and directed her eyes towards her paws. After a few seconds, she walked until she was at the red-orange wolf's side. He raised an eyebrow when she checked for her pawprints once again.

"Is something wrong, Lilly?"

Lilly blushed a little. "Sorry, Garth. I'm just remembering something Kate told me when we were cubs. How she'd tell me that I was so white and light that I wouldn't leave pawprints in the snow. That if I wasn't careful enough, I would get lost. But she doesn't tell me that now, of course. But I guess I sometimes still get curious if it could be true. It is pretty silly, isn't it?" Lilly coyly smiled, one bang brushing over her left eye.

Garth shook his head and resisted the urge to chuckle. Somehow, he knew her sister was involved. "You're full of surprises, Lilly."

"Well, so are you. I mean, you haven't told me where we're going yet," Lilly gently nudged him.

Garth smirked. "I thought you liked that about me. The big mysterious Alpha you'd get to know better," he lowered his tone.

Lilly returned the smirk. "Oh, believe me, I do. But I'm still not very familiar with Eastern Pack territory. We're not lost, are we?" The she-wolf looked around.

The red wolf chuckled. "Come on, Lilly, give me some credit." Garth craned his head in the direction ahead of them. "It's just a little further, I promise."

Lilly nodded and followed as Garth started again. She looked around more of the snow-mounted ledges and cliffs surrounding them. Sometimes, she'd catch a glimpse of an Eastern Pack wolf or two disappearing among the trees and rocks, black and dark gray blobs against the white stretched beneath the pristine blue sky. She'd always thought of the Eastern Pack territory as another world altogether, formerly coexisting but kept away in the time before Garth's father Tony nearly declared war on her father and their Alphas. But seeing it since her marriage to Garth, there were a lot of the familiar trees, familiar rocks, familiar tall grasses, and familiar caves with wolves that weren't as different as before. She smiled a little at this comfort.

Leaving pawprints in the snow behind her, Lilly followed as Garth selected one of the ascending cliffside paths. A thick patch of jagged rocks punctured the ground like the rotted teeth of a severed jaw. Her mate broke into a sprint befitting his Alpha training and leapt over the rock patch. A few chunks of snow flew into the air as Garth landed, before turning back to Lilly. The she-wolf paused to examine the jagged rocks. She readied herself, quietly assuring she could do this, and started to run. As she neared, Lilly prepared to jump.

The white she-wolf soared directly over the rock patch, forelegs stretched to fly. She crashed directly into Garth, sending both wolves tumbling to the snow. Lilly got to her paws and spat snow fragments lodged into her mouth. Garth blinked white from his eyes as he shook his fur clean. He turned back to check on Lilly, who then looked down at her paws like an ashamed cub. Nevertheless, a small giggle left her mouth. Garth smirked, and it wasn't long before the two of them began to laugh together. After a few seconds, they nuzzled before Garth led once again.

Trees passed them, casting long shadows over the narrowing path. Lilly checked around, wondering if another Eastern Pack wolf might appear. Every so often, a wolf-shaped shadow appeared among the trees, only to rematerialize as a jagged tree stump or a lone overturned rock. Even when they seemed to move, they stopped being wolves when she looked again. Garth continued his stride, pausing briefly by a slashed tree to catch his breath. Lilly rested next to him.

"Are we almost there?" she asked between pants.

"Yeah, we'll be there soon enough. I just need a moment."

Lilly chuckled. "I guess even my mighty Alpha needs a breather."

"Well, an awesome Alpha needs to know when to take it easy. Rushing into stuff isn't always the best strategy," Garth turned to the tree. "Yeah, we're definitely heading the right way."

Lilly looked up. The slash marks now resembled the crude image of a howling wolf with mismatched and unaligned teeth. Crude trees and an unfinished mountain appeared around the wolf's head. Above them, several uneven chevrons resembling birds hung within range, one or two falling towards the wolf. She giggled, remembering how Garth's howl used to drop birds straight from the sky-before she helped him with that particular problem, of course. Lost in this moment of nostalgia, Lilly brushed her right forepaw against Garth's side.

"Yeah, I had an artistic phase when I was younger," Garth continued, smiling at his mate's touch. "Dad wasn't exactly proud, but I figured this would be a good place as any to try it out. Guess I wasn't as good as I thought I was." The red wolf rubbed his temple with his right forepaw.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think it's bold. It shows how powerful you really are, bringing down birds with your mighty howl," Lilly stuck out her tongue.

Garth glared, but then broke into a laugh. "Thanks, Lilly. Well, we should get going. We're in the right direction."

