***This story is copyright to Lone Wolf_fanwriter (me). Please do not attempt to reproduce, copy, or alter this piece of work without my EXPLICETE permission.

Balto padded softly through the falling snow. There was a storm moving in, he could smell it. But I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect time. I bet Jen won’t expect me so early. He walked past the telegraph office and nodded to Morse, the telegraph operator’s dog. As he neared the boiler room, he spotted Kaltag climbing down from a perch by the window.

“Kaltag, how are you?”
The tan husky looked up and Balto gasped. Kaltag looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

“I think there’s been, uh, trouble in the boiler room,” he replied hesitantly.

“Jenna’s in there, is she okay?” He turned and dashed toward the door, but Kaltag stepped in front of him.

“Balto, I’m your friend so trust me; you don’t want to see this, it’s not pretty.”

“If she’s hurt I’ve got to help her!” Balto leapt over Kaltag and ran toward the door before he could stop him.

“Balto, don’t-!” Too late. Balto looked into the boiler room. His eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. Balto took a sudden step backward, as if someone had hit him, and fell in disbelief. Kaltag padded up beside him and put a paw on his back.

“I’m sorry.”
Balto’s eyes filled with tears as he looked in. Jenna lay on her side, but no blood flowed from beneath her and there was no frozen mask of pain and terror on her face. She was smiling, and a black husky lay beside her with his paw draped over her.

“She…she said she’d be waiting for me. We were going to spend the whole day together. I didn’t…I didn’t think…” He bowed his head and sobbed.

“I’m sorry Balto. I didn’t want to believe it either, but I saw them go in together and well…they seemed to enjoy each others company.” Just then, Balto lifted his head again, but, despite the teams that streamed down his face, his teeth were bared and his eyes filled with anger. He leapt forward and glared down at Jenna, knowing he could end her life right then if he wanted too. He leaned down and opened his jaw, but stopped, amazed at what he’d almost done. The anger in his heart quickly gave way to sorrow once more and he whispered,

He turned and ran, afraid that if he started crying again, he wouldn’t be able to stop. He dashed right past a startled Kaltag and out into the night. Kaltag took a step after him, but bowed his head and walked home.

The next morning, Jenna woke to the whistling of the wind. She yawned and blinked the sleep from her eyes. Beside her, she felt someone stirring. She looked over and smiled. Kale woke up beside her and kissed her on the cheek.

“I don’t remember getting much sleep,” he replied, “It’s been a while since Fairbanks, Jenna, but you haven’t changed at all.” Jenna felt a lump in her throat and swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

“We spent the night together, didn’t we?” Kale nodded and smiled. “I…I hardly remember it all,” Jenna said. Suddenly, her face lost all color as a wave of nasea swept thru her. She put a paw to her stomach and her cream-colored face turned pale. Kale smiled again and said,

“I really enjoyed last night, Jen.” Jenna began to shake so badly that she couldn’t stand.

“Balto will never forgive me.” Kale looked at her in confusion. “Kale, I already have a mate… And he’s coming back home today.”

“What? Jenna, no one has to know. This can be our secret. Besides, I’m leaving for Applegate tomorrow. No one will know.”

“Balto will never forgive me, but I won’t be able to hide this.” She stood and took a deep breath to hold back the tears. “I have to tell him.”

Slowly she rose to her paws, and before Kale could say a word, she padded out the door.

Once she was gone, Kale breathed a private sigh of relief. Maybe she's not as smart as I remembered. She didn't even remember she'd told me about Balto, or falling asleep. He padded to the doorway and looked out after her. It was nice to have you one last time, Jenna.

Boris was mopping the deck of Balto’s boat and muttering something in Russian when Jenna walked up to him.

“YOU!!” he cried, spinning around, “I ought to strangle you with my bare wings! You’ve got a lot of nerve coming back here!”

“Do you know what you DID to him? When he came back here, he looked like he was going to DIE!”

“Didn’t mean to what? Didn’t mean to break Balto’s heart? Didn’t mean to make him collapse into tears? Didn’t mean to throw his love for you out the window? You had to be pretty darn serious about spending the night with this other guy!”

“How did I know? HOW DID I KNOW? That tan husky, what’s his name, Kaltag! He told me. He saw the whole thing!” He paused and added, “And so did Balto.” Jenna felt tears coming, but blinked them back and said,

“If you can find him,” Boris replied turning to resume his mopping. Jenna didn’t understand.

“What I am meaning is that Balto is GONE!” he said, raising his voice to a shout. Jenna felt like she’d been shot. After a long moment of uneasy silence, she whispered,

“He left almost as soon as he got back here. Just ran off into the woods. And after what you did to him, I don’t blame him.” He pointed a long feathery finger at her. “In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if he never came back.”

“Balto didn’t say anything. He just left.” Jenna could tell by Boris’ tone that he was not in the mood for any further conversation. She looked into the forest, then up at the sky. Figuring she had at least five hours of daylight left, she said,

“Good luck,” Boris replied in an uncharacteristic lack of interest. Jenna leapt down and started to walk in the direction of the woods, but stopped and came back to the bow of Balto’s boat. She climbed up the plank and placed her bandanna on a crate.

