Wolves of the Falling Stars Book 3: The Fall of the Pack

Chapter 14

Lily Petal was feeling even more lonely now that Jay's Tail and Small Fox had been made full members of the Pack of the Falling Stars. She and her brother were still in training, though not for much longer; however, the days seemed like an eternity.

She missed being next to Jay's Tail all the time, sleeping by him, having most of the day to spend together, and so forth. They still managed to see each other when they would, though it sometimes felt much too long for Lily Petal's liking. Besides, her brother was always in a foul mood these days that training seemed to lack any of the fun it once had.

As Lily Petal returned from training after a long day, she was content on just curling up inside her den and falling asleep, but luckily enough, a gray wolf was there to stop her.

"Jay's Tail!" she exclaimed, running to greet him. He had been waiting outside the entrance of her den to greet her after a long day.

He pressed his nuzzle against her and licked her ear. "How was training?" he asked.

"Boring," Lily Petal complained. "I can't wait until I can be with you again."

"Me too," Jay's Tail said, his tail wagging slightly. "There's a lot more freedom being a full member of the pack. We'd be able to hunt together and patrol together and do just about anything without Panther's Screech or Silver Stream coming to scold us."

Lily Petal laughed slightly. "True. I suppose that is the dream. Want to go for a walk? I'm a bit tired from the day, so I probably shouldn't stay out too late but..."

"I wouldn't want to do anything else," Jay's Tail said happily.

Lily Petal smiled and began walking with him away from the dens when she noticed Small Fox approaching out of the corner of her eye. She, likewise, seemed excited to see Lily Petal, as her eyes were bright and her tail was wagging as she approached.

"Hey, where are you guys going? Can I join?" Small Fox asked.

"Oh, um, we were kind of going out alone," Lily Petal said meekly. She enjoyed Small Fox's presence a lot, but right now, she just wanted some alone time with Jay's Tail. After all, half of her time spent with Jay's Tail was accompanied by Small Fox.

"Oh. All right, then," Small Fox said, her enthusiasm vanishing in a distance. Her bright eyes seemed to take on a glare as she padded away with her tail between her legs.

"Do you think she's mad?" Lily Petal whispered as they walked further into the woods.

"I keep telling her not to be. We're going to be mates one day, after all, but she's bothered by our relationship sometimes," Jay's Tail said, letting out a sigh. "I tried telling her that we're not pups anymore, that she can find someone for herself too, but she seemed to only get angrier when I said that."

"Maybe I can try to set her up with Feather Wings," Lily Petal teased, though it seemed strange even considering the thought. After all, Feather Wings seemed to only have eyes for the strange wolves. He had been close to Gentle Breeze for such a long time, though it seemed Shining River was his new love interest considering the way she seemed to follow him around.

"She'll come around," Jay's Tail encouraged. "We've all been friends for so long. These fights don't mean much. Small Fox will be back to smiling at us in no time."

I sure hope so, Lily Petal thought, but she trusted Jay's Tail. Small Fox was his sister, after all, so he must know her better than anyone else. Lily Petal stopped in her steps suddenly. If that was true, wouldn't she know Feather Wings better than any other wolf? Yet why did she feel such distance nowadays?

"Lily Petal, is everything all right?" Jay's Tail wondered.

"Oh," Lily Petal said, shaking the thoughts out of her head. "I'm fine. Promise," she said, beginning to follow after him again. Still, she wondered what it was that Feather Wings had wanted to tell her the other day. She had been so fast to shut him down that was beginning to wonder if it was something serious.

I'll talk to him later, Lily Petal thought.

She did her best to enjoy the evening with Jay's Tail, but as the evening progressed, she was beginning to realize how many wolves must be mad at her. Whether it was Small Fox's annoyance, Feather Wings' plea for help, or even the fact that Lily Petal had not visited Dandelion Puff in some time, made Lily Petal wonder if perhaps she hadn't changed after all. She was still that obnoxious pup who had gotten her sister killed for not following the rules.

At least she still had Jay's Tail by her side. He seemed to be the only wolf who tolerated her right now. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Still, Lily Petal did her best to act enthusiastic the rest of the evening until she and Jay's Tail parted their ways. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily Petal noticed Feather Wings making his way to the den as well.

"Feather Wings, wait!" Lily Petal called, rushing up to him.

He turned and stared at her, not with the cheerful eyes he used to. His eyes were glazed over, and he appeared emotionless. Lily Petal couldn't tell if he was thrilled or disappointed to speak to her.

"I'm sorry about the other day," Lily Petal murmured. "I was so excited to celebrate Jay's Tail and Small Fox's accomplishments that..." She let her voice wander off. "I know you wanted to talk to me. What about?"

"Nothing. You didn't care anyway, right?" Feather Wings asked.

"Come on, Feather Wings. You seemed upset. I'm here now," Lily Petal offered.

"Only because I worried you. Isn't that right?" Feather Wings asked, the annoyance beginning to rise in his voice.

"Don't I have the right to check up on you when I'm worried?" Lily Petal asked.

"Yes, but you also used to speak to me when you weren't worried. We used to be so much closer, but then you and Jay's Tail became close, and now, that's the only wolf you'll be around," Feather Wings argued. "I barely feel like your brother anymore."

"That's not true! I'm still your sister!" Lily Petal argued. "And I'm Dandelion Puff's as well. At least I visit her more than you!"

"Not as much as you used to!" Feather Wings growled. "There's a reason I don't like to visit, and at one point, I thought I might tell you why to make you understand, but I don't think it's worth my time anymore. I see Small Fox wandering around here lonely all the time these days. Don't pretend you're some compassionate mother, Lily Petal. You're selfish. You don't actually care what I've gone through."

The words stung. Lily Petal dug her claws into the dirt and growled.

"That's not true. I'm different now....than when Morning Dew--"

"Are you really coming to check on me? Or are you afraid I'll suffer the same fate as Morning Dew and want to make sure you say something so that it's not your fault if something happens. I know I can't rely on you as much as I used to. I talked to Copper Rock the other day, someone I'm not even related to, because I felt he would give me better guidance than you could," Feather Wings growled. "Don't pretend to understand me. Please, just give me some time alone. I don't want to speak to you right now."

Lily Petal stood in shock as her brother walked away. She had not known he had built up so much resentment toward her. She had been keeping her distance, thinking he would speak more, but perhaps she had only been doing that to save herself from dealing with his miseries.

Does he really think I'm selfish? Lily Petal thought, finding tears coming to her eyes.

She rushed off toward the den Jay's Tail was sleeping in and quietly crawled over to him. One of his eyes blinked open as she settled near him.

"Lily Petal?" he whispered. "You're not supposed to be in here."

"I don't care," she said quietly, moving closer to him. She shut her eyes, feeling the tears streaming down her cheeks until Jay's Tail's tail wrapped around her, making her feel comforted, like she was still that naive pup in the nursery who had never known an ounce of sorrow in her life.