them."
 "Smell who?" asked Targ.
 "Or what." murmured his brother.
 Toma chuckled. "Who. Man. They've been seen around the park at night by Tooth. This is serious, it means someone has given us away."
 Fox looked at his brother. Targ seemed calm enough on the outside, but he stunk of fear. Fox knew what this meant. Men with tubes. He gazed at his father admiringly, marvelling at his skills in keeping the pack together. Kach finally stopped talking to Tooth and addressed the audience.
 "The situation doesn't look too bad. With luck it was just some stray humans. Without luck they know we're here. I don't know who could have done this, I'm sure it was nobody's fault. If you know it was you, stand forward"
 Not a single wolf moved. Fox raised his head to speak. "Father, Nila isn't here. But she's not an idiot. She would have reported it, but I doubt that she would ever be dumb enough to expose herself in daylight."
 A wave of muttering swept through the pack. Was it Nila? A dog had found and attacked her, what if the dog's keeper reported her? Then a horrible thought rained down on the wolves. No-one had seen her all night. What if they had-
 "I doubt Nila had anything to do with it." Kach reassured them. "But I have been worrying all night about where she is."
 "Gees, dad! You don't have to be so overprotective!"
 Nila! Lei rushed over to her daughter to give her a good lick. She was frightened that she had run away into the concrete jungle.
 "Are you sure it's men?" Targ called out. "I've found traces of large animals in the north, they could be spying on us, and it could be srious."
 Fox, bit his tounge to stop himself exploding. That damn cheek! Sure, his brother had found the evidence, but it was him who pieced it togther, and there he was, taking all the credit, not even mentioning his part in the idea.
 "A good point, Targ," Kach praised. "You could learn a lot from your older brother Fox."
 That was it!
 Fox was fed up with this. His mum never gave anyone but Nila any attention because she was the only girl left and was blind, when Fal was alive she got the attention because she was youngest, and Targ, well he just had to be dad's favourite because he was going to become the leader. Life wasn't fair! He was underparised and underrespected, hardly anyone knew he was there! They said he never spoke, only because they kept butting in when he tried to, and no-one ever wanted to hang out with him.
 This family didn't deserve him.

7

Three Months Later

Not much happened through the next months. Nila became more and more separated, Fox's blood filled with hate, and Lei slowly began to crawl out of her depression. Summer was coming again. As he had done the year before, Kach told everybody about the lack of food, especially now that there were more members of the pack. Tooth was teased by Targ, who called him a liar, and when Tooth mentioned about the 'Shadow' that had attacked his father, Targs reply was, "Shut up! There's proof that he was right. A shadow didn't attack him, it was another animal!" And he couldn't argue with that. Targ became cockier and cockier as he learnt more and more of being a leader, and Kach was suddenly finding himself wondering if he was the right option. But he was tha first born, and tradition would continue.
 The 'pups' could be counted as adults now. They could hunt, defend themselves and knew about their natural surroundings. Each one of them had a place. Targ was somewhere between Alph and Beta, since he was going to be leader, his parents were obviously still Alpha, and the others in Lei's litter were either Beta or Omega. Of course, Jo and Toma's children were Omega, the youngest and the lowest in the ranking. It was not a good place to be.
 Buck was quiet. He didn't play or relax with the others, but often had a trip around the great lake. He would sniff the ground where he and Fal used to play. There was no scent. He sighed and headed back to the Bronze Canfa.
 Right, he thought ,fril.He was starving. It had been ages since he had hunted with the others. A diet of squirrells and bird carcasses were not enough. He needed more. Fish? Bah, too fussy, and wet. A small group of wolves could easily trap a rabbit.
 The sky was grey and heavy. It seemed to press down on the young wolf's shoulders, or was it something else?
 Guilt.
 The space above him was suddenly flooded with white, and a long streak of leightning burst through the clouds with a mighty crack. Instantly the storm started, and Buck was forced to hurry home.

