Foreword

The year is almost over, but I still have time to get one more story out into the world. This one is interesting because it came about due to a thought I had while editing "Like His Father". For those new to my stories, "Like His Father" featured Aniu and told the story of how she fell in love with the husky who would become Balto's father. She had to be careful because a wolf from her pack, Mayak, not only wanted her to be his mate as well, but he also had a pathological hatred of dogs. I could go on, but I think it'd be best to read "Like His Father" yourself if you already haven't.

Back to the main point, this story came about because of a thought I had about a certain scene, in which part of Mayak's hatred for dogs is explained by other members of her pack. The aim was to give some background on Mayak, but it seemed to be lacking the sinister side of him I was presenting in the story. I got to thinking how someone would get that way when a thought popped into my head. What if the story Aniu's friends knew wasn't the entire story? What if there was something more, something darker, something that would be seen as a precursor to how Mayak acts towards Aniu? And thus this story was born.

Before we get too into it, I'd like to thank Silwer-Paw for looking this story over and giving me some early feedback on it. If you want to know where the inspiration for this story came from, then take a look at "Like His Father" in my gallery (I think the specific scene is in Chapter 5). With nothing else to say, it's time to get this story underway.

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Chapter 1: Two Brothers

Two wolves faced off in a clearing while many others surrounded them, watching aptly. One of the two in the center was the leader of the pack - the other was an outsider. The pack waited for the next move to be made; the decision on what to do with this newcomer rested with their alpha. If he wanted him chased away, they would have to oblige. The chilling winter air was still, the only sound coming from the trees that creaked from the cold.

"I was surprised when you came to me like this. I never thought I'd see you again," the alpha wolf said.

"I thought so too... and yet here I am," the newcomer replied.

"You know, you coming here like this is quite odd for a wolf your age," the alpha continued. "Most wolves would be off leading their own pack by now."

"True... then again I've never really been like most wolves," the other replied.

The alpha couldn't help but grin a little. "No, no you haven't."

"All I'm asking is for a place with your pack," the newcomer explained. "I may have been a lone wolf for the past few years, but I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life. I have experience from my travels and can contribute with much to your pack."

"I know you can, but you pulling your weight is not my only concern," the alpha replied. "I need to know that I can trust you. I need to know that you'll remain loyal to me and my pack." On hearing this, the newcomer smirked a little, as if he thought the request was silly. "Do you find something amusing about that?" the alpha asked sharply. The pack became apprehensive on seeing their alpha's annoyance. If an alpha ever felt insulted, he could seek any kind of retribution he wished on whoever had wronged him.

"I just find it funny you have to ask that question at all," the newcomer replied. "I thought my little brother knew that he could always count on my honesty."

The alpha wolf started to grin; that was the answer he was looking for. "You're right, you always were the one I could count on," he mused. "It's been so long that I almost forgot how you looked out for me."

"Well here's a chance to repay that favour," the newcomer continued. "I could have tried my luck with other packs, but none of the other alphas know me as well as you do. We have been through so much together, and I can-"

"You don't need to give me the whole speech," the alpha cut in. "I'd already made my decision the second you first entered my territory." He paused and the rest of the pack watched in anticipation for their alpha to reveal his intention. Most were wondering how this stranger seemed to know their leader so well, but they would get their answer soon enough. "Welcome… you're one of us now Mias."

The newcomer grinned in triumph. "I should have known - you always had to be so official with everything Mayak."

The wolves howled in honour of their new comrade, and on that night, two brothers were reunited after taking separate paths. Mias found his home thanks to his brother Mayak.

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The winter days went on and Mias settled in quite easily with the pack, thanks in part to his direct relation to their alpha. Mias was a full year older than Mayak, but he usually wasn't one to try to take charge. Mayak on the other hand had a much more demanding personality. That, combined with his slightly bulkier build, meant that he could topple his older brother in a fight by the time he was eight months old. Mias didn't mind - he was always willing to concede to the better opponent in anything.

That was part of what led them to different lives after they left their parents. Mayak quickly attracted the power and influence of another pack, and after rising in their ranks, he ousted their previous alpha a few months beforehand. Mias on the other hand simply wandered on his own, traveling until he came full circle to his brother. Something in his mind urged him to try out pack life, and he thought there would be no one better to ask than his own brother. If worst came to worst, he wouldn't have much trouble continuing his travels abroad either.

Despite his less domineering personality, Mias was no pushover. His time alone had forced him to develop very keen - and some unorthodox - methods of survival. This only strengthened his body, molding him into a powerful wolf. This, along with the respect he earned from the pack due to his relation to Mayak, meant that he soon found himself settling in as the beta male of the pack, second only to his brother. Some idly talked about what could happen if Mias challenged his brother, but he hated the idea. He respected his brother too much to pick a fight, nor was he the most ambitious wolf out there. He was content with what he already had.

Mayak was one who valued rules and authority, which allowed him to lead decisively, if a little coldly. Mias, on the other hand, valued opinions and feelings more, which made him a little warmer to deal with. It was this approachability that enabled Mias to quickly make friends with most of the pack and listen to their thoughts. That was the mark of a good beta; they could act as a bridge between the alpha and the rest below. The final word was with the alpha, but the beta was free to give their input.

This day would be like many days, in that Mias would find a group of wolves chatting and easily slide himself in. "So, how are things going today?" he asked.

"They're pretty good," one of the wolves replied. Mias knew him as Atka, and he was talking with two other wolves he was close to: Faro, one of the scouts, and Salin, a younger pup. "Faro says that he's been seeing some humans walking in the woods just outside our borders," Atka continued. The humans were something that Mias was familiar with from his travels. They were bipedal creatures that seemed to be in a class of their own. At a glance they didn't look like much, but he still kept his distance; many creatures were capable of a few surprises and the humans were probably no different. In addition to his glimpses of them, he'd heard stories about what they were capable of. Some were wondrous… and some were terrifying.

"Humans eh? Hm, maybe they have a town nearby," Mias mused.

"A town? What's that?" Salin asked with wonder.

"A town is what the humans live in. They are able to construct their own dens using trees or other things, and they seem to like grouping them together so that many humans are in together," Mias explained. "I once passed by one of these towns, and they are certainly something to see."

"What are they like? How do they make them?" Faro asked.

"I really don't know; I didn't go in for a closer look," Mias replied. "However, it was probably a good thing because I'd passed by a couple of wolves that claimed that the humans hated wolves and would kill us on sight with their weapons. They said that any wolf that tried to enter their town would never come out alive."

"Why? Why would they do that?" Salin asked.

"Once again, I don't know. They seemed pretty spooked when I mentioned them, so I made a note of avoiding them afterwards," Mias replied. "They also said that the humans were capable of laying painful traps in the ground that would catch animals by their legs. I would later see what one of those traps did to a wolverine. It was awful; the thing had snapped and bit into his leg, holding him there painfully… which I guess is to keep them there until the human comes back. If there is a town nearby, then we should avoid going near it."

"Maybe that's what happened to old Treg," Atka mused and Mias gave him a quizzical look. "One day, Treg decided to go out for a short walk, but after a few minutes, we heard him howl out in panic. His howl was cut short and when we followed his trail, we found no sign of him, except