A whine slipped out of my throat while flecks of ash drifted into the air in my wake. More ashes crunched under each of my slow footsteps, echoed by louder sounds from my friends' paws as they trailed behind me.

Blackened timbers still poked up here and there, like the skeletons of a forest. More had been pulled to the grassy borders when survivors dug through the charred remains. The ashes had been beaten down by water and were caked together in places where they hadn't been dug up or blown around by the wind.

My rear end plopped onto the dusty remains of my old packhouse as I sat down and gazed around me, still trying to come to terms with truly knowing it was gone. The small spark of hope I had been holding deep inside flickered out of existence.

It had been painful not knowing the truth, but, somehow, seeing it with my own eyes was both better and worse. It was good to finally have the doubt gone, but now the scope of my loss came crashing down on me. The tight-knit pack I had grown up in was gone.

I raised my muzzle to the overcast sky and howled plaintively, hoping for a familiar reply. The wolves behind me remained silent, although I felt their desire to respond and reassure me that I wasn't alone.

There was only silence and bird song.

My senses easily picked up the fourteen wolves behind me, although the minds of the three recent additions weren't as bright. Without my old packlink to boost my range to our borders, my range was limited to my immediate area. It was another unavoidable reminder that my home was gone.

Blinded by tears, I staggered to my feet and headed past the trampled ruins of the garden. The distant stand of trees would hold the answers to at least one of my questions.

The uncut grass made the walk difficult for me; yet, none of the wolves offered to carry me. They knew I needed to do this myself.

Once I stumbled past the hedge, my shoulders sagged in relief when I saw that there were only two new gravestones. The chiselled words stood out on the rough, unfinished slabs of stone. Alpha Sorrin. Beta Merric.

There was nothing else written on the gravestones – a stark contrast to the other headstones in this small cemetery that proclaimed how much those people had been loved and would be missed.

Then I saw it: a small gravestone beside Alpha Nix's. This stone was polished and dried up flowers were piled up around it. Comforter Julie – beloved by the pack that she had loved unconditionally. Her large heart and rambunctious energy shone for all to see. She will always be remembered, even by those she met only briefly.

More tears escaped my eyes as my breath hitched. I was looking at my own gravestone. They had truly loved me. I stood there for a long time, reading the inscription over and over, committing it to memory.

A gentle breeze ruffled my fur and made the wild daisies sway. I grabbed one in my mouth and took it over to Alpha Nix's grave. Stepping over other dried up flowers, I gently laid it beside his polished gravestone and gazed at it as tears dripped from my chin.

I could remember his booming laugh when the Luna told him about a few of the stunts I had pulled, and how he would often lay on the floor to play with the pups and myself. I still missed him, and I knew I'd miss him for many years to come. With his actions and the time he spent with each individual, he had built up a legacy of memories. It was those memories that I planned to hold close to my heart: the happy ones, not the sad ones of his passing.

Dimly, I realized that I was not just saying goodbye to Alpha Nix, but also to the life I had built here. I knew that a pack was not just a house, a territory, or the cemetery for loved ones. It was made up of the people within it, a true community built on friendship and loyalty. Much like the wolves who stood behind me, waiting.

The Woodhurst Pack may be gone, but the people I had loved – and still loved – were still alive. Somewhere. They wouldn't have all joined one pack; no pack around here could easily take in so many new additions. They likely would have split up and gone to the packs where their relatives were.

I knew at least a dozen would have gone to the Greenvale Pack to the northwest. Mary would be there because Mazie was her daughter. That pack was right along a river, so it was easy to find. I wasn't sure where the other packs were, and there was at least one unfriendly pack around, although I didn't know which direction it was in. Once we found one of my previous packmates, they would be able to tell me how everyone else was doing or where they were. I was particularly worried about the Luna – she had lost her son mere weeks after losing her mate.

I took a deep breath. The only thing left in this place was memories. My voice was shaky as I asked, "Would it be possible for us to go to the Greenvale Pack? It's to the northwest, along the river. I can tell them that I'm actually alive. They might let us join as well."

"We don't have an actual destination," Conrad admitted. "We're just kind of going with the flow. I'm willing to join any decent pack."

"Me, too," Amber said.

