head,tail and ears down as though he were about to bow down to her.Beauti sat down,put her head down and looked him in the eyes,"Then prove it to me and take me on a date,"  "Seriosly Beauti?Your not just kidding around because I really like you and I'd love to go out with you."   "King,this isn't a joke,I'd love to go out with you just pick the time and the place,"   "Ok Beuti we can meet up here later at sundown and go from there!" King said with his tail wagging frantic andhis ears perked up and happy as the rest of his body."I can't at sundown,I have to train with my team they need me but a little later like when the moon is high in the sky I'll meet you ok?"   "Sure Beauti whatever's better for you I'm just happy you'll go out with me!" King said yapping like a little dog and twirling like a puppy. Beauti laughed and licked his cheek and headed back twards her house,glancing at Max as she did.

After she left Comrad,Aslan,Chow and Max walked up to King to see what happened with he and Beauti. "We're going out tonight 'round the time the moon is high over town," Said King, "So where will you to go boss?" Asked Asaln.King sat down and thought a secound,"I'm not sure As, I mean not many places to take a girl that she'll like."   "King I know Beauti better then you do and I can tell ya she loves walks so take her for a long moonlit walk and have a nice bowl of slop for dinner," Said Max. "Thanks for the idea Maxie didn't think I'd get such a good reaction from you being that when ya first saw me you looked as though you wanted top rip my throat out." "Sorry about that King but you know how overportective Iam when it comes to my team,we're like family,"   "Yea I know Max,I'm the same with mine.I mean our mushers and our team is the only family we've got after all,"   "Yea King your right." Max said and heard Raz calling him from far away, "I'd better go you guys,I'll talk to ya later and good luck tonight King,"   "I won't need luck Max if I stick to your plan that is." King said as Max raced off to see what his friend wanted.

Max ran up to Raz,wagging his tail, Raz panted with exciment to tell his friend what happened."Maxie!I think she likes me Maxie! She...she...she called me cute and said that maybe we could hangout sometime. Gosh Maxie I'm sooo lucky! She's the most wounderful female in Nome!!"Raz said as he pranced and pounced around in the snow.Max put a paw on his friend's shoulder to try and make him calm down, "Raz, your such a puppy when it comes to love did you know that?" Raz scratched his ear and sat down with his tail wagging out of control, "Iam not a puppy Maxie! I just....umm really like this girl ya know.I mean I've had my eyes on her for about a year now and untill this day I've not been able to get a single word in to her because of my shyness."   "This, dear Raz I know and have always known about you and Iam glad that you were finillay able to take a dive and go after something you really wanted but, if you do not settle down and she spots you in this hyperactive state then she may think your to young to hang with her and move on to someone eles leaving you to wallo for who knows how long."   "Thank you Max.You have a point but, considering that your one of the every few dogs around here that is not paired up with anyone yoy have no right handing out advice." Max growled at this insult from his dearest friend he expected this from every other dog then his best friend since before they were sled dogs and even before they were trained as sled dogs.The every thought of it made the hair on his back raise and answer in a harsh tone,"You my friend are tredding on thin ice with thoses words,"   "I'm only telling you the truth Maxie,I mean half the team has mates except for you, what's your problem anyway?I mean you seem like you'd be a good mate to any female so why won't you mate with any of the females around here?" Raz asked in a surprizingly stern tone. Max let off the growling a little and answered in a slightly less hostile tone,"It's no concern of yours what I do with my love life Raz,stay out of it," Raz opened his mouth to speak but just as he did, their musher blew the dog whistle long and low telling them and all the rest of his sled dog team to come home.Being loyle to their musher,Raz and Max put all arguments aside and whent to see what their musher wanted.

When they got home, their musher was hinching up the dogs to the sled and giving them their treats and petting them on their heads. "Max,Raz glade you could join us,come boys so that I can get you on the sled,give you your treats and we can get going,"said their musher as he hooked Raz up to the sled behind Max. Once they were all hooked up to the sled their musher told them he had an important message for them,"Guys this next up coming race is to deside who should capture the wolf that's been seen around here.It's said she's killed a few live stock and you know what that means,she'll be sent to her death once captured.Now if we get a hold of her then we can cage her,hook her to the sled,drag the cage far enough away from the town,set her free, and hope that she won't wounder back here," One of the dogs barked with excitment at this and their musher continued,"Now guys we have to train harder then ever to win this race ok? Someones life is at risk here so mush!!" And with that they were off.

