KNIGHT

 

I raced through the trees quickly despite straining my knee. The foxes were all ahead of me. Oliver was by my side, guiding me back to the camp among the trees.

It wasn’t long before we’d arrived back at the clearing. Those who stayed behind turned to us and began murmuring.

“What’s going on?”

“What are you all doing back here so quickly?”

I looked around at the foxes that went on the gathering trip and saw the bewildered looks on their faces. Each one of them looked like they had seen a ghost. Even the normally confident Silas and Eve were frightened.

The commotion grew so loud that Anita exited her tent. She made her way toward us, her brow furrowed.

“What is the meaning of this?” she said. “The gathering party should not have returned so quickly.”

“There was a wolf,” Silas said.

“A wolf?”

“Yes,” Eve said. “A fierce wolf. He confronted us.”

Anita scoffed and shook her head.

“We are nowhere near fierce wolf territory,” Anita said. “What would a fierce wolf be doing here?”

“I heard what he said,” Silas said.

He turned and pointed his finger at Oliver. Everybody in the clearing looked at the Omega who stood by my side.

“Him,” Silas continued. “He trespassed on their territory and now they’ve come for him.”

Anita’s eyes widened in shock.

“Is this true, Omega?” she said.

Oliver looked down sheepishly at the ground. I saw how uncomfortable he was, trying to search for the right thing to say to the woman who led his brethren.

“It’s not his fault—” I said.

“Quiet, city-dweller,” Anita cut me off. “This has nothing to do with you. Answer me, Oliver. Tell me what the fierce wolf is doing here.”

Oliver had never looked more uncomfortable. I wanted to do something for him but the truth had to be told.

“I moved far away from camp,” Oliver started. “I walked around their territory. I always do. I moved to the west. That’s where I found Knight after the avalanche. He was injured. He could barely walk. I… I…”

“Go on,” Anita said.

“I knew the snow was coming. There would be no way for him to find shelter.”

“That’s his problem,” Silas said. “If those from the city wish to come out here, then they should be prepared to face the consequences.”

“Enough!” Anita said to Silas. “Keep going, Oliver. Tell me everything.”

“I told him he could come here,” Oliver said. “I told Knight he could stay here at the camp. But there was no way we’d make it together before the snow. So I took a shortcut.”

“A shortcut through fierce wolf territory.”

Oliver nodded.

The men and women crowded around us all gasped.

“You know that you’re not supposed to go through their territory,” Eve said. “The fierce wolves are violent. They don’t care who you are. Trespassers are shown no mercy.”

“I didn’t think they would find us,” Oliver pleaded. “It was the only way we could make it back to the camp in time.”

“You’re a fool,” Silas said. “It’s no wonder you’re the lowest Omega in the skulk.”

The twin brother and sister laughed with one another. But everybody else remained shocked at the grave situation.

“The wolf,” Anita said. “What did he say?”

“He knows that I was one of the trespassers,” Oliver explained. “He knows that I am a part of this group. Because of that…”

“What? What is it?”

“Because of that… He intends to make the skulk pay tribute to the wolves before the snow. If not… I’m sure there will be bloodshed.”

The crowd around us all gasped again. Their worried murmurs were loud enough to fill the entire clearing. They all looked at one another like they couldn’t believe what they heard.

Anita raised her hand and quieted everybody.

“I understand,” she said. “Then there is only one thing that must be done.”

She put her hands on Oliver’s shoulders and shook her head softly.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I must banish you from the skulk. It is the only way to protect all of us.”

“Serves him right,” Silas said.

“It’s about time, if you ask me,” Eve said.

Oliver’s head dropped in disappointment. I felt a sadness I’d never felt before.

I had to do something. I couldn’t let the man who saved me be forced to leave his own kind.

“Anita,” I said.

She turned toward me.

“What do you want, jaguar?”

“I wish to speak with you. In private.”

“We have nothing to discuss.”

“We do have something to discuss. Please. I beg you. You have compassion in your heart, I know it. Just hear me out.”

She sighed a deep breath through her nostrils. The noisy twins continued to complain.

“You have no reason to talk to him, Alpha,” Silas said. “Send him on his way with the weak Omega and be done with it. Wash your hands of all the problems they’ve caused since they’ve been here.”

Anita paid him no attention.

“In my tent,” she said with a nod. “The rest of you, get back to work. Prepare another gathering trip to the south. There is work to be done. The snow is still coming.”

Anita turned around and headed into her tent. The foxes scattered among the clearing. Silas and Eve looked at me with disdain but I paid them no attention as I turned to Oliver.

I put my hands on his shoulders and he looked up at me in response. The sadness in his eyes was undeniable. The shimmering green I was so used to seeing was surrounded by red from the tears he cried.

“It will be all right,” I said to him. “I promise.”

“What can you possibly do?”

“Anita is an Alpha but she is not cruel or heartless. I will make her see reason. I will find a solution that will be best for all of us.”

I kissed Oliver on the forehead and made my way into Anita’s tent. I found her sitting on the floor with her back turned to me.

“My people have been at peace for centuries,” she said. “Generation after generation, we’ve lived in serenity in these woods. The stories of the wars we fought were so long ago they might as well be myths.”

“There are many stories from many packs,” I said. “You have a rich tradition you should be proud of.”

“It’s no longer tradition. It is a simple fact. We are ordinary foxes trying to live simple lives. It is not in our nature to fight.”

