stealing a kiss from me once and, well…” she rolled her eyes to the side.  “Let’s just say that for a while one of his eyes was even blacker than normal.”

I was stunned.  “You gave him a black eye?”  I had never harbored any delusions about Aniu being helpless, but personally I found it easier to picture a rabbit getting into a fight.

“It was nothing next to what Papa did when he found out.  That was the last time Kava ever tried to steal a kiss from me.”

I nodded.  “Well, I’m glad I was able to help, even if you weren’t in any real danger.”

“Yeah,” she said with a smile.  “So am I.  Thanks.”

I felt myself grinning like an idiot.  That wolf had a smile that could melt a glacier.  “Anytime,” I beamed.  “Care for an escort back to the cave?”

She smiled.  “Sure.”  We walked in silence most of the way back.  The only further conversation was when Aniu said, “I owe you one, Kodan.”

I shrugged.  “Hey, you saved my life.  I just got Kava off your case for a while.  If anything, I still owe you.”

That night I couldn’t sleep, thinking about the day’s events.  I had seen cases where someone was picking on the underdog (pardon the expression) in the past, but my interventions tended to be rather meek.  So why had I reacted so strongly when Kava was bothering Aniu?  Had I gotten tougher from living like a wolf?  Was it Kava’s pride that set me off?  Or… I considered.  Maybe it wasn’t that he was picking on someone, but who he was picking on.  ‘Nah,’ I thought.  ‘No way.  We’re-’ I stopped at the deadly word “we.”  ‘I’m not like that.’

I got up.  Maybe some fresh air would clear my head.  I went to the entrance of the cave, but stopped when I heard voices outside.  Peering out, I saw Kava talking with another wolf who was also black, but bigger and more muscular.  I noticed that the other wolf had a scar curving around his left eye.

“I don’t know how much more dawdling I can take,” Kava was saying.  “I say we should just storm them.  Our pack is stronger than theirs.”

“No,” snapped the other wolf.  “We will stick with the plan.  You must gain control of the Bear Rock pack.  Then, when you inherit command of the Black Claw pack, all the lands of the Bear Rock pack will be ours.”

“But why wait?” protested Kava.  “Why not simply declare war now?  We have the greater numbers, so how could we lose?”

“Kava!” the other wolf all but shouted.  “I trust there is no need to remind you that you will only inherit my rank if I decree it.  If you cannot learn to fight and conquer by more than mere brute force, you will never be my heir.  Am I clear?”

Kava bowed his head.  “Yes, father.”

“Good.  Now, what of your efforts with Sequoia’s daughter?”

My eyes widened.  ‘Aniu?’

Part 5: Aniu 

“Aniu, wake up.”

I opened my eyes to see Papa and Kodan staring at me.  “What…?” I started to ask, but as quick as a flash Kodan’s paw was over my muzzle.  I was surprised at first, but the look in his and Papa’s eyes told me how urgent this was.  Kodan gestured that we should go outside, and I nodded.  Together we left the cave.

Once we were a good distance away, Papa turned to me.  “Kodan has told me something very important.  Our pack is in grave danger.  Especially you.”

I looked back and forth between him and Kodan, confused.  “What danger?” I asked.

“Well,” Kodan explained, “I wasn’t able to get to sleep, so I decided to get some fresh air and clear my mind.  But I heard Kava talking to another wolf.  They were discussing plans to take over the Bear Rock pack.”

“What?” I asked in disbelief.

“It seems,” Papa clarified, “that Kava was not as alone when he came to us as he claimed.  He is the son of Scar, of the Black Claw pack.  He infiltrated our pack and has been secretly gaining support.  His plan, or rather his father’s plan, is to ultimately gain control of our pack.”

I was stunned.  Taking over the pack?  Any part in such a plot seemed beyond Kava’s mentality.  “But you said that I was in especially great danger.  Why me?”

“Kava hopes to win you so as to make his infiltration easier,” Papa explained.

“Well, that part won’t work too well,” I said.  “I’d sooner die than be his mate.”

Kodan looked me firmly in the eye.  “Based on what they said, I suspect you’ll have to eat those words.”

I gasped.  “What are we going to do?”

I could see in Papa’s eyes that his mind was racing.  “They don’t know that we know.  We must be wary and warn those who are still loyal to us.  Meanwhile, Kava is to be watched.”

