Mist glanced us up and down, a curious gleam in her eyes while we each took our seats in the meal circle. "It's about time you two made your way back." A teasing smile lit up her muzzle.

"Yeah." Spruce's groan erupted from beside her, garnering a glare from Cloud. "We've been waiting forever."

Our setback had made the trip a little longer than we'd intended, as I'd insisted Cloud take it extra slow and steady all the way home. We'd been gone since mid-morning and only arrived back as the sun sank below the horizon and a streak of orange separated the earth from the sky. A long day, indeed, and neither of us had any more patience to spare the pup.

"Don't look at me." He snorted, turning his head back to the prey pile that sat untouched in the middle. "You two are the ones having secret cuddle-sessions in the woods." His snout shriveled in disgust.

I leaned forward on my haunches in anticipation of the show to come. Usually, Cloud would leap onto Spruce, demanding he take it back––or maybe she would clamp her teeth around his nose, drawing tears from his eyes and an apology from his stubborn muzzle. Instead, she merely let his comment roll over her shoulders with a slight shrug. She was likely too tired and hurting to care. Spruce was enough to exhaust anyone on his own.

"Behave yourself, pup," Mist reprimanded, but her brows furrowed slightly, just as shocked by Cloud's lack of retaliation. She shook it from her face with a small back and forth, focusing on the meal that lay before us. She tread to the other side of the circle to find her central position, and the rest of us filled in the gap.

As Spruce plodded to his new spot, his scoff punctuated the air. "Since when is telling the truth misbehaving?"

Cloud remained silent, not even flinching at his comment. Was it a new strategy? She'd show Spruce it didn't irritate her anymore, and he'd stop his attempts to get under her skin. He certainly didn't let it show that he was bothered by his loss of power. The glint of mischief that shone in his eyes only gloated that, without her rebuttal, his words were right. At least he held his tongue from saying anything else.

Dusk chuckled to herself, and I turned to the four surprisingly quiet pups to my right. They sat around their mother, muzzles sunken and tails completely still.

"What about you guys?" I nudged Toad's little nose, and tried to bring a smile with a lick to her ears. "Aren't you excited to be joining the pack?" There was another reason for the early hunt, for the two of us returning home before nightfall––to witness five new wolves joining our pack. They'd had the week to settle into their new routine, to let Dusk decide that being here was what she truly wanted, for her and the pups.

But Toad wouldn't meet my gaze. A haze of sadness clouded her small, dark eyes. All of the pups held a similar, solemn disposition, and they stared at the ground in silence.

"What's up with them?" I drew back, leaving them to sulk in peace, while Dusk skirted around my question with her eyes.

She opened her muzzle to speak, then closed it. She needed a deep breath first. "They miss... him." Her eyes fluttered closed, muscles growing tense at the mention of her mate. "I think they've finally realized he isn't coming back."

I nodded, letting their sadness wash over me. They were so young to have to go through something like that. They couldn't even understand it. The thought brought upon a wave of my own emotions. Losing my father, just the same. At least they still had one loving parent, a mother that cared for them and would lay down her life to make sure they were safe. Like mine.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, finding the courage to nuzzle her. "It's okay to miss him."

Tears welled in Dusk's eyes as she returned the affection. "Rye would be happy that we found such an amazing home."

The words sank in for a silent moment, before Pine's curiosity got the best of it. "What was he like?"

Dusk widened her gaze to the rest of the pack, and every pair of eyes focused on her. "Well, um..." She cleared her throat. "He was amazing too." A fondness glowed in her expression, even brighter as she looked down at her pups. "Both of us left our homes as adolescents. I left my family behind, too old to stick around any longer. My pack was large and thriving. There were plenty of wolves and no place for me.

"Rye was on a similar trail. Only, he didn't leave his pack willingly." A chuckle broke through, and Dusk smiled to herself. "The wolf was a mess, always getting into trouble. But once he was free, there was no going back.

"He relished the freedom, loved being on his own and having no responsibilities except for adventure. Rye stayed on his own for a while, but eventually, the two of us crossed trails.

