The pack called him Celos, and as the strongest young male in the pack, he was often envied by the others. When he howled, the mountains sang back, his song traveling for miles through the deep woods.

*“Celos, celos!” Sky called. Celos turned as she and her two brothers pounced on him.
“Arg!” he complained playfully. Tommy and Ryan pinned him down as Sky nibbled on his tail.
“Celos!” Another voice called to him, with the fierce dominance of the Alpha. Th pups scrambled off, immediately somber in the presence of the leader. Celos stood and shook the dirt out of his fur.
“Yes, Alpha?”
“News of incoming storms. Prepare the nursery accordingly.” Alpha walked off.
Celos immediately disregarded the comment. The spring rains weren't due for another few weeks. Little did he know what a massive toll his hubris would bring upon him and the pack.*

His duty was to protect the nursery,  a great honor that he well deserved. He stood strong and unmoving at the entrance as the pups and mothers slept.  And yet, each night that he stood at his post under the oak, a chilling memory haunts him...

*The screams. The screams were too much. He couldn't get to them. He had failed to protect them. He had let his own arrogance, his own ego get ahead of him, and now his sister’s pups would not make it.
The water rose higher, the yelps more desperate. He dug and dug, his paws sliding in the wet mud, fur clumping in his eyes so he couldn't see. The rain just kept coming. It poured down like a waterfall. He suddenly realized the pups wouldn't survive.*

He shakes himself out of that dream night after night, never forgiving himself for what he had let happen.

*They called out to him, screaming his name. He dug harder, nails breaking against the stones mixed in with the soaked earth. He could feel the sharp bite of his paws getting cut and bruised, and still he dug on, not getting anywhere closer to the bottom of the collapsed nursery, now covered in layers of earth from the buckled cave wall. With every load of mud he pulled out, the rain caused more to fall in. All of a sudden, the rest of the pack was there, digging with him. Furiously they dug, their combined strength and speed trying to make up for what he had lost.*

Each day he had to look into the eyes of Sarafina, his beautiful sister, and know what pain she felt. She had tried to talk to him, to tell him she was okay, but he had shut everyone out. It used to be, when he walked by, the rest of the wolves could only think, “here comes trouble,” but now only a shell remained of Celos. All they saw was a sad wolf, guilty for something he had no control over.

*The cries ceased; he stopped, realizing what the rest of the pack did at the same moment. He began to howl, mourning for the loss of the three pups...his family. His woeful song was soon joined by the pack, all of their voices blending together in a sad melody.*

“Celos,” Sarafina called as he made his way out of camp. “You no longer sing to the mountains. They miss your voice.”
“I hear no songs anymore,” he replied. “The song in me is dead.”
“Celos, it’s not your fault” She said softly.
“”Yes it is.” He galloped off.

*One more whimpering cry escaped from underneath the dirt- the last pup, crying with his family before the rest of the dirt collapsed.*

Celos ran until he got to the graves-the three pups who’d never see the sun again, their last memory of wet earth and no air. He spoke to them softly, finally saying words he’d never said.

*“Dig them out!” Celos howled as the cry went silent. He began to dig again, to no avail. The others watched in silent vigil; they knew it was done. And then, so did Celos.*

“You didn't deserve it”

*I could’ve done better.*

“I should’ve never stopped.”

*I killed them.*

“I never thought-”

*-id bury my family.*

“I’m sorry”

*I’m so sorry.*