told me that I should join your pack.” Suar was very angry.

“Is that all true?!” Aleu was shocked.

“Yes. Now I am definitely going to revenge!” Suar growled at Aleu.

“Are you gonna try to kill me?” Aleu bared her teeth. “I am sure my dad didn’t want to spoil your life.” Aleu took a step towards Suar.

“He was just a helpless doggy that needed extra care and extra attention!” Suar hissed.

“During all these four years you could’ve at least tried to do anything in your life. You could’ve tried to join a wolf pack, or forgive my dad and return to Nome. Instead I bet you were just complaining ‘bout your life and hating everyone!” Aleu was shouting at Suar.

“You didn’t do anything to become a leader of a wolf pack, so shut up! You are not even a wolf. You’re just a mutt that had my mother’s sympathy.” Suar took a step back, because Aleu got too close to her.

“At least I tried to change my life! My try had succeeded. You did nothing to change your life. Get it in mind.” Aleu was talking to Suar, as though she was a kid that needed a punishment. Suar didn’t like it.

“Now it is my turn to change your life!” She screamed in Aleu’s face and attacked her.

Aleu tried to push Suar away, but the ginger wolf was stronger. Aleu fell on the ground and Suar growled in Aleu’s face. Aleu brought all her strength together and pushed Suar off her. She quickly got up and jumped on Suar, preparing for an attack. Suar fell down and coughed several times.

“It is time you learnt how to growl, doggy.” She managed to say and when she was about to stand up, Aleu knocked her over again.

“And it is time you learnt how to fight!” She replied in a cheeky way and stepped with one paw on Suar’s chest.

But then Suar bit Aleu’s leg and didn’t let go of it. Aleu screamed because of pain and lost her balance. Suar quickly stood up and dragged Aleu’s body towards the edge of a cliff that was behind her. Aleu’s front leg was still squeezed between Suar’s teeth and it rapidly started bleeding. As soon as Suar let go of Aleu’s paw, she grabbed with her jaws her neck and lifted Aleu off the ground. Aleu was suffocating and her neck was bleeding.

Aleu closed her eyes. All her life ran through her mind in one second. Death was closer than ever. ‘Mum, dad, I will never see you again, but I will always love you.’ She thought, and then Suar threw her over the cliff.

Chapter 8.

THE REAL STORY

It was past midnight and Balto was looking for Suar. She was nowhere. Balto looked around Nome an around the coast but no results. When Balto was about to go in the forest, he stopped, because he thought that he will never find Suar there at nighttime. It was too dark in the woods. Balto looked back at his boat. The moonlight fell on the surface of the boat. Balto wanted to go back home and have a good sleep, because he was feeling very tired. He heard footsteps coming from behind. Balto turned around. Suar walked out of the woods and was standing a few meters behind him.

“Balto, do you want me to tell you the real story of my past?” She asked.

“Go on then.” Balto said nervously.

“I’ll tell you the way I saw it.” Suar made an accent on “I”. “As you already know, my father left my mother, and then my mother met your father, right?” Balto nodded. “My mother had three pups with your father and you were one of them. Your two brothers, I can’t remember their names now, got my mother’s looks, but you were the only dog in the litter. Because you weren’t a wolf, you needed extra care and attention. Mother was spending most of her time being your baby sitter. Meanwhile, I was hated by your father, because I was a wolf. Your father used to intimidate and hate me. Before you were born, my mother used to stick up for me, but them you took all of her free time. Not your brothers, but you. You were the most loved child of your father as well. I hated it, because I found it unfair on me. I swear after you were born my mother forgot about my existence. Do you like it so far?”

“That is a pretty sad story.” Balto didn’t show any emotions.

“then let me continue. Once when I returned home, all my family was dead. My two brothers, my mother, everyone, but you! You looked so pathetic and you were weeping next to my mother’s dead body. Your father has shown a hunter our cave, and the hunter did his job. I got so furious and mad, that I tried to kill you. But while I was killing you, your father returned and noticed me. I had to run away and live in exile for four long years.” Suar made a pause.

“I understand how you felt.” Balto confessed.

