stand still to both of them, it was beautiful. They now knew it was more than the simple "I love you" they were now mates.

After it was over, they nuzzled each other.

"Im so happy we are mates now." Niska said.

Steele couldn’t have been more proud to be called her mate.

"Im so happy that you chose me to be your mate." He replied.

They both feel asleep while Steele curled up around her. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew they were mates, so noone could make the mistake that Conwell did.

Steele was the first to wake up, he looked up at the sky and noticed how close it was getting to dark. He gave Niska a soft nudge to wake her up. When she did, Steele told her they had to go, it was almost time. Steele led the way to the cliff that he usually slept on. He sat there and waited for her, when she sat next to him, she asked,

"I’ve seen this before, remember? What are we looking at?"

"Just wait" Steele said.

A few moments later, the sun hid behind the mountains. minutes later, there was a small ray of light.

"Look, right there. Just keep watching." Steele said.

Niska looked and waited. The ray suddenly grew almost bigger than the hill it shined on. It was so bright and wonderful, you would think a new world was being created. Niska couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She became speechless.

"Steele....its...."

"You don’t need to say anything, its all for you. I wanted to share this with you." Steele said.

Niska nuzzled him,

"I love you more than you could ever imagine."

Steele did though, if there was more love she had than now, he would be more than willing to take it all, and try and give as much as he could back to her. This could’ve lasted all night, he wished it did, but she told him she had to go before her master worried.

"Ill be here for you tomorrow." She whispered.

"And ill be here waiting for you." He said as they kissed.

While the lights still gleamed to what seemed to reach all the way up to the heavens, Steele slept once more. He did dream tonight, but far from a good one.

=========================

Steele was alone. He had noone, and nothing around except falling snow and buildings. It looked familiar but he was not sure. As he looked around, he saw pups playing and running with one another. He looked at them while they enjoyed the time they had. They.....looked almost familiar to him, the brown fur was unmistakable, he knew who’s puppy’s they were.

"Well....if I cant kill Balto, ill kill the closest thing he has."

With his teeth ready and mucels waiting for the right time to kill the pups, one of them ran straight into his leg. The pup looked up at him and saw his eyes, Steele’s eyes were no longer blue, but all white with a bloodlust smile to go with it. The pup was clearly scared and to frightened to run. His blood was cold as ice and showed that he would enjoy seeing Balto’s face when he finds out. He looked at the puppies eyes, his smile turned into confusion.

‘Balto’s eyes were not blue, neither was Jenna’s. They both had brown eyes. So why are they dark blue?’

Only one person came to mind.

"No! She wouldn’t! Im here mate, not that mangy mutt!"

He refused to believe this thought, and shook it out of his head. As he was about to grab the pup, two figures appeared from behind a large boat docked on land.

"Balto! There you are, I thought I was going to have to kill your worthless pups. But that won’t be necessary anymore."

The figure next to Balto jumped out in front of the puppy to protect her own.

His fear was then realized, the blue eyes, the similarities, it was all answered. Niska was the mother of the pups. She growled and scorned at him with hate.

"Niska?....I thought...we were...." Steele stuttered at this horror.

"How could I love a disgrace like yourself?" She shouted at him.

Steele didn’t know what to say. He was speechless. Balto lunged a Steele and was on top of Steele, growling at him. He didn’t even fight back, Steele could have easily thrown him off, but didn’t. He could not care if died now, but the thought of her, having mutts with that mongrel. Steele screamed, but awoke himself by his own scream.

As he jolted up, the birds that were sleeping in a nearby tree, was also disturbed. They flew away and the tree seemed to come alive.

========================

‘How long have I’ve been gone? How long has it been?’

Steele realized that he has been gone for almost a year. Everyone in Nome must have forgotten him, and went on with their daily lives....he hopped. He noticed that it was early, and the sun has not yet risen, and the lights still danced in the sky.

"I think ill surprise Niska." Steele said to himself, he was going to sleep on Niska’s porch until she woke up as well.

Steele rose from his spot and walked to her house. On his way, he noticed the young female from before.

‘What is she doing up so early?’ He thought.

He tried as best he could to avoid eye contact, he even tried to act like she wasn’t even there. But like before, he couldn’t resist.

