I was cold and wet, I knew my Mother had just been here. Why had she left me so suddenly in a place I could not see?  Everything was dark, the damp ground sent shivers down my spine and the horrid smell of burning pine was still strong in the air. I yelled and howled as loud as my voice would go, but all that answered me back was a long sorrowfull echo. Fear pierced through me making my small heart beat faster, I knew I had to calm or I would loose myself in this strange place. If I could just get my footing and make it to the open where I could finally catch my breath away from the smoke. I tried, but my paws were still too small, but I knew I couldn't give up, I tried again digging my tiny claws into the soiled dirt. I took one small blind step then another and another. I fell head first  hitting a long bony surface of something. I whimpered slightly with out meaning too, but that fall wasn't too easy on my weak body.

"Shshs" I heard a very gentle voice say, I cried again as the warm body encirlcled me trying to calm my fear. I sniffed the air. The body next to me smelled wild, almost like my Father, but I knew my Dad to well to know that it wasn't him. I wanted to fight the wolf away, but he seemed kind and my thoughts went back to how my Father had felt when he put his huge paws around me and sang a soft lullaby in my ear. The wolf's body was warm I sniffed the air agian and there was an odd smell I had never smelled before, one not so wild somewhat tamed, but before I could think about it much more I fell asleep.

       The next moment things were blury and I was barely aware of voices and dogs around me, in different circumstances I would have fought them off, though being so small I couldn't do so much. I was too weak though, and I could feel my body begining to relax I only wanted to sleep, but the wolf from earlier wouldn't quit shaking me, and pawning me around in his big paws, it was impossible to sleep being jostled around in such a manner. I whined agian a pitiful howl everything I had held in suddenly came out.

"Balto, be careful with her"  A much softer voice than from the woods said.

"I'm just trying to keep her awake" He said honestly. "If she falls asleep now we could loose her"

"Well lets see if shes hungry, put her beside me"  The kind voice said

"Where are the pups?" 

"Their asleep in the basket" 

"You sure you want to try this?" The wolf, named, Balto said

"Do you see any other willing mothers around here?"  I could feel the grin as it crossed both their faces.

       I was lifted into the air so lightly I felt weightless and I came down easy on a soft pillow next to the sofest fur I had ever felt, even my Mom's hadn't been so soft. Mom had rough hair, Dad said it was white just like mine, I wish I could have seen her, but the world was still a new place to me, and so far it had been unwelcoming, I wandered if I would ever see it as the beauty my parents had spoken of it. I felt a cold nose nudge me gently, as the dog nuzzled my head, I sniffed her curiosly, though I had no sight, with my nose I could see see the world. She didn't smell wild like the other yet I could tell there was a conection between them, two dogs so different yet such a strong bond, I wandered if I too would ever have such a place I could belong. The dog again nuzzled me gently and I put my paw against her cheek.

  "Balto" I heard the soft voice whisper in delight

 "Already found an attachment huh?"  He nuzzled me lovingly.

            I allowed myself to fall back down and sink into the soft surface beaneath me. I curled up as close as I could to the the dog, she was soft and warm and somehow I knew everything was going to be ok as Balto put a gently paw over me to stop my shivering. Maybe I had already found that place and didn't even know. 

            ************************

   "Wait up Adele!"   Aniu yelled laughing as she passed Kodi and tried to keep up with her younger sister. "Come on you have to keep up" Adele yelled excitedly as she ran down the beach to reach her father at the other end. Adele had grown, no longer was she the weak pup found in the forest, but an, already tall, sleek and slender, growing pup. Her white fur glistened and her eyes blue eyes sparkled with the anticipation and excitement of the whole world around her. She was bigger than the others, though being the youngest. She was taller and had big paws and longs legs, and runing came to her with ease, she loved to feel the wind through her fur and have the feeling that she could do anything, anything at all.

  "I won" Adele screamed as she crossed the line and fell down playfully at Balto's feet, he smiled pushing her around and baring his paws at her as he growled gently. The other pups came gasping for air over the finish line.

      "Adele, don't you think you could let just one of us win some time?"   Kodi said falling to the ground tiredly.

  "Nope" Adele pranced around him slyly "You gotta work for it, your outta shape there Kodi" She laughed, she knew how to get him in a defensive mood.

  "O yea, you think so?"  He said standing to his feet.

