Spring had arrived, bringing along with it blooming blossoms and wonderful weather, the gentle suns new rays cast over Nome, freeing it of it's cold, but not the snow. Balto had his eyes clenched shut, and they fluttered open when the cloud that hjad been veiling the sun had moved away from it, allowing the bright rays to fall directly into the boat. He smiled lightly at the sun, and padded out onto the deck, his paws thudding on the wood.
"Spring's here." Balto said, smiling as he went to pad back inside for a few minutes snoozing time, when he heard a burbling voice from down beside his beached boat. Balto raised one brow and slipped over to the edgte of his boat, peering over, watching the shape of a rather frustrated Jenna making her way to the boat, Steele rammed close against her side.
"Jenna, I beg of you to forgive me." Steele said, Balto narrowed his eyes in disgust to his enemy. Jenna took a deep breath, send a swish down her tail and bobbed her head back to face Steele.
"Listen Steele, I want you to go where ever you need to go, as long as it doesn;t concern me." Jenna instructed firmly, moving away from Steele as he froze in his spot, rolling his worn shoulders back, cracking them into place, his thcik fur rolling with the movements. Balto smiled and quickly edged backwards, making sure Jenna didn't notiuce he had been watching.
"Jenna," Balto said, seeing her come up the ramp, she smiled at him, and her beauty took his breath away. The wind as it carried through her fur, her long fluttering eyelashes and slender shape.
"Balto, I was worried you weren't going to get up today." Jenna said, pacing onto the boat, her paws only gently drumming on the wood as opposed to Balto's large thudding paws. Balto raised a brow, as Jenna came face to face with him. "The sled team are looking all over for you, today's the big national race." Jenna said, Balto's eyes shimmered slightly in the sun. He leant forward slightly and rubbed his nose against Jenna's, smiling.
"I'm no sled dog, Jen." Balto began, watching Jenna raise one brow. "I'm not mean't to be one. I like living my life with Luk and Muk, Boris and most importantly, you." he murmured to her softly, Jenna scoffed to this, pulling her head back.
"What do you mean not mean't for it? You saved Nome, Balto, and I'd be ever so proud to see you at the front of the sled instead of that Glory Hound Steele." Jenna spat, turning her angry expression away from her mate. balto lifted one paw and craned forwards, smiling into her face.
"Steele's still around here? I can't beleive he's not dissapeared from the scene, what with his lies." he said, looking down at the boards below himself, thinking. Jenna brought her head round finally and took a deep breath.
"I don't care for Steele, I care about you and I want you to run in the sled race today. Please Balto, for me?" Jenna said, bringing her shoulders up sensually and grinning at him, her head an an appealing angle, the glance Balto just couldn't say no to.
"Alright, fine. But just this time." he laughed, Jenna giggled to and licked his cheek, smiling.
"Thanks. Come on, let's get going." she said, dashing down the ramp, balto running close behind her.
The main street was bustling with an excited crowd, and Steele sat down an alleyway behind the bins, the human's having turned him away. He let a low snarl escape from his throat and closed his eyes,s hutting out the cold blue.
"Wolf... dog...." he snarled, containing his anger by one deep breath. Steele raised himself from the floor and padded inbetween two small girls, ramming them with his wide shoulders, the little girl's clutched onto thier parents, who scowled at the rude Steele. The large malamute glanced around for Balto, his head turning sharply at each blur of a dirty brown dog who ran past, familiarising themselves with the course. Steele looked carefully towards the start line, where his old team stood, and there he saw Jenna.
"Jenna..." Steele whispered lusterously, his glance almost falling into despair at the sight of her happiness with that mutt. Steele whimpered, something he hadn't done since he was a pup, when he got pushed out of the litter because he was weak, and he couldn;t get his mother's milk. He felt his heart crush when he saw Jenna nuzzling her mate... the half breed Balto. "Jenna no!" Steele called, lurching forwards out of the crowd, his eyes filled with torment and sadness. Then a gruff human hand grasped harshly on the thick fur around Steele's puppy fat.
"Oi! Go on! get out of here!" the male called, kicking dust into Steele's face, as he ran off down the alleyway, tails inbetween his legs. He stopped halfway down and took one last look at the bright track and happy people, before turning his head slowly and solemnly disspearing into the shadows.
