The Pack

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Timber sat with shoulders slumped and head down as Misty tended to his wounds. Redwood and Maple sat by them in silence, their desolate eyes searching the forest all around them.
"What if they left for good? It's all my fault if they did... I ruined everything for us. I was selfish," Timber whimpered softly.
Misty paused. She lifted her kind brown eyes to meet his.
"It's not your fault. We deserve to be happy. We can take care of our pups and  the Alphas'. I don't regret our decision."
She nuzzled his muzzle with hers and his tail thudded happily in the snow.
Suddenly they heard the soft crunching of paw steps in the distance.
Timber's head snapped up as he spotted black fur. He felt his blood run cold and his fur stood on end. All his life he had been submissive, even if he was supposed to be Beta now. He was terrified of another confrontation; he knew he couldn't defend himself against Eclipse.
The Alphas approached and the guilty Betas avoided their gaze at all costs. The siblings got to their paws in anticipation, their eyes narrowed and their muscles stiff.
It was only until the rest of the pack saw the Alphas' calm demeanors that they slowly started to relax. Luna went up to Misty and affectionately touched her snout with her own. The young she-wolf stared back at the Alpha in confusion, but she didn't flinch away.
"I forgive you," Luna whispered before pulling her muzzle away.
Meanwhile Eclipse approached Timber, his back straight and his head high. The Beta turned his head away, but then he felt a large, gentle paw rest on his shoulder. He turned his gaze to his Alpha and Eclipse nodded once.
"I also forgive you. We must stick together to protect our pups, no matter what," he rumbled.
Timber grinned hesitantly,
The Betas looked at one another, their tails wagging to and fro.
Luna saw the love in their eyes. Deep inside she knew she had made the right decision.
"You two deserve to be happy together. We can't judge you for your feelings, otherwise we'd be the most hypocritical wolves around. I can't wait for you to have beautiful, healthy pups of your own. You deserve them."
Misty looked over at her with tears in her eyes, and suddenly she couldn't contain herself anymore. She let out a  whine of pure joy, her gray shoulders trembling and her soft cheeks damp. Timber put his head on top of hers and muttered soothing words.
"You don't know how much this means to me... All I've ever wanted is my own family. Now I can have a pack that accepts me for who I am and I have a mate who loves me. That's all I've ever wanted," she whispered.
Eclipse's heart ached.
How could I have been so selfish? They're happy and healthy. In the end, that's all that matters.
He looked over at the siblings, and noticed to his satisfaction that they seemed just as happy as the rest.
He raised his head to the sky. A low, melodic howl scaled up his throat and pierced the air. Everyone else grinned when they heard it, and soon they all joined in a beautiful, wild chorus.
We are the pack. We are one.