The Pack, Introductions
"We are more than we are, We are one." ~ TLK 2
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The countryside was beautiful to a small kit sitting in his parents car. Leaves fluttered about in colorful dances as his father sped along the little road. Calmness surrounded the little fox as he sat in the small booster seat his mother had buckled him into. Their heading was unknown to the kit, but the mother knew that they were headed to her sister's house to celebrate the kit's 5th birthday. She turned in her seat to look her child over as he drifted in and out of sleep. His body was a deep, russet color with his tummy, paws and muzzle colored a soft white. She couldn't help smiling as his tongue lolled from his muzzle sleepily.
Danny yawned in his car seat as his father drove along the quiet back roads. His mother hummed quietly as they drove and the kit barely noticed as a hint of silver fur darted in front of their car. His father spun the wheel to avoid it and their car slammed into the ditch on the side of the road. Daniel's door was opened as his mother struggled to pull him out. The car was a wreck and his mother's usual rust colored fur was matted down with deep dark crimson. Her hands fumbled with the belt as he looked to his father.
He was no better off than Daniel's mother. The same crimson liquid made it's way through his fur as his mother pulled him from the car. She turned away from the vehicle and held Danny's head to her shoulder. He nuzzled her fur and murred softly hoping to convey that he was alright. He heard her gasp and followed her eyes to the source. Standing on the road above them was a single feral wolf. He was built up and muscular with a calm sense floating around him like the gentle breeze that blew through his fur. Daniel heard a pained gasp as his mother fell to her knees and gently set him down, giving him enough room to see now what caused her pain.
When the car hit the ditch, it slammed into a tree. Several branches skewered his father and one shorter and substantially thinner branch caught his mother. The wolf who had been idle up until this point stepped forward and looked Daniel over. His mother whispered something to the wolf that Daniel couldn't hear. The wolf's only response was to lean his head down and take hold of the young kit's scruff. The wolf lifted him into the air as his mother whispered her good bye before the wolf turned and left.
That was two months ago, and for the kit, it was only the beginning. He awoke with a small whimper but was met with a soft lick to his cheek. Danny murred softly as he nuzzled up into his caretaker's cheek. The wolf above him nuzzled into his neckfur and rumbled softly. After his first night here this wolf took an interest in the young fox and began guarding him against everything, even going so far as to treat him like a cub. The wolf's name was Blu and he stood barely larger than the other wolves. His fur was a deep silky black with a pair of lustrous sapphire colored eyes.
"Blu!" Danny cooed as he wrapped his arms around the wolf's neck. The wolf rumbled softly and nuzzled his cub's fur. The kit relaxed his arms as Blu pushed him gently onto his back. He began nuzzling and licking his cub's fur. He stopped only when he felt his cub was clean enough and sat the little fox up. He nudged his ward towards the exit of his den, following close behind the smaller vulpine. It reminded him of when the his subordinate had brought the little fuzzball to him.
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The little vulpine hung from Wisp's jaws almost lifelessly. When his pack mate set the smaller canine at his feet there wasn't much movement aside from a small twitch in his his tail. Blu leaned down and nuzzled the small fox inquisitively, receiving a light lick to his muzzle from Danny. The larger of the wolves sniffed over Danny's semi-lifeless body before he grabbed the small fox by his scruff and carried him off without a word to his subordinate. In his den he carefully laid the small kit on the dried grass that made up his bed.
His nose was buried once more in the kit's fur as he attempted to sort Wisp's smell from the kit's. He finally found the subtle scent of the young fox and committed it to memory before he began grooming his own scent into the smaller kit's fur. He shredded the small fox's clothing to totally cover his subordinates scent with his own. After a few minutes he rose once more as Danny stirred for the first time since arriving. The little fox opened his eyes and whimpered as he caught sight of the large wolf. Blu hesitated for only a second before nuzzling the little ball of fuzz laid out on his bed. The little vulpine shuddered for a minute as Blu crept into the grassy bed with the kit and curled up around him. He sniffled once as he nuzzled into the large wolf's fur and calmed down.
The young fox fell back to sleep, unsure of anything but the warm embrace of the wolf's body around him. When he shivered Blu would adjust himself and lick over the little kit's head to comfort him. Danny gave a small murr before settling back into the wolf's fur and back into sleep. The kit's day had been long and his sleep was not as calm as Blu would have hoped. The morning came quickly enough for the wolf, but the fox's night drudged on as his mind struggled to comprehend what had happened to his mother, and why she had left him with the wolves.