The musher slipped the harness over Balto's skinny shoulders and neck, as Balto and the other sled dogs trotted up the start line.
"G-good to have you back!" Star stuttered joyfully. Balto looked back at his eager team, smiling at each of them.
"Good to be back boys." he said, turning slowly, the happy face fading into a determined one. Balto tried to look ahead, but when he heard the sound of the sled dragging in the light snow, he turned his head, and saw a male malamute, with red fur, much like Jenna's. He had a strong built face and was smiling at almost everything. His frame was much like Steele's, wide and bulky, yet he seemed more like a gentle giant than a blundering beast. When the oppostire team drew up at the frost starting line, this new male winked at Balto and laughed.
"hey, let's keep it friendly boys." he cheered, and Balto felt instantly that this would be no sweat and there was no need to worry about getting your leg bitten off for competition.
"You betcha'!" Balto repelied, as the mushers gun went off and the team barked as the sled jaulted into action.
Jenna, Dixie and Slyvie sat on some crates up against the mail office wall, getting a high up, clear view of the race; which was about to begin.
"Hey Jenna," Dixie squeaked, as Jenna looked across at her friend. "Is er... balto gonna be in the race?" she said rather breathlessly, fluffing her chest out. Jenna narrowed her glance rather coldly, Dixie was so stereotypicial and cleche.
"Yes he is, and I would like to slavering over him, because not long ago you were looking down on him and at the paws of Steele." Jenna reminded, as Dixie's sweet expression soured and she tossed her mane of fur up snootily.
"Oh but Jenna, that was before Balto was a hero. Steele's a liar and I hate him now... euch." she grimaced, scrunching her eyes up. Jenna glanced across as Slyvie, who seemed to be in awe.
"Sylv?" Jenna asked, one brow raised and her ears up. Slyvie placed one paw up and fluffed her ears quickly, acting shy.
"Look at the start line..." she called breathlessly, kind of like she was lacking oxygen. Jenna sighed and turned her head, also gasping at the sight of the male of opposite team. His strong build, but the kindness inside of his features. Jenna looked and saw Balto was smiling at him too... BANG! The gun shot signalled the start of the race and startled Jenna, and she kept her eyes firmly on the new dog as he charged past.
"Don't deny it jenna, you were looking at him." Dixie cackled in a high tone. Jenna shook her head and looked at her friend in anger.
"I was not. I was looking at my Balto." she said stoutly, Dixie slumped onto the create and rolled onto her back, now that the dogs had ran past there was nothing to do, well, until they came back across the line. Dixie shoved her paws in the sunlight and created a silhouette.
"There's no reason with you Jenna." she squeaked, as Jenna shook her head and looked away from her friends.
Balto's musceles pumped rapidly as the sled swung precariously around another corner, the dogs yapping in dangerous delight.
"Woah there pally," the new dog called, lining himself up with balto, his strides big and pounding. "I thought we'd made a bet to keep this friendly?" he chuckeled, Balto sniggered playfully and thrust his large right front paw into the snow heavier than the others, kicing snow up in the malamute's face. He chuckeled back to balto and sped foirwards, the rest of the sled team behind them didn't matter now, this was a game between himself and the newcomer.
"Balto, slow down!" Kaltag wanred, losing his sync, but the wolf dog hybrid just didn't listen. Nikki ran into Star who was shoved straight into Balto's behind. Star leapt back quickly, hauling Balto and the rest of the team back slightly. But snapped in determination, dragging them all forwards.
"Balto, p-please! Slow down!" Star cried, balto narrowed his amber eyes and blocked out the other sled dogs' words. He saw the checkered finish flag waivering in the distance, so he pushed his frame faster and longer. The opposion sled dog seered to Balto, pounding the thin snowy floor with his wide paws, dragging his pleading team along also.
Jenna had the cold breeze up her back as she sighed, looking down at her paws. The crate was so uncomfrotable, but she was glad for her position of view.
"Jenna, look, here come the sled team!" Dixie screeched, practically leaping up and standing on her hind legs. jenna stood up also, higher than Dixie just standing still.
"Go-O Balto!" Jenna cried, smiling as she saw the blur of mate and the opposition team dashing through the snow.
Balto could sense his win was imminenant, as he sped up so much he could barely draw single breath. Star and the others on Balto's team were close to collapse, as they panted uncontrollably.
