A Wolf's Tale (Book #4) Storm Of Vengeance

Chapter 2

Clover ran. As fast as she could. Through the soaking forest, scratching herself on thorn bushes and dodging low-hanging limbs.

The sun was going down. But it was hard to tell when the sky held nothing but dark storm clouds, raining heavily on the land.

Breathless, Clover hoped she wasn't too late. Misty was leaving, on her conquest for revenge. Who knows when she might get to see her mother again? If she'll ever see her at all?

Part of her felt guilty for sneaking off to see Zeus instead of spending time with Misty before her departure. But she couldn't resist not seeing Zeus. The hardest part of it all was that she couldn't tell anyone about her relationship with him.

Not even her brothers.

She pushed along faster, scraping her paws on the rough pebbles in her frantic scramble to see Misty.

Thankfully, she made it in plenty of time. Misty was embracing Ash and River, holding her sons close, eyes shut, savoring the moment of her children gathered around her.

"Ma!" Clover yipped.

Misty pricked her ears, eyes shining when she noticed her daughter coming in for a bittersweet goodbye.

"Where have you been, Clover?" Misty asked, curling around her daughter.

"Hunting." Clover panted. "I ran all the way back. I didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye."

Misty chuckled softly. "I would never leave without saying goodbye."

Clover was suddenly overcome with waves of emotions. Misty was leaving. She wouldn't be back for a long time. She may not even be back at all.

The thought brought tears to Clover's eyes. She nestled deep into her mother's fur, reminding herself how safe and warm she felt when she was a pup. She wanted to feel that way again.

Misty stepped away. A proud gleam in her shining green eyes. She turned to Storm, embraced him, and whispered something inaudible in his ears.

Storm's eyes grew foggy, but he gave a determined nod, prepared to do whatever Misty had just asked of him.

Isaac stepped toward Misty, a sad smile on his lips, tears glinting in his single brown eye.

"I'll miss you."

Misty didn't miss a beat. "I'll miss you too."

Isaac sighed and shook his head. "Misty, let me come with you. I don't want you going alone and it's dangerous–"

The she-wolf firmly disagreed. "No, Isaac. I can't take you away from your family because of my desire for revenge. Your sons need a father."

"And your pups need a mother," Isaac begged in a whisper-like tone. "They already lost Rascal. Don't risk losing yourself, Misty. You're all they have."

Misty's face was tight. Pain visibly showing in her face. "They are all I have. I won't lose them. That's why I'm going to kill this evil."

Isaac looked like he wanted to protest but wisely kept his mouth shut. Instead, he hugged his cousin.

Clover's ears drooped when Misty pulled away and started West. She came to a rise. Turning around, she gave them all one more determined smile, before setting off into the wilderness. All alone.

How long they sat and watched the hill where Misty disappeared, Clover didn't know. Night had completely fallen. A howling wind coursed through the trees and rain-soaked each of them to their skin.

Finally, Isaac jerked his head. "We should head back. There's going to be a bad storm tonight." He left, knowing the pups would need a moment to process the fact that their mother had left.

A shaky breath was louder than the wind. Clover didn't realize it was hers until her brothers gathered around her and each offered their own ways of comfort to their little sister.

After a while, Storm and Ash left together. River stayed by Clover's side.

She glanced at him. "Aren't you getting cold?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather make sure you're okay." He looked down at his wet paws. "I don't want you to be by yourself, you know."

Clover loved how thoughtful River was. He is definitely the sweetest of her brothers. "Thanks." She stared at the swaying trees. "I don't want to go back, but I don't want to be alone either."

"Do you want to take a quick walk?" River suggested. "Before the worst of the storm hits?"

Clover nodded. "I would like that."

The siblings walked at an even pace, side by side, step for step. It was quite nice. Just the two of them, taking in the calm before the storm. Breathing the fresh air that came with rain.

Clover wanted to change the subject. The downcast mood wasn't getting them far. And she knew just how to change it.

"So," she slid in beside River. "How much have you been staring at Asa, hoping she'll talk to you?"

River heated up under his cold, sopping pelt. "Clover..."

"What? Asa is a cute little thing. Pretty young, but she'll be our age soon." Clover bounced on her toes. "Have you talked to her or not?"

"Here and there." River muttered quietly. "She's very friendly and sweet. But why would she talk to a wolf like me?"

"Because, you have good looks, a great personality, and a knack for tracking and killing. She-wolves dig stuff like that in a male." Clover replied surely.

"How do you know?" River asked curiously. "You've never been interested in finding a mate before?"

Clover backpedaled. She played it off with a shrug. "Just listening to what the older she-wolves talk about. Their stories are always interesting."

She managed to take River's mind off the subject of mates. "Yeah. Although, sometimes I think they talk nonsense."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of their stories seem far-fetched. Unbelievable."

"That's just the older wolves trying to show off to the younger ones. I used to believe everything Thunder told me when I was a pup. Like, the time he told us how he took down a grizzly bear all by himself? I believed that for a long time. Until I asked Melody and Frost and they both said Thunder was too narrow-minded to try something like that." Clover sighed.

River laughed at that. "You thought everything me, Ash, and Storm told you were true. Remember when you were afraid to go outside at night, and we told you that there were monsters that ate rotten pups?"

"Do I? I was too scared to make waste outside for months because you three scared me so bad." Clover snorted.

"It was funny though." River nudged her shoulder.

"I still don't think so." Clover rolled her eyes.

A tense silence followed. They listened to the whistling of the wind, the creaking of the trees.

"Clover?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think Ma will come back?"

Clover was surprised by his question. So surprised in fact, that she couldn't say anything.

River took one glance at her and flattened his ears. "You really think she won't come back?" His voice was small, fragile. As if he were still a pup.

Clover shook her head. "No. No, I was just taken aback by your question." She explained. "Why would you think that?"

River scuffed a paw in the dirt. "I don't know. Scared, I guess. I mean, what if she does find Mystique and the rest of her pack? Can Ma handle it all alone? Will she even make it that far?"

Clover didn't like those thoughts. Once again, she was stunned into silence. What if it was true? What if something bad happened Misty?

"I'm sorry." River whispered regretfully. "I shouldn't let my thoughts run away with me."

Clover jumped up. "No, it's fine. Don't keep it all bottled up to yourself. I'm always here to talk if you need me."

River looked dreadful but smiled at his sister anyway.