Crunchinator and Freak's hairs stood on end and they growled.  They knew who was behind the bushes.

"It's that damn Blood Red Wolf Pack!" Crunchinator snarled, teeth clenched.  "What are they doing here?!"

"About to kill one of Mathew's friends," a voice growled quietly.  Suddenly, a big wolf sprang out of the bushes and pounced on Crunchinator.

"The name's Buck Wolf," the large wolf growled.  "And I think I've scored enough dinner for a week!"  He laughed and then he saw Mathew Wolf.

"Excellent!  A THREE course dinner!"

Crunchinator, Freak and Mathew growled furiously.  "You'd better shut your mouth, Buck," Crunchinator snapped, "or-- or--"

"You'll what?" sneered Buck.  "Lay an egg on me?"

"THAT DOES IT!!!" roared Crunchinator as he pounced on Buck, setting his teeth into Buck's muzzel.

THAT was a HUGE mistake.  Growling savagely, Buck threw Crunchinator off of him.

"Keep your teeth off my FACE!" he snarled as he jumped on Crunchinator Wolf and ripped up some of his stomach.  Crunchinator began whining in pain instantly and he knew he was going to die.  Seeing his friend in such a state, Mathew jumped on Buck and sank his teeth in Buck's legs HARD.

"KEEP YOUR TEETH OFF OF MY FRIEND!!!" Mathew bellowed.

"All right, all right!" Buck cried, putting his paws up in the air.  "You win this round!"  And he got up and limped away and muttered ominously, "I'll be back."

Mathew and Freak growled a few times and turned to see Crunchinator and their faces fell.  Crunchinator was a sorry sight.  His stomach had been ripped open and his legs torn to pieces.

"No.  Please!"  Mathew's eyes filled with tears.  "Please, Crunchinator!"

Crunchinator did not move or speak.  A deadly silence followed as Freak walked over to check Crunchinator's heart beat.  And then she truged back to Mathew.

"Crunchinator's gone, Matthew," Freak said, grimly.  "He's dead."

Poor Mathew lowered his head down and let the hot tears fall out of his eyes.

"I can't believe it.  He was the one who stood up for me when the other wolf cubs insulted me."

Freak sat next to Mathew and put a caring paw on Mathew's shoulder.  "It's okay.  You still have me and your family."

Mathew's ears drooped and he laid down on the cold ground.  Sobs shook his body.  Freak knew what she had to do now.  She had to spread the word to the other wolves that a member of their pack had been killed.  Pointing her nose up at the sky, Freak began to howl.  Hearing this, Margo ran over.

"You called?"  Then he saw Mathew and was dismayed to see him crying.  "What happened?"

Freak growled.  "That Buck Wolf, that's what.  He killed Crunchinator!"

"Son of a--"  Margo's fury made it too tough for him to speak.  "We've GOT to take the Blood Red Wolf Pack down."

But Mathew looked at his dad.  "No.  Leave them.  It's my fault Crunchinator's gone."

"But Mathew--" Margo began.

"BUT NOTHING!" Mathew shouted.  "I'm running away.  I want to escape the pain and this place just brings too much of it."  With that, he ran sadly away into the distance.

"I hope he'll be okay," Freak said with concern.