Shadow’s P.O.V: I love him. I had been sure of it ever since I was a pup. Kafi was my world. I remember the first time I laid eyes upon him like it was a dream. He and his littermate Krarcon walked out of the nursing den, their mother looking fondly apon them. “Be careful, and don’t wander off too far.” She chided. “Yes mother.” The pups replied. I wandered up to them and gave them a sniff. “Hello,” I said. “My name’s Shadow. Who are you?” I asked playfully. “Hi Shadow!” They yipped happily, tails wagging. “Im Kafi,” the white pup replied, “and this is my brother, Krarcon.” “Hello Krarcon, hello Kafi,” I barked. “Wanna play?” “Sure,” Kafi replied, as he ran off into the woods with Krarcon and I in tow. It was a happy life. A happy day. A happy world. There were no troubles for pups in the Pack of Stars. When our wings grew in we began our training and dreamed of one day being alpha wolf. Arcias had been leader for years and it was soon time for him to be challenged. Us pups knew of this, and even though we were only just learning how to fly, we knew how to fight fiercely in case of a new leader who picked on us. There had been one once before. An evil Silver wolf named Castial. He ruled over the pack of night, training pups far too young, and killing many. He terrorized our whole pack, or so we had heard, until a brave wolf named Fakile, my father, fought him in a glorious battle and won him for alpha. My father, the victor, then gave up his leadership to Arcias, for he was a humble wolf, and though noble, did not feel like he was good enough for leadership quite yet, and soon after taking my mother, Cylvia, as a mate, he caught a fatal disease and flew off into the stars so not to sicken anyone else. I have my father’s coloring, or so my mother says, black with a white star on my chest and a white tipped tail. I would someday like to follow in my father’s footsteps and become leader, but not today. I will become alpha when I am ready, or when the time comes for evil to be crushed. Today is the day! I woke with a start. I will finish my training today and be granted with the honor of being a full fledged hunter and soldier. I nudged Kafi, “Wake up!” “Wha-? Whats wrong? Why-? Oh Shadow. Its just you. What is it?” He grumbled. “Kafi! Don’t you know what day it is? Today is the day we finish our training and the da-” “The day you are able to enter the challenge list to become Alpha.” He finished for me. “How could I forget? You remind me every chance you get.” He teased. “Well come on!” I barked. “Lets get first kill and make an impression of how good we are at hunting! I could go for a deer, and you know I can’t do it alone!” “Yeah, okay lets go before I freeze my tail off, Its really cold today.” He mumbled. As we dashed into the forest I let the wind blow through my fur and tried to pick up a scent. “Come on, just one sniff of a deer and we can feed half the pack,” I whispered. I pressed my nose to the earth and sniffed. There was deer scent. I signaled with my ears to Kafi, and together we stalked silently through the undergrowth. The bracken scraped my nose but I didn’t pay attention to it. I, Shadow would have the first catch of the day. I could smell the deer scent much easier now. It was very close. I signaled Kafi with my head to stalk around the edge of the clearing where I could hear the deer grazing. There was something different about this deer scent, not doe, and as I burst through the bushes, Kafi on the other side doing the same I noticed it. “Shadow you bonehead!” I whispered to myself. Between Kafi and I stood a huge, very startled, very angry looking buck. “RUN!” I yelped as the buck charged towards me. I was too frightened to move. All I could see was the buck charging straight toward me. I shrieked. I was dead, I was certain of it. Then I heard it. Tentatively I opened my eyes. “Stay away from her you huge brute!” Kafi growled from atop a surprised looking buck. I couldn’t believe it. Kafi was taking on the buck for me. If it weren’t for him I would be dead. No time for thanking him. I thought. Shadow he needs your help! Kafi couldn’t take on the buck for much longer on his own. Growling, I leaped on top of the buck’s back. “Hang in there Shadow.” Kafi growled through a mouthful of buck. “ Thank you,” I whispered. “You saved me.” “You’re very welcome Shadow but I don’t think it’s a very good time for this, I’m kinda in the middle of something. Please make it up to me, HELP!” Kafi barked as the buck tried to throw him off. “Oh, yeah,” I remembered. “Sorry.” I barked, as I bit down hard on the tough skin of the buck’s neck. Kafi and I wrestled the buck for what felt like a lifetime, and finally, when I felt like I could fight no more, Kafi chomped down hard on the buck’s neck and delivered the fatal blow. The buck slumped to the ground, twitching and kicking, and Kafi and I jumped to safety. As we lay panting, watching the buck eventually go limp, Kafi began to laugh. “What’s funny?” I asked. “Shadow,” he