Chapter 1

                Jenna shook her head and groggily stood up, her back ached from sleeping on the old wooden boards. She stretched for a few seconds and then slipped out of the warm boiler room. The sun sat on the horizon, itching to get higher in the sky. She closed her eyes and tilted her nose up, getting a good whiff of the morning air. She blinked a few times before jumping back into reality: she had to find Luke and join his pack. Grief overcame the small female and she groaned, angry with herself and her own desires. “Mom?” The voice made her jump and she spun around, hackles raised and her lip was pulled back into a growl.

               “Saba?” One of Jenna’s daughters stood behind her and she looked at her mother with fear. “I’m sorry dear, you frightened me.”

                “Oh ok, what are you doing up so early?” She asked, sitting to scratch her right ear.

                “I’m going for a walk with Dusty, and what are you doing up at this hour?” Jenna was actually mighty curious as to why Saba, the daughter who despised awaking early, was up at this ungodly hour.

                “A few friends and I were planning on going for a run.” Saba smiled up at her mom; her hazy big blue eyes shimmered in the morning light.

                “Well have fun,” She licked her daughter’s forehead and Saba gracefully turned and ran off towards the beach. Jenna allowed a few tears to escape, she knew this might be the last time she would see one of her most successful daughters. She was reminded of Aleu, her eldest pup, who had ventured off to find her true self and took on the responsibility of leading a pack. She remembered Balto returning without Aleu and the tears that had been welling up in his eyes, trying to stay strong for Jenna’s sake.

                Jenna blinked away the memories and looked off in the distance to find Dusty making her way outside. The delicate female swiftly ran over to Jenna, “Ready?”

                “Can’t I see my babies one more time?” She whined.

                “Jenna, it’s bad enough Saba saw you, but Kodi or Dakota will surely kill you. And Dingo I’m sure has been told what happened.”

                “Well what about Detani?”

                “She is two miles north of Nome and Aleu is out of the question.” Dusty said she nuzzled Jenna.

                “What about…” She allowed her voice to trail off, knowing that speaking to her mate will only make things harder.

                “Now can we please go?” Dusty pleaded, not wanting the rest of the town to awake before they left. Jenna nodded and she followed Dusty outside of the town, looking behind once more.

                “Goodbye Balto.” She muttered and raced off toward her new destiny.

Chapter 2

                Jenna’s paw pads were aching, and frozen by the time she reached the territorial boundary of Luke’s pack. She swung her head around facing Dusty, “So I guess this is goodbye?” She asked.

                “I will visit you with news about Nome, occasionally but here you will he happy.” Dusty smiled, lying through her teeth. There was no way she could come back to visit Jenna, she would get eaten alive by the wolves that lived here.

             “Thank you Dusty, for everything.” She nuzzled the gray female and pulled away.

                Dusty nodded, “Goodbye Jen.” She smiled widely and turned around, running in the opposite direction. When Dusty was clearly out of sight, Jenna felt her heart sink realizing she was alone. She sniffed the air, tilting her head back trying to get a scent of Luke. Only old scent markings stung her nostrils…and they weren’t his. Suddenly she heard a stick crack a few feet away and her ears shot straight up, and a shiver went up her spine. She felt a presence nearby and she jumped when a second stick cracked. BAM! She felt her whole body collide with the ground, and a loud yelp escaped from her throat.

                “Who do you think you are? Roaming around here?” A female was holding down the helpless husky, and she was a muscular wolf.

                “I-I’m looking for Lu-Luke.” She stuttered.

                The female spat in Jenna’s face, “Pssh, yeah you and the hundred other females that wander around here.”

                “What?” Jenna asked glancing up at the wolf.

                “He messes around with dogs all the time, and then never accepts the consequences, he just moves on.”

                “Where is he?” Jenna asked.

                “I’m not telling you.”

                "Where is he?” Jenna asked persistently, through clenched teeth.

                “Fine, I was just keeping you from getting your heart broken,” the female shrugged, “I will lead you to his den. I’m Mishka by the way.” She said stepping off Jenna.

                “Jenna.” The red husky mumbled.

                “Come on, follow me.” Mishka led the way towards a large den formed by silver smooth rocks that collided together. Light flooded into the cave and a black wolf with a gray underbelly lay curled up in a ball. “Luke…Luke. There’s someone here for you.”

                “Huh? What?” He lifted his head and groggily turned around, facing the females and his eyes grew wide, “Jenna?”

                “Yeah that would be me.” Jenna said meekly.

                “I’m going to go check on the hunting group that just left.” Mishka said and stepped out of the cave, leaving an awkward silence.

                “I uh…um.” Luke muttered he was at lost for words. He stared Jenna up and down, “Why are you here?”

                “Why do you think?” She said in snappy tone, “I’m pregnant with your pups, and I can’t have them back Nome.”

                He looked at her and her stomach in disgust before making his decision, “I give you permission to stay here till the pups are one year old,” He stood up, “then they leave along with you.” He grunted.

                “What? Why can’t I or they stay here where their father is?” She pleaded.

                “Because this is no place for a dog and her mutts.”

                “Our mutts.” She snarled.

                “Pssh, you honestly think that you are going to threaten a wolf like me?” He asked circling her, and Jenna knew that her situation was getting from bad to worse.

                “Didn’t you feel anything?” She asked.

                “I don’t love you,” He mumbled.

                “What?”

                “I don’t love you!” He shouted. The tears had already dripped off her cheeks and splattered at her paws, she closed her eyes tightly.