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Chapter 3: The Dishonored Alpha

Every day was a struggle for Miles, as his ongoing battle with his alcoholism had not been kind to his health. He lied down at night feeling sick and woke up feeling sick the next morning, and the only way he could make himself feel better would be to tap into the berries he had near the back of his den and start eating. But he did not stop once the illness had been suppressed; he never did. He would proceed to consume the berries for the remainder of the day until, by the time night rolled around, he was almost too drunk to stand. It was then that he would stagger to the place where he slept and pass out, as without the alcohol in his system, he did not know if he would be able to find slumber- just as he was uncertain if he could get out of bed in the morning without it.

It was apparent to any who saw him that his addiction was taking a turn for the worst.

His eyes had begun to sink into his skull slightly, the skin on his face became loose, and the fur on his body began to fade, but the worst part of this fight was the part that only he could see, and that was the depression.

He never did quite understand if he still ate berries because he was depressed that he had lost his job, or if he was depressed because, despite the promise he made to himself and to Kate to sober up when he was dishonorably discharged from his position as an alpha a little over five months ago, he still ate berries; but he did know that if he didn't stop, eventually there would come a time when he would pass out in a slump of intoxication and never wake up.

So why couldn't he just stop?

There were times in these past few months when he was on the brink of finally saying enough and putting the berries down for good, but each time he would set his mind to fulfill his promise, he would fall asleep, then wake up the next morning, and the vicious cycle would continue.

Still, there were many more times when he simply wished for an end. As an alpha, he was a functioning alcoholic, but since his termination, he had nothing to do besides wallow in self-loathing, and what else was there to comfort him? He had no friends anymore. They had all given up on him, because they knew that he had given up on himself a long time ago. The berries were his only friends now, but they only offered him temporary relief from his ailments, and sometimes, it seemed, they weren't his friends at all. On more occasions than he would like to admit, the berries were in fact his worst enemy. Guilt for his actions clouded his every thought, and the berries only made these emotions worse. He knew that he had let her down, and he knew that he did not deserve her friendship, even if, in spite of all he had done, she was still willing to be there for him if only he would allow her to be. Even after he learned that Humphrey had survived, he could not bring himself to look Kate in the face because he couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her eyes when she saw him like this, so he shut himself away from her completely.

And in spite of this, she still cared for his well-being.

Her loyalty to him as her friend was tremendous, and he loved her dearly for it, but over the course of the last few months, he made it a point to pretend that he hated her. For the most part, he would simply avoid her, but when avoiding her was not an option, he would speak to her in a terse, rude fashion which portrayed little interest in her presence. It hurt him deeply to treat Kate in such a fashion after she had always been so good to him, but he knew that what he was doing was probably going to kill him. He did not want her to still be close to him when they inevitably laid his body to rest. He could not bear to hurt her like that, so he found that the easiest way to pass on without causing more emotional damage was to make her hate him.

In spite of his best efforts, though, Kate still cared, and secretly she still kept an eye on him, but she hated what she saw.

It was painful for her to see Miles literally self-destructing before her eyes, but she knew that there was nothing that she could do. She had tried to help him before, but in order for her to help him, he first needed to want help, and she never saw such desire.

This didn't surprise her, though, as he had always been the prideful type, kinda like her. Perhaps pride was one of the ultimate downfalls of being an alpha. She knew that he, like herself and every other alpha she knew, would rather die than admit to anyone that he was weak or that he needed help, but she also knew that if ever there was a time for him to find the courage to cry out for assistance it was now. She had considered organizing an intervention which would force Miles to go to rehab, but since he was an adult and not of immediate family she was not within her rights to do so. She did not know what she was going to do about him, because the last thing she wanted was to have to bury him, but with the way his habits and health continued to exacerbate, she would not be surprised if she would have to do so within the year.

What particularly bothered her about this whole situation, though, was the seeming lack of care on the behalf of her father and everybody else who once claimed to be his friend. Her father's apathy surprised her the most, though. Based on what her mother and father had told her over the course of her life, Miles and her father had been best friends since they went to Alpha School. He was the best man at her father's wedding, and was right there beside him whenever she and her little sister were born. In fact, many of Kate's fondest memories growing up involved Miles in some fashion, because he was practically her second father, but as she looked closer at their history, she could see that he and her father had been in a falling out for a long time.

It always seemed like her father was constantly bailing him out of something, be it that he got arrested for aggravated assault or stood on grounds for job termination when he blew hunts and nearly got somebody killed; when he began his descent into alcoholism was probably when her father had begun to grow weary of saving him.

At first, though, Miles was a casual drinker and was responsible in his consumption. However, as time wore on, it became apparent that he was developing a problem. It was a subtle transition at first, and honestly understandable given the circumstances presented to him. This was the year that Winston had assigned him as an instructor at Alpha School, and at this stage in his life he had met somebody with whom he wished to spend the rest of eternity. He wanted to spend every moment with her, but his job put distance between them. However, he had made up his mind that once he returned in the spring, he was going to pop the question and take some time off to spend with her, just the two of them. He bore a great amount of stress that winter, as he had yet to grow his bones in the field of teaching, and he would wind down by laying back in his den after the day's lessons and eating a few berries just to relax before he went to sleep. However, over the course of his first winter as an instructor, when he was teaching Kate's generation of students, something happened which he did not expect; something that ultimately changed his life forever.

It was obvious to him as soon as they embraced upon his return that she had something on her mind, but he shoved that off to the side, because he had an incredibly important question to ask her. He stammered over his words as any nervous fool in love would as he laid his heart on the line, but before he could ask the big question she stopped him; and that was when she broke his heart.

