Riley absently looked into the black wolf’s crystal blue eyes, “Why would I know you?” The gray dog circled Raven a few times trying to remember the she-wolf.

            “Because I’m your sister.” Raven said, disappointed that her own sister couldn’t recognize her.

            “I don’t have a sister, she was killed.” Riley snarled.

            “No I’m alive.” Raven said agitated. Riley pounced on the black imitator.

            “One more remark about being my sister and I swear, I will tear you to shreds myself.”

            Raven sighed, crushed “Your mother will recognize me.” She looked into the gray dog’s eyes, which held no compassion for Raven.

            “My mother has been through enough, she cannot take much more pain.” Riley looked down at the ground and she stepped off of Raven. “If you are who you say you are then I give you credit for staying alive this long.” Riley was cold with the visitor fearing her hopes would be dashed.

            “So does that mean we are going to see her?” Raven asked and Riley nodded sheepishly.

            Jael nudged Raven in the side, “We have to go back to Luke.” He whispered.

            “Jael when my mom recognizes me, we won’t ever have to go back.” Raven smirked. The two wolves lagged behind the gray dog that was contemplating how to approach her mother. She ran a few scenarios through her mind but every one left her nervous and nauseous.

            “Wait here while I get Jenna.” Riley whispered to Jael and Raven. She slipped in through the doggy door and breathed in the scents of home. She lingered in the kitchen for a bit, her mouth watering as she sniffed out dinner. It was her favorite meal…pot roast. She walked down a long a hallway that had three rooms hanging off of it and the living room at the end. Riley saw Jenna and Dusty at the end of the hall talking quietly in their beds. She took her time, pacing her steps and running through her mind what she was about to say. “Hey Mom, hello Dusty.” She smiled at each of them.

            “Hello dear, dinner is almost ready.” Jenna smiled.

            “That’s good I’m really hungry. I have a question.” Riley sat down.

            “Ask away, hun.”

            “Whatever happened to Raven?” Riley asked.

            “Well uh…she stayed with the wolf pack, don’t you remember?”

            “Wouldn’t she be dead by now?”

            “Riley please don’t go there.” Dusty said.

            “No it’s quite alright, yes Riley I assumed your sister would be dead by now.”

            “So there isn’t a good chance that she is standing outside right now?” Riley asked without looking her mother in the eye.

            “What are you talking about?” Jenna stood up.

            Riley sighed, “Follow me.” She led the way out through the doggy door and watched her mother, then Dusty exit the house. “This wolf claims to be Ra-”

            “RAVEN!” Jenna nearly flew off the porch as she embraced her eldest daughter; her eyes were brimming with tears as she squeezed her long lost daughter. Riley only sat on the porch astonished but refusing to reveal it. “It’s really you!” Jenna sniffled and licked Raven’s forehead.

            “Yup, I’m still alive mom.” Raven said, she was getting choked up as well.

            “And is this your mate?” Jenna asked shyly.

            “NO!” Raven said, “He is my friend, Jael.”

            “Hello Jael.” Jenna acknowledged the male with a nod.

            “It is an honor to finally meet you, miss.” He said smiling.

            “Oh please.” Riley rolled her eyes.

            “Riley be nice!” Jenna scolded.

            “Don’t fall for him mom he’s way to young for you.”

            “Riley go back in the house if you can’t act your own age.”

            “You first.” Riley said, she knew she had pushed her mom over the edge.

            “Riley GET in the house!” Jenna snarled and Riley obeyed.

            “Quite a spit fire isn’t she?” Jael said, and Raven laughed.

            Later that night Raven and Jael were invited to stay the night and were welcome to live in Nome for the rest of their lives. Raven gladly accepted the offer; Jael did as well after hesitant thinking. Riley slowly became accustomed to having Raven around. She often ripped on Jael, tossing insults in his direction whenever he said anything.

            One morning while it was still dark outside Riley awoke to the sound of angry barking outside her window. Everyone else in the living room was still in their deep sleep. Riley climbed on top of the couch, which was breaking the rules, and glimpsed over the windowsill to see a pack of dogs outside of the door growling and barking. “What do they want?” Riley muttered.

            “I’m assuming they are here for us.” The voice belonging to Riley’s source of irritation answered.

            “Well Jael would throwing you out the window pacify them long enough till morning?” Riley said sarcastically while jumping off the couch.

            “Ha ha very funny Riles.” He said, the nickname made Riley cringe and she spun around.

            “I told you not to call me that.” She growled.

            “I quite enjoy the nickname and I think you do as well.”

            “What?! Are you that dense?” She was now inches from his face.

            “You adore me.”

            “I despise you.” Her lips were pulled back in a snarl.

            “Whatever, come on we have to go investigate.” He walked past Riley swishing his tale at her nose she sneezed, causing her to stumble backwards. She awkwardly regained her balance and trotted after Jael, fuming.

            “I haven’t liked you since you and Raven got here and I wouldn’t care at all if these wolves were here to rip you apart.” Riley said.

            “We’ll see about that.” Jael mumbled.

            The pair walked in silence till they reached the kitchen and Riley sat down by the door while Jael paused to scratch at an irritating flea in his hind leg.

            “Did you recognize any of them from that view?” Riley asked, it took all of the self-control she could muster up to try and be nice to Jael.

