I felt like I was on fire despite the snowy and icy weather. I could see Red’s tail peeking out from behind a snow bank and I smiled; he had the right idea. I laid down in the snow and put the tip of my tail over my nose. I felt Red come and lay down beside me as my stomach gave a violent kick. I soon fell into a calming sleep.

~a week earlier~

“Bella! You’ll never guess what we saw out there! Seven deer and guess who took them all down?” Peter cockily walked over to me. I shook myself and smiled as he laid down behind me.

“You?” I guessed as he licked my nose lovingly. 

“Exactly.” We  had been happiest at moments like this, just hanging out and acting like best friends. The news of my pregnancy had spread around the pack like wild fire, reaching every wolf’s ears as soon as I had found out.

A few days had passed since the hunt and everyday I grew into more confusion. Was I ready for pups? Was I ready to be a mother? I’m only three years old… thoughts raged in my head as I laid in the cave, fearing the harsh snow that was beginning to build up. a few other females, including my friend

 “Bells!” I looked up to see Peter come in, shaking snow off of his tan fur.

 “Peter, what’s going on?” I asked curiously, getting up. Red followed him, tumbling over his paws.

“Bells, you need to get out of here.” He said. I looked up at him with confusion, why did he want me out of here?

“Wha… why?” I asked.

“The other pack has declared war on us Bells, you have to leave.” He moved a rock, revealing a compartment that held a scarf and a few other warm things we had stolen from the humans. He grabbed the deep blue scarf and put it around my neck.

“Are you coming with me?” I asked, as he pushed me towards the entrance.

“No, I have to stay and fight. Your pregnant you need to get out of here!” how that word was getting old. Pregnant. I wonder how many times that word had rolled off someone’s tongue in our pack? I stopped and faced him.

“I’m not leaving you.”  I stood in my place and was beginning to fell snow pile up behind my back legs. I could see the anger rising in his eyes.  

“Why are you so stubborn?!” he roared, but I didn’t flinch. I felt something telling me to obey his orders, but that wasn’t me- I never obeyed. Someone said something, I did the opposite. The wind blew some snow into Peter’s beautiful tan fur and I searched his face for any emotion. He looked like he was fighting himself. He raised his paw, while he shut his eyes. Blood was suddenly trickling down my neck as I stared at him. I couldn’t believe what he had just done. He had just hit me. I stared at him, confused. He looked at me with tearful eyes.

“Go!” I picked Red up by his scruff and ran towards the west. I could feel the cold stinging the new cut, but ignored it. I stopped in the middle of a large snowy field. What just happened?

~back to the present~

“Bella! Bella, Look a town!” I opened my eyes to see a snow backed Red standing in front of me. His tail was high in the air and I could see the small town standing on the horizon.      

“Probably a mail town, but it’s good enough for me.” I picked Red back up by his scruff and loped toward the beach on the right side. Once on the beach, I could see a large brown boat with a dog standing on the keel. I was captured by him. he had this wild look, that look so tamed at the same time.

            Oooff!

I fell over a bank of sand, sending Red flying into the icy water. I heard a soft thud of myself hitting the sand and I felt some of the grains get into my eyes. Suddenly, I was pulled up by my scruff. I stared into warm thick brown eyes.  

 “Hey, are you okay?” I nodded slowly at the rough voice and saw Red staggering over to us.

“Thanks Bells, I have water in my ears now.” The small red pup knocked his red head to the side causing water to spill out of the large ears of his. I giggled.  

“What were you guys doing? I saw you fall.” The unknown dog said to us, me mostly. I felt my heart race.  

“We were running and I tripped.”  

“What where you running from? Here, come onto my boat and tell me everything.” He smiled and stuck his paw out, leading towards the large land wrecked boat. I picked red up around his stomach and as we walked past him, I surveyed his eyes. They looked just like Red’s mother Maria’s eyes- wolf like.

We walked up the plank that lead onto the boat and Red wiggled in between my teeth. I let him go, only for him to drop on to the boat’s deck and scurry off where the captain would have been. The dog-or wolf, im not entirely sure what he was- walked up beside me and gave me a heart warming grin.  

“I’m Balto, just for the record.” I smiled at him, but I didn’t trust him yet. His smell was weird, different.

“I’m… Bella.” I said slowly as I watched him walk onto the boat. There was something about this Balto that made me feel like… we belonged. Something connected us.

“Excuse me for asking but… what exactly are you?” He turned his large brown head to look at me.

“Why don’t you tell me what you were running from, eh?” He sat down and I laid down across from him with my paws out in front of me.

“I wasn’t running from anything. You see, my pack was at war with our neighboring pack, and I was sent away along with Red, the alpha’s son…”

I don’t know how long we talked. It just seemed so natural. He told me about his life, his mate, and everything. And in return I told him everything; even about how Peter had hit me. Every minute with him it felt like I had known him for all my life. Our laughs were ended when Red came out dragging a good by its leg.

“Argh! Balto! Why did you bring a puppy on board?” the goose continued to swat at Red with his long feathery fingers.

“Should I be concerned?” I laughed, as I watched balto get up and lift Red up by his scruff.

“No, not really.” Balto replied.

“Red, put the goose down.” I said softly, as I watched him shake the goose’s leg.

“No! He tastes good!” he whined. Balto gave a swift pull and Red dethatched from the goose, who rubbed his leg.

“Geeze Balto, you brought another Wolf in here?” The goose angrily rubbed his leg as Balto plopped Red beside me. Balto laid beside me.

“Well, she fell and I decided to help her. Anyways, Bella this is Boris. He found me as a pup and raised me. I’m still surprised that I don’t quack.” Balto said. I laughed as I watched the goose glance nervously at Red.

“is she-they staying with us?” Boris casted a look towards Red, who just snapped at his leg and Boris gave a squeal and moved away from him, holding his leg protectively.

“Watch it, Goose!” I rolled my eyes at him while Balto laughed heartily.

Ever since I met Balto, things went straight up hill. My pains became less, and I gave birth to a little girl in the early spring. She looked just like her father, and it pained me to think about it. She had bright blue eyes and a wonderful sense of humor. She was faster than Red, who hadn’t grown until Lily was born. They raced up and down the beach with Balto and I would sit on the boat with Boris, who still had mixed feeling about Red. We’d often go on hikes up into the mountians together along with Balto’s son Kodi. I hadn’t met Balto’s mate, Jenna, yet and wasn’t looking forward to it. Dogs and I didn’t mix well.

Continues in Part II :)