knew the danger of coming out here. I don’t know who Steele is, but whoever he is, I’ll do my best to protect everyone. Okay? But it’s never a guarantee that anyone is completely safe. Alright? This is the wild. You’re either strong enough to live with it” –he glanced at Kaila– “or you die.”

Dusty stood, bewildered. All he had wanted was to say goodbye. This was a lot more than he had bargained for.

Meanwhile, unknown to Dusty, back in Nome the pups were still trying to escape their prison and their warden, Kira. Kira had planted herself firmly in front of the doggy door, barring the exit and watching her puppies warily. Silver and Gail sat whispering plans of escape, while Robin stood slightly apart, unsure of whether to join in or to obey her mother.

Suddenly Silver bounced to his feet. “Let’s play King of the Mountain,” he proclaimed loudly, and began trotting into the adjoining kitchen.

“With two girls and one boy, it should be called Queen of the Mountain,” Gail told him, and scampered after her brother.

“No, King is fine,” Silver cried, “Because I always win!”

Gail nipped his tail and jumped up onto the stepstool in front of the sink. Their young owner, Julie, was a petite little thing, and when she was younger she had needed a stool to reach the sink by herself. The stool had yet to be removed, and so it had become the pups’ ‘mountain’.

Silver leaped up onto the stool and shoved his sister to the floor, crowing, “I am King of the Mountain!”

Gail landed unhurt, and with a determined look on her face she hopped up again and tried to push Silver off. Kira watched like a hawk. Robin smiled and padded over, eager to join in the game.

A violent shoving match ensued on top of the stool. Gail’s gray paws slid slowly towards the edge. Silver grinned triumphantly. “You’re going down!”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Gail muttered quietly.

Silver stopped, confused. “Why?”

“Because of this!” Gail smashed her front legs into her brother’s chest. Silver tumbled off the stool and crashed onto the ground. “What’d I tell you?” Gail yelled, “Queen of the Mountain!”

Silver lay still on the tile, his face stunned.

Gail stopped shouting and looked worriedly down at him. “Silver? Are you okay?”

Silver started whimpering, the sound small and pitiful. “Mom?” he whispered, “Mom…”

Kira flew to her feet and rushed over to her son. “Silver? Silver, I’m here,” she cried, “What did you hurt?”

Silver waited until Kira was standing over him. He gave her one last pathetic look…and leaped to his feet. He dashed between Kira’s legs and scrambled for the doggy door, yelling to Gail, “Go! Go!” Gail sprinted after him, and they both disappeared through the doggy door.

Kira turned, stunned.

Robin gaped at the swinging door, but the curiosity of pups pulled at her. Suddenly she was tired of being the obedient one. She stared at her mother, and then ran and hopped through the doggy door herself.

Kira’s blood began to boil. The little tricksters! They had tricked her into getting away from the door so they could escape! The little rats!

Kira focused on the anger rather than the fear building up inside of her. “Oh, you’re all going to get it when I catch you,” she fumed, “All of you.” Enraged, and at the same time afraid for her children’s lives, she leaped through the doggy door and tore after the tiny pawprints that pattered down the street and out of town. “I am going to kill those pups,” Kira muttered as she ran, “And then Dusty is going to killme.”

Kaila paced the cave restlessly. Lakota had taken Sage, Sarai, and Nilak to spy on the Northern Hills pack. Nilak had gone to form a battle plan by observing the pack, but also to get away from his wounded mother. Cheyenne had decided to stay behind when Kiowa had managed to sit up, and now mother and daughter were talking in soft tones.

Lakota had told Kaila that there was a chance of an attack in his absence, but that he knew she would be able to handle herself until he heard of the ambush and came back, which wouldn’t be long. And besides, it wasn’t safe for Kaila or any of her family to be anywhere near Steele.

Kaila had explained to him a little more thoroughly about who Steele was and tried to get him to reconsider, but Lakota had been adamant. Kaila had watched him and the others go, and now she was busy ignoring her father’s pointed glances and pained eyes.

Footsteps beside her made Kaila turn. Copper stood with his head cocked and a small smile on his face. “Hey.”

“Hi,” she said absently, still trying to ignore Balto’s pleading stares.

Copper’s smile grew, and his eyes were sympathetic. “Don’t worry about Dad. He just doesn’t want to lose you like he lost Aleu.”

Red-hot anger ripped through Kaila’s throat. “How many times do I have to tell him I’m not Aleu?” she cried.

Copper backed up a few paces. “Whoa. Don’t tell it to me, Kaila. Tell it to Dad. I think you should be able to…stay here.”

Kaila faced him. “What?”

