Free & Lonely [Closed Solo]

Laying in his den, the alpha rolled over onto his side and let out a sigh. After the Omega ceremony, Storm had went to his den and stayed there through the evening without grabbing a bite to eat or talking to a single soul. Now, he stared at the entrance of his den which shown no light and how long he'd been laying in his nest. Did he ever fall asleep, and how long had he been awake? He felt as if he hadn't slept at all and as much as his eyes wanted to close, he forced himself awake. Today was the day that'd he'd make a decision that would change his life forever.

Crawling out from the warmth of the pitch black den and into the chilly camp, Storm shivered under his pelt and stood in the darkness, letting his eyes adjust. Was it... snowing? Taking a few steps forward, the soft crunch of snow told him it that Leaf-Bare came early and in a way, he was glad it came when it did.

The older wolf looked around the camp, reminiscing about his pup days as if he were literally in the moment. This had been his home since he was born, was he really going to do this? He'd played chase around camp, trained subordinates, found love here, but now, it didn't feel like home. Now, it felt like a prison and he was an inmate, surrounded by wolves who thought he was unfit to lead a pack. This wasn't a life, not anymore. Storm had thought about this decision for what seemed like ages and he knew that it was too late to turn back now.

Everyone was still asleep and it was now or never. Storm padded towards the edge of the camp and turned around, giving one last glance at the camp. He prayed to the Sky-Wolves that this was for the better, and when he thought about it, what did it matter if he left? Wouldn't they be better off without him anyway? And besides, he had nothing left to lose, not even his so called pride. No one to love, no one to share stories with, at this point, he was an empty vessel carrying a living being, simply going through the motions.

They don't need me anymore. he thought with a small smile, remembering when he was appointed alpha. Bringing the memories to fruition, it seemed like just yesterday. His young self, Swift, a wonderful happy life... he'd never get that back. At this point, they all probably thought he was crazy, and even through his anger towards their stubbornness, Storm was still extremely proud of Bison Pack. They'd grown so much and he knew that he could trust Cresent to take care of them; that's why he'd appointed her as the Beta. Unfortunately, not even she knew that he was leaving and part of him wanted to tell her, though in the end, he just couldn't do it.

With pain in his eyes, the former Alpha turned away from the peaceful den-site and made his way out of the camp, heading towards the upland meadows with his head and tail hung low, walking a limp to his gate. His injuries from the fight a few days ago were taking longer than usual to heal, and under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be leaving the safety of the den-site in this condition, but it was too late now. The soft crunch of snow felt great under his soar paws and luckily for him, the frosty air would help cover his tracks. A soft breeze blew snowflakes every which way, including into his eyes, but he'd been through worse.

And now, his journey began. Away from pack life, away from commotion, away from friends and family. Now, he was a rogue, an outcast, never to return or be accepted back into his pack. Of course he felt lonely, but now he was free.