            “No I didn’t but they were too big to be dogs.” Jael said.

            “Well come on let’s go.” Riley said, as she pushed past Jael.

            “NO!” He grabbed her tail in his mouth and yanked back, hard.

            Riley yelped and swung her paw around, swatting Jael in the face. He recoiled and backed away, whining. “You wimp, come on we have to go out there.” Riley said and rolled her eyes as she snuck out the doggy door.

She stepped outside into the chipper air, where she was greeted with snarls and angry barking. Riley stood on the porch gravely glimpsing down at the small pack, none of the wolves were recognizable to her but they reeked of Luke’s scent. 

            “Why are all of you here?” Jael said as he hopped outside.

            The biggest of the pack stepped forward, he was chocolate brown with black eyes and a deep gash ran down his front right leg, “Why haven’t you and Raven returned, been enjoyin’ too much of the cuddly life huh?” The wolf cocked a cruel smile.

            “We are never going back to Luke.” Jael snarled.

            “Luke isn’t going to be happy when he hears that.”

            “You lot will never be able to make it back to Luke, it took you months to get here.” Jael smirked.

            The big wolf chuckled, “Funny you should mention that, we had a little help meet us halfway here.” He stepped aside allowing a red and white dog stand next to him, “This is our guide, Kodiak Balto’s son.”

            “Kodi?” Riley’s voice cracked as she stared wide-eyed at the red husky.

            “In the flesh.” Kodi smirked.

            “Why are you doing this, Luke will kill you too when he’s done with you.” Riley said.

            “Jenna destroyed Balto when she left him for that filthy mutt, I’m not either side.” Kodi said, he had the same glazed over look that Riley had seen the first day she met him.

            “Luke will be here in a matter of three weeks, by then you can make a decision if you want to live or die.” The big wolf spoke. “Goodbye Jael.” The pack, including Kodi turned around and began walking back to the forest.

            “Do you see what you’ve done? You have brought all kinds of trouble to Nome. Without you we wouldn’t have to worry about Luke coming back.” Riley said as she whipped around to face Jael.

            “That isn’t true and you know it, it was Jenna’s fault he’s here and without Luke you would not exist.” Jael hissed as he glared at Riley. She grunted as she swept past him through the doggy door. Her body language radiated annoyance as she entered the living room, and everyone turned in her direction. Jael walked in a few paw lengths behind her and he plopped down on his bed.

            “What have you two been up to?” Disk asked in a mocking tone.

            Riley clenched her teeth, “Nothing.”

            “Uh huh I’m sure it was a whole lot of nothing.” Disk said sarcastically.

            “You’re asking for it runt.” Riley growled.

            “Riley…Disk stop that, it is a new day and I don’t want any of this fighting.” Jenna said crossly as she rose from her bed.

            “Oh and by the way Luke will be here in a few weeks for Raven and Jael.” Riley said, expressionless.

            Jenna was stunned, “Wha-what?” She asked.

            “Ma’am Luke sent a few of his pack mates to the house an hour ago and they requested that miss Raven and I return but I did not give him a straight answer and he expects it in three weeks.” Jael said, Riley rolled her eyes at his politeness.

            “Kodi is leading them mom, he is helping Luke.” Riley said.

            “My Kodiak…” Jenna whimpered. “We must warn Balto.”

            “There isn’t much he can do.” Raven said as she stepped closer to her mother, “We need to start training the dogs for war.”

            “You have already decided to stay?!” Jael asked, shocked.

            “Well yeah my family lives here and I’m not going back to that monster.” Raven said.

            “So you are going to train the dogs?” Jael snickered.

            “Unless you want to help clean up dead bodies.” Raven said. Jael lowered his head and remained speechless while Raven, Riley, Disk and Jenna discussed how they would approach the community of dogs about this issue.

One Week Later

            “All of you are aware as to why you are here.” Raven’s voice echoed off the walls of the boiler room. She stood atop two crates that rose high enough that she could see every dog in the room. Riley sat by the crates watching the dog’s eyes as they stared at Raven. Jael sat on the other side of the crates along with Jenna and Disk. “You are the strongest dogs of Nome and based on your body weight and size you are the perfect fighters.” Raven smirked, “We only have two more weeks to prepare for this war, so I will be training you hard so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if half of you dropped out.”

            “Pssh.” A mocking whisper reverberated throughout the room. Raven glared at a large brown dog whose muzzle was a deep brown. He was eyeing Raven, “You expect us to be trained by a she-wolf like you?” He said.

            Raven jumped off the crates and into the crowd, immediately they parted for her as she slowly approached the dog. He glanced around the room, looking from side to side in fear. She got as close to him as he would allow and she stealthily whispered in his ear, “We could always use more bait for the starving wolves, who will eat anything they see in their way.” A shiver went down the dog’s spine and he slunk back into the crowd. Raven jumped back up on the crates and continued her speech about training.

            When the meeting ended Raven began her rigorous work out with the male dogs, there was thirty dogs in all that exited the boiler room trotting after Raven. Riley idly stood watching her eldest sister lead the pack, she sighed wishing for the life that Raven had. She was recognized for her strength and brutality; she could strike fear in any dog or wolf’s heart. Riley muttered to herself, “I hope you know what you are doing Ray.”