"B-Balto..." Star said whispily. "It's ok to slow down." he said, as Balto just kept on going.
"No, I have to win for Jenna!" he cried, kicking up another lump of snow as he bolted for the finish line, the musher losing his balance almost at the sudden burst and clutching onto the sled for life. Balto barked happily as the front of his frame crossed over the finish line, shortly followed by the new dog and his team. Balto's team were just about dead, and as soon as they were released from each other, they collapsed in the cold of the snow cool themselves down. jenna yipped happily from the top of the crates, launching herself down from them and running through the crowd, who parted way for her and cooed at her love for the hybrid that the town had once outcasted.
"Oh balto, I'm so proud." Jenna said, nuzzling into the soft fur on his neck, closing her eyes, when the sun was blocked completely by another frame, and Jenna slowly opened her deep brown eyes. The looming frame of the red malamutr towered over her, his sculpted facial features offered a smile to jenna.
"Your balto's mate?" he said, chuckling in a joke way, causing Balto to laugh to. "Well done." he said to balto, his green eyes gently looking at jenna and offering her a look of want. Jenna flickered her head over to Balto who was laughing in a way jenna had never seen him laugh before.
"Thanks. Sorry but, I didn't catch your name before?" he said, easing out of his laugh. The male rolled his shoulders back slowly until they cracked and let out a sigh of releif.
"Jasper. 5 Time Sled Winner in the lower parts of Alaska." he said proudly, Jenna's mouth edged into a short half smile of wonder, before she stopped to avoid Balto's detection. "I'm guessing your top in Nome then. I hope you don't mind me saying, but you don't look much like a dog." Jasper said, his nose twitching slightly, picking up on Balto's scent. Balto, for once in his life, smiled proudly.
"That's because I'm part wolf." he said to jasper intently, whose eyes widened in disabeleif.
"Your kidding right?" jasper chuckeled, Balto breaking into laughter to. Jenna smiled warmly at her mate finally meeting another dog who he could get along with so well.
"Oh god," balto said, trailing away from the chuckles. "Tell you what, let's go to my boat and we'll eat my celebratery sausages I'll get from the butcher." Balto said, gesturing his neck towards the butcher's in a swift action, Jasper close at his side. He stopped abruptley, remembering Jenna. "Unless you want to go instead Jen?" Balto said in his tone of hope. Jenna sighed, she badly wanted to spend to intimate time wqith balto, but he should secure a friendhip like this.
"No, no. You go and have fun Balto." Jenna suggested, turning away from them, sadness crossing her expression.
"Jenna, if you want to go I'll stay here." It was Jasper, Jenna turned around and looked into his emerald gems of eyes. She felt a little bit of hope flash like a spark inside of her heart.
"Go. I'm fine." jenna reassured through her black tounge, as she turned around, Jasper watching her swishing hips strut away, before he followed Balto to the butchers. Jenna cxollected her friends and padded down the road to the boiler room, Jasper's eyes still set in her mind.
The warm fire crackeled behind them, as Jenna, Dixie and Slyvie snuggled up in thier blankets beside the boiler.
"I'm just glad Balto's finally got a friend," Jenna began, setting herself down on her stomach and crossing her front paws over. "I mean, he's been so lonely without a friendship with another male dog." Slyvie panted lusterously, her eyes twinkling.
"Me, you Balto and Jasper should go on a date. That's his name isn't it? Jasper? It's an attractive name.." Sylvie rambeled, trailing off into a day dream. Dixie gave Slyvie a rather dominant kick because of her little dog syndrome. Her hackeles stood on end and her eyes blazed.
"No! I called keeps on Jasper!" she spat, Slyvie brought one paw up and rested her head on it, rolling her eyes.
"No way, I called keeps on Jasper a long time ago."
"You've only just met him you bitch!" Dixie snapped, when Jenna decided it was a good time to intercept. She lurched out from under her blnaket and seperated her friends.
"Don't do this..." Jenna murmured softly, watching thier expression drop sorrowfully. "Don't let this new dog come between us all." Jenna said, bringing her friends into an embrace with her, as they all cuddled and smiled.
"Thanks Jen." Dixie said sweetly, as Jenna looked down on her with nututring eyes.
"Your welcome." Jenna whispered, giggling.
Boris swept the mop over the deck and rolled his eyes another time, looking back occasionally on his "son" and his new friend.
