semi-circle around the two dogs, keeping them pinned between themselves and the door, the boiler right in the center.

“So… Balto… I say you just go have at your mother, because I’m not leaving here without the girl.”

“She has a name you know..”

“And I’m sure she’ll have plenty more when I get through with her, if you know what I mean.”

Balto had had enough. This was against most of what he believed in, but he wasn’t going to let this monster hurt and degrade Jenna anymore, or anyone else for that matter.

“Steele. This ends tonight.”

The fire blazed fiercely in the boiler, hiding half of their bodies in the shadows it cast. Steele’s teeth sparkled in the light and a harsh wind bellowed through a window, sending the chains above clanking.

“I thought you’d never have such a wonderful idea.”

Everyone watched on in silence as they waited for the first move to be made.

“C’mon Balto!” Jenna shouted.

Steele turned around in surprise, and Balto took this to his advantage. He quickly rammed into Steele sending him flying to the floor. The dogs surrounding them whispered intensely as Steele stood up again. He rolled his shoulders and whipped around to face Balto again.

“Well half-breed, looks like there’s still some hope for you after all!” he called out shrilly.

This time Steele barreled after Balto who calmly stepped aside, not realizing that Steele had already planned for this. He changed his direction slightly and ran past Balto, but not before grabbing the scruff of his neck with his razor sharp teeth and dragging him across the floor.

“Honestly, is that all you got!?”

Balto groaned quietly as he picked himself up. He could hear both cheers and hisses directed towards him and he gave a small smile.

“I’m just getting warmed up.”

“Balto! Behind you!” yelled a brown husky.

Balto suddenly felt something land on his back.

“What the-”

“Take this!”

He winced and felt a stinging sensation as teeth sunk into his back, and then he felt claws ripping at him as well. Steele smirked in pleasure.

“Aw, what’s the matter Balto? Can’t handle a pup?”

“Hey! That’s unfair!” Kaltag yelled in anger as he took a step forward.

“All’s fair in love and war.”

Steele looked at his side and nodded to them. Lilith shoved Star and Nikki towards Jenna. Steele’s eyes began to twinkle like a pup’s. Everything was going perfectly!

“Now, any of you interfere, you’ll lose Jenna too. And I don’t think you want that.”

Lilith whispered to Hal and snickered.

“Best part is, Brother Steele made those three pups think that Stevan was his best pick, but in fact, he was the worst. He was just using him to make the others jealous, and I guess Seth was the one who wants to shine.”

“Ooh, how very… deceptive of him,” Hal chortled.

Their conversation was interrupted as they heard Balto growling again. He was bucking and kicking to try and get the dog off his back. He spun around and caught Seth by his scruff and tossed him, leaving him dazed. Before Balto could catch his breath, Steele was in his face once more.

“It’s over Balto,” he grinned madly.

“That’s… what you think,” Balto panted.

Balto reared up and shoved Steele with all his might, sending him flying away. The husky collided into a tall stack of barrels full force and with a thud and fell to the floor. There was a terrible groaning sound as the stack began to sway back and forth. Time slowed to a crawl. The barrels began falling, casting a wide shadow that included both Steele and Seth. Everyone turned around and began to run in the opposite direction, except for Burt. He thought for a millisecond, and without another thought, he raced towards Seth. He suddenly tripped, inches away from the pup. He pushed Seth out of the way with his nose as he collapsed to the ground. Seth and the others looked back as the heavy barrels covered Steele, and then Burt. When time resumed, there was a sickening squishing noise as the wall of barrels came down on the two brothers. Gregory Steele would soon be as cold and bitter as his heart had become. And unfortunately, they same fate would befall his brother who had given his life to save another.

“Noo!!” Seth cried out.

Before he could weep any longer, he felt a dog grab him up. It was Lilith. She also had Becca on her back. Stevan was carried out by Hal as the family sped out of the boiler room in a flash. Balto walked to the scene in solemn silence. He shook his head and sighed. This is not how he wanted any of this to go. He turned away and walked to Jenna. The others had already freed her from her restraint. Balto knelt down next to her and began to like her wounds, and she did the same service for him.

“Jen, I’m so sorry this all happened the way it did.”

Jenna shook her head, “You don’t need to apologize. It wasn’t your fault… But, I guess we won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Hey! Guess who’s parents I just found!” Kaltag called out as he led Duchess and Ritchie out.