Lilly nodded and got to Garth's side as they near the top. Another wolf-shaped shadow manifested at the corner of her eye. Probably just another tree stump. Except tree stumps didn't move.

The white she-wolf jumped a bit as a cinnabar-colored wolf leapt from between the trees. Garth moved in front of Lilly and bared his teeth, a growl escaping through them. The cinnabar-colored wolf growled back as another wolf approached, this time the color of dust. He ran directly into the cinnabar wolf's side, falling onto his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Edmund!" the pale tan wolf immediately got to his paws and backed next to the cinnabar wolf.

Garth ceased to growl. "Edmund?"

The cinnabar wolf returned the gesture and craned his head in Garth's direction. Garth cautiously approached the other wolf. Much to Lilly's surprise, Garth suddenly tackled the cinnabar wolf. Edmund rose to throw Garth off, successfully knocking the red-orange wolf to his side. The pale tan wolf watched on, chanting Edmund's name. Garth, however, slipped from Edmund's grip and pinned the cinnabar wolf to the snow.

"All right! All right! You're Top Alpha! I admit defeat!" Edmund uttered.

Garth released with a chuckle. "Yep, you're definitely Edmund, all right. And I still manage to kick your butt so easily after all this time."

"Well, at least I don't have that ridiculous mane." Edmund snarked.

"You're just jealous that you're not as good-looking as me," Garth responded.

The pale tan wolf nodded. "He's got you there, Edmund!"

Lilly cautiously watched the two Eastern Pack wolves interacting with her mate. She leaned close to Garth. "Who are they?"

"Them? Oh, they're just a couple of former Alpha Schoolmates of mine," Garth replied.

"Oh really? Have you forgotten about us already? I thought with our packs being…" Edmund cringed a little. "…united, you would remember us. But I guess we do blend in with all the Alphas that follow you, don't we?"

"I didn't forget," Garth smiled. "I've just been busy."

"I'm sure," Edmund took a few steps towards Lilly. "So this is the Omega you married."

"Yes, my name is Lilly," the she-wolf told him.

"She's pretty," the pale tan wolf interjected.

Edmund glared at him, making the wolf back away once more. He turned back to Lilly and extended his right forepaw. He collected hers and kissed it. She stepped back a little when he released. "Don't mind Stephen. He's still quite impulsive, even after all his Alpha School training."

"Yet you still let him hang around," Garth approached Stephen and raised his curled left forepaw to brush against Stephen's head. The pale tan wolf laughed and shook him off. "So, what are you two doing out here anyway?"

Edmund raised his head. "We were just passing by and saw two wolves coming around. You never know who they might be anymore. We Eastern Pack Alphas must always be alert. Could be dealing with Rogues, you know."

Garth nodded. "Maybe, but in this case, it's just me and Lilly. You can rest easy, Edmund."

Edmund responded with a mock salute. "Whatever you say, oh almighty Alpha." The cinnabar wolf cracked up once more. Stephen and Garth joined in and Lilly, feeling a little easier now, laughed too. The cinnabar wolf calmed himself and tugged on Stephen. "Well, we should let the newlyweds get back to their honeymoon."

Stephen nodded and got to Edmund's side as the cinnabar wolf approached Lilly once more. "Well, I do hope both of you have a good time. And I'll be sure to keep an eye on you," Edmund added with a knowing smirk. Lilly fell back a little as Edmund dramatically jumped back, at first screaming and then laughing. "I always keep an eye on white wolves in these parts."

"I'll keep both my eyes on her," Stephen added.

Edmund brought his left forepaw down on the back of Stephen's head. "We must really be going. It was good to see you again, Garth. And it was…good to make your acquaintance as well, Miss Lilly. You seem trustworthy enough."

The two wolves disappeared among the trees, laughter fading into the snow. Lilly shook her head and rubbed her temple with her left forepaw. Garth was still chuckling when she lowered it. She glared, wondering how he couldn't have heard what Edmund just said to her. Nevertheless, she softened when her mate stopped chuckling.

"Ah, it's been a while. Well, shall we get going?"

Lilly stifled a little growl, but managed to nod.

Garth led once again, approaching the top of the ascending path where the trees split apart to reveal a corona of sunlight atop the brighter snow. He blinked until his eyes adjusted and turned to see Lilly approach. The red-orange wolf frowned when he noticed Lilly glaring at the ground with another growl forming in her throat. Garth cautiously stepped aside as Lilly stopped near him.

