jealous that I love Chris, and so you come up with some...insane story to stop me seeing him!" Saba yelled.
Lance lifted up a paw defensively "Saba...I saw him. I heard him..."
Saba's voice came out colder than an Alaskan wind "I thought you were my friend Lance. But your nothing by a jealous, sly, cruel little rat!"
Lance stepped back as the full weight of what she had said sank him "Saba...please..."
"Just go away Lance! I don't want to ever see you again!" Saba growled.
Lance felt tears come to his eyes, but he shook them away "Fine. I'm sorry Saba. I just hope you find out I'm telling the truth before it's too late"
Lance turned away and padded away, tears already clouding his vision. Saba huffed.
"Yeah right! As if I'd ever believe all that!"
Unbeknownst to her, Chris had been eavesdropping the conversation.
"I'm sorry Saba. But I can't take a risk with you" he whispered as she padded away to the entrance of the cave. Silently, he padded after her.
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Saba felt tears trickle down her muzzle as she padded into the foliage.
"I thought he was different. But he's no different at all"
Sighing, she came to a halt and sat down on the ground. She heard movement behind her, and she looked up.
"Chris!" she smiled, but it faded when she saw the expression on his face.
Chris scowled at her "I'm sorry Saba" he said.
"What? Chris, what's wrong?" Saba asked nervously. Chris sighed.
"I'm really, really sorry" he said.
What he did next took her completely by surprise. Chris raised his paw and belted her round the head. Saba's vision exploded into darkness as she slumped to the floor. Chris looked down at her.
"I'm sorry Saba. But there's someone who wants to meet you"
Looking around briefly, Chris heaved Saba onto his back and disappeared into the foliage.
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Saba slowly opened her eyes, and then shut them again quickly as a sharp pain stabbed through her head. Her vision was spinning, and she felt dizzy.
"How could he? How could he hit me?" she said aloud, tears threatening the corners of her eyes. "I thought he...loved me"
She staggered to her feet, shaking her head in the hope of clearing her vision. She stayed still for a few seconds, fearful of collapsing if she took things too quickly, and then took a first look at her surroundings.
She was in dimly lit alcove, the only light source coming from a single crystal on the floor. She recognized it as one from the cave.
"Chris must have brought it" she thought. But if that was the case, why did he bother bringing it? To keep her out of the dark perhaps?
Shaking this thought aside, Saba was practically overwhelmed by the odors that filled the chamber. She could smell Chris's scent, and the scent of other unknown wolves, but only barely. No, what suffused the alcove was the scent of blood. It reeked of wolf blood.
Saba felt lightheaded as the scent overpowered her. She glanced down at the stone floor and realized with a grimace that it was stained dark crimson.
Saba moved to the side of the alcove, where she contacted with the wall.
"Saba, there's no point escaping" a voice said from behind her. She span round, to be confronted by Chris.
"No one escapes from here" he continued. Saba glared at him.
"How could you Chris? I thought you loved me!" she growled. Chris shrugged.
"You thought wrong Saba. I really, really like you that's true. I enjoyed the time we had together. But, my duty to the pack comes first"
"You're a traitor? You were just using me?" tears came to Saba's eyes.
Chris sighed "Saba, I like you. I never thought I'd become as close as I did with you. But my duty is with this clan, and I have to do what's necessary to ensure that we succeed"
Saba took a step towards him "But...why?” she asked quietly.
Chris closed his eyes "I was only a pup when my Mum and Dad were killed by hunters, along with the rest of my pack. I was the only one left, and I didn't think I'd survive. I was too young to hunt, and too young to defend myself. But then, I was found by this clan, and they accepted me. Took care of me, trained me, made me the wolf I am today. Without the Zaniks, I would be dead. And I have to repay them for that"
"Even if that means hurting others? Even if that means full scale war?" Saba snarled. Chris nodded.
"If necessary. As I've said Saba, I don't want to see you get hurt. But you come second to my duty to this clan"
Saba shook her head "Then...I guess I was wrong about you"
"Yes, I guess you were" Chris replied.
