Everest.

                        “What on earth would make you think that I came here to talk to you?” Hiatus replied in a calm, civilized voice. His eyes shifted to Everest again and a few heads turned in the direction of the golden wolf. Everest kept his eyes on Hiatus and didn’t blink. Cedar glanced over his shoulder at Everest but turned back to Hiatus with a scowl.

            “I won’t have you infecting him or anyone in this pack!”

                        “I don’t infect anyone…” Hiatus said with false insult. “And you’re the young Illiivat I’ve heard so much about, right?” he asked shifting his attention to Everest.

Everest lifted his chin and nodded. Cedar began to argue with Hiatus and Everest’s eyes passed over the rest of the pack for the first time. Odin must have noticed too.

            “They look dead!” Odin whispered. “What happened?!”

“I don’t know…  Will, you’re right… Hiatus isn’t up to any good”

The Ublureak wolves all looked the same. They seemed well fed, but it wasn’t hard to tell that they were all exhausted. Their eyes seemed dull and all their spirits seemed crushed except for the younger wolves that had normally tormented Everest and Odin. Everest had to force himself to look away from old his pack to focus on Hiatus again.

            “I don’t want anything to do with you or your pack” Hiatus barked clearly. “I came to talk to the Illiivat”

With a jolt in his stomach, Everest hid his emotions and rose to his feet. As he walked to stand next to Cedar, he could feel everyone’s eyes burning into him. But he kept his eyes on the grey and white wolf.

            “I want you to join my pack” Hiatus declared. “Your father and I were good friends”

                        “Don’t listen to a word he says!” Cedar thundered.

Everest didn’t say a word and narrowed his eyes. A few ideas swirled around in his head, but only one stuck.

“Let me just… think it over”

Everest went back to the pack and over to Odin.

            “What does he want?!” Odin whispered excitedly.

“He wants me to join the pack”

                        “You can’t do that!” Will whispered as loud as he could.

“I have to”

Odin and Will tilted their heads, confused.

“If I go, I might be able to change whatever he’s doing to the pack…and I might be able to stop whatever he’s planning”

Will nodded, understanding. Everest nodded too and headed back to Cedar and Hiatus.

“I’ll go”

Cedar’s eyes widened.

                        “After everything I’ve told you-!”

“Talk to Will” Everest said sharply.

Without looking back, Everest followed Hiatus, ignoring Arrow and his friends’ snickers. Odin said a quick goodbye and ran after Everest.

            “Didn’t think I’d leave you alone with those guys would ya?” Odin grinned once he caught up.

Everest grinned back, but in his head, he second guessed his choice. What would happen to them now?

            Hiatus, on the other hand, was second guessing his ideas as well. He had planned to try to capture and kill the young wolf, but he agreed so easily… having him lead might be better then having him dead. With the Illiivat in his pack, his plans might go on without a hitch!

                        “I think it’s about time you knew what my ideas were” Hiatus offered to Everest.

Everest nodded. Arrow glared. What made Everest so special anyway?!

                        “I’m creating the ultimate pack!” Hiatus started excitedly. “Only certain packs of course… obviously the Ublureak because they seem to be the strongest. I’ve already tried to get those stubborn Aklark to join, but they’ll just have to learn the hard way then. The next step is to find other packs that are as strong and get them to join in”

What’s so bad about that? Everest thought. How could Cedar think that this idea was bad? One big pack didn’t seem so bad…

“What about the packs that can’t join?” Everest asked thoughtfully.

                        “We’ll get rid of them”

“What?! What do you mean get rid of them?” Everest said, barely able to keep his voice under control.

                        “Get rid of them… if they’re not tough enough to survive, we’ll just make it easier for them to go” Hiatus said simply.

Everest felt his temper rise and it took all of his control to seem like he wasn’t really interested.

            “That’s barbaric!” Odin snapped.

Everest shoved Odin to keep him quiet but Hiatus already heard.

                        “I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you” Hiatus said coolly. “Or your pack might be the first to go”

            The rest of the way back to the familiar territory, Everest and Odin kept quiet. Hiatus went on and on about his brilliant plan, making it almost impossible for Everest not to snap. The only way that Everest was able to stay under control was the thought that he’d be able to soil Hiatus’s plans from the inside. When the group reached the den, another pack was waiting. At least that’s what Everest thought… but once Everest really looked around, he noticed Ublureak mixed in with another neighboring pack of grayish wolves with white markings: the Kesuk. That was Fly’s pack!

            “Isn’t this Fly’s-?” Odin started, catching on.

Everest nodded.

                        “Everest!”

Fly bounded out of nowhere and nuzzled Everest.

                        “I thought they killed you!” Fly exclaimed.

“Are you alright? Everyone looks… sick”

                        “So far, he hasn’t done anything to us except eat most of the food that we caught. Everest! You have to stop him! I’ll help you escape-!”

            “Everest came with us voluntarily” Hiatus said with a cruel smile.

Fly glared at him.

                        “Well does he know what you’re going to do?!” she said coldly.

            “Of course he does” Hiatus replied in an airy voice. “It’s not like we had to capture him or something…”

Fly turned to Everest with a disgusted look on her face.

“Fly, I don’t-.”

                        “Don’t what?!” Fly said hotly. “You don’t think that killing other wolves is that bad?!”

“Fly! Please! Just list-!”

                        “Save it for someone who cares! Or in your case, someone who doesn’t!”

Fly stormed off, leaving Everest confused and stuttering. Grinning, Arrow came up to Everest.

            “Has quite a mouth doesn’t she? Hiatus says she’ll be my mate… even if he has to force her to”

Everest glared at Arrow. The older grey wolf grinned and hurried after