“If he comes back, would you give this to him?” Boris said nothing. “Please, Boris…”

“If you see him, tell him…” She began to tear up. “Tell him that I love him, with all my heart.” Boris kept mopping, so she walked sadly down the plank and trotted into the forest. A few minutes later, Boris suddenly stopped mopping.

“Wait a minute…” He followed Jenna’s paw marks with his eyes. “She’s going into the woods? In a storm? In her condition?” He scratched his head for a moment. “Maybe I was wrong about her…”

Meanwhile, Jenna padded among the trees, guided only by Balto’s faint scent and what remained of his paw prints in the snow. She stopped and sighed, feeling tears in her eyes again. She looked at her stomach. How could I have been so stupid? Now, I’ll be lucky if Balto even speaks to me. She paused and thought of what Boris had said, and his angry voice echoed in her mind,

“Do you know what you DID to him? When he came back here, he looked like he was going to DIE!” She blinked back tears and whispered,

“Balto, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” Jenna bowed her head and squinted against the howling wind. I’ve got to find him, even if it kills me…

“Is all of this true, Kaltag?” Doc looked at the tan husky, confused, almost appalled. Kaltag nodded.
“I never thought that Jenna would do something like that.” But then again, Doc thought, I’ve been wrong before… “Have you told anyone else?”

“No. I came back and checked this morning, but she and that other husky were already gone.”

“She’s gone after Balto!” A Russian voice interrupted. Both canines looked up in surprise as Boris sat on the edge of a roof and continued. “She ran off into the woods early this morning.”

“After seeing Jenna with this guy Kale, he completely fell apart. He couldn’t even speak, he was so shocked. I tried to say something, but he ran off into the forest.”

“And Jenna followed him?” Kaltag said, unintentionally raising his voice to a shout.

“Da. She’s trying to find him to apologize, but how can you apologize for something like that?”

“I don’t know, but unless Balto returns and presses charges, we can’t do anything. Above all, we can’t tell Kodi and the others.”

“Tell me what?” Kodi walked up beside Kaltag and Doc, eyeing them suspiciously.

“Kodi, its nothing you should worry about.” The red and cream husky furrowed his brow.

“Kodi…” Kaltag started to reply, but the look on Kodi’s face changed his mind. “Alright, but not here.” He led Kodi into the boiler room and closed the door. He turned and saw Kodi staring at him expectantly. How do I tell him? Just say: Kodi, your mom had an affair with another husky named Kale. Now your dad is gone and Jenna went after him? God, why did I have to open my big muzzle?

“So what happened?” Kodi said, his voice failing to mask the worry he felt. Kaltag took a deep breath and said,

“Kodi, last night your mom went in here with another husky…” He swallowed hard. “…and they spent the night together.” Kodi didn’t move for a moment. He sat where he was, not even caring that his back was getting hot so close to the boiler. Suddenly, his legs gave in and he took a deep, gasped breath.

“Didn’t we mean ANYTHING to her?” Kodi shouted. Kaltag froze, taken completely aback at this outburst. Kodi laid his head on his paws and stared blankly at the wall. “I don’t believe it. She just gave us up. Like we were nothing.”

“Kodi, I know her. She’d never…” Kodi looked at him. What am I saying? Kaltag thought, She’d never do that? Last night didn’t count?

“What?” replied Kodi, “She’d never betray us?” Kaltag didn’t know what to say. Kodi stood up and padded quickly out into town. Before he took ten steps, though, Doc stopped him.

“Kodi, I know it hurts, but don’t do anything rash. Stay here. At least listen to her side of the story.”

“I intend to stay. Dusty and the kids need a father around.” He turned and looked at Doc, who took a fearful step back. Kodi had fire in his eyes when he said, “But if she ever gets back here, she may not get the chance to explain herself.”

Unaware of her son’s threat, Jenna continued deeper into the forest. She stopped and looked at the trees around her and her heart sank. Every rock, every tree, every pile of snow, looked the same as the last one. To make matters worse, she had just lost Balto’s paw prints… in the marks of a wolf. As she followed the jumble of tracks, she thought, Oh Balto, what’s happened to you? Suddenly, she noticed that Balto’s paws and the others were side by side as the led away into the darkness of the woods beyond. Oh no, she thought, he can’t have…

“Easy, Jenna, easy. He might just be getting help.” Yeah right, she thought, who am I kidding? I’m the one that needs help right now. She sighed and padded onwards, followed the paw prints.

Not too much later, though, the sky began to darken as the orange sun sank below the horizon. Jenna took notice and glanced about her for any place to rest. The best spot, it seemed, was a small open area beneath a snow covered bush. Despite her still-slender body, Jenna could barely fit through the opening. She curled up into a tight ball and tried her best to get to sleep. Balto, she pleaded silently, please forgive me…

“Jenna, come on, the race is starting!” She felt someone’s nose rub against her cheek and she opened her eyes to a smiling young face.