Chapter 9.

THE LINE THAT IS CROSSED (a flashback to the time, before Suar met Balto)

Suar returned from her walk with Aleu. Wolves started questioning Suar about Aleu. Suar knew what to say to the wolves and she got on a tall rock in the middle of the field where wolves were staying and asked everyone to gather around.

“I have some tragic news to say. Aleu told me that for the last months she was seriously ill and she said that in a few days she will die. She didn’t want anyone see her suffering and then dying, so she jumped off the cliff.”

“What?!” The wolves didn’t believe Suar.

“I know you don’t believe me, but it is true! Before she committed a suicide she asked me to be your new leader and she also asked you to forgive her for not telling anything about the illness she had and accept me as your new head of pack.” Suar hoped that the wolves will finally believe her.

“That is not bad at all! Aleu was a useless leader, you have to agree, guys! Suar has more experience and wisdom!” A black wolf from the pack said.

“Not everybody in this pack thinks so, Volzie!” A dark-brown female replied. “Everybody knows that you never liked Aleu and you made up that stupid challenge for her to prove that she is a bad leader. You thought that she will kill that dog, but she didn’t. I personally don’t believe that yellow fox and I think she is lying!”

“Maktah, chill out! If you want to do a favor to Aleu, then do what she says.” Volzie pointed on Suar.

“I think that we have to agree with Volzie. He has a point. Aleu wasn’t a good leader at all, but maybe Suar will put us on a right way.” An old fat brown wolf said.

“I am the beta of the pack and I proclaim Suar as our new leader!” Volzie announced and the wolves howled. Suar was accepted as a new leader. She was very happy, because she revenged and became a leader of a wolf pack.

“Look, she has blood on her lips!!!” Maktah suddenly shouted. Everybody looked at Suar. Her mouth was in blood. “Liar! You killed Aleu! You are just a self-claimed leader!” Maktah jumped on the rock where Suar was standing and then attacked Suar. Both wolves rolled down on the ground. Suar ended up on top on Maktah.

“So?” Volzie asked Maktah. “I don’t care what happened to Aleu, as long as Suar or someone clever becomes our leader!”

“Traitor! You can leave the pack along with that fox!” Someone said. Volzie turned around and growled at the pack.

“I am the beta, and my authority is bigger than yours!” He hissed.

“We don’t want you to be our beta!” A young black female shouted out.

“Let’s kill the fox and then teach Volzie to mind his place!” A big grey wolf said.

“I am not a traitor. I just want a good leader, for god’s sake!” Volzie got stressy.

“Aleu was a good leader!” A brown-white female shouted back.

“Not for me!” Volzie replied.

Suar left Maktah on the ground and stood up next to Volzie. She knew she lost. Suar heard Aniu’s voice in her mind: ‘Suar! Why did you kill Aleu?! I warned you not to do that! Sprits are angry with you and they are going to curse you!” Suar was terrified.

‘What shall I do?’ she asked Aniu in her mind.

‘First of all you have to return to Alaska. Go to the coast and then cross the ice bridge.’

Suar couldn’t stand still anymore. She sprinted to the coast. While she was running she was hearing scary voices in her mind.

“Suar!!! You crossed the line!” The first voice said.

“Now it is our turn to revenge!” the second voice added.

“I am gonna curse you!” the first voice said again and laughed.

“From now on, every time you will look in someone’s eyes, the animal that you looked at will feel very cold, then ill, and in one week it will die.” The second voice laughed even harder.

“Go back to Alaska, Suar!” Aniu said. “Find Balto and tell him everything: tell him, how you hated him, and how you tried to kill him. Tell him that you killed Aleu! In the end, ask him to forgive you! If he will say “yes”, then the curse will go, but if he will say “no” then you will die straight away. You have only a week to do that; otherwise you will turn into a zombie!” Suar reached the ice bridge.

She ran to the other side of the ocean as quick as possible. As soon as she reached the other opposite shore, she burst into tears. The only thing she wanted on that moment was to go back in time for at least two or three hours. Then Aleu would be still alive and Suar would never kill her.

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