We arrived back at the clearing to a boom of growling. My forepaws had been set aflame from the run home, my chest burning with each heaving breath. The smell in the air was as bitter as smoke. Caustic as rotten flesh. More foul than death itself.

Fear.

Shore's tan hide heaved alongside me, our eyes running over the crowd that had gathered. Our mother's pale form sat among the pack, front and center for the ring they formed with their bodies. In the middle, Alpha stood across from a dark, snarling wolf. Dad's dark brown fur shone like silky feathers in the full sun. The fur of his foe didn't shine at all. It was like the color had been caked on, rolled in soot and smoldering from coals somewhere within. Both were rigid, tails high and hackles raised.

He was an intruder. He didn't belong here.

"Dad," I called, but he didn't tear his eyes away from his enemy. His voice was reserved solely for growling.

He wasn't the only one. I rushed to Mom's side, where she propped herself against my sister's gray fur. Worry glowed deep in her eyes, and each breath was forced beneath her sunken ribs, slow and shaky. A frustrated bark filled River's muzzle, watching the scene unfold. I helped mother lay down, settling herself against the ground while Shore took my sister's place at her side.

River paid us no mind. Her jaws were locked together, and she hardly breathed at all. I could see the thoughts racing inside. The bristling anger on her spine. No one came into her home uninvited. No one hurt a soul here, raised a single fur on anyone's neck. No one would take this away, her family. Not again.

She started to step forward into the ring, but Aven's muzzle slipped out a weary woof. River jerked her head around to meet her eyes. She shook her muzzle softly, regret plastered on her face. There was nothing she could do. Again.

This wolf had challenged our leader. They had the right to a fair fight without interference. It was stupid, but the way things worked. Even in her sunken eyes, Mom had faith that her mate would come out victorious. My sister only wanted to be in there with him, to help her father run off a wolf who had no right to be here.

Dad easily rivaled the stranger in size and strength. But what happened if his enemy did win? Would he be chased out? Would we all have to leave? My mind began to spiral into the depths of doom, but I held on to the sight of my father's flicking tail.

Then the battle began. The two ran at each other with thundering paws. They collided in the center, Alpha pushing the dark wolf over with the sheer force of his weight. Landing in a tussle, their jaws snapped together and the stranger flailed to get free while making empty threats with his teeth. Alpha wasn't able to seize his throat through his sharp-toothed fury, and after a moment of fruitless brawling, the black wolf was free.

Alpha gave him a moment to regain his bearings, a play of fairness and mercy, and this time the dark wolf initiated the charge. He lunged at Dad with bared teeth, but he met his foe with a forceful headbutt to the jaw. The black wolf fell back, and Alpha seized the chance to run forward and go for the throat. From the side, he latched on, pushing the other wolf with his weight to get him down. To Dad's surprise, his foe melted to dead weight, collapsing on the ground faster than his neck and jaws could follow. His black-furred enemy slipped from his grip, rolling over with another snarl.

Before Alpha could keep up with the sudden movement, the wolf pushed off his feet towards his muzzle. His jaws closed around the corner of Dad's face, and my body shuddered as his shining fangs pierced Alpha's eye.

Dad wailed and stumbled back. He held his bloody, shredded eye closed in pain, tears and blood dripping thickly from his wound.

River growled again from the sidelines, edging ever close to the scene of battle. I knew she yearned to leap in there herself, to take down the dark wolf on her own. What his enemy had done was not fighting fairly. You never aimed to maim a wolf beyond healing. It was a total lack of respect for the balance of nature. You didn't doom one of your own kind to a life of disability. It wasn't right.

He deserved to lose his "fair" fight, but still, Aven's gaze was adamant that River didn't interfere, that none of us should. This time, there was more apprehension in her eyes than anything else. My own muscles trembled with rage, but more so, fear. Avens didn't want her to get hurt. I didn't want to lose another father.

Sparrow was still dazed from the attack on his sight, spinning on his paws and searching for his foe. The dark wolf was cunning, darting on his feet to stay on the side where our Alpha could no longer see. Finally, with a leap, he was behind Dad, poised to attack. This was wrong. Someone had to help.

