“Luca!” she ran over to him.  “Are you alright?”

            Luca tried to nod, but it hurt.  The she-wolf looked him over, licking him.  Then she spotted Taluas.  Growling, she walked over to him and Christa.  Taluas backed away in fear.

            “Coward!” Aniu barked at him.  “You will attack your own brother yet you will not face a wolf!  You give shame to all dog-kind!”

            Taluas growled back.  “How dare you call me a coward!  You waited till just now to come into my town and you think you could win a fight against me.  You’re sadly mistaken, bitch.”

            With a low growl Luca jumped off of the ground and pinned his brother again with his paw on Taluas’s throat.  “What have I told you?”

            Aniu looked at her mate with a worried glance.  She didn’t want him to kill Taluas even though the husky deserved it.  She looked around the room and saw all the dogs watching her, ready to bolt at the slightest movement.  None of them seemed to notice that Luca could kill Taluas.  As Luca was about to bite down on his brother’s neck, Aniu ran over to him.

            “Don’t Luca!” she cried.  “He isn’t worth it!  Just let him up and we’ll go.”

            Luca looked at her.  “Don’t you see that this scum bag will kill you if he gets the chance?  I have to end it now!”

            Aniu shook her head.  “He isn’t going to try to kill a wolf.  No dog is dumb enough to do that.”

            Luca looked at his brother with fire in his eyes.  “You don’t deserve to live,” he said in a whisper.  “I’m doing you a favor, but if you step out of line like that again, I’ll have to kill you.  No more warnings, either.”

            As Luca got off and walked over to Aniu, Christa ran over to her mate, helping him up.  She looked at Luca with a deadly gaze.

            “Just go off with you wolf and leave us alone,” she said menacingly.

            Luca snarled.  “Gladly,” he said to Christa.  Then he turned to Aniu, “Come on.  Let’s go home.”

            Aniu looked at him and nodded, glancing at the other dogs.  Why do they hold it against me that I am wolf? she wondered.  Are we not one and the same?  One of the only differences is that I live in the wild and they do not, but yet they are decedents of wolves.  She shook her head as she turned to leave the boiler room with Luca.

Chapter 8

            Once they got back to the den, Aniu laid down in the soft snow resting her head on her paws.  She had been worried about Luca while he was not in her presence but now her mind was at peace.  He was back and it didn’t seem like he would want to go back and visit the town anytime soon.

            Luca walked over and lay down next to Aniu putting his head over her protectively.  “Thank you,” he said, licking her.  “Taluas would have killed me if you hadn’t gotten there when you did.”

            Aniu smiled.  “I know,” she said.  “I'm just glad I got there when I did.”

            Luca nodded.  “At least I'm home now and I’m not going to leave you again.  I swear.”

            The she-wolf smiled mischievously.  She knew she couldn’t play around as much since within a few months she would be having her pups, but she could still want to play.  That was all part of the fun.  Luca smiled and leapt to his feet, wagging his tail.

            “I'm going to go catch a few rabbits,” he said.  “I'll be back in an hour at the most.”

            Aniu nodded, smiling.  “Bring me back a big one.”

            Luca licked her and bounded off into the snow. 

            It didn’t take him long to find a rabbit.  He crouched down low and sprung.  In a matter of moments, the rabbit hung limp in his mouth, its warm blood seeping down into the snow causing a bit of it to turn red.  Proud that he caught a rabbit so soon, he turned back to go to the den.  As he turned, something ran out and hit him, forcing him to the ground.

            “What are you doing out here all alone?” Taluas sneered.  “Where is the wolf?”

            Luca growled.  “I could ask you why you’re out here, too,” he said, his voice full of hatred.

            Taluas snickered.  “I'm just looking for some revenge.”

            “For what?  I let you live.  Aniu let you live.  We didn’t hurt you mate or anyone else.  In fact, it is I how should be out for revenge since you killed one of my best friends.”

            His brother laughed.  “And you think that is going to faze me?”

            Luca rolled his eyes.  “It’s not very smart to be out here with a wolf pack nearby.”

            “You’re bluffing,” barked Taluas.

            Luca shook his head.  “Nope.  All I have to do is give them the call and they will come to help me and… kill you if need be.”

            Taluas looked around, slightly alarmed.  He knew he could take his brother along, but if wolves were there, he wasn’t so sure.  He was about to get off of Luca when he heard a nearby howl.  Frightened, Taluas jumped off of Luca and looked at him.

            “I'm going to be back and you’re going to pay,” Taluas snarled.

            Luca laughed.  “And you better leave before the wolves come and tear you apart.”

            Taluas turned around and with one last snarl, he was gone.

            Luca also turned and shook his head.  His brother could be so gullible at times!  Then again, this time it was a good thing.  Walking in the direction of the den, Luca stopped to pick up the still warm rabbit to bring to Aniu.

            Soon he was back in the den.  He could hear Aniu’s delicate breathing near the back.  Walking lightly, he went to lie next to her, putting the rabbit under her nose. 

            Aniu looked up and smiled.  “I was wondering when you would be back.”

            Luca smiled.  “I had a little run in with someone from my past.”

            The she-wolf studied his face trying to see what he meant, but she could not see past his caring eyes.  “Whatever you say, then.”

            Luca licked her muzzle and nuzzled her.  “And I'm back now and that's all that matters.”

Chapter 9

            A few months after Luca’s last run-in with Taluas, Aniu was getting very fat.  They both knew she would have her pups any day now.  Luca had gone out to hunt every day for the past few weeks, gathering lots of food for Aniu after the pups had been born.

            Aniu got up from the back of the den and walked out to the entrance where Luca sat.  “What are you doing?” she asked.

            “Just thinking,” he answered.

            Aniu laughed.  “About what Mr. Secretive?”

            “Oh, nothing,” he lied.

            Aniu looked at him.

            “Fine,” Luca laughed.  “I have been thinking about Autumn and Shadow.  They are going to have pups along with what seems like half of Nome.”

            Aniu smiled.