wasn’t good either”

Triton stood a little taller.

“I’m sure you’re good at something…”

            “Nope” he said simply.

Why was he so willing to admit someone was better at everything?

                        “Well look who came out of the shadows!”

I whipped around to see Dash striding up with Aleu and his siblings close behind. Triton seemed to shrink.

            “Where have you been?!” Sheila scoffed, curling her tail proudly.

                        “Around…” Triton mumbled.

            “Thanks for leading us to him Mya” Dash smirked.

Triton glared at me, hurt and embarrassed.

“I didn’t lead you to him!” I growled. “I didn’t even know who he was!”

            “Doesn’t matter. You, on the other hand” he sneered, turning to Triton “Need to be taught a lesson after you lost us that race!”

Aleu backed up next to me, ears back, knowing that this was mean as well as I did. The four older huskies closed in on Triton who seemed to shrink into the snow.

“Leave him alone” I blurted.

Sheila and Shadow looked at me impatiently, Nick kept growling at Triton and Dash whipped around.

            “He cost us the chance to be as great as our father or even yours”

A sense of justice bubbled up from within me.

“All he did was trip! Dogs trip all the time! They never get beat up over it!”

            “How would you know?” Dash grinned, trying to be charming. “You’re part wolf and the most graceful thing on four legs I’ve ever seen”

I almost lost my breakfast.

Triton squinted at how cheesy the pick up line sounded. I tilted my head, motioning for him to run. He nodded and smiled graciously, then leapt up and sprinted away. Dash was about to follow him but I walked over to him and rubbed under his chin, letting my tail turn his head toward me.

“Now that you said it, I am graceful, but not as graceful as you are”

Sheila and Shadow’s jaws dropped. Nick was as focused on me as Dash was. Aleu cocked her head, and then understood.

I pretended to circle Dash but peered over the husky’s form to make sure Triton had gotten away. I walked back in front of Dash and sat down, fluttering my eyes at him.

“Maybe I’ll see you later” I gushed, trying to sound attracted.

He grinned and looked at his siblings to see their reactions. I stood up and Aleu got up to follow me. As soon as we had gotten far enough away, we started to jog.

            “Wow, I wish I had the courage to do that!”

“I don’t think I did! I almost through up when I nuzzled him!”

Aleu laughed as I made a face. But on the inside, I knew this was going to come back to me in a bad way…

Mya, Dash and Triton (c) me

Aleu, Balto and Jenna (c) Universal