"Um, are you all right, Lilly?"

Lilly paused and shook her head. She turned to Garth with her usual coy smile. "I'm fine, Garth."

"Well, good. We're just about there."

Garth took a few more steps and paused at the start of a path leading towards a cave formed in the cliff. Lilly observed the rather steep drop a few feet from the cave's entrance. She barely managed to choke down the gulp in her throat.

"Don't be nervous. Just stick close to the cliffside and you'll be fine."

Her mate walked along the cliffside, kicking some clumps of snow out of his way and over the edge. Lilly took a deep breath and followed. Although she tried not to look to her right, she froze as her eyes darted to the drop. Lilly noticed a couple trees stretching from the bottom with their branches extended like arms reaching towards the cliff. The barbs lining the wood weren't helping.

"Come on, Lilly," Garth called patiently.

She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. The white she-wolf broke into a run towards the entrance, almost running into Garth. Lilly's eyes shot wide open. "I'm sorry, Garth! I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, Lilly. Now, let's get inside."

The red-orange wolf bowed his head, gesturing for her to enter first. Lilly took a few steps into the cave. Garth followed her and sighed with a nostalgic tone. "This old place. Even Alphas need some time to themselves."

What's so special about this place? Lilly wondered. Well, I guess it does have a nice view. And it is away from everything and his dad. She smiled. A little place away from everything, just when you need to think, kinda like my little hiding spots. I guess we are perfect for each other, after all.

Garth examined some of the claw-scratched markings on the left wall. Lilly sat beside him and observed. Another crudely etched wolf with imperfect teeth leapt into the air, leaving another wolf collapsed with comical X's in place of the first wolf's blazing eyes. Not far from it, another image of the dominant Alpha fought a smaller but feral-looking wolf as a stern, closed-mouthed, much older-looking wolf watched on. Lilly made note of the distinct attention given to the hair around the older wolf's face-dead ringer for Tony. Just like in the next image of father and son wolves arguing, teeth bared and the older wolf lined with slashes and scrapes.

Her mate laughed nervously. "Guess I had a lot to venting to do then."

"Growing up with your father, I don't blame you," Lilly moved to examine the others. Most of them were like the previous etchings, showing the crude, younger Garth growling and establishing his dominance over the other wolves, while Tony seemed to flip-flop between approval and more heated arguments. More collapsed Alphas. Maybe Edmund and Stephen were in that mess somewhere, X's in their eyes and tongues sticking out. She smirked at the thought.

Garth wrapped his left foreleg over the back of her neck. "Come on. I haven't shown you the best part yet."

Lilly watched as Garth moved to the back of the cave where a heavy rock stuck out like a sword broken from its hilt. The Alpha pushed against it, causing a dull scraping sound to echo throughout the cave. Lilly briefly covered her ears, releasing when the rock slid into a long crevice. Garth panted and stretched his strong, muscular hindlegs, shaking off the dirt and bits of rock. Lilly's tail began to instinctively fan herself.

Recovered, Garth motioned to the hole in the wall. Lilly paused and looked to the cave's entrance. She turned back and saw Garth waiting patiently with a reassuring smile. Returning it, Lilly walked to the entrance as he disappeared through it. Lilly stepped onto the other side.

A series of collapsed stones led down into a chamber a few feet below in a makeshift staircase. Lilly's eyes slowly widened at the lovely amethyst light that coated the cavern walls. She looked for the source, and found a large cluster of purple crystals huddled at the ceiling, hanging like icicles trapped in the sunlight peeking through cracked above them. The white she-wolf stared intently, almost tripping on the first step down.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Garth called from below.

Lilly shook her head and returned to reality. The she-wolf carefully walked down the steps, noting how the amethyst color got deeper and richer as she descended. After a couple minutes of watching purple and white move across her field of vision, Lilly saw Garth in the center of the bottom chamber. He sat before a small pool of water, tinted with hints of purple and white light. Water dripped down from the ceiling, and left ripples that melded and distorted Garth's face on the surface. Lilly sat next to him and chuckled at the unusual chimera formed from the ripples blending her and Garth's reflections.

"I found this place by accident. I was so mad at Dad once that I just started kicking that rock in the back. Suddenly, it fell over and I found this deep, dark hole leading to who knows where. Of course, being the brave and strong Alpha I've always been, I wasn't afraid when I went down to take a look."

Lilly lowered her head and lapped from the water. Her tongue tingled a little from its oddly sweet taste. She lapped a little more, noticing how her reflected face struggled to keep itself together on the surface. A larger, well-timed drop hit her on the head, and trickled over her left bang before landing in the pool. A blob of white stared back at her, shuddering in the ripple. Garth failed to hold back his laugh.

