sister. “He didn’t say anything about hurting others; he just said for me to follow him.”

 

“Oh, you two are just being boys,” The beige she-pup reminded him. “Mama tells me that boys are usually the rougher siblings, just like my older brothers are, but that doesn’t mean that a girl is automatically weak and unable to fight back. Besides, your mom’s the Alpha of this Clan – that by itself takes a lot of guts!”

 

“That’s true,” Sunny acknowledged, but her light silver ears fell. “but I just don’t like fighting . . . Wolves are meant to fight, but I’m just too nice to hurt anyone, . . . even if it’s just a play-fight . . .” She sighed, lowering her head to her front legs. “I don’t like it when others get hurt, and it just makes me want to cry when I see it . . .Tram was right about me . . . I am weak and pathetic . . . I guess maybe . . .” She couldn’t help but to cry at the realization she felt inside, sniffling as she tried to continue. “Maybe I’m not cut out to be a real wolf after all . . . and to think it took him hurting me to finally realize it . . .”

 

As Little Jadze and Rife comforted their friend and relative, little did the three pups realize that a dark shadow was watching them from a distance, smirking and sneering at the young female’s solemn confession of weakness. In midst of that darkness, the young male knew what he had to do - he had been given his task by the one that spoke to him in the den, and he swore to act upon it.

 

I’ve already weakened her spirit, and now it’s time to finish her off . . . for good . . .

 

 

Chapter X

 

“That’s not true, Sunny!”

 

The gray’s silver ears pricked up at her friend’s comment. Both Rife and her were looking at the younger beige she-pup, who had a sense of pride in her tone.

 

“Yes, it is, Jadze,” Sunny’s ears fell again. “I mean, I know you mean well and you’re just trying to cheer me up, but I know my weakness. I would only disappoint all wolves everywhere by refusing to fight.”

 

“Everyone’s scared sometimes,” Little Jadze seemed to speak as if she were another being, one that was far more wiser than her many days thus far. “and it’s natural to be afraid.” She let out a short chuckle, but she quickly returned to her serious tone. “Even I was afraid when Rife pounced on me today, so you’re not the only one. However, you shouldn’t doubt yourself or your strength, Sunny. It’s true that you are kind-hearted and not one to fight, but there will come a time when you will have to gather up your courage and fight.”

 

“She’s right, Sis,” Rife defended his little niece. “I’m sure there’s not a single wolf born that’s not afraid at one point or another.” He kept his thoughts to himself, but he remembered how brave his father was when their mother had perished. Rife knew that Everest loved their mother very much, and to lose her was like losing a part of himself in the process – even the three of them couldn’t believe what had happened, but somehow their mother was returned to them, although in a different physical appearance. “Today, I was afraid for you, not knowing what Tram was thinking of us doing, as well as myself for assisting him in hurting your leg.” He quickly corrected himself, before any of the girls could do so. “I know I didn’t physically hurt you, Sunny, but I still felt guilty for taking part in such a terrible act to someone I care about.”

 

Yeah, unlike your other brother . . . Little Jadze thought to herself, lowering her eyebrows in anger at the very thought of the bright-red pup. She had never really liked him actually, but she accepted him nonetheless – Tram was her best friend’s older brother, as well as a close member of her own family . . . she had no choice but to be nice to him.

 

He’s not like the other males around here . . . or other pups his age, for that matter . . . Maybe that’s what Auntie Saba noticed when she sent him away as punishment . . . She concluded in her mind, but the little pup knew that it wasn’t her right to judge his actions as she did.

 

“It’s all right, Bro,” Sunny gave him a small grin and a quick lick of forgiveness on his cheek. “Your actions afterwards redeemed you, so I appreciate you being there . . . and you too, Jadze.” She grinned at the small thought-filled pup. “I’d probably wouldn’t be the same without you two with me.”

 

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” Little Jadze smiled, and quickly giggled playfully. “I betcha there’s something we can do together while your leg heals, right?”

 

Rife nodded. “I could always tell a story, one of the ones I could imagine about where we came from.”

 

“Oh?” The beige pup pricked her ears up in surprise. “And where would that be?”

