sib ncaim (v.) || to part ways and never meet again

already crying.

The moment she watched the sun rise over the mountain in flamboyant colors, her eyes welled in tears because she knew what was coming today. She had laid awake all night, wishing and praying that there was another way. But, there wasn't. The men in the area weren't generally friendly towards wolves and now they were set out to kill her wolves just like her father would. There was no telling the fate of her wolves if they didn't move on.

She kept reminding herself that it was for the better, that her promise was for purpose, and not just to break everything in her soul. She gathered her jacket from the back door and carried her broken heart towards the forest. She was sullen, dreading what she had to do, and not even the hot breeze of early summer could make her cheer up.

She found her wolves asleep in their usual place in the barn but they immediately knew that something was wrong as she stood in the doorway, probably looking like a mess and utterly distraught. Arch was the first to whine in concern as he approached and Lake shimmed up against her in an attempt of comfort.

She gazed down at them through tear filled eyes. It felt like her soul was tearing itself in half and her heart was shattering with in her chest. She couldn't even speak, her mind was chaos and her throat was swollen from the tears she tried to choke back. Skeet gave a low whine, crouching before her with his ear flattened, and she gave him a sad smile.

She needed to move on. She knew that the pups were temporary in her life, just like their stay in her house. They grew and changed, and she had to change with them. She reached out with shaking fingers and rubbed her hands through each of the wolves fur. It was the last time she would ever pet them, she tried to memorize their distinct fur patterns.

She was surprised when Cross came to her side, as he was never fond of being close to her for unknown reasons, and his tongue darted out to lick the entire length of her cheek. A giggle bubbled over her tears and she smiled a little. Cross' ears perked and he was quick to lick her again, across her cheek, nose, chin, and he eventually worked his way down her throat.

She was laughing by the time he paused to glance at something outside and then his tongue darted out to lick the scar that lined her neck. She gasped, freezing. Cross licked her scar again and she had a flashback to her nightmare. The wolf that haunted her and nearly ended her life. The wolf that left the perfect crescent scar that dotted white across her tan skin.

She had been terrified of the wolves. She had jumped at every shadow and was afraid to sleep at night. She spent her days isolated in her house by herself, driving herself to the brink of her own sanity because of the dark in her mind. That was her life. Her fate, and then a miracle happened.

She found six little wolf pups in a storm. They were so innocent and her choice seemed to be harmless. She never even realized that she had almost completely conquered her fear. She found it ironic, really. The little girl in the woods who avoid the wolves at all costs turned into the mother of six wolves.

She loved her wolves. They had changed her life, and for the better. They saved her from her nightmare, from her own mind. She smiled, rubbing at the ache beneath her breastbone, and reached out to scratch Cross underneath the chin.

His browns eyes bore into hers and it seemed as though, for a moment, they were trying to see into each others souls. After all the times he had been the pain in the rear, the one to attempt biting her, he had pulled through in her heart. He might always seem grumpier than the grinch but she would always remember and love him for it.

She scratched Thane under his stomach, his favorite itchy spot, and she remembered the second day he had knocked over her boxes to let his siblings escape. His hazel eyes were questioning as he gazed at her, as it seemed all the wolves sensed her emotions.

Skeet gently bumped his head against her shoulder and she rubbed his ears. She would miss him at her side constantly. The way that he jumped at the slightest of noises and skittered about like a frightened kitten.

Lake and Ever were probably the worlds greatest frenemies. She imagined that they would never stop running races and each time Lake would win. Lake should have been born an athlete runner while Ever could use some anger management. She smiled at them both.

Finally, she ran her hand along Arch's back and he bucked his back into her hand. He held all the attributes of a cat, sometimes she thought he was better off as one rather than a wolf. Arch's tongue lulled out of his mouth and she almost rolled her eyes at how careless he was - it was his signature personality.

She breathed a shaky breath and stood to her feet before she could combust in tears again. It felt like her miracle was coming undone. A cruel joke. She urged the wolves out of the barn and they seemed to think that everything was okay. She watched as Cross glanced over his shoulder at her before trotting off, leading his brothers to hunt for breakfast.

Skeet remained at her side, glancing up as expectant of her to walk with them, and she felt her heart crack even more. All too many times she had watched them leave and this time it was for good. This was goodbye. And her life would return to what it had been before her wolves.

She knelt down and placed a kiss on his forehead, right between his eyes. There, she rested her head against his for a few seconds. She stood up and turned away from him, attempting to hide her tears. She heard him take off after his brothers. She shakily closed the barn, locking the door so that they couldn't return, and glanced into the forest one final time.

After this, she wouldn't be spending as much time in the forest. It would bring back too many painful memories and she simply couldn't take it. She had to move on. She inhaled deep, letting her mind memorize the sweet scents of spring, and then she let it all go. Her wolves were no longer in sight, but, they were no longer hers. They belonged to the forest now. Wolves of the wilderness.

"Goodbye," She whispered into the breeze and then she left.

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(Not edited)