“Kale.” She sighed, her young voice relaxing. She looked outside the window. “It’s early. The race doesn’t start for another hour, at least.” Jenna laid her head back down, but Kale nudged her again.

“I wanted to show you something before the race. Please?” Jenna looked up again, sighed, and smiled.

“Thanks Jen. You’ll love it, I promise,” Kale replied, grinning from ear to ear. He led her out of the small shed where most dogs attended the town meetings. The night before, though, she and Kale had stayed long after everyone else had left and talked for hours. Jenna smiled as she thought about it. This is so perfect. Three hours… just the two of us talking…

“Calm down, Kale. You know most people are still trying to sleep right now.” Kale turned and waited for her to catch up.

“Sorry Jen, but I think you’ll like it.” No sooner had Jenna reached his side than he dashed off toward the edge of town. Then, he ran a short way into the woods and stopped by a pool of water just as Jenna, panting, walked up beside him.

“What makes you think its cold?” Kale grinned and stuck his paw deep into the clear liquid. Jenna immediately pulled it back out.

“What are you doing? Your paw will freeze; it’s…its warm.” Kale smiled and stepped into the water.

“Well…” Jenna smiled when she saw the pleading in Kale’s eyes. “Alright.” She stepped into the pool and gasped. “Oh Kale, you’re right. It feels wonderful.” She closed her eyes and let her worries melt away into the water. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“Hey! Oh you, you…” Jenna sent her own watery reply back at Kale, who responded likewise. Soon, the two were lost in a never-ending cascade of water, laughing and barking happily. Panting, Jenna stumbled to the edge and purposely made a scene of getting out. Kale climbed out behind her. Without warning, Jenna pushed him back into the pool and laughed. Kale came to the surface coughing and sputtering.

“Tag, you’re it,” Jenna replied, turning and dashing away. Kale climbed out again and bounded after her. He leapt at her and the two tumbled over and over in the snow. When they stopped, Kale and Jenna’s noses met. Both smiled bashfully, but Jenna leaned over and put her lips to Kales.

Jenna woke from her dream and took a long, deep breath. We were such good friends back then… Until I had to leave for Nome… Oh, I’ll never forget that day. She sighed. But as soon as I got here, I became so popular with everyone else that I forgot. About Fairbanks, the shed…and even Kale. She shook her head abruptly and chastised herself.

“Stop, stop it. You’re only making things worse. Despite what a good friend Kale was, what you did with him was wrong! It was wrong and you knew it!” Did I? Jenna thought, I don’t remember saying anything about having a mate or Balto returning the next day. All I remember is…what we did. Jenna shuddered as visions of that night flashed across her mind. Kale lifting her bandanna off. Him stroking her fur. Him kissing her long and good. Cuddling by the fire…and then… Jenna almost threw up. How? How could I be so stupid?

“Jenna, is that you?” A familiar female voice startled her from her thoughts.

“It is you! But what are you doing way out here? Shouldn’t you be back in Nome?”

“He’s part wolf, so he should be fine, but I’ll be lucky if he ever even looks at me again.”

“Actually, I’m the problem. You see, while he was away, I…I…” She began to tear up. “I cheated on him.”

“Please, please don’t say anything. My heart’s already in pieces as it is.” Cloud Runner nodded. “I know he has every right to be mad, but I’ve got to at least try to make things right. Even if he never speaks to me again…” Jenna stopped and thought about what she’d just said. Even if he never speaks to me again? I won’t be able to live without him! “Well, I…I’ve just got to find him. I still love him more than anyone in the world…but he might not return my love any more.” Jenna bowed her head and thought.

“Well, there’s a storm coming. Come on, you can sleep in our pack den for the night at least.”

“Thank you, Cloud Runner.” Jenna stood and followed her silver friend into the woods as the sky darkened above her. “Balto, if you can hear me, I still love you…and I’m so sorry.” Her only answer was the wind, which, as it wound through the forest, seemed to howl in reply.

A far away howl woke Jenna early in the morning. Cloud Runner leapt to her paws and ran to mouth of the cave they were in. Almost seven weeks before, she’d brought Jenna in out of the snow that was starting to fall. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone. In the time since Jenna’s last visit, Cloud Runner’s pack had grown even larger. Now, she had a group of wolves whose soul job was to protect the pack; professional warriors. For four weeks, the snow hadn’t stopped falling, but the weather was bad enough to keep them in their den. When the storms had finally cleared, she and Jenna had searched the surrounding, with no luck. Balto’s scent, if it had ever been there, had been wiped clear off the earth. At first, Jenna had wanted to go on alone, but Cloud Runner had insisted that she stay, for the sake of the pups. Now, as the third week of their search neared an end, Jenna’s ears twitched as she listened. The voice sounded so familiar...

“What?” Jenna could barely contain the excitement that filled her. “Where is he?”

“I’m not sure. He’s too far away to tell, but Desai and I will go with you.”

“Jenna, you’ll need the protection.” She leaned close and whispered, “In most wolf packs, adultery is lower even than murder, and some of the punishments are, well, excessively painful.”