My mind swam with fear, bones frozen and burning at the same time. I clutched a breath deep in my chest, hardly making sense of the world when a shout rang out beside me. River ignored it, leaping into action.

She made a beeline for the dark wolf's tail, the slender strip of fur swishing as confidently as he was unaware of River barreling toward him. She stopped just short, dirt crumbling beneath her heavy paws, then she sunk lower onto her paws. As River bounded toward him, soaring through the air, the dark wolf tipped his head to the side. Seeing her in his peripherals, his body went slack and he scrambled aside. River mouthed a curse as she spun around, and I could hear her voice in my head, criticizing herself for things she couldn't control. Too loud, too stupid, she'd always mutter during the days we hunted alone. Even when we joined the pack, if she made any mistake while the pack hunted, she resigned herself to going hungry that night. To punish herself, or in her words, to make herself stronger, because only the strong survive.

River whirled around on her paws to locate her foe. Now, Alpha could see him too. He didn't seem to mind the company, eyeing River with a glowing pride.

She took off in another run, but now, the cunning wolf changed his course. Instead of tailing Alpha, he whirled to face my sister, jaws stretched open. Her feet scrambled to jump away, clamping her eyes shut as the dark wolf followed and landed on her back. His paws dug into her flesh, his breath ruffling the fur on her neck. I thought she was dead.

But the black wolf rolled off of her in a dizzying blur. Sparrow stood over River. Tears fell from his single eye. "Are you okay?"

The black wolf lay sideways on the ground, still shaken from the blow. It seemed the force of Alpha's fury—made even stronger from the thought of his daughter, had taken him out. River met our father's eyes with a muttered apology. He soothed her with a smile of his own, reaching forward to nuzzle her. She accepted his embrace, heads hanging nose to nose. The bow of respect she so honored. One I'd waited for since I'd grown to be a yearling. He was proud to have her as a daughter, and in the smallest part of my heart, I envied her.

Alpha loved my sister dearly. He loved us both, but between the two of them, there was always a special bond. My sister found it hard to trust, and Sparrow worked tirelessly to make sure she never had to be afraid again. From it came an understanding––that River would always protect this pack like her own. Just like her father.

River closed her eyes to breathe it in. And I screamed. Before she could open them, my worst fears had come to fruition. An echoing gasp filled the air, and Dad fell sideways. A writhing black form held his jaws around his throat, attacking from the eyeless side.

Like an idiot, I'd let my guard down. I could've stopped it. Warned them.

I leaped towards their two jerking forms, Shore right alongside me. Avens collapsed on the ground, too weak to crawl to her mate. It didn't matter. It was too late. The black wolf dug his teeth even deeper. He didn't give Sparrow a chance to yield, to beg for mercy, before the flesh was torn from his throat. Blood poured from the furious pink flesh, and Dad's breaths quickly turned to drowning gulps. The black wolf spit the hunk of flesh from his blood-dripping muzzle, before stepping back. An arrogant grin was plastered across his muzzle, admiring his work. I was frozen in place, unable to do anything as the weight of a thousand falling trees landed on my chest. Breathless, I curled at his side.

His distant gaze looked up to meet me. A faint smile touched his lips as he breathed a final, raspy breath. Shore stood on the other side of his fallen muzzle, spit and blood bubbling up through his lips. His eyes glazed over, speaking to no one and everyone all at once. "I love you."

His heart stilled. I searched for its sound beneath my own thudding pulse. The fear in my heart was replaced with fire, stoked by pure hatred for the wolf who'd done this. I whirled on my paws to find him just watching it all play out.

A thunderous roar grew from beside me, and River was the one who lunged, jaws snapping dangerously close to his muzzle. The dark wolf ducked sideways, chuckling at her attempt. She stood still and silent, heaving breaths filling her chest. The fire in her eyes burned into his skull.

He only smiled. "Watch your temper, pup," he chimed. "Or you'll end up just like your old bag of bones." He jerked his head toward Alpha's lifeless form.

River exhaled flames. Before she could attack again, rationality washed over me. Or maybe, it was just more fear. I jumped in front of her, blocking her attack. Her pleading eyes filled up with tears, then flickered in anger. Get out of the way, they snarled. But she had to know that she wouldn't win. Her body was on the brink of exhaustion, and only rage and emotion fueled her logic. Getting herself killed too wouldn't help anyone. It wouldn't bring Sparrow back.

