her tears. Rhys suddenly jumped in front of her.

'What?' Aniu asked, angrily.

'I said I'd be leaving. But... I didn't say that I'd have to go.' Rhys said, smirking.

'Wha..?' Aniu said.

'I could leave my team.' Rhys said.

'You mean... you'd leave them for me?' Aniu asked.

'I would. But only if you want. After all, it's hard hunting on your own.'

 

Rhys crept into the barn later. He saw his sister lying on a pile of hay in the corner. He padded up to her, softly.

'Coco!' he whispered, nudging her with his nose, 'Coco, wake up!'

'Wha?' Coco said, opening her eyes, blearily, 'Rhys?'

'Shh.' Rhys whispered, 'Coco, I'm going.'

'Going where?' Coco asked, waking up a bit more.

'With someone.' Rhys replied, licking her nose.

Coco's eyes opened properly as she found her tiredness seep away.

'What do you mean?' she asked.

'I'm going into the wold with a friend of mine.' Rhys said, 'And I'm not coming back.'

'But, Rhys-'

'Don't say anything.' Rhys said, 'I've made up my mind. You ahve your pups and the team. You know I'll always love you and think of you.'

'But... I'll never see you again.' Coco whispered.

'No.' Rhys said, 'But as long as you remember me, I'll always stay with you.'

Coco looked at him sadly and licked his muzzle. Rhys smiled at her and licked the pups, who whimpered softly before continuing their suckling.

'Goodbye.' he said, 'Remember me.'

With that he padded back to the door and slipped out, taking one last look at his sister and team mates before running off into the trees.

 

'Did you say goodbye?' Aniu asked.

Rhys nodded.

'Let's go.' he said.

The two of them travelled silently until they reached Aniu's pack's border.

'I'd better go ahead.' she said, 'Explain everything to them. They might be a bit...'

'I see.' Rhys said, 'Don't worry.'

Aniu nodded and ran forwards into her territory. She finally made it to the pack camp.

'Again!' snapped Rora, 'You've been out again!'

'Yes.' Aniu replied, 'i have. And I apologise.'

Rora stuck her nose up as her mate appeared.

'This is getting intolerable, Aniu.' he growled.

'Yes, Aiden.' Aniu replied, 'But it won't happen again.'

'And how can you be sure of that?' Aiden asked.

'Because... because... I've brought a friend back with me.' she said.

'A friend?' Aiden replied, looking over to his mate.

'Yes. But you have to listen to what I have to say before you jump to conclusions.' Aniu said.

Aiden frowned and frowled slightly but nodded at her to continue.

'My friend, the one I've brought to you, he isn't a wolf.'

'Wha-'

'He's a dog from a team that lives near here. I met him a while ago. We've become friends. He was going to leave, but he told me he'd stay. He's a good hunter. He said he'd help me-'

'ENOUGH!' yelled Aiden.

Achak stood by his side, glaring down at his daughter.

'A dog?!' he spat, 'You're disgracful. You shouldn't have been allowed to stay in this pack.'

'How dare you think this tolerable!' Aiden snapped.

'You're just an ungrateful child. We don't want anything to do with you.' Achak snapped.

'So.' a voice said, making them all turn, 'Just because she thinks for herself, chooses her own path and decisions means that she's wrong?'

'Rhys!' Aniu cried, 'Rhys, I'm sorry! Go home!'

Rhys ignored her and stepped up to Aiden, Achak and Rora.

'Why father pups if all you do is scold them and run from them when they make mistakes?' Rhys asked, facing Achak, 'Do you think that is good parenting?'

Achak's nose wrinkled.

'And is it right for you to take control of her life?' Rhys asked Aiden and Rora, 'Monitor her? I didn't realise you were so special.'

'Listen here, you have no place in this pack! You haven't a right to question my leadership!' Aiden snapped.

'Maybe not.' Rhys said, 'But I have to tell you soemthing. No matter how many mistakes Aniu makes, I will always love her.'

Aniu gasped, eyes wide, staring at him.

'What?!' she cried.

Rhys smiled at her.

'You-! And her?!' Aiden and Achak choked out.

Aiden looked away.

'Do what you want.' he spat, 'But expect to be treated as prisoners and outcasts while you live int his pack.'

Rhys bowed his head and led Aniu away.

'Rhys!' Aniu cried as they walked off.

'Hm?' he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

'You were kidding, right?1' Aniu cried, 'About what you said!'

'No. I wasn't.' Rhys replied, 'What I said was true. Since that day we met, when you cried and admitted loneliness, I've felt strongly for you. I fell in love with you because you were able to admit what you were feeling. That was very brave in my opinion.'

'But... I'm nobody.' Aniu said, 'I don't deserve any of this.'

'Yes you do.' Rhys said, 'As much as anyone else. You were strong. You deserve it more than anyone else.'

Aniu felt tears fall down her furry cheeks and she sobbed. Rhys walked up to her and let her cry into his fur.

