nuzzled his mate. She licked his face and neck. Scout lied down next to Aniu, snuggling up to keep her and their soon-to-be puppies warm. Aniu snuggled into his soft fur and Scout smiled. They fell asleep together like they had for the past two months.

For the next two days, Aniu was fine. She rarely left the den and Scout brought her extra food to keep both her and the babies well fed.

'I've got to go hunt now!' Scout said, nuzzling Aniu, 'Keep safe!'

'Of course!' replied Aniu, smiling.

Scout left and followed the hunting party. They crept to a clearing where a whole herd of caribou were grazing. They all crept low to the ground and silently moved out, surrounding half of the herd. Some of the caribou heard then as one of the younger wolves snapped a twig. They alerted the rest so that the whole herd ran. But the hunting party surrounded the herd and eventually cornered one. It was quite big and would take time to bring down. The leader of the hunt (a wolf named Konell) signalled the others and they got closer to the terrified caribou. Konell signalled again and the twin wolves Kanti and Kaila jumped at the caribou. They both bit down hard on it's neck and Konell told Scout and Sparrowhawk to get it's back legs. Konell and the youngest wolf, Lia, went in after. The caribou was soon pulled down and the party congratualted Kanti and Kaila.

Just then, another wolf ran up to them. He was quite big and strong and had dark grey fur.

'Scout!' he called.

The hutning party turned to face the large wolf and Scout took a few steps forward.

'Yes?' he asked.

'It's Aniu!' the wolf panted, 'She's having the pups!'

Scout's eyes widened and he nearly jumped for joy. The other wolves seemed to share his excitement. The large wolf and Scout ran back to the rest of the pack while the hunting party had to bring back the carinou. Scout ran ahead of the larger wolf, running faster than he'd ever done before. He saw Nilak and Kiowa running towards the whelping den.

They must have been told too! Scout thought.

He got ahead of the alphas and scrambled under the brambles into the den. Aniu was lying at the end. Her faced was scrunched up a little and Scout ran up to her. He licked her face so that she new he was there and Nilak and Kiowa came in.

'Aniu!' Kiowa said, softly, 'Keep going!'

'We'd better wait outside.' Nilak whispered to Scout. They left and sat down outside the den. Nilak looked at Scout and smiled.

'You ok?' he asked.

'Yeah, I guess!' replied Scout, shaking himself, 'I'm just a bit scared!'

Nilak laughed and patted Scout with one of his paws.

'Don't worry!' he said, 'I felt the same way when my pups were born. But then again, I feel scared down because it's one of my pups having her own!'

Scout smiled and Kiowa's head stuck out of the whole.

'Come in!' she whispered, excitedly.

'After you!' chuckled Nilak. Scout nodded, his eyes wide, and crawled in. He slowly walked up to Aniu. She was curled up, her tail swishing gently, her back facing them.

'Aniu!' Scout whispered. Aniu looked up and smiled at him.

'Look!' she whispered, sleepily. Scout looked over and saw five adorable little pups. One was a light brownish-grey colour, another was dark grey and light grey, there was two white pups and the last was brown and white.

'Three girls and two boys!' said Aniu, licking her puppies heads.

Nilak and Kiowa slunk away, knowing that Aniu and Scout needed some time alone and that they could see that grandpuppies later.

'Thank you, Scout!' said Aniu, 'Thank you for such a beautiful litter!'

'I love you, Aniu!' said Scout, nuzzling his mate. This was the first time that he'd really said 'I love you' properly.

'And you!' replied Aniu, 'What will we call our children?'

'The brown and white one can be called... Isha!' said Scout, 'And this little white one can be Nayeli!' He pointed to the smallest white puppy.

'This little dark grey one will be called Lakota and this brownish grey one can be Conan!' said Aniu, licking the boy pups, then she looked at the last and largest pup who was white, 'And this one can be Cheyenne!'

'Perfect!' whispered Scout, licking Aniu's face again.

Over the next two months, the pups grew. Aniu wasn't happy at having her pups so close to a town but they couldn't move very far because the pups couldn't travel long distances yet. Her and Scout were very happy with their family and Scout played with his pups everyday. He taught them the rules about being a wolf and taught them how to hunt. His favourite was his youngest pup, Conan. Conan wasn't as strong as his brothers or sisters but he was a fast learner and runner.

Scout had watched his family learn and grow but he'd also noticed how Achak had become alot stronger and angrier. He'd snarl and growl at the smallest of things and had even turned on his own nephew, Conan. He'd said he was sorry straight after though.

'Daddy!' said Conan one day, 'Why do me, Lakota and Isha look so different to the other wolves?'