She laid it on him gently, but what a little space and time had done to their relationship still hit him pretty hard. She said that it happened out of the blue, and that it was the last thing that she had expected or desired to happen, but while Miles was away, she had found somebody else who stole her heart. Miles was deeply hurt by this news, and when he met the individual for whom she had fallen he wanted to tear him apart, but he could tell just by looking at them that they were perfect for each other. She glowed in his presence in a fashion which he had never seen while she was with him; so he told her that he was happy for her, but even a pup could tell that he was lying.

Following this incident, he fell into a deep depression and his rate of consumption skyrocketed. Kate was old enough to understand at this point what was going on with her friend and when she found out why, it upset her deeply, but at the time she paid no attention because she had other matters to worry about. Out of nowhere she was blasted by the news that she would have to marry a complete stranger, so Miles' problem became a secondary thought for her. Once she and Humphrey got kidnapped, the thought slipped her mind completely and did not return until sometime shortly after their wedding during the party when her father had to literally drag Miles home because he had gotten drunk and started trying to pick a fight with his ex-girlfriend and her new companion. Miles later apologized, of course, when he had sobered up the next day, but his apology did little to ease his guilt, or the disappointment in Winston's eyes.

It took Miles months to get over his ex-girlfriend, but unfortunately for him when the heartache faded and he decided that she was not worth the berries or the time, the berries had already claimed him. At this point, there was not a day that passed when he did not eat berries; but his continued consumption no longer had anything to do with mending a broken heart. Now he ate them for the taste and the buzz, because he had acquired an unfortunate appreciation for both. For the most part, though, he remained functional during the day while he was an instructor, but when the alcohol level in his system began to fall, it was noticed, even by a few of his students, that he became jumpy and irritable. However, after the break, he would always return spry and mellow, because he would have by then replenished his needy cells. Only on rare occasions, such as that which cost him his job, did he lose control of his habit and allow it to get the better of him; but now everything had changed. He had fallen hard, and there were many who doubted that he would ever be able to get back up.

But Kate still treasured their friendship, and as such, wanted to be sure that Miles received the good news first hand. However, due to her current state (even though she had protested vociferously to being confined) Humphrey insisted that she stay in their den while he went over to Miles' home to fetch him so the two of them could tell him together.

Humphrey found himself troubled by this as he ventured toward the den of his mate's oldest friend, though. Despite their friendship through Kate, he was not entirely comfortable with the thought of having an alcoholic with a history of drunken rage in the presence of his pups, whether they were born yet or not. That was not a good atmosphere in which to place them or his mate, and he certainly did not want them to be around when he decided to get his feelings hurt. He and Kate discussed this, of course, and finally they reached an agreement which eased Humphrey's mind, if only slightly. If he wanted to get near the pups after they were born, he would have to sober up; but Humphrey somehow knew that would never happen. Still, this was important to his mate, so he set his own apprehensions aside and focused on his primary objective: pampering the mother of his children and doing whatever he could to make her happy, just so long as it didn't involve walking around too much for the next week or two.

Humphrey approached Miles' den and paused with about ten paces between himself and the hole under a fallen tree as he searched for the proper words that he should use to tempt him into coming over. After all, he had not been blind to the strain that his alcoholism had on his and Kate's friendship. Finally, he decided that a general outline was all he would be able to piece together at this time and pressed forward. As he drew near to the mouth of the den, the scent of fermented berries forced its way invasively into his nostrils, which caused him to wrinkle his nose. He found that he only appreciated the smell when he partook in their consumption, because from the outside, the stench was almost unbearable. He shook his head irritably as he wondered why he had allowed himself to be roped into wasting his time here, but disbanded this emotion as a soft groan wafted into his ears.

This sound caught his attention and caused concern to build inside of him.

"Miles?" he called as he stepped inside of the den, but when he saw the older wolf sitting in the middle of the floor and slowly dragging his claw across his wrist, he gasped, "Miles, what are you doing!"

Miles lifted his eyes slowly to Humphrey as the omega rushed forward and knocked his paw away so he could no longer hurt himself. However, in his inebriated state, Miles stumbled and fell to the floor.

"Miles, are you out of your mind?" Humphrey scolded as he stood over the drunken alpha.

"You don't understand," Miles slurred as blood seeped from his wrist, "I deserve this."

"Miles, you know that isn't true," Humphrey insisted and restrained the older wolf as he attempted to administer another cut.

"But I'm an appalling failure," he argued, on the brink of tears, as his emotions were being fueled by the alcohol in his system, "I-"

"Miles, all you ever are is what you make yourself," Humphrey interrupted sternly, "and if you're a failure, it's only because that's what you've allowed yourself to become."

Miles' jaw locked, but he remained silent.

"We told you that you need to quit, but you haven't," Humphrey continued, "and the only reason you haven't is because you don't really want to."

"I wanna quit, dammit!" Miles yelled and clumsily turned over onto his chest. He then took a deep breath as he calmed himself down. "It's just..."

"Just what," Humphrey demanded dryly, as he was in no mood for excuses.

"It's just... hard," Miles answered morosely, "I've used them so many times to run from my problems that, now that they have become the problem, I don't know how else to escape."