A few weeks past and both King and beauti and Raz and Jane had all gotten even closer to each other.Both males fallowed their females every where they whent whenever they could.Mean while,the team also trained harder then ever and Max felt the team could win this race with ease but, non the less he made sure to foces all his energy on growing stronger.The day before the race however, he was relaxing in the water with Boris by his side. "Boris why haven't you ever gone back to your flock?"Max asked as a wave hit his side.Boris ruffled his feathers and sat down in the water,"Because, Maxie...when I was being younger living in my homeland of Russia I was...how you say...not fitting in there and was getting picked on left and right by others in flock,"   "So you left?"   "Yes Maxie and was to be flying free for long time till Iam to find this boat and call it now my home"   "sounds kinda sad Boris,I'm so sorry for you,"   "heh don't be Max it's ok, Iam...how you say,happy here. I've made peace with self here. Iam belonging here and here only understand?" "yea Boris I do," The two of them laid in the waves and watched the sunset in silence for a long time untill Max's musher called to him."I'm sorry Boris I've gotta go," Max said shaking the water off from his body. As he began to started for home Max felt something rest lightly on his shoulder, he turned and gave Boris a look that asked, "whats wrong?" Boris looked back with light in his eyes and said,  "Good luck in the race tomorrow Maxie,I'll be routing for you,"   "Thanks alot Boris I'll give it my all," Max answered with a wink just before he raced off for home.

The next day at the race,all the dogs were lined up and raved up all confident that their team would be the ones to get to hunt for the wolf. While others talked,Max's team stayed quiet and tryed staying still a waiting for the signal to go.This silence didn't last long when King's team troted up beside them."Perfect day for a race I'd say right Max?"asked King, "Why King your sounding a bit sneaky this morrning,what's gotten into you?"   "Nothing Max,I just wanna win this race and have the pleasure of catching that wolf maybe I'll impress Beauti if I do,"   "Firstly King, the honor of catching that wolf is going to my team and secoundly, you've got Beauti so why  try and impress her even more?"   "Couldn't help impressing her more and anyway its the pride in the matter," Max rolled his eyes at this comment even though he knew King had a point he wouldn't admit this to him."hey King good luck," Max said just as the flare sounded to start the race."You to M-umf!" King had tripped and fallen face first in the snow.Max laughed a this and sped up to catch the other runners.

Half way thru the race,Max's team wasn't quite in the lead yet but they were progressing at a good enouhg pace."Mush guys!Mush! You can do it just a few more miles to the next town!"Ordered their musher.The team pulled the sled so hard that the musher was almost knocked from it.They flew pasted the two teams that led the race.After a while Max spotted Anchorage and leaping,let out a loud and almost wolf-like howl that sent joy to the whole team they sped into town and across the finishline!

When the team made it back to town other dogs came to congradulate Max and the team and while Max appreciated the moment of limelight, truthfully he wanted to get some rest.For he knew that tomorrow his musher would give the order for them to find the wolf."Ladies,gentalment please! I'd love nothing eles to telling you about the race but if I my team and I don't rest, we won't get to tell you about how we found and caught the wolf," said Max to the group of dogs that were asking questions to them."Ahem,don't you mean if we catch the wolf?" whispered Beauti.Max looked at her and answered in the same tone as Beauti,"Don't tell then that,besides we've got Raz, that old boy must have some hound in him cause he can track you even if your 100feet deep in snow,trust me that wolf is ours," Beauti rolled her eyes,ducked her head down low and whent into the crowd,nipping the dogs that wouldn't let her pass.

Later that evening, Max found himself asleep in the boilerroom drooling heavily on an old bone when a gaint saint brenard whos' fur was starting to grey sat down next to him with a bone of his own in his mouth.As the dog started chewing on it,Max was startled awake by the fur