With a devious smirk on her face, Lilly batted her paw in the water and splashed Garth. The red-orange wolf stepped back, spitting and shaking. She giggled and realized too late when Garth tackled her to the ground. Lilly playfully growled and pressed her forepaws against Garth's stomach, shoving him off. The red-orange wolf tried to get to his paws when Lilly jumped onto his back, knocking him down. Garth struggled beneath her, making Lilly grin as she licked the back of his neck. He flipped over, attempting her tactic of pressing against the stomach. His mate thought quickly and pushed her forelegs against his. After a few seconds, Garth stopped trying to escape.

She licked his nose. "I win."

"All right, you win this time." Garth couldn't help but smile.

The two nuzzled against each other's faces. But the romantic moment was cut short when her stomach started to rumble. Lilly slid off and brushed her stomach with her left forepaw.

"Heh, guess it has been a while. Well, don't worry about it, Lilly. This place is right next to a major route the caribou use in the fall and winter. I'll try to be back in no time," Garth rolled to his paws and made his way towards the collapsed stones. He looked back for a moment. "You'll be all right down here?"

The she-wolf nodded. "I'll be fine. Make sure to bring me back any livers and hearts, if you can."

Garth nodded and moved up the collapsed stones. He checked the rock near the entryway and gave it another push, just to be sure it set into place. The red-orange wolf checked to ensure no wall had collapsed and rock had fallen. Garth broke into a run outside the cave and along the path, kicking snow over the ledge. Lilly's mate vanished among the trees lining the way back down.

A red-orange blur moved past the blackgray bark, taking time to check for the scent of caribou. Catching onto the smell of a dropped caribou in the distance, Garth bent forward and kicked his hindlegs. The Alpha tripped over his paws when a snowball struck him right between the eyes. Garth blinked out the chunks of snow and ice and shook his head as he tried to stand up. Another snowball scraped the left side of his face.

"Losing your touch already?"

Garth threw himself to the side, avoiding another snowball that broke on a tree branch. He saw Edmund and Stephen laughing, and couldn't help but smirk. "Very funny, guys."

The cinnabar and pale tan wolves returned to the fallen caribou behind them, preparing to divide up the main body. Garth walked towards them, getting a whiff of the fresh kill. Edmund turned back and grinned. "Pretty good caribou, huh? Stephen caught this one."

Stephen nodded. "They always did compliment my hunting prowess in Alpha School."

"That's nice. I was just fixing to get something for Lilly and myself."

"Oh really? Well, there's plenty to go around," Edmund motioned for Garth to approach the fallen caribou. "Help yourself."

Garth raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, anything for an old friend," Edmund offered a reassuring smile.

Stephen lifted his head, licking some blood from his lower lip. He noticed Edmund's gesture and stepped back. "Yeah, I can always hunt another one if I have to. There's a good number of them still around."

"Yeah, I know," Garth examined the kill, taking note of the bite marks at the back of the neck. Just like back in Alpha School when Stephen would jump his first caribou with teeth seized in the same spot. The caribou was slumped on his side, the severed antlers stabbed into the snow like sharp trees. Garth took another whiff. A good kill.

"Really nice one, huh?" Stephen's tail wagged.

"Yeah, sure," Garth nodded. "So, you guys still checking around for Rogues?"

"You can never be too sure," Edmund replied. "We dealt with suspected Rogue activity a week ago. A couple of angry Alpha-wannabes tried to ambush us during a hunting session, but we showed them." He grinned at Stephen who returned it. "Too bad you weren't there, but I guess we all have our responsibilities."

"You are lucky, though. To be married to such a cute wolf," Stephen sighed.

"She is a white wolf, Stephen. And you know how white wolves really love Alphas."

Garth held back the urge to chuckle as he remembered how sour Lilly had been after meeting them. "Listen, guys. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make those kinds of jokes around Lilly. I don't think she appreciates it."

Edmund waved his left forepaw. "Ah, it's all in good fun. We know she's not really like that. I'm sure she prefers just one Alpha, am I right?"

Garth blushed as Edmund and Stephen laughed. He turned to the collapsed caribou and readied to start biting into the carcass.

"Why don't you take the whole thing?" Edmund gripped the caribou and dropped it onto Garth's back. The red-orange wolf slipped, falling beneath the kill as Edmund and Stephen laughed. Garth grunted and hoisted the caribou corpse as he got to his paws. He chuckled, managing to shift it into the right spot.

