my mate, or I'll kill you!" Max threatened.

The brown female took a step back. "Sorry, I didn't... know... I wasn't going to hurt her..."

Max stood to his feet, and gave a hard stare at the female. "What pack are you from, and what's your business here?" Max dared to ask.

The brown female lowered her ears, and she looked sad. "I... I don't have a pack..." She paused. "I'm a loner, and I hate it..."

Max's ears pricked, and then they lowered. "That must feel bad..." he muttered. "I felt like that once, but then things started to get better. Maybe it'll turn that way for you too."

The female nodded. She looked up at Max, and they both stared into each other's eyes for a long time. The female finally shook her head. "I-I got to g-go!" The female turned and fleed out of the cave and deep into the woods.

Maxwell was about to follow her, but he knew that wouldn't do anything. Maxwell laid back down and curled up beside Ashlee.

Max had many questions in his head. Why was that wolf here? Did she ever have a pack before? If she did, what happened to it? And why was he even that curious about her...

Maxwell woke up before everyone, probably because it was morning, but it was still dark.

He decided to hunt for the pack, but only rabbits for now. He got up and padded outside the den. It was turning light out, and he knew that Blue pack would wake up soon and worry about where he had run off to.

He suddenly spotted a rabbit, and began to stalk it silently. His ears pricked when he heard a snap. The rabbit also heard it and ran off quickly into a hole. Maxwell looked down and saw that he had stepped on a twig and made it snap. He growled angrily, and snorted in disgust. Dumb brain! he thought to himself.

His ears pricked again when he smelt a familiar scent. Max followed the scent to where it led to, and he was surprised to see the same female brown wolf he saw last night. "You again!" Maxwell growled. "What are you still doing here!"

The female frowned and stood up, being much more taller, but younger than Max. "Just leave me alone! I'll leave if you want! But it's going to be a lot of trouble to move with this deep cut in my leg, so be patient!" The female growled. She snorted at him, and turned around limping away.

Max was surprised to see a long and deep cut in her back right leg. Max sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, Miss..." Maxwell blushed at the thought that he hadn't known her name yet.

The female turned around and looked at Max. "Miss Angela," she muttered quietly. "Just call me Angela for now."

Max smiled. "Miss Angela, or just Angela," Max began. "If you'd like, I could take you back to my pack and heal you."

Angela smirked. "Like your pack would really take me in," she frowned again. "I'm too weak for them, and you..."

"But I can heal you, and make you stronger!" Maxwell begged. "Please, Angela, please! I really want to help!"

Angela sat down. "Why do you want me to come with you so badly, when you don't even know me? You can't trust a stranger that easily, pup."

Maxwell felt insulted. "Who are you calling pup!" He growled. "Your much more younger than I am!"

Angela rolled her eyes. "So," she shrugged. "Anyways, if you want to help me that bad, I might as well come, just to shut you up." She growled more.

Max just ignored her growling, and began to lead her into territory. Once they got back to camp, the wolves that were awake paused, and stared at Angela with interest. Some began to growl. Angela just ignored them though.

Both of them padded into the den and saw Dewayne & Orlaith, sitting beside Brayden. All three caught scent of Angela's, and they turned to look.

"Brayden," said Maxwell. "We have found an outsider in our territory, and she is not in any pack's at all. She says she's a loner, and she's terribly wounded also.

Brayden frowned and walked away from Dewayne & Orlaith. He began to smell her, and then looked at her wound. He looked up at Max. "Thank you, Max," he said softly. "You may leave now. Orlaith can take care of her."

Maxwell smiled, and wagged his tail. He turned around and padded out of the den. He sat down and looked around as everyone began to do their jobs again. Maxwell's ears pricked and he gulped, seeing Ashlee walk up to him, and she didn't look happy.

"Who was that, Max?" Ashlee asked harshly.

"Relax, Ashlee! She's only another female, and she was hurt," Max tried to explain.

Ashlee growled again. "So you help her? Would you do that for me too!"