“Cloud Runner, thank you for offering, but I’ll be going alone from here.” Cloud Runner sighed and nodded.

“The best I can figure, he’s that way. Take care, Jenna.” She pointed north.

“Thanks. Good bye.” Jenna turned and padded off into the woods. As she walked, she thought about the last time she’d seen Balto, almost a whole week earlier…

“Jen, you know I can’t control this,” Balto replied, “I’m sorry. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Russell says this is the last trip for a while.”

“That’s what you said last time,” Jenna sighed and turned away, “Go ahead. Go find Russell. I know you love being up there.” Balto walked up beside her.

“Not as much as I love you, Jen.” Jenna looked at him. “As soon as I get back, you and I are going on a little vacation.” Jenna gave him a questioning look.

“I’m serious. We haven’t had much time together. We’ll go spend some time alone somewhere private. Like my place.”

“Good point.” He thought for a moment. “Why don’t we go back to that one clearing in woods…?” Jenna blushed.

“Hey, I just heard you talking to Krystal. She’s having her second litter…” He paused, and said hesitantly, “…and I guess you want another, too?” Jenna smiled and her cheeks matched her brick red fur. She nodded.

“Well, yeah, I mean, I just loved the old days; when we woke to the sound of little paws on the wood floor, teaching them how to walk, and then introducing them to their father’s big wolf friends.”

“Your wish is my command, my lady.” Balto kissed her on the cheek. “Bye, Jenna. I’ll be back in two days, three tops. Then, you and I can spend the whole day together if you want.”

“That would be great.” Jenna flashed him a smile and kissed him once on the cheek. “Alright, lover boy, I’ll see you when you get home.” Balto nodded and turned to leave. “And Balto…” He turned around. “Be careful, dear. I’ll be waiting.” He nuzzled her and then trotted down the street towards Russell’s house. Jenna watched him go and smiled. With that, she padded back to her home and crawled through the doggy door into the kitchen. Finding a fire in the living room fireplace, she curled up on the bed she shared with Balto and fell asleep.

The next day, Jenna was walking down main street toward the boiler room; a special meeting had been called. As she walked, she thought of Balto, and how she would spend her day with him when he got home. When she entered the boiler room, though, she stopped abruptly, her eyes resting on a black husky with a sled dog collar around his neck.

“Kale?” she said in disbelief. The black husky’s head snapped in her direction and he gasped.

“For almost a year,” Kale replied proudly, “My musher says I’d make a great lead dog.”

“Sure. It’s been so long. You’ve got to tell me about Applegate. Has anything changed?” Jenna and Kale padded out of the boiler room and down main street.

“Not much has changed…except that you’re not there anymore. I really missed you.”

“Hey Jenna, why don’t you show me around Nome?” Kale interrupted, cutting Jenna off.

“Well, you’ve already met Doc, right?”

“Well then, I’ll show you my house.” She led Kale up to her small wooden home on the edge of town and stepped through the doggy door in the kitchen. Kale followed her.

“Thanks. Rosie and her family are at a friend’s house, I guess, so we can just talk here.” Jenna lay down by the fireplace and Kale did the same. As they lay facing each other, Kale smiled and they began to chat about Fairbanks and the good old times…

Jenna sighed and thought, that night we went back to the boiler room… He just wanted to talk; at least that’s what he said… She suddenly felt queasy and bowed her head, expecting to throw up again, but then she realized that it was more pain in her stomach than queasiness. She felt movement within herself and shuddered. A tear came to her eye as she thought, Even if Balto does forgive me, I’ll still be having Kale’s pups!! Oh, what will Balto say? What will he DO? She shook her head and took a deep breath. No, he wouldn’t hurt me…would he?

Just then, Jenna heard rustling in the bushes, and a tan wolf stepped into view, his eyes trained on her.

“Who are you?” he growled. Jenna felt her heart pounding in her chest as she stared fearfully back at this new aggressor. His muscular shoulders and legs proved that he was very fast. He could catch her easily if she tried to run. And his teeth, bared and quite visible, glinted in the sun. He could tear her to pieces if he wanted to. Trying her best to hide the fear in her quivering voice, she said,

“J-Jenna. Please don’t hurt me. If I’m on your land, I’m very sorry. I don’t mean any harm.”

“Hurt you?” the wolf replied, “Hurt you?” He threw back his head and laughed. “Why would I harm a pretty girl like you?” He stepped closer, and though every nerve in her body screamed at her to run, Jenna’s paws seemed stuck in their spots. The tan wolf put a paw on her shoulder.

“I-If you’ll let me, I’ll gladly leave,” Jenna said. Suddenly, a howl from not too far off sounded through the forest. The tan wolf listened intently and shook his head.

“Sorry, I got orders to bring you back to the den. Come on.” Jenna hesitated, but another tan wolf appeared beside her and the two marched her away into the underbrush. As she walked timidly between the two strong wolves, Jenna did her best to calm her panicking mind. Calm down, they’re not threatening you, you’re alright for now. She glanced at the wolf who had first confronted her. And even if things go bad, I might have one friend…

“You stay in here until we say otherwise,” the second tan wolf pointed into a small den dug into the side of a hill. Jenna padded in and laid down facing the entrance. To her surprise, the tan wolf walked away!

