The Bitterness of Honey

Although his vision was blurred and his muscles strained, Citron's tail confidently raised up as he thundered across Yellowstone. Excitement and adrenaline coursed through him, numbing any sense of tiredness. Glancing up, he noticed the eagle that had previously been flying ahead of him at the start of his journey, was now lagging behind.

The golden-coated wolf was heading north where Slough Creek was located. There, Citron would establish territory and start his own pack. The thought of finally becoming an alpha wolf and leading a pack fueled him to sprint even faster.

Unfortunately, it proved to be impossible to travel at that unreasonably speedy pace for long. As he made his way down a hill, his exhausted legs grew clumsy, causing him to trip. Helplessly, he watched everything spin by as he tumbled down the slope.

Slowly, he rose to his shaky paws and continued north. The fall had literally knocked some sense into him and he begrudgingly slowed to a steady lope.

Suddenly, the effects of the adrenaline rush left, leaving him with the unpleasant stabbing pain of hunger. A breeze rushed by and Citron inhaled deeply, longing for just a small hare to cross his path.

Along with the wind flowed the powerful scent of elk. With a wagging tail, his nose lowered to the ground as he attempted to track the mule deer down. He trotted at a leisurely pace, giving himself time to catch his breath.

Completely focused on the scent, Citron was unaware of the fact that he had successfully located his prey. Suddenly, the angry sound of a mule deer startled him. Gazing up, Citron realized that he was standing face to face with the prey that he'd been searching for. She did not looked pleased.

Frightened, Citron swiftly leaped away. The brave beast approached Citron and lashed out her hooves furiously. Once again, Citron was forced to jump away. Her herd members eyed Citron suspiciously but stood their ground.

With raised hackles and a snarl, Citron attacked another mule deer, hoping this one would be an easier target. Finally, the herd started to gallop away. The one in his grip attempted to follow but Citron tugged her back. However, he couldn't hold on forever and the mule deer jerked free and made a beeline away. Proving to have more stamina, Citron caught up. After a few vicious bites to the neck, he was finally able to fill his stomach.

Triumphantly, he let out a deep howl. Then, he plopped down and curled up with his nose tucked under his tail. It was only seconds before sleep came. His dreams were pleasant and filled with what he pictured his future pack life would be like.

When he woke, the first thing he saw was a flock of ravens. Directly in front of his face, they sat there pecking at his leftover prey while letting out happy squawks. While still curled up, he let out a warning growl. The warning was efficient and the ravens launched up into the sky and flapped away. Without the ravens blocking his view, he now noticed that there were three wolves approaching.

Citron sprang to his paws with raised hackles. Unconcerned, the three wolves approached him with friendly expressions and wagging tails. He searched the air for more information and found out that these were female wolves that had dispersed from the Wapiti Pack. Thankfully, they were not aggressive.

Citron wagged his tail in response. The two darker coated ones continued howling. Abruptly, the bright brown, honey colored wolf turned and trotted away. Curiously, Citron followed.

Soon, he realized they were now in Wapiti Pack territory. Citron started to leave but the bright brown she wolf turned around and wagged her tail in a friendly manner. Citron returned the gesture. Then, she let out a howl and another howl after that. Confused, he cocked his head to the side. The sound of creatures approaching filled his ears. Mistrustfully, Citron backed away. However, the female wolf seemed unconcerned.

Glancing over in that direction, he spotted Wapiti wolves running towards them. Swiftly, Citron darted away and only stopped once he had left their territory. However, the Wapiti wolves seemed to be chasing after him. There were six wolves, which included the unmistakable honey colored she wolf, who was leading the others.

After they passed where he was hiding, Citron continued after them. Dread coursed through his senses as he guessed their destination. Unfortunately, his suspicions were confirmed.

Up ahead, they had stopped in front of a mule deer carcass. While still remaining hidden, Citron peered out from behind the tree that was shielding him. Those three, seemingly friendly female wolves, had tricked him! Now they stood there smugly with their pack, eagerly finishing off his hard-earned prey.

The honey coated one glanced up and made eye contact with him. Her eyes were strikingly similar to her coat color. Those vibrant eyes that were narrowed at him seemed satisfied. Then, she raised her tail up high with confidence and let out a powerful, conquering howl.