A law?
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3rd Pov.
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The moon hung high in the sky, its silvery glow piercing through the drifting clouds and casting dappled light over the quiet village of wolves. The cool night air carried the distant rustle of leaves and the soft murmurs of his pack settling in for the night.
Cosmo stood on the outskirts, his sharp eyes scanning over the sleeping forms of his kin. A sense of peace settled over him, his tail swaying in a steady rhythm as he breathed in the crisp air.
Then, a voice cut through the tranquility familiar, teasing, and unmistakably full of mischief.
“Cosmo!”
His ears flicked, and his tail stilled. Turning, he spotted a figure slipping through the trees, moving with effortless grace despite her boundless energy. Scraps emerged, her fur slightly ruffled, a triumphant grin spread across her face. Her tail wagged wildly, betraying just how much fun she’d been having.
Cosmo groaned, dragging a paw down his face. He already knew what this meant.
“Scraps… we talked about this.” His voice was low, edged with both exhaustion and worry.
Scraps only grinned wider, tilting her head in that infuriatingly playful way. “Relax, Cosmo. No one saw me. I made sure of it.”
“That’s not the point,” Cosmo snapped, his tail flicking sharply in agitation. “You keep pushing your luck, and one day, it’s going to run out. What if someone did see you? What if they followed you back?”
His words carried weight, laced with genuine fear. The world beyond their territory wasn’t kind to their kind. Humans didn’t look at them with wonder or understanding only suspicion and sharpened steel.
Scraps huffed, rolling her eyes. “Oh, come on. You worry too much. I’ve been doing this for years. If they were going to catch me, don’t you think they would have by now?”
Cosmo exhaled sharply through his nose, forcing down his frustration. “That’s exactly the kind of arrogance that gets people hurt.”
For a brief moment, something flickered in Scraps’ expression a shadow of acknowledgment, maybe even guilt but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She simply smirked, nudging Cosmo’s shoulder with her own.
Scraps’ playful expression faltered slightly, but she quickly brushed it off. “They didn’t,” she reassured him. “And besides, my mate wouldn’t let anything happen to me. She ”
“She is a human,” Cosmo interrupted, his golden eyes dark with worry. “And humans fear what they don’t understand. I don’t care how much she likes you now. Fear makes people do terrible things, Scraps.”
Scraps’ ears flattened, her tail lowering slightly. “You sound just like the elders,” she muttered.
“Maybe because they’re right,” Cosmo said, his voice quieter now but no less firm. “Scraps… I know what it’s like to believe you’ve found someone who sees you differently. Who makes you feel safe, like the world isn’t against you.” He swallowed, his throat tightening. “But that feeling… it doesn’t always last.”
“Oh, Rally?” Scraps grinned, her tail wagging mischievously as she trotted around him. “You get all broody every time someone mentions humans, and now you’re looking off into the distance all wistful like. Face it, Cosmo, you’re a lovesick pup.”
Cosmo shot her a flat look. “I am not lovesick.”
Scraps gasped dramatically, placing a paw on her chest. “Oh, woe is me! I loved a hunter, and he betrayed me! But alas, my heart still aches for him under the cruel light of the moon!”
Cosmo narrowed his eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”
Scraps smirked. “And you’re still in love with him.”
“I ” Cosmo stopped himself, biting down on his retort. His ears flicked back, and he turned away. “That’s not the point.”
Scraps tilted her head, her teasing grin softening just a bit. “Then what is the point?”
Cosmo exhaled, his golden eyes flickering with something unreadable. “The point is that humans and wolves don’t mix. No matter how much we want to believe otherwise.”
Scraps huffed, flopping down onto the grass beside him. “Says the guy who spent his whole childhood sneaking off to meet one.”
Cosmo didn’t respond. He didn’t have to…
Scraps grinned again, rolling onto her back to look up at the stars. “You know, I heard a rumor that the famous Red Hood hunter still visits the old village you guys use to live until you all take refuge to this one, it’s said his always west side of the forest on full moons.”
