next to Taluas’s.  “Say something like that again and you will be sorry.”

            All the dogs in the boiler room grew deathly quiet.  They stared at the two huskies on the ground.  Luca had always been the quite one and now he was in a position of great power.  He could kill his brother if he wanted to. 

            Taluas pushed Luca off of him.  “Whatever,” he said.

            Luca lowered himself, ready to lunge at his brother again.  “I mean it!” he barked.

            A red and white husky male walked over.  “Come on Luca, let it go,” he said kindly.  “Taluas won’t try anything.”

            Luca got up reluctantly and followed the husky out of the room with Autumn behind them.

            “Thanks Shadow,” Luca said, panting.  “I just…”

            Shadow nodded.  “You don’t have to say anything.  If anyone even thought about threatening Autumn I would do the same thing.”

            Luca smiled.  “So you finally told Autumn how you feel about her?” 

            Shadow laughed.  “Yep.  Shortly after you left.  Autumn was really freaked out since you guys are such good friends and you just left without saying anything.  But I just went up to her and told her, ‘Autumn, I love you.  I can’t hide it anymore.  I want to be with you and you with me.’  And now,” Shadow looked at Autumn lovingly.  “Are you going to tell him or should I?”

            Autumn smiled.  “I will,” she looked at Luca warmly.  “I’m pregnant.”

            Luca grinned.  “Wow.  Congratulations!”

            Autumn and Shadow licked each other gently.  Luca stood there, happy for both of them.  Autumn and Shadow were two of his best friends.  Shadow had on been on the sled team with Luca and ran in the second position.

            “Shadow?” Luca said.  “How is the team?  I suppose that you got moved to leader?”

            Shadow seemed to swell with pride.  “I am.  The day after you left, the human took me from my spot and I was worried at first, I won’t lie, but he just put me in your spot.  I just looked up at him, wondering why I was in your spot.  I knew you were coming back and plus, I didn’t think I could live up to your name.”

            Luca smiled.  “You are going to be the best leader.  Trust me.”

            Shadow looked confused.  “Aren’t you coming back to the team?”

            “No,” Luca told him.  Shadow looked even more confused.

            “Why?”

            “You should know why I left,” said Luca, looking down.  “The man, he chased me away.  He told me I had lost for the last time.  He doesn’t want me anymore.”

            Shadow shook his head.  “But it wasn’t your fault!  It was mine.  I tripped and you had to slow down so I wouldn’t get trampled.”

            Luca nodded.  “Yes, but it was my fault you tripped.  I was going to fast.”

            Autumn stepped in.  “I’m just glad you’re back.”

            “So,” Luca started, “you don’t mind about the wolf?”

            Autumn shook her head.  “Whatever makes you happy.”

            Luca smiled.  “Thank you.  You are a great friend.”

            “I know,” Autumn laughed.

Chapter 7

            That night, Luca was about to go back to his owner’s house, but instead went to the boiler room.  But instead of it being empty, there were a few huskies there.

            “Hey,” Luca said, confused.  “What are you all doing here?”

            One of the females, a black and white one, turned around.  “What are you doing here?” she retorted.

            Luca shook his head.  It was one of Taluas’s friends.  “I can’t go home, now can I?”

            The husky smiled cruelly.  “No, but you can always go back to your wolf.”

            Luca growled.  “You have never been polite in your life, have you Christa?”

            Christa growled back.  “And you have never been a good fighter, and yet you killed a helpless rabbit.  How could you?” she added with mockery in her voice.

            Luca rolled his eyes.  “Have you seen Shadow and Autumn?”

            Christa smiled.  “Maybe.  Maybe not.  It all depends.”

            “Just answer the damn question!”  Luca was getting fed up with her now.

            “Mind your manners,” Christa said.

            “I’ll give…” Luca started to say as Taluas came in.

            Taluas growled.  “Now I’m going to tell you something Luca:  mess with my girl and I’ll rip you apart.”

            Luca snorted.  “Yeah right.”

            “I mean it.  You don’t mess with Christa or her pups,” Taluas barked.

            Luca stepped back, surprised that anyone would mate with his brother.  “What?”

            Taluas grinned.  “Yes sir, Christa is going to have my pups.”

            “God!” Luca yelled.  “Is everyone having pups?”  He looked around the room and saw that some of the females looked at the ground or the male next to them and others just started right back.  Luca rolled his eyes.  “As long as no one killed another dog or anything.”

            No one answered.  “Don’t tell me,” Luca said.

            One of the younger dogs, a Saint Bernard named Doc, stepped forward.  “Luca,” he started.  “Umm, I don’t know how to tell you this, but…”

            A female Chow picked up where Doc left off.  “What Doc is trying to tell you is that…”

            Luca shook his head.  “Was it Sam?  I haven’t seen him and I have been looking everywhere for him.”

            The Chow nodded.  “Sam was found a few days ago by Doc.  Poor thing was torn up real bad.  Doc tried everything he could.  Before Sam died he…”

            Doc licked the Chow.  “I’ll tell him,” he said to her.  Then he turned to Luca.  “Sam told me to tell you to look inside yourself and you’ll find happiness,” Doc hesitated.  “Then he just…died.  The poor thing didn’t even know who had done that to him.”

            Luca looked at the ground, tears starting to form in his eyes.  He knew what Sam had meant.  As he looked up, he could see Taluas laughing with Christa.

            Luca growled.  “You bastard!” he howled as he leapt for Taluas.  Taken off guard, Taluas fell to the ground.  Luca stood over his brother, ready to bite his neck and end his pitiful life.  As Luca was getting ready to deliver the lethal bite, Taluas pushed his off of him with his back legs.  Luca crashed to the ground a few feet away and just laid there, stunned.

            “Luca!” a voice rang out.

            The husky looked up and saw Aniu standing in the entrance.