"With no other place to call my own, I joined him on his adventures, and every day we grew closer. First as companions, then as friends, until we could no longer deny the feelings between us. When he learned I was expecting, he was reluctant to change and settle down. But he knew what he had to do, and once these four were born, he was a natural." Dusk had drawn the eyes of her pups, gazing up in awe at her story. There was a knowing glow in their eyes, like the soothing tone of her voice could only be speaking of one wolf. They listened to the tale of their father with perked ears, and even their tails began to wag.

"He was always playing with them, making sure they got plenty of exercise and attention. Rye was in trouble just as much for keeping them riled up all the time. I hardly ever got them to sleep." She tsked disapprovingly, but the joy of the memory curved her lips in an undeniable joy.

I smiled too, and the sight before me faded into maple-brown fur. A large wolf bowed before us, lowered on his haunches and his head cocked playfully. He bounced back and forth between myself and the tan-pelted pup beside me. Shore giggled as the brown wolf jumped forward and sank his muzzle into her side, tickling her with his nose. He rolled her over in a laughing tumble, then he turned to me.

Dad pounced and I shrank away, falling backward on my rump. His face appeared over my muzzle, and he reached down to lick my nose. My heart fluttered with a laugh as he flipped me belly-up with a paw, and I tried to wriggle out from beneath the weight of his chest.

In the corner of my sight, another wolf appeared. Her fur was a paler shade of sand than her daughter. Avens gave a disappointed click with her tongue. "Sparrow, why are the pups not asleep?"

He grinned innocently, before stepping back and letting me roll over onto my feet. Dad let out a dramatic whine. "They started it, Avens, I swear."

I rolled my eyes at another of his fibs. We both told him that Mom would get onto us if we didn't settle down. He never listened. I trotted over to Shore then stretched my muscles, letting my stomach sink close to the ground. Pacing a small circle, I curled up beside her and tipped my snout into the air with a yawn. My eyes were growing heavy, unlike before when we were told to be quiet and go to sleep. Playing with Dad always helped to get the extra giggles out, especially for Shore. Her muzzle was just as droopy, and I nuzzled her gently before laying my head next to hers.

The only thing that would make this moment more amazing was if my sister would wrap her warmth around us, soaking us in her sweet, safe scent. The one that reminded me so much of my mother. My old family. My real family.

It must've reminded her of them too much. She never slept inside. The den... it brought her back to that bloody, fear-filled day. She would never let her guard down again, never become the unwitting prey. Even with Mom and Dad here to protect us, she only trusted herself.

After harshly whispering to her mate, Avens left the den a moment later, going to join my sister beneath the stars. She kept her company every night, while Sparrow slept in here with us.

"Grumpy lady told us to calm down," he mocked teasingly, making a face and blowing air through his lips. We both laughed, especially as Mom's low growl met our ears from outside. He chuckled too. "How about a story instead?"

Exhausted fog clouded my brain, but still my tail wagged at the thought of a story. Shore yipped softly. "Yeah, Dad!" Her tone was eager and excited, though a yawn cut through the last of her words. "I want to hear one about love."

That's what she always wanted, even though those were the most boring. I couldn't bring myself to argue, so I stifled my groan and snuggled closer to her. At least something dull would lull me to sleep.

"Okay," he said, scratching at his cheek with a hind paw. His brown eyes floated upward in thought. "There were once two wolves..."

"He went to hunt one day before the storm, and he never came back." The story ended with slow, broken-hearted commentary. My focus was wrenched back to Dusk's words and the tears that now rolled down her cheeks. "I'd like to think he's still out there," she whispered, "on one final, never-ending adventure."

The pups let out their whimpers, the only sound to punctuate the soft stir of the wind. I hated that I missed most of what she said, wrapped up in my own thoughts, but the memory did reveal something I'd long wondered about my past.

"He was a wonderful mate," Cloud said, "and a more amazing father."

I nodded along with Dusk. Her words were truer than she knew. I did have another family before this one. Somewhere out there, I had a pack. Maybe a father, maybe a mother, maybe a friend. And a sister. Squeezing tendrils wrapped around my heart. I would never see that home again.

The sky's darkness had grown full, and I traced the stars with my eyes. Half of a round, pale silhouette sat against the sky.

Mist's voice drew our attention. "We should eat now," she said. "And then, it's time." She dipped her head to Dusk and the pups. The mother returned it with a grateful bow.

Time for an initiation.