Jenna, but you are not Jenna.”

“What do you mean?” Jenna asked.

‘It’s my fault that you’re here.” The dog said.

“Why?” Jenna asked.

‘Because I’m the one who held the real Jenna here, against the rules, and forced them to create you.”

“Why would you do that?” Jenna asked.

The dog turned to her, and though she still couldn’t see much of his face, she could see enough to tell that he was quite handsome.

“Because I love you.”

He sighed.

“… and you used to love me…”

“What?” Jenna asked.

“I grew up in Nome.” The dog started. “I was the fastest sled dog around, and incidentally the most popular. You came to Nome, and I was introduced to you. I thought you and I had hit it off, but I must’ve been wrong, because you left me and headed off with Drake, and then for some Aniu only knows reason, you hooked up with Balto.”

When the dog said Balto’s name, he shook, and a look of great anger, of rage crossed the dog’s face.

“That mutt eventually got me run out of town, and I started living in Applegate. I found a girl there, Silver…”

The dog paused and looked up at the ceiling, the look of anger gone, replaced by one of… love, regret?

‘… she was perfect, or so I thought, as I was going to tell her that she was right, that we should start a family together, she… I found her with one of the new guys in town…”

“I’m sorry.’ Jenna said.

The dog nodded.

“She is too, believe me, she’s burning in hell at this very moment because of it.”

Jenna looked at him.

He smiled.

“I’ve seen her.”

Jenna was about to ask how, but then decided she probably didn’t want to know.

“Anyway, I killed her, I lost control, and when he found me, I killed the guy she was with too.”

He sighed.

“I knew that I had to leave Applegate, and I ran back to Nome, where, technically I wasn’t supposed to be, but I figured if I’d already killed two, I might as well have out my revenge on Balto. When I got there, Balto wasn’t there, but you were.”

He sighed again.

‘Jenna… I want to apologize…. I… I don’t know what was going through my head, but something, or I should say someone, twisted my mind around, unitl I thought that it was you who had caused the pain and torture the last four years of my life had been, and… I attacked you.”

He paused, judging Jenna’s reaction, but she did and said nothing.

“Later, at Aleu’s cave, I almost had him, I was so close… but you knocked me off a cliff. You thought you’d killed me, and I did too, until I tried to move, and found I was still alive.”

The dog sighed again.

“I lived more like a wolf than a champion racing dog then, waiting, biding my time until the perfect time to strike showed itself. Shade promised me the ability to kill Balto, if I would but kill Aleu as well. I agreed, and killed many wolves, and…. And your son, Dingo.”

The dog’s ears drooped at this.

“I was about to kill Aleu when Balto came in, and started fighting me. It wasn’t much of a problem, I was able to fight very, very well. Shade kept his word… but…”

He looked down at Jenna.

“… but then you killed me.”

As I lay there dying, I was infuriated, at everyone, and then came the pain, pain I will never forget… hell.”

Jenna looked up sharply, surprised.

“Never met anyone from there huh?” The dog asked.

Jenna shook her head, unsure of what to say.

The dog laughed.

“All the creatures you see roaming this fortress, they’re from there too, I brought them with me, when I escaped.”

The dog sighed again, and looked at Jenna.

“You have no idea what it’s like there, no idea whatsoever… you can’t, unless you see it.”

“Suffice it to say I had a lot of time to think, and I realized… I realized that I had wasted my life… that I had spent it killing, and fighting, when I should have taken advantage of the opportunities it gave me.”

He looked right into her eyes.

“You.”

For a brief moment he smiled, and then it faded.

“So why do you need to save me from Balto?” Jenna asked.

“Jenna, when you were created, it created a paradox, something that should have been impossible, it created two of the same person, or dog, in this case. Both of you cannot live, one of you is going to die, you must, if you both were to live, it would rip apart both the physical, and the spiritual universes.”

“That’s why Jenna… the other one, is sick isn’t it?” Jenna asked.

The dog nodded.

“Yes, you have a physical body, and she does not, so the rules that govern our universes have chosen her to be the one to go, and you can stay, as long as you are alive.”

“So you think Balto’s going to attack me?”

The dog nodded.

Jenna laughed.

“That’s insane, he’d never hurt me.”

“Did you see your neck this morning?” The dog asked.

Jenna nodded.

“How do you think that happened?”

“I.. I don’t know…” Jenna said nervously. “I… I must’ve rolled over on a rock or something.”

“Jenna,:” the dog said, “Balto tried to kill you last night.”

“What!” Jenna said. “No!”

She looked at the floor.

“No…”

“You know I’m right.” The dog said. “Look behind you Jenna.”

Jenna turned.

Hovering there In the air was a red disk, and through that disk she saw herself, lying on the floor as she had last night, and then she saw Balto…”

Tears filled her eyes as she watched what had taken place.

Soon the event ended, and the disk vanished.

Jenna was stunned.

“He’ll get bolder as she gets sicker,” the dog said, “and I give her about two days.”

The dog walked over to her.

“He will kill you.”

Jenna sighed.

“And if you save me, what then? I…”

She sat on the floor hard, and fell on her side.

“I don’t even know who I am.’

The dog walked over to her.

“Please Jenna.”

Jenna stood up.

“I’ll think about it…”

She paused.

“What’s your name?”

The dog stood up proudly.

“Steele.”

Chapter 9

Jenna walked slowly back into the chamber where the others were still imprisoned.

“Steele?” She thought. “Balto told me about him, that he was evil, but…”

She glanced at Balto.

Had he really attacked her, or had that been another of Steele’s tricks?

Jenna didn’t know.

She sighed, as the guard that had accompanied her opened the gate, and another pushed her inside, a prisoner once again.

She watched as the two guards walked away from the cell.

“Where’d you go?” Balto asked, walking over to her.

“Ste… our Captor waned to speak to me.” Jenna said uneasily.

She thought it would be best if Balto didn’t know about Steele, or not that she’d seen him anyway.

About that time, Jenna stumbled up to Balto’s side. The glow around her was starting to fade, and she looked very sick.

“Are you alright Jen?” Balto asked, turning his head to her.

Jenna nodded, swallowed, and looked into Jenna’s eyes.

“What did he say?”

“Not… not a lot… actually.”

A suspicious look came over Balto’s face.

“Who is it? What’s his name?”

‘I couldn’t see him, he stayed in the shadows.”

Balto didn’t look happy with that answer, and Jenna looked confused.

Balto turned to think, and Jenna stepped forward.

‘I know.” She whispered.

Jenna looked at her.

“Why?” Jenna asked.

Jenna sighed and stepped back.

Suddenly the blue glow around Jenna flared, and she screamed, as she fell to the floor, the blue glow arching across her body like electricity.

Balto turned sharply at her cries of pain, and saw her writhing on the floor.

“It’s begun.” Mia said, as she stepped up next to him.

Balto hung his head and nodded.

“What’s happ…” Jenna paused as Balto looked back up at her, and growled. "...ening…” She finished.

Balto jumped at her, and it was then that Jenna knew Steele had told her truth, had shown her the truth.

Balto hit her, knocking her into the back wall of the cell, and to the ground.

He hit her several times before she got up and made her first effort at defending herself.

Jenna didn’t stand a chance; Balto had relinquished the fight to the wolf within him.

Jena was losing, and losing badly.

Balto hit her in the face again, and she stumbled backwards, unsure if she could remain conscious or not.

Balto jumped in front of her, and grabbed her by the shoulder.

She screamed as his teeth dug into her, and he swung her, letting go as he faced the front of the cell.

Jenna’s back slammed