him.

However, that didn't mean that Kodi was immune to what that word once meant to him, and having Steele say it only made the sting worse. "Why is it so important that we let him keep his secret here?" he asked. "Everyone in Nome knows what he did."

Balto sighed, but instead of just brushing things off, he knew it was probably better to help Kodi understand. "Yes, but not everyone here does, and that's part of why he's done so well in White Mountain," he started. "I talked with Sonya - his lead dog - and she said that most of her team doesn't know the whole story because it was the only way to get him to cooperate. That allowed him to have a fresh start, but if the secret gets out, it could ruin everything for him, and leave him with nothing… and trust me, nothing is more dangerous than a dog with nothing to lose. Do you understand now?"

"I think so… you don't want me to tell everyone so that Steele won't get in any more trouble than he already has," he stated, and Balto nodded.

"That's right, and if you're going to be doing this run to White Mountain, you're going to be seeing much more of him. If that's the case, then you may as well try to be civil with each other," he suggested. "I don't want you to get in a situation where you might get hurt. Steele already got in a scuffle with one of my teammates, and the last thing I want is to have it happen to you."

"Okay," Kodi replied softly, holding his head low. "Do you want me to apologise to him?"

"It might not hurt… though it might also be better if you two just don't cross paths for a while," he suggested. There was silence after that, as a slight breeze blew by. Balto took a deep whiff to see if the winds held any sign of bad weather approaching. At first it seemed clear, but then something else came up - something familiar.

He stopped and continued to sniff the air, trying to draw in as much of the unknown scent as possible. Kodi noticed his attention and grew curious. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," he mused, trying to link the scent to something else. It was a wild musk, and through it he could smell a faint tinge of something sharp… like blood. 'That's strange, the only blood I've smelled recently was from… oh no.' The blood was the final key - the scent was from the wolf, the same wolf that had been terrorizing them for the past week. Its scent was upwind of them, and as he turned his gaze down the road, he saw it, just peeking around the corner, watching them. In the middle of the road, he knew they'd already been spotted, which made the next minute crucial to their safety.

"Dad, what is it?" Kodi asked, noticing his father grow nervous.

"Kodi, just stay quiet and follow me. Whatever you do, don't run unless I say so," he said, starting to urge them back the way they came, constantly looking over his shoulder. The wolf had come around the corner, trotting towards them and quickly closing the gap between them. "Is there a shortcut back to the post office?" he asked.

"Yeah, that alley right down there," Kodi replied.

The wolf was only thirty feet away now. 'We won't make it in time if we run, but we need help,' Balto thought, before making his final decision. "Okay, when I give the signal, I want you to run as fast as you can and get help. Whatever you do, don't look back, and don't come back for me without help," he urged. The wolf was jogging now, bearing down on them while making barely any noise. Kodi tried to protest, but his father was adamant. "I said now! RUN! NOW!" Not needing any more encouragement, Kodi darted off, giving Balto just enough time to turn and see the assailant jump at him, fangs bared.

The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he shut his eyes, bracing for the sting of teeth tearing into him, but nothing came. Instead, he just heard cruel laughing that made his fur stand on end. "Oh how noble… it's too bad, I was hoping to meet your young son… and settle that score I have with you."

The voice, the vile, murderous voice was one he hoped to have long forgotten. His suspicion in the mountains was confirmed - this wolf was someone he knew. The voice above him was from someone whom he knew had no remorse, and who provoked much more fear than Steele ever did. It was someone who wanted not only him dead, but his family as well. Now that voice was back, and when Balto opened his eyes, he knew he'd be staring right at the most dangerous enemy he'd ever faced.

"Tikani…"

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Chapter Twelve: A Fateful Decision

Kodi ran his heart out, desperate to find help. His father was bravely fighting a wolf that wanted to hurt them, but he couldn't do it alone. He ran until his legs burned, determined to get help before it was too late. The post office was still a few blocks away, but he would have some good fortune when he saw two dogs just across the street. "Hey! I need help here!" he cried, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that one of the dogs was Steele.

"Ah, shoo you little mutt," he grumbled. "If you need help, then why don't you go cry to your daddy?"

"Hey, don't be so cold. Can't you tell he's scared?" his companion interjected. Steele scowled, but Sonya wouldn't have any of it. "C'mon, what's your problem with him?"

"My problem is that he's Balto's pup - after what happened tonight, I'm done dealing with that wolfdog," Steele growled.

"But he's the reason I'm here - he's the one in trouble!" Kodi cried, catching both of them off guard. "This wolf snuck up on us, and attacked my dad. He told me to run and find help," he explained, very quickly out of anxiety.

"A wolf…" she mouthed, realising that the attacker had made another appearance, and was going after none other than Balto. Steeling herself, she replied, "You can count on us - we'll gladly help your father out, and catch the wolf that's been causing all this trouble too. Isn't that right, Steele?" Her declaration was bold, but it only took a moment of silence to show how her teammate didn't share her enthusiasm. Turning to him, she asked. "Steele - you are going to help, right?"

Steele wore a neutral expression, and while the offer of a chance to catch the true culprit was tempting, his feelings about Balto were far stronger. "As I said, I'm done with that wolfdog," he replied, without an ounce of emotion.

Sonya just looked at him in shock - out of all the nasty, hurtful or selfish things he'd ever said, that one sentence topped them all. "What? But he needs help, now! If it's the same attacker as before, we have to do something!" she cried. "Don't you care at all?"

"Please, I don't want my dad to die!" Kodi cried, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Please don't leave him behind."

"He left me behind," he coldly stated.

There was another pause as his position finally sank in. Sonya wore a look not of anger or fear, but disappointment. "Steele… he'd go to help you, you know." However, even this was not enough to sway him. Time was running out, and she knew they had to act quickly, with or without Steele. "Fine. I'm going to help him anyways, and if you decide to stop being a petty egotist, you're free to join me. If not… you'll be on your own if you end up needing help," she said, before turning to Kodi. "You should go get everyone else. We'll need them to take this maniac down," she said, before dashing away. Steele stayed rooted to the spot, while Kodi just glared at him.

"I guess I was right about you all along - you can't be trusted to help anyone at all unless it benefits you," he said, before darting off.

Steele was now alone in the streets, still unconvinced. 'Say what you will, I will never concede to that wolfdog. After everything that's happened, everything he did to me, I will never fight side by side with him. He took everything from me, so why should I help him? Why should I get involved?'

"Sometimes, you have to jump in because if you don't at least try to help… things could get bad very quickly, to the point where they will start to affect you."

"You should heed Balto's words Steele; they come from experience." The ethereal voice made him stop dead, and when he turned, he saw a very familiar white wolf.

"You," he whispered.

There was a moment where she just regarded him with curiosity, before delivering her final ultimatum. "Time runs out not only for him, but for you as well. Now is the time for you to choose your path. The choice is yours, but remember - the road you've travelled so far may not be the one for you. You have the chance to take a different road… and regain some of your lost glory."

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Fighting was not exactly Balto's forte, especially in the close quarters of an alley. His first instincts were to dart away, avoid critical hits and buy enough time for help to arrive, but the alley left little room to manoeuvre. When he tried to jump to the side, he bumped right into a wall, allowing Tikani to latch onto his shoulder. It wasn't a deep bite, but the wolf's fangs stung as they pierced his muscles. He shook his head as if trying to tear his leg off, but when pushed against a