"You sure you don't need help carrying all that back to wherever you and Lilly are hanging out?" Edmund smirked.

"No. I. Got. It," Garth rebalanced it on his back as his left legs threatened to give out. "I'll be fine. Thanks again, guys."

"Don't mention it," Edmund slapped his left forepaw against Garth's side. The caribou slumped off Garth's back, dragging the red-orange wolf with it. Edmund and Stephen laughed again as Garth recollected the kill. "Sorry about that, Garth. I guess I thought you were stronger than that."

Garth growled, rebalancing the caribou once again. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, thanks." He began making his way back towards the cave. He rolled his eyes as Edmund and Stephen took their leave, laughing some more. It doesn't matter. At least it's good meat. Lilly will like this.

Lilly watched as her mate disappeared at the top of the makeshift stairs, and turned her attention back to the pool. She tilted her head towards the ceiling to see if any more drops were aimed for her. Seeing none, she leaned forward and took another drink of the sweet water. Her eyes seemed a shinier shade of purple, set to glow by the crystals above. She felt content enough to smile.

Another drop struck the surface, making her reflection shrink and shudder. For a moment, she looked like a cub, back from the days before Kate would be trained and groomed for Alphahood. Her bangs fell over her eyes once again, almost like the memory was trying to hide her.

I always keep an eye on white wolves in these parts.

The white she-wolf closed her eyes. Lilly

reopens her eyes and backs further into the hole in the cavern wall. It's been a hiding spot for her ever since when she and Kate were very little, and whenever she needed to just slip away for a while. Of course, that was some time ago, when she was much smaller. The rocks dig into her skin, but she holds back the whimper building in her throat. She brushes the bang covering her left eye, and looks for any signs of the others. The sounds of paws rushing get closer, prompting Lilly to tuck away once more.

Unfortunately, one of the other cubs finds her, sharp blue eyes staring under a crown of shaky gray hair. He turns back and yells. "I found her, guys!"

While he looks away, Lilly dives out of the hole in the cavern wall and collides with the other cub. She tumbles onto her back, legs kicking in the air like a turtle unable to get back up. The other cub recovers and laughs, batting one forepaw at the side of her head.

"Leave me alone, Toby!" Lilly kicks at his head.

Toby dodges and spins her around while she's stuck on her back. Lilly tries to get to her paws when Toby presses her tail down. The little white wolf collapses like turtle roadkill and she tries to pull herself away. Toby laughs and lets her go, making Lilly tumble and roll. Other cubs near, joining Toby in laughter.

"Leave me alone, you guys!"

"Or else what, weirdo?" a red-brown female cub sneers.

Lilly gets to her paws and glares at them, trying to strike a brave pose with her legs arched. "Or else! Or else…" her bangs fall in front of her eyes. "I'll tell my Dad!"

Toby and the others laugh. "Right, because we're sooooo scared of your Dad!" Toby jeers.

"Well…well…you should be! My Dad's Pack Leader!"

"Oooh, "Mah Dad's Pack Weader!""

"Yeah, we're so scared! Well, your Dad's not here!" Toby snaps.

"No, but I am."

The cubs back away a little as an older tan she-wolf approaches behind Lilly. The white cub looks up and huddles against her. Her mother places her left forepaw on Lilly's back.

"Have you little monsters been giving my little girl a hard time?" Eve starts stroking her daughter's back. Her voice is oddly calm, and yet, far more menacing.

The cubs huddle together, with the exception of Toby who shakes his head. "We were just playing with Lilly. No harm done. She just got a little scared as usual. But she's just a crybaby, anyway."

Toby realizes his mistake as Eve releases her daughter and approaches him until she easily towers over the little guy. He looks up and gulps at the sight of her wide smile revealing all of those teeth.

"Do you know what I do to cubs that make my Lilly cry?"

Toby barely manages to shake his head.

The she-wolf lowers her head until their eyes meet. She still maintains that smile. "I send them to the moon where they can't make her cry ever again. Now, tell me something. Would you like a trip to the moon?" Her eyes widen.

Toby breaks into a run, nearly tripping over his paws several times in the process. Eve chuckles and turns her attention back to Lilly. The white pup raises her left forepaw. "How come Toby gets to go to the moon?! I wanna go to the moon! I wanna go to the moon!"

Eve shakes her head. "No, you don't, sweetie. You wouldn't like my trips to the moon." She pats Lilly's head. "Now, what did they do to you?"