 "Ahm" Adele nodded.

       Un-expectely, Kodi jumped on his sister, taking her off guard and making them both fall in the tide of the water as it came in. They fought playfully, till Kodi had Adele on the ground laughing, as she reached and grabbed his ear gently with her teeth.

  "Ok be nice" Jenna said coming to her pups, "Look at you your soked" She sighed rolling her eyes with a smile. "It looks like someone is going to need a bath"

 "AWW" Both Kodi and Adele said "But Mom" Kodi objected.

  "No buts, you cant possibly come inside with all that sand matted in your fur"

   "I told you so" Saba said prancing on daintily, she was the girlistest of the pups and she loved a chance to rub it in about baths and such. "You need to learn to love baths, there good for you, it keeps your fur silky soft" 

        Kodi and Dingo rolled thier eyes, and then snuck quietly behind Saba as she went on and on.

 "Save your life" Dingo screamed pushing Saba into the water, she imeaditaly yelled for Mom.

 "Mom look what they did, now my bow is runined" She cried

 "Boys'  Balto said a little harshly to warn them.

 "Saba its not that bad,a towel a brush and you will be as good as new." Jenna conforted her pup

 "Yea Saba come on its not so bad to get a little dirty" Aleu said, it really bothered her sometimes how Saba couldnt stand the world around her, to Aleu it was a place full of things to expierence dirt was just another thing that added to it.

 "Yea coming from the dog who buries her bones" Saba snapped.

 Aleu shrugged and rolled her eyes "Theres no point in wasting them"

   "Daddy I'm tired" Adele said leaning agianst Balto's shoulder.

 "And I'm hungry" Dingo added

   "Yea me too, Jen it's getting a little late, want to head back home?" 

   "Yea we probably should" Jenna agreed walking close by Balto's side.

  "Come on Aleu, Here Saba you can ride on my back"  Balto said lifting Saba into the air as she smiled excitedly, she stuck her tounge out un-obsreved though to the other pups, who were still laughing at how wet she was.

   They were half way up the bank when Jenna relized she had left her bandana back at the beach.

  "I'll go get it" Adele offered quickly.

  "I wanna go" Dingo protested.

  "I'm the fastest" Adele said pushing him.

 'I'm the strongest" Dingo smiled.

  "SO what does that have to do with anyhing?"

 "Hold it" Balto commanded "Why don't you both go" 

      Before Balto could finsh both pups had darted down the beach to look for the bandana.

   "You look at that end, and I'll look over here it couldn't have gone far" Dingo said instructingly.

  "Ok meet back here in a second" 

     Adele turned toward the north and looked around, but she didn't see the bandana. She put her nose in the air and sniffed, at first all she smelled was the wide see and the birds flyingover head, the fish that filled the ocean and the cold sand beneath her paws. But she concentrated more then she caught the scent of her mother, it was srtong, she looked around her, there was a few bushes and a sand dune, she looked more closely and there lay Jenna's bandana. She smirked, she always had had a good scense of smell. She picked it up gently in her mouth and turned around, but the sight she saw made her step back.

          It was Tyler, Steele's son. He looked like his mother, tall and slender, but his temper was mean. He had taken every moment to try and be like his father, and he had done well. He was mean and tough and felt nothing, his heart was as cold has his deep dark eyes and he hated Adele, and her sibilings, but he pointed his anger at her, b/c she was all wolf. The line that seperates wolf from dog wasn't apparant in her , just like in Balto, and that above all else drove Steele, Tyler and other dogs like them crazey. Few believed there was a fine line between wolf and dog, domesticated and wild, mix and pure, but those who did, enforced it with rage.

   "Well look what we have here" Tyler said grinning slyly as he walked slowly around Adele.

  "A little far from your terriotory don't you think?"  Tyler growled.

  "A little far from your brood don't you think" Adele snapped coldly.

   Tyler laughed "That hurts, that rellay hurts" He said pretending to cry, it only drove Adele to more fury, but she hid it, thats what Tyler wanted, what he lived off of. No way she was about to let him get the satisfation of knowing he had won.

             "Why don't you go howl at the moon wolf" He said sharply circling her so closly she felt his hair agianst hers as it bristled. "You know I think its real nice that you live here" He suddenly said, every action changing as he actually sounded sincere.

   "What?" Adele asked carefully, she knew better than to trust him.