Saba tried to hold back the tears already trickling down her muzzle "Oh Lance. He was right. He was absolutely right about you!" she glared at Chris.
"Saba, don't make this any more difficult than it already is!" Chris scowled. "I don't want to do this"
Saba huffed "Yeah right! You didn't want to hit me and then drag me from my family! Do me a favor Chris...and go throw yourself into a ravine!"
Chris sighed "I'm sorry you feel that way Saba. Maybe later you'll think differently about me" he said, before he turned away and walked off, picking up the crystal from the floor as he did so.
"Chris? Chris, where are you going?" Saba shouted, her voice echoing off the walls of the chamber. Chris turned back and looked her dead in the eyes.
"I brought you here for a reason Saba. Someone wants to meet you"
"Who?" Saba asked shakily.
"Me" a dark voice said from the other side of the alcove. Saba felt a chill down her spine.
A dark figure padded into the alcove and stood next to Chris. In the dim light from the crystal Chris was holding, Saba could make out an emaciated figure grinning evilly at her. She could only make out the left side of his face.
"Who...who are you?" Snow stuttered.
The figure just laughed, the noise reverberating off the walls.
"I've not had a female ask me that for a while!" he sniggered. He turned to face Chris.
"You've done well Chris. I take it then that they now know your a double agent?"
Chris nodded "Yes sir. We were overheard by a friend of hers," he gestured to Saba. "But, I know the layout of the cave, and I know the times when Aleu is alone and unguarded. It shouldn't be a problem for me to sneak up on her"
"Good boy. I knew you were the right guy for the job" the figure smirked.
Saba felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs "You can't! Chris, please! You don't have to do this!" she pleaded.
The figure smirked "I like a girl with fire!" he inhaled deeply. Saba shuddered.
"Who are you anyway?" she asked.
"I'm Grant, the leader of the Zanik clan and soon to be ruler of this entire region! Once I've taken care of your sister of course" Grant sniggered.
Saba stared horrified as Grant padded closer, snatching the crystal from Chris's grasp. Saba staggered back until her back was right up against the chamber wall. Grant's features were marred in shadow as he approached her.
"I shouldn't worry about Aleu though Saba. I can take your mind off it" he drolled. Saba recoiled.
"How do you...know my name?" she stuttered, tears staining her cheeks. Grant inhaled.
"You smell...positively delicious if I may say, Saba. I bet you taste sweet"
Saba whimpered as she felt his matted fur brush against hers. Grant reeked of dried blood, and in the dim light she could make out his glistening teeth so close to her throat.
"You should be honored to be here Saba. All the females in my lifetime have been privileged to be in Red Grants company" Grant whispered. Saba felt his tail tap against her leg.
"Please...don't hurt me" she whimpered. Grant chuckled.
"I'll do more than that Saba. But I think you need to see the real me before we move to that stage"
Saba shivered as Grant raised the crystal up to his face. The bright colors emanating from it glistened against Grant's fur, lighting up the right side of his face.
Saba screamed as Grant's mangled features came into view. She could make out the white skin stretched against his skull, the livid scar running through his eye, the twisted frozen grin plastered on his face, and the blackened lips.
Grant laughed "You'll find this hard to believe, but I didn't always look like this. I used to look so much better. But fate can be very cruel sometimes"
Saba yelped as he dug his claws into her shoulder "What drives our lives Saba? What decides what will happen to us, and whether we live or die, hmm?" he snarled. Saba felt her throat tense up.
"Let me pose a question to you Saba. One dog is born a hero, his brother a coward. Pups starve, housedogs grow fat. Noble wolves are martyred, and strays grow legion. Why? Why?"
Saba just shook her head, the pain in her shoulder increasing.
"Luck! Blind, stupid, simple, doo-dah, clueless luck!" Grant snarled, releasing his grip on her shoulder. "The only thing that controls us Saba...is luck"
He gestured at the right side of his face, feeling down the tight skin and tugging at the few tufts of hair "I was leading a hunting party round our territory,
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