A few minutes later, still no one had come to even see if she was still there. Deciding that this might be here only chance at escape, Jenna stood and started to walk out. Before she took ten steps, however, she was seized by a sudden pain in her stomach. At first, Jenna tried to ignore it, but the pain intensified, forcing her to lie down again. Just then, the first tan wolf, the one who had confronted her first, padded up with what looked like part of an animal’s side. Jenna looked up at him questioningly. He smiled.

“Even though you are a stranger, you are still a guest on our land and are to be treated as one.” Jenna looked at the steaming meat. Despite its questionable appearance, the scent made Jenna’s mouth water. She took a bite and found it delicious.

“I knew you’d be hungry at this point in your preg…” He trailed off, but Jenna, too occupied with eating, didn’t notice. “I’m glad you like the caribou, Jenna,” said the tan wolf. At this, Jenna’s ears shot forward and she quickly looked up, but he was already gone. Jenna shook her head, wondering if she’d been dreaming. No, she thought, he did say my name! But how did he know it in the first place?

After a short while, Jenna was brought before a group nine of wolves. Judging by the scars on some of their faces, Jenna guessed that they were the pack elders. The two tan wolves sat down on either side of her, and eight of the ‘elders’ sat down as well, four on either side of a old gray male, who remained standing. He walked forward and sent Jenna’s two guards away. As soon as they had left, the gray elder circled her, eyeing her posture, how she spread her legs in standing and how she held her tail. He stopped and addressed her.

“Odd, I would have thought the naghu used the same dominance order as we do.”

“If you mean the sled dogs, your grace, we have little need of a dominance order among ourselves.” The gray elder laughed softly.

“Yes. Our humans are the alphas of teams as well as individuals. We do investigate crimes and punish our criminals in our own way, but other than that I suppose we depend on our humans.”

“Well, yes, most of us were adopted and cared for by humans our whole lives… Except…”

“I see you bear children,” he said, nodding at Jenna’s growing belly, “Please, lie down, you must be tired.” Jenna gratefully sank to the ground. “Why are you so far from home? You should be with your humans, resting.” Jenna’s eyes hit the ground.

“Find him? Why would a father leave his mate so close to birth?” He noticed that Jenna was beginning to tear up. He thought for a moment and said quietly, “These are not his pups, are they?” Jenna slowly shook her head. Garth’s eyes narrowed and he sighed. He turned and walked over to the eight other elders and said something quietly to them. They nodded and formed a large circle around Jenna, who looked around at them warily. Just then, Garth spoke up again.

Jenna gasped. She had witnessed the gauntlet once before, when Cloud Runner’s first mate had forsaken her love and ran off with an outsider. He had returned in the middle of the night in hopes that every one would be asleep. Instead, he was confronted by Cloud Runner and the rest of the pack, all wide awake and ready. Teary-eyed, Cloud Runner had asked him why he’d done it. Her mate had boldly and rudely snapped back at her that she was nothing compared to his new love. A bad mistake. Cloud Runner had then told the pack to prepare the gauntlet. They obeyed, standing on either side of him and forming a long, thin passage between their two lines. Though her mate had hesitated, Cloud Runner’s mind had been resolved and she pushed him between the first two wolves. Immediately, they had begun biting and clawing at him until he pressed forward. He had met the same treatment all the way through until he emerged, scared, bleeding, bruised, and exhausted out the other end of the gauntlet. He had looked back at Cloud Runner, but her glare burned holes in his head. At that point, he had turned and ran, never to be seen again. Garth’s voice shook Jenna from her memories.

“…but seeing that you are not a wolf and that this is not a very normal situation, I believe it would be fairer if you had a more personal trial.” He stepped aside and a familiar brown wolf-dog padded forward.

“I see you enjoyed your night in the boiler room.” He nodded at Jenna’s swollen stomach. “So where’s Kale?”

“Balto, I… I don’t even know where to start, I…” She blinked back tears. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Apparently you thought you loved him,” Balto said coldly. For the second time since her night in the boiler room, Jenna felt as if she’d been shot.

“No, Balto… I didn’t… He was just a friend, I… I didn’t mean to…” Balto met her eyes directly and gave her the most heart wrenching look she’d ever seen. His face was contorted in such sorrow, anger, betrayal, and agony that Jenna burst into tears. The elders looked away, but Balto continued to glare at Jenna. After a moment of sobbing, she looked up at him and said, “Balto, I never meant to do what I did. I don’t know what happened, I… I’m so sorry.” Balto closed his eyes and said nothing. None of the elders spoke. Even the wind seemed to quiet itself. The only sound was Jenna crying softly as she looked at her mate. Just then, he began to quiver. “Balto?” His eyes opened, unleashing twin rivers of tears that etched their way down his face.