Lilly hangs her head. "They kept chasing me around again. Said I was a weirdo and stuff." She jumps up. "But I did try to get back at them! I told them that I'd tell Dad!"

Eve pulls Lilly to her. "That's nice, dear. But from now on, you just let me handle this stuff, all right?"

Lilly nods.

"Good. Now, come back inside. We'll be having dinner soon."

"Okay, Mom," Lilly follows. "Um, Mom? Why do they consider me a weirdo? Is it because I'm not the same color?"

Eve cringes. "There's nothing wrong with your fur color. You are a very nice shade of white, and I'm proud to have you as a daughter. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise better hush up, or I'll give their cave a fresh coat of paint."

Lilly stares in confusion.

"You'll understand when you're older, Lilly. Now, your father should be back soon. Where is Kate? Kate! Ah, that girl will be the death of me."

The little white wolf hangs her head again. "So do they just not like white wolves?"

Eve sighs. "Did I ever tell you about The White Wolf?"

"No," Lilly scoots next to Eve.

"Well, The White Wolf was like you. She had beautiful white fur, and she came from a wonderful Alpha family. But unfortunately, she was an Omega-not that there's anything wrong with being an Omega," Eve offers a smile. "But the other cubs didn't take too kindly to her presence. They mocked her, treated her like garbage, made her cry…" Eve scrapes her claws against the cavern floor. Lilly covers her eyes.

"Sorry, honey. Despite all that, she grew up and became a beautiful young wolf. But they still didn't like her. So, they did mean things to her. They scratched up her paws and pushed her around. They shoved her. They tried to break her…" Eve scrapes her claws again, much slower this time. Lilly hides her face behind her bangs. Her mother bares her teeth and glares at the cavern wall, ears folded against her head. Eve pauses and sees Lilly trying to hide, relaxing herself. "I'm sorry, Lilly. It's just that they were really cruel to her. And then, one winter day, they drove her out into the snow…"

"Did she get back home?" Lilly asks.

Eve turns away from her daughter to hide her frown. When she faces Lilly again, her smile returns. "But that's just an old story. Just don't let the others push you around, Lilly. And if they do keep it up, I'll send them all to the moon. You can be sure of that."

The little she-wolf nods. When Eve turns back to the cave's entrance, Lilly

reopened her eyes at the sound of her stomach.

The white wolf rubbed her temple, mentally replaying that memory. Oh, those stupid cubs coming after her just because she had white fur. She yawned as she stretched her forelegs. Her reflection in the pool showed the glowing eyes again. Lilly thought back to that story about the White Wolf as she was driven out into the snow, all because the other wolves didn't like her white fur. Why would wolves act so cruel? Well, if it really happened, anyway. And even if it didn't, it still made her sick to her stomach.

Her stomach growled a little more, prompting Lilly to look about the cave for any possible distractions. She noticed hints of white etched on the cavern wall furthest from the pool. The she-wolf approached them, and observed a series of crudely-drawn wolves just like the others. Another feral-looking wolf appeared, illustrated in white with flecks of snow around it. Its eyes were carved deep into the rock, staring back at her like chunks of coal. It bent its head down and stretched its scarred paws, all while maintaining its gaze.

In the next etching over, the white wolf lunged at one of the two Alphas attempting to encircle it. Another Alpha was collapsed at its clawed hindpaws, buried under white flecks with a frozen look of horror on its face. The white wolf expanded its mouth, revealing red-tipped teeth. It reappeared, now confronted by the younger Garth and standing atop a fallen Alpha with the same X's for eyes. The white wolf tried to latch onto Garth's throat as Garth charged at its chest. In the final image, Garth stood and howled triumphantly over the now-collapsed white wolf, its black eyes now filled with slash marks. More red poured out from the white wolf's throat. Lilly raised her right forepaw to her own.

She jumped when she heard pawsteps echo on the collapsed stones. Lilly fell onto her side and scrambled to her paws, whirling around with her teeth bared.

"Whoa, whoa, easy, Lilly," Garth backed away a little. "It's just me. I brought back food. Um…is everything all right?"

Lilly bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Garth. I guess I was just a little jumpy."

Garth narrowed his eyes as he carefully lowered the caribou carcass next to the pool. He stretched his back and sighed with relief. Lilly turned back to the etchings of the white wolf on the wall. Garth noticed and walked beside her. "Oh, those. Yeah, I was here one winter and just decided to carve out a little story. Nothing much, just a stupid little power fantasy I had when I was younger. If I had remembered those were still there, I probably would have gotten rid of them. Sorry about that."

