Outside, the world stretched its aching limbs, long held back by the freezing blanket of winter. The spring storm was fierce, and it raged with all the pent up fury of a mother bear disturbed from her slumber to find her cubs snatched by hungry jaws right from under her nose. The wind roared like a thousand lions, snapping tree limbs and ripping at the new buds trying desperately to grow; lightning flashed erratically and often, blinding any who gazed up at the sky. The deafening crack of the thunder that followed made the land tremble in fear.

And yet, inside the deep earthen den, a mother and father stared at one another with love and joy in their eyes. The huge male, distinguished by the stark, bold lines marking his face and chest, licked the nose of his mate, a female of snow white fur and black feet, her red tail thumping gently behind her in happiness.

Together, they stared down at the three beautiful, squirming pups nestled against her belly, each one suckling with gusto, intent on the taste of rich milk.

"Dione . . . " the male whispered, his voice as deep and soothing as the gentle thunder of a light rain shower, so different from the torrent without the den. He pawed at the female, a soft touch to her shoulder. He wanted so much to curl up with his beautiful mate, but was unwilling to disturb his pups. Not only that, but Dione had predicted the opening of their eyes to this evening, and he would not miss that first look from his children.

"Zeus, look," Dione breathed, a smile curling the corners of her maw. The big male followed her ice blue gaze, catching the tiny movements of the closed eyes of Ares, the largest pup of their brood. The sparsely spotted thing of black and red fur lifted his head from his dinner, letting out a challenging squawk, and stared directly at his father with those lidded eyes. His tiny ears twitched and he scrunched his puppy face, mouth opening and closing as he squeaked and whined in determination.

And then, Zeus found himself staring into eyes as darkly blue as the evening sky, crystal clear and full of life and intelligence. The pup blinked repeatedly, each time opening his eyes as wide as they would go. And suddenly the puppy seemed to realize that he was staring at something, and crawled forward for a closer look.

Zeus lowered his head until his chin brushed the ground, his furiously wagging tail stirring the soft new spring grasses lining the floor of the den. When Ares squirmed too far forward and bumped his nose against his father's, the huge male grinned from ear to ear, his tongue swiping out to lick his boy's face. The puppy squawked with indignation, wiggling backwards and away from the invading tongue.

Chuckling, Zeus met his mate's eyes and at that moment, he couldn't have loved her more.

"Dear-heart, they're watching you," she said with a smile, dipping her head towards the other pups. Eyes wide, Zeus turned back to look at his offspring, and sure enough, he was met with three pairs of beautiful eyes; Ares' evening blue, Athena's sparkling gold, and Hephaestus' bi-colored orbs, one each color of his siblings'.

Licking each puppy into a squawking fit, he nipped at his mate's ear lovingly before turning and racing out of the den and into the raging storm, a howl of pure joy and triumph falling from his jaws as the rain soaked his fur.

Not even the terrifying storm could destroy the good mood of the alpha of the Pantheon Pack.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Bital watched as her alphas appeared from the tree line, back from a successful round of border patrol. Shinsa and Thanatos, the pack betas, loped in behind them, each going their seperate ways once given leave by Zeus.

Tired from her day of puppy sitting, the small omega felt nothing but relief at seeing the parents of the three obnoxious, hyperactive pups it was her duty to watch. Wagging her tail as fast as it would go, she got to her feet and slunk towards her alphas, whimpering in relief and gratitude, showing her happiness at their return.

Dione was the first to meet her, touching Bital's neck with her nose and nipping at her ears with tiny growls. Zeus did the same on the omega's opposite side, each wolf towering over her with their heads and tails held high.

"Bital, you seem strained today," Dione murmured, her bell-like voice soothing and quiet as it always was. Zeus had already moved towards his children, a growl starting deep in his throat. Both females turned to see two of the pups in a vicous fight, Athena's razor sharp puppy teeth locked onto one of Ares' ears, one paw in his face. Her toenails were very close to her brother's eye, and it looked as if she was fully aware of the fact, and furious that he was preventing her from blinding him.

"Athena!" Zeus roared, leaping upon the fueding siblings. His huge jaws closed around the female pup's body, his paws working to keep Ares from taking advantage of her sudden compromising and unguarded position.

"Release!" the word came out muffled, but the fierce authority behind it made Athena's jaws instinctively snap open, letting her brother's torn and bloody ear free of her little fangs.

"Athena, explain yourself," Dione demanded as she approached, her tongue sweeping out to lick the blood away from her son's ear. She glanced at Hephaestus, but the black and rusty orange laid back male, only slightly smaller than his spotted brother, seemed to have done nothing but watch his siblings fight.

Worried that she would get the blame for the pups' behaviour, Bital flattened herself against the ground, her ears pressed so tightly to her skull they all but vanished amidst her fur.

"Soothe, Bital. You are not to blame," Zeus assured her, his eyes kind and warm as they landed on her. She eased only slightly however, worried that the mighty alpha might change his mind.

