warning: there's a scene where a small mention of a body and the chapter's Kinda long.

Cedar and his half-brother Jett had talked about what happened to Lily and how Jett couldn't handle being the new beta; they had to find Lily, Cedar's mother. Her corpse was there somewhere. rotting away. They were both sure of it.

"We need to find her before Solar does." Jett spoke up, breaking the deafening silence. If Solar found out about this, he'd be furious. "I don't want to think about what he'd do," he added, his voice shaky. Jett nodded in agreement. "I know. We have to be careful. We can't trust anyone right now." He glanced around nervously before continuing. "We should start by searching the places where she used to go often. Her favorite hunting grounds, the riverbank...anywhere we might find a clue."

"Agreed." Cedar nodded, his heart heavy with the weight of guilt and determination. They set off toward the riverbank, their paws padding silently through the forest. The air was thick with the scent of decay, but it wasn't as strong here as it had been near the clearing. They followed the river, sniffing the ground for any trace of Lily's scent. The leaves crunched beneath their paws, and the sound of the rushing water provided a soothing background noise. "Should we shift in our human forms? We need to carry her; it's a two-man Job."Jett suggested. Cedar nodded, and they both shifted, their paws growing into hands and their tails shrinking.

The cool breeze caressed their bare arms; it sent a shiver down Cedar's spine. Walking on two legs has always been strange; he has never been a fan of doing such. "We need to get used to this." Jett joked, trying to make a joke out of it. "Yeah, we do," Cedar replied, forcing a small laugh. They continued to search, their eyes scanning the ground for any sign of Lily.

Her cold, stiff corpse was here, somewhere. They had to find her. As they continued to search, they came across a small clearing where they had played as pups. The memories flooded back to them, and for a moment, they forgot about their current predicament. They sat down beside each other, lost in thought.

Jett ran a hand across the dirt, his fingers coming away blackened with soil. "Do you ever wonder if she's at peace?" he asked quietly. Cedar glanced at his brother, his own hands clenching into fists as he fought back the urge to wipe the dirt from his own hands. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "I hope so. She deserved better than this." They sat in silence for a while longer, lost in their thoughts.

Jett sniffed the air; he caught her scent; she must be near here. "We should keep searching; she can't be far." He said it, trying to sound more convincing than he felt. They rose to their feet, and their determination was renewed. They continued to follow the river, their pace growing more urgent. The forest seemed to close in around them, the trees towering overhead like giant guards, watching their every move. The air grew thick with tension, and the scent of fear began to mingle with the scent of decay.

"We're close; I'm sure of it." Cedar said, trying to convince himself as much as his brother. They continued to follow the river, their feet pressing into the soft earth, leaving indents in the mud. The air grew colder, and the leaves crunched beneath their feet as they climbed higher into the mountains. The forest seemed to be closing in around them, the trees forming a canopy overhead, blocking out the sunlight.

There she was. lying in the midst of a clearing, her once beautiful fur now stiff and gray with decay. Her eyes were open, glassy, and unseeing; her jaw slacked. A deep gash marred her chest, and her once proud limbs were twisted and contorted. Cedar's heart ached as he looked at her body. He wanted nothing more than to curl up next to her and die himself. Jett's eyes were red and puffy from crying, but he fought back the tears as he kneeled beside his packmate's body. He reached out a trembling hand to touch her but stopped himself, unable to bring himself to make contact with her cold flesh. They had failed her. They hadn't been able to protect her.

"She's not even my real mother; she loved me just as much as any other." Jett sobbed, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rushing water nearby. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry, Lily. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did. His voice trailed off, the weight of guilt pressing down on his shoulders like an invisible anchor. Cedar stood a few feet away, his own tears flowing freely down his cheeks. He felt helpless and useless, as if he could do nothing to make this better. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die himself, to join Lily in whatever afterlife lay beyond this world. But he knew he couldn't leave Jett alone. Not now, not ever.

"I don't even know you anymore." Cedar's voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes fixed on the ground. "I failed you, Jett. I couldn't protect you from all of this." He took a shaky breath and reached out to touch his brother's shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. Jett turned to look at him, his red-rimmed eyes filled with pain and loss. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them knowing what to say or do. The forest seemed to grow still around them, as if even the animals and plants could sense the profound sorrow that filled the clearing. The river nearby continued its relentless journey, churning and roiling over rocks, uncaring and unfeeling. The breeze that rustled through the treetops carried with it the scent of decay and the promise of winter's chill.

Cedar kneeled beside his brother, their shoulders touching. He could feel Jett's body shaking with silent sobs, and he wanted nothing more than to take away his pain. But he knew there were no magic words, no simple solution to the tragedy that had befallen them. All they could do now was honor Lily's memory and find a way to move forward together.

"We should bury her before anybody sees; she's starting to stink." Jett's voice trailed off, his words catching in his throat. Cedar nodded, silently agreeing. They searched the clearing for a shovel or any other tool that might help them dig a grave, but there was nothing. They would have to do it by hand. The forest seemed to weigh heavily on them as they began to dig, the earth reluctantly giving way to their desperate efforts. The sound of their labor echoed through the trees, a mournful dirge for the life that had been lost.

