Holly nodded and the chosen wolves followed her around the clearing until they were directly behind the trespassers.  Thunder crouched and waited.  With a cry of anger, Lightning and his segment barreled down the narrow trail into the valley at breakneck speed.  Smoke’s head popped up and he growled with pleasure that quickly turned to pain as Storm leapt on him with a fierce cry.

 

 

 

With that, a furious battle ensued.  Holly nipped at a few wolves.  Those few leapt out of the cover of the brush and into the trees and the others followed, straight into the rest of the Forest Pack.  The surprise attack was costly to the intruders, but the Stone Pack was larger than the Forest Pack, and they soon recovered the advantage.  Two of the most furious fights were between the Alphas and the Betas.  A vicious wolf named Burn was the beta of the Stone Pack.  He and Gale were locked tight in a life or death struggle, as were Lightning and Smoke. 

 

 

 

Both Alphas were lean and wiry, with teeth sharper than shards of crystal and thorny claws.  Their jaws could break bones easier than toothpicks, and they were strong enough to rip a leg off a moose.  Lightning’s clear tawny, gold eyes focused on the brown flecked ones of his opponent.  They circled, waiting for an opening, waiting for the other to let their guard down the slightest bit, and their eyes never left the other.  Smoke snarled to Lightning, “Flee, Lightning, flee, or I will rip you and your little pathetic Pack to pieces!”

 

 

 

“Never!  This territory is mine and as long as I’m Alpha, no one will take what is rightly ours!”  Lightning’s reply was full of unchecked rage and venom. 

 

 

 

“Huh!  I fully intend on having this valley to support my Pack.  I didn’t come all the way from my territory just to leave.  I came for more of it.  We have far more wolves than you and we need this territory or my pups will starve!” As Lightning paused, Smoke leapt and the battle began in earnest.

 

 

 

Thunder’s world had dissolved into mass chaos.  He heard nothing but growls and snarls; he saw nothing but sharp white teeth and malevolent staring eyes through a growing red mist.  Although he knew he needed rest, a part of him thirsted for battle and reveled in submission from enemies.  Only one thing could break through this strange urging: concern for his family.  Thunder shook off his opponent and frantically searched the heaving churning battleground for his sister.   Her small black form was fighting side-by-side with a furious Moon.  He did a mental check list of his intermediate family.  Rain could be seen battling not far from his mother.  Gale and Lightning were locked in their separate struggles.   Storm had formed an alliance with another Pack member and was plowing his way to Lightning’s side to hold off any Stone Pack members who would try to attack Lightning and give their Alpha the advantage.  Satisfied, Thunder gave in to the urge for blood and plunged back into the chaotic battling Packs below.   

 

 

 

Rain had never been so exhilarated in all his short life.  Flowing through his blood was the genetic ferocity and love of battle known to infect certain wolves, especially the Stone and Forest Pack males, called the Blood Crave.  Watching Thunder, and remembering the tales of the Blood Crave, Rain came to the conclusion that both he and Thunder had a mild case, not really that bad.  Something hit his side and scored claws down it.  Whirling around and abandoning his wonderings, he savagely bit and slashed at the scrawny wolf that faced him.  The skinny canine lashed out and caught Rain a stinging blow to the snout.  Undeterred, Rain returned the blow and in the same movement, leapt, did a flip in mid air, and landed so that he was facing his enemy’s back side.  Before the Stone Pack wolf could react, Rain pushed himself into the air and landed on the wolf’s back.  In a panic, the wolf rolled over, crushing Rain.  Glad for the opportunity to use his favorite move, Rain settled his back firmly on the ground and shot all four legs straight up like pistons, then calmly got to his feet as the Stone Pack wolf went flying and landed in a still heap a few yards away.  Suddenly, the flow of savage joy that his triumph had sent careening through his veins was cut off abruptly as Rain spotted his mother being struck down by a huge brown wolf.  No other Forest Pack member was available to come to Holly’s defense.  Holly’s pitiful whine and the sight of the enormous wolf raising his paw for the final blow sent a tidal wave of fury that coursed through Rain and threw his body into action.  His furious cry of “Stay off her, you scum!” rang sharply through the air as Rain launched himself into the brown wolf’s side.   

