Balto and Jenna were out for a walk one day when they were interrupted by a rather rude voice.

“Hi there, Bingo.” Said Steele

“My name’s Balto!” growled Balto turning to face him. Jenna nudged him.

“Just ignore him.” she said

“You know, you could have been mine before you sided with this wolf-dog, Jenna.” Said Steele walking over. “Sure you don’t want to be a part of the glamour?” he asked, standing in between her and Balto.

“What glamour? Everyone knows you’re just a lying, cheating, bully!” Steele scowled.

“fine.” He said rather rudely, and then turned abruptly. “And as for you.” He leant down until he was nose to nose with Balto. “If I was you, I’d watch your back, little wolf-dog. Legends aren’t immortal, take it from me. You might find that very soon, your friends start to… disappear.” And with that, he walked off. Balto frowned and watched him go. Something about what he’d said made him uncomfortable.

“Don’t listen to him.” said Jenna. Balto smiled at her, but he was sure Steele was up to something. Later that night, Balto and Jenna returned to Rosie’s house. “Staying here tonight, Balto?” asked Jenna.

“Umm… no thanks.” Said Balto, looking up at the stars.

“Ok, see you tomorrow.” Said Jenna, going inside. Balto went off into the town. What could Steele have possibly meant? Had he meant anything at all? And what was he warning him about in the first place? Why? Balto pondered these questions for hours until eventually he was too tired to walk anymore and found a sheltered spot in an alleyway to sleep. Steele, who had been watching him laughed evilly and walked off. It was time to begin.

Balto woke up the next morning and walked to Rosie’s house. He climbed up on some boxes piled up at the side of the shed, then onto the shed’s roof and looked into Rosie’s room, expecting to see Jenna sleeping there like she normally was. But she wasn’t.

“Jenna?” Balto looked around the room, but she was nowhere to be found. He jumped back down to the ground and ran into the main street. “Jenna?” he called. No reply. “Jenna!” he ran down the street calling for her. “Jenna!!” Balto turned down an alley and nearly smashed into another dog.

“Gahhh!” screamed Kodi.

“Oh! Sorry Kodi. Didn’t see you there.” Two other dogs came up behind Kodi.

“Hi dad, Dusty, Kirby and I were headed to get a drink of water. Want to come?”

“Sorry Kodi, I’m looking for Jenna.” Said Balto.

“Jenna? We thought she was with you.” Kodi said.

“Wait what?” Balto’s eyes widened.

“We got in with the mail early this morning and I went to see her, but she wasn’t there. So I assumed she’d be with you and we’d see you both sometime soon.” Kodi explained. Balto saw Steele walking down another alley.

“Steele…” Balto growled. “HE KIDNAPPED JENNA!” Balto leapt over Kodi and ran at Steele.

“Dad stop!!” Kodi jumped in front of Balto.

“Get out of my way Kodi!!” growled Balto

“Dad, you don’t know that he kidnapped Jenna.” Kodi said evenly

“He did. I’m sure of it.”

“We don’t know that. If you think that so badly, we can follow him and find out.” Balto agreed and the four of them followed Steele down the alley as he made his way to the outskirts of town and over to the boiler room near the telegraph operator’s office.

 They stopped at the fence that went around the front and watched as Steele talked to one of two dogs standing outside. The dog then pulled the nails out of the door hinges and opened it for Steele. When Steele went through, the dog put the nails back. “Well that’s suspicious.” Muttered Kodi.

“I’m going in.” said Balto.

“Wait, dad! Think it through!” said Kodi

“I already did!” said Balto, dashing along the fence line.

“Dad, wait!” Kodi ran after him, Dusty and Kirby close behind. Balto slowed to a run so they could catch up. He rounded the fence and ran towards the side of the boiler room. Balto scrambled over a pile of logs and ran into the shadow of a plank of wood leaning against the wall. He climbed up some boxes stacked against the wall and leapt up to a small window. He peered in and saw Steele finish having a conversation with another dog by the door. Balto looked around and saw another window a bit further a long, just big enough for him to fit through. He pushed away from the window back onto the boxes and jumped back to the ground. Then he ran along to the other window and climbed up another stack of boxes a few paces away. He jumped at the window and pulled himself up into it. Kodi followed his lead, the other two not far behind. Balto walked along a shelf on the wall, never taking his eyes off Steele. He jumped onto a shelf a little lower down, watching him curiously. He appeared to be doing nothing out of the ordinary, just being lazy and relaxing in the heat from the boiler fire.

