Eight had been on the hunt for almost a week, and found that his skills were honing each time. He'd notice something different, take into account some new tactic. He even managed to work his way up to first attacker, rather than his standard "Puller" position. Peace and Seff were as 프렌즈 의해 now. Well, enough that they didn't only have snide 코멘트 to be made toward him. Conner had specifically requested him for his hunt group in the mornings and this was just fine 의해 Eight. He was starting to make his way, at least with the hunt groups. He had 더 많이 acknowledgement with a handful of 늑대 he had gained favor with and even Benjamin had let a few compliments slip from his lips.

Today was different for Eight, though, he noticed from the moment he woke up. All evening long, he hadn't woken nor stirred. When his eyes cracked open, he noticed that the shadows on some rocks were stretched quite far along the ground. This was the first problem - shadows. Shadows meant daylight, and daylight meant he had overslept.
He jumped up and looked around, there were two 늑대 sleeping far at the back of the den, still in the shade, but he paid them no mind. How could this have happened?? How did he not notice it was time to go?! Sure it had been a long week of work, but this was terrible!
He frantically searched around before heading out. There was no one in the 굴, 덴 awake, he had to find Otto, 또는 Deogee 또는 even, he shuddered to think, Benjamin.
He ran out one of the many paths and down the mountain base incline to the ground, asking here 또는 there, some of the 굴, 덴 mothers and Omegas before he finally got a direction pointed out to him. It took him no time to find Deogee and immediately begin to apologize.
"Deogee!" He panted, out of breath from his frantic scrambling. "Oh, oh geez, I'm so sorry, I missed the hunt call this morning!"
Deogee looked at him puzzled for a moment and then laughed loudly.
"Oh my, Eight. I'm so sorry, my boy!" His voice boomed and rattled with laughter, "My goodness, where is my mind these days?"
Eight looked at him, now the puzzled one of the pair and sat, feeling his hind legs become as dumbfounded as his brain was.
"I had thought to tell 당신 last night that you'd be on night duty tonight, on patrol with Stern and his crew."
Eight breathed a half-sigh of relief. Half due to his not being absent on a hunt. He wasn't particularly thrilled about being paired up with Stern. Eight wasn't likely to forget his first run in with Stern and Shade.
"Now, I know what you're thinking," Deogee began again, "Because its written all over your face." He chuckled. "Stern may be a tiny ball of anger, but he's got a 심장 of gold. Try to take anything he says with a grain of salt. I do." He smiled a fatherly smile, reassuring Eight some. "In the mean time, you'll find that this 일 is yours. So go," Deogee nudged Eight along, "See the sights, kiddo. Your work isn't going anywhere!" He chuckled once 더 많이 before Eight nodded and smiled
"You got it, then!" And with that, he took his leave.