Humphrey sighed and took a seat before the downtrodden alpha, at a loss for words, and for a moment silence droned between them. However, the heaviness which filled the atmosphere gave him a brief window of thought, and a problem which had plagued the back of his mind since he first discovered the news of his mate's pregnancy pushed its way to the front. This then set his thoughts in motion and made him realize that perhaps he had found a solution. He knew that it was a long shot, even with favorable rounding, but he needed help, and maybe, just maybe, Miles could be the one to help him. He just needed to play his cards right and hope that the time and effort he was about to invest would not be a waste. He considered his next statement carefully, then spoke.

"Miles, if you are serious about this, then I will help you get sober," Humphrey promised.

Miles sighed and lowered his eyes.

"I've heard this speech before from Winston," he replied morosely, "but I let him down, and I'm afraid I'll do the same to you."

Humphrey again took a moment to think, and, even though he knew Kate would be upset with him for ruining the surprise, he figured that a proper incentive would motivate Miles to kick his addiction and better himself. So he would just have to dive in head first and hope Kate didn't rip his tail off when she found out that he had spoiled the surprise.

"If you won't do it for me, or for yourself, then do it for Kate," Humphrey began, and watched as Miles turned his head away in shame, "she wanted for us to deliver the news together, but I'm not gonna let her see you like this."

He paused as Miles lowered his eyes in shame.

"We just found out today that Kate is pregnant," Humphrey announced seriously.

The news caused Miles to slowly turn his head back to Humphrey.

"Pregnant?" he asked, uncertain if he had heard right.

Humphrey nodded.

"That's right," he replied, "we're gonna have pups, and they're gonna need somebody to call their godfather." He paused for a moment to gauge Miles' reaction, but for the moment, his face remained as it was when he first heard the news of Kate's pregnancy. "Now, Kate and I have discussed this matter thoroughly and we have decided to elect you to fill that roll if you want it," he began again in a tone which foreshadowed the 'but' to follow, "but only if you can clean up your act."

Miles remained silent for a moment as he attempted to regain control over himself, but the inebriated state of his mind and body hindered this process drastically and it took him nearly a minute to respond.

"Y-you want... me to be their godfather?" he asked, stunned.

Humphrey nodded.

"Yes," he replied, then reiterated his terms, "but again, only if you can kick your habits or show major improvement by the time they are born, because we do not want an alcoholic anywhere near our pups."

"I understand," Miles replied, "but I just don't know if I have it in me."

Miles made a point to never cry in front of anybody, as to him it was a sign of weakness, but in his drunken state, and because of the news he had received, he broke down and began to openly sob on the floor of the den.

Humphrey was not nearly as close to Miles as Kate was, so seeing him cry made him slightly uncomfortable, but given the circumstances, he knew that the alpha needed comforting, so he sidled up to him and placed a hesitant paw on his shoulder.

Miles continued to sob and Humphrey continued to provide moral support, but the bodily disturbance his tears caused set in motion an intense stirring in his stomach which caused his body to lurch and vomit to fire out from his mouth.

Humphrey retracted quickly, as some of the drunken alpha's vomit had splashed onto his paw, then returned his attention quickly to Miles, who continued to gag and convulse on the floor. The thought that he had just been disgorged upon disgusted him, but he figured that he had better get used to other wolves' various fluids if he was going to be a father, so he quickly, but carefully, turned Miles over so that he would not be lying in a pool of his own vomit then slid his body beneath the larger wolf's chest.

"Alright, Miles, let's get you out of here," Humphrey stated dryly as he began to lift the alpha's weight, "we need to get you cleaned up."

Miles gagged once more, but no vomit came as he was helped to his paws. Humphrey shifted his stance so the inebriated alpha could lean on him, then together the pair began to stumble out of the den.

The entire walk to the lake was done in near silence, save Miles' dry heaving, but Humphrey did not mind and together they arrived just in time for the drunken wolf to collapse to his stomach where he again began to sob, distantly.

Humphrey panted as his eyes fell upon the dishonored alpha then turned his eyes down to the shimmering water at his paws.

"Look, Miles," Humphrey called as he once more turned his attention to the wolf in his company, "look at the water and tell me what you see."

Miles sniffled, but hesitated, almost as though afraid of what he would see. However, after a deep, collective breath, he dared to move his eyes to the water, and when they fell upon his reflection and saw just how low he had fallen, they quickly averted themselves in shame.

"I'm a disgrace," he said morosely.

"Yes, you are," Humphrey replied, "but we can change that together. All you have to do is try."

Miles sniffed once then nodded.

"Alright," he said shakily, "I will."

Humphrey placed a paw on the alpha's back then nodded, proudly.

"Wait here," Humphrey insisted, then turned and began to head back to Miles' den.

Miles clumsily turned and called after him.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm gonna help you take the first step," Humphrey replied in a glance over his shoulder.

Miles could only assume what it was that he meant by what he had said and a sinking sensation began to weigh down upon his stomach, but he knew it to be for the best, so he remained where he lied where he would hopefully sober up a little before Humphrey returned.

With a sigh, he turned his eyes to the water once more and gazed longingly at his dancing reflection, almost as though hoping to see beyond what he had allowed himself to become, so that he could remember who he once was; but he knew that that man was gone. All that was left was a broken, hollow shell in desperate need of salvation from his demons.

But he had been down this road before, and he always wound up worse than when he began. This time, though, he knew it would be different, because now not only his future depended on his sobriety- at least that was what he told himself.

Humphrey returned a few minutes later, after he had gone over every inch of Miles' den, with all the fermented berries he could find and dropped all three bundles at his paws.

Miles acknowledged Humphrey's return, then lowered his eyes in anticipation for a lecture about how over ninety berries was too much for one individual wolf to consume, but much to his surprise, Humphrey said nothing and merely slid one of the bundles over to him with his paw, then took a step back.

