Wolves of the Falling Stars Book 4: The Return

Chapter 1

The days since her departure had been rough for Gentle Breeze. As her stomach swelled with Feather Wing's pups, she was constantly on the lookout for proper shelter and a comforting meal. Never being taught to hunt herself, she only managed to find the scraps of old meat, which kept her fed, but never satisfied.

Not to mention, she felt the pack was always on her heels, though she knew none would come after her, a lowly omega, if Feather Wings' plan had worked. The pack was probably glad she was gone, she realized. It was one less mouth to feed.

Only now was Gentle Breeze realizing the burden she had become to the pack. Never being able to hunt or fight often left her defenseless out here without her pack members. Yet she had to survive, for the sake of Feather Wings, and for the sake of her unborn pups, even if she had a feeling she would never see her old mate or her old pack again.

But that was okay. As long as these pups survived, she would have a reminder of the time she spent with Feather Wings back in the pack. Being out here finally allowed her to feel free. She was free to do as she pleased, eat when she wanted, and explore. That had never been a luxury to her in the pack due to her omega status.

Yet it was a difficult life, and after many days of searching, she finally found an unoccupied cave that she hoped would fit her the best when she eventually gave birth. It was situated not too far from a river, which gave her a good water source, and the trees near the cave helped shield her from any other predators. Gentle Breeze knew that if she were to be ambushed, that would most likely be the end. So she laid low and got familiar with her surroundings, even managing to catch a few pieces of prey for herself, though she would have been more successful with a hunting partner.

The cave became her new home, and it was starting to feel like it, too. She often longed for Feather Wings when it was becoming unbearable to carry the pups. It was hard to hunt for herself and find food, and her limbs often ached, but with no one else to help her, she had to survive on her own. It was time to accept that Feather Wings was no longer hers and would never be again, and her new priority was taking care of the pups and keeping them safe.

It was late in the evening, during a heavy rainstorm, that Gentle Breeze went into labor. She was thankful for the pounding of the rain against the rocky cave, as it concealed her cries of pain that would have drawn interest from predators, or perhaps the rogues that had earlier attacked their pack.

The night was long and restless, and Gentle Breeze found herself more exhausted than ever in her life. Her tiny frame made it hard to deliver, that was, until she finally gave birth to one pup. She expected not to have many, given her small size, but she was surprised to see only one. Nevertheless, she licked the pup until it began to squirm and cry and watched as it crawled near her stomach to suckle.

The pup gray, she realized as she licked it clean, just like his father. As the pup rolled some, he revealed to her his chest. It was white, but the fur there was shaped like a lighting strike. The mark that Feather Wings and his family passed down for generations.

Gentle Breeze had asked him the story once or twice. Feather Wings explained that it had been a royal symbol of his family for generations, even if his family no longer lead after Lightning Storm's demise. His mother had passed the lightning strike onto him, where it was tattooed onto his foot. Gentle Breeze once asked him why his siblings did not have the same mark.

"It only passes down to one wolf per generation. And only that wolf can pass it on to its future generation. My mother used to say it was because I was special, but I think it's just a chance of luck, really," Feather Wings had told her at the time.

The rain was still pounding down as Gentle Breeze remembered this conversation. Perhaps it was luck, as Feather Wings said, but she knew this pup was special the moment she laid eyes on him. And his lightning strike insignia only seemed to prove it. It was a reminder that Feather Wings was still with her.

"I suppose I should name you," Gentle Breeze said to the nursing pup. She glanced outside, jolting some as lightning flashed across the sky. Smiling, she kneeled her head down and murmured, "I'll call you Stormy Sky."