Wolves of the moon - Lost home

✧Chapter 24✧

Swift walked into the camp with Hawk and Mist behind him and dropped the two rabbits he caught near the pond. It has been a few days after Raven, the old Alpha has died and red-leaf has already replaced sun-warmth completely. Everyone has agreed on Rain taking his role and he chose Swift as his Beta, as Kestrel chose to give up her position for her pups. Swift haven't expected this at all but he did his best to do his job. The pack thrived under Rain's leadership. The stream was dug bigger, as well as the pond it was running into. Omega, who chose to keep the role and asked his name to be changed from Stump back to Crow, did his job very well and there was always fresh moss for them to sleep on. Dawn continued her duties as a healer, while Mist, Hawk and Thunder remained hunters. Unlike Raven, Rain actually helped the them with hunting.

Swift saw Rain walks towards him from his den. They both sat together in the clearing and talked about their pack.

„You did a great job, Rain. The pack is thriving because of you! Not like with Raven," Swift praised him.

„Oh come on, you killed him after all. And Dawn treated everyone's wounds. I just took over the pack, doing the right thing," the old wolf said.

„That's what I mean! We wouldn't be the same without you as our Alpha. The prophecy was right, your wisdom saved us," Swift looked into his eyes.

„Just like your speed and Dawn's kindness."

The sat there for a while, the cold red-leaf wind ruffling their fur. Every single leaf has turned into a shade of red, orange or yellow and soon they were going to fall. As they enjoyed the beautifull view of the camp, a loud painful whine could be heard from Dawn's den and Thunder came up to them.

„Kestrel just had her pups. Dawn told me to bring you there," he said, waiting for them to follow him and led them into the den. Kestrel was curled up around two balls of fur, one black with cream paws and little spot on it's chest and one cream colored with black on it's back. There were another two black and cream shapes off to the sides and it seemed as if they weren't moving. Dawn was cleaning up the blood that was all over the nest.

„Thunder, bring me another ball of wet moss," she ordered the short wolf and he left the den. Dawn turned to Rain and Swift. Her face was a mix of happiness, probably that they came, and sadness, from the two tiny lifeless pups. „Hello, I'm glad you came, Alpha and Beta," she greeted them and noticed Rain looking at the dead puppies, „They weren't able to survive... But atleast the two did. It's a blessing that we even have any pups. But tell me, aren't they beautifull?"

„Yes, they are. What are going to be their names?" Rain turned to Kestrel, who was listening with only one ear while licking her newborns. She quickly turned her head around at them.

„Dusk and Breeze," Kestrel answered and licked the cream pup, Bee while Dusk, the black pup sqealed for milk. Swift smiled at them. They weren't actually his real cousins, but they were Dawn's half siblings and he had to care for them as much. They were still family.

He turned his head around when he heard pawsteps coming into the den. Thunder returned with the wet moss and Dawn continued cleaning the blood. She looked unhappier than usuall but tried to put on a smile while talking to them. Rain and Swift left the den, deciding to leave Dawn and Kestrel alone after the birth of the puppies. Rain went hunting alone and Swift sat in the clearing, admiring the nature in red-leaf.

A vicious, wicked voice called his name. No one else was in the clearing at the moment, and even if, no one he knew sounded like this. No one alive. Swift knew this voice very well. He turned around, growling, and there he was. Grinning, with a teasing look on his face. Raven. Raven's ghost had visited Swift. How dare he show up again after Swift killed him?

„What do you want?" Swift was surprised that he was there. He thought he was just hallucinating at first, as he never really believed in ghost stories that his parents used to tell him.

„I just need to set you off onto the right path. The path you were destined for," the ghost said.

„I am on that path right now," Swift growled furiously at him.

„You're mean for something bigger. I've always knew it. Those pathetic rats were never able to see it, to see your meaning, your destiny. You're just like me," Raven said in a vicious voice.

„I'm nothing like you, monster!" Swift's fury rised everytime the black ghost spoke and he had the urge to attack him. But it was useless, he couldn't hurt someone who was already dead. But still, killing him once somehow wasn't enough for Swift.

Raven was about to speak but his ears pricked at the sound of pawsteps in the clearing. Dawn had came out of her den and crouched down in the bushes. They were at the opposite side of the camp but Swift could hear her crying. He threw one last furious look at Raven and leaped after her. He crouched into the bushes next to her.

„Dawn, what's wrong...?" he asked with a worried tone.

„I... I messed up... I couldn't save them, they died because of me. Iet Kestrel down..." Swift never saw her crying as much.

„No, don't think that. You did what you could, a great job. Without you, maybe none of them would survive. They needed you, and they will need you for their whole lifes," Swift assured her and she curled up by his side. He let her cry it out for a while, before they heard some voices from the clearing.

„Thanks..." Dawn said, before standing up.

They came out of the bushes to see Hawk, Mist and Thunder stting together and talking. They invided Swift and Dawn to join them. Swift came up to Mist, sat down beside her and licked her nose, to which she pressed her forehead against his chin. The wolves spent the rest of the day talking together. After food, when everyone settled down to sleep, Swift and Mist curled up together in Swift's nest and both had fallen into sweet, deep sleep.