Miles turned his eyes to the berries, then up to Humphrey in confusion.

"You are going to pick these berries off of each of these bundles one by one and dispose of them in any means you see fit," Humphrey instructed, "and hopefully by the time you have finished you'll be sober enough to come visit Kate, because she really wants to see you."

"So how come she didn't come with you?" Miles asked.

"Because she broke her leg during the hunt this morning," Humphrey replied, "she's in no condition to be mobile."

"Oh," Miles said in surprise, "is she okay?"

Humphrey nodded.

"Yeah," he replied with a shrug, "that's actually how we found out that she was pregnant." He then chuckled. "Honestly, I don't know how we didn't notice it sooner."

Miles forced a weak smile then lowered his eyes as it faded from his face.

"She's gonna need somebody to take care of her," he muttered.

Humphrey lowered his eyes.

"I know," he replied in distain, "and I should be the one to tend to her every need, but I can't." He inhaled sharply, then exhaled as a flicker of anger rose inside of him. "Everybody else is gonna have to do my job for me."

Miles lifted his eyes to Humphrey.

"No, they won't," he replied as he staggered unsteadily to his paws.

"Miles, what are you-"

Miles cut him off by raising a paw.

"I'm gonna help you raise those babies in the best way I can," he interrupted firmly, "by training you."

Humphrey sighed, because he figured that the alcohol was speaking for Miles and that he did not actually mean what he was saying.

"Look, Miles, I appreciate the offer, but let's be realistic here," Humphrey began, "what about your... problem?"

Miles shook his head and scowled.

"Forget about that," he answered, "we've got bigger problems now."

Humphrey still wasn't sold.

"Well how do you expect to train me when you can barely stand?" he observed brashly, "in order for you to be able to teach me anything, you'd have to quit-"

Humphrey's voice was cut off inside of his throat when Miles took the bundle of berries at his paws between his teeth and pitched it into the lake. There was a brief moment of silence as the berries sailed through the air, which was broken as they splashed down into the water.

"Look, Humphrey," Miles asserted as he clumsily faced the omega once more, "you wanna know why I haven't quit? Do you really wanna know?"

Humphrey opened up his mouth to offer a response, but Miles cut him off.

"The only reason why I haven't been able to quit is because I haven't had a reason to," he said sternly, "but now I do, and I swear to you on my life that by the time those pups are born, you'll be able to meet every one of your mate's needs and then some."

"Miles, look at yourself," Humphrey reasoned, "your body practically needs these damned things to function now. You can't just quit cold turkey; you'll need months of rehab to get over this."

Miles grinned with only one corner of his mouth.

"Watch me," he challenged, "they say it takes three weeks to make a habit, so I'll break it in two. Meanwhile, we'll cover the basics, and once I've beaten this addiction, I'll teach you how to protect and provide for your family."

Miles could see that Humphrey still had his doubts, so he continued before the omega had a chance to argue with him.

"I know that the road ahead will be rough," he admitted, "but we'll get through this together." He then stepped forward and placed a paw on Humphrey's shoulder and locked eyes with him. "I'm counting on you to get me through this as much as you are counting on me to change," he confessed, "I'm not strong enough to do this alone."

Humphrey sighed and lowered his eyes.

"You do realize how crazy this sounds, right?" he asked dryly.

Miles nodded.

"It's only as crazy as we make it," he replied then outstretched his paw, "so what'd'ya say?"

Humphrey stared at the alpha's trembling paw with uncertainty, because he feared still that he was only going to waste his time; but he knew that, if this worked, he would have made the first step in the long journey ahead to becoming the man that he knew he had to be. So, Humphrey smiled and placed the pad of his paw on Miles', then looked him in the eyes.

"You've got a deal."

A&?

Across the territory, in that horrid piece of forest, where dark wolves gathered to train and prepare for their dark deed, a middle-aged, grey wolf whom they all knew well skulked into their midst. His significance was no greater than that of the operation's leader in terms of status, but the value of his intel knew no equal, as his information came directly from the High Alpha himself, and today, he would deliver to him earth-shattering news.

The wolves of ill intent sat apart from each other in their moment of leisure, as they knew the dangers of friendship in a situation such as theirs, but their eyes all came together upon one focal point as their mole stalked before them.

The grey leader was alerted to his arrival by the sound of a throat being cleared, and he turned to the informant with an expectant grin.

"Ah, Hutchinson," he greeted with anxious eyes, "I trust you have some good news for us."

Hutchinson came to rest near the foot of the structure upon which the leader sat and moved his eyes to him.

"Sir, the daughter of the impure is injured and with child," quoth he softly, "unfortunately for us, this incident has led the leadership to postpone their departure from power until Kate is deemed fit to lead the pack, but this confusion will blur their scope to the point where we could still make our move."

The grey leader nodded intently as he listened and pondered the information which he had been provided, then, after a moment of thick silence, his jaw tweaked and he inhaled sharply.

"Duly noted, Hutchinson," he began, then ran his eyes out over his followers, "but we must exercise patience. While the situation at hand is ideal for our success, I fear our current position is not."

He hopped down from his position of power upon the abandoned headquarters of the prison and approached the wolf diplomatically.

"We are still too few in number to mount our assault at this time," he noted and sat down before his agent of espionage, "and we still need time to train our newest recruit."

He then turned away and took a few paces toward the headquarters once more and paused.

"Keep an eye on the situation and report back with anything you find," he instructed without acknowledgment to the wolf who stood at his back.

