out of Steele’s grip and fell to the ground. She weakly lifted her head as the world spun and tipped in front of her eyes, and watched as Silver Arrow, Copper, Ketch, Chase, Balto, Taya, Ava, Dusty, and Kira hurled themselves at Steele in a barrage of teeth and claws. Steele was flung off his feet and pinned to the ground. Through the lashing fray, Kaila saw an orange paw plunge into Steele’s side as Taya dealt the killing blow.

Steele’s scream seared through Kaila’s head like a knife.

Kaila turned her head away and followed the green shaft of light to a nearby hilltop where Jenna stood over the broken bottles bright with the Northern Lights. Jenna adjusted the green piece of glass aimed at Steele with her paw so that the soft green light shaft tipped back to join the lightshow on the hill.

Kaila smiled faintly, let her head drop to the frosty ground, and sank into a peaceful blackness.

Kaila opened her eyes to find herself inside the pack cave surrounded by most of the Anvil Creek pack. They all looked so concerned she wanted to laugh, until she sat up.

“Ohhh,” she groaned as her brain hammered the inside of her skull and hot pain shot through her neck. She looked down. A large, scabbed cut curved over the side of her neck. She remembered the gleam of Steele’s claws as they rushed towards her throat. They must have slipped and gashed her when Jenna blinded Steele for a moment. “That’s going to leave a mark,” she muttered. Kaila finally looked up and managed a smile. “Hey, guys.”

“Kaila!”

Kaila braced herself for a violent impact, but was shocked when Sarai simply padded forward and wrapped her in a hug she barely felt. She accepted the embrace and gave back one of her own, but when Sarai stepped back she regarded her curiously. “I was expecting more of the usual bombs-away catapult hug you usually give me. Are you okay, Sarai?”

Sarai shrugged, but Kaila could see her body was bruised and bloody. “I’ll be okay. I got a little beaten up, but at least I’ve still got my singing voice, and my mom.” She rested her head on Sage’s shoulder. “Are yousure you’re okay?”

“Yeah. Fine. Sure,” Kaila babbled absentmindedly.

Sage smiled understandingly, but something behind her eyes made Kaila think the Northern Hills pack’s abuse had left her more hurt than she would show. But Sage was strong. She always had been. She would heal.

Kaila’s gaze slid to Lakota, and a genuine smile grew on her face. Lakota’s visage matched her own, and they rushed into a long, joyous embrace meant only for the best of friends.

“Lakota,” Kaila breathed, and a tear streamed down her cheek before she could stop it.

“Don’t scare me like that,” Lakota whispered in her ear. “I thought you were dead. I thought I was going to go insane when I saw you lying there on the ground. Steele really knew how to mess with our minds.”

Kaila pulled back. “Steele’s dead?” she asked even as the image of Taya’s paw slicing into her father’s side came back to her. She could hardly believe the monster that had hunted her and her family for so long was finally gone.

“Steele’s dead,” Lakota assured her, “Killed by his own daughter. I think he got a death worthy of how he lived.”

Kaila nodded without really listening. Such a golden sweep of relief had washed over her she felt as if her very soul was singing. Her family was free, free from Steele’s bitterness and jealous rage. The world seemed brighter, cleaner, newer, no longer shadowed by an envious malamute’s need for revenge. Her father was free from the darkness of his past. She was free.

She suddenly looked up at Lakota with a wry grin and narrowed eyes. “You thought I was dead?” she said, “What about you? How did you get discovered?”

Lakota refused to look her in the eye. He seemed a little ashamed. “It was my fault. I thought we could get close enough to hear the battle plans by standing at the back of the pack meeting and pretending to be Northern Hills wolves. The real Northern Hills wolves were so riveted on Steele’s words that I didn’t think anyone would notice. But I forgot every pack identifies itself by a certain scent. We aren’t around other packs much, so it’s easy to forget that. The wind changed, and then they all knew we were Anvil Creek wolves. And then…everything’s a blur. I think the entire pack attacked us. I brought Sage and Sarai along for protection, but I thought we’d need them only for a quick getaway. I never thought we’d have the whole pack after us. All four of us became conscious again in a cave, and Steele unleashed some of the wolves on us.” Lakota winced, shaking the hurt hind leg that made him limp. “Let’s just say they had anger issues. They wounded us so we couldn’t move. When they came to get us to see you die, I could barely walk.”

“Are you all right now?” Kaila asked. She was horrified at how much Lakota had gone through for the sake of the pack. His bravery and strength belittled her own. To think she had once dreamed of being beta wolf, never mind alpha!