   "Yea, I mean after all where else were you going to live, you apparantly weren't good enough for your parents, if that half breed Balto hadn't found you you'd still be out in the woods but then again thats where wild things like you belong" He growled as a grin crossed his face.

  "What" Adele yelled fury driving her.

   "You heard me, why don't you just get out of here you trash"  Before Tyler could get another thing out of his mouth, Adele lunged forward throwing her small body over Tyler and biting down on the first thing her teeth touched. Tyler growled in pain and fought back. Even though Adele was larger than the average pup, Tyler, like his father had a build and he was strong. He threw her down and she slid across the sand with a yelp. As she regained her sences, Tyler rushed at her and she was helpless. Just as he lunged though, a red figure knocked him down and he landed barely on his feet. Adele looked up and through her tears she was thankful to see Kodi.

   "Why don't you pick on some one your own size you coward" Kodi growled trying to hold back the anger that drove him to attacking Tyler then and there.

    "Like you half breed?" Tyler demanded

   "Yea" Kodi said boldly not an ounce of hesitation.

     "Willing to take on a pure husky"  Tyler flaunted

    "Yea haven't you heard, its been proven wolf can kick some real mean husky...." Before Kodi finished and another fight began a bold warning voice was heard and as Adele looked she saw Balto coming down the shore.

     "Kodi" Balto said, but Kodi and Tyler kept thier angered gaze on eachother.

  "Son, whats goin on?" A different deeper voice yelled also coming from the other end of the beach and heading for them, it was Steele. Tyler gave one last defying grin at Kodi and turned to his Father as he came to his side.

   "Dad, I was playig on the beach and Adele attacked me" He said faking it trying to hide the laughter from his eyes.

     "What, is that what happened to you ear?"  Steele asked in a rage of his own fury. It couldn't be denied there had been a fight, Tyler's ear was bleeding a bit from where Adele had, hardley attacked, but tried to defend herself.

  "Yes sir" Tyler said some how managing a tear.

 "Daddy it did not" Adele said runing to Balto's side.

   "He came over here to me and then Kodi saved me"   Adele pleaded, Balto just stood close to both his pups and nodded.

  "Nothing happened here Steele just another argument it seems" Balto glared at him, this had happened before, but Balto couldn't always be everywhere at once, no matter how much he wanted to be. 

     "Don't even go there Balto" Steele said coldly "I told you too keep your pups and that mangy wolf you found away from my family AND I meant it! If it happens agian I'll be forced to take matters into my own ways" He said

  Balto lost it he stood his ground firmly and growled "I'd like to see you try"

    "Balto" Jenna said coming with the other pups following after her as she stopped at the site of Steele.

   Steele looked taken off guard for a moment and Adele held her breath the last thing she wanted was for her Father to get into a fight with such a brute, but Steele wasn't as brave as he seemed. He grinned then stuck his nose and the air, and shoving Tyler on, walked away.Balto breathed heavy but soon his gaze went from the temepered Steele to his pups, Kodi and Adele.

  "Are you ok?" Jenna asked as they all began talking at once, all except Adele, Kodi, and Balto.

  "Are you sure your ok?" Balto asked Kodi, nuging him seriously.

  "I'm ok Dad" Kodi smiled briefly as he looked straight into his Father's eye in a language only the father and son knew. "Adele what about you angel" He said turning to her, Jenna was nuzzling her gently as Adele got rid of the tears only Kodi had seen.

   "I'm ok"  She tried to smile

  "You sure darling?" Jenna asked

   "Yea mom I'm ok" She said standing to her feet shakily.

   "Wo there sis" Dingo said as he and Aleu came to her side to steady her.

   "Just a little off balance thats all" She laughed it off.

   "Heres your bandana mom"  Saba said picking it up from the sandy doon.

  "Thank you" Jenna smiled pulling all her pups close.

  "Mom now can we go home?"  Adele asked, leaning close to Kodi. Jenna smiled "Of course, whose ready for a bath"  Jenna laughed lightning the mood for most of the pups as they protested, all except for Saba that is.

  "Me, me, me" Saba yelled excitedly

  "Aw, come on Saba" Aleu rolled her eyes.

