Fallen Wolves #1: Dark Stars - Katie Radgowski (top non fiction books of all time TXT) 📗

to ice. He scented something shadowy, dark and bloodthirsty near. It was crawling in the shadows, it's red eyes glowing from the brown thickets. Fang felt frozen. He tried to call out but he throat was puffy and hurting. 

 Then, the creatures leapt out, it's claws bared with it's horrible teeth and snake like tongue and with it's bulging red eyes!  

"AH!" 

 Fang suddenly woke up. Sweat trinkled down his fur as he realized that it was a dream. He scrambled to his feet, gasping for breath as he looked around. What did the dream mean? First, a bright sunlit forest and then a living hell with it's Devil. A sign from Lupus. 

 Fang looked up to see a starry figure next to him. It blinked before it dissapered. 

 Lupus. 

Chapter 19: Tales of The Old and Dark

Fang padded back to the hollow after it stopped raining. He couldn't stay in the Healer's den. It became a dark, creepy hell every time he blinked in there. Acorn let him go, saying it was ok for him to walk now. 

 Fang entered the hollow. Not much wolves were active. Some were sleeping while some others were on patrols. Fang got nods and ear flicks from his Packmates as greetings and welcome backs. Fang was surprised they noticed him, but he dipped his head in response to each wolf before padding to the eldest Senior den. 

 Eldest Seniors were wolves who retired from their ranks. Their was a few in the Pack, old and cranky as ever. Well, some of them. Fang never met them, but he decided that the best wolves to tell his dream to was to the eldest Seniors, since they were more knowledgeable about the old times. 

 Fang entered the high hanging bramble den. There was a pale ginger female wolf, Sand, a pure black male, Black, a dark gray striped male, Snake, a creamy female wolf, Leaf, and a white male wolf with large brown paws, known as Foot. They were laying in their nests, talking and eating a large rabbit together. It felt warm and cozy in the Senior den. 

 The Seniors stopped talking as they heard him come in. Leaf turned, blinking a soft, friendly gaze at him. "May we help you, Fang of Jaw?" 

 Fang felt his neck fur rise as she called him by his Pure name. But of course, Fang knew it meant his rank. He wasn't used to it yet. 

 "Erm, I have to speak with you." Fang replied as he jumped softly to paw to paw, nervous of being in their presence with a blank mind. 

 "Well, your more then welcome." Sand exclaimed as she stood up from her nest. Fang realized that she was one of the oldest, with a silver muzzle and flecks of gray fur. Snake and Foot looked like that too. Leaf and Black must be the youngest of the Seniors. "Come on, sit down in our humble, cranky home." 

 "Hey, we may be old but not cranky enough to call our den cranky." Snake rasped as his eyes narrowed. 

 "Of course." Sand laughed as she flicked his ear with her tail tip. She turned back to Fang. "You may have some rabbit if you want, Fang." 

 Fang shook his head. "No thank you. I'm not hungry. I ate a mouse." 

 "A mouse would be better then this rabbit. It tastes of rot-prey!" Black mumbled as he shifted in his nest, uncomfortable to be near the prey. 

 Sand ignored him as she let Fang sit down in a mossy nest on the corner of the den, close to the Seniors. "Okay, ask away." 

 "Well, I had a dream about an hour ago-" 

 "A dream! Fantastic. Ready to tell us how you flocked in daises?" Foot croaked sarcastically. He closed his mouth as Leaf turned to him, teeth bared in an annoyed snarl. 

 "Shut up, Foot! Let the poor Hunter talk. The dream sounds important." 

 "-and it was wierd." Fang began. "I was in a leafy green forest, with bright sunlight and birds chirping. I then heard Snowflake's voice. I ran to it, but then the whole forest turned to a living hell. The birds were dead, plants and bushes dead, trees shrivled up and the streams were made of tar. I then went up to this hill, where I heard Snowflake's voice. Suddenly, I felt frozen. My veins turned cold and I felt like an ice cube. I saw a demon like creature in the shadows, with blood like eyes and bared teeth and a snake tongue. It lunged at me then I woke up." 

 The Seniors were silent. Sand seemed troubled as Snake's ears flattened. Leaf seemed afraid as she flashed glances with the stocked Black. 

 "This sound's like Dark Shadows, the demon wolf." Snake suddenly said in a quiet voice. "And he's real, I can give you that." 

 "Who is he?" 

 "Dark Shadows is a terrible, bloody-thirsty wolf who's been roaming Graymarsh." Sand explained. "With his evil horde. He wants to find one power, to rule over us all. He's killed hundreds of innocents. He's terrible, like Death Wolf himself. He's also like Death Wolf's General, dragging wolves to hell as he sliced their throats. He's bad trouble." 

 "Well, the dream couldn't come from him." Fang pointed out. "It was bright, pretty forest land at first." 

