asked, stepping into the shed.

Jason recognized his parents and ran to them.

“Mommy!” He yelled. “Mommy! Daddy! Help me!”

He slid to a stop beside his mother and collapsed into tears.

Gemeni nuzzled her son. She noticed the blood on his neck.

“Drake look.” She said.

Drake did, then turned back to Jenna, whom Balto had started to walk towards.

“Jenna?” Balto said again.

She was shrouded in darkness, and Balto could only make out her shape, nothing more.

Drake walked up and stepped in front of Balto, blocking his friend’s advance.

“Jenna, step into the light. Please… don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

Jenna sighed, and hung her head. Then, she walked forward.

Jenna entered the light, and both Balto and Drake gasped.

Jenna’s cream colored muzzle was spattered red with blood… with James’ blood.

“Jenna.” Drake said. “With the power given me by the dogs of Nome I hereby place you under arrest. You are charged with Assault, Kidnapping and attempted murder.” Drake stopped and a tear rolled down his face. “…why Jenna?”

Balto was probably the most shocked of all. He just stood there, speechless, as Jenna walked by him, led by Drake.

“Why…” He thought.

Chapter 5:

Tycha snuck through the streets of Nome.

She didn’t want to be noticed, if everything happened the way she hoped it would, she’d have to stay away from Nome for a while…

… a long while.

The more she thought of what Tim had done, the angrier she seemed to get. At first she’d been hurt, but now…

“I’ll show you.” Tycha thought. “I’ll show you I’m no one to mess with…”

Tycha quickly ducked into a shed as she heard someone coming down the alley.

She waited for a few minutes, as the two dogs walked through the alley and around the corner.

Tycha poked her head out of a hole in the shed wall and looked around.

Satisfied that she was once again alone, she exited the shed and continued down the street, walking toward a familiar green house…

Tycha shook with anger.

She’d expected to find Trina in the small home, but what she was surprised to see was Tim curled up next to the pretty golden husky, sleeping, a smile on his face.

“I told him to go back to her.” Tycha thought. “…but I didn’t really think that he would.”

Tycha realized now more than ever that Tim was lost to her… because of Trina.

This threw a bit of a wrench into her plans for Trina… she didn’t want to hurt Tim. As dumb as it may have sounded, she still loved him, though he no longer loved her.

Tycha raised her paw to her face, wiping away an errant tear.

She couldn’t start crying and make noise; then Trina was sure to find her.

She laid there on the wooden rafters, far above the floor.

Tycha would wait, as long as it took.

Tim couldn’t stay by Trina’s side forever…

The time Tycha had been waiting for happened a short time later.

Tim got up, licked Trina on the nose, and walked quietly out the doggy door at the front of the house.

Tycha watched all of this from her perch above the floor.

“Perfect.” Tycha thought. “Time for us to spend some quality time together Trina…”

Trina woke up and blinked her eyes several times.

She shook her head, stood up, and yawned. Then she smiled.

Tim had shared with her some wonderful news… for her at least.

It seemed that Tim’s mate, Tycha, had found out about she and Tim’s midnight rendezvous.

Trina smiled as she remembered how he’d been when they’d first met. That had been over three months ago. He’d seemed lost, and alone.

Then she hadn’t known about Tycha. It wasn’t in her nature to get between mates like that, but she’d only learned about Tycha after… well, after it was too late.

She really liked Tim, and he seemed to like her, so the two kept seeing each other. Night after night after glorious night.

Trina soon learned that Tim no longer loved Tycha. Why this was, Trina didn’t know, and even Tim himself couldn’t seem to figure out, but it was true.

She and Tim had become closer then, and Trina had told him to tell Tycha how he felt, so that the two of them could be together, but…

…Tim had been unable to.

He still felt an attachment to Tycha, and even if it wasn’t the love he’d once felt for her… Tim didn’t want to hurt Tycha in this way.

Trina had then decided that if this was the case, they should never see one another again, and for a time, the two remained separated, but…

…time had a way of bringing them back together, and soon they were back together.

Trina had tried to explain to Tim that Tycha would be more hurt by finding out the truth for herself, rather than being told, but Tim wouldn’t listen and refused to tell Tycha of their degrading relationship.

Tim and Trina had talked and played together… she really liked him, I mean really liked him. There wasn’t a dog like Tim to be found anywhere, at least, not for Trina.

She did feel sorry for poor Tycha though, and had considered even telling Tycha herself, indeed had made it all the way to the boat that Tim and Tycha called home, but…

…she’d left that night, unable to convey the news to Tycha. After all, how would it sound coming from her? Another female; the one that her mate was now interested in… in love with.

Trina stretched again.

“…but all that’s through now. I’ve got Tim, and I’m never letting go. I’m sorry Tycha, I really am, but… I guess you two weren’t meant for each other like we are.”

Trina heard a voice call her name from above. “Trina?”

She looked up.

“Thought that might get your attention.” Tycha said, dropping to the floor from her perch on the rafters.

“Tycha?” Trina said. “What… what a surprise… heh, heh… um… what are you doing here?”

Tycha glared at the golden dog.

“You’re why I’m here you tart!” She said. “You couldn’t keep your paws off of Tim could you?”

Trina smiled defensively and took a step back. “Uhh… it was… um… his… his idea… and uh…”

Trina suddenly grew angry. Who was this female, barging into her home like this in the middle of the night anyway?”

“… No!” She said, stepping forward. “No, you know what? I love Tim, and he loves me, just because he didn’t love you doesn’t make me a bad person!”

“What?” Tycha said, stepping forward, teeth bared. “You’re saying this is my fault?! Tim and I had a child together, raised him… I… I was the best mate I knew how to be, I… I tried… why did you have to mess up my life?!”

“What?” Trina asked. “Tim came looking for me, something wasn’t right at home miss! You obviously weren’t doing it for him!”

“That is enough!” Tycha said, her anger flaring. “I’ve had it with your talk!”

Tycha jumped at Trina and landed on the young dog, slamming her into the wall.

Trina blinked a few times. Her vision was already growing blurry.

Tycha hit her in the side of the head, and Trina tasted blood in her mouth.

Tycha leaned down next to the golden dog’s ear.

“Tonight you pay for what you’ve done!” Tycha said. “Oh yes, tonight you pay.”

Tycha hit Trina twice more, and the dog fell to the floor once more.

“Don’t worry sweetie.” Tycha said, a malevolent tone creeping into her voice. “It’ll all be over soon…”

Tycha viciously tore into the young dog’s shoulder.

Trina screamed.

Jenna sat in an abandoned shed near the old mill.

“What have I done?” She thought.

Jenna stood up and walked to the only window that the small, one room shed had.

“This all seems like a bad dream.” She thought. “...but if it’s a dream, why don’t I wake up?”

Jenna sighed and walked back to the corner of the shed, shrouded in darkness.

A few minutes later the door swung open, and a familiar looking dog stepped through it.

“Balto.” Jenna said, standing.

She walked over to him, but Balto stepped back.

A tear rolled out of Jenna’s eye.

“Balto… please don’t look at me like that.” She said.

Balto looked at her, a sadness showed in his eyes like she’d never seen before, and said one word.

“Why?”

Jenna sighed. “You’ll… you’ll think I’m crazy if I tell you.”

“Try me.” Balto said.

“Look Balto…”

“Should I tell him about the voice?” Jenna thought.

She sighed. “…Drake was responsible for the death of our son, our son! I was… was just trying to make him realize what