"They hid me in a secluded cavern on the furthermost edge of the territory. Bramble and Rustle would check on me twice a day: before sunrise and after sunset. After sunset, they would always smuggle something from their Pack prey pile to give to me.

"This went on for about two weeks before one night when Rustle visited me in the middle of the night. He... confessed his love for me. Since then, he would always meet me in the middle of the night. We'd always talk about life, or the crazy antics of his friends and Packmates, or about what my life was like in a Cripp Pack. As time went on, I became very fond of his personality and charm.

"Before winter was over, we decided to mate.... And... We had you four," Albert said, smiling and nuzzling Summer, and then Dawn.

"Wait...." Star paused the story. "So that means..."

Reality hit Dawn and Summer like a slap to the face. "R-Rustle.... Rustle is our father?!" they yipped at the same time.

The Hawk wolf couldn't believe it. Her arch enemy. The murderer of many innocent wolves.

Was her father.

The thought almost made her sick.

"We were definitely proud parents. In winged wolf tradition, we named the oldest pup first and the youngest last. And keeping with Cripp tradition, we gave you a full name.

"The first pup born was a beautiful one, with silky white fur and soft, feathery wings. She was the first of many. It was the start of a beautiful beginning for me and Rustle. We named you 'Dawn of a New Day,' for we believed that you could create new things, and bring new ideas into light."

Dawn had sudden warm fuzzies at the pleasant things her mother had told her.

"The next bundle of joy to arrive was the complete opposite in appearance. He had sleek fur, as black as night. His tiny dragon wings were a bright shade of red. We named him 'Twilight of a New Moon.' Although he had a dark and spooky appearance, I believed he would become a gentle wolf in his heart.

"The third was the other male. His pelt was a soft, tender blue, and the fins on his back and paws glistened like shimmering rapids. We named him 'Riptide of the Great Waves,' for we believed that he could be both precious and powerful, whether it be physically or emotionally.

"The fourth and final pup was visibly smaller than the other three. A runt. However, I thought despite her size, she was just as adorable and precious as the all of the others. She was bright periwinkle, and had delicate light violet wings. She was named 'Summer of the Blazing Sun,' for I believed her fiery spirit and determination would help her through everything that stood in her way."

Dawn nudged Summer giddily. The Flutter wolf blushed. "Awww, Mom!"

"Your first two weeks of puphood were so precious... Rustle would come to the den as often as he could to check on his pups. He would constantly ask if Summer had gotten enough milk, and I'd always giggle and say yes. Like always, he'd bring me fresh-kill and water through chunks of ice.

"Everything was perfect. We didn't worry about tomorrow. We didn't stress about what would happen to our pups in the future. Rustle and I focused on the present, and all the happy moments that were occurring now.

"Until the night you opened your eyes.

"It was late at night. A brutal snowstorm was blowing outside. Surprisingly, Rustle and Bramble came to the den with information about the diversity between you four. He was able to convince one of the Elders, who was Rustle's grandfather, Canyon, to tell him and Bramble the Secret of the Elders, which they explained to me.

"Before I have time to argue, Rustle forcefully tells me that we need to take my pups away. I yell at him to not take you all away, because I love you."

Dawn's face fell. Memories of the vision that revealed her, Twilight, Summer, and Riptide's true relation were flooding. As Alberta narrated it, the scene replayed in Dawn's mind.

"He tells me we needed to get r-rid off them, or the Pack order would be off..." Tears began spilling over again as Alberta recalled her horrible memories. "I-I suggest that we could keep you hidden, but he tells me that that he'll keep the pups away from me. Bramble then attacks me, clawing at me mercilessly. However, being a Cripp, I had a physical advantage over him, swiftly clawing him on the forehead and throwing him off of me. You Avium may have your flashy wings that you can escape danger with, but we have our quick-witted brains and powerful brawn.

"Anyway, I noticed the pups were gone, and I run out of the den, a gust of sharp snowflakes whirling around me. I make out the shape of Rustle, carrying all four of the pups in his mouth. I run after him, barking curse words and insults to him. I follow his silhouette, barely visible among the whiteout. I finally lose him by the time I reach the Falls, frozen by the harsh winter. I frantically look around, but you were nowhere in sight.

"I lost you..."

Alberta's claws dug into the ground, and her tears dripped onto the soft dirt.

Dawn hurriedly came by her mother's side and wrapped her feathered wing around her in comfort. However, she felt her own tears forming, but quickly held them back.

"What happened after that?" Jinx asked.

Alberta sniffed and replied, "Well, after the snowstorm, which didn't blow over until the next morning, I venture out into the thick blanket of snow... I trudge back to the only place I've ever known.

"Home.

"It takes a few days, but eventually I find myself dragging my exhausted self into the Pack cave. Instead of being greeted with excited cheers and yips, I only hear silence and dark stares of shame echoing through my empty, broken heart. The Alpha, who was a silver wolf called Altai at the time, confronts me in front of the entire Pack. He notices the teats on my underside for feeding you four. Furious, Altai demands to know who I mated with, and I slowly tell him it was Rustle... a winged wolf. By now, he is beyond furious. I argue that it was because I loved him, but he responds by asking why I came back with alone without pups.

"I don't reply.

"Altai then says that it wasn't love. It was lust. He orders me to be imprisoned for life. A few of my Packmates had to drag me into the cave's prison. I remember screaming, 'Can't I change?! Can't I be kept?! Please! This isn't me!'

"So... As the years went on, I've quite a bit of time on my paws, watching my life rot away in a prison cell. I realize that Alpha Altai was right. My craving for adventure made my lust for Rustle appear as love. I was too selfish to see how foolish I was.

"I. Regret. Everything."