Opal's Destiny Book 1: Puphood

Ch. 3: Playing Stranger Wolves

It was just turning summer; it didn't snow anymore. There was a scorching sun in the sky, it was definitely the hottest day Slough Creek ever had. Artemis was laying down with Butterfly and Opal playing next to her side. Stardust was cleaning Birch, Thor was showing Bear, Daniel, and Beach markings in the ground that showed a bear past in the night while they were in the den sleeping. Nyome was by Sylvie, trying to learn medicine. "Ugh, I'm never going to be a medicine wolf!" Nyome sighed. Opal pinned Butterfly, then they rolled and Butterfly pinned her. Opal nipped Butterfly's ears playfully. "Wanna play Stranger wolf attack?" Birch asked after Stardust was done giving him his bath. "I'll be the stranger wolf." Opal said baring her teeth. "You're always the stranger wolf!" Butterfly complained. "Fine, we'll both be the stranger wolves." Opal said rolling her eyes. "And Birch is the helpless pup." Butterfly giggled. "I'm always a helpless pup!" Birch growled. "You are an actual helpless pup, so you're a helpless pup in the game too." Opal pointed out laughing. "Ugh, fine, I'll be the helpless pup, but it's the last time! Next time you have to be the helpless pup, Opal." Birch barked. Thor nudged Bear, Daniel, and Beach into the den to go do some scouting, Sylvie took Nyome with her to get medicinal stuff, and Stardust was sitting up watching the three playing. "All right." Opal groaned, knowing she would regret it when they played. Opal and Butterfly chased Birch, but they came to a halt when they saw a muscular Junction male towering over them. "Let's play stranger wolf, You're the helpless pups, and I'm the stranger wolf," He rasped, "I'll give you a head start." The pups' ears skewed to the side and they bolted off, but Birch lagged behind. "Come on Birch, do you want him to ACUALLY catch and kill you?" Opal yelled behind her. "No of course not-" Birch said and tripped over a rock and fell down. The black male was gaining on them. "Butterfly you go on ahead and tell mom about the junction male, I'll help Birch." Opal ordered skidding to a halt. Butterfly nodded and bolted towards the den. Opal grabbed onto Birch and pulled him up. Birch nodded to her. His head was bleeding, 'cause it hit a sharp stone puncturing it. The black wolf was almost there. Opal dragged him, but then dropped him. Birch lost a lot of blood. "Just go without me." He said his one good eye blurred his vision. Opal refused to leave him so she stayed with him. The black wolf closed in and scooped up Birch immediately. Opal bit his hind leg trying to make him let go of Birch. But he crunched down on the squirming body and it went limp, blood drooped down. "No!" Opal howled. "You monster!" Opal snarled at the Junction wolf, and scratched his nose hard. The Junction wolf whimpered, the skin that was on his nose was clean off. "You'll pay for that!" He growled and pounced in the area of Opal, but Opal dogged, her usual clear amber eyes, were fired up. Opal lunged and bit hard on the Junction Male's back leg. When she let go she spat fur and skin out, The Junction whimpered, it just hurt though nothing else. He heard a female howl and saw Stardust. "Samuel, I should of Known it was you!" She snarled. Butterfly was behind her urging Opal to come over "Ouch, that's not how you greet an old friend. "He said acting like he had pain. "Why did you come here?" Stardust snarled baring her teeth. Opal ran tearfully behind Stardust. Butterfly looked down and saw Birch's dead body and had tears in her eyes. "You know, I'm the only one who would dare invade on your, territory." The wolf said snuggly. Stardust saw the raw cut on Samuel's nose that was bleeding. "Did my dear Opal do that?" She said snuggly. "Why would I let a pup take the upper hand?" Samuel snarled looking toothily at Birch's dead body, apparently Stardust didn't see him yet. Stardust's eyes then adverted down, and the pupils grew small, pain was in her eyes. "You...Killed Birch?" She said darkly her face wincing. Samuel smiled darkly. "YOU KILLED BIRCH!!!" Stardust snarled pouncing on Samuel's neck and holding on, she chomped down hard. Samuel growled and tried to fling her off. but he started to lose too much blood, and fainted. Stardust used this as an opportunity to kill him, and bit on his throat and pulled it out. Opal's ears skewed to the side as she saw the horror, her mom looked like a total PSYCO wolf! As Stardust walked over blood was dripping out her mouth. Butterfly realized she was holding in her breath and started to breath normally. The 2 pups' hearts were pumping fast. Stardust picked up Birch's lifeless body sadly and motioned Butterfly and Opal to follow her. Nyome was waiting for them at first when she saw Birch in her mother's mouth, she smiled, raised her ears up, then wagged her tail. As they got closer she knew something was wrong, Birch wasn't lifting his head up, and looked lifeless, and Her mom's and sisters' emotions made her know Birch was dead. She skewed her ears to the side, and frowned, and stopped wagging her tail. With tears in her eyes Nyome reluctantly walked over to them. She had pain in her eyes. Stardust set Birch down. Nyome have expected half wanted Birch to bounce up and smile, he was her playmate after all. "We should of made him the stranger wolf in the game." Opal said a tear sliding out of her eye down her fur off her chin and onto her paw. Butterfly agreed with her. Stardust dug a hole and picked up the lifeless body of Birch and dragged it into the hole, and put dirt back on it. "You 3 go in the den with the rest, I'm going hunting, and making sure there aren't ANY wolves in our territory." Stardust almost growled. The 3 girls obeyed their mom and went into the den with tears and frowns. Opal told them the story. "She called him by his name! Like she knew him, and he knew her!" Opal exclaimed. "Yeah, and he acted like he was sad and said 'That's not how you talk to an old friend.'" Butterfly recalled. "Mom saw MY scratch on his nose and said, 'Did my dear Opal do that?' then she looked down at Birch and said, 'You.....killed Birch?' we all know he was her favorite." Opal recalled frowning. "Then she repeated herself, "YOU KILLED BIRCH!" and lept at him, made him loose a lot of blood, then.....she ripped his throat out, she looked like a total PSYCO wolf." Butterfly recalled, shivering. the 6 remaining pups snuggled to get warm. Sylvie slipped into the den and laid with them. Opal's last thought was, 'I wonder how Mom knew that wolf.' Then she fell asleep.