"Oh god! Stop Jasper, your killing me!" Baslto roared, his sides splitting with laughter. Jasper's eyes were lined with joyful tears as he held back his splutters.
"The funniest part is, it was my mushers cat!" and they bellowed once more, rolling about, pulling another sausage off the string and chomping it heartily. Balto laughed lightly, wiping the tears away.
"Be quiet boychick," Boris whispered harshly through the night, as the pair stopped. "Aye... your giving me a headache. Sometimes you worse than the bears." he said, continuing to mop. Jasper got up and pressed his nose against Boris' beak, laughing.
"Have a heart, old goose!" Jasper laughed, tipping |Boris back with the force of his nose as he tipped it, sending Boris flialing backwards. Balto raised a brow, this scene rather reminded him of Steele. Just before the goose was to hit the floor, Jasper placed a paw aroun his feathery back. "I joke Boris. Come and have a sausage." Jasper said, pacing back towards Balto and laying down on the board deck. Boris stopped for a second and leant against the mop, gesuting his wing down his body.
"Incase you haven't notcied, I goose, not wolf. I eat herring, not sausage." Boris said miserably, continuing to mop. Jasper shrugged and yanked off a smokey sausage, slavering over it in his mouth.
"So, how'd you come about to get jenna then hybrid?" Jasper said through a full mouthg, as Balto pulled his neck back smiling.
"We both knew it was right from first glance. I cared for her, she cared for me." Balto said simply, taking a sausage off himself and take a bite of it's rich smokey flavour. Jasper swallowed the lump of meat and glanced at it's paw.
"Yeah I know that, but, I mean, Jenna is hot, she must be the focal point of Nome. I bet every guy was after her." Jasper stated, cocking his head to the side, wanting an answer. Balto didn;t really feel inclined to answer, but he didn;t want to lose a friend.
"Well, there was this one dog. He reminded me of you in looks, but this dog was evil. He would constantly flirt with Jenna, even told her I was dead to try and get her." Jasper exasperated at this, stopping his jaw clamping down on another sausage.
"Really?! That's low. Tell me his name, Balto." Jasper said, taking a nibble off of the sausage before looking back up at his new companion. Balto wriggled uncomfortably, he hated talking about the past, how Steele always jeered at him for being different. Jasper waited in silence before he picked up on Balto's resistance. "Oh come on pally, what's gonna happen?" he asked, patting Balto on the back with his paw, when Balto sighed and gave in.
"Alright, ok. The dogs name was Steele. He used to be lead dog on my team." There was a very worrying pause. It lasted to long, it was aching Balto, making him feel uneasy. Jasper drew a short breath and replied.
"Oh." he said sharply, before getting up and rushing to the ramp on the side of the boat. "Well I must be on my way Balto, it's getting late.." he said hurriedly, Balto rushed after him, confused and upset.
"What? Why?" he called, but Jasper had already ran back to Nome.
Jenna had left the boiler room and was heading back home to Rosie. The wind teared up her spine like cold fingertips, messing up her rosy red fur. She held her snout down against the cold wind and scrunched up her eyes. She thought about Jasper, and how good looking and kind he was... But oh, she was with her mate. Balto. She was going to be faithful, not matter how hard the temptation niggled in her mind.
"Jenna, Jenna!" Jenna's ears pircked up to the sound of Rosie's voice chirruping from on the porch. "Come here girl!" Rosie called, as Jenna trotted up to the porch, the light from the ahllway vasting out into the bleak grayscale of the night. "Come inside, it's super cold out!" she giggled, leading her dogs inside and sitting her down in the living room beside the fire.
"I see you found her Rosie," Rosie's father called, his arm wrapped around his wife when Rosie jumped on the chair beside them.
"Yes papa, she was out in the snow." Rosie called happily to her father, who sighed lightly.
"No doubt she was with that wolf..." he said, even after what Balto had done for Nome, he didn;t like the thought of a part breed with his pedigree husky.
"Oh honey, it's Jenna's decision." His wife said softly, Jenna's ears flattened at the way he talked about baltro it made her sad.
"I'd rather her bed with lead dog from the opposition team.. what's his name...." Rosie's rather mumbled, Jenna's ears flattened even more, but she sat still beside the crackling flames.
