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Chapter 7: Selfless Love

It was mid-afternoon by the time Garth got back his and Kate's den. It was adjacent to Winston and Eve's, and to his father's. He sat there for an hour, looking out to the valley below; his mind rout with thoughts.

Another omega? He could only guess who.

What do I tell her this time? He hadn't had time to fabricate a new story. He spent all afternoon rolling in dust and flowers. I was hunting alone? Perhaps, but that was the usual story. And it was even more unbelievable considering that each time he hadn't come back with a single hunk of meat or at least a scrape.

As his eyes wandered with his mind, he saw the figure of Kate below. Squinting his eyes, he saw that she was walking with someone. A scrawny grey wolf--an omega. He recognized him. It was Humphrey, Lilly's mate, his brother in law. He cringed looking at him, but felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of relief. As the two parted ways, Garth looked desperately for any sign of affection, but all he saw was a nod from both of them and saying something indecipherable. Then they parted and Kate ascended the cliff towards him.

"Where've you been all day?" she said passively as she walked right by him through the entrance of the den. She didn't even look at him, so she didn't see Garth glaring.

"I was scouting the north side."

"Oh, thought you'd be hunting by yourself again. But I guess that doesn't work out for you. I suppose it's fitting to find something else to do in your spare time."

Garth's throat swelled, but he resisted giving off any emotion. Kate continued plainly, "You hungry? Iago said he had some meat he wanted to give to us earlier. He said to just go and take it from his den."

Garth shook his, "I'm not hungry," he sighed. "The alphas got a couple of good kills this morning. I'll get my feed before the day is..."

"--What I meant was...would you like to eat together tonight?"

Garth looked up blankly, "I don't think so. You like eating dinner too early for me."

"I can wait, Garth," her voice was not sincere but inquisitive.

"I just don't really...I mean...it's not you. I'm tired, that's all."

Kate turned, muttering aloud, "When aren't you tired."

"What was that?" Garth demanded. Kate turned back to him, "Nothing."

"No," Garth dashed toward her, "I'm too tired for you? Is that what you're saying? You got something to say, say it to my face! I don't like anyone talking behind my back! Especially you!"

Kate sighed, "No, Garth you're right." Then she looked up at him with her stabbing yellow eyes and said with a whimper, "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," he sighed as he ran his head against the side of her neck, "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to jump to conclusions."

Kate closed her eyes and smiled as she felt his firm neck against hers. It wasn't so much that he was doing it, but that they were finally doing something. Intimate that is. The past month had been sterile, even on their wedding night. They rarely shared a meal, always taking their meals at separate times of the day. In fact, they barely spent any time together, except for the formal things: hunting and scouting with the other alphas mostly. And the nights were cold. She was not anxious about matting. Though she would not admit it, that unexplored territory frightened her more than the Northern Pack. But she felt it was her duty and tried to send out the signals. But nothing worked. They were always met with ignorance. As if Garth couldn't even recognize flirtation. And trying to snuggled up to him at night was like lying next to a stone; one that turned over in its sleep if she made any contact whatsoever. But now, feeling his fur moving through hers, she felt that maybe this could...

Suddenly, she got a whiff of something so potent that it irritated her eyes. It was the strong smell of...pollen and...something else.

"Garth," she said parting from his neck and stepping back, "Having you been rolling around in flowers?"

Garth tried to control himself, but his eyes gave away the effort, "Why?"

"You smell like an entire flower patch."

"I...I probably ran into some when I was scouting."

"It wouldn't be that strong if you were just running pass some flowers," she said shaking her head, "It's like you were...rolling in them...all day."

Garth glared at Kate defensively, "Fine. So what if I was." Kate eyes flared with rage.

"You think I'm a fool, Garth?" Her anger restrained her voice to slow pronunciation.

"What are you talking about?" he barked.

"You think rolling in flowers can hide a scent? Her smell?"

Garth's eyes stared deathly at her, but he felt his paws go cold. But before he could speak, she snapped, "That's the oldest trick in the book! Rolling in flowers to get rid of smells is puppy's play! You think that could cover the scent of your OMEGA WHORE!!!"

"Enough!" he shouted.

"It's that what you're hunting trips are all about?"

"I said enough!"

"So you screw some omega to spare you from so much as touching your own mate?"

Garth rolled his eyes and shook his head, "I don't have to listen to paranoia."

"ANSWER ME!!! Why haven't you denied it!"

There was silence between them as they stared at each other like prey. Finally, Garth said, "Don't act so high and mighty, Kate."

"What?" she gasped. Garth smirked triumphantly.

"I smell like dirt and flowers and you accuse me of sleeping around; when you come in here reeking of...of him."

"Who?" Kate demanded.

"You know damn well who, Kate," he snapped. "You're old omega squeeze. You're sister's own mate of all coyotes. Humphrey." Kate eyes froze in stabbing fury, like the pains of ice and fire uniting in a single sharp blade. Her mouth hung open in silence. Garth took the opportunity to continue, beginning to circle her like a vulture. "You'd better tell him that if he knocks you up, he'd better do so to Lilly too. That way we could exchange the pups that could pass as ours for the ones that could pass as theirs."

"YOU BASTERD! YOU SELFISH BASTERD!!! HOW DARE YOU!!!"

"Calm down," Garth retorted with disturbing ease. Kate did not restrain herself.

"While you were pouncing on some OMEGA WHORE all morning, we found a generator for the dogs. Now they have what they wanted and you..." Garth's face dropped.