As the sun began to peek through the den, the wolf began to stir and another wolf entered his small den. Blu stood and greeted the female with a small lick to her muzzle. She nuzzled under his muzzle submissively as she looked past him. "Blu... What is that?" she asked as she inquisitively pushed past her alpha.
"Don't wake him he barely slept." Blu replied, stepping forward and putting himself between the female and the sleeping kit. The female's ears swiveled back as she sniffed around the ground and caught the kit's scent. Her lips drew back as a low growl built in her throat. Danny began to stir behind Blu as the female's growl continued into a snarl. The kit whimpered as he crawled back away from the large female. A louder growl filled the female's hearing as well as Danny's. "Jewel." Blu said with a low rumbling snarl.
Jewel glared up to Blu's gaze then tucked her tail and stepped back. Blu's chest puffed out as he loomed over his subordinate female. "Blu... He's one of them... How can you protect him like this?" Jewel said in a quiet snarl. Blu's teeth flashed as he growled again. Jewel dropped to the ground in front of him and rolled onto her back keeping her ears splayed as she whined softly. "It's because he looks like him isn't it." Jewel said quietly when Blu had relaxed his posture. Blu gave no reply to her, only turning away and walking back to the frightened kit.
Danny whimpered and huddled into the dried grasses of Blu's nest as the large male approached him. Blu's nose met with Danny's scruff and the kit flinched, whining softly as his caretaker tried to comfort him. For the first time since arriving the young fox realized that he was among feral wolves. Worse yet he was barely a yard away from one that, not seconds ago, was snarling at him as if she would rip his throat out without a second thought.
"Easy little one. You're alright." Blu said in a low rumble, as he nuzzled the little fox. Danny heard only the rumble and felt the larger wolf's nose running through his fur. He kept his ears back as he stepped forward and nuzzled lightly into Blu's chestfur. He couldn't say for sure but he figured that the large black wolf held some authority over the female so he was better off getting into the alpha's good side. Blu puffed his chest out again as he nuzzled the little fox's shoulders.
Jewel stood and crept over to where the pair stood. She kept her ears back and her tail down, stopping a few feet from Danny. The small fox looked to her and then Blu before he nuzzled Blu's leg. Blu licked the kit's ear to reassure him and without much hesitation Danny stepped over and leaned his head down and sniffed at Jewel's muzzle. Danny stood back up and quirked his head as he looked Jewel over, wagging his tail before he looked back at Blu. Without much warning to the small kit he felt his stomach contract as it growled rather loudly. The kit's ears went down and his tail slipped between his legs again as he cringed and looked to Blu.
Blu wagged his tail and nuzzled his kit. "Jewel can you find him something small to eat?" Blu asked looking back to, the now submissive, female before him. Jewel stood and nodded before leaving the den. Blu gently clasped his jaws around the kit's scruff and carried him from the den. Danny gave a small whine, objecting to being carried but Blu disregarded it as he stepped over to the small lake outside of the den. Blu gently sat the small fox next to the rippling water and sat back to watch.
Danny crawled to the water's edge and dipped his muzzle beneath the crystalline surface. Blu watched from his distance as the young fox lapped at the water, semi-oblivious to the world around him. Not two minutes went by before Jewel returned with a small rabbit in her jaws. The brown furred lapine struggled in the lupine's jaws for a minute before Jewel's jaws readjusted, silencing it's will with hers. A slight jerk of her head snapped it's neck and the bunny's body fell limp in her maw.
Jewel set the limp lapine on the ground near the kit and walked away, leaving Blu to sort it out with the kit. Meanwhile, Danny had crept over to the lifeless bunny and nudged it with his nose. Blu sat by wagging his tail as he watched his kit nose the bunny curiously. After nudging it for a minute, the little fox walked over to Blu and nuzzled his chest. Blu nuzzled the kit's headfur and nudged him back towards the rabbit. Danny whimpered and stayed close to Blu, refusing to go near the little lapine.
A quiet voice came from behind the large wolf. "Blu he doesn't know what to do with it." a large female said walking from behind a tree and brushing against Blu.
"Hello Bliz." Blu said quietly, as Danny cringed at the soft growls and vocalizations of the wolves. He was beginning to pick up on one pattern that came up more than others but wasn't sure if it was what he had thought. Blizzard looked Danny over for a minute before licking his cheek and wagging her tail.
"Hello little one." She said in an almost musical tone. Danny's ears perked as he murred softly and wagged his tail in a mocked greeting from Blu. "He's cute Blu where did you kidnap him from?" Bliz asked, licking the underside of her mate's muzzle. Blu growled softly to her and she chuckled.