replied, amusement in his eyes. “ You wanted the first kill of the day to feed half the pack but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” “Why?” I asked, indignantly. “Wait let me finish,” he replied. “ That buck won’t just feed half the pack, it could feed two packs, and then some.” He woofed happily. Tired as we were, we got up and began to drag the huge carcass back to camp. “Hey Kafi,” I asked. “Whulit?” Kafi mumbled through the thick hide of the buck. “These antlers make excellent handles.” I replied, amusement in my eyes. Kafi looked so funny, his white fur covered in blood and dust was sticking up everywhere. I realized I must look pretty funny too and spent the rest of the way home trying to imagine what I looked like, and laughing at myself. When we got back to camp, we met our denmate Silla at the entrance. “Where did you two wander off to? a romanic da- WOAH!” She exclaimed, spotting the buck. “Yeah something like that,” Said Kafi, amusement and affection lighting up his green gaze as he looked at me. “Yeah,” I replied. “A romantic dawoah pretty much explains it.” I giggled. Kafi began to laugh, and my small chuckle bubbled into full on laughter as we sat there staring at our confounded friend. Silla seemed to recover with a small cough and replied, “Uh..ehm... well... uh... you two love birds better bring that thing in for everyone to share, because there’s no way I’m letting you eat that by yourselves.” She Barked. “Haha okay Silla,” Kafi replied. “You’re the boss of us Oh Mighty Alpha.” He managed to get in before I cracked up with laughter again. We met Krarcon at the Kill pile and his reaction was pretty much the same. “Y-y-you two caught that-that thing? All by yourselves?” He stuttered unbelieving. “Yes,” Kafi replied. “We managed to catch this ‘thing’ all by ourselves.” He told his brother. “And you are welcome to invite some others of the pack to come share it with us because we would never eat again if we were left alone with this.” I added happily. “O-okay Shadow, thank you.” He replied, and dashed off. “Boy by the way he treats you, I’d say he’s in love with you Shadow.” Kafi joked. “Come on Kafi,” I said, stifling laughter. “You know you’re the only one for me!” I barked, tackling him to the ground. Laughing, we both sat up as we heard the alpha approaching. After Arcias had died, Salres, his son, had taken his place as alpha. “Hello Alpha,” Kafi said politely, looking embaressed, he added, “Did you see the deer Shadow caught?” I looked at Kafi and then replied, “You know I can’t take full credit for this.” Turning to the alpha I said, “Kafi saved my life when this huge brute charged me. When I scented him I thought he was a doe and, well, as you can see I was badly mistaken but apparently we didn’t bite off more than we could chew this time.” “I see,” the alpha replied. “You two have performed well. I hear by name you fully fledged Titans, since in fighting this creature you showed both promise in hunting and fighting. Shadow your father would have been proud.” “Th-thank you sir, that means a lot,” I replied. I had done it! I was a Titan! All my training had paid off immensely. I flew up into the air and howled victoriously. Kafi joined me and we howled together. We did it together. “I love you,” I whispered. “I love you too Shadow.” He replied. Together we flew up higher than we had ever been before and flew side by side through the stars in a spiral dance. Life was perfect. Kafi’s P.O.V: I woke up to Krarcon’s breath in my face. “Kafi? Wake up Kafi I have to show you something.” He growled. “Krarcon are you okay?” I asked. Something wasn’t right. I could see it in his body movements. “Yes Kafi just follow me.” He growled again. I got up and followed him out of the den. “Where are we going?” I woofed playfully. “Brother did you find something cool?” I asked. “You’ll see when we get there.” He growled, seemingly unamused. I followed him into the woods. We went deeper and deeper until I was not sure if i could walk out on foot. “Krarcon how far is this thing you found?” I asked. “You’ll see when you get there.” He growled for the third time. “Krarcon I’m leaving.” I said. “Wait!” He exclaimed. “We’re here.” He had brought me to a small clearing far into the woods where the stars couldn’t shine through the trees. “What is it brother?” I asked. “We came to talk Kafi.” He growled. I sat down and pricked my ears to listen. Krarcon began to speak. “From the moment we met her she was special. All black except for her chest and tail.” “Shadow?” I interrupted. “Kafi wait until I am done. Yes Shadow. She walked right through me and talked to you. I’m sure both of you will deny it but for her, it was love at first sight, and I believe it was for you too. Brother I have loved this lovely she-wolf since the day I met her, and since then you have been in my way. I know you love her, and I heard her tell you she loved you too. today when you became Titans. This was never meant to happen. I’m