"I remember that wolf from a story Mom told me when I was younger. Her white fur, her scarred paws, the snow," Lilly placed her right forepaw over the growling white wolf with the coal black eyes. "Would you really attack her?"

Garth shrugged. "Well, it's just a story. But I guess if she was real, I probably would."

The Alpha stumbled backwards as his mate suddenly turned on him and glared. "What?!"

Garth raised both forepaws. "Hey, hey, calm down, Lilly. It's just a story-"

"Why would you attack her just because she's different?! Are you so disgusted by a wolf with white fur?!" Lilly snarled, bangs shaking over her eyes.

Her mate shook his head. "What? Because she's "different"? Well, if by "different", you mean a monster, then yeah I wou-"

Lilly leapt atop Garth and snapped her teeth just short of his nose. "What the hell is wrong with you?! I thought you were better than that! Do you think I'm a monster just because I'm white too?!" She growled, her beautiful purple eyes flaring.

"I never said that!" Garth lifted himself up, shoving her off. "Lilly, you're beautiful. I'd never think of you as a monster. But it's just a story. I don't get why you'd be so upset about this."

"Because you're talking about attacking a poor wolf that never did anything wrong!"

Garth paused. "Wait. Are you serious? Have you actually heard the story?"

"Yes! Mom told it to me when I was younger. She told me all about how this beautiful white wolf was mistreated by the others, getting her paws scarred and getting forced out into the snow. And-"

Garth blinked and then chuckled.

Lilly growled. "What?"

"I think you were told a different story," Garth answered. "But right now, I'm hungry. And last I recall, so were you. So how about we stop talking about bogeywolf stories and eat, all right?"

Lilly glanced back at the etchings and sighed. "All right, Garth. I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so worked up. I guess I just thought you were…I dunno."

Garth smiled and wrapped his left foreleg around Lilly. He slowly licked her right cheek. "It's okay, Lilly. It's no big deal. Though I must admit, you're kinda…hot when you're angry." He grinned.

Lilly blushed furiously. Garth gave her another cheek lick. "Come on, Lilly. Let's eat."

His mate nodded and followed Garth to the caribou collapsed near the pool. They began tearing into the flesh and eat in silence. Garth saved the heart and liver just for her.

Garth pushed himself against the heavy rock, moving it back into place over the chamber's entrance. The amethyst light, now more muted as day gave way to night, blipped out as the rock slides into place. He dragged his right forepaw over his forehead. The red-orange Alpha adjusted his eyes to the creeping darkness and slowly walked towards his mate. Lilly looked towards the mouth of the cave. Snow started to fall, leaving flecks of white across the graying sky. She felt Garth's forelegs wrap around her, and giggled when he rested his head next to hers. The white wolf nuzzled him, yipping when he ran his tongue under her chin and along the side of her throat. Garth grinned and released her, content with the coy smile she gave him.

After a few moments gazing at each other, Lilly walked to the entrance and looked to the sky. Gray clouds piled on, trying to bury the moon as more snow fell. She felt it spread out beneath her paws, a little chill making her pads tingle. Lilly craned her head back towards the moon and closed her eyes. Her howl started small and smooth, sounding like a gentle breeze in the summer. Soon, her howl rose to a sweet melody in spite of the snow falling atop her lips.

Her eyes reopened as another howl began next to her, much lower and much slower. Garth's mane shifted as he tilted his head. Little dots of white began to line his brow as her big, strong Alpha continued. Lilly smiled at the sound of the howl she helped improve, although her eyes playfully looked about for any signs of potential falling birds. Garth deepened, adding a few little beats like pawsteps running along a path.

Soon, Lilly joined him, mixing in her sweet melody. She rested her right forepaw atop his left one and howled from the heart. The snow seemed to slow around them. Lilly took a step forward, bravely inching towards the ledge. Garth followed, keeping his left forepaw ahead of hers, but maintaining the howl. They glanced at each other and lowered their heads, deepening their shared tone. As the moon began to sink behind the clouds, the couple hiked their heads up in a finisher.

Lilly suddenly reeled back, shaking her head and forcing out the snow that just flew into her nostrils and mouth. She shuddered and coughed, bangs falling to cover her eyes from the rest of the falling snow. Garth watched with concern, but soon felt a reassuring forepaw against his chest when Lilly stopped.

"Maybe we should go back inside," Garth rested his left forepaw on her back.