It didn't take Eight long to find the faint sound of laughter as he cut through the field, near the forest line. It was coming from within the woods, so, with ears perked in natural curiosity, Eight headed in the direction of the sounds.
He weaved in and out of the trees as he left the sunlit plains of golden hue and trekked further and further into barren ground, caused 의해 falling leaves and lack of sunlight through the thick overhead 나무, 트리 tops.
He walked only a few 분 into the woods and found a group of Omegas. This was obvious first 의해 that, they didn't seem to be doing anything productive and 초 - they were having fun. Something that Eight hadn't done in some time. Between his journey and his new responsibilities, he just hadn't had time. He watched them for a moment, five of them stretching and tying some length of, what appeared to be vine of some sort. It took him back to home, as many things did. Back when he and his siblings would find the time to frolic and play and goof off for a day. Those days seemed so distant now.
Eight, now abruptly brought back to the present 의해 a sharp and stinging pain in his right flanks, just behind his shoulder. He let out a yelp and a growl as he looked around for whatever it was that bit him. As his eyes scanned, the laughter stopped and the five 늑대 who were content with playing only moments 이전 came rushing toward him, til they entered his vicinity. His attention now focused on them, and mildly on the pain around the back part of his first rib.
The cautions Omega pack halted about 5 feet 또는 so from Eight, and a single one stepped forward, apprehensively.
"We are SO sorry, are 당신 alright?"
Eight was confused at first,
"What, sorry? Wh-wha-why? What? What was that?"
"That... was, well..." The Omega stammered before being nudged from behind 의해 one of his compatriots, "Its just a thing we've been... experimenting with." The scrawny looking Omega stated, looking back harshly at his instigators.
Eight took a look at each of them. A rather scraggly bunch, really. Two larger wolves, 의해 comparison only, they looked almost exactly alike, dark brown fur, one with kind of a dumb look on his face. One smaller wolf, Almost the build of An angry half-stack of 늑대 Eight would have to work with later that evening, only without the muscle build, and Two lanky wolves. One taller than the other.
The shorter Lanky 늑대 of the two was their spokes wolf, apparently. He had a peppery gray 코트 and a very quiet demeanor. That must have been an Omega thing.
"Sooo... That, whatever that was, the pain in my..." Eight began, trying to piece it together.
"Yeah... Uhm... That was us." The 늑대 stated, before taking a step back and becoming nervously defensive, "Again, SO sorry about that. Completely unintentional, we, uh, we thought we were alone out here - we usually are."
"No, no," Eight waved his paws about a bit, "No need for an apology... hey," he chuckled, "No harm done, yeah? I reckon I'm no worse for the wear."
The smaller 늑대 breathed a sigh of relief from the back of the bunch and the rest looked dumbfounded. Well, all but their apparently reluctant leader. His tail wagged and ears perked back up at this news.
"Serious? Well... well alright!" He became excited and even 더 많이 so when he concocted his 다음 sentence. "OH, HEY!" He got uncomfortably close to Eight's face. It was now apparent that these boys were Omegas of some sort, "Hey, hey," He put his paw around Eights shoulder as he shifted to his side, "So, 당신 wanna see how it works?" The 늑대 grinned, as did the rest. They must have been quite pleased with themselves, and why not? They seemed to have quite the gadget worked out there in the thick brush and tight 나무, 트리 grouping of the forest-scape.
"Uhh..." Eight started, trying not to be taken back 의해 this, apparently incredibly friendly and enthusiastic wolf, "Sure, what the hell."
They stood there for a moment, his 'new best friend' staring at him with a grin, before turning back to his own group of 프렌즈 and reiterating, "Sure." He patted Eights back, "The Guy says Sure!"
Each 늑대 cheered and laughed as a couple of them ran back up to the apparatus. The others stayed with Eight as they began to walk that direction. They were taking him in, learning about him, studying him. Eight thought to himself that they must not get much attention elsewhere.
"Well, I'm Zen. I Head up this gaggle of miscreants." He snorted and laughed at his sentence, apparently humorous to him. "This little guy here," He motioned to Eight's left side, opposite of himself, "This is Mingo. The twins," He motioned again to the opposite of Mingo, and up toward their contraption, "This is Grunt and the other up there is Darriel. And with Darriel you'll see the only female member of our little family, Lilac."
Mingo was the first to speak afterward, his voice quick, sharp and quiet, "A pleasure." Quickly to be drown out 의해 Grunt's voice, also greeting Eight.
"Well, I'm Eight, and -"
"Oh we know. We know all about you, Sir." Zen interrupted. "Its an Omega's business to know everything going on around here, y'know."
"Huh." Came Eight's only reply.
"Yeah, we have our share of information on just anyone around here. I gotta say though, we heard 당신 were mild mannered, we hadn't figured on 당신 being NICE as well." The others quickly agreed. They neared Their trees, between them strung up a length of jumbled massed vines.
"Don't get me wrong, its just that, well, you're an 연기 Beta, right?" Zen continued, but then accompanied 의해 Mingo's rapid 불, 화재 voice, "He means to say that we just figured you'd be... y'know..."
"Kind of a Jerk-hole." Grunt finished their sentence. He was abrupt. He didn't say much, but when he did, it was quick and to the point.
Eight took a moment to process everything,
"Well, Thats just now how I am, I reckon."
The others smiled to each other, clearly pleased with Eight's demeanor.
"I reckon so." Zen reiterated, motioning Eight to their area of the woods, covered in tracks and scuffle marks. Leaves and dirt shifted this way and that for a large area of the forest floor. They must have been here often.
Eight took his steps into their circle, now surrounded 의해 these fun-loving Omegas. This was certainly a different color than he painted the 일 to be when he woke up.

There was no telling what the rest of the 일 would hold, not with it being as unpredictable as it had been so far.