• Narrow Passages
    by xMissNalax

    “All our lives,
    we've been waiting,
    for someone to call our leader.”
    ~Evanescence ((The Only One))


    Kathleen walked the long, narrow, passage way from the camp base to the river; no one understood her. The poor thing was nothing like her older brother and sister, even though the sister was only older by a few moments, she acted as if Kathleen was no use to her. Kathleen was nothing more then a pack member and she was becoming nothing more then a outcast, at most,” We need a leader,” The light red and brown wolf spoke as she walked.
    The river ran through the woods, water sprayed from the rocks, but other then that the water was cool, calm, and refreshing. Looking down at herself in the water, Kathleen sighed, she looked nothing like the leader she wished to be. Kathleen shook her head at the thoughts of herself being a leader, an alpha, did she really wish to be one or did she wish just to be out of her older siblings shadows?

    “Who is there!” A commanding voice yelled from the bushes and Kathleen jumped back, from the river, back into the shadows. She whimpered, who was it? Had someone finally taken everything from her? The river was the only place she had left to really live and now someone would take it! Her ears feel back, in dismay, a tear fell and clung to her fur.

    “Oh, I didn't mean to startle you,” The voice was softer now, more friendly, less evil to it. A dark gray wolf stepped out of the shadows, locking his eyes with hers,” Are you alright? You look frightened out of your paws. I am so sorry, I thought, I thought you were a hunter; not a wolf girl.”

    “Well I am for sure a wolf, I promise,” Kathleen said, keeping her eyes locked with his,” My name is Kathleen, who are you?” She didn't know if it was such a good idea to socialize with another wolf, since she did not know his pack, this could lead to trouble for her. He didn't look like trouble and how much more trouble could she get into anyways?

    “Well, nice to meet you miss Kathleen, call me Rodger,” The gray wolf smiled sheepishly, chuckling at himself, as his ears perked up. Kathleen was a beautiful wolf and caught his interest, though he would not express his thoughts at the exact moment; she looked healthy, a good mate?

    Kathleen saw the glint in his eyes, thinking back to how it worked with wolves, she walked back a few paces,” I need to get going back to my pack, nice to meet you to, Rodger.” She didn't wait for his response, seeing the dismay in his eyes, she ran back to the camp, along the narrow path. The trees grabbed at her as she slowed to a trot, that could have ended bad, she sighed. Not that she thought that Rodger would have done something stupid, as such, but she didn't need to take the chance of being completely banished from the pack.

    Later on that night, Kathleen laid under the stars, not daring to go into the main cave, she did not need to see her brother and sister. She gained peace, laying her head down in between her paws, she watched a shooting star. Smiling to only herself she closed her eyes and laid there, comfortable, and safe. Everyone knows that you are never safe near the enemy, though, and that comfort and peace can go just as fast as it came.

    “Where have you been!” A females voice snapped as she walked beside a male. They glared down at Kathleen as she recoiled from their gazes. There had once been friendly glints in her sister's eyes, loving looks, more affection then anyone could know, but Eve had turned bitter once she became old enough to mate.

    “We have been looking for you,” The male growled, stopping beside Eve, right in front of Kathleen,” And one of my warriors have reported that you were talking to another male wolf? You have to know that is against the laws of this land. You are not to mate or speak to a male until Eve has her first pups, understand?” Kathleen's brother had also once been a kind, loving, wolf but he also turned bitter when the thoughts of alpha came into his head, Kathleen whimpered at the evil tone in Jake's voice.

    Kathleen just nodded as Eve's paw came down hard across Kathleen's face, she whimpered even louder, her tail between her legs as she stood up,” I didn't mean to meet him, I-” With the words another smack met her, Kathleen stopped her whimpers and backed up, this was going to be another one of those hated nights.

    “I will have to beat you for these actions, Kathleen,” Jake growled as he came closer to her, the echo in his voice showed he meant business,” And you may end up with pups before Eve, oh well, you will just get to watch her have an amazing snack yes?”

    “No!” Kathleen shouted as Jake swiped at her eyes, cutting across one eye lid with his nail, Kathleen yelped in pain,” Please, I'm sorry! It will never happen again!”

    “You are worthless, Kathleen, worthless! How could you be so stupid!? You know that I will be queen and our brother will be the king of the pack! Forever! There is nothing you can do about it! Mommy and Daddy are not here to save the poor runt, you are, anymore! You are now alone, we should kill you for taking such actions!”

    Pain, sharp, gruesome, pain ran straight through Kathleen as the hits from Jake met with her body and her whimpers became nothing but an effort of a grunt. Clenching her teeth, Kathleen backed into a tree, where Jake found it to his advantage, once again. '

    “No! Jake! No! Not again, not tonight! Please!” Kathleen pleaded, watching from out the corner of her eye as Eve walked off, a smirk on her face,” No!” Her moans were supported by nothing more the sobs that were drenching her perfect fur, that her sister was jealous of. Eve had been blessed with black fur, not a shiny black, a dull black, not pretty like Kathleen's, this was another reason Eve hated Kathleen.

