obliged, and then stepped back to join Balto, who had somehow ended up outside the family circle. “Trey, Ruby, I would like you to meet my mate, Balto.”

          Trey’s eyes stretched as wide as saucers. “It’s an honor to meet-” But Balto was sending him signals, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head. Trey looked surprised, but he didn’t object. “-my sister’s mate,” he finished lamely. He turned and raised an eyebrow at Jenna. She shrugged helplessly.

          Ruby looked equally as bemused, but she said nothing more than, “Welcome to the family, Balto.”

          “Thanks,” he replied.

          “Why does everyone look so confused?” Cooper wondered loudly, “Did I miss something?”

          “I would have to ask the same thing,” Trey said, staring fiercely at Balto.

          Jenna’s laugh was brittle. “The only one that’s confused is you, Cooper,” she said playfully.

          After an awkward moment Trey cleared his throat. “I have to go now. I’m trying to get back by tomorrow morning. My owners think I ran away; I wouldn’t want to make them search for me any longer than they have to.”

          “But don’t you need anything? Food? Sleep?” Jenna asked.

          Trey grinned. “No rest for the weary. He nodded curtly to all of them, and with a mad dash he disappeared into the night.

          “Well, isn’t he a gentlemen,” Balto remarked with the slightest hint of sarcasm.

          “He’s always been like that,” Ruby sighed apologetically, “He hates anything that doesn’t get straight to the point.”

          There was a pause, during which Balto noticed both girls were on the edge of exhaustion and tears.

          “Well, since the formalities are over,” he began, “Ruby, who don’t I walk you home? I mean, there’s not so much trouble you can run into in Stanton, but maybe you’d just like the company?”

          Ruby smiled shakily at him. “I would.” She turned and raised her eyebrows at Jenna. “Careful, Jenna. Your mate’s asked to walk me home!”

          Jenna looked at Balto. “I trust him. C’mon, Cooper.”

          The two groups parted ways, abandoning the cold grave with its orange cloth marker.

“…and that’s why I didn’t want him mentioning my hero status in front of you and Cooper,” Balto explained as he and Ruby reached a street corner.

          “You don’t say,” she replied thoughtfully, obviously satisfied she had pried the reason out of him. “Interesting concept. But I think I understand.”

          “I think Jenna has the same thoughts,” Balto said. He surveyed the intersection before them. “Right or left?”

          “Right,” Ruby said, “One more turn and we’ll be on my street. So, Balto, how long have you and my sister been together? I haven’t seen her since we were pups, so…”

          Balto smiled. “Well, it’s been almost four–” He was cut off by a high-pitched howl coming from the darkness between two houses a few feet ahead. Balto froze, his ears flicking up. “…years,” he finished slowly, distracted.

          Another tortured whine echoed from the shadowed alley, and Balto bolted towards it, with Ruby at his heels. He stopped at the dark entrance of the dead end, and his glowing eyes could pick out the menacing shape of a mangy mutt poised to strike the cowering female at his feet.

          “Sanctus, you good-for-nothing jerk, you cretin, you absolute moron,” the female’s voice panted with fear and anger, “No amount of hitting me is going to change it. Give up. I’m done. We’re over.”

          “You may be done, Lila,” Sanctus growled, “But I’m not.” His teeth flashed as he reared his head back, and when he plunged down the alley was filled with a volley of short, gasping yelps like gunshots. Then Sanctus cried out, and he backed away from Lila with a gushing slash across his muzzle.

          “That’ll-teach you,” Lila gasped, “Stay away from me. I told you, we’re broken up.”

          “Not if I can help it,” Sanctus snarled. His canines gleamed. He started to advance again.

          “She said, leave her alone.”

          “Huh?” Sanctus whipped around to see a brown-gray wolf-dog with angry glowing eyes glaring at him from the edge of the shadows.

          Sanctus relaxed, and he snorted with contempt. “Balto. Like I never would’ve guessed. Flying in to save the day? You’re a little late.” With that he turned and slashed at Lila’s legs. She let out a cry that wrenched Balto’s heart and filled him with rage.

          In two steps he was at Sanctus’ side and whirled him around, wiping the sneer off of his face for a few seconds. But then it crept back, and Sanctus leered at Balto. “Getting all up in my business again? Are you sure you want to do that? Because it could get really ugly. Right here. Right now.”

          “Nothing’s uglier than watching you take advantage of her,” Balto growled, forcing Sanctus backwards step by halting step.

          Sanctus snorted. “Oh, yeah? What’re you going to do? Nip me?” They were almost to the back of the alley now, the darkness thicker and colder than at the front.

          Balto pressed his face close to Sanctus’. “Since you seem to have trouble understanding, I’ll say it again. Leave. Her. Alone.” With the last syllable he pushed Sanctus hard against the wall.

          A sharp crack from above had both dogs whipping their heads back to look skyward.

          A huge, glistening icicle swayed slightly before breaking off the roof with a final snap and plummeting towards the hard ground.

          Sanctus looked at Balto with real fear in his eyes. “Oh–” The icicle plunged through his back, and his expression went blank. He keeled over with a frozen stare, and Balto watched, shocked, as blood began to pour slowly through Sanctus’ shabby brown coat. The thought sat like a lump in Balto’s mind: ‘I just killed someone.’

          He was stuck. All he could do was stare numbly at Sanctus’ cold body.

          Ruby ran up and tugged him away. “We’ve got to get out of here,” she breathed, “If anyone sees…! We’ve got to get out of here! C’mon, Balto, come on!” Balto was barely aware of being dragged away, and then like a robot he was following Ruby’s commands to run, run, run.

          Lila pulled herself painfully to her feet and glared at where the corpse of her ex-boyfriend lay. And now she had a picture of her savior in her mind: brown-gray fur, golden eyes. “Good riddance,” she muttered to the dead body, “Bastard.” She limped out into the street and hobbled off into the night, leaving the corpse to drain onto the frosty ground.

          Talon smiled as he woke to the pleasant sensation of a warm body pressed against his. Hazel. A pretty Samoyed young enough and sweet enough to keep him in a good mood for days. She was a member of the group of Stanton dogs he unofficially led, and her thirst for affection was as heavy as his own. He knew from her fervent glances and passionate gushing that she adored him, and he had found himself becoming affectionate towards her, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to be in a serious relationship yet. For now, they were just good friends.

          He nosed her neck, and she awoke and gently smiled at him. “Good morning.”

          “Hmm,” he sighed happily, nuzzling her shoulder.

          She kissed him on the ear. He grinned at her, and then with a groan he hauled himself to his feet and stretched out his back.

          “Going out to do the rounds again?” she asked.

          “Yeah,” Talon