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As Dierdre came to him, Pilot wrapped his arms around her and held her. As she buried her face into his chest, he rested his chin lightly on the top of her head and continued to watch Naniko work her magic. He wanted to thank her so much for her help with everything – he could only wish that he knew just as much about medicine as she did. If only…
He watched and listened intently to Naniko’s instructions, and already in his mind he had made the decision that he would try to be the one who would remember to administer this remedy. After all, Phoenix was a very good friend of his and he felt some sort of obligation in the reviving of his vitality.
Pilot hugged Dierdre closer to him, grateful for the warmth that she gave to him. Kissing her gently on the head, he whispered soft to her, "He’ll be okay soon. Everything will be okay…"
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She wasn’t sure who would administer the care, probably Dierdre or Pilot, since Dierdre had been doing it already, and since Pilot was the second in command. She looked toward the white male that was standing with Dierdre. Naniko knew what he felt like, in a way. In Clouded Tears she was the second in the pack. Not Gamma, but the next down from Laruku. It was different, having responsibilities…and having people depend on you and look to you for answers.
She applied a large amount of the sharp smelling paste to the alpha’s chest, then screwed the lid onto the top of the jar. ”Here” She handed it to Pilot. After that she went back to Phoenix, biting her lip. ”This is all we can do for him. Make sure he doesn’t get a chill…and make sure that he drinks something. That broth you’ve got going on outside is perfect—it’ll give him some nutrients to help him fight it.” She looked to the youngest son in the den, Kansas. ”He’ll be fine. It’ll just take a bit of time, and then he’ll be back on his feet.”
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">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. | [/html]
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Pilot took the remedy in his hands and his grey gaze fell to it as if it were the immortal elixir. He wanted to thank Naniko in so many ways, but words failed him at the moment. Pilot, who was still rather young and naïve, didn’t know where he would be if he lost his one true friend. Phoenix, though only related now through Pilot’s relationship with Dierdre, was one of the closest things he had to family. If that were lost…
"Thank you, Naniko", he managed to say, but his throat felt dry and as abrasive as sand paper. Letting his arm fall away from Dierdre’s waist, the Gamma moved closer to the fallen alpha and watched as he lay there resting. He wished he could do something more for him at the moment, but he knew that all he could do was follow the Clouded Tears wolf’s directions.
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