“This is ridiculous!” thought Balto. If he was going to get anywhere, he needed to show Steele he was serious about this. He leapt onto a shelf a little further up, if he could just jump across the broken shelves to the one above the boiler, he could leap onto him. Balto jumped to the first one, then the second, then the third, but just as he was about to jump, Steele got up and moved over to the other side of the room. “Blast!” thought Balto, annoyed. He leapt to a shelf above the door to make his way over to where Steele was now. But just as he got there, a draft blew through one of the grates. Steele shivered and moved back over to sit by the boiler. “This is insane!” Balto thought, thoroughly annoyed. He leapt down from the high shelf to a raised stage that Steele had been sitting near moments earlier and then to the ground. He growled and walked over to Steele. Suddenly there was a crash! Kirby had tried to leap onto one of the broken shelves and had been too heavy for it, so it had collapsed. Steele coughed from the dust and Kirby backed into a shadowy corner. Kodi leapt from the shelf he was standing on.

“What are you doing?!” he asked Balto in a loud whisper.

“I…” Balto shook his head, unable to answer. Kodi pushed him under the stage. Steele stalked over to where the shelf had collapsed.

“All ok over there?” asked the dog sitting by the door

“Yeah, just rotten wood, I expect.” Said Steele. Suddenly there was a loud howling from one of the pipes. Steele walked over to the pipe and answered with a howl of his own.

“Got her?” came a voice. It sounder familiar, but Balto couldn’t put his finger on it.

“yep.” Answered Steele.

“Good. Losing the one he loves should be a heavy price for Balto to pay. I expect his loss will drive him to insanity, if it doesn’t, well, we’ll just keep on taking all those close to him. Probably that mail dog son of his next.”

“What if it doesn’t?” asked Steele.

“Oh it will. Trust me, it will. I’ve seen it happen myself.”

“So when this happens… what do we do?” asked Steele.

“We hurt him.” the voice said simply. “We attack him; hurt him severely, until he nearly dies if necessary. Then we take him in and treat him and what not. Give him a few days after that. Either he will die from his injuries or he will have formed a permanent bond with blood and pain and we can take him.” Steele smiled and walked towards the door. Another dog came in as he went out and joined the one already sitting by the door. Then they went and lay down in front of the boiler. Balto, Kodi, Dusty and Kirby waited until they heard their barely audible snores, before coming out of their hiding places.

“You were right dad…” whispered Kodi, his eyes wide with fear.

“Let’s get out of here!” whispered Kirby.

“no.” whispered Balto firmly. The others turned to look at him. “We have to find Jenna.” In his eyes, the others saw a look of sheer hatred and determination that they had never seen before. Balto turned and made his way up to where Dusty was on the broken shelves.

“Dad… are you sure? She doesn’t appear to be here.”

“She’s close, I know it!” he said jumping back down to the stage to face Kodi. “…Kodi if she’s not here she has to be somewhere close by!”

After searching the entire room thoroughly, they came up blank.

“Look, I’m starving. I’m going to get something to eat.” Said Kodi, climbing the shelves to the window they’d entered from. Balto paced. He was heartbroken, angry, sad and above all, he’d had enough of the afternoon, yet there was some part of him that would never give up. And this part of him was driving him insane, as he knew he would never rest, which is what he badly wanted to do, until he got his lost mate back. But he didn’t know where to start. Then he heard Kodi’s terrified howl. Balto barely had time to register it, when he suddenly found himself running and jumping shelves until he was at the window. Without thinking, he plummeted to the ground and ran in the direction of the howl. He then saw Kodi, being held down by Steele. His initial reaction was one of shock, that slowly gave way to anger, then to an utter rage he just couldn’t

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