Mister Ōkami
The Long Way Around

Alpha quickly runs and captures the pika who squeaked us out. Meanwhile, word of our presence is spreading faster than fire on a gasoline trail. Rather than heading straight back out the way we came, Alpha insists we dash through the long way, just in case any wolves have emerged to flee. Toosh continues leading the way, the smell of fear thick around us.

“TURN LEFT, TOOSH!” Alpha barks.

Toosh makes a sharp left turn and we all follow. Still no sign of any other wolves. I can hear helicopters approaching! They’re gonna snipe us!

“AH HAH! GOTCHA!” a voice calls out suddenly.

A net drops over Toosh and Crisp as they were in front of the procession. Of freaking course… This wouldn’t have happened if we just took the short way out! Frostt bursts forth from the back of the line, nearly kicking my head as she soars over.

The helicopters are getting closer and Alpha looks like he’s about to bail and leave the two captured wolves behind! Frostt, though, quickly attacks the horse who is holding the handle of the net in his mouth. One horse versus half a pack of wolves. The horse neighs and drops the net while trying to throw Frostt off.

The roaring of the helicopter is becoming deafening and the search light is almost upon us. I leap in next, freeing Toosh and Crisp from the net, but, Crisp got her head stuck in a loop and is choking to death! Alpha howls, warning us that we have to run, now. Gargle joins in on attacking the horse, drawing blood.

“I’M DYING!” Crisp squeaks, eyes rolling up.

X helps me bite the netting until it snaps, freeing the injured wolf. Alpha grabs me by the scruff and takes off as the helicopter is right overhead now. I hear a pained death neigh; the horse is dead… We killed it…

“Alpha, the others-” I start, but he growls for me to be silent.

Swift as can be, he drags me out of the city. Just barely, I can see the others fleeing. What of Crisp? Did anyone drag her along? Alpha tosses me down a deep hole that was hidden in some bushes. He then slides down after me.

“Suisen, you could have been captured back there. You’re lucky I saved you again,” Mr. Ōkami says, licking me. “I was scared I was about to lose you.”

“Alpha, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you. Crisp was going to die. I had to save her,” I say.

“I’m upset, but I’m also proud of you. You’ve only just joined the pack and you are already looking after us,” Mr. Ōkami says. “The others should be joining us, shortly. Nobody is as fast as I am.”

“Do you think any of them got captured?” I ask.

“There’s always the possibility, but don’t worry about it,” Mr. Ōkami says, then he gives me a sympathetic look. “You wouldn’t have known about this hide out, I had to rescue you. The others know this location. Listen, I have NEVER met a wolf as beautiful as you, before. I would gladly rank you a Beta…or even an Alpha, but, well, that wouldn’t be fair to the others.”

“Of course not, Alpha. I’ll work my way up,” I say with a nod.

“Nobody would want a newbie to be instantly made Alpha. You’re right, though. I KNOW you will work your way to the top. Ranking day is coming up. I rank in 8 categories, each wolf 1 to however many wolves I have, the highest number being the greatest wolf. You, my dear, will certainly place pretty high,” Mr. Ōkami says.

Before I can say anything more, he licks my lips. I extend my tongue to return the flavor and he licks my tongue. I’ve only ever seen my parents do this. My heart races… I’ve become bonded with the Alpha! This gorgeous young man could be mine…and I his… I think I’m in love!

“Oh is now a bad moment?” Gargle asks, slipping into the hide out as I am kissing the Alpha.

“Ahem, good to see you are safe, Gargle,” Mr. Ōkami says and gives Gargle a lick across her face. “The others are-”

The others quickly plop into the den. The order of wolves entering the mini den are Hash, Frostt, Bounce, Viper, Dilly, Walk riding on Presha’s back, X, Noise carrying Crisp, and Umami. Frostt and Presha both appear to have gained a ton of weight since we left the main den. They also both have blood on their faces.

“Frostt, Presha, what have you done?!” Mr. Ōkami asks.

“We broke the horse in half and each swallowed half of it. We plan to spit it up to share it when we get back to the main den,” Frostt says, squinting submissively.

“You had BETTER!” Mr. Ōkami snaps. “And don’t digest it, either. We’re taking the LONG way around today! I don’t want to take any chances of missing out on picking up a few more wolves…”

The roaring of the helicopter grows close again. Briefly, a light shines outside the den, but it doesn’t penetrate deep enough to reveal us. I’m holding my breath. I can only hope the other half of the pack is having better luck than we are…

Silence falls…the helicopter has left. Mr. Ōkami taps Toosh, motioning for her to lead us out of the mini den. Toosh, who has landed roughly on her bum, quickly scrambles to her feet and leads us back into the main world. Again, we traverse the vast world of Clawderwilde.

Briefly, I glance at my old home… They killed my mom and dad there… I can never return… I keep running, my paws pounding against the ground, the grass bristling against my pelt.

“To the fields, Toosh!” Mr. Ōkami calls out.

“Yes, Alpha!” Toosh says, widening the arch distance away from the city.

The grass lengthens, now towering over me. I cannot see where we are going. The comforting scent of my fellow wolves, however, leads me onwards. This area isn’t very well established yet, but there are a few houses littered about.

“Alpha, I smell wolves!” Frostt announces suddenly.

“Dead or alive?” Mr. Ōkami asks.