     Adele walked on in sielence as Kodi stuck close to her side. Out of all the pups, Adele an Kodi had the strongest bond. He was her big brother, and he took the job serious. He watched out for her, protected her, listened to her  every problem and made sure she was always happy. No matter what she knew she could always turn to him, but somehow things these past few months had only gotten worse. Before when she was young none of it mattered, the other pups next door that her and her sibilings alway played with never asked why she looked diferent, why she acted and smelled differnent, why natural characteristics of the wild still came to her with such ease whie the other feared the unknown, but one can not stay little forever, as time goes on one begins to grow and experience the world and questions begin to be asked. Soon everyone relized Adele wasn't just like everyone else and soon the word was around she was a wolf, and the secret was out.

           When they got home, Jenna immediatley rushed all the pups into the bathroom where Rosie walked with soap and towel in hand as Saba followed. Adele snuck away from everyone and went out side to the back porch, finally all the well hidden tears flodded her eyes. She was confused, upset, all she wanted was to be like everyone else, at least part dog, that way she would be more excepted. Had she really not been good enough, is that why her real Mom and Dad had left her, was it true, was she really un-lovable?

  "Adele"  Balto said in a gentle whisper at he came outside. Adeled turned her head quickly with a sniffle.

  "Adele angel are you ok?"  He said coming to her side slowly. Adele shook her head without turning. "I know better, whats goin on" He said settling down"  Adele turned to him her white fur matted with tears.

  "I just don't understand" She burst out  "What was so wrong with me, I mean did I mess up was I bad, why didn't they want me was I really not good enough so they left me, I just wish I was like everyone else but all everyone sees when they look at me is a wolf a horrible wolf wild and mean" She sobbed rubbing her head into Balto's shoulder as he covered her.

  "O honey, it was nothing like that, there is nothing wrong with you, your perfect" He smiled looking into her bright eyes.

   "Then why did they leave me"  She asked hopeless

   Balto sighed "I don't know, but I do know that the day I foud you was one of the greatest days of my life" He grinned thinking back. "Being a wolf is nothing to be ashamed of, its an honor you were born wild and free into a world so great dogs travel for years just to get a glimpse."

  "Then why does everyone take look at me and say well shes a wolf stand back" Adele asked

    "Everyone dosen't" Balto said lifting Adele's head to his.  "You know what I see?" He asked his brown eyes suddenly lighting.

  "What?"

   "I see a beautiful dog, strong willed and kind, strong and wise beyond her years, just waiting to get out, one day you are going to accomplish great things, you just have to be willing to run the mile"  Balto smiled

   Adele didn't quite no what he meant but she had the feeling she would one day and she decided to take it to heart, she smiled as Balto nuzzled her.

     "All that matters is I love you now, and I'll love you always your part of the family little one" He grinned.

    "I love you too Dad" She said giving his nose one last nudge. The Father and Daughter looked at the setting sun and took a moment. Then a yell made them both laugh.

   "Adele it's time for your bath! Hurry up before it get's cold" Jenna said as  Kodi and Aleu playfully argued in the back ground.

  "Dont do it Ding, if you touch one paw" Saba thretend

   "Come on Aleu your it" Kodi yelled as a vase crashed in the background.

   "That would be my cue" Balto smiled getting to his feet with a roll of his eyes playfully. "Come on" Balto nodded toward the door.

  "Dad" Adele pleaded "Can't we just go to the boat, I promised Uncle Boris a visit" Adele tried to talk him out of a bath.

    "O no your noth pullin the Uncle Boris trick on me agian, we can see him tomorrow, come on lets get that bath over with huh?" He smiled

  "Ok" Adele agreed "But you got to catch me first" Adele darted into the house with Balto following her where the whole thing escalated into a family tag game in doors, where lamps and frames rocked and fell all over the place with a sopa covered Rosie chasing them all.

   By the nights end though all of them had gotten a bath one way or another, and then it was time for bed, Balto and Jenna tucked the sleeping pups in and Adele smiled as her Mother kissed her forehead. Wolf or Dog it didn't matter home was home and this was her family.Adele did wander though if she would ever figure the past out, for there was a call sounding that even at first Adele herself did not understand. Though when one's calling is great, the past has a way of finding its way into the future.

 Ok I hope you guys all enjoyed this story if so let me know, I plan to do a sequel and its is going to deal on all the pups new found homes and it holds a lot more in store for Adele and the others. Well let me know how it is Thanks!