"Papa! It's Jasper!" Rosie called, as her father snapped his fingers in delight.
"Yes, I'd rather her bed with Jasper, a pure bred malamute, than that mix up mutt." he said rather coldly, Rosie looked sadly at her mother, he pulled her onto her lap for a cuddle.
"But papa," Rosie whinned, her father glancing at her big pleading eyes. "Balto saved me and my friends." Jenna smiled triumphantly to hersef, seeing the look on his face.
"I know Rosie... b-but... he's just not right for Jenna." her father srtessed, smoothing back Rosie's auburn locks out of her face.
"But papa-" Rosie mumbled, when her father gave her a stern glare.
"That's enough on it now Rosie, I think it's time for bed." he saud, usherting her up the sairs into her room. jenna stayed put on the matt as both of Rosie's parents rose from the chair. Her father switched the fire off which Jenna was beside and patted her head. "Good night Jenna." he said quickly, before pacing out of the oom. Rosie's mother watched him go, before she turned to Jenna's sweet little face. She knelt down beside Jenna and smiled, kissing her soft head and storking her gently with her soft and caring palms.
"Go with your heart Jenna," she whispered, thinking that Jenna wouldn';t understand, but Jenna understood all to well.
"I don't understad Boris," Balto started, coming away from the edge of the boat, the wind tearing through his shaggry fur. "He just left as soon as I mentioned Steele." Balto said rather weakly, Boris dropped the mop and waddled beside his wolf son.
"Prehaps there's something important you don;t know about Jasper," Boris said wisely, finishing off with a smile, which Balto merely rolled his eyes at.
"Yeah, maybe. I have to tell Jenna." Balto began, going to head for the side of the boat, when Boris leapt into the way.
"Are you stupid? Jenna and the family will be in bed by now! I think you should see her tomorrow if you really have to." Boris said smartly, Balto looked away from the dark town slowly and trudged back inside of the boat, and nestled under his blanket.
In the middle of the cold, starry night, Balto had a dream. he was running on a thick sheet of ice, chased by a shadowey raven avove. It cawed at him, as he ran, his breath pluming out infront of him.
"Let me go!" Balto roared, by the raven just cried loudly at him, before beating it's large, shrowding wings, and enveloping the wolf-dog into a land of shadow.
"No..." balto murmured in reality, incased in a dream of horror. Back in his dream, the shadow was melting away, and Balto could feel a cold presence around him. He narrowed his glance, but as the shadow melted, it revealed no light, just a thick mist. "Hello?" he called boldly, when something stepped out from behind him.
"You have to protect Jenna," it said airily, it's voice echoing around the dream. balto gasped and turned around, and saw the Spirit that had taught him to accept his true identity. A wolf.
"Jenna is fine." balto protested, but his mind told him not to say that, and to tell this figure. It towered over balto, snow beginning to whir around them.
"Jenna isn't safe. Bad things are going to happen if you take this lightly Balto." it said, backing up into the mist, concealing itself from sight. balto tried to chase after it, but as he ran closer, it seemed to get father, and father away.
"NO!" balto screamed, lurching upwards, his blnaket flying backwards across the boat. He looked around himself, at th high dark ceilings. "Jenna... Jenna's in trouble." balto murmured, slowly slumping down again, his eyes drooping, before he found himself lost in a dreamless sleep.
Jenna's eyes slowly fluttered open to the bright shine of the morning sun. Jenna let out a squeaky dog yawn, before getting up and elongating her slender body in a stretch. She then trotted over to the wide window and pressed her paws up onto the wooden windowsil, looking out of Nome, it's streets slowly being freed of snowy hostage. She smiled gently, one ear twitching at a persistent noise she chose to ingore for a few seconds. Weight cruncing into the snow, crucnch, crunch, crunch... BANG! It started her enough to stumbled back and fall of the windowsil, hitting her snout on the wall on the way down.