The wolf nodded then turned and padded calmly away, and as he heard his informant grow distant, the grey leader smiled.

"The day is nearly upon us," he mused as he moved toward his den, "everything is positioning nicely."

A loud guffaw split the air as he disappeared into the cloak of the den and a barrage of howls lifted into the sky as the day slowly faded to night and brought them one day closer to that which they knew would bring peace to the park once more.

Chapter 4: Pressure

I apologize for any confusion that there may be about this story, because I never properly informed anybody who may not have already been aware that it was a sequel to another story. For any who may be confused about Miles or anything else that it going on, please read this story's predecessor, "In the Negative." Your questions will be answered there.

Kate lied alone in the den and tapped her tail agitatedly on the floor as she waited for Humphrey to return with Miles. She did not know exactly how long he had been gone, but she knew for sure that it was way longer than it took to fetch company, and she did not know what could possibly delay them for this long. She trusted her mate, so she knew that there was most likely some form of complication with Miles (after all, there always was) but in the back of her mind, she still considered the possibility that he had not gone to him at all.

She knew that he was hesitant about having Miles around the pups. The discussion they had about it prior to his departure was in fact their first major fight as a couple, so she did not discount the possibility that he said he would get Miles, but went elsewhere. Still, she hoped for his sake, and for the sake of their pups, that he hadn't lied to her. Their relationship so far had been based heavily upon mutual trust and understanding, especially after everything they had been through together last fall; but Kate was now beginning to suspect that Humphrey had begun questioning her judgement. This bothered her deeply, because she knew that mistrust was one of the key factors in a relationship's destruction, and she did not want what they had built to ever collapse, but her optimism told her that she had nothing to worry about. After all, Humphrey was well within his rights to distrust Miles, just as she was within hers to assume that the delay was somehow caused by Miles.

She sighed sharply and drummed her claws impatiently as she continued to wait for her mate to come back, but the wait had proven to be too much for her to tolerate. So, with as much caution as she could, she rose to her paws and began to hobble out of the den. However, before she even got three paces beyond the mouth of their home, she heard their voices echo in from the distance.

Quickly, but carefully, she turned and limped back into the den to lie down, because she knew that she would never hear the end of it if Humphrey caught her trying to leave, but in her hurry to settle herself down, she stumbled and fell hard to the floor. She tried to protect her damaged leg, but inevitably crashed down upon it, and a sharp yelp escaped her mouth.

She cursed and clutched her broken leg tightly as pain raced up and down her body and she blinked hot tears from her eyes. The pain she felt was so agonizing that she felt as though she would be sick, and even worse was the ill feeling which overtook her when she realized that she had fallen directly onto her stomach, where her pups currently dwelled. If this fall had injured, or killed them she would never be able to forgive herself.

The next thing she knew, Humphrey raced into the den, with Miles at his back.

"Kate, what happened!" he demanded as he slid to a stop.

"I got bored," she replied through a grimace as she tried to reposition herself, "remember, I'm an alpha. I can't stand to sit around all day."

Humphrey exhaled sharply as he gingerly helped her find a position of comfort then stepped away.

"What were you thinking, Kate?" he asked her in an elevated tone, "you could've hurt yourself even worse."

Kate sighed deeply and lowered her eyes.

"I know that," she replied dryly.

"And what of the-"

Miles placed a paw on the worry-stricken omega's shoulder, which caused him to fall silent as he turned to him.

"Humphrey, everything is fine," he consoled as the omega turned to him, "I think she's learned her lesson."

Humphrey sighed as his nerves slowly settled, and from behind him, Kate stuck out her tongue.

"Do you need Amina to come in and take a look at you?" he asked his mate, now calm, as he turned his head to her once more.

Kate shook her head.

"No, I'm fine," she replied, "I just need to lie still for a while."

Humphrey scoffed.

"That's what I told you in the first place," he muttered bitterly under his breath.

"What was that?" Kate asked, as she could only hear unintelligible babble.

"Nothing," Humphrey replied quickly, "let's get back on track here. Miles?"

Miles stepped forward uncomfortably as Humphrey stepped back to give him some room, because he knew that he had no right to be in her presence, not after the way he had treated her lately. Who was he to just appear after so many weeks of pretending that she didn't exist? Guilt tugged violently at the back of his mind, but rather than dwell in the awkwardness which had claimed the atmosphere, he greeted her with a smile.

"Hey, sweetie, I heard you had yourself an accident," he teased in an attempt to take his mind off of the guilt, "were those little caribou just a little too tough for the big, bad alpha?"

Kate rolled her eyes and smiled meekly.

"If you must know, there was an unexpected shift in the herd when I moved in to perform my spin-out and I wound up catching a hoof with my leg," she defended playfully, then added with a laugh, "I'm only five for ten with these dang caribou. I really gotta turn my luck around."

This caused Miles and Humphrey to chuckle.

"Well, this'll be over soon and you'll be right back at it same as always," he assured, "though, hopefully with a better track record."

Kate laughed.

"Yup, I'm due for a break sooner or later," she agreed.

"You mean other than-"

"Don't say it," Kate snapped playfully.

This caused Miles to laugh and for a moment after his laughter ceased, silence moved once more into the den. However, the lightness which had filled the atmosphere had strengthened his courage, and he released a short sigh.

"So, what else has been up with you lately?" he asked, now confident enough to engage in small talk, "and whatever happened to that pretty necklace that Humphrey gave you?"

Kate turned her head and pointed to the back wall with her nose, where it hung from a root in the den.