Cosmo’s breath hitched, but he masked it with an unimpressed look. “Rumors are unreliable.”
“Sure, sure.” Scraps waved a paw dismissively. “Keep telling yourself that. Meanwhile, I’ll be over here, definitely not thinking about how hopelessly in love you still are.”
Cosmo rolled his eyes. Scraps giggled..
“Don’t worry, that Secret is kept with me”
Cosmo let out a slow breath, forcing his fur to lie flat even as his heart pounded a little harder in his chest. Scraps’ words clung to him like burrs, persistent and impossible to ignore.
“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” he muttered, his voice tinged with both irritation and something softer something he didn’t want to name.
Scraps turned her head to smirk at him, her ears flicking playfully. “Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p’ with amusement. “And you’re bad at lying. You always have been, Cosmo.”
He huffed, crossing his arms. “Even if he was going there, what difference does it make?” His voice wavered just enough for Scraps to catch it.
She grinned. “If he was? Oh, please, Cosmo, you felt it, didn’t you? The way your ears twitched, the way you tensed up? Don’t act like you didn’t already know.”
Cosmo remained silent. Because she was right. He had felt something like a phantom pull, an invisible thread stretching across the forest, tightening around his ribs every time the full moon rose. And now, to hear that Sprout was returning to the place they had once called theirs?
It hurt. More than It should.
Scraps rolled back onto her stomach, resting her chin on her paws as she studied him. Her teasing softened just a little. “Why don’t you go?”
Cosmo let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. “And say what, Scraps? ‘Hey, remember me? The wolf you tried to kill? Long time no see.’” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but the pain beneath it was real.
Scraps sighed. “I’m not saying it’d be easy. But, Cosmo… if he keeps coming back, doesn’t that mean something?”
Cosmo stared at the ground, claws digging into the dirt. He wanted to argue. To dismiss it as coincidence, as habit. But deep down, he knew better.
Scraps nudged him with her paw. “Look, I get it. You’re scared.”
Cosmo’s head snapped up, a glare forming. “I’m not ”
“Yes, you are,” Scraps interrupted, her voice gentler than before. “And that’s okay. But if you don’t face this, you’ll never stop wondering. You’ll never stop looking over your shoulder, waiting for something that may never come unless you make the choice. Plus it would take like almost a full moon to get back to you’re old town”
Cosmo let out a long, tired sigh, his ears flattening against his head. “And what if I go back and find nothing?” he muttered. “What if it’s just guilt? What if he doesn’t ”
He stopped himself before finishing the thought, but Scraps caught it anyway.
“What if he doesn’t care?” she finished for him, tilting her head. “Is that what you’re afraid of?”
Cosmo hesitated, his throat tightening. He hated how easily she saw through him.
Scraps sat back, watching him carefully. “Look, I won’t pretend to know what’s going on in that thick skull of yours, but I do know this: You care. No matter how much you try to bury it, it’s still there. And if you care this much after all these years, doesn’t it make sense that maybe just maybe he does too?”
Cosmo scoffed. “You’re awfully optimistic for someone who sneaks into villages knowing she could get caught.”
Scraps smirked. “Hey, risks are part of life, big guy. And I’m still standing, aren’t I?”
Cosmo huffed, but there was no real bite to it. He turned his gaze toward the treetops, where the moon peeked through the gaps in the branches.
One full moon’s travel, Scraps had said.
It felt impossibly far. And yet, the thought of it stirred something deep inside him something restless, something aching.
Scraps nudged him again, more gently this time. “You don’t have to decide tonight,” she said. “But at least think about it.”
Cosmo let out another sigh, rubbing his temples. “I have been thinking about it,” he admitted. “That’s the problem.”
Scraps grinned, tail wagging. “Good. That means you’re getting somewhere.”
Cosmo gave her a dry look, but she only winked before trotting off.
As the night stretched on, Cosmo remained seated, staring at the sky.
What if Scraps was right?
What if Sprout did still care?
