Four

Catori tore through the woods at an enviable speed. The mild wind rushed through her flaming red fur as she pushed her muscles to cover more ground. The agile she-wolf leaped over fallen tree branches with a daunting strength, given to the amount of time she spent in these particular woods.

Everything here was familiar to her and to an extent, these woods were like her play ground. When she was younger, she and the twins would play hide and seek here with blindfolds as a way of strengthening their senses and tracking skills. Ofcourse, Kurt always won each time. But she was always good at the running part. Her speed always left the twins eating her dust and save for the fact that Kurt was an excellent tracker, it was almost impossible to keep up with her.

The only other wolf in their pack who wouldn’t break a sweat while running with Catori was her Mum. She was just as good as her in speed - even better. Catching her mother was an impossible quest and the few times Kurt had played with them, not even him could track her. She was that good. Infact, Luna Dakota was good at everything. Catori knew that too well and that was why she always pushed herself to be as good as her Mum. She was a smart, strong and resilient woman. The only person Catori had ever truly envied.

This simple fact prompted Catori to push her muscles to go faster. Usually, she went on these runs to soak in the tranquil that thrived in the forest - the chirping birds, the hushing wind and the swaying leaves. The epitome of peace. However, not today. The anger boiling in her blood blocked out her other senses that usually paid attention to the little details. All she could think about was her Mum. That has been all she could think about for days. The unhealthy obsession that came with waking up every morning and realizing once again that she was gone. The way her heart would drop and shatter to a million pieces yet again. The way she willed herself not to give up on finding her, even though all she had been hitting was dead ends. It was all draining. Reality was becoming too draining.

Not even the run could give her the solace she desperately sought. Especially not after her sour encounter with the counsel. Those bloody monsters, she thought. Just two weeks in her absence and they were already making plans for a new Alpha from another lineage. After all Catori and her family had sacrificed for the sake of their pack. Her grandfather had even died defending them! Yet, they were so easy to turn their backs on them. Like all the years of dedication meant nothing. Like the Dolphus lineage meant nothing. 

When she got to the edge of the forest by a cliff, Catori cried out a bitter howl, a mountain of emotions surging out with each octave. She howled repeatedly at the receding evening sun. Regardless of the fact that it was a breathtaking view to see the orangish-yellow sunset, Catori howled sadly at it. Tirelessly for over an hour, she cried her heart to pieces through her howls until she was too exhausted to keep going. 

About thirty minutes later, Catori returned back to North Lotus territory in her human form. Their pack grounds used to be such a bustling place, packed with festivities and warmth. However, that usually bubbling town had died a long time ago. As Catori walked through the rows of bungalows belonging to the lower class indigenes, she couldn’t help feeling self-conscious. It didn’t escape her notice how a few bystanders stared at her with harsh glares and judgemental eyes. Strings of whispers followed and although Catori tried to walk with her head held high like the royalty that she was, her sharp ears caught every bit of insensitivity that fell from their lips.

“What a shame? First her father and now, her mother.”

“She looks miserable.”

“I heard her Mum is dead. They can’t find her anywhere.”

“I heard she ran away. A true weakling if you ask me.”

“I always knew that lineage was cursed. Remember what happened to Alpha Gavin Dolphus?”

“He killed himself. How can anyone forget?”

For a fraction, Catori’s heart stopped, simultaneously halting her foot steps. She had half the mind to storm over to the group speaking in so called whispers. But instead, she coiled her fingers into a fist and forced herself to keep walking. What was the point of confronting them anyway? They would keep talking when she wasn’t there.

Nonetheless, Catori couldn’t stop her mind from wandering back to their words about Alpha Gavin Dolphus - her great grandfather. Ofcourse, she never met him but his reputation and stories preceded him, especially regarding the way he died. Everyone said he killed himself on the night of a full moon and from the first day Catori ever heard his gruesome suicide story, her mind had raised numerous questions, which were all shunned by her mother. No on in their family ever talked about him. It was forbidden and all that mystery only fueled Catori’s burning curiosity. Not that there was ever a chance of satisfying that hunger for the truth. The only other Dolphus family member living in their pack was her Uncle Xavier. He was living by the outskirts of North Lotus with his family and only visited the Dolphus family house once in awhile. For reasons Catori couldn’t understand, it almost seemed like Uncle Xavier avoided the family and that made him the last person she could think of questioning about Alpha Gavin Dolphus. He had only dropped by the 3rd day after her Mum had gone missing and never came around again. He was a weird man, so Catori didn’t think too much on it.

“Tori! I’ve been searching all over for.” 

Catori’s minute reverie was broken by Kasa’s voice as she jogged up to her friend, who was just few steps away from the Dolphus magnificent family mansion. 

“Hey,” Tori responded weakly.