A/N: Alright, now things start to get interesting, and we get to actual action next chapter. My favorite. 

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I spend my first night as part of a pack curled up next to Sakari. She had pretended to be asleep when I approached and laid down, but after a few minutes, I could feel her back against mine. I learned very quickly that wolves were very touchy- meaning they constantly sought out physical contact with the other members of the pack. It might have seemed that Sakari had some kind of interest in me, but really, it was just her way of integrating me into the group. The fact that the only contact other dogs had wanted to have with me was intended to cause harm made me a little uncomfortable at first, but it was Sakari’s personal mission to make sure this felt like my home.

The next two days, I had a crash course in wolf pack etiquette. Akiak graciously provided the lessons on pack hierarchy. Sakari’s words about acting like an omega really started to hit me at that point, and I decided that perhaps I should prove to Akiak that I got the message, and I could play this game too.

Sakari had been teaching me a few hunting techniques, targeting a small rabbit a short distance from the den, when Akiak had showed up, doing his best to scare the creature off.

“Kiak!” Sakari hissed. “I’ve heard grizzlies quieter than you.”

“Oh sorry.” He apologized loudly. “Trying to teach him how to hunt, huh? What kind of wolf doesn’t know how to hunt?”

I almost laughed. I’d had my share of opposition from others in life. I knew the types who did it and what motivated them. Akiak was an amateur. His heart wasn’t in it. “Who said I didn’t?” I asked brightly, a small smirk on my face as I looked up at him.

“Prove it.” He grinned, a glint in his eye.

I climbed to my feet, raising my head like him so I was the same height. “I can catch that thing before you.”

“Oh you think so?” He chuckled. “Fine. Let’s go.” The wolf immediately crouched down, head low, muscular shoulders protruding over his back as he silently made his way across the snow.

Sakari was giving me an expectant look, her eyes darting between her stalking brother and me, who hadn’t moved an inch. I just smiled in return and waited until Akiak was a mere few feet away from the rabbit’s hiding place. Then, I pounced.

My movement startled both the wolf and his prey, sending the rabbit darting out across the frozen landscape where I immediately took chase, past the stunned Akiak. I could hear Sakari’s burst of laughter from behind me. It took less than 30 seconds of sprinting after the agile creature to finally close my jaws around it. I gave it a good shake and trotted happily back to the pair of wolves- Sakari still giggling at her brother who hadn’t moved and was staring at me in shock.

“What was that?” He squawked, finally seeming to find his voice.

I dropped the lifeless rabbit to the ground at Sakari’s feet. “That was me beating you, I think.” I grinned, joining in Sakari’s laughter.

“That was cheap.” He muttered, shaking his head, but he couldn’t stop the small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“That was impressive it what it was.” Sakari commented, managing to sound halfway serious between her snorts of laughter. “You’re pretty fast, Balto.”

I shrugged. “One thing I inherited that I don’t regret.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sakari asked innocently.

I quickly shook my head. “Nothing.” I cursed my slip of the tongue, but neither wolf pressed me for more information about it.

Later that afternoon, I was sitting on a ridge above the den site, looking over the vast expanse of wilderness the surrounded me. A bird flew high overhead, and part of me ached, wishing it were Boris. That goose had to be going crazy. Kaltag had assured me that he would tell Boris what was going on, but that was assuming he let the dog even get near him. Boris wasn’t quite as forgiving of the dogs as I was.

After my talk with Ataneq, I had briefly doubted that I would ever return to Nome. I had everything I ever wanted right here, but there was no way I could leave forever without a final proper goodbye. Boris had practically raised me, taken care of me when no one else would. Besides, I needed to know that Rosie was okay, regardless of whether or not the humans had decided I was innocent. Then of course, there was Jenna…

“You sure look at the sky a lot.” A voice said behind me. Akiak had quickly dropped the hostile attitude toward me after the hunting episode, but I discovered his natural tone was on the gruff side, something between smug and nonchalant. It took some getting used to as his light-hearted teasing and condescending insults came out in roughly the same manner.

I briefly looked over my shoulder at him and smiled. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me if your parents were eagles. It would explain that inherited speed you got.”

“You’re not that far off base.” Grinning at his look of shock and confusion, I returned my gaze to the mountains.

“Just tell me you’re not some spirit guide. Those things creep me out. Michelo is ancient and mystical enough already.” Akiak shuddered and shook off his coat before sitting next to me.

I laughed. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks that.”

“So you’re not, right?” He asked cautiously, barely meeting my eyes.

“Not that I know of.” I smirked. “If it makes you feel better, I was raised by a goose, not eagles, and no, he’s not my real father.”

Akiak sighed in relief, then gave me a quizzical look. “A goose? Really? That explains the hunting style…” He muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Chuckling, I nodded. “Yeah, he’s not much of a teacher.”

“So what are you doing out here? Why join a pack now? Sick of chasing down rabbits for food every day?”

I hesitated. “Uh, well… let’s just say things happened that kind of forced me into it.”

“The humans?” Akiak asked, spitting out the word as though he couldn’t bear to have it linger on his tongue.

“How did you-?”

“Sakari told me they named you. Doesn’t take a genius to string those together. You reek of them.”

I’d give him that one. “Yeah… it’s the humans.”

“What would possess you to hang around those things?” He asked, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

“They’re not all bad.” I rolled my shoulders uncomfortably.

“Clearly, they’re only hunting you down.” At my look of shock, he continued. “It’s not that hard to figure out, considering what you are and who they are. What else would they do? It’s their nature.”

“What interaction have you had with humans?” I asked curiously. His sister had reacted much more kindly to the news of my being involved with humans. Akiak was her polar opposite.

He paused, licking his lips. “Okay, maybe I haven’t first hand, but I’ve heard enough to know.”

“Well I have met some first hand, and they actually accepted me before-…”

Akiak looked at me expectantly. “Before what exactly?”

I turned to fix him with a stare. “Before a wolf attacked their children.”

Akiak jerked back and furrowed his eyebrows. “Why would he do that?”

“Probably because he has the same ideas about humans that you do.” I sighed and turned away from him again.

Akiak was silent for a minute, and by the time I looked, he was gone. The sun was setting quickly, and with the clear skies, the temperature was dropping quickly, especially up on the windy ridge. With one last longing look toward the sea, I made my way back toward the den site.

“When the time comes, you must choose, Balto.”

My heart instantly started racing as I spun around, looking for the source of the voice. “What are you talking about?” I called.

A shape began to take form as it came forward through the shadows. Michelo… I knew that old wolf would be the one to kill me.

She gave me an eerie smile. “You will be faced with choices. The first is set. You would not choose otherwise but to protect those whom you care about. But enemies, old and new, will challenge your resolve.”

“Old story, Che. I’ve been through that already.” I gave a wry smile and tried to walk past her, but the ancient wolf was faster than she looked and blocked my path.

“I do not speak of the serum run, Balto.” I froze. “Should you think you have experienced suffering and being alone, you know nothing.” Her yellow eyes bore into mine and I took a step back.

“Unless I alter the first choice, right?” I countered, raising an eyebrow. “Sounds much more appealing.”

“Then you doom not only your friends, but yourself.”

I studied her with a wary eye. “You seem to know me so well, you know exactly what I’d do.”

“You must never waver from your original goal, Balto. It will be shaken, challenged and prevented by those you once considered friends, but you must never waver. Do not abandon the task until it is done, no matter the cost. To do so would result in such a tragedy as could not be imagined.”

“And