"Ouch.." she murmured, rubbing her paw on her sore nose before she picked her head back up. She had to find out that noise, it sounded like bins toppling, the awful metal clanging noise... Jenna then gasped and pushed her snout ont the window's latch, as it flung open and she gingerly clambered out of Rosie's bedroom windows, her paw slipping slightly on the slanted shed roof which was sheeted with a thick white blanket of snow. Jenna was almost slow motion strutting across to the various barrels and crates, which acted as stairs, as her paws shifted slowly in the snow, her breath tight and short, she didn not want to slip from the roof. Once Jenna had reached the end of the roof, she leapt onto the first barrel and down four crates until she landed with a gentle thump on the dusty, yet iced dirt below. She took a moment to com[pose her breath and padded around to the side of the house, where the rubbish bins sat, waiting in the cold day and night to be emptied. jenna's dark brown eyes flicvkered around the corner before the rest of her body did, and she saw the twos bins had collapsed onto each other in a crosspole effect, the lids strewn far from them.
"Hello?" Jenna called softly, not wishing to wake her family. The weight under the rotting food shifted. Whatever it was, it needed help. Jenna gulped and grimaced at the stinking meat and stomach wretching fruit and vegetables, she carefully paced over to the bins, using her furry red shoulder to push the bins aside, revealing the big lump of black and white fur that lay limply under the stinking mass. She knew that fur. "Steele?" jenna called, suddenly wishing she'd left the bins on him. Steele lazily pulled his head up, a vacant expression taking his features.
"Oh Jenna," he said gratefully, pulling his limbs up shakily, like they didn;t beling to him. "I don;t know how to thank you." he said, before rapidly shaking his fur, banana skins and fish bones flying everywhere. Jenna winced and lifted her front legh up, sheilding her face from the trash.
"No need Steele. I think you should go though." Jenna replied confidently, nodding at herself and turning her back on him.
"Jenna..." Steele murmured, padding next to her. His stench was awful, he smelt like rotting food... dog sweat and blood. "I've been on the run, outcasted. I've needed you, I need to protect you from the dangerts of this town." he said, in a strange new, caring voice. It made Jenna's ears prick up to turn and face him.
"Steele, there's nothing here that I need protecting from." Jenna said to him reassuringly, the motherly nuturing tone she was famnous for flickering in her tone. Steele's icy blues eyes contrasted well with the clear cold sky above.
"Jenna please, it's-" Steele began, when Jenna felt the light from the sun balck out behind her.
"Leave Steele." it boomed, Jenna turned around and gasped.
"Balto, no!" she cried, she looked at the malice and determination burning in his amber eyes, his brown hackles stood on end and his sharp teeth set in his clenching jaws. He barged past Jenna, lurching forward, snapping like a shark. Steele winced and prepared himself for pain, but opened his eyes sharply when he heard a yelp from Balto, and he saw Jenna woith a firm grasp on his tail swinging the wolf dog around and throwing him ovwer into the corner. "I said no!" Jenna called protectivley over Steele. Balto got up and shook himself off, looking with concerned eyes at Jenna.
"He's going to hurt you." Balto said, Jenna stared blankly at her mate, nothing responsive in her features. "HE'S GOING TO HURT YOU!" balto cried once more, this time Jenna shook her head, snapping a jaw onto her face and flattening her ears.
"Enough Balto. I'd like to you to leave until everyone has calmed down." she said, closing her eyes to stop herself from biting him. Balto shook his head and tried to nuzzle Jenna, but sher flinched away from his touch. "Go." she said coldly, and Balto dashed down the alleyway at the side of the house, baring Jenna and Steele on the way past. Steels strode up to the Jenna, her face looked as if she were in pain; her eyes scurnched up shut, her mouth clenched in sadness.
"Jenna-" he said, gently brushing her neck with his snout, the touch of her against him electrified his senses. Jenna rushed out of the way wuickly, whimpering.
"Sorry Steele..." she wept, running out into Nome, not destined for anywhere.
Balto ran back to the boat, anger fueling his speed. His paws crushed imprints into the dirt, he felt so enraged by Jenna. She had protected that idiot, that selfish idiot, and Balto was pretty sure Steele was going to hurt her. He stomred back aborad the boat and ran straight into the wheel house of the boat, slipping under his blanket. The collective noise of thudding paws alerted Boris that his son had returned.
"Balto, aye, what could be wrong with you now?" Boris said lazily, as Balto hid more under his blanket.
"I don't want to talk about it Boris." he said solemly, hiding everything but his snout u nder the blanket. Boris raised and brow as he watched Balto's nose twitch, before it started to run with mucus, and the sound of weeping was heard.
"Your not crying are you?" he asked, Balto shot up from the blanket, his amber eyes watery.
"I am. Jenna