The other wolves added their own agreement.

"Do you wish to spend the night here?" Vera asked. "Some of the sheds are still intact and will make a good shelter."

I shook my head; I had already said my goodbyes, and with the packhouse gone, there were no little keepsakes or mementos I wanted. Not that I had ever been much for personal possessions. My friends and pack had always been my treasure.

"Spending the night here doesn't really appeal to me, and as long as someone lets me curl up against them, I'll be warm enough."

Josh impishly piped up, "And we all know that it will be Vera. Last night, I couldn't even see a glimpse of your fur with how she had curled up around you."

Several wolves – including one of our new additions – snickered, while a few others let their tongues hang out the side of their mouth in silent humor. They all knew how Vera was, and she just bared her teeth in agreement.

"Well," Conrad said, "let's go find this pack. Do you know how far away it is?"

"Four days, I think? Something like that."

"Three days, then," Josh stated with a grin. "Maybe two and a half if Aimee and Jordan can keep up."

"Admit it, you guys have barely had to slow down for me the last two days," Aimee countered proudly.

"True," he agreed.

"Maybe we should make Josh carry me in the basket?" My muzzle was still wet with my tears, but I ventured with a shaky grin as I glanced at Vera.

"That could be an idea," Vera said demurely. "He will run much faster if I'm trying to bite his tail."

Josh blanched and took a step back. "Uh, I'll pass. That sounds like a nightmare that even Julie couldn't save me from."

I chuckled and shook myself, causing a small cloud of ash to hover around me, although the wind made it drift away. Vera came over and began licking my face clean of the salty tears.

"We're here for you," she quietly said, "and if I need to chase someone around the clearing to make you smile, then so be it."

"Thanks."

"You mean you can't reach me in here?" I asked Vera, trying with all my might to keep my mindvoice innocent.

The way she was glaring at the bramble bush should have set it on fire. Conrad lounged in the background as he watched with a wide grin on his face, partially at how I had snuck under the thorny plant that she couldn't fit under, as well as how Josh – in his human form – was very focused on roasting some meat so she didn't suggest that he should try crawling under the sprawling branches and get shredded by the thorns to retrieve me.

Vera began pacing around the plant, looking for a weakness in its defenses. Wickedly sharp thorns adorned every branch to deter any visitor larger than a small fox. A Comforter could squeeze under the branches, but a human could not. Neither could a wolf the size of a small horse.

That little detail grated on Vera's nerves. Much to my amusement.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," she murmured as she peeked between the leaves.

"I'm right here, and we both know it. I'm still trying to figure out why I should want to come out."

"Because I can't get in there," she replied, as if the answer was obvious.

"We both know that." I curled up on the leaf litter and fluffed my fur out, knowing it would enhance my puppy-like features.

She shook out her fur and walked faster around the bramble bush, occasionally grabbing a branch and trying to pull it away, although the springy vines resisted her efforts.

"Julie," Jenna called out from beside the campfire, "The bread is ready, and if you want the crust, you better come and get it before someone else eats it."

"Coming!" I squeezed out from under the long vines before racing over. As anyone here could have predicted, my speed involved a few stumbles, occasional tripping, and a somersault.

"I'm here!" I finally exclaimed, flopping down beside her with my eyes locked onto the fresh loaf of bread.

"Show off," Vera muttered to Jenna across the packlink as she sat down behind me and shifted into her human form. "I'll have a slice of that, if you don't mind."

"Sure, let me get Julie's slice first."

My tail wagged ecstatically from side to side as my front paws danced in anticipation. Aimee's bread may have been good, but Jenna had the cooking gift that most Omegas had. Every single surface was a mouth-watering golden-brown without a single burnt spot – despite being cooked over an open fire in a shabby iron pan.

Vera picked me up and set me in her lap, stroking my fur as she held the slice of bread for me. I nibbled on the crust and savored each morsel.

Vera finished her slice long before I did, although my piece left me stuffed and ready for a nap. I curled up in Vera's lap, faintly purring my contentment. The low, rough sound was one I hadn't made since Alpha Nix was alive.

As she pulled a light blanket over me, Vera began humming a soft, unfamiliar tune that quickly lulled me to sleep.