I stood there, watching her hackles slowly fall. Then the dam broke, and the waters spilled over. In her sobs, she begged me again. This time, help me. But I couldn't. There'd be no more bloodshed today. Not ours, not this stranger's. One body was enough. My gaze flickered to Dad's lifeless form, fear and heartbreak welling up in my own chest. There was nothing we could do.

The rage returned in an instant. River shoved past me, her bony shoulder forcing me back with a stumble. The stranger let out a chuckle. Or––a shiver ran down my spine––our Alpha did. I could almost hear his raspy, taunting voice aloud. Listen to your little brother. I've won. And you have nothing.

Avens sobs broke out above the eerie silence that had taken over the pack. The only other sound were my shouts to River, to stop and wait. But she only shoved through the spectators, who hadn't done anything but watch the horrible scene play out. None of them had helped him. None of them would rip the throat out of the black wolf like she yearned to do.

She turned at the entrance to her den, eyeing the pack with an insatiable resentment. I will kill him. And that was a promise.

Then his sharp voice filled my ears for real. "I'm your Alpha now."

I howled, deep from my chest. All my anger and fear, the feeling of loss and despair spilling into a scream. Shore's voice rose behind me, a mourning wail.

"Drizzle!" the voice yelled my name. A sharp pain jabbed my side, and I tore my eyes open in the darkness. The pain faded to a cold annoyance, and I whipped my head around to find Cloud sitting over me. Silence hung heavy between us for a moment, her brows knitted with concern. "You were howling in your sleep," she said. "I can smell the fear on you."

I scrunched my body up, scrambling with my one front paw and landing on my rump. I shook my muzzle quickly, and the deluge of emotions I'd just experienced trickled from my chest with each heavy breath. I took in the sight of Cloud, still squinting, still worried. She stepped toward me again. "What's wrong?"

Shaking my head again, I hoped to disperse the thoughts of fear before the mist could shroud my muzzle again. I exhaled slowly. "Nothing," I finally muttered. "I'm fine."

Cloud sat beside me, rubbing her muzzle beneath my chin. "Drizzle, you know you can trust me, right?" A twinge of something like pain shone in her eyes. She thought I didn't trust her, that I couldn't.

It was true... I thought it was at least. But maybe it didn't have to be.

"Okay." I breathed, a slow in and out. "It was a nightmare..." I hesitated, and she nodded me on with more concern in her frown. "About my—" Bile rose in my throat, thinking what she might say if I told her the truth now, that I'd known things about my past all along and never told her. Maybe I didn't have to give her the whole truth, just enough to get the feelings of guilt off my chest. "I remember things sometimes, in my dreams," I explained. "Wolves from... before." It was a struggle to get the words out through the lump in my throat.

Cloud eyed me kindly. "Oh." Her response was soft, understanding. More so than I deserved. "Were they..." She too juggled words in her mouth. "Bad?" I nodded grimly, and she inhaled sharp. "I'm so sorry." Another nuzzle, eyes closed while her warmth seeped into me. "I'm glad you told me." Then she pulled away. "How much do you remember? If you want to tell me."

I smiled, a little real, more forced. She wasn't pushing me, and it meant the world. I owed her more honesty, as much as I could afford to tell her. But how weak would she think I was if I told her I dreamed of a wicked Alpha? Or that I was afraid to tell her about my family? With another swallow, I scolded myself. No. Cloud would understand. She'd never think I was weak.

But then, Shore's soft fur brushed against me, in the depths of my memory. I didn't know if there was ever anything between us. Still, that was a line I wasn't willing to tread anywhere near.

I told her what I could. That I remembered pieces of my pup-hood, my sister, and how a new family took me in. I apologized for never telling her sooner, that the pieces were too mixed up for even me to understand.

"Thank you," Cloud said. "I want us to be honest with each other, always." She pulled back enough to look me in the eyes. Even in the dim light of the den, her silver ones sparkled. "I love you. Always."

I blinked away tears before they could form. I wrapped her in another warm embrace, my mind swirling at the thought of secrets that still lay beneath the surface. I wanted them to stay down. Always.

"I love you, too."