The children were only three months old but they had a mind of their own. Morrer was sickened at the thought of her younger sister taking the lead. Gale tended to stay quiet and watch what was going on, but still did her fair share. Caluk was a cocky little madam. She hung around her father all day and believed she was better than anyone else.
 She knew Caluk got it from her father. Who else would fill a mere pup's head with such tales of evil. He was evil, and he was passing it down the line.
 Finally, she'd had enough.
 One night, she went to see him. He was sitting on a rock with Caluk, overlooking the parkland. They seemed so contented, bathing in the moonlight, silouhetted against the massive china dish. But deep, deep down she knew there was something wrong with this. He had wanted a son, and he was far too close to his daughter to be a good father.
 "Sir?"
 He turned to her, growling quietly wiht annoyance. What does she want? he thought, getting up to join her.
 "Yes, sweet?"
 She had no idea how to put it. He would surly tear her appart, so it was best to get it over with and make an escapse.
 "I-I know that you wanted boys," she stammered. "But you're too close to- Caluk, to be just fathering her. And why that name? And why did you kill Typhoon?"
 She flinched as he let out a snarl, staring at her from under a frown. Things were not going well.
 "And-" she continued. Oh, this was hopeless. She couldn't hold it back. "I don't love you! You're evil!"
 He bit her on her hindleg. "How dare you! I saved your life, I gave you a home, education and more, and this is how you repay me?" He made a jump at her, but she managed to avoid him. Caluk smiled.
 They were arguing.

She ran, faster than anything she had ever accoplished in her life, back to the den, where the pups were sleeping. A birch tree watched over the entrance, a silver angel, protecting them fro harm. She couldn't help but think how this was the only bright thing in her dark life. Her coat was flat and matted by the mix of the hammering storm and her own sweat and blood. She had to get them out. Quickly.
 "Morrer, Gale! We must hurry, we're going for a trip, just don't tell your father." she babbled franticly.
 "But what about Caluk?" Gale piped up.
 She paused. "Caluk can't come darling. Now go, out of the cave as fast as you can. Keep running until you reach the man-den!"
 The puppies didn't need to be told twice. They knew their father, he was vicious and picked on mother a lot. They had total trust in her.
 She made her way to the exit.  After one last glance left to right, checking for her mate, she followed her children down the slope and onto the grass.

Morrer stoped under the wooden shelter. The pitter patter on the roof made by the rain overpowered every other sound in the park. Not even the sirens of New York City could be heard. Gale caught up, followed by their mother.
 "why are we running away, mother?" the eldest asked.
 She shook herself and said quietly "I don't feel safe with him around, it would be better to live somewhere else."
 What else was she supposed say? They were far to young to know about her horrible past, or at least what she remembered of it. She was a good storyteller, but had never mentioned the legend of Caluk. It was her responsability as their mother to protect them from evil and danger until they were old enough to handle it.
 She sniffed the air. The rain was getting heavier, and blocking out all scents. He could be coming here right now, and they wouldn't know. What was that?
 She looked around. Just for a moment, almost completely hidden by the terrential racket of the storm, she thought she heard a snarl.
 "Go! Go!" she cried to her two daughters.
 The three took flight once more, barely recoved from the last sprint. They headed South through the trees, persued by a shadow. She stopped dead.
 "Run, children," she shouted as it pounced on her. They began to roll, biting and scratching all the while. Morrer and Gale hid in a bush, they had no idea where they were going, they weren't leaving without her.
 Eventually the opponents got up and circled each other.
 "So," he growled, "You thought you could escape me, tell them of my plans. We may argue, my Sweet, but I never imagined that you would betray me."
 She barked at this. "My name is not Sweet. You know very well what it is, Jeke."
 He stopped. "What did you just call me?"
 "By your proper name." she panted, "You have no privalige to be called 'Sir'."
 He pounced again, and her vision went blurry. He turned tail and ran. The pups would never suvive alone. He had finished her off, she was dying.

The two children ran to their mother. She was lying on her side, her breathing was long and wheezy. She coughed, "Travel South, until you hit the meadow. Then follow it