 

“Didn’t you know?” Sunny reminded her friend and niece. “The three of us weren’t born out here; Mama says we were born in the town where she and your mom were born and raised . . . I think she said it was Nome . . .?”

 

“Nome?” Little Jadze was even more confused. “I’ve never heard of it before, but what’s so different about it that you haven’t been back there?”

 

The brother and sister lowered their ears, almost as if they were ashamed of what they were about to tell her. “Well, it’s just that . . . we can’t go back there anymore. Our parents are . . . well, they’re both siblings with your mom,” Rife told Jadze with a whimper.

 

Little Jadze didn’t understand anything about the relationship of their parents to her own mother – in the wild, the act of inbreeding was quite rare and sometimes frowned upon, but in towns where the law prevailed, it was strictly forbidden; however, her mother never told her anything about the fact that she was born outside of the wild, so the thought of learning this from her playmates was a bit of a surprise. Still, the youngest pup didn’t say a word as Rife continued to unravel their tale.

 

“I don’t know much of the details of why our parents chose to fall in love, but I guess it was meant to be. The other dogs in town ended up learning their secret and didn’t like the fact that they were together. The law made it official that they could never see each other again . . . but we were born and . . .” His voice trailed off, but the young female could figure the rest out.

 

“ . . . and not even them being apart could stop them from finding each other again, right?” She replied.

 

“That’s right,” Sunny smiled weakly at her friend. “Mama and Papa loved each other so much, and us as well, that they risked everything to take us away from Nome, because they couldn’t be seen together there anymore – I think Mom used the word ‘banished’ – but that’s when we were brought here because we had nowhere else left to go.” Sunny had left out the tale of her own ordeal with a smaller band of wolves, led by the vicious Stripe, who had kidnapped her from her father’s jaws and taken her to his cave. Frightened for her life, she never would have expected her mother and a couple of unknown wolves to save her, freeing her from the cavern prison hours later. Just that event made her shiver at the sheer memory of it, so she wished not to speak of it.

 

“The wolves had to vote on whether to accept us or not, but we were too young to understand all of those things back then,” Rife concluded. “but as you can clearly see, they agreed to us staying as permanent members of the Talbourne, as long as we all learned how to live like wolves, of course.” He was able to grin a little bit. “Mama and Papa told us this story only a few weeks ago, but I remember they mentioned that we should never dwell on events of the past. ‘We still have the future to look forward to,’ Papa said to us, and I believe him.”

 

The proud moment was interrupted by a sinister chuckle and a light pattering of applause. Rife, Sunny and Little Jadze gasped at the source of the sound, which was right behind them, standing proudly on a worn boulder that resembled a cliff.

 

“Bravo . . . bravo, little brother,” the masculine voice replied, smirking devilishly at them. “Such a wonderful speech . . . I’m sure Father would be proud to hear you say those words . . .” He chuckled again, almost sarcastically. “. . . ‘Look forward to the future,’ . . . ha! That’s a total laugh . . .”

 

Instinctively, Rife lowered himself to the ground and growled; this time, he had a real reason to be angered. “Tram . . . how dare you mock our father!” The younger brother had never felt such rage flow through his veins before, but he was willing to control himself. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but with this newfound sensation awakening, the dark red felt the urge to fight – for the first time in his life, Rife felt like he wanted to kill.

 

“Oh? So now you want to fight like a real wolf, little Rifey?” Tram laughed as he leapt down from his cliff to the ground of the top shelf, walking towards the defensive sight of his brother. His observations amused him, entranced him, especially since Rife’s eyes followed his every step. “Yes, look at you . . . you’re feeling the power now, aren’t you? That rush of heated emotions flooding all through your flesh, yes? That feeling, my brother, is the pride of the wolf! That’s what being wild is all about . . . defending your strength and doing away with the weak . . .” Again, he chuckled at the sight. Tram had never before seen his little brother like this, . . . and he rather liked it. “Well, what are you waiting for? Make the first move . . .” His bright red fur also bristled on his back as he lowered himself into an attacking position, awaiting Rife’s own attack. “. . . or are you still the one that has to be given the commands?”

 

Rife’s chin nearly brushed against the rocky

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