alpha was bigger than Dan, probably slightly bigger than Steele. That should make him less agile, but this would still be a tough fight. The other three wolves stood away, giving Ohanzee and Dan room to fight. They kept walking slowly in circles, waiting for the other to attack.

Ohanzee finally lunged with his claws and teeth bared. Dan dodged by throwing himself aside. The black wolf landed, recovered from the failed attack and prepared to jump on the hybrid’s direction, but Dan attacked first, and striked the black wolf with his head, though not wanting to cause a real damage, causing him to roll away. Ohanzee rose again, and lunged too fast for Dan to dodge. The hybrid felt the wolf’s teeth holding his throat strongly, preventing him to breath. Fighting to ignore the pain, Dan fought with his paws to escape from Ohanzee’s grip, but it was useless. The alpha’s strength was impressing. Every time he exhaled, his grip would get tighter. He then felt the wolf’s fang piercing his skin, drawing blood, painfully. Suddenly, Dan felt a fury inside himself, a fury he never knew before. The wolf inside him had been awakened. Ohanzee looked to have noticed that. The furious hybrid clawed quickly the black wolf’s neck with all his strength. Ohanzee cried out in pain, releasing Dan from his jaws, and being thrown away when the hybrid hit him with his rear paws. Dan stood where he was, snarling, looking at his enemy, still in that blind fury. Ohanzee stared at his opponent, startled. He didn’t expect to fight such kind of enemy. Dan lunged at him, but Ohanzee dodged and the hybrid missed. The black wolf took advantage from that and striked him with his front paws. Dan was knocked away. The hybrid’s fury had passed, and he could think clearly again. He was ready to rise, even with his throat hurting, but he got scared when he saw Ohanzee leaping on his direction, and there was no time to dodge. So, he improvised. He turned his stomach up, and with his rear paws, he hit Ohanzee before he could land, impaling him to go further in his flight. The black wolf lost his breath and crashed right into a tree in his trajectory. Dan rolled away and rose, waiting for Ohanzee to attack again. The black wolf rose slowly. He turned his face at Dan. His expression was of pure hate, but then, it got softer, and he gave a boastful laughter.

- You can't win, Wolf-dog. Look at you, you're beaten. – the wolf said, determined to find Dan’s weaknesses . - You're not a dog, and you're not a wolf. You’re just an aberration of nature.

Dan snarled harder, and assumed a more elated position. He stepped forward, firmly.

- Whatever I am, I still have my honor. And I won’t allow you to keep oppressing your pack or anyone else! – the hybrid stated, lordly. - Specially because of their heritage.

He then lunged quickly and tackled Ohanzee to the ground, holding him on it with his paws. Ohanzee fought to escape from Dan's grip, but he didn't let go. The hybrid's wolf inside was back. Dan looked furious at Ohanzee's eyes, trying to impose his will against his. It was working. Ohanzee was afraid.

- You're not fighting an old wolf, or a wounded one. Don’t you ever touch Nava again, or else I won’t hold back next time. - he pushed the black wolf away, and snarled threateningly.

Ohanzee rose and threw Dan a threatening look. Though, he just called his three minions to help him stand, and walked away with their help, not before giving some last words.

- You'll pay for this, wolf-dog. Mark my words. – the wolf threatened, with a furious expression. - You'll suffer just like the old wolf, and your little girlfriend won't escape from this fate. You'll regret the day you stood in my way.

Dan snarled more furiously and made a small charge at them, scaring them away. Once they were gone, he ran towards Nava’s laid form and a relieved Luna. The sun had settled, though Dan hadn’t noticed in the heat of the fight. The hybrid sat down beside the wolf, concerned, with no idea of how to help him. Nava was terribly hurt. There were many wounds caused by claw strikes and bites. Some of his bones were visibly broken. Nava lifted his eyes slowly to look at Dan.

- You were very brave there. – the wise wolf said, throaty, with his voice low. - You would be an excellent alpha in a pack. But… the brave often pay a high price for their courage. Be careful with that wolf. He will… never stop until he gets you.

- You'll be okay. – Dan assured, though not knowing how that would happen. – We need to take you to a vet.

- No, I won't. – Nava denied. - My strength lies within my spirit, but my body is old and weak now… Now I'm going to join the great spirits.

That couldn’t be happening.

- I can't let you die! – Dan exclaimed.

- There is nothing you can do. – he said, calmly. – My time has come.

Dan and Luna lowered their heads in sorrow. Nava's eyes closed slowly, and with some moments, Dan could hear him giving his last breath. Nava was gone. It started to snow. Dan threw a sad howl, in honor of Nava, the brave wolf who never gave up, and had died defending what he believed.

~~~

         Dan was sat at the frozen beach four days later, with Luna beside him. A vet had put a bandage on the wound Ohanzee had made on his neck.

- That Ohanzee is sick… How can he hate that she-wolf so much just because she had pups with a dog? – the female said, impressed by the hate the black wolf had shown some days ago.

- That’s called intolerance. – Dan replied, sad. – The source of most of the thousands of problems humans create for themselves.

He was right. Now the humans’ greed and discrimination was affecting the animals as well. Then again, evil is not exclusively a human trait. If any being could think, ratiocinate and react, they would be prone to some kind of corruption. If dogs and wolves could do all that, contradicting his former idea that they were irrational, they could be as evil as humans could.

- Let's walk a little. We've been here for too long. – Luna invited, getting up and walking to the exit board, urging Dan to follow her.

Dan grumbled lowly, but got up, following Luna outside the boat. They headed to the cliff where Luna had taken Dan before, through the woods, and later the tunnel. At the top of the rocky wall, they sat and admired the land below. Dan gave a look at Luna’s paws. They were a bit different from a normal husky’s, as he had noticed before when they first met. In a good way, but that was a bit suspicious.

- Luna, do you have any wolf heritage? – he asked, curious.

The husky looked at him. She wasn’t offended, but the question had caught her off-guard.

- Well… - she started. – I don’t know. I mean, I’ve heard rumors when I lived in Nenana that my grandfather was a