“I never thought you would do that to me, Jenna. I thought you loved me. I thought I MEANT something to you. But you run off with this guy Kale and then expect me to forgive you? Like what you did doesn’t matter?” His voice failed and deep sobs found their way out of his muzzle. Jenna felt her heart wrench as she watched him and, despite what he had said, she moved closer.

“Balto,” she began, “I…I know you hate me and I don’t blame you at all.” She fought back new tears. “But I still love you, and I always will, even…even if you never return that love. I’ll love you till the day I die. I…I’m so sorry. I don’t deserve any manner of mercy. Just…just kill me now and be done with it. Maybe it will make up for my mistake.” She raised her muzzle to the heavens, exposing the entire front of her neck and chest. “I’m at your mercy,” she whispered. With that, she closed her eyes and waited for the end, but it didn’t come. She opened her eyes to see Balto walking away.

“Go back to Nome, Jenna, and raise those pups. Just tell them their father was killed.” Jenna couldn’t believe it. The male who had every right to kill her had simply walked away. Despite the pain in her stomach, she stood and started to follow him, but Garth blocked her way.

“His judgment is final,” he said, “Now I believe you should be going home. I’ll send one of my guards with you.”

As he padded back towards the forest, Balto looked over his shoulder at Jenna. She was walking away slowly, her head hung. Even at his distance, Balto could still hear her crying. He shed a few tears as he watched her go.

“So this is it, then. I had hoped…” He bowed his head and turned towards the forest. Just as he was about to bound into the woods and leave what would have been his old life behind, a desperate howl echoed through the trees.

“Garth!” the wolf called, “The Conae, they’re back, they-” The call ended in a startled yelp. Balto looked through the trees just in time to see one of Garth’s sentries being overwhelmed. The brave wolf fought to the death. As his body shuddered and went limp, his attackers turned and joined their comrades, now rushing toward Garth’s startled pack. As he turned and began to run back towards the den and the pack, Balto heard Garth yell,

Jenna couldn’t believe what was happening. Wolves were fighting everywhere. There was no safety anymore. Her guard called for her to follow him as he dashed back toward the den. They almost made it. When they were within sight of the small earthen cave, one of the attacking wolves pounced on her guard and tore into his throat. Jenna watched in horror as his body shuddered and went limp in a pool of blood. The Conae wolf looked at her and the skin around his teeth pulled back into a growl. Jenna began to panic, and quickly tried to back away, but in her haste she tripped on a fallen tree limb and fell to the ground.

“I’ve never tasted husky blood before…” the Conae wolf said menacingly. Jenna could only stare back into his dark brown eyes as he closed the distance between them. He raised his paw high above his head and Jenna closed her eyes as he brought it down. She didn’t feel a thing.

“I will kill you if you touch her,” someone growled. I know that voice, Jenna thought, opening her eyes, it…it can’t be… Balto had placed himself firmly between her and the Conae wolf, which lay sprawled on the ground in front of him. The assailant snarled viscously and Balto also bared his teeth. Balto charged and the two wolves met in a flurry of claws and teeth. Though Balto was an experienced fighter, the Conae wolf was stronger and more agile. He leapt and knocked Balto to the ground, pinning him there. Instinctively, Balto lashed out with his front paws and knocked the Conae off. Balto quickly got to his paws, but the Conae sprang back and caught him in the chest. Tumbling backwards, Balto landed hard on his back, and the Conae wolf jumped on him and closed his jaws around his throat.

“Nooooooo!” Jenna leapt at the Conae with fire in her eyes. Caught completely off guard, he had no time to defend himself as Jenna slashed a part of his muzzle away. The Conae leapt back in surprise, but before he could regain his senses one of Garth’s sentries was upon him. At the first chance he got, the Conae turned and ran.

Jenna stopped and looked around. Everywhere, the Conae were retreating; Garth’s pack had won. These thoughts were quickly swept from her mind when her eyes rested on Balto. He lay motionless in the snow, and a small pool of blood was growing beneath his pierced throat.

“Oh God…” she whispered. Garth padded up behind her. Not taking her eyes off of Balto, she said, “Is he…?” Garth put his ear against Balto’s chest and shook his head.

“No. He’s just unconscious from blood loss, but we have to get his throat mended now. Sentry!” A young black wolf ran up to him. “How many casualties?”

“Find Naku and bring her over here. This one needs help.” The sentry nodded and ran off towards the rest of the pack.

“He should be fine, but we’ll just have to see.” A silver female padded up beside him. “Naku will make sure that he heals, but for now, I believe that you need to leave.” Jenna looked sadly at Balto and started to follow Garth when she was seized by a searing pain in her stomach. With a cry of pain, she collapsed to the ground. Garth spun around.

“They’re…coming!” she replied, her speech interrupted by heavy breathing.

“Then follow me. Sentry! Help her!” the same black wolf ran up and helped Jenna struggle to her paws and follow Garth to a small earthen cave. Jenna lay down gratefully in the soft earth as the first contraction began.

“If you have need of anything, call for us,” said Garth. Jenna nodded hastily and cried out as her whole body began to shake. Garth and the sentry turned and left, mindful of her privacy.