    Jake's eyes softened as Eve walked away and he sat down, looking at the distressed and convulsing body of his littlest sister. Kathleen stared in horror on him, whimpering, when really he was the one doing the most whimpering,” Kathleen, I am so sorry, for everything these past few days.”

    Kathleen tilted her head, still horrified, but confused and curious on what her brother had just said,” What?” Kathleen looked into his eyes, deep down inside, Jake was innocent, not a beast. She gasped when she noticed the cut in one of his eyes, which had grown gray, her brother was blind in that eye? But why?

    “Our sister, Kathleen, she is-” Jake had no time to finish his sentence as his eyes widened and something hit into his back, causing a shrill yelp of pain and shock. Eve's growling could be heard, as a spear was dug straight through the helpless body of Jake; Kathleen stood in horror.

    “You coward!” Eve scoffed, spitting on Jake's body once it had become limp, lifeless,” You betrayer! Scoundrel! And you,” She looked at Kathleen, coming towards her,” You will also pay for this! You will also pay! I will be the only queen in this pack!”

    “No! We need a leader Eve and you are not her!” Kathleen yelled, surprised at her words,” All my life I have been waiting for someone to call my leader and you will never be her!” The moon shone down on Kathleen, her brown eyes sparkling, wind blowing her fur to the side. Eve growled and pounced at her, more like a cat then a wolf, and Kathleen ran.

    She was afraid, now, instead of brave, like before. Kathleen knew it was either fight and die or run and live; so she ran. Kathleen soon found herself on the narrow path towards the river and when she got there she was greeted by Rodger as he drank from the river. She skidded to a stop and jumped behind him, Rodger tilted his head looking at her.

    “Get back here!” Eve roared, finding herself also at the river, looking at Rodger,” Who are you and why do you stand in the way of me and my sister!” Her roars and growls sent shivers down Kathleen's spine but there was no fear in Rodgers voice, actions, or features.

    “Who are you to chase after such an innocent soul?” Rodger asked, looking Eve straight in the eye as she went to swipe at his eyes, he brought up his own paw to meet hers. He looked back at Kathleen who looked so frightened, so beaten, so lost.

    “I think I am her sister! I think I am the alpha! Let me get to her! That is a command,” Eve growled and Rodger laughed, scoffing her. He shook his head in disappointment, was this all Kathleen, the beautiful wolf, had known all her life?

    Kathleen whimpered as Eve closed in on Rodger, pushing him to the side and swiping her Kathleen, she grabbed a hold of her nose,” No, Eve, please!” Kathleen began to beg again, she wanted to fight back, but she knew Eve was stronger then she would ever be.

    “Leave her alone, Eve,” The sureness, in himself, that Rodgers voice contained was unmistakable and made both girls stop and look at him. Rodger scanned Kathleen's eyes and noticed the hints of pain, suffering, and angst in them, she had been hurt like this before, and if he did not put an end to it, she would be in pain for the rest of her life.

    “No! Not until I am the alpha, not until my pups are born!” Eve protested and Rodgers eyes became hard, weary, he had a plan, though it was one he would rather avoid. “There is no male alpha, anymore, there is no father and so Kathleen will be my entertainment until there is one!”

    Kathleen's eyes held Rodger as he sighed, and stared at Eve,” Then I will be your mate if you promise to leave poor Kathleen alone. I am the leader of a pack just to the west, I am out hunting, but you will be my new mate if she is left alone.”

    A year passed in a blink of an eye, Kathleen found herself walking down a narrow path to the river, a burning in her. Eve's first pups had just been born, two packs had been united as one, and she had to watch Rodger go on each day in pain, each and everyday. Each night Kathleen wished for Rodger to be out of this mess, for her brother, Jake, is to alive again, and for Eve to be far, far, away.

    Walking down the narrow path, she reached the river, and placed her small paws into the cool water. She allowed it to spray her, off the rocks, as she stared at herself in the water. Eve could not and would not find out about the burning and what it meant.

    Back at the camp Eve pranced around, the announcement of a new, pure, litter of pups soon to be in the world, resting inside her. Rodger watched her as his eyes kept straying over to the narrow path, he had become the leader, and he was stuck with pups from a hateful women, but he also had his suspicions of another batch of pups; hidden away in a secret place.

    Kathleen continued to stare down at herself, in the water, as a series of movements came from deep within her stomach. Three curious pups at play in her stomach, at the moment, three impure pups. There would be two new litters of pups in the pack, both of the alpha, Rodger, and there was only one question. Which litter would survive and which on would parish with their own mother?