And what if, after all these years… he wasn’t the only one who had been waiting?
Cosmo barely had time to react before a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his middle, nearly knocking the breath out of him. He blinked, glancing down to see a familiar ball of silver and gray fur clinging to him.
“Hii Cosmo!!” Goob chirped, his fluffy tail wagging so hard it nearly knocked over a basket of herbs.
Cosmo sighed, though a fond smile tugged at his lips. “Goob, you can’t just tackle people out of nowhere,” he said, ruffling the pup’s fur.
Goob only giggled, burying his face against Cosmo’s side. “But I missed you! You’re always working, always mixing smelly herbs and fixing boring old wolves with boring old injuries!”
Cosmo chuckled. “That ‘boring’ work keeps you from getting sick, you know.”
Goob pulled back slightly, scrunching his nose. “I never get sick.”
Scraps, who had lingered nearby, smirked. “Says the one who cried for three days when he got a thorn stuck in his paw.”
Goob gasped dramatically, puffing up. “That was different! It was a giant thorn! Practically a tree stuck in my foot!”
Cosmo snorted. “It was barely the size of my claw.”
Goob crossed his arms and huffed, but his tail still wagged, betraying his playful mood. “Whatever. I’m still tough.”
Cosmo rolled his eyes, amused. “Sure, tough guy. Now, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with the others?”
Goob Expression soften “Well, me and the others where going out scouting, I heard a little conversation between my sisther and her human mate” Goob said in awwe
Cosmo’s ears perked up at that, his tail stilling. “You were what?” he asked, his voice caught between curiosity and exasperation.
Goob, oblivious to the tension in Cosmo’s tone, wagged his tail excitedly. “Me and some of the other went exploring near the outer edge of the village. And guess what? We saw Scraps sneaking off again!” He bounced on his toes, clearly enjoying the gossip. “She was with her human mate!”
Cosmo shot Scraps a sharp look. She groaned, rubbing her temples. “For the love of Goob, I told you to stop spying on me.”
Goob grinned cheekily. “I wasn’t spying! I was observing.”
Scraps snorted. “Oh? And what exactly did you observe, little scout?”
Goob’s ears twitched as he tried to recall everything. “Well… you two were talking about something really serious. You looked kinda nervous. And then she touched your face!” His tail wagged faster. “And then ”
“Okay!” Scraps quickly interrupted, her ears burning as she glared at her younger brother. “That’s enough out of you.”
Cosmo’s breath hitched. His golden eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Scraps. “A law?” His voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried the weight of all the unspoken fears tangled inside him.
Scraps nodded, her expression serious. “Yeah. She said if we if we marry she can push for protection laws. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but it’s a start. She’s willing to fight for it.”
Goob gasped dramatically. “Wait, wait, wait! Does that mean I get to call her ‘sister in law’ now?!” His tail wagged excitedly.
Scraps groaned. “Goob, focus!”
But Cosmo wasn’t smiling. His ears flattened, his tail stilling as a deep unease settled in his chest. “Scraps… this isn’t a game. You know what you’re risking, right?”
Scraps met his gaze, unwavering. “Of course I do. But it’s our risk to take.”
Cosmo clenched his jaw. “And what happens if it fails? What if her people turn on her? What if ” His voice broke slightly, frustration and worry twisting together. “What if this only makes things worse?”
Scraps exhaled, stepping closer. “Then we deal with it. Together.”
Cosmo shook his head. “Scraps, you don’t get it.” He was trembling now, a storm of emotions raging beneath his fur. “You’ve never seen what humans do when they’re afraid. I have. I lived it.”
A painful silence stretched between them.
Goob, for once, was quiet. His ears drooped as he watched his older siblings, the weight of Cosmo’s words sinking in.
Scraps, however, didn’t back down. “I know what I’m doing, Cosmo,” she said softly. “I know the risks. But if we keep hiding, if we keep running… nothing will ever change.”
