the door in an instant as she followed behind slowly. She peaked out through the hole, checking in all directions before exiting the house. Lilith could see the pups playing merrily in the street, so that gave her some comfort, but not much. All at once, they disappeared down a near alley, giggling all the way. She stepped off her porch and began to make her way to them. She saw what looked like to be a sled down at the far end of the street, but now wasn’t a time to worry about that.

“C’mon Kids, let’s get back out to where Auntie can see you.”

She took the corner slowly as she peered down the alley. Her mouth opened slightly in shock as she saw it completely empty. Lilith took a few steps down the alley.

“Please. Don’t play this game with me. C’mon now,” she called shakily.

Once again, she started to feel that familiar feeling. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand, and her ears perked, listening for any unusual noises. She took a look over her shoulder and took a few more steps, hearing the dull crunching of the snow between her paws. A flag fluttered clumsily in the delicate breeze and whistled past her ears softly. A lone street lamp flickered momentarily as another breath of wind eased its way. Lilith gave a heavy sigh and she gulped. The lacy, red ribbon tied around her front paw bobbed back and forth. She could see an intersection of four alleys about halfway down, so with quite a bit of courage, she made her way, trying to stifle her fear as best she could. She paused for a moment, and she could have sworn that she heard a noise. Her teeth started to show, releasing some of her fear by occasionally chattering. Was she being watched? She stole a peek back. No. No one had been there. Lilith lowered herself closer to the ground submissively. All around her she felt the dreaded stares of hundreds of pairs of eyes bearing down upon her, watching her every move, plotting her destruction, looking through to her very soul to decide her fate… There it was again. She straightened herself, focusing her mind and body with all her might. A breathing that was slow and calm, a far cry from hers. She sucked in a deep breath, the frigid air stinging her lungs before she began to slink along the nearest wall. Her breathing became shallow and near silent as she edged closer and closer to the corner of the building. She tilted an ear forward, but still heard that inhaling and exhaling from before. It was now, or never. She squinted her eyes shut tightly and with one brave move, she leapt out into the open, exposing herself outright. What she saw when she opened her eyes, shocked her at first, but then quickly brought a scowl.

“Well hello my sister. Come to join the party I see?”

“Not in your dreams, Hal… Now please, I would like to take the children back with me if you wouldn’t mind.”

Lilith walked over to Becca, Seth, and Stevan who had been sitting down in front of their uncle. She turned her back to Hal and began to shoo away the three pups.

“Are you sure that you don’t want to come back to Nome with me? We could have a grand time together,” Hal chuckled.

“Yes I’m sure Hal, so please, just leave us in peace. You promised that if I did that last thing, that you would never ask of me again.”

He put a paw on her shoulder, before putting more of his weight onto her, forcing her down. “Now, now. Where is your sense of helpfulness? I was sure you would be overjoyed to aid in my latest plan.”

Lilith whirled around and hit his paw away. “Don’t you dare touch me… And don’t think I don’t know why you want me included.. I overheard you that night with our brother, Greg. You had come up with that whole convoluted scheme before, knowing full well that it wouldn’t work, and yet you somehow convinced him that it would, and that in fact it was his own idea, when in reality it wasn’t. You planned for his death I bet, and probably for Burt’s as well!… They were probably the only ones that were in you’re way, weren’t they!?”

“My, my,” Hal sneered, “you figured all that out? I am most impressed indeed.”

“Shut up… I’m not coming with you, nor are these pups to do so either. You are nothing but a puppet master… I would even dare to compare you to… Lucy.”

A low growl resonated deep from Hal’s throat as he began to snarl at Lilith, making the three pups cower behind her. “You have the audacity to associate me with such filth! That worthless dog that left her creators feeling ashamed!” Hal began to pace around her, a thin strand of saliva dangled from his maw. He looked her hard in the eyes, and she returned his glare. “Fine then, if this is how you wish to play, then I full well except your challenge.” 