sorry brother, but I will kill you for Shadows heart.” He finished. As his speech ended, I sat there in shock. My brother was going to kill me. I saw it in his eyes that he truly was sorry and that he was doing it for her, but I was his brother! How could he betray me like this? I opened my wings to fly away. “Noooooo rrrrrggggggggggg!” Krarcon let out a fierce growl and as I took flight, I felt his teeth rip through my flank. I let out a howl of pain and sorrow, hoping someone would hear me before it was too late. Krarcon would not stop until I was dead, I knew that much, and though I would fight him I could not kill my brother. He would fight with every last breath to kill me. He was in love. This was it for me unless I found help. Someone needed to come. Shadow needed to come. Shadow’s P.O.V: I woke up in the middle of the night to a cold nest beside me. Kafi was gone he had been gone for a while. I had been dreaming. In my dream Kafi was dying somewhere I could hear his howl. His howl! That was what had awoken me. I woke up to hear his painful howl! I raced out of the den and took flight, willing Kafi to howl again so I could find him. Then I heard it. The same mournful painful howl that I awoke to. The same howl that belonged to my love. I flew down through the trees into a small clearing where I spotted two wolves. One pure white aside from the bloody wounds covering him, the other brown, and equally bloody. As I flew downward I barked to them. “Kafi, Krarcon! Who is it that is causing you pain?” Kafi barked back. “Shadow help me. It is my own brother who is attempting to assassinate me because of his love for you. Help me my love. Help me to escape him, but do not kill him. He is my littermate! I love you.” “I love you too Kafi!” I exclaimed, but the words only seemed to anger Krarcon. “You love me now!” He growled. “Your love belongs to me Shadow!” “Never!” I growled. “I love Kafi!” I swooped in and nipped Krarcon on the leg. “Kafi, fly my love!” I screeched. Kafi only howled with pain as Krarcon dragged him back down to earth. With a sharp growl, Krarcon bent over Kafi’s body. “NO!” I screeched, as Krarcon sank his teeth into the bottom of Kafi’s wing. With a sharp tug and a spurt of blood, Kafi’s wings were torn off and thrown to the ground. “NOOOOOOOOOO!” I howled despairingly as I fell in a spiral towards the ground. I lay next to Kafi to hear his dying words. “Look for me in the stars my love. I will wait for you.” He whispered as he closed his eyes for the last time. I began to sob. Krarcon bent over me and whispered in my ear, “Shadow my love, it’s alright. I am here.” “No!” I growled, and slashed a claw across his face. As he howled with pain I took off into the evening sky. “I will return for you, Kafi my love.” I whispered as Krarcon took off after me. I landed in the camp and screeched, “Krarcon has killed Kafi! He is a murderer! He must be exiled!” Shocked faces appeared out of the dens. The pack were asking so many questions as Krarcon descended into the camp, and a she-wolf screeched, “Murderer!” Krarcon jumped on her and slashed her neck with his teeth. “Don’t come any closer,” I growled. “I’m warning you.” I snapped, “Stay back!” Krarcon just let out a low growl and began to creep forward. With a roar I leapt up and landed on his back. I bit into his wings and began shredding them. Krarcon let out a snarl. “Shadow I’ll kill you, and when I’m done I’ll kill every last one of them!” “Not if I can help it!” I snarled. As my teeth slashed through his flesh, I felt Kafi guiding me, giving me strength. I knew he wouldn’t let me die. I jumped once again on top of Krarcon and tore his wings out all together, then with a mighty blow, I knocked him over and slashed through his throat. Krarcon fell limp to the ground, blood pouring out of his wounds, but before he went still he choked out one last horrible phrase. “I did it for you,” he choked. “I will always love you Shadow.” His chest heaved and an odd spluttering sound came from his throat. “Go to hell Krarcon. You will never find your way to the stars.” I growled. There was only fear in his eyes and then it was gone. they were blank. He was gone but so was Kafi. The alpha came up to me. “Shadow, for your bravery and saving our pack, you are now the alpha. May you rule for many moons.” There was cheering, but the only thing I felt was numb. I was alpha, what I had always wanted but it was all in vain. All who I loved were gone. “Thank you.” I replied dryly. “I will do my best to serve for the best of my pack.” There was no shelter for me. I shared this burden alone. I would protect them. I swore to that. But there was nothing in it for me. Only pain. Epilogue: A moon after I lost Kafi, and defeated Krarcon, I realized I was heavy with Kafi’s pups. They are beautiful. One little black male named Relos who looks exactly like me, one brown female like Krarcon named Delios, and the third one. A little adventurous pure white male. His name is Kafi. THE END.