 "It must've been Sky Lupus." Leaf suddenly barked. "He was trying to warn you, Fang. I just know it from the tip of my tongue." 

 "That mean's danger is coming." Black growled. "We must tell Moon Leader and get ready. What if Dark Shadows comes now? We would all be goners." 

 "But he's not, mudbrain." Foot spat. "I wouldn't worry about it, kiddo." He added to Fang. "It's all complete elk-dung. Sky Lupus must've sended it to the wrong wolf." 

 "How dare you?" Leaf snapped to Foot. "Your rejecting Lupus's choice? He chosen and sended Fang the dream. No wolf else. Lupus did it for a reason." 

 "Leaf is right. Lupus sended it to me for a reason. I know it." Fang agreed. 

 "Calm down." Sand barked. "This is important. We must believe Fang as he tells us this and try to think of what it mean's." 

 "It mean's elk-dung, that's what it mean's!" Snake retorted sharply as he rose to his paws slowly. "I'm not getting mixed up in this. Dark Shadows is across Graymarsh, far away. He couldn't cross the mountains, too. Why be so foolish for this?" 

 "Because it's real!" Fang argued. "I know it! I could feel everything I would've felt in real life in the dream! Not kidding!" 

 "I'm believing him." Sand suddenly growled. "Fang wouldn't lie. Not after what he's been through." 

 "Me too." Black and Leaf agreed. 

 "Well, Snake and I aren't." Foot replied evenly. "We're sensible Seniors. We don't believe in kiddie tales." 

"Fine, die in the hands of the Devil himself, mudbrains. I don't care!" Fang snarled to Foot and Snake as he marched out, pelt burning in rage. 

 

 

Chapter 20: Birth of Reconization

Fang saw his Packmates crowd the Infirmary. About an hour ago, one of the females in the Pack, a Hunter named Dusk, gave birth to four pups. Their father, Mountain, another Hunter, stood proudly at the entrance as wolves poured in, trying to sneak peeks at the tiny new Pups. 

 Fang stood on the outcrowds, watching the wolves. The dim light from the Infirmary washed the hollow yellow as the sun sunk behind the trees to leave a starry night. 

 Fang felt his heart grow cold. Did his mother feel that way when she gave birth to him long ago? Did she feel blessed and joyful to her new son? Or did she feel empty, bitter coldness to him that she gave him away to the caring father? Fang wished it wasn't like that. Maybe if his mother kept him, everything would be different. But he realized it would be different. He would've never met Snowflake, Misty and his friends and his father and Packmates. 

 Fang felt something warm against him. Misty was next to him, her eyes soft as she gazed at the Infirmary's crowded entrance. "What are you doing, Fang?" 

"Nothing. Just... standing here." Fang replied quickly.  

 "Aren't you gonna go see the newborns?" Misty asked. "There so cute! Two males and two females. Dusk is blessed." 

 "Yeah." Fang agreed quietly. He didn't want to surpress his feelings to Misty. For some reason, she changed over the last month. She became softer, quiter and became more caring to Fang. Fang felt uncomfortable around her now, since she always brushed her pelt to his. Misty was a pretty wolf, he had to admit, but he just wasn't ready for a mate or pups of his own. Not yet, anyway. Being a father and a mate was a big deal and Fang didn't live off his rank years to be stumbling around tiny furballs of joy that wanted to climb over his belly and back. 

 "You know, when Storm dies, you'll be General. Since Stone was Storm's father, the son or daughter of the General get's picked when the former one dies." 

 "Yes, I know." Fang replied, his voice unknown. "Seem's like a big job, sorting patrols, battles, lesson plans, hollow construction and all. I'm not ready." 

 "Of course you are." Misty mumured as she brushed her muzzle into his fur. "I, and everyone trusts you in the future. You saved Snowflake's body from rogues, fought a panther, risked your life to hunt cattle-" 

"-and it got Snowflake killed." Fang reminded her sharply as he pulled away. "Look where it got me! I'm nothing without her. If I didn't hunt those stupid Being cattle, Snowflake would be alive, breathing and laughing. But she's not. She's dead. How could anyone trust me after when I was the whole blame for Snowflake's death?" 

 Misty's eyes darkened. Fang could see she couldn't answer. No one could. Fang looked away, his gaze staring at his paws. 

 "Listen, I know your upset. But, if you just stay strong, you can make it through. With me." Misty said as she pulled his muzzle to face her. She seemed lovely when he looked into her strong, sage green eyes. 

 Fang sighed as he dropped the pain from his chest. Fang licked her muzzle. "Thanks." 

 Misty eyes clouded as she got up and padded away to the Hunter's den. Fang watched her go, his belly flipping. 

 Fang realized he missed what Snowflake was trying to teach him all along. Love. His love could create something that can make his generation go on and on through his Pack. 

 Misty was his solution. They were both weren't pure Pack blood and both were close friends. Misty was old enough now to love some other wolf and pick a mate. That's