They had been roped to a pipe as well, and had muzzles on them. Their restraints fell off as well after a small bit of work, and they quickly rushed to their daughter, asking obvious questions such as if she was alright. Balto suddenly heard a crushing of snow outside and hushed the others up. They relaxed though when the saw who it was.

“Is everything alright in there?” called Denali.

“Yeah, come on in kids.”

Saba and Denali entered through the door.

“Well, we were staking out Grams and Gramps house when we heard a ruckus so we just wanted to… Oh my god!” Saba yelled in shock, “What happened here!?”

“We’ll tell you tomorrow,” said Jenna, “we just… need to rest for awhile.”

“And we’ll talk with you two later,” one of the sled dogs directed at Nikki and Star, who only bowed their heads in shame.

Saba and Denali noticed Kodi on the floor. His breathing was very shallow, and they could see multiple claw marks.

“Kodi!”

He had been lucky. Right at the moment that Hal was about to take his life was when all the fighting had ceased for the final face off. His eyes fluttered open and he moaned.

“Ow, my aching head.”

“Shh, calm down,” Saba said in a motherly tone, “you need your rest… Let’s get him home.”

Kaltag looked down at Jenna and Balto, “And you two need to get home too. I’ll escort you.”

“Thank you Kaltag,” Jenna smiled.

They stood up carefully, and each dog wobbled as he walked from his or her own scars and pains. They walked in silence past their two enemies and single comrade that had not escaped their fate. The stepped out into the street and a cool breeze ruffled their fur as the mist began receding. As they continued home down the moonlit streets, a thought came to Jenna’s mind. She had counted nine dogs that were technical enemies there, but she couldn’t remember what was significant about it.

“Mind if I crash with you tonight, Jen?” Balto asked, shaking her from her thoughts.

She smiled at him and licked his cheek, “I’d be delighted.”

The two stepped into Jenna’s house, happily reunited once more. As they entered the house, Jenna saw her girl asleep on the window seat, her face pressed against the glass as she snoozed quietly. Jenna barked happily and Rosie quickly woke up, and then ran to Jenna, beaming.

“Oh Jenna! I missed you girl!”

She wrapped her little arms around Jenna’s neck, and then did the same to Balto when she saw him. She then let go of them and rushed up the stairs.

“Mom! Dad!” she called, “Jenna’s back! And Balto’s here to!”

She pressed her ear against the door.

“I told you she’d be back Dear,” Nancy called sleepily.

“Now, please go back to sleep,” Robert added.

Rosie plodded down the stairs again, her red hair bobbing in time with her thumps. She began to stroke the two dogs gently, both enjoying the treatment.

“Oh no! Jenna! You’re hurt!”

Rosie once again bounded out of sight, leaving the two dogs alone to admire her energy. She suddenly rushed back in with a tin of band-aids.

“Here, this’ll make you all better,” she grinned.

She began placing the sticky strips on them until the once full container turned up empty. She shook it a few times to try and catch anymore, but gave up.

“Well, I guess that’ll have to do for tonight,” Rosie yawned, “but I have to go to bed now. It’s way past my bed time.”

Within seconds she was already on the second floor. Balto smiled at Jenna and licked her cheek.

“She’s a good kid.”

“She sure is. But be prepared for when these things get taken off, it’s less than pleasant,” she laughed from her past experiences.

They walked over to the pet basket, the fire crackling and casting a warm glow upon them. Balto held his paw out and Jenna stepped into their pet basket first before Balto took his place right beside her. They cuddled close to each other, and soon they were both being taken into their own dreams, unfortunately not knowing that this story was only half over, and things could only go down from here.

Chapter Ten:

January 13th, 1928

It was approximately 9 A.M. A small group of huskies was pushing on through the tundra, their hearts and mind racing. The two adult dogs felt like their lungs were on fire, and that their legs would collapse at any moment. But they couldn’t just stop in the middle of nowhere. The pup being carried in the female’s mouth squinted his eyes.

“Hey! I think I see a town!” he cried.

The female looked so relieved to hear this. She desperately needed time to cool off and think. They rushed past a sign that read, ‘SOLOMON POPULATION: 202’. Their run slowed to a trot, and then to an easy walk as they approached the town. Lilith and Hal lowered the pups to the ground. Stevan and Becca looked around in awe. They had never been out of the sanctity of their town, and now they had come so far.

“Ooh! What’s that!” Becca called.

She ran across the street and then disappeared out of sight. Lilith had just caught a

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