Lilly nodded and shook the snow from atop her nose. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

Lilly followed Garth back into the cave and settled herself against a warmer spot in the back. She ran her tongue over her mouth, tasting the little snowflakes and ice crystals hanging on her lips. Not as good as the water in the chamber, but not bad. With a grunt, she stretched her hindlegs before she lied down. Garth soon shifted next to her and rested his head against the floor. Lilly smiled and rubbed the top of his head with her right forepaw. He closed his eyes and tried not to grin. But his right hindpaw gave him away when it started stomping.

"Sorry," Garth forced his hindpaw back down.

"It's all right. I thought it was cute," Lilly licked his cheek. She frowned as a thought came back to her. "Listen, Garth, about earlier…"

"Don't worry about it. We all get a little excited sometimes."

"No…well, I mean…I was just thinking about earlier. That friend of yours and how he said he always kept an eye on white wolves…"

Garth facepawed and groaned. "Damn it, Edmund."

"What did he mean by that exactly?"

Garth sighed. "When we were cubs, we were told a story about a white wolf. She was born-"

"-to an Alpha family, but was an Omega and wasn't treated well, right?" Lilly asked.

Garth got to his paws. "Well, she was born to an Alpha family, and was an Omega, yes. And that just made her incredibly jealous of Alphas. The White Wolf often attacked them, so she wasn't exactly popular. And over the years, she just got worse. One day, she ambushed an Alpha outside his cave and dragged him out into the snow. And well…" Garth gestures towards the snow falling outside. "As the snow fell, more Alphas disappeared and were found later on, buried under layers of snow with looks of horror on their faces."

Lilly's eyes widened.

"So eventually, the remaining Alphas of her pack joined together to take her down. They ambushed her outside her cave. A snowstorm hit, so they scratched up her paws until they bled and forced her out into the snow. They never saw her again," Garth paused impressively, before whirling onto Lilly, making her jump back a bit. "BUT, they say she still lurks around in the winter months, tracking wolves with her soulless black eyes and dragging unwilling Alphas to their doom. Just waiting in the snow," Garth stepped towards her, eyes narrowed. "Waiting, waiting, until…" He snapped his teeth.

Lilly jumped back once again. Garth tilted his head back and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Lilly glared.

"Oh, come on, Lilly. You don't actually believe it, do you? It was just a bogeywolf story to keep us Alpha cubs in line. I remember when Edmund's mother would tell us that if we misbehaved, the White Wolf would snatch us away in the snow. We never believed it. It was just a joke to us, that's all. And Edmund was just joking with you."

Lilly shook her head. "Well, that's not what I was told as a cub." She took a deep breath and recounted the memory that returned to her within the amethyst chamber. Garth listened and chuckled a little at Eve's threat.

"Sending them on a trip to the moon?"

"Mom was a little less obvious with her death threats back then," Lilly smiled. "She was just looking out for me. Then again, telling me the version where a white wolf just like me turned out to be a homicidal maniac probably wouldn't have done wonders for my psyche. I wouldn't be a very good Omega if I kept scaring the Alphas. Then again, if I could scare Alphas, that would have saved me a lot of time dealing with Kate's crap over the years. And who knows? Maybe I could have improved upon my "Turtle Roadkill" impression while I was at it. Knock 'em all dead…so to speak."

"Heh. Starting to sound like Humphrey there," Garth noted with a level of amusement in his voice.

Lilly laughed. "Humphrey wishes he was as good as me."

The two shared another laugh before Garth yawned and stretched his legs. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired." The red-orange Alpha repositioned himself next to Lilly. "So I think it's best we got some shut-eye and not worry about that White Wolf nonsense." He yawned again, prompting Lilly to yawn as well. "We should probably start heading back tomorrow. I'm sorry if this wasn't exactly the best getaway."

Lilly rested her head next to Garth's. Her purple eyes began to droop as she stretched her hindlegs. "No, it's a beautiful little place. It really is."

Garth smiled. "Good. Well, goodnight, Lilly."

"Goodnight, Gar-"

Lilly saw her mate had fallen asleep, his lovely green eyes hidden behind their lids. She gave his cheek a gentle lick and closed her eyes.

Outside, the snow continued to fall. But unseen to Lilly and Garth, another wolf stood just outside the entrance. Pale hair hung over its face, shifted when it looked to the sky. A wind picked up, brushing its fur and nudging the wolf along the edge. It looked back at them and lifted one scarred paw to its mouth.

Lilly stirred and opened her eyes for a moment, thinking she heard pawsteps. Seeing nothing but the snowfall at the cave's opening, she fell back asleep.