In one smooth movement, he raced around the backside of Lilith, and grabbed up Becca. Hal sat down and dragged Becca closer to her, putting a claw at her young throat. Becca let out a shrill scream as she tried to struggle from his grasp. Lilith was crouched down on all fours, teeth bared, and ready to strike.

“This isn’t her fight. Now let.. her.. go..” she growled.

Hal grinned at her, his teeth glimmering in the moonlight. His clown nose moved up and down as he inhaled deeply. His eyes widened as he began to trace a line in the shivering pup’s neck fur. An icy gust soared down the alley, pelting all five dogs with powdery, white snow.

“I think not Sister Dear. See, if you don’t do what I say, then maybe I’ll spill innocent blood. Or I’ll just wait… I’ll keep waiting for weeks on end for the perfect moment to strike.. I’ll follow you everywhere, watching you, plotting your destruction. Oh what fun that will be… I may even use someone that you may or may not know or trust… The possibilities are endless.”

Lilith suddenly lost her edge. He had struck her weakest point. She had just begun to trust the three pups she had been caring for. He had just laid the possibility that he could use one of these seemingly innocent ones to do his very bidding into her fearful mind. Hal grinned madly at her and she backed off.

“So my dear sister. What is your answer now? Because if you really don’t want to come back to Nome, then I know exactly what to do,” Hal snickered.

The very venom of his words began to poison her thinking, making her stutter and shake. He watched her eyes with glee as they slowly drifted to one side and then to the other.

“Well? I don’t have all day for you. What’s your answer now Sweetie?”

Lilith crossed her front paws and looked down in shame. A teardrop or two came to her saddened eyes. She took in a deep breath as she fumbled with her words. She knew that she was going to hate herself, but with much regret, she looked at Becca, and then back at Hal.

“… Fine… We’ll come with you. But so help me if you hurt any one of these children, I will rip you limb from limb. I want you to promise me that you won’t harm me, or them.”

Hal released Becca from his grasp, and she fled to Lilith, crying into her pelt. 

“Oh, you have my word that I will never harm them.”

Lilith sighed. That’s all she really could do now. She felt a rough paw rub over her back gently, but she dared not look up.

“Now, I want you heading to Nome immediately. I must take care of something and get to the new mail sack before the team comes back from their break.” Hal began to walk away triumphantly before he paused for a moment and turned around. “Oh, and please leave any medicine that you are on now here. You wouldn’t want to make your brother unhappy now, would you?”

Lilith shook her head back and forth guiltily. Hal snickered at her as he walked away from her and the pups. Stevan moved up beside his aunt and cocked his head.

“Auntie… Why are you crying?” he asked innocently.

Lilith brushed away her tears with a paw and forced a smile. “It’s… It’s nothing to worry about. Let’s just… go back to the house.”

They began to head out from the alley and again, Stevan had a question. “Auntie. Why do you need medicine?”

She stared at him silently, and then quickly whipped her head away. She was hoping that they’d never have had to hear about her medication. She swallowed hard as she tried to think of how to sort her words.

“Well… Let’s just say that your Auntie is very sick…” She turned back to them and blinked away more tears. “B-But I want you to know, that whatever happens after tonight, th-that I still care for all three of you dearly and-”

Her muzzle hung agape as her train of thought derailed. She raked her brain, but she only came up with blanks. She closed her mouth slowly. She realized that if she was gone too long from her medicine, that she would soon remember less and less, and that logic would soon fail her. A strong feeling of dread showed through to her face as something else came to mind. This was exactly what Hal had wanted. Soon, she herself would be the very puppet that Hal could use to control. She glanced down at the three black and white pups. Seth almost completely white, Becca with the swirls on her shoulders, and Stevan with his two white stripes that ran parallel to his body. She couldn’t risk having the death of a single one of these angels on her paw. She had to do this… for them.

Chapter Fifteen:

Inside the darkened windows of a home, a beeping was