Finally! The exerpt for the newest and upcoming story in the A&O franchise. In one year, the story will be released in full, but not as one article. Each chapter will have its own article. Starting today or maybe tomorrow, I'll be releasing character profiles, going into some detail about the new characters in the story. I might also release the first chapter a week or two before the 10 year anniversary just to reignite the hype around it since we'll be waiting another year, which works out fine since I'm about halfway done with writing the story. I hope you enjoy this little bit of Chapter 3, one of my favorite chapters so far. Make sure to remember this takes place when Humphrey was a young pup. The story spans from his birth until he's around 7, when he's found by the Western Pack. He's around three years old when this particular chapter takes place. I had a lot of fun writing this important part of his puphood.
Exerpt from Chapter 3: Like Father, Like Son
"Alright Humphrey," Gary said. "I've already taught you many different ways an omega can have fun, and you've even come up with your own or added on to what I've shown you."
Humphrey smiled, happy that he had impressed his father.
"Today I'm going to show you my favorite thing to do during my pastime."
"What does that word mean, Dad?" Humphrey asked.
"Pastime is pretty much any time I have to myself when I'm not busy with other things."
"Oh, okay," Humphrey said. "So, what do you like to do in your...pastime?" he asked.
"It's a little something I like to call...logboarding," Gary said.
"Cool."
The young omega was intrigued. This logboarding thing sounded awesome, whatever it was.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I'll show you," Gary answered. "But first we gotta find a log."
He began looking around the large hilltop for an old shell of a hollowed-out log. He eventually found one half-buried in the snow and pushed it back over to where Humphrey was standing near the edge of the hill.
"Now stay here and just watch me," Gary said.
He hopped into the logboard and soon began sliding down the hill. Humphrey watched in amazement as he watched his father rush down the hillside in the old log, shouting and laughing as we went.
Gary reached the bottom and looked up at Humphrey and smiled at him. He then began the tedious task of pushing the logboard back up the large hill. Around ten minutes later, he finally reached the top and Humphrey rushed up to his father.
"Wow, Dad! That was so cool!"
"I know, right?" Gary said, getting a little excited himself. "Now it's your turn."
Humphrey's smile faded and it was replaced by a look of fear on his face.
"But it also looked scary, too."
"Don't worry," Gary told him. "I'll be riding with you."
"Okay then," Humphrey said, his excitement returning. "Let's do it."
"Alright then," Gary said, helping his son into the logboard.
They set it up on the edge of the hill with Humphrey sitting up front and Gary out back pushing. Just as the logboard began to slide down the hill, Gary jumped in back behind Humphrey and off they went.
They slid down the hill at an exhilarating rate and Humphrey cheered and shouted just as his father had done earlier. But the path was filled with obstacles, like large rocks and boulders that lay directly in their path, sticking through the snow and things began to go wrong quickly.
Not halfway from the top of the hill, the logboard struck a large boulder and began to spin wildly. Humphrey yelled out for his father. The logboard eventually stopped spinning but now it was facing the wrong way. Gary and Humphrey were now sliding down the hill backwards.
Gary quickly sprung into action, using an old trick he had taught himself when the very same thing happened years ago. He stood up and stuck his back paw out into the snow. Then, in one swift motion, Gary twisted his back paw and swung the logboard back around, a trick Humphrey would use many years later when he would become lost with another wolf as they tried to get home.
Gary laughed to himself before directing Humphrey down the rest of the hill, giving him directions on what to do.
They reached the bottom and that's when they ran into more trouble. They couldn't figure out how to brake and soon crashed into a rock. The logboard came to a jolting stop, knocking Gary and Humphrey off it into the snow.
Gary helped his son out of the snow.
"Um, you forgot to tell me how to stop, Dad," Humphrey said.
"Yeah, it's been a problem," Gary replied.
"It's been a problem?" Humphrey asked sarcastically.
"Well..." Gary began, but before he could finish, they heard a bloodcurdling scream echoing through the woods from the northern part of the pack where their den was.
Gary and Humphrey looked at each other with a look of concern on their faces. Not long after, a wolf came rushing up to them, a nervous look on his face. Something was definitely not right.
"Gary," the wolf said, panting. "Gary, you have to come, now."
"What? What is it?" Gary asked.
"It's Martha."