"Ashlee your over reacting, of course I would never cheat on you. Geez, I only met her today!" Maxwell snapped, irritated by her pouting

Ashlee began to calm down, and took deep breaths. "I'm sorry..." she sighed. "I just remember our promise we made two days ago though, that you would never leave me. And I really want you to keep that." Ashlee lowered her ears.

Max nuzzled her. "Of course I wouldn't leave you, you know that..."

Ashlee nodded, slowly. She sighed again. "I should go do my duties again," she mumbled and walked away.

Max stared after her. He began to think again. Why was Ashlee so afraid of Max leaving her for Angela? He barely knew her since last night! Well, Angela was cute and all... No, Max! Don't think like that! You love Ashlee, not Angela! Max felt a chill go up his spine. He shivered at the feeling. Was he really falling for someone else already, just in one day? I hope not...

Chapter Four

Maxwell sat on a mountain in the pack territory. He was looking down on his past life. Below the mountain, a long miles away from his location, he could see two border collies, male & female, and their master, herding sheep into their pens to get their coats shaved. He was beginning to miss his own older, but he tried not to and would yell at himself in his thoughts to look towards the future and turn his back on the past. It was so hard for him though...

Brayden was sitting right behind Maxwell. He sighed. "Max, what are you staring at anyways, and why did you want to bring me with you?" he mumbled, yawning tiredly. It was dawn, and the sun was just rising lots.

"Come here, and I'll show," Maxwell replied, flicking his tail for Brayden to come a little closer, until he was right beside him. "See those two dogs down there?" he asked Brayden, pointing towards the two collies with the sheep and man. "They're doing something that sheepdogs usually do, but not at night, called herding."

Brayden stared down at those to dogs. He tried to not look interested, but he was very curious about the farm dog's jobs. He raised a brow and looked up at Max. "Hurting?" he asked.

Max laughed softly. "No, not hurting, Brayden! Herding!"

Brayden shook his pelt and tilted his head. "Oh, I thought you said hurting, not herding," Brayden mumbled, his ears twitching.

Max sighed, smiling softly, and looked back at the two young collies. "Yeah..."

Brayden frowned at Max. "You miss home, don't you?" he asked.

"Well, a little," Max muttered back.

Brayden sighed. "Max, it's time to let go of the past, and look towards the future."

"I know," Max replied. "It's just so hard. I've never been so wild before, and it feels so good, yet it feels so wrong also. And dogs are man's best friend, why aren't wolves that way?"

"Man thinks we're beasts, so they kill us for no reason. We don't mean them harm, and we don't want to kill them, but we will if we have to," said Brayden. "Well, at least that's how I feel..."

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah, I understand..." he muttered, his ears twitching. He looked back to the dogs one more time, and then followed Brayden back to the pack territory when they left.

The day went by very quickly. First Max went hunting, and they came back with four deers, then they went for a scout, but nothing was there. A fox tried to steal their food in their territory, and they had to chase it out.

It was now night, and Maxwell & Ashlee were in a corner, snuggling with each other.

"Max?" she asked softly, looking up at her mate. "What was your life like before you joined us?"

Max thought. "Well, it was a good life. I had two loving parents, five siblings, and a wonderful home. I was suddenly given away to another human, but that's what happened to every single puppy, un like your pack. And I'm not sure why if your asking. Anyways, I was moved to a farm called Fairbanks to guard the sheep and herd them into pens so theycould get their fur cut. And I was trained to kill any wolf that got in my way. Until I met you..." Max smirked.

Ashlee shivered. "How many wolves did you kill?" she asked curiously, her ears twitching lightly.

"Well, maybe about two or three, not too much..." Max thougth for a moment. "What about your past life?"

Ashlee sighed. "It was a boring life. I got bossed around by my father most of the time to do this and that, until you came. He's probably just scared to be rude in front of you so you don't get angry and kill him..."

Max frowned for a moment, and then he yawned. "Well, I'm gonna hit the hay, so good night..." he whispered.

"Good night, Maxwell," Ashlee said softly, laying her head on her front paws and falling asleep quickly.

Max's fur prickled when he felt eyes burning into his skin. He opened one eye and saw Angela staring at him. He shivered and just ignored it. Why was he still thinking about her? And why was she staring at him all the time? Did she feel the same way he