02-15-2008, 02:46 PM
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He had never known how succulent squirrel meat could be. Their flesh was so soft and tender, their small bones adding just enough crunch to make it interesting. He wasn’t sure yet what he was going to do with the tail that remained hanging out of his lips, but he would worry about that after he was done enjoying the rest of the body. It looked like it was mostly fur, but so far the taste seemed worth the trouble of skinning the extra appendage. He wanted to share these tasty critter with all his friends, and already a long list was forming in his mind of the wolves he wanted to catch squirrels for. He just knew his children would love it, and what kind of best friend would he be if he didn’t share one with Drako as well? Plus he had a son who couldn’t be left out. Perhaps the alpha would appreciate squirrel-meat as well. But before he was finished a strange white wolf walked in on him looking unhappy for some reason. What was his problem? What a strange fellow. Little did Phoenix know that the odd wolf before him would someday become his closest friend and even his son-in-law. He would never have guessed it just by that first meeting. However, Pilot seemed like a decent guy and Phoenix ended up promising not to kill another squirrel, although every now and then he still got cravings for them, especially with the population running rampant in Storm lately. ***
Two words. Two small words, and Phoenix’s life would never be the same again—it would be so much better. Of course, he had spent a lifetime raising children before, but this would be the first children that would actually be connected to him by blood. And they would be wanted and loved, more than any puppies before them had been cherished by a parent. He had actually managed to pass himself on to the next generation, and in a way Phoenix had achieved immortality. But first the information would have to sink in. For now, he just stood dumbfounded at his mate and asked her to repeat those two small words. With a characteristic roll of her eyes Iskata, his beautiful Iskata, obliged him, then all hell broke loose. With a whoop Phoenix suddenly transformed into an energetic puppy himself, prancing and dancing for joy and probably looking ridiculous. He didn’t care, though… he was going to be a father! Once the adrenaline burst wore off Phoenix suddenly became fearful—the new lives inside Iskata were probably so delicate, so fragile. He couldn’t let anything hurt them, so he ushered his mate back into their day. He knew there was no way she’s spend the months safely inside but the more he kept her in their the safer she and the children would be. Did she need food? Water? Anything? Phoenix had worked so hard for this moment, and he didn’t want to risk losing everything he had striven for his whole life. ***
Phoenix was not supposed to have been an alpha. He was supposed to have died as a pup. And since that had happened, he was supposed to have spent the rest of his days meekly at the bottom of the totem pole, just happy to be a part of the pack. But the alpha had seen more in him than that, and pushed him up tough the ranks even though Phoenix fretted and resisted the whole way. He was not lazy, just afraid of failing. But he didn’t fail though. As with every other obstacle presented in his life, Phoenix adapted and overcame his problems—even if his problems were his own doubts. Everyone had faith in him and at the meeting pledged their loyalty to him. Perhaps they knew something that he didn’t, even if it was about himself and standing before him the whole time. Phoenix was not weak. He was not stupid, or complacent or lazy. He cared about the wolves in his pack, and he wasn’t afraid to do whatever was necessary for them. Certainly, he had made the odd mistake or two but almost everything worked out in the end. His pack loved him, and he strove to keep them safe. Perhaps… perhaps he was an Alpha after all. He was Phoenix, Alpha of Storm. |