"I only wear it on special occasions now," she replied, "because it is much too special to me to just wear around. If it got lost or broken, I would never be able to forgive myself."

Miles nodded.

"And what of you?" Kate asked him, though, based off of his appearance, she knew the answer, "how have you been holding up?"

Miles sighed and flattened his ears.

"I've been better," he admitted, because he knew that there was no sense in lying to her, "truth be known, I fear that I may not live to see my tenth birthday."

Kate, for a moment, remained silent, because this was the answer she had expected, but she was surprised to find that he was more sober than she was used to seeing. Lately, nearly every time he said anything, he could hardly speak coherently.

"What have I told you since the beginning?" she asked him sympathetically, which caused him to lower his eyes, "I've told you before that those things were bad for you and that you need to quit."

"I know," Miles replied shamefully, "I've been messed up for a really long time; I've done so many things I'm not proud of, including hurting those I care about, and for that I'm sorry." He flattened his ears as a deep sigh passed his lips. "But I'm gonna change all of that," he continued firmly, "and I swear that I'll never let you down again."

Kate smiled meekly to humor her friend, but in her mind, she still had severe doubt. However, rather than dwell in the depressing topic of her dearest friend's addiction, she turned her gaze over to her mate.

"Well, that's good to hear," she began as she turned to face her friend once more, "because there's something we would like to tell you."

Miles had expected this moment, because Humphrey had already informed him of the situation, but he knew how important this would be for Kate, so he pretended to be clueless.

"What's that?" he asked her inquisitively.

"Well... Humphrey and I," she began with a bright smile, "are gonna have pups!"

Miles smiled broadly.

"Kate, that's great," he said excitedly, "congratulations!"

Kate smiled and attempted to rise. Humphrey noticed and rushed immediately to her side then used his shoulder to help her to her paws, and once she was steady, he stepped away.

Kate acknowledged his assistance with a nod of appreciation, then stepped forward and embraced Miles in a hug.

"How far along are you?" Miles asked as he pulled slowly away.

"Amina says three weeks," Kate replied excitedly.

Miles chuckled.

"And to think I thought that you were just getting fat," he joked, which drew a soft laugh from Humphrey.

Kate scowled and flattened her ears.

"If I wasn't gimp, I'd punch you right in the nose," she warned playfully.

Miles chuckled as well.

"Then I guess that makes me a lucky guy," he replied, "so have you thought of any names yet?"

"Not yet," Kate replied.

"Yeah, we don't even know how many we'll have," Humphrey continued, "but Kate and I have decided on one thing."

Miles continued to pretend that he was unaware of the news.

"What's that?" he asked.

Kate and Humphrey looked at one another briefly then turned to him once more.

"We have decided that we would like for you to be their godfather," Kate said with a smile.

"Me?" Miles asked in a feigned sense of surprise.

Kate and Humphrey nodded.

"But... why me?" he asked her, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm honored that you would ask, but I'm not exactly a model citizen."

Kate sighed.

"Well that's the thing," she began slowly, "Humphrey and I have decided that, in the best interest of the pups, you will only be allowed near them if you can kick your... habit."

Miles had heard this already from Humphrey, but it still hurt to hear it a second time, and especially from Kate, so when he lowered his eyes and sighed, the emotion conveyed was entirely authentic.

"I understand," he replied, "but you don't have to worry about one thing, Kate. It's time I fulfilled a promise I made to an old friend a long time ago. I'm getting off the things for good."

Kate smiled.

"Good," she replied with a single nod, "I'm glad to hear it."

Miles nodded and tried to bury the nagging sense of uncertainty which tugged at the back of his mind.

"I know it won't be easy, but I'll have you and your pups to motivate me," he assured, "there's no way I'm gonna let any of you down."

Kate smiled.

"I'm proud of you, Miles," she commended, "and if ever you feel like you need help, all you have to do is ask, and we'll be there for you."

"I will," Miles replied brightly.

"Good," Kate said conclusively.

For a moment, a silence flooded the den and awkwardness filled the atmosphere, but this moment ended when Miles cleared his throat.

"Hey, are you two hungry?" he asked them.

Kate and Humphrey turned to each other and as their eyes met, both of their stomachs growled loudly.

"Actually, yeah," Kate replied with a chuckle.

"We've been so busy with all of this baby and injury stuff that I guess we completely forgot to eat," Humphrey explained.

Miles nodded with a smile.

"Well then, allow me to treat you to some supper," he offered.

Both of them nodded.

"That would be great," Kate replied.

"Anything in particular?" Miles asked.

"I'm not picky," Humphrey assured, "I'll eat whatever you bring, as long as it has meat on it."

"And you already know what I like," Kate stated with a smile.

"Caribou ham with extra blood," Miles replied quickly.

"You got it," Kate laughed.

"Alright," Miles began with a curt nod, "I'll be back in a few."

"Thanks, Miles," Kate thanked as he turned and walked out of the den.

Once they were alone, a brief silence ensued, then Kate turned slowly to face Humphrey.

"He already knew about the pups, didn't he?" she inquired dryly.

Humphrey sighed.

"What gave it away?" he asked her flatly.

"Let's just say he's no actor," Kate replied.

Humphrey lowered his eyes to his paws.

"I'm sorry, Kate," he apologized as he flattened his ears, "but it was the only way that I could get him to come."

Kate nodded slowly and kept her eyes fixed on the mouth of their den.

"So do you think he's serious about this?" she asked him quizzically.

"About the berries?" Humphrey inquired as he lifted his eyes to her.