“Well, his wounds have already- Look, he’s awake!” Balto lifted his head and looked around, still a little groggy.

“You’re in our territory, Balto,” Garth said. Balto started to get up, but Garth held him back. “Whoa there, you lost a lot of blood, Balto. You better take it easy for a while.”

“No, the pups came while you were unconscious, so we had to let her stay. As soon as it’s safe, I can have her sent back to Nome.”

“No, I…I’ve got to see her.” Balto stood and padded toward the small hillside den, leaving a confused Garth behind. When he reached the den, a silver wolf padded out.

“May I see them?” The silver wolf nodded and walked away. Balto stepped into the underground chamber. The first thing, or rather things, that he saw were two pups lying motionless against the wall. The two that didn’t make it, Balto thought. Both pups were black. He turned his head to the center of the small cave. Jenna lay on one side, sleeping, as three pups suckled at her stomach. Two were brick red, like their mother, but the third was black. We won’t be able to hide the truth from him for long. When he gets older, he’ll notice. He’ll have questions. And we’ll only have one true answer. Balto sighed, and Jenna’s ears twitched. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw him watching her.

“They’re beautiful, Jenna. Have you named them yet?” Not sure if she should believe what she was hearing, Jenna replied,

“I…haven’t really thought about that.” Jenna tried to hold back the tears that she knew were coming. “Balto, I…I can’t live without you. I’m so sorry for what I did. I want to go back in time and undo everything. I never should have trusted Kale. He said he’d missed me so much. It’s been more than a year since we last saw each other in Fairbanks.”

“We…we were friends since we were pups. Before I left, we were practically in love with each other. But then Rosie and her family moved to Nome and I thought I should just move on.” She paused and swallowed hard as she recalled that night in the boiler room. “He wanted to start right where we left off, but I was so tired, I…I don’t even know what I said.”

“The more I hear about this,” he said, “the more it sounds like he played you for a fool. You say you don't remember anything?"

"I was exhausted, we'd been running all day; racing, just like old times," she replied. "We just stopped at the boiler room to warm up before I went home. I don't remember what I said, but.." She gave a start. "I fell asleep," she whispered. "I fell asleep watching the fire."

Jenna nodded, and suddenly Balto could see her expression changing as she realized what he could already see. He moved closer.

"Jenna, even based on what you just told me, I don't think you cheated on me." He lowered his voice. "I think your friend Kale just...well..."

Jenna recoiled a bit from the shock, but suddenly she began to cry again. The toil of her journey and all the stress and anguish she'd bottled up were finally taking their toll on her. Unable to see her like this, Balto put one paw over her and held her close.

Jenna stopped sobbing and looked at him in disbelief, but one look back from Balto told her that he was serious. He smiled reassuringly, and she couldn't help but smile back.

“They’re perfect names, Balto.” The two sat in uneasy silence for a moment, and then Balto spoke.

“As soon as you’re ready, we’ll take them home, Jen.” Jenna looked at him in disbelief again. Balto smiled. “I still love you, Jenna.”

“I love you too, Balto. I love you so much!” Balto leaned closer and nuzzled her, and Jenna nuzzled him back as joyful tears filled her eyes.

“How about Carla?” Balto suggested. Jenna smiled and yawned. “Get some rest, Jenna. You’ll need it.” Jenna nodded and laid her head down once again. Even as she drifted off to sleep, Balto lay awake, watching her. Can I really do this? he thought, can I raise pups that aren’t mine? He laid his head on his paws and thought for a while, but then he smiled. It might be tough, but it will be more than worth it.

Meanwhile in Nome, Kodi padded down main street and watched as the humans shoveled the snow away. Just yesterday, the string of storms that had kept everyone indoors for weeks had finally passed them by. Maybe now, he thought, Dusty and I can teach the pups to walk. Kodi smiled as he walked toward the boiler room, but one look at it brought memories. A few days after both of his parents had disappeared into the forest, he and Doc had run into Kale and interrogated him, but because Jenna was not there they had to let him leave with his sled team. We never should have let him go, he thought, **** you, Kale!

Suddenly, he imagined he heard a wolf howl. He turned, half expecting to see his father on the hill outside of town. He did, and his mother was right beside him. At first, he wasn’t sure whether to be angry or glad. Balto could have made up with Jenna, but he could also be bringing her back to Nome for a trial. Kodi dashed out to meet them and saw that each carried a pup in their mouths and his father also carried one on his back.

“A wise pup once told me that there is power in forgiveness,” Balto replied, smiling at Kodi, “Besides, she’s still your mother.” Kodi nodded and followed his parents into Jenna’s home. She lay down, exhausted, on her pillow in the kitchen and let the pups suckle while she drifted off to sleep. Balto motioned to Kodi that he wanted to talk outside and both stepped back out into the cool Artic air.

“I still don’t believe you forgave her!” Kodi said as soon as they were outside.

“It took some convincing, but I think that Kale might have just..taken what he wanted."

"You see? I'll let your mother explain later," he said. "Now where is Kale? I’ve got a couple questions for him.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Jenna has his pups. He’s bound to stop by and check on them at least. That’s when I plan to have a little chat with him.”

