Ripple couldn't believe her ears. "Justin? How? He could always get in and out of trouble with ease!"

  "Not this time," growled the wolf. "I am Tinpi, alpha of our pack."

  "Justin was set to be alpha!" Ripple howled. "Justin was the heir! What alphs roots do you have?"

  "None," growled Tinpi. "But I was the one who saw him die. Justin asked me to take his position."

  "Impossible," Ripple snarled. "I would think that he'[s ask someone that he had a bond with! Soemone like-"

  "-you?" asked Tinpi. "Little pup, you left him."

  "He told me to!" Ripple yelled. "You're just a rotting flee bag!"

 Tinpi sslashed her face with his unsheathed claws. "Hold your tonque."

  Ripple turned her bleeding face to him. "I hold my tonque to thosse who deserve the silence," Ripple spat at his paws, "Murderer."

  There were shocked gasps among the wolves and Spark knew that Ripple had gone too far. Tinpi pinned her and hissed soemthign in her ear. Ripple growled something back and Tinpi snarled.

  "Take her to my cave," he ordered.

  "No!" Spark and her sisters yelled.

  "I'll never be the alpha female!" Ripple holalred. Spark gaped. That's what he asked. Sick! Spark took in his appearance. He had glistening dark gray fur and large musceles. Tinpi was sbout her age actually! Though, it was still sick. Some of the wolves grabbed Ripple by her tail, paws, and scruff.

  "Knock it off!" yelled a voice. A black male wolf wiht a white muzzlebegan to fight off the wolves. "Run!"

  "Can't!" groaned Ripple. The wolf slashed a paw at the wolf holding her by the scruff. Ripple threw her neck back and bit a wolf thast had her paw. The new comer continued to fight with Ripple. He seemed oddly farmiliar to her. Spark flew at the wolf on Ripple's tail, while Howler launched hjerself at a wolf approaching Ripple, and Sandy flew at another wolf on her sister. Soon, Ripple was free. She, Spark, Howler, Sandy, and the wolf fled from the pack. Once they reached their cave, the wolf left as quickly as he came.

  "What?" Spark whispered.

  "He's so farmiliar," Ripple murmured.

 The next day, Spark went for a walk around the forest. A farmiliar scent reached her nostrils. She saw a powerful looking white dog up ahead. He ran to her, snarling.

   "You!" he snarled. Taken aback, Spark stumbled on a root and fell on her back. The dog stepped over her, paw on her chest, teeth gleeming, just inches above her face. Spark gasped and winced. What would the dog do to her? "Maybe you can help me."

  "With what?" groaned Spark. His paw didn't loosen on her chest. Instead, he pushed harder. Spark groaned with pain. She was gasping for breath.

  "You look kind of like her," he said, thoughtfully. "Do you know a dog named Spark?"

   "Let's say I did," she groaned, carefull about what words she used. "What do you want with her?"

  "My biusiness," he growled. "Do you know her?"

   Why hide? He'll kill me anyway, she thought. "Yes, I do."

  "Where is she?" demanded the wolf, pressing harder on her chest, muzzle not even an inch from hers.

   "Your standing on her," Spark grumbled, angrily.

  "Spark?" he asked. He got off quickly. "It's me." Sencing her confusion, the dog growled with frustration. "Did you really forget? It's me, Peter."

  "Peter?" gasped Spark. She stood up and wagged her tail. "It's so good to see you!"

  "Is it?" Peter snapped.

  "what do you mean?" Spark asked.

   "You left!" Peter roared. "You left! Don't you care?"

   "Of course I do," Spark replied.

 "Sure," her snorted.

   "Peter!" Spark cried. He turneed his back on her. "Don't turn on me."

  "Why not?" Peter spun around to face her. "Why not when you turned yours on me?"

  "I didn't," Spark whsipered.

  "Yes you did!" Peter snapped. "You left! I didn't have any friends other than you! You could have warned me instead of diappearing!"

  "I'm sorry," Spark responded.

  "No your not," retorted Peter.

  "Not everyone's perfect!" Spark snapped. "I'm sorry that I don't fir in your perfect world!"

  Peter snarled and pinned her, muzzle again inches from hers, paws weighing down heavily on her chest. "Is sthat what you think my world is? Perfect? I might just kill you now."

  "Go ahead," retorted Spark. "You're the one on top."

  "No." Peter got off her and began to walk away.

  "Hey, you! Bully!" howled a voice. Spark looked up and saw three she-wolves stalking towards Peter. They were her siblings. Ripple howled. "Get him."

  Howler looked at Ripple. "You're in charge?"

  "No are you nuts? Let's just get him!" Ripple rpelied. She leaped at Peter.

  "She makes a good point," Howler shrugged. She flew at Peter.

  "Violence, violence," Sandy shook her head, smiling. Then she leaped aqt Peter as well.

 
  "Enough!" yelled Spark. Sandy pulled away from the battered dog, her sisterrs following.

  "They're why I left," Spark growled. "My family. You might not have known, but my owner hurt me."

   Peter's face fell. "What? i d-din't know. I-I'm sorry."

  "It's alright," Spark nodded. "Come on." they began to walk back home.

  On the way to the cave, Ripple heard a twig crack behind htem. Seeing as she was breinging up the rear, it couldn't have been the others. she stopped silently, so that her family and Peter didn't know.

  Ripple turned around. "Show yourself," she whispered.

    "It's me. I wanted to catch you alone." The wolf from earlier appeared.

  "Why?" she growled.

  He laughed. "I thoguht it would be obvious. Here's a hint: 'We're just a howlin' at the moon'."

    Ripple's eyes widened. "Justin."

   To be continued...