"What do you mean Bliz?" Blu asked, leaning down and licking Danny's face. Bliz sat a few feet away letting the gentle breeze blow through her silver and black fur.
"He's still a cub Blu he's not on to solid foods yet. The cubs are still nursing so I can take care of him for you if you need." Bliz said wagging her tail a little. Blu mulled it over for a minute as he continued grooming the small kit.
"Alright but you're moving in my den then." Blu said catching Blizzard's emerald eyes with his own sapphire eyes. Bliz nodded and walked over to the pair before leaning down and nuzzling the small kit. Danny looked from Blu to Bliz before his ears came up and he looked to Blu. He struggled for a second before he managed a small familiar vocalization.
"B-blu?" Danny said in a soft rumble before wagging his tail. The larger black wolf looked at the small fox in amazement before Bliz giggled and brought him back.
"He knows you Blu. You need to affirm that that's you silly" Bliz said quietly. Blu nodded and leaned down, gently nuzzling the kit and murring softly. Danny wagged his tail as well and licked Blu's muzzle. Blu gently clasped his jaws around the kit's scruff again, carefully picking the little fox up as he headed back to the den.
The move was short and in less then twenty minutes Bliz and the cubs, Chance and Chase, were moved into the Alpha's den with their mother. Bliz laid curled up on a separate bed of grass than Blu and the kit were curled up in. Chance and Chase occasionally yipped as they romped around the room with each other. Danny watched from Blu's nest as the cubs fought playfully before he looked over to Blu and wagged his tail. He let his head tilt to the side and waited for a second. Blu nudged the little kit and wagged his tail. "Go play little one." he whispered, nudging the fox again.
Danny hopped down and crept closer to the cubs, keeping his ears perked at the gray-furred pups playing before him. Before he got within three feet of the pups he was pounced by both of them. While the smaller wolves played with the kit Blu stood and left the den. He was greeted by a familiar sigh as he left the den. Wisp and Balto; another of his pack mates, stood together waiting for him. Balto's fur seemed a tad ruffled for his usual calm demeanor. He was a deeper gray color than Wisp, with a deep blue color on his paws and the tips of his ears. Blu knew something was wrong just by looking into Balto's piercingly golden eyes.
"Blu we can't keep one of them here." Balto said in a quiet tone. "They will come for him and when they do it won't be pretty." The younger male said in a hushed tone.
"Have you been back to the site Wisp?" Blu said quietly.
"Yes. The mother was missing though. I couldn't track where she went." Wisp explained tucking his tail a bit at the slight anger that came over his Alpha's muzzle.
"Blu we need to get rid of him before something bad happens." Balto said in a deadlier tone.
"No, I won't let the little one die because of our pack." Blu said glaring at Wisp as he spoke.
"Blu you can't endanger the whole pack because he looks like your brother!" Balto said in a sharp bark. Blu's muzzle pulled back into a snarling growl as he glared at Balto. The younger wolf's ears dropped back as his tail went down as well.
"I decide what is best for the pack and the fox will not affect our pack. Unless I say otherwise, that, is my decision!" Blu said straightening himself as he calmed a bit. Blu's ears swiveled around as he heard Danny yip and run from the den. The kit darted between the black wolf's legs and used them as a shield between himself and the gray colored pups bounding up behind him. It wasn't much of a shield for the kit, as Chance pounced the kit first followed by his brother Chase. All three adults chuckled before Blu scooped Danny up and carried him into the den again.
As he entered Bliz smiled and wagged her tail. "Hey Blu, have you thought about what you'll name him?" Bliz asked as she greeted her cubs before they settled in to nurse. Blu sat the kit down and nudged him over to Bliz before curling up next to her.
"Hunter." Blu said quietly.
"That's a nice name for him." Bliz whispered, laying back to lick the underside of her mate's muzzle.
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"Ms Williams?" A small voice repeated. "Claire?" The voice resounded again. The woman opened her eyes and saw an elderly looking tabby wearing a white lab coat staring down at her. He looking over her through foggy glasses shielding deep emerald eyes. She pondered why she lay upon a bed and who she gazed upon."You've been in a coma for 7 weeks", the doctor standing over him said in a quiet voice.
"Where's Danny?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.
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Ok so here is my Pack story. Got the plot thinking about my SSS story so I wrote this. There will probably be yiffing in the next story so just hold out a bit alright? Super big thanks to my proofreader Cerix for helping me with this ^_^