Copper shrugged uncomfortably. “I mean, I’d like for you to come back with us, but it’s your choice. And here isn’t so far from Nome…and you really seem happy here.” He gently pawed at her foot. “You’re a member of the Anvil Creek pack. Don’t abandon your pack.”

“Your brother speaks with wisdom,” Aniu said, coming up behind them. Copper blushed.

Kaila turned to her. “Aniu, thanks for the input, but I’m just talking to Copper right now, you know?”

Aniu smiled, dipped her head, and padded over to tend to Kiowa.

Kaila turned back, shaking her head.

Copper remained quiet for a moment, and then resumed his speech. “Dad will get over it if you stay. I thought I would be on my stomach begging you to come back, but now I see how this life is so much better for you than the one you had in Nome.”

“Correction: I had no life in Nome,” Kaila said.

Copper shook his head. “You said that, not me.”

Kaila laughed a little and stared gratefully at her brother. “Thanks, Copper.” She looked over at Taya, who stood rigid at the cave entrance, her face fiercely blank. “What’s wrong with Taya?”

Copper uneasily scuffed one paw around in the dirt. “Um…she’s been out of it since Dusty came with the news that Steele was joining forces with the other pack. Her past with Steele hasn’t been what you would call ‘friendly’.”

“How is she mixed up with Steele?” Kaila asked.

Copper started chewing on his paw. It was an old habit that occurred whenever he became nervous or uncomfortable, and Kaila stared disapprovingly. Copper set down his paw and looked away, obviously wishing he were somewhere else.

“Copper,” Kaila said impatiently, “You’ve told me her name is Taya and that she’s your friend. How is she mixed up with Steele?”

Copper appeared to be fighting with himself. His eyes darted this way and that, and his paw scraped at the ground. Finally he gave a great, frustrated sigh and looked Kaila right in the eye. “She’s…she’s Steele’s daughter, okay?”

Kaila felt her jaw drop. She looked back and forth between Copper and Taya with wide eyes.

Copper shrugged and smiled weakly.

Kaila shook her head, harder and harder until her teeth were clenched. “Well, that’s great. That’s just great!” She stormed out of the cave and broke into a pounding run.

“Kaila!” she heard Copper calling, “Kaila, I’m sorry!”

“Kaila, get back here!” Balto barked.

‘Try and stop me,’ Kaila thought angrily, and smashed her paws down hard, again and again. She ran until she came to the very edge of the territory the Anvil Creek pack still had, and plonked down in the snow. Gasps like hot knives scraped up and down her throat, and she tried to calm her frustration. She knew being out here wasn’t the smartest thing, but she just had to get away! It felt like her family was suffocating her. Why couldn’t her father see she was happy to have a life for once? And now her family had brought all their problems along with them, hoping somehow she could solve them. What were they thinking?

Kaila looked around at her surroundings. She was poised at the foot of a hill, and on that hill a few trees sprang up here and there until they thickened farther back, transforming into a dense forest. A clump of trees grew directly in front of Kaila, and she saw one of the branches rustle ever so slightly.

The fur shot up along her neck. She backed away, peering into the depths of the evergreen boughs.

One golden eye shone out from within all the green, and Kaila gasped softly.

The eye blinked and vanished, and then a gray wolf slid out from the needled covering. Kaila eyed this stranger fearfully. He made no more moves, but stood quietly observing her. He was definitely a Northern Hills wolf; she had no knowledge of any other pack living this far north. He stood there, silent and still, until Kaila couldn’t stand the suspense anymore.

“Well?” she cried, “Are you going to kidnap me, beat me, what? Why are you just staring at me?”

“Don’t be afraid,” the wolf said slowly, “I won’t hurt you. I’m just curious as to why a wolf-dog would want to join a wolf pack, particularly one caught up in a war.”

“Maybe because I wanted to,” she snapped. She couldn’t tell if her heart had stopped beating or if it was pumping so fast she couldn’t feel the beats. Fear squeezed insults and snappish talk out of her; she wondered if the wolf would follow if she ran from him. “Is that a good enough answer for you? Or do I have to tell you about all the crap wolf-dogs have to put up with, and how we don’t belong anywhere? I’m just trying to find a place for myself, okay?”

The wolf seemed to consider something. “How long have you been with the Anvil Creek pack?”

“A couple days, when I came once before,” she said shortly.

“What’s your name?” the wolf asked.

“What is this, an interrogation?” Kaila cried.

“I’m just trying to be friendly,” the wolf said evenly.

Kaila scowled. “Kaila. Yours?”

“Silver Arrow.”

A sense of betrayal flew out of Kaila’s heart like lave flies out of a volcano. This was the wolf who had betrayed her pack, who had