opened in shock. My father walked back up the hill, and nuzzled his own mate.

            It had now been a month since I became alpha. Balto and Buck were each five months old and everything was as it should be. I wasn’t even that bad of a leader. It was just like being in charge of sled team… just with bigger and more dogs…

Winter had started to set in. Balto and Buck pounced and attacked the snowflakes that floated down and started to cover the ground. This was their first snow and they loved it just as much as their father did! I watched happily and Aniu joined me.

            “You’ve come a long way” she smiled. “It seemed like only yesterday a sled dog named Tundra arrived and couldn’t even catch a rabbit if his life depended on it”

She leaned her head on my shoulder and I licked her nose.

                        “Hey lovebirds”

I looked up to see Ataneq approaching, Sage not far behind.

                        “We should probably head back home before winter kicks in”

I nodded, eager to soak up any advice the experienced wolf had to offer.

            “I know the way back” Aniu offered.

“Then we’ll leave tomorrow morning”

            The snow continued through the night and into the morning. It blocked out my vision but it also covered up our tracks. We passed through other territories without any trouble and moved faster when we started to get close to the town. The snow started to let up and I was just starting to think this was a good trip when I got a feeling… Ataneq must have noticed it too. Everything was dead silent. No birds chirped. No squirrels chattered. Even the pack was quiet. Then: BANG!

The sound of the gunshot crashed and echoed, sending the pack into a panic.

“Go into the woods!” I thundered.

I waited until my family ran past, then brought up the rear. Suddenly, another gunshot rang out and Buck tumbled with a small cry. I skit to a stop and watched in horror as a dark figure moved toward my oldest son who was trying to run with a back leg held above then ground. I started to run to Buck but a white flash beat me.

 “Aniu! No! Go back!”

As fast as I could run, motherly instinct made Aniu faster.

“Aniu! Please no!” I yelled desperately.

Everything moved in slow motion. Aniu reached Buck and shoved him forward. The human raised his gun, took aim and pulled the trigger. They started to run and for a moment it looked like they were going to be okay. With another bang, Aniu crumpled to the ground.

“No! Aniu!”

Buck stopped and looked back. Aniu started to get up, but pain clouded her usually vivid eyes. My voice trembled when I spoke.

“Take Buck back to the pack now. I’ll hold them off”

            “If you stay behind… they’d kill you for sure”

I looked away and didn’t respond. The human was coming back.

“Go now!” I thundered, shoving Aniu aggressively.

Aniu glared at me angrily, eyes brimming with tears of hurt and anger that I’d do something like that.

“Go!” I repeated, growling fiercely.

Aniu picked herself up and clumsily ambled to the woods with Buck limping at her side. She had to be hurt really bad. The hunter ignored me, and aimed at Aniu again.

Over my dead body I thought. I hurled myself at the human, trying to wrench the gun out of his grasp despite the bitter taste of the black powder coating it. I heard the click of another gun behind me and I knew it was all over…

            I wasn’t going to last much longer. I escorted Buck back to the pack and whirled around. I heard my father, mother and Buck cry for me to come back but living without Tundra wasn’t an option. Everything was quiet. Then a solitary gunshot sounded out, ringing through my ears and tearing my heart. I knew I was too late even before I found Tundra in the diminishing flakes. If you didn’t see his back, it would have looked like he was sleeping. I got on my stomach and crawled as close as I could to Tundra.

“Tundra? Tundra? Please wake up! Please…”

I nestled next to him. He was still warm.

“Don’t die…” I whispered, even though I knew he was gone.

“Remember when we first met?” I said, licking his face. “I thought you hated me… but then your rope broke… we had pups… you were the best leader ever”

Breathing was getting really hard now. But I still kept on talking, not letting myself believe he was never going to answer ever again. If only I could hear his voice one more time…

“We still need you…” I wheezed. “I’ll always love you”

I rested my heavy head on Tundra’s, and burrowed into his fur. He couldn’t live with me gone and neither could I.

“I’ll see you soon…” I said, inhaling his once sweet scent one last time…

 Tundra, Buck, Ataneq and Tally (c) me

Aniu and Balto (c) Universal

Boss (c) Tadie