“Why don’t we just get rid of the skunk now?” Kodan suggested.  “We throw him out, he loses his support, end of story.”

Papa shook his head.  “We might solve the problem of Kava that way, but not Scar.  Once he sets his eyes on a prize, he does not give up until he has achieved it.  If they lose their spy, they will attack us outright.  And we are not numerous enough to withstand a direct assault.”

“So what’s the plan?” I asked.

Papa looked at Kodan.  “You said that Scar wants to avoid open war if possible, right?”  Kodan nodded.  “Good.  Then here is what we’ll do.  Kava has no idea that we know what he’s up to.  We can use that against him by seeing to it that he learns nothing useful and perhaps by giving him some false information as well.  We will send messengers to the neighboring packs and ask for their help.”  He paused, and I could tell the next part was difficult for him to say.  “And Aniu, I know the idea is an awful one, but let Kava think you are weakening.  Be as tolerant as you can without promising anything, and hopefully the diversion will allow us to work more freely.”

I grimaced at the thought of actually pretending to like Kava, but I agreed for the sake of the pack.

“I’ve got an idea,” Kodan suggested.  “When you send the messengers, make sure he knows they’re gone.”

Papa and I looked at Kodan in surprise.  “Have you completely lost your mind?” I asked.

“Not at all.  I never said he would know where they were going.  If wolves start disappearing for no reason, he’ll assume that they’re deserting.  He’ll relay that to Scar, and they’ll expect to have an extra edge in numbers when we challenge them.  And if we can gain the support of the neighboring packs…”

Papa beamed his approval.  “Excellent!  That’s just what we’ll do.  Now then, is everyone agreed?”

Kodan and I nodded.  “Let’s do it,” I said, although I was still not happy about my part in the plan.

Kodan seemed to sense my discomfort.  “Hey, don’t worry,” he said reassuringly.  “I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t try anything.”

Over the next few days, word spread secretly through the pack, passing only amongst those we knew we could trust.  Papa sent out Khoros, my sister Tamar, and the beta wolf Taro to ask the other packs for help.  We sent them in particular for two reasons: one, they were closest to us and we knew they could be trusted, and two, we knew that the closer the “deserters” were to us, the more confident Kava would become.

As for me, I played my part with great reluctance.  Any time the pack ate, I ate next to Kava.  Any time he asked me to go with him to Hokani Falls or any other place, I agreed.  Everything beyond that I turned away, masking my disgust by feigning bashfulness.  I had to do that more times than I wish to recall.  The only thing that gave me the patience to keep going was the fact that Kodan reassured me every day that I was performing admirably.  I noticed that he tended to twitch when he said this, as if it somehow bothered him.

After about three days, the messengers returned by night to tell us that the White River pack and the Red Sun pack had agreed to help us.  Papa sent Taro and Khoros back out again to ask their leaders to meet us for a secret council of war.  He instructed Tamar to hide nearby in one of the emergency dens until it was time.

A few weeks after Kodan had warned us, Papa decided that all was ready.  “Tonight,” he told us, “We will trap Kava and give Scar our message.”

That night, as he did every week, Kava met with Scar.  “The deserters still have not come back,” he reported happily.  “And Aniu is treating me like a prince.  I am sure any day now she will announce her devotion to me.”

“Excellent,” said Scar.  “Do you know what has brought about the change?”

“No, but what does it matter?  Soon the Bear Rock pack will be ours.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” growled Kodan, stepping out of the shadows.  “The game is up, Kava.  You lose.”

Scar whirled around, looking startled at first, then distasteful.  “I assume this is the dog you mentioned?”  he asked, turning to Kava.

Kava snarled.  “He certainly is.”

Scar shrugged.  “Well, you know how to deal with a breach of security, don’t you?”

Kava bunched his muscles.  “With pleasure,” he growled.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said Papa, stepping into the moonlight.  “You have broken the trust between our packs, Scar.  I assume you realize this means war.”

“Ha!” laughed Scar.  “Not if I kill you now.  Then your pack will belong to me.”

My fur rose up in anger as I watched from hiding, but Papa remained perfectly calm.  “It would be a sad error of judgement to think you have the advantage right now.”

“The sides are equally numbered here,” spat Scar, “And even the pups