"--YOU DID WHAT!!!" he screamed, "You just let them have it! You fool! You mindless fool!"

"SHUT UP YOU SELFISH...DOG!!!" Kate felt her conscience coil. "No! I'm wrong! You're lower than a dog! YOU'RE A LIAR! A DAMN SELFISH LIAR! AND I'M STUCK YOU!!!"

Garth trust himself forward, standing only and inch from her and staring down her muzzle. He exploited every bit of his physique, but she refused to show the slightest hint of intimidation.

"I'm selfish?" he spoke in a menacing whisper. "If either of us had half a sense of self we wouldn't be in this mess! No! We were cowards! We let them decide our futures for us! They used our lives their tools of diplomacy! We should have taken our packs over from our parents and worked things out ourselves! And believe me; I would have gladly accepted mutual hunting for her..."

Garth's words cut off. His face sank and his mouth dropped as if reacting to an ice cold blade quickly being thrust into his chest. Kate threw her head back in shock.

"You..." she struggled to speak, "...you...so it's true!"

Garth moved his mouth, but he could not even tell if he was making words because of the deafening voice in his head screaming at him.

YOU IDOT!!! YOU GAVE HER UP!!!

He knew that Kate was screaming at him, with her mouth moving running and noise echoing in the room. But all he could distinguish were the repeated words of: "OMEGA WHORE!!!" "OMEGA WHORE!!!"

Kate crouched her upper body, curving her back. An inexplicable force had overcome her. She was ready to pounce. It will be easy, she thought, while he's standing there like that...in shameful shock!

Suddenly, she saw Garth thrown to the ground by a haze of yellow and tan. At first, she thought it was her. That she had jumped right out of her body in her rage. But a second after regaining consciousness, she saw how it was standing on top of Garth. It was her mother.

Eve bore down on Garth with her worn, yet daggering, teeth. "I'll skin you and wear your fur." Kate couldn't help but grin to herself at the sight of Garth cowering under the weight of the elder alpha. "Eve. Get off of him!" Kate heard the voice of her father coming from behind. Eve reluctantly complied, but not before landing a hind foot right on Garth's face as she stepped off. Winston turned to Kate, "What's going on? What's with all of the screaming of 'omega whore'?" He looked at Kate and then Garth. Their faces hung in shame. It said it all to Winston.

"I see," he said softly as he turned to Eve, "It's their marriage. It's up to them to solve these problems themselves." He sighed, "Remember, Eve. When we were their age, we weren't exactly the most faithful couple ourselves." Kate's eyes widened in astonishment. Her heart sank, but she tried not to show anything when her father's eyes met hers again.

"Of course," he said, "There must be some time for tempers to cool. You'll have dinner with us tonight, Kate."

Kate turned to Garth, who was rotating his body the other way, waving her off.

****************

"What did you mean by that? 'Not exactly the most faithful couple'?" Kate turned to Winston. They were standing on the ledge outside their den and looking out into the valley. Twilight was settling. Winston sighed.

"Kate, when you're young, you have a lot of ideas. Optimistic ones. But... as you get older, you realize that what you want the world what it is and not what it will be. And that leads to something deeper."

"Responsibility?"

Winston smiled. "You've learned much my daughter. Yes. And what is your responsibility?"

"To the pack."

"Yes, to the new pack that you and Garth have created." Winston panned his paw across the valley. "Look at them." Kate looked down to the wolves below her. The omegas played, the alphas celebrated their day's kill. They were all once part of the Eastern and Western packs once.

"They're all one, now," continued Winston, "All thanks to you and Garth. You must not anything come between you and the responsibility you owe to them, no matter how much it hurts. It's too great. Remember, no matter what you want to do, the pack is your final interest. They are your judge."

Kate looked again at the wolves below. Did a nervous--phony--nose rub really bring this all together? Did that really make these wolves stop hating each other and start to treat each other like companions? From a magic trick, did they find something in each other that made them want to hunt together, play together, and love together? She remembered all the other who were becoming mates. Alphas and omegas alike were finding their partners among former enemies. Was it my sacrifice of love that produced their love?

She lowered her head with the gravity of these questions. She could not bring herself to ask her father. She had always trusted his word out of her love for him. But now, his words sounded empty. It was not just what he was saying that was disillusioning, but the grave weariness in his voice. As if he were under duress. Kate turned to him and looked into his aging eyes. "Do you really believe that?"

Winton looked down to his side, and said "It doesn't matter what I believe anymore. What I do know is that it all works out one way or another. You're mother and I may have had a rough start, but we made it work, knowing it was our responsibility to do so." He chuckled, "You should have seen us on the first night of our marriage--we couldn't stand each other. But over the years, we've learned to love each other very much. And we had you and your sister. And we care more for you two than anything else in the world."

Kate smiled, at lease now he was once again talking in his usual sincerity. He smiled back at her.

"Listen," he said, "I don't know who did what and I don't want to. All I want is for you two to find a way to work it out."

Kate nodded. Looking into the eyes that she loved and trusted, she said "I'll do it for you."

Winston embraced Kate. "I know you will."

****************

"What are you laughing about?" Garth snorted as Kate stood at the entrance of their den. Night was now heavy and he could only see her figure at the mouth of the cave, distinguished from the darkness only by whatever light trickled in from the stars and moon.

"I just think it's funny."

"What?" he snapped.

"That we have the perfect marriage. At least by the standards we were taught."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was thinking about what you said earlier. We're together and we had no choice in being together. We're together out of obligation, even though we mean nothing to each other. We have...selfless love. Imagine that."