The Pack

Chapter Sixteen

Luna woke up early the next morning, and the surprisingly warm air comforted her.
Spring is almost here.
She felt Eclipse move next to her, yet she sensed that he was still asleep.
She turned her head and her eyes wandered over his body in wonder and awe. She marveled at his thick fur coat, his noble face, his sturdy legs... he was just so perfect.
Suddenly he growled in his sleep. He started to writhe, his fur on edge and his eyes squeezed shut. Then he snapped his jaws and snarled so loud that he woke himself and the rest of the pack up.
"What's going on?!" Misty barked, jumping to her paws.
Eclipse shook the fur on his neck and glared at Misty.
"Nothing," he growled, "Go back to sleep"
"But I thought I heard-"
"Go back to sleep!"
His abruptness made Misty whimper and hunker back down next to Timber.
Luna stared at her mate, and he looked down at his paws.
"What's the matter with you?!" she growled under her breath.
He avoided her eyes as he stretched and got to his paws.
"I'm going to take a walk."
"You didn't answer my question."
He curled his lip back to bare his teeth, but he still didn't look at her. He walked out of the thicket and into the forest beyond.
"Eclipse!" she snarled.
She struggled to get to her paws, but the sharp, shooting pain in her leg made her whimper and tense up.
"I suggest you don't go after him, Luna. You need your rest just as much as I do," said Timber.
She wanted to turn and snap at him, but the pain in her leg led only to a half-hearted snarl. Then she sat down, knowing that he was right.
What's wrong with Eclipse? Does it have to do with what happened in his sleep? Did he have a nightmare?

She waited for a while for him to come back, but there was still no sign of him. She contemplated trying to go after him again when Misty spoke up.
"I hope he's okay. It's got to be hard being an Alpha," she said.
Luna shook her head.
"I don't think it's that. I think something else is bothering him."
Timber's ears perked up and he cocked his head to the side.
"What else could be bothering him?"
Luna thought about this for a moment.
That's a very good question.
She tried desperately to think of what could be bothering him, and suddenly his scars were clear in her mind's eye. She knew his past had scarred him, but how deep were the scars?
It's not just skin-deep.
"Well, I think it's better if he tells you himself... I'm honestly not sure what could be wrong. I know he has high expectations of himself, but somehow I don't think that's all it is."
Timber nodded slowly, but Misty wouldn't let the subject drop.
"But why does he have such high expectations? He's doing a great job... he shouldn't beat himself up over anything."
Luna looked at the trees surrounding them and sighed.
"I have a feeling his life was complicated... or maybe it was simple, but then it turned complicated. I know he thinks he failed, but he didn't. He blames himself for his pack's takeover..."
Misty and Timber blinked at her in confusion.
"Why would he be responsible for a pack takeover?" Timber asked.
"He wasn't," Luna said flatly, "he just didn't win when Drakk tried to take over. He was too young to overpower him, yet he thinks that he could've done more to protect his family."
Suddenly she heard paw steps approaching them, and a low, familiar voice broke in.
"That's because I could have done more, and I didn't. I didn't fight hard enough, and you may think I'm being hard on myself and I am. My family was depending on me to protect them, and I ran away after a brief fight," Eclipse growled, "I have scars, but I was able to get away. I have no idea what my family's fate was. My sisters might be raising Drakk's pups, for all I know."
He shuddered and Luna tried to get up to comfort him, but instead she winced in pain and stayed down.
He made his way forward and licked her snout.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at any of you. I need to deal with this on my own, and I shouldn't burden any of you with it."
Misty and Timber shook their heads in fierce protest.
"No, we're a pack now. We should all deal with this... together," said Misty.
"I don't know how you can help me."
Luna blinked up at him and her eyes were gentle and kind.
"We'll figure out a way," she whispered, "We'll help you, somehow."
Eclipse smiled wearily down at her, and all the harshness was gone from his face.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you, too."