us.”

            Tara looked up into her mother’s eyes.  “Then why don’t we start with the truth.”

            The she-wolf looked taken aback.  “W-what do you mean?”

            “You and Dad were hiding something from us.  I want to know what it is.”

            Aniu sighed.  “I guess I'll have to tell you, huh?”

            Balto sat up and looked at his mother.

            Sighing again, Aniu looked at each of her pups.  “That dog, the one that looks like your dad, well, the reason we didn’t tell you guys about him is because he wants to kill us.  He hated your dad for breeding with me.  With a wolf.”

            Balto whined and walked up to her, licking her muzzle.  Aniu lowered her head and let her tears fall to the ground.

            “Its okay mom,” Balto reassured her.  “We’re here.”

            Aniu laughed.  “This is backwards,” she chuckled.  “It’s I who should be comforting you.”

            “But every now and again it’s the pup that should comfort the mother,” Balto said.

            Aniu laughed through her tears.  Nodding, she walked back out of the den.  Balto and Tara lay back down and shut there eyes.  Trying to flush out the bad memories, they let sleep take over their minds.

            Outside the den, Aniu rested her muzzle on her paws.  Sighing, she looked up into the bright sky.  How I wish you were here, she thought, closing her eyes.

            I am here…

            Aniu lifted her head and looked around, a growl in her throat.  Rolling her eyes, she got up.

            I am here…

            Spinning around, Aniu gasped at what she saw.  Luca was standing in front of her.

            “What…  How…”      

            “Don’t try to think, honey,” Luca said, nuzzling her.  “I'm here and that’s all that matters.”

            Aniu nodded, tears building up in her eyes.  “I’ve missed you so much!”  She paused for a moment.  “Why did you have to leave?”

            Luca was silent.  “How are the pups?”

            “They miss their father.”

            The tan and white husky lowered his head.  “I thought so.”

            “Why don’t you come and see them?” Aniu said, her head raising some.  “I'm sure they won’t mind getting woken up to see you.”

            Luca shook his head.  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

            “Why?” Aniu asked quizzically.

            “You’ll see in time.”

            The she-wolf shook her head.  “But I want to see now!”

            Luca sighed.  “The pups aren’t ready to lose their mother, too.”

            “What?” Aniu asked, her voice slightly higher.

            “Trust me.”

            “I do,” Aniu replied, licking Luca’s muzzle while tears fell out of her eyes onto the cold ground.

            The husky looked around.  “You must not fight it.”

            “Fight what?” Aniu asked, cocking her head.  “I don’t understand.”

            “Don’t worry, you will,” Luca reassured her.  “I would never lie to you and you know that.”

            Aniu nodded and looked away for a moment.  “I miss you.”

            “I miss you too…”

            The white she-wolf turned around to face her mate, but he was gone.  She looked around, but he was no where to be seen.  “I love you,” she said as she turned back to the den.

Chapter 15

            Balto and Tara woke up at the crack of dawn the next day.  The two pups stretched and ran out of the den quietly so as not to wake Aniu.  Once they were outside, though, they were as loud as could be.

            “So that’s what all the noise is,” Aniu said, coming out of the den smiling.

            “Sorry Mom,” Tara said as Balto jumped on her.  “We didn’t mean to.”

            Balto nodded.  “That’s why we came outside the den to play.  We didn’t want to wake you.”

            The white she-wolf laughed.  “And it worked… for a few seconds at least.”

            Balto smiled and pounced on Tara's back, laughing.  Tara struggled out from under her brother and playfully bit him on the ear.  The darker pup shoved her gently with his paw, falling over at the same time.  The two siblings rolled around in the soft snow, giggling.

            Aniu chuckled softly to herself as she watched her two pups and last remaining family play.  She gazed up at the sky, almost wishing to be a small pup again without a care in the world. The she-wolf smiled sadly, remembering her pup-hood and all that had went with it.  At least when she was a pup, she would not have had to worry about keeping Balto and Tara safe from danger.

            Tara squirmed away from Balto and ran over to their mother, leaping on her tail, biting it softly.  The white she-wolf laughed and swished her tail back and forwards allowing Tara to play with it.  Balto watched and soon also joined in on the fun.

            "This is so much fun," Tara laughed, smiling up at her mother and brother.

            Aniu smiled and licked her two pups.  "It is," she said.  "But it's time-"

            Balto cocked his head.  "Mom?" he asked as Aniu quickly stood to her paws, sniffing the air.  "Mom?  What is it?"

            The white she-wolf growled quietly.  "You and your sister must get out of here now," she told Balto and Tara urgently, fear flooding her voice.  "You must not come back here, either."  Aniu looked at each of them, trying to hold her fear back for their sake.  "When it's over I'll come and find you.  If... If I don't, than you must not wait for me.  You two must find somewhere safe.  Do you both understand?"

            "But Mother, what's going on?" Tara questioned.

            Aniu turned her gaze on her.  "I said do you understand."

            The pup lowered her tail, fear starting to fill her eyes.  "Yes Mom."  She looked over at her brother who was standing beside her, a look of disbelief on his face.

            "Know that I'll always love you, no matter what happens," she told them, nuzzling and lovingly licking each Balto and Tara.  "You'll always be my babies."

            Balto and Tara licked their mother's muzzle, tears forming in their eyes.  They did not understand what was going on- only that they had to leave for some reason.  The two pups looked in confusion at her, wanting an answer, but knowing they would not get one.

            "You must leave now," Aniu said, trying to hold back the tears she knew would come anyway.  She looked at each for a long moment,

memorizing everything about them.  She wanted to be able to remember them exactly how they were now.  "I'll always love you," she told them once