Ares had not made a sound during the whole ordeal, even though his ear was nearly torn right down the middle and the entire side of his face matted with drying blood. He glared at his sister, but also quivered just a little when she looked away, with pleading eyes, to their mother, as if he was afraid to show his fear of her.

"Daughter, you better loosen your tongue within the next few moments, or you will regret remaining silent," Zeus growled after dropping his daughter unceremoniously to the ground. The long legged female shook herself, but cowered very near to the ground in a semblence of submission.

Bital could see the fire that raged in the little pup's eyes, and knew the submission for the show that it was, and nothing more.

I fear the day she is grown . . .

Suddenly, a chorus of whines and whimpers sounded as the rest of the pack appeared from a successful hunt, eager to show their alphas their prize. The pack fell upon the small group, and all thoughts of punishing the errant pup vanished as Zeus and Dione were swept up into the rituals of the pack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trotting along the tree line, the living shadow watched with liquid amber and burning red eyes as the pack lounged in the distance, their backs to the him and their eyes blinded by the setting sun. Grinning malaciously, the wolf gathered his legs into a lope, turning into the trees as the last rays of the dying sun vanished beneath the horizon, plunging the world into darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The howl rang like a clarion call for war, cutting loud and clear through the darkness. Zeus startled, turning his head in its direction, his ears flashing back as the call suddenly ended in a strangled cry before disappearing all together.

His eyes glowing in the sparse light cast off from the partial moon, the alpha leapt to his feet, his keen gaze catching movement within the trees.

A dozen, two dozen, and more figures peeled away from the shadows of the ancient forest giants, their frenzied snarls and pants a cacophany that shattered the peace of the night. The great alpha's pack were on their feet in an instant, but they were still too slow. Falling upon their enemies like rabid beasts, the rival pack started its slaughter . . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a battle cry, Zeus plunged into the frenzy of fur and blood and teeth, his own fangs sinking into the ruff of the first unfamiliar wolf to cross his path. Shaking his head, he tossed the smaller figure away, its throat all but gone. Snarling, the mighty alpha leapt forward, teeth bared as he sighted another enemy, this one ripping into sweet Bital, the little omega crying out in agony as her leg was twisted and broken by more powerful jaws.

Falling upon the intruder, Zeus gave no quarter, killing the wolf in the first few moments. He was a fighter of much renown, and the fury of seeing his pack ambushed urged him to greater strength and battle lust. Dione, his lean and beautiful mate, was suddenly at his side and the two of them left a trail of bodies and blood in their wake.

But still the enemy came, and more and more of their own fell to the greater numbers.

Assured that their pups were safe and sleeping in their den, the alphas stumbled as one when the spotted body of Ares was flung into their path, his sightless eyes staring at them from a face broken and bloody with fang marks.

"Ares . . . No . . . NO!" Roaring, Zeus tore his gaze from his dead son, meeting the bi-colored eyes of amber and blood, seeing the white muzzle stained by glistening crimson, jaws twisted into a crazed smile.

Dione howled her grief, her blue eyes rimmed in red as her rage consumed her. She leapt at the betrayer, but another wolf, almost a copy of the one before them, rammed into the alpha in mid-air. Zeus heard the crack of bones breaking, not knowing if the agonized yelp came from his mate or her attacker.

"Dione! My love, no!" With a snarl that coelesced into a howling battle cry, the great alpha leapt upon the betrayer, his only thought that of destroying his son's murderer. Nothing else mattered, and the world around them soon faded as the two combatants lost themselves in a fight of life or death.

No wolf witnessed the slight movements from the small, broken body, or heard the tiny, pained whimpers. And yet, a shadow with silver eyes appeared above the small form, taking him up in gentle jaws before limping away, paws muffled by the blood drenched soil, into the eerie stillness of the trees.

~~~~~~~~~~

Golden and pure, the sun rose upon a land stained crimson by blood and tainted by death and betrayal. Zeus lay sprawled next to his mate, having been unable to move any farther. She whimpered and nuzzled him, pain contorting her features. Both of their assailants had fled from the battle, as had the rest of the invaders, at some silent command shortly before the first graying of the early morning sky.

The Pantheon Pack, once grand and prospering in a land well suited to caring for them, now lay in ruins, more than three quarters of its members broken and dead amidst the swirling morning mist. The land cried, the songs of the birds sounding a broken lament to the dead protectors. The trees wept, the morning dew dripping like tears into the blood soaked soil.

Two lanky shapes slunk amidst the carnage, silent as the dead that surrounded them. But upon seeing the bloodied forms of their parents, the pups burst into whines of terror and grief, falling upon the alphas with tears in their eyes as they realized Dione and Zeus still lived.

And as the sun rose higher in the sky, burning away the concealing mist, more bodies appeared, of friend and foe alike, though the number of friend and family far outweighed that of their enemies. The quiet cries of the pups echoed loudly in the clearing, and the birds soon grew silent, leaving the survivors to their grief.

The Pantheon Pack was no more.

FIN