“Well, as long as you’re here we should clear this whole thing up with Doc,” Kodi said. "I mean, mom's innocent, isn't she?"

A few minutes later, Jenna woke to paws clicking on the floor. She opened her eyes slightly and gasped.

“My musher had a change of plans.” Jenna noticed part of the sled traces had been chewed off, but were still connected to his collar. She frowned.

“Your pups!" Jenna cried. "Kale, you lied to me! I remember it now; I told you that I had a mate, and I said no!” She took a few steps toward him, her eyes burning, and he staggered back hastily. "And when I fell asleep, you...you just took what you wanted, didn't you?" Kale said nothing. "And when I woke up, you made me believe that I'd done it of my own free will!"

“So you found out? Who cares?" He leaned closer. "Do you think that mate of yours really believes you?” Jenna pushed him away. "You can still come with me..." he taunted.

“You're sick to think I'll leave Balto. As much as I loved you back in Applegate, things are different now. You're different now. ” She gave him an angry look. “I still have a mate, and we've already had a litter of pups. And we were going to have a second, but now we’re raising your pups. You’re lucky Balto didn’t kill them. That’s not uncommon in wolf culture if the mother committed adultery to have them.”

“Stop calling me that! Kale, you nearly ruined my life, and I ought to turn you over to Doc, but this is your one chance to leave me and never come back. Think what you want, but after what you did, I'll never love you again.” Jenna looked away, and behind her Kale growled,

“You’re going to wish you hadn’t said that.” Before Jenna could do anything, he leapt on her and brought her crashing to the floor. Pressing her muzzle into the wood, he lay on top of her and whispered menacingly, “So, you’re just going to forget about me and stay with your wolf-dog mate, huh? Well, maybe a second litter with me will change your mind!” He rolled her over and stood over her. As soon as he released her muzzle, Jenna screamed at the top of her lungs.

Kale slapped her hard across the face, leaving a deep, four claw cut. Jenna put a paw over the wound and looked back at Kale in shock.

“How do you like that?” he snarled. Jenna tried to crawl away, but Kale put his paws on her shoulders, and his claws dug into her flesh.

“Oh,” he replied sarcastically, “did that hurt? How about this?” He sank his teeth into one of her front paws. Jenna really screamed then. “We can still make this work, Jenna. I know a place we can go where no one will ever find us.” A stream of tears and blood streamed down her face, but Jenna managed to growl,

That was it. Kale hit her so hard that she was sent flying into the kitchen table. One of the legs snapped and the table came down on top of her. Jenna tried to get up, but her body seemed to be giving up. She could barely feel her legs, and her vision was beginning to swirl, but she could still see Kale walking towards her, laughing.

“If I can’t have you, then no one will!” Jenna tried once more to stand, but the weight of the oak table was too much. She collapsed on her side and looked up again. Kale stood above her, his teeth bared. Jenna closed her eyes as he leaned down to end her life.

Suddenly, she heard what might have been a growl, but what sounded more like a roar. Kale cried out in surprise and Jenna opened her eyes again. It was Balto. Kale was on the ground and already bleeding from several wounds. Balto stood over the black husky and continued to maul him until Kodi arrived with Kaltag and Nikki. Kodi tried to pull Balto off of Kale with little success.

“So you wanted to kill her, huh?” he screamed, “Because she wouldn’t leave me for you, right?” Kaltag and Kodi finally dragged him away from Kale, but even so they had to hold him back while Nikki escorted him to the boiler room for trial. As soon as Kale and Nikki had left, though, Balto ran back into the kitchen and skidded to a halt in front of what remained of the oak table. “Oh God... Kaltag!” The tan husky was beside him in an instant. Balto pushed the table off Jenna’s back and nuzzled her. After a moment, her eyes opened and she smiled weakly.

“I would be if you hadn’t shown up when you did,” Jenna replied faintly as she struggled to stand. She nearly collapsed again, but Balto helped her up and said,

Two weeks later, Jenna got up from her bed and let the pups sleep. When she put her paws on the window sill, her right one gave a small burst of pain, reminding her of the day Kale had nearly killed her. Thankfully, Balto appeared in the nick of time and Kale was hauled off to the boiler room for trial. After seeing Jenna’s wounds and hearing Balto’s testimony, Doc banished Kale from Nome. Now the pups were becoming more and more work, but that night, they had finally calmed down and gone to bed. Jenna sighed as she watched them sleeping. It wouldn’t be long until she’d have to tell them the truth. She glanced anxiously out the window again and saw what she had hoped for. A few seconds later, Balto crawled through the doggy door and met her in the kitchen.

“Hey Jen, I know it’s late, but would you like to stay up a while and talk?”

“I’d love to.” She lay down on their pillow. Balto lay down beside her and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, I thought we were just talking.”

“Well, between all that happened with Kale and you and my trips with Russell, I haven’t had some quality time with you for more than a month,” he replied, “So I thought tonight we could do some catching up.” He wrapped his paws around her. Jenna smiled and held him close as they kissed.