 

Months went by and Rhys watched his former team leave. He made no attempt to go back or change his mind.

'Rhys?' Aniu said, walking up behind him.

'I'm coming.' he replied.

He followed her back to the pack where they were greeted by Achak.

'Aiden wants you two to follow me on hunting futy today.' he said, 'He knows of your potential.'

Aniu beamed and Rhys just nodded. They started walking towards the group that was departing.

'Aiden said he'd treat us the way he'd treat prisoners,' Aniu said, 'But he's treated us like full pack members for the past few weeks.'

'Maybe you decided against it.' Rhys said.

'Maybe.'

Aniu smiled and they followe dbehind the rest of the hunters. Soon, the lead hunter stopped and motioned for silence with a flick of his tail. They all got into crouching positions and spilt up around a clearing. Grazing in the clearing was a herd of deer. They were mostly quite small but the wolves had gotten used to the small amounts of food they got every hunt.

Rhys stayed low to the ground on one side, watching for the signal. The lead's tail flicked up and the wolves (or dog in Rhy's case) charged out and towards the herd. They gave chase but a grey wolf jumped up and landed on a deer's back, biting down on it's neck. It stopped, rearing and bucking. The other wolves darted out, some snapping at it's hooves and making quick dodges as it struggled. Others leapt up at it, biting into the wound the first wolf made.

'This is my chance.' Aniu hissed to herself.

She leapt forwards and jumped into the air towards the stag. She landed perfectly on it's back and clamped her jaws around it's neck, holding her sharp teeth into it's neck. The stag struggled even more and trashed about. It got harder to hold onto, but Aniu seemed to tighten her grip every moment.

Soon enough, another wolf bit one of it's back legs and a young female bit it's opposite front leg. They managed to pull it down and finish with a final blow.

Aniu released her jaws, stretching them due to the ache. She smiled at her pack members, who smiled back and nodded to her.

'Good job.' Rhys said, coming up to her side.

He had blood around his muzzle, staining the fur red. Aniu smirked and licked it clean, leaving only small marks. Rhys raised an eyebrow at her before going to help the rest of the pack with the kill.

 

Weeks went by again. The snow started to melt and become spring. The wolves heads were full of images of sunshine, sweet smells and puppies. All wolves loved puppies. It was like a special instinct.

Rhys smiled at the thought of puppies in the pack. Rora and Aiden must surely be expecting soon enough. Especially since there seemed to be more romantic activity happening between them.

He wandered away from the pack. He hadn't seen Aniu since that morning and evening was drawing in. He suddenly smelt her scent, strong and sweet. He chased after it, much like the first day they'd met. But what he found wasn't an angry young wolf who felt out of place in the world. He, instead, found a young wolf, cheek fur damp with tears, golden eyes burning with sadness and pain.

'Aniu!' Rhys cried, running to her side, 'What's wrong?'

'Oh, Rhys!' Aniu cried, butting her head into his side, 'Rhys!'

The tan dog nuzzled her neck fur and licked her ear.

'What is it, Aniu?' he asked.

'Puppies!' she cried, her voice muffled.

'What about puppies?' Rhys asked, not getting what was so upsetting.

She shook her head into his fur, sobbing harder. Rhys started to thinl. What about puppies could make her so upset? He started to get a headache from thinking. He'd never experienced that before. He was always the one who caught on quick...

Wait!

'Aniu.' he said, stepping back slightly so she'd look at him, 'Are you trying to tell me something?'

Aniu looked up at him, her golden eyes burning into him. She looked away but her eyes seemed to be drawn back to Rhys'.

'Yes.' she sniffed, 'i am.'

'Then tell me.' Rhys said, softly, 'Tell me what it is.'

'We'll be in so much trouble.' Aniu said, 'Much more than before. We could be kicked out.'

Rhys looked at her, waiting patiently.

'You're expecting puppies.' he said for her.

Aniu's eyes teared up again.

'I'm sos sorry.' she cried.

Rhys shook her head, sighing. His ears flicked around, checking for approaching wolves. Nothing. He quickly took a whiff of the air, just to be certain. Again, nothing.

'Aniu!' he said, sternly.

Her head faced up towards him, eyes wide with confusion.

'We will have the pups. I will talk to your father and Aiden and Rora.' he said, 'I won't let them kick us out. They wouldn't for a pregnant wolf. I doubt it highly.'

'But... what if... maybe...' Aniu struggled.

'No!' Rhys snapped, 'No, Aniu!'

Aniu just nodded in understanding.

'OK, Rhys.' she sighed, 'OK.'

 

Aniu's pregnancy was told to the alpha's and Achak. They were furious first but Achak soon softened. His own grandpups. He couldn't let Aiden and Rora get rid of them like that. He and Rhys persuaded Aiden to keep Aniu. He finally agreed.

'But there's one small thing that you must promise me.' he said to Rhys.

'What is

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