"Mmm, your up early." She spoke to him.

He tired not to make the same mistake he did before. "Well....I was just on my way to-."

"Niska’s? Why have just her, when you could have me, and more." She interrupted him. She did have a point, he deserved some kind of reward didn’t he? After all, he’s the alpha male, he should be allowed to get whatever he want’s.

seduction, mixed with betrayal, one was stronger than the other. He turned back into his old self again.

‘NO! Its not to late! You can change this before you lose it all!’ That small voice said.

Steele was lost. He agreed to leave with the female. She led him to a small ally where there were other females, it felt like the old times, everyone wanted to be around him, everyone wanted to be him. As soon as he approached them, they all crowded around him.

"You were right, he is strong."

"And handsome." Some of them replied.

All nuzzled him, all wanted his attention, he was the center of it all.

‘I almost forgot how it felt to be number one.’ He thought.

"We go inside, and show you a good time, no?" One of them said, she had a Russian accent.

Steele was going to, but he saw the sun was over the mountains. He had to go before Niska would discover him.

"No, I have to go." He said.

"Awwwww.....later then?" The young Female replied.

=====================

Steele did not answer, but left in a hurry. When he reached Niska’s house, he laid down and closed his eyes and would act like nothing happened. He never slept, but acted like he was, a few hours later the door opened. He did not look to see who it was.

"Who’s this?! A stray?" An unfamiliar voice shouted.

Steele jumped up to see who it was. He didn’t know who he was, but the man scowled at Steele.

Steele would fight back, but getting in a quarrel with Niska’s master, was not the best decision. He decided it would be better if he stood down.

"Get out of here!" The man kicked some snow at him.

Steele didn’t run, but looked back at him and growled, then he walked away. He watched the man walk out of his house, and into the street. Shortly after, Niska walked out to see what was happening.

"Steele!" She saw him leave, she got his attention.

"Niska!"He said with excitement.

They ran toward each other and kissed each other.

"What happened? I heard Samuel yell." She said.

"Samuel?"

"Yes, he’s my master."

"Well, I was waiting on your porch, waiting for you, but he didn’t seem to happy to see me." Steele explained.

"Don’t mind him, he means well. I thought I was meeting you at the cliff?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

Steele had to think of a way to tell Niska that he was leaving so he could finally taste fresh blood upon Balto. But he couldn’t tell her that, he had to think of a lie. But what could he possibly tell her.

"Uh...my love?." He said. She looked at him to see what he was going to tell her.

"Tomorrow, im going to Nome to see some old friends of mine. You know, visit." His lie was dead on, she believed him.

"Ok, can I come to?" Steele couldn’t let her come, he wanted to savior the kill for his own selfish needs.

"Im sorry, but we need to catch up on old times as friends. It’s a long trip and I don’t want you to get hurt." He hoped that would be enough to convince her otherwise.

She was not sad, but she sounded like it. "Oh, I see.....how long will you be gone?"

"Only a day or so. Not long. And when I come back, ill have all the time in the world for you."

This seemed to do the trick. She responded happy to this. All that, day they relaxed together. Steele needed his rest for tomorrow. She only thought he was relaxing for the journey. When the sun fell to its dark abyss, he told her he would see her soon.

"Ill think of you while you are gone." She said kissing him.

"You are always in my thoughts, ill see you soon, I promise." He said kissing her back.

======================

They left each other to see again, another day. She watched him until he was gone. But she noticed that he turned the other way from the forest. He didn’t notice her watch him, she wondered where he could possibly be going. She followed him until he disappeared. She couldn’t find him, but she caught his scent. It led her to a small house, the door was cracked open, there was another scent, a few in fact. It was other females.

"No. He wouldn’t, he loves me. He knows I love him back." She tried to convince herself.

But she had to look, she just had to. As much as she didn’t want to believe it, it became reality. Steele was laying on an old mattress, he was surrounded by other female dogs who were kissing and nuzzling him. He was no different, he did all the same back to them. Niska couldn’t take it anymore, her tears were blinding her. She ran to the cliff that Steele would sleep on and cried as hard as she could.

Steele staggered out from the house with a stupid, but satisfied face. He made his way to the cliff, as he moved tworead the cliff, he saw a dark figure. Steele became