"Solaris, I wish we had some tools," Cedar murmured, his voice barely audible over the sound of the river. "This is going to take forever." He glanced at Jett, who was kneeling nearby, his hands covered in mud. Despite the cold, Jett was stripped to the waist, revealing his muscled frame and the scars that crisscrossed his back. The sight of his brother's determination and resilience in the face of such a loss only made Cedar and his half-brother Jett talk about what happened to Lily and how Jett couldn't handle being the new beta. They have to find Lily, Cedar's mother. Her corpse was there somewhere. rotting away. They were both sure of it.

"It's so bloody freezing out here; no wonder we have fur." Jett grumbled, and Cedar looked at Jett, who was shivering violently as they sat on a fallen log, staring at the grave. The snow was starting to fall again—big fluffy flakes that seemed to melt as they touched the ground, only to freeze into an icy sheet. The forest was silent, as if even the animals were respecting their privacy.

"That's what happens when you wear nothing but a vest and have no tail," Cedar pointed out, shivering himself. Jett let out a half-hearted laugh, but it was quickly swallowed by the silence that engulfed them. He wrapped his arms around his knees, hugging himself close as if to ward off the cold. The snow continued to fall, painting the forest white and hiding the tracks they had left behind. It felt as if nature itself was trying to erase the evidence of what had happened here.

Jett felt something was wrong, as if someone was watching them. He turns his head slightly and notices a figure standing at the edge of the clearing, partially hidden behind a thick tree. His heart skips a beat as he realizes it's their father. His eyes narrow, and he feels anger burning within him. He's not sure if he should approach him or run away. Cedar senses something as well, but he doesn't look as upset as Jett.

"He's right behind us, isn't he?" Cedar glanced over his shoulder, then back at Jett. "Yeah. I guess he is." He stood up slowly, feeling a mixture of dread and resignation. "You want me to go talk to him?"

"There's no way. I'm going near him; we should book it and run." Jett says, his eyes not taking the figure. Jett and Cedar exchanged a look. They knew they couldn't keep running forever. Eventually, they would have to face their father and explain what had happened. But not now. Not with Lily still fresh in their minds and the cold of the forest seeping into their bones. Without warning, Cedar began walking towards their father's dark figure.

As Cedar walks towards the dark figure, he realizes something is terribly wrong. "Dad, we'll explai-" Cedar's voice was cut off as his father's once amber eyes were now a deep shade of red, glowing with rage and hate, his thick black fur standing on end. His fangs were bared, giving him a sinister look.

"Run!"

Cedar's shout was enough to startle Jett into action. His brother had already begun backing away, his eyes fixed on their father's glowing red eyes. The snow beneath their feet melted as they took off like rockets, and the growls of their father echoed in their ears, driving them deeper into the forest. The trees seemed to close in around them, as if nature itself was trying to keep them from escaping. Their breath came out in ragged gasps, their hearts hammering against their ribs.

"BURN THEM!" their father shouted, his voice filled with rage. "They deserve nothing less!" Jett and Cedar looked at each other in horror. They realize that Solar had commended the pack for setting the forest on fire to fully drive them away from the terror. They continued to run, the snow under their feet melting faster as the fire began to spread. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning wood. The forest seemed to be alive with the sound of crackling flames and falling trees. They could hear the panicked shouts of other wolves as they tried to escape the inferno.

The smoke burned Cedar's eyes as he trudged through the forest, Jett close behind. They didn't dare to stop running, afraid that their father would catch up to them. The fire raged on, the flames licking at the trees and consuming everything in their path. The forest was transformed into a hellish landscape, and the sky was lit up by the flickering orange light. The air was thick with the smell of burning wood and singed fur.

"WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Jett screamed, his voice bearably audible over the crackling of the fire. Cedar nodded, his eyes burning from the smoke as they continued to stumble through the forest. They had been running for hours now, and their strength was beginning to fail them. The fire showed no signs of slowing down, and the smoke seemed to be following them like a dark, malevolent shadow. As they rounded a bend in the forest, they saw a small clearing ahead, partially hidden by a thick layer of snow. There was a stream at the center of the clearing, its icy waters glistening in the flickering light of the fire. "That stream!" Cedar exclaimed, pointing at the clearing. "We can lose him in there!" Without waiting for a response, he launched himself toward the clearing, the smoke and flames momentarily blinding him. As they rounded a bend in the trail, they caught a glimpse of a small clearing ahead. Hope surged through them both as they made a final push towards it. The air grew marginally clearer as they emerged from the trees, revealing a small pond at the center of the clearing. The water was calm and untouched by the flames, offering a much-needed reprieve from the inferno that raged behind them.

"We need to separate," Jett wheezed out, collapsing onto the snow. "He won't be able to follow us both at once." Cedar nodded in agreement, his breath coming in ragged gasps. They looked at each other for a long moment, their amber eyes filled with fear and determination. Without another word, they moved closer, pressing their foreheads together; their noses were almost touching, in a final show of affection. "You be safe, you hear?" Jett whispered, his voice hoarse from smoke inhalation. Cedar nodded, forcing a weak smile. "I will."