Chapter Text
“Do you think I can still make it?” The young gray wolf shouted between ragged breaths, eyes locked on the blur of motion ahead. The howl of the train’s whistle pierced the air, the scent of burning coal thick around him, and the ground trembled beneath his paws. It was close. Very close.
“Yes, sir!” Paddy called back, dipping low beside him, wings skimming the treetops. “And just as you hit the tracks, you should see an open train car!”
“Well, avoid truck stops, bears, and that hideous dessert, what is it called?” Came Marcel's voice from above.
“Cupcakes, sir.” Paddy clarified in his usual crisp accent.
“I will. Thanks, guys!”
Humphrey yelled over the growing roar of the engine, praying his feathered guides weren’t leading him astray. So far, they hadn’t. Probably off to play golf now, he figured—he could still hear them bickering about cupcakes as they vanished into the sky.
The train appeared through a break in the trees, metal carts rumbling like thunder on steel tracks. Humphrey’s pace quickened. His heart thundered even louder.
And then, that all-too-familiar fear gripped him. That ache in his chest telling him to stop. To turn around. To go back to the safety of home, of routine, of what was certain.
But safe and certain wouldn’t be enough this time. Not after what he’d lost.
Not after her.
She had walked away for the good of the pack, and left him alone with a heart that hadn’t stopped hurting since. Kate—the one wolf he’d ever really wanted. But she chose her duty. Her title. And he couldn’t blame her for it. Not really.
Still, if she had to do what was right for the pack…
…then he had to do what was right for him.
He needed this journey. A fresh start. A chance to see what the world had to offer a wolf like him. Maybe somewhere out there, he’d find something new—something bigger than heartbreak and rules he’d never fit into.
Maybe, someday, he’d come back. Maybe. When the ache didn’t hollow out his chest quite so much.
Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. Don’t you dare turn around, Humphrey.
He repeated the words over and over like a prayer, eyes fixed on the open car now sliding into view—just like Paddy had promised.
Then came the memory. Uninvited. Unshakable.
Kate beside him. That train. That howl. The moon hanging like a promise in the sky. The moment he realized—maybe, just maybe—she had felt the same spark he had.
Maybe.
But feelings weren’t enough. Not when duty was in the way. Not when you were an Omega and she was born to lead.
He faltered—just for a moment. His paws almost skidded. His heart almost screamed for him to turn back and fight. To beg her to stay. To love him enough to forget everything else.
But she never was the type to gamble on wild dreams. Not like him.
No. He had done his part. He’d brought her home to marry another and unite the packs. If nothing else, he should be proud of that.
Should be.
But he didn’t feel like a hero.
He just felt… tired.
So instead of stopping, instead of collapsing under the weight of memories, Humphrey focused on the rails ahead. The open car. The escape.
And then he ran harder than he ever had before—toward something new.
Toward freedom.
Kate walked up to the ceremony rock at the base of the valley, where a patch of wildflowers danced in the breeze, and her soon-to-be husband, Garth, waited. His large, muscular frame was undeniably impressive—still the picture of an Alpha—but in the month since their first meeting during the Full Moon Howl, Kate could hardly summon the energy to care. Not with every step making her heart sink deeper into her paws.
She forced herself to look up into the crimson wolf’s green eyes—and immediately felt a pang of disappointment. They were nothing compared to the pair of sky-blue eyes haunting her thoughts.
Stop it, Kate told herself. Stop thinking about him. Focus.
She stretched her lips into a wide, toothy, obviously fake smile. Garth didn’t seem to notice—too busy battling nerves that looked uncharacteristic on him.
“So, uhm, are you ready?”
She gave a breathless laugh. Her brain screamed no, but what came out was a quiet, resigned, “Yes.”
“Good.”
Garth’s attention drifted off to the side. Kate frowned, wondering if he’d gotten any sleep last night. She certainly hadn’t.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
His eyes snapped back to hers like he’d been yanked out of a trance. He gave her an awkward grin. “You bet! No problems on this end. Ready to go, go, go!”
Kate watched as the wolf dropped into a crouch, rolling his shoulders in a way that reminded her of an athlete prepping for a marathon. She assumed it was supposed to look attractive, so she did her best to seem unfazed as he sprang upright again a second later.
“So uh, you want to start this thing or me?”
“We’ll start together,” she offered.
“Start together, yeah.”
Together, they leaned in and took in each other’s scent, a traditional show of acceptance. But to Kate, it felt hollow. Lacking. Compared to his scent...
Stop! Don’t do that to yourself. He’s probably already halfway across Idaho now.
They pulled apart briefly, only to lean in again—this time to nibble gently at one another’s ear, a display of affection, trust, and loyalty. Symbols of a bond that Kate knew she did not share with Garth. Not truly. Not like she had with…
Only one wolf had ever earned her complete trust.
She closed her eyes and, against her will, imagined Humphrey—goofy, gray, kind-hearted Humphrey—beneath her teeth instead.
Oh God, Kate thought with dismay. I’m a lost cause. He’s ruined me for anyone else.
How was she supposed to put up with this for the rest of her life?
An unsettled feeling twisted in her stomach. She barely registered the ceremony around her as the weight of it all crashed over her—living beside Garth, working with Garth, sleeping beside him, mating with him. The pack would expect pups eventually. An Alpha heir. There would be no choice.
She nearly shuddered as Garth leaned in, eyes closed, for the final stage of the ceremony. Kate took a deep breath and followed suit, hoping if she just shut everything out, it would pass quickly.
It didn’t.
If anything, it made it worse. Humphrey’s image burst through her thoughts, uninvited and all-consuming. His big, dopey smile. His warmth.
Her eyes flew open in a panic. Garth’s nose was just inches away.
She jerked back before he could close the distance. Murmurs rippled through the watching crowd.
Garth’s nose twitched as he searched for her scent, but it had already disappeared. Confused, he lifted a paw to reach for her, only to find empty space. His eyes blinked open and settled on her across the gap now between them.
“Uh, Kate?” he whispered. “What are you doing?”
“I…” Kate struggled, trying to find the words. She glanced at her parents. Her father stared at her with furrowed brows. Her mother looked concerned. When Kate looked back at Garth, the valley was holding its breath.
“I… can’t.”
“She can’t!” Garth laughed, then quickly cleared his throat, catching himself. “Uh, you can’t?”
“What is this, Winston? Why can’t she marry Garth?” Tony barked from the crowd.
“Quiet!” Winston snapped, his voice sharp as he crossed the space to stand beside his daughter. He leaned in close, whispering urgently, “Kate, Kate, why can’t you marry Garth?”
“Because, I…” Kate laughed awkwardly. This was going to blow up in her face—she could feel it—but the point of no return had long since passed. “I uh, fell in love with an Omega?”
Gasps erupted through the crowd. Wolves whispered furiously to one another. Winston stood frozen, mouth slightly agape. Eve had just walked up in time to catch the confession and immediately fainted. Humphrey’s friends whooped and high-fived each other like it was game day. And Tony—Tony’s eyes narrowed into furious slits.
The air turned heavy, thick with the weight of what was coming.
Kate knew: chaos was about to erupt.