Kate nodded.

Humphrey shrugged and turned to face the mouth of the den once more.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Humphrey admitted, "I guess only time will tell."

A&?

"I don't like it," Winston mused through a sigh as he took a seat beside his Beta, "Gauge is a dangerous wolf, and thanks to his uncle, he roams free through the park."

Hutch turned to him.

"Victor is keeping a watchful eye on him," he assured, "I can assure you that Gauge's actions are under close moderation."

Winston flattened his ears.

"I don't trust Victor," he said dryly, "he's always had an unsettling ambition for power."

"Victor is a noble man," Hutch argued respectfully, "and he's the best damn Chief of Justice we've had in this pack for a long time."

Winston grunted and shifted on his haunches as his ears erected once more.

"But do you recall the odd circumstances which placed him in that position?" Winston asked, "to this day, I still find it curious how a wolf, maybe a few months younger than myself at the time can suddenly turn up dead in a fashion which leaves the healers completely baffled."

Hutch nodded slowly as he listened.

"You know we had every means to suspect that Victor somehow played a roll in his death," Winston continued.

"But we had no way to prove it," Hutch reasoned.

"I know that, so there's no way that we'll ever know for sure," Winston stated dryly, "we could have been wrong to even suspect him in the first place," he continued as his ears folded onto the top of his head, "but even when we went to school together, he had his eyes set on a position of power, and I have a hard time doubting that he would kill to get it."

As Winston finished, the pair stared out at the park inquisitively, and a silence ensued which was finally whisked away by the troubled alpha's partner.

"Remember, the Victor Navarro you refused as your Beta all those years ago has changed," Hutch reminded, "He's matured in his years as this pack's judiciary leader, not to mention his beautiful wife, God rest her soul, and precious daughter."

"He still abused his power when he granted Gauge partial amnesty for his attempted murder on my son-in-law," Winston stated, "that action should have been overruled by majority vote in the remaining Justices, because by law only Eve and I should have the power to pass executive pardons, but for some inexplicable reason they were all on his side."

Hutch sighed.

"Look, I know it all seems a little screwy, but at the end of the day, he's just looking out for his family," he reasoned, "would you not have done the same for your daughters?"

Winston lowered his eyes.

"Yes," he replied, then scowled, "still, I believe that they should have at least given Gauge jail time rather than just putting him on extended probation. We have more pertinent matters at hand that require our focus," he continued, "we don't have time to babysit a psychopath."

"Then why don't you place him under psychiatric supervision and send him in for analysis a few times a week?" Hutch suggested, "you are the Alpha after all. You have that right."

Winston lowered his head as he thought.

"I just fear that it would be a waste of time," he replied, "Gauge isn't exactly the type to do as he is told."

Hutch nodded and lowered his eyes.

"That is true," he agreed.

"Plus, under the laws of this pack, he's no longer a minor," Winston continued, "so I can't force him to do anything against his will without violating his rights as a citizen of this pack. I could call for a lawful order from the judge, but something tells me Victor would decline the request. My paws are tied. The only thing we can do is keep an eye on him and hope like hell he doesn't try to hurt anyone else."

Hutch nodded slowly.

"But if he does, you'll be able to put him away for good this time," he reasoned.

"I don't want it to come to that," Winston stated firmly, "last time, he nearly killed my son-in-law. I don't even want to think about what he is truly capable of."

A&?

Even on their walk home, Garth could tell that Lilly was experiencing more than pride and joy for her sister, and as time wore on following their arrival back at their den, the more apparent it became that something was bothering her. Garth wanted to pick her mind so that he could potentially help her, but with the way she clicked her teeth and aimlessly attempted to organize the den, even after she had dug out all the old bones, swept the leaves out with her tail, and there was nothing more to organize, he knew that she was in the process of biting back rage. He knew better than to push her when she was like this, because she bore more of her mother than many realized, but he also knew that he could not allow this to continue to build unless he wanted it to explode violently. So, silently, he had begun to help her straighten up the den, but he made sure to begin on the opposite side of their home to give her a moment of space. However, as time wore on, he migrated steadily closer until the two of them stood side by side near the back wall of their den, where Lilly had begun to cut away roots which protruded through into their living space. Garth found content with simply watching her cut the roots for the time-being, but the reason for her sudden desire to remove them eluded him, because they wouldn't hurt anybody or anything.

Lilly continued to work without once taking heed to her mate, and without once expressing any emotion whatsoever, but when she found one root in particular which proved more difficult to remove than the rest her patience began to quickly wear thin; and once her patience had finally run out, she unleashed her frustration upon it. She yanked at the root violently with her paws, and when that didn't work, she growled and took it between her teeth and attempted to chew through it. However, her jaws just weren't strong enough to cut through the root, so eventually her anger burnt itself out, and she released it then sat down, breathing heavily.

Garth still stood silently aside and watched her for a moment.

"Well, go ahead," Lilly snapped in a strained voice as she lowered her chin to her chest, "you've been wanting to know what was wrong since we got back, so go ahead and ask me."

Garth still said nothing, because he was never good with words, and now he had an exceptionally difficult time wrestling them into place. Lilly interpreted his silence as apathy and countered it with her own.

"Fine," she seethed as she rose to her paws and sauntered a short distance away, "if you won't ask, then I won't tell." She then paused and turned to him. "I won't tell you about the months we wasted trying and waiting for pups that never came. I won't tell you how frustrating it is to fail at the one thing I thought I would be good at; and I certainly won't tell you about how infuriating it is to watch everybody else live my f***ing dreams!"