“…alive, but both are injured,” Frostt determines.

“Take the lead, Frostt,” Mr. Ōkami says.

The other wolves shuffle so Frostt can take the lead. Toosh follows Frostt as she leads us the direction of the wolf scent. There, inside a broken into cabin, are two wolves. An eight year old and a four year old. The eight year old is a female, but the four year old is her son.

“Hey,” Frostt says, crawling through the rubble. I follow, even though Alpha growls a bit at me.

“H-help…” the mother wolf whines. “T-they killed my mate…”

“I’m injured,” the son says, also whining.

“I’m a healer, I can help you,” Frostt whispers.

“We need to clear the rubble,” I say, grabbing a fallen shelf to move it aside.

“AH! THAT HURTS!” the son wails.

“Sorry!” I say, lifting the shelf off of him.

Frostt quickly starts cleaning the wounds with her tongue. She seems so gentle, so angelic… I never expected this side from her considering how aggressive she’s been since we met. I free the mother wolf next.

“Hold still, you have a bit of debris in your wounds still…” Frostt murmurs, still lapping at the bleeding wounds. “Almost got it…”

“I don’t know if I can walk,” the mother says, trying to get to her feet. “My back is injured from the wall collapsing.”

“Why did they leave you two?” I wonder.

“They thought we died when they slammed the wall down, but my mate wouldn’t play dead. He fought them, but they overwhelmed him and they won,” the mother wolf says.

“Ahem. You’re welcome to join my harem, but I’m not sure how much help you’ll be to us. Especially him,” Mr. Ōkami says, assessing the situation. “Usually, I only take in females…but I’ll be nice and let you keep him, so long as he doesn’t mate any of my females…”

“W-what? Why would I do that?!” the boy asks.

“I know how you guys are,” Mr. Ōkami says. “I’m the Alpha. If you join my family, you submit to ME! Got it?!”

“I…okay. I promise I’m not going to touch your girls. If I try to pick a mate, you can kill me,” the boy says. “Just get me out of here before the herbivores come back!”

“Perfect, come on,” Mr. Ōkami says.

Frostt finishes tending to the wounds. Toosh and I help prop the injured wolves up and escort them out of the house. That’s two lives saved. They would have died if we hadn’t found them.

“Hang on tight, we still have a ways to go before we head back to the den,” Mr. Ōkami says.

“Aw man…” the boy says.

“Shush! You’re lucky I didn’t abandon you!” Mr. Ōkami says with a snarl.

I feel sorry for the guy. He’s a bit older than me, but, still, I can’t imagine being threatened the way he was. I suspect he’ll be an Omega like Kurai. He’s still in pain, I can tell, but he’s trudging along with us.

As we leave that area, we travel on for quite some time. Mr. Ōkami howls suddenly and we halt. Ahead of us, the land is entirely unaltered. No houses in sight for miles, no scent of modernization, either.

“Here lies our fallen comrade,” Mr. Ōkami says, running ahead of us.

At first I can’t tell what he is going on about. Then, as I approach, I replace the skull of a wolf half buried in the dirt between this region and that. At the edge of Clawderwilde, death had occurred. Mr. Ōkami stoops and touches the skull with his nose, looking rather somber.

“I couldn’t save her…” Mr. Ōkami says. “I know I tell this story every time we come out here, but it’s true. When I first began this harem, there was another wolf who stood beside me. My sister. She was always there for me, protecting me…even as the raids began and the carnivores were chased out of their homes, she protected me. We made it to the edge of Clawderwilde before she was brutally slain here before me. I had attempted to save her, but I was too weak, then. Ever since, I have sworn to raise an army. Save my people… Here we are, five months later, still no end in sight, but we have each other. Lives have been lost, but I will care for you all just as you have cared for me. One day… One day, we will have revenge. We will avenge my sister! I swear!”

Mr. Ōkami lets out a long, lonely howl. Everyone else joins in aside from the two new wolves and I. Shortly after, I join in, singing a lament to the fallen wolves…and for all carnivores. In these dark times, all we have is each other…

“Come, let’s briefly dip into the Feral Lands. That’s where I got a few of you guys from, remember?” Mr. Ōkami says.

“Ferals?” I ask.

“Yeah, some of your pack-mates are ferals. Be careful around them. They could snap at any moment. Especially Kurai. She’s the most feral of all the ferals I have ever met. Absolutely no manners, smells like raw sewage, and ugly as heck!”

“That’s not true. I didn’t notice any smell on her, and she’s not ugly. She’s a pup, give her some time,” I say.

“DON’T TALK BACK TO ME!” Mr. Ōkami snaps. “Let me guess, her lack of manners is rubbing off on you?”

“No, Alpha,” I say.

“Onwards, Toosh!” Mr. Ōkami says, returning to the back of the precession.

Only a few minutes later, Walk calls out, “I smell two more injured wolves!”

“Walk, take the lead!” Mr. Ōkami commands.

Walk takes the lead and we replace the two wolves hiding in a pit behind some bushes. At first, they growl and snarl, thinking we’re about to attack them. Two more she-wolves, both with dislocated ankles. The first is a 7 year old and the second is a 16 year old.

“We come in peace,” Walk announces, smiling gently.

“Someone grab some rope. We need to get these ladies out of the pit,” Mr. Ōkami says.