“Everyone’s fine,” he reassured her, “We’ve had food, and rest. You were out cold for almost an hour. Sarai was going to get some snow to throw in your face to make sure you were still alive.”

Kaila looked over at Sarai and smiled. “How…sweet of her.” Sarai was rolling on the ground on her back, wriggling happily and smiling blissfully up at her mother, who smiled indulgently back. Sarai’s joyful spirit had survived Steele’s torture chamber. Kaila was very grateful for that.

Suddenly Kaila remembered something, and another tear sprang to her eye.

“Kaila, what’s wrong?” Lakota said with concern.

“Chase told me Ketch said something about you,” she began, “She said that he said that he could tell, just by looking at you, that you were someone who would come back no matter what.” She smiled through her tears. “And he was right.”

Lakota was speechless. He seemed a little embarrassed, but pleased. “Well, I couldn’t leave my ‘just friend’ behind, could I?” he finally said with a small grin, referring to a pact he and Kaila had made on her first stay with the Anvil Creek pack promising to stay just friends and not boyfriend and girlfriend, like some would expect. “Where is Ketch? Isn’t he Chase’s friend?”

“Yeah. They must be outside.”

Kaila and Lakota trotted to the cave mouth and looked out.

Chase and Ketch stood talking earnestly against the cave wall. Dusty and Kira stood silently with their two pups next to a group of three pine trees. Kaila recalled with a flash the image of a wounded Robin limp in Steele’s paw. Robin had died? She knew Dusty had loved that kid from the bottom of his soul. She knew the sad pang she felt must be nothing compared to what Dusty was feeling.

Copper and Taya stood nuzzling at the very edge of the battlefield. Balto and Jenna were further out, searching among the bodies for someone. Kaila thought about who had failed to be by her side when she awoke. It hit her like a bullet. Aniu.

Aniu was gone, too.

She had been old, and it was her time, but…it still hurt.

Cheyenne and Nilak sat close in front of a corpse. As Kaila watched, Cheyenne leaned into Nilak and buried her face in his fur. Kaila realized with a jolt that the corpse was Kiowa. And that Cheyenne and Nilak were parentless now.

The happiness Kaila had felt moments before was rippled by sadness and uncertainty. Aniu, Kiowa, and Robin were all dead? She knew the loss could have been greater, but it seemed as if the ones who were most needed had gone.

“KAILA!” Chase’s shout rolled over the tundra to any listening ear within five miles. Immediately all eyes turned on Kaila, and she was attacked with literally breathtaking hugs and concerned questions about her health and repeated shouts of her name. Kaila treasured all this affection, but it was her mother’s greeting she especially cherished.

“Kaila!” Jenna wrapped her daughter in a strong embrace. “I was so worried! Lakota said you would be fine, so I went off to help your father, but…oh, sweet, I’m so glad you’re alive! I was so scared I wasn’t at least going to get to say goodbye.”

“Oh, Mom, I’m fine,” Kaila said, pulling back. “But what are you doing here?”

Jenna gazed at her steadily. “I wasn’t going to see another daughter of mine leave without a goodbye.”

Kaila tried not to squirm. She had been feeling guilty about that ever since she had left Nome. She knew she had made the wrong choice. “I’m sorry, Mom,” Kaila mumbled, “I know I should’ve said goodbye. It was the middle of the night, and I guess I wasn’t thinking as clearly as I thought I was. I said goodbye to Dad, but I knew he wouldn’t be completely awake. I don’t know…I guess I was afraid that if I went to you, you would try to stop me. And I love these guys.” Kaila gestured towards what was left of the Anvil Creek pack. “They’re as much my family as you are. And I want to stay with them, as one of them.”

Jenna smiled to hide the tears trembling under her eyelids. “Sweetheart, if I’ve ever tried to stop you from following your dreams, it’s because I don’t want to let you go. But I know I can’t hang on. You’ve been under lock and key long enough.” She laughed shakily and embraced her daughter. “Go. I can see you’re happier here than any place else in the world. Just remember to visit from time to time, okay?”

“Thanks, Mom,” Kaila whispered, smiling so hard she could barely see. “I will.” Drawing back, she raised an eyebrow questioningly. “One thing: why did you bring the polar ice caps?”

Jenna shrugged, but a secretive smile danced on her face. “I don’t really know. But it turned out it was a good thing I brought them, didn’t it?”

“I’ll say,” Balto chimed in, “Your mother saved your life with those, Kaila. She carried them all the way from Nome inside her bandana in her mouth along with a lantern, and when she saw Steele choking you she set everything up and tilted one of the shards so the light hit Steele right in the eye.” He shook his head in both disbelief and admiration. “Of all the things those broken bottles