“I understand. We all have the innate ability to fight but it is best not to use it. I had not engaged with anybody since…”

I looked down at the ground and scoffed at the thought.

“…I have not engaged with anybody since I was a boy.”

She slowly turned around and somehow worked a smirk onto her face.

“You and I are a lot alike,” I said.

“In what way?”

“We both wish to live in peace. We both wish to quell the storms in our hearts. We all want to live a life filled with joy. That’s why I came out here.”

“Did you find what you were looking for, jaguar?”

“I did.”

Anita sighed and shook her head.

“It’s a shame,” she said. “I don’t wish to banish Oliver. Especially with a child in his womb. But the health of the entire skulk is paramount.”

She stood up and began pacing back and forth in her place.

“The fierce wolves demand tribute,” she said. “If we don’t give it to them, they will surely slaughter us all or wound us greatly. If we give it to them, then we will surely suffer through the snow. The chances are greater if we do attempt to survive through the snow with no supplies. But either way, leaving Oliver in the skulk condemns us to death.”

“There is another way.”

“And what is that?” she said, an eyebrow raised at me.

“I am a trespasser. I will go. I will confront the fierce wolves.”

“Surely you will be slaughtered.”

“Perhaps. But the fierce wolves only attacked because they needed to make an example out of those who trespass.”

I sighed a deep breath before I spoke. I knew what I was about to say was crazy but I’d never felt more confident.

“I will be the example of what happens when one trespasses through fierce wolf territory.”

“Then you intend on dying.”

She slowly walked up to me.

“Why would you do such a thing?”

“Oliver is pregnant with my child,” I said. “Banishing him from the skulk condemns him to death. I ask you to let him remain. Let him and my child remain. The fierce wolves will not be able to kill me because my life has already found its meaning in Oliver. My child will be my legacy.”

Anita stared hard at me. At this point, I’d said everything I could. If I couldn’t convince her now, I would never be able to.

But she slowly started to nod.

“You’re a brave man, city-dweller.”

“I’m only doing what’s right.”

“Very well. I will watch over Oliver and his child. They are mine. In exchange, you must leave. Deal with the fierce wolves however you wish.”

“I intend to.”

I began to leave but stopped when I felt her hand on my wrist.

“Good luck, jaguar.”

She continued staring at me. I nodded to her and exited the tent. As soon as I got out, Oliver was standing there with a frown on his face that I expected.

“What did you say to her?”

I kept walking toward the trees at the edge of the clearing with Oliver right next to me.

“I convince Anita to let you stay,” I said. “Your place is with your brethren. She vowed to watch over you and your child.”

I got to the side of the clearing and put my hands on Oliver’s shoulders.

“She will protect you,” I said. “You and your child. Everything will be all right.”

“But you… She wouldn’t let me stay without getting something in return. She must have asked something of you…”

I swallowed anxiously. Looking into Oliver’s eyes, I saw the man I wanted to spend forever with. But I knew I couldn’t.

I held back all of the emotions beginning to build inside of me and coughed to clear my throat.

“I told her I would confront the fierce wolves,” I said.

“What?” he exclaimed.

“The fierce wolves need to make an example of those who trespass on their territory. I will be that example.”

“But you’ll be killed! You don’t expect me to just let you walk off and die—”

“Listen to me, Oliver.”

I squeezed my hands on his shoulders. The tears leaking from the corners of his eyes made it hard for me to speak. It took all of my strength to keep my emotions down so that I could get it out.

“I came to the Timberlands because I wanted to find a greater purpose,” I said. “I wanted to help those in need back in the city. So many Omegas are suffering. When I met you, I found the purpose I was looking for. You’ve given my life the meaning I’ve always been searching for.”

“Knight—”

“You are the father of my child. Whatever happens to me, I want you to stay safe. I want you to raise our child. If I were to die, that would be a greater legacy that I could have ever hoped for.”

The tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked away from me.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No… You can’t…”

“I must.”

“You expect me to let you just walk off and confront the fierce wolves by yourself?”

“You trespassed through their territory because of me. I will answer for it.”

“I don’t want you to go!”

Oliver shouted loud enough for the foxes to turn and take notice.

“Please, Oliver,” I said. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

He put his head down and began sobbing. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close, running a hand through his hair.

“There’s no other way,” I sighed. “There’s no other way…”

I wanted to hold him forever. I wanted to comfort him so that he never had to cry. But I told myself that he would get over this. He would move on.

I slowly pulled him away from me and looked down into his reddened eyes.

“Smile,” I said. “Look at our child and smile. Our child will always be the reminder of the time we spent together.”

“Do you have to go now?” I asked.

“Fierce wolf territory is far from here.”

“But your leg—”

“My knee is the furthest thing from my mind. Do not worry about me.”

I leaned forward and kissed him softly on the forehead.

“Goodbye, Oliver… I… I love you.”

“I love you.”

I couldn’t take it any longer. I turned my back to him and hurried to make way through the trees.

I could feel his eyes on me as I left. I kept moving until I was out of view. As soon as I was sure he couldn’t see me, I let my emotions finally get the best of me.

With tears rolling down my eyes, I sighed a deep breath and puffed my chest out proudly.

I didn’t know what would happen when I encountered the fierce wolves. But I was ready to do whatever it took to finally end this.