Cosmo looked away, his hands clenching into fists. He thought of the past the fire in the village, the gun aimed at his pack, the betrayal that had shattered something inside him.
And then he thought of him.
Sprout.
The way he used to smile, the way he used to promise that he’d never hurt him. And then the way his hands had closed around Cosmo’s throat, not out of hatred, but of duty of fear.
Cosmo’s voice was barely a whisper. “Not all humans will fight for us.”
Scraps softened. “No. But some will.” She placed a paw on his shoulder. “Maybe it’s time we stop thinking about the ones who won’t… and start believing in the ones who will.”
Cosmo didn’t respond. He couldn’t.
Because for the first time in years, a flicker of hope threatened to break through the walls he had built.
And it terrified him.
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Sprout’s Pov
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I stared coldly at the ground, watching as thick, crimson liquid pooled beneath my boots. The metallic scent of blood clung to the air, heavy and suffocating. My fingers twitched slightly against the handle of my blade, still slick with fresh warmth.
Slowly, my gaze lifted, trailing over the lifeless body sprawled before me. A wolf. Its fur was matted with red, its eyes once gleaming with life now dull and glassy.
I remembered now.
I had been called here because of a wolf problem.
Because I was a hunter.
Because this was my job.
The words echoed hollowly in my mind, but they felt foreign like something I had forced myself to believe, rather than something I truly knew.
The request had been simple. A pack was sighted too close to a farm, and livestock had gone missing. It was routine. I had done this before.
And yet, as I stood there, staring at the severed head lying just inches away, something in my stomach twisted.
The sight should have meant nothing to me it was just another job, another hunt, another mission completed. I had done this before. Countless times. But this time... this time, the blood on my hands felt heavier.
A phantom ache coiled around my throat, a sickening reminder of the past.
Of him.
Cosmo's face flashed in my mind those golden eyes wide with hurt, his voice cracking as he pleaded, the way my hands had once pressed against his throat. The way I had betrayed him. The way I had broken him.
I shook the thought away violently, gripping my weapon tighter.
This wasn't him. This wasn't Cosmo.
But the guilt didn't leave. It sat in my chest like a stone, suffocating, dragging me down into memories I tried to forget.
I forced myself to move, turning my back on the wolf's lifeless body.
I had done what I was supposed to do. The village was safer. My father would be proud. That was all that mattered.
And yet, the moment I took a step forward, I swore I heard something behind me a faint whimper, so weak, so broken, that it made my breath hitch. But when I turned back, there was nothing but silence.
The blood was already soaking into the dirt, disappearing as if it had never been there
I clenched my jaw and wiped the blood from my hands. I couldn't afford to dwell on my stupid emotions.
It was done.
I walked away, forcing my mind onto something else, anything else.
Maybe I should bake something new.
Yeah… maybe a new recipe. There were still pages in that old cookbook I hadn’t touched in years. Maybe it was time to try something different.
For now, at least.
I exhaled sharply, shaking the blood from my gloves before stepping away from the lifeless body. It was just another job. Another hunt. Nothing more.
And yet, my chest felt tight.
I ignored it.
As I made my way back to the village, I adjusted my hood, letting the familiar sights and sounds of home wash over me. The warm glow of lanterns flickered in the evening light, villagers moving about their routines, unaware of the weight I carried with me.
Then, voices.
I slowed my steps, recognizing Dandy and Astro standing near the merchant stalls, deep in conversation.
“…Leaving for the northern village tomorrow morning,” Astro was saying, arms crossed. “ Vee wants us to get more information about that rumor problem before it spreads.”
I exhaled sharply through my nose, my fingers twitching at my sides.
That village. That damned village.
They acted like they were so much better than the rest of us, pretending their laws made them civilized when, really, all it did was make them weak. They spat on people like me on hunters because we did what was necessary. I had saved them once, driven off a real threat, and what did I get in return? Shame. Glares. Muttered curses behind my back.
Because I killed.
Because I didn’t stand by and let innocent people die like they would have.
Because I did what they were too scared to do.