'Well...' started Scout but was interupted.

'Scout! It's time to start the hunt!' called Kaila.

'Ok!' replied Scout then turned to his son, 'I'll have to tell you later! Be good!'

Conan sighed as he watched his dad leave. He never had time for him.

'Maybe mum will tell me!' Conan said aloud. He ran off to find Aniu. She was moving the food from the hunting party's previous hunt to the back of the cave.

'Mum!' said Conan, walking into the cave.

'Yes, Conan?' replied Aniu, smiling at her son.

'How come me, Lakota and Isha don't look like wolves as much as everyone else?'

Aniu looked startled, 'This is something that we need to talk about as a family!' she said, 'Me and your father will tell all of you tonight, ok?'

Conan had to agree because he knew his mum would make him wait anyway. He left the cave and ran off to find his siblings. As soon as he found them he told them what he'd asked their parents.

'They have to tell us!' said Isha, who looked almost like an everyday husky, 'I don't look like a wolf!'

'Then we're lucky that we do!' said Cheyenne, looking at Nayeli.

That night, Aniu and Scout took their pups to the whelping den so that they could talk in private.

'You wanted to know why you look different.' Aniu said slowly, 'Scout has something to tell you.'

Well,' Scout started, 'Your mother is a full wolf like everyone else. But I'm not a wolf. I'm a dog, an alskan husky if you really want to know. And I met your mother and we had you. We only realised afterwards what it'd be like for you. Now, Cheyenne and Nayeli, you look just like your mther, a white wolf, but Conan, Lakota and Isha, you look different. Isha I'm sorry to say you are the most dog-like of the five of you, you look just like a dog. Conan and Lakota look like hybrids which you are!'

Isna, Conan and Lakota blinked a few times before Isha ran out trying to hide her watery eyes.

'Isha!' called Scout, 'Isha! Come back!'

Scout sighed, 'I'm so stupid!'

'Of course you're not!' cried Aniu, then she was softer, 'You did the right thing!'

Conan and Lakota ran off to find their sister.

'It's ok, sis!' said Conan, 'You're special!'

'Yeah!' Lakota agreed, 'No one else is like you!'

'I guess.' Isha said slowly. She swallowed and smiled a bit.

'Let's go play!' said Conan.

Over the next few days, it started to rain and wouldn't stop. The river overflowed and the ground started to become slushy like a swamp. Not only that but the presence of human was inthe air and the pack had nearly lost one member already.

'We have to move!' said Nilak, 'It's getting too dangerous here!'

'See!' called a voice, who Scout recognised as the one who had been teasing Achak, 'It's all Achak's fault! He's the black wolf wo will bring destruction!'

He sniggered and so did his friends. Nilak looked a little hurt but angry. But Achak just went wild. It was like he didn't know what was happening. He leapt at the wolf and bit down hard on his neck. Blood oozed out and made a puddle on the floor. After a couple of seconds the wolf was dead. But Achak wasn't finished. He grabbed the nearest wolf and tore at it's skin and bit down on it's neck the same way he had done to the other wolf. Soon, all the wolves who had teased Achak were dead and blood oozed out around them making a puddle on the floor. But something in Achak told him he couldn't stop. His eyes didn't actually look at the wolves around him, it was like they looked through them. His eyes were like hot needles or bullets, boring into the wolves skins. Achak took a step towards them and bared his teeth. Aniu and Scout grabbed there children and ran. The pack scattered and Achak chased after them, killing the ones he caught. Nilak, Kiowa, Nava, Sparrowhawk and Nitti followed Aniu and her family. They ran to the whelping den and hid. They could hear their fellow pack memebers being slaughtered. Over a few minutes, seven more pack members had the same idea and rushed into the den.

'This is the last of our pack!' Nilak said at last, but for once he didn't sound proud and like the leader he was. He sounded small and weak. 'We must stick together from now on!'

'Father!' said Aniu, 'My pups won't be safe if we are all together. We must seperate them, and fast! If we can take them away from here they won't have to go through what we do!'

They fell silent when they heard more of their pack members being slaughtered by Achak outside.

'Right!' said Nilak, agreeing with his daughter, 'Aniu and Scout, you must leave here and take one of your children each. If you take more it will only slow you down adn that...' he couldn't bring himself to say monster or Achak's name, 'Just be safe!'

'I'll take Lakota.' said Scout, 'He's quite a runner and I'm sure someone would take him!'

'We'll take Cheyenne and Nayeli. They must stay as the wolves they are!' said Nitti, who actually showed how much she cared about her sister's family for once.

Isha and Conan looked up.

'What about us?' they asked.

'Conan, you'll