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Once upon a time in a nameless forest there lived two lone(ly) wolves...
The Grey Old Wolf had once been a great and respected leader of a pack, but his Mate and Cub dying in the paws of a rival pack had sent him into a flurry of rage and despair and after a violent and hollow vengeance he had left the pack never to return.
The Lone White Wolf was a legend familiar to everyone's furry little ears but never had he been seen by anyone directly. The scuttlebutt was that he was the lone survivor of a massacre. As a young pup he had been left to fend for himself after his whole pack had been mysteriously killed. He had been roaming the woods at the time, avoiding his pack, and missed the whole thing. While painful at times, he cherished his solitude now for his so called family had been cruel and he had never felt accepted without pretending to be someone else.
So it was, on a clear blue sky day, after rain, when the white wolf was out collecting berries for his rabbit friends, that he would meet the grey wolf. Everything was still glistening with moisture and the woods were singing happily to his senses. He hummed and leapt around enjoying the beginning day...
Suddenly he stopped. There was an unfamiliar scent in the ordinary mix. Another wolf. He pressed his nose to the ground and started following. He was so focused on the ground he ran right into someone furry and big.
"Hi." Said the big furry one.
"Uh... Hi..." The white wolf stuttered. As he composed himself and really looked, he saw that this strange wolf had the most amazing azure eyes. All reason ran and he was left standing in a haze of trust.
"I'm Leejeth." The handsome stranger offered.
"Uh, Nino."
"Never seen a white wolf."
"My... My pack called me a freak of nature." Nino blushed crimson under his fur.
"I think it's beautiful." Leejeth nodded firmly.
Nino smiled.
"Do you like berries?
Leejeth smiled back and nodded.
Together they gathered berries and shared a friendly silence. This turned into their routine and every day they collected berries for Nino's friends. Nino had been adopted by the rabbits and had promised to never eat them. Leejeth made the same pledge when he met Nino's family of bunnies.
One frosty near-winter night Leejeth curled around Nino as they were getting ready to go to bed in their little, cosy cave.
"Your eyes, Nino... They're so beautiful. They remind me of someone from another time."
"Did you know another green-eyed wolf? I've never met one."
"No. Her eyes were blue and she was my mate." Leejeth let out a wolfy whine. Nino turned around and licked his face.
"Tell me?"
"Her eyes were so full of passion, full of love. Yours are the same."
"Your eyes are wise and warm, Lee, deep as the oceans' song. Father Rabbit says the eyes are a window to the soul."
"I like your friends." Leejeth smiled and nipped at Nino's neck playfully.
In time Leejeth told Nino all about his family and how they were killed. He never mentioned how he avenged them. He was ashamed of that part as if it contrasted with Nino's pure, white innocence, and found him guilty by comparison.
Mistress Fate had other ideas and one dusky evening when Nino was on his way to see Mother Rabbit about some squash soup he met a ghost of sorts.
"Paloma?"
"Nino!"
"I thought you... Our pack..."
"No, Nino. I survived."
"I'm sorry. I thought... There was so much blood. I thought everyone was dead." Nino shook his head sadly.
"It's not your fault. It was a crazy wolf from another pack." Paloma bristled.
"One wolf?"
"I've never seen anyone so crazy, Nino. His eyes were red. He shredded everyone. He decimated Papa! When I got there he was tired. We fought and he won but I survived! I've hunted him ever since and he's here. I can smell him on you, Nino."
Nino looked at Paloma bewildered.
"I should have made sure you all died." Leejeth growled, suddenly appearing beside Nino.
"Yes, you should have." Paloma hissed.
"Leejeth, What are you talking about? You could never..."
"They killed my Mate... My Cub!" Leejeth glared at Paloma and let out a pained howl so awful the whole forest shook with his grief.
"Paloma...?" Nino asked, helplessly.
"That is the way of the wolf."
Nino couldn't believe his ears.
"That is not the wolf way! We protect those weaker and smaller!"
"Oh, Nino. You and your fantasies. We are predators, kings of the forest!"
"We're guardians. And we don't eat our own! How could you?"
"You're siding with this monster? He slaughtered our pack! He killed our father! Papa was torn to pieces, to nothing..." Paloma's eyes were wet yet her heart was full of rage.
Nino knew he had to act quickly, he approached his big sister with a mournful whine.
"No! I didn't know he was the monster who killed our family. He lied to me."
Nino glanced back and saw Leejeth's eyes fill with heartbreaking sorrow.
Paloma was glad she still had a packmate in her corner and could already taste her enemy's blood on her tongue. She looked at Nino who nodded. Together they turned toward Leejeth. Paloma grinned hungrily, but looking at Nino Leejeth saw a hidden smile and the love in those green eyes burned brightly. Hope and trust filled his heart again and he sent all his love into those beautiful green firelakes. Then it was over in seconds but felt like an eternity. Nino and Paloma lunged for Leejeth but Nino turned and jumped on his sister, his sharp teeth sinking into her neck. They rolled around in the grass but Nino held firm, his jaws clamped tight, draining her life. Leejeth did nothing, only stared in shock as he saw the white wolf turn blood red.
So long innocence. Paloma was dead.
Nino gazed down at the lifeless husk and then raised his head to howl in agony. Leejeth joined him, mourning the pain and sacrifice of his beloved mate, but in his heart he thanked the deities that he still had his love.
They left the body to feed the gentle vultures that lived in the forest. At least someone's day would be happy.
Before going home, Leejeth bathed Nino in the close-by lake, washing away the blood. The lake glimmered happily, keen to display her new color, but the two wolves were tired and spent. They shook themselves and crawled home where sleeping curled up together was all they could want. They slept deeply, dreaming only of each other.
In the morning they made love and whispered promises of always being honest and true. Fate had tangled their paths together in a messy way but their love was clear as a bell.
And they lived happily ever after.