They’re weak.. useless at times and yet they’re one of the most stubborn and powerful village that’s have a peace treaty on this village
I curled my fingers into a fist, nails digging into my palm.
Let them rot, then.
“I still think it’s a waste of time,” Dandy muttered, adjusting his satchel. “If the wolves are causing trouble, we deal with them. What’s there to investigate?”
“That’s the thing,” Astro replied, lowering his voice like he was sharing some grand secret. “Dandy, As much I know you don’t like this it’s for the best, for us and we’ll for Sprout, remember the time where we all visited?..”
Dandy rolled his eyes. “Of course I remember. How could I forget? That whole village is just one giant set of rules disguised as ‘peace.’” He made air quotes, his expression filled with distaste. “They talk big about fairness and justice, but the second you go against their way of thinking, you’re the enemy.”
I clenched my jaw, my fingers twitching at my sides. I remembered, too. The way they looked at me like I was filth beneath their boots. Like I was some mindless killer just because I did what had to be done.
Astro crossed his arms. “That’s exactly why we should be paying attention to this.” His voice was calm but firm. “You really think they’d consider changing their laws unless something big was happening? They’re stubborn as hell. But if what Vee said is true… if the chief’s daughter is really involved with a wolf..”
Shelly then came out holding a bag, bugging the two. “Hey Astro, Hey Dandy! You guys ready for tomorrow” Shelly then looked to see me waving, “Hey Sprout!”
Astro and Dandy stud there stunned just noticing me, I was there looking at the two
Dandy rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat. “Oh. Uh. Hey, Sprout. Didn’t see you there.”
Astro gave me a long, assessing look. He had that same calculating stare he always did when he thought there was more to something than I was letting on. “How much did you hear?”
I crossed my arms, my expression unreadable. “Enough.”
Shelly, oblivious to the tension, grinned as she slung her bag over her shoulder. “So? What do you think? We’re heading to the northern village tomorrow. Should be interesting, right?”
Interesting?
No. Dangerous.
I held back a scoff. Instead, I shrugged. “If they’re actually considering this law change, then they’re bigger idiots than I thought.”
Shelly’s smile faltered, and she shifted on.
“Do you want to join us Sprout?”
I gave a small nod.
“Ill join, but I’ll be there to make sure you’ll be safe from that stupid Village”
Shelly blinked, surprised at my response. “Wait, really? I thought you wanted nothing to do with that place.”
I exhaled through my nose, my expression unreadable. “I don’t. But you’re all walking into a mess you don’t understand. That village doesn’t just change its laws overnight. If something’s happening, it’s because there’s more going on behind the scenes.”
Astro crossed his arms. “So, you are curious.”
I shot him a glare. “I’m not curious. I just don’t trust them.”
Dandy snorted. “Well, that makes two of us.” He slung his satchel over his shoulder, rolling his shoulders. “Fine by me. If Sprout’s coming, maybe we won’t have to listen to some stuck up elder lecture us about ‘tradition’ for hours.”
Shelly let out a relieved sigh. “Alright. Then it’s settled. We leave at dawn.” She paused, glancing at me carefully. “But, Sprout… if you’re going just to pick a fight, maybe you shouldn’t come.”
I tensed. “I’m not going to fight anyone.”
Not unless they give me a reason to.
Shelly frowned, unconvinced, but didn’t push. “Alright. Just… keep an open mind, okay? Maybe things are changing.”
I didn’t respond.
Astro stepped forward, his tone casual, but his eyes sharp. “One more thing if this is about more than just the law, and if someone is sneaking around with a wolf… how do you think the northern village will react once they find out?”
I stiffened.
Dandy let out a low whistle. “Well. That’s a pleasant thought.”
Astro nodded. “Exactly. That’s why we need to figure out what’s happening before they do.”
Shelly nudged my arm. “See? That’s why we need you there. We’ll need someone who knows what we’re dealing with.”
I forced my expression to stay neutral.
What we’re dealing with.
...