She stood, panting heavily for a moment, then collapsed to her haunches as tears began to sting her eyes.

Quickly, Garth moved to her side and pulled her in close.

"I'm so sorry, Garth," she cried, "I don't know what came over me just now."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Garth crooned as he stroked the back of her neck.

It was at this point that Lilly lost control of her emotions and her tears began to flow like two rivers down her cheeks.

"What are we doing wrong?" she cried as she buried her face into his chest, "why is it that no matter what we try, it still doesn't work?"

Garth wrapped her tighter in his arms and placed his lips on the crown of her head.

"I don't know, Lilly," he replied, "but I think I might have an idea."

Lilly scoffed and pulled away from him.

"And what might that be?" she asked him skeptically.

"Look at us," he began, "We're turning into a disaster. We fight way too much. We constantly bump elbows and get under each other's fur." He lowered his eyes as Lilly lifted her head to him. "I sometimes feel like we're starting to lose our connection."

Lilly's eyes widened.

"Garth, don't say that," she said in disbelief, "we're just going through a rough patch."

"Then it's certainly been one hell of a large patch," he replied.

"Well, what are we gonna do about it, Garth?" Lilly demanded as she rose to her paws, "you tell me what we should do and we'll work on it together."

"I don't know what we're gonna do about it," Garth replied bitterly.

Lilly scoffed.

"See, that's the problem," she accused, "you are always so quick to point out a problem, but you never try to find any solutions."

"Well, I can't ever think of a way how," Garth retorted, "and you never seem willing to offer up any suggestions, so I don't know where you're coming from with this blame game of yours."

"Don't you dare," Lilly growled, "you know damn well I would try to help if I knew that you would listen, but you always shoot down my ideas before I can even finish my thought."

Garth growled, on the verge of losing his temper entirely, but he suppressed his anger and released a sigh.

"See, Lilly?" he said morosely, "this is exactly what I'm talking about. We used to be able to just talk to one another. Now we can barely say anything without yelling anymore."

Lilly sighed as her own anger slowly faltered.

"I'm sorry, Garth," she apologized, "I shouldn't have gotten so upset."

"No, Lilly, you had every reason to be upset," Garth replied, "I shouldn't have said what I said."

Lilly sighed again and lowered her head and a long silence filled the atmosphere.

The two of them felt the heaviness which the silence brought into the den pressing down upon their shoulders, and soon, eye contact was lost as they both pretended to take interest in their paws.

"So what happens now?" Garth asked finally as he lifted his head.

Lilly's ears perked as the question registered in her mind and she lifted her attention to her mate once more.

"I don't know," she replied, then sighed and flattened her ears, "sometimes I wish we could just get

away from it all."

Garth nodded slowly, because he agreed with her completely. The atmosphere, the den, it all just put so much weight on their shoulders, and stress on their relationship. He could tell by how cold things had gotten between them that they simply weren't enjoying each other's company anymore. They needed a change. They needed an escape.

"You know what, Lilly?" Garth began, catching Lilly's attention once more, "Lets just abandon this den all together and start over out in the grass."

Lilly cocked her head to the side.

"In the grass?" she asked him, slightly confused.

Garth nodded.

"Think about it, Lilly," he began, "you and I are both incredibly independent wolves, and we need our space. This den keeps us right on top of each other constantly. When was the last time you and I weren't simply going through the motions? We need a fresh start, away from the binding walls of a den, and where is there a better place to start a new, simpler life than out in the grass?"

Lilly lowered her eyes, hesitant.

"But Garth, how would we ever be able to raise a family out in the grass?" she asked him, "What about the winter?"

Garth smiled.

"Leave that one to me," he assured, but by simply gauging his mate's face, he could tell she was still uncertain, "aw, come on, Lilly," he began again, "what have we got to lose?"

Lilly sighed and flattened her ears.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to try it," she said slowly as she lifted her eyes to him.

"There ya go," Garth replied brightly.

Lilly allowed a chuckle to tickle her throat, but then her face grew firm.

"But if I don't like it, we're moving straight back in," she informed.

Garth laughed.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a smile as he stepped in close to her once more.

Lilly nodded once and allowed her eyes to fall down to the left.

"So, when should we leave?" she asked him slowly.

She couldn't understand why she was so hesitant to leave this den when only moments ago she spoke passionately about her longing to escape. She guessed that maybe she was just afraid of change. Or maybe she feared the judgement of the other wolves in the park. What would her parents say?

Garth spoke before she had time to think on the subject any longer.

"Whenever you're ready," he replied, "there's really nothing here that I want to take with me besides you."

Lilly nodded slowly.

"Well, alright then," she digressed as she rose to her paws.

Garth smiled as he trotted up to her.

"Now don't be so glum," he said with a smile as he paused beside her, "this may be the best decision we ever make."

Lilly allowed a faint smile to form on her lips as Garth padded out of the den, but once he was gone, she lowered her head with a sigh.

"Or one of the worst," she muttered under her breath then rose to her feet.

Garth, impatient to get on with his plan, poked his head around the corner.

"You comin'?" he asked her.

Lilly nodded as she turned around then began to walk out of the den.

Garth met her at its entrance with a smile and followed her away, but as she walked, she cast one more long look at her home, because she knew that she may never again set foot inside.

She would miss the memories they shared together in that den, be they good, bad, pleasurable or painful, but perhaps this was for the best. After all, she did not want to add a divorce to her list of memories, so she would swallow this pill as she had all others before and give it a shot, because who knew; it may just be the gateway to the good life.