Gary immediately became worried.
"What happened?" he frantically asked. "Is she okay?"
"She's going into labor," the wolf said.
Almost instantly, Gary's face lit up with excitement and shock all at once. He picked Humphrey up, put him on his back, and began running through the snow back to their den.
"What does that mean, Dad?" Humphrey asked.
"It means you're about to be a big brother."
Exerpt from Chapter 3: Like Father, Like Son
"Alright Humphrey," Gary said. "I've already taught you many different ways an omega can have fun, and you've even come up with your own or added on to what I've shown you."
Humphrey smiled, happy that he had impressed his father.
"Today I'm going to show you my favorite thing to do during my pastime."
"What does that word mean, Dad?" Humphrey asked.
"Pastime is pretty much any time I have to myself when I'm not busy with other things."
"Oh, okay," Humphrey said. "So, what do you like to do in your...pastime?" he asked.
"It's a little something I like to call...logboarding," Gary said.
"Cool."
The young omega was intrigued. This logboarding thing sounded awesome, whatever it was.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I'll show you," Gary answered. "But first we gotta find a log."
He began looking around the large hilltop for an old shell of a hollowed-out log. He eventually found one half-buried in the snow and pushed it back over to where Humphrey was standing near the edge of the hill.
"Now stay here and just watch me," Gary said.
He hopped into the logboard and soon began sliding down the hill. Humphrey watched in amazement as he watched his father rush down the hillside in the old log, shouting and laughing as we went.
Gary reached the bottom and looked up at Humphrey and smiled at him. He then began the tedious task of pushing the logboard back up the large hill. Around ten minutes later, he finally reached the top and Humphrey rushed up to his father.
"Wow, Dad! That was so cool!"
"I know, right?" Gary said, getting a little excited himself. "Now it's your turn."
Humphrey's smile faded and it was replaced by a look of fear on his face.
"But it also looked scary, too."
"Don't worry," Gary told him. "I'll be riding with you."
"Okay then," Humphrey said, his excitement returning. "Let's do it."
"Alright then," Gary said, helping his son into the logboard.
They set it up on the edge of the hill with Humphrey sitting up front and Gary out back pushing. Just as the logboard began to slide down the hill, Gary jumped in back behind Humphrey and off they went.
They slid down the hill at an exhilarating rate and Humphrey cheered and shouted just as his father had done earlier. But the path was filled with obstacles, like large rocks and boulders that lay directly in their path, sticking through the snow and things began to go wrong quickly.
Not halfway from the top of the hill, the logboard struck a large boulder and began to spin wildly. Humphrey yelled out for his father. The logboard eventually stopped spinning but now it was facing the wrong way. Gary and Humphrey were now sliding down the hill backwards.
Gary quickly sprung into action, using an old trick he had taught himself when the very same thing happened years ago. He stood up and stuck his back paw out into the snow. Then, in one swift motion, Gary twisted his back paw and swung the logboard back around, a trick Humphrey would use many years later when he would become lost with another wolf as they tried to get home.
Gary laughed to himself before directing Humphrey down the rest of the hill, giving him directions on what to do.
They reached the bottom and that's when they ran into more trouble. They couldn't figure out how to brake and soon crashed into a rock. The logboard came to a jolting stop, knocking Gary and Humphrey off it into the snow.
Gary helped his son out of the snow.
"Um, you forgot to tell me how to stop, Dad," Humphrey said.
"Yeah, it's been a problem," Gary replied.
"It's been a problem?" Humphrey asked sarcastically.
"Well..." Gary began, but before he could finish, they heard a bloodcurdling scream echoing through the woods from the northern part of the pack where their den was.
Gary and Humphrey looked at each other with a look of concern on their faces. Not long after, a wolf came rushing up to them, a nervous look on his face. Something was definitely not right.
"Gary," the wolf said, panting. "Gary, you have to come, now."
"What? What is it?" Gary asked.
"It's Martha."
Gary immediately became worried.
"What happened?" he frantically asked. "Is she okay?"
"She's going into labor," the wolf said.
Almost instantly, Gary's face lit up with excitement and shock all at once. He picked Humphrey up, put him on his back, and began running through the snow back to their den.
"What does that mean, Dad?" Humphrey asked.
"It means you're about to be a big brother."