 

 

 

Storm was beginning to grow bored.  At first, the battle had been viciously exciting, but now just guarding Lightning’s back wasn’t all that great.  Simply snapping at the occasional offender was getting old, especially since the Alphas’ fight was reaching such a height in savagery that approaching them to help either side would almost be suicidal.  Luckily his ally spotted his fidgeting before he abandoned his post.  The wolf signaled a female from Holly’s side to take Storm’s post, leaving him free to go and fight.  Giving her a grateful nod, Storm ran to where Thunder was trying to battle two Stone Pack wolves at once.  Swiftly snatching a hold on one of the wolves’ tail, Storm began to shake his head violently, as if he was playing tug of war.  That got his attention, the flea ridden cur, thought Storm as his action was rewarded by a yelp from his victim.  Now only battling one enemy, Thunder quickly dispatched of his opponent.  By now, Storm’s wolf had figured out that it was a wolf that was biting him, and he turned around to menace Storm with bared teeth.  Thunder took hold of the Stone Pack wolf’s scruff and bit down hard.  As the enemy turned to face Thunder, Storm released his hold on the tail and brought his paw down on the wolf’s head, knocking him out cold.  The two brothers turned as one when they heard Rain’s bloodcurdling howl.  They saw Rain leap on the huge wolf.  Even as they charged to help Rain, both Storm and Thunder knew that they were to far away to help Rain.  Rain hit the brown wolf and immediately began to tear at its side.  Snorting contemptuously, the wolf left off attacking Holly and snatched hold of Rain by the scruff.  With a ferocious heave, the Stone Pack wolf threw Rain against the trunk of a nearby tree.  Rain’s head hit the tree with a sickening thump, and Storm felt his heart break at the sight of his dappled brother stretched out on the ground, blood slowly pooling beneath his head.     

 

 

 

Unlike her brothers, Star was not enjoying herself.  Wolf blood made her stomach churn, and her head was spinning from a blow from a snarling Stone Pack youth about her age.  Using her size to her advantage, Star ducked and weaved as the frustrated female rained blow after blow in an attempt to bring down her dodgy opponent.   Finally, Star found an opening.  Darting in, Star brought her forepaw crashing down, claws extended, on her opponent’s head.  As the gray female toppled to the ground, Star heard Rain’ s cry as he leapt on the brown wolf, and, like Thunder and Storm, started urgently toward him.  The sound of Rain’s skull as it connected with the tree and the sight of her brother’s broken body caused Star to freeze in her tracks and a pressure to build up in her lungs and her throat to the point where she had to look away.  Suddenly, Star’s head snapped up.  I’ve got help Mom!  That wolf might go for her next. Star immediately set out for her mother’s still form and nearly collided with her two remaining brothers.  Looking from raging face to the other, Star saw in their eyes what they planned to do.  They planned to kill.  Her own sparkling blue eyes became as hard as flint.  She would join them.  

 

 

 

“For Rain…” Star’s whisper trailed off.  Thunder glanced at Storm, and then nodded.

 

 

 

“For Rain.”  Thunder’s voice had an undercurrent of sadness, but was as solid and firm as the Fire Mountain.  As one, the three wolves turned and raced toward the large figure of the brown wolf.

 

 

 

Holly was fading.  Fingers of silvery mist were beginning to obscure her failing sight.  The brown wolf’s muddy figure slipped in and out of focus as Holly’s wounds continued to pour forth her life-blood.  He had returned to finish Holly off after attacking Rain and had backed Holly against a tree not far from Rain’s dappled form. 

 

 

 

With a snarl the wolf leapt at Holly and collided in mid-air with Storm and Thunder.

 

 

 

“You moose-brained piece of dog-scrap,” Storm yelled at the top of his lungs and using the worst insult he could think of, ‘dog-scrap.’  “Get off of my mother!”  Meanwhile, Holly’s vision began to swim and faint wolves the color of the sky started to gain dimensions and crowd around her.  One figure

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