Prolouge

     She flew through the trees like a hawk. She could hear the hunting cries of her pack behind her, she forced herself to move faster. The pup the dangled in her jaws whimpered. 'I have to meet the others with this pup!' she thought furiously. 'The fate of our packs depends on it!' The she-wolf paused for a moment and glanced back at her mate. She knew that he was dying. They had spent 15 long years in each other’s company and despite her pleas, he insisted to spend his last moments helping her commit the worst crime in wolf history. After she had received her strange dream from the stars asking her for the strongest and the weakest pup from the alpha's litter, her mate was determined to help her. It wasn't too long ago that she had heard that two other elderly wolves from separate packs had received the exact same dream. Now she and her mate were on the run to the special meeting place.

     Once her mate caught up, he set the pup he was carrying down. "Pastelle, do you know how far we are from the meeting place? I can't run much longer," he said in a weak, raspy voice.

     "I don't think that it's much longer, Quinto," Pastelle explained and sniffed the air. "Let’s keep going; the pack is catching up."

     Pastelle picked up her pup and bolted off. After a couple of minutes she caught the scent of another pack. Indigo, the elder of her pack, burst through the ferns with a pup dangling in her jaws. She nodded slightly acknowledging Pastelle's presence. Her mate was close behind her. Not long after that, Zen and his mate joined them with their pups.

     "How far are we?" Zen mumbled through his bundle of fur.

     "They have to be placed in the cavern behind the waterfall," Pastelle informed him.

     "I can't hear the packs anymore, I think that we can slow down," Indigo announced.

     "And none too soon, I think I can hear the waterfall up ahead," Zen said sounding relieved.

     Just then the wolves came upon the clearing with the waterfall. The falling water shimmered in the full moon light. Pastelle heard a thud as her mate collapse on the ground. The pup tumbled from his lips. They all stopped and looked back. "I can't go on; you'll have to leave me." Pastelle whined, urging him to get up, sorrow gripped at her heart.

     "I'll stay here; you guys go on and take those pups up the waterfall. Someone will have to come back and get this last one," Zen volunteered.

     Pastelle was about to protest when she heard the combined howl of all three packs. The elders shivered. "Alright, you'll stay. I'll come back for the last pup," Indigo decided. The wolves made their way to the cavern behind the waterfall, slipping and sliding the entire way. After setting down her weak she-pup, Pastelle gave her one final lick before leaving. Pastelle tumbled down the waterfall to where Quinto lay. She was too late, he had already died. She whined, 'I didn't even get to say goodbye'. Pastelle heard the other elders call to her but she ignored them. She wanted to stay and mourn over her mate; she wouldn't have to mourn long. She listened as the packs drew closer and closer. Pastelle suddenly felt and eerie presence behind her.

     "Where did you take my pups you old hag?" the alpha female growled in her ear.

     "They have a greater destiny ahead of them," was all Pastelle said.

     The alpha female growled savagely. Her pack swarmed around her. Pastelle was trembling with fear but she knew it would do no good to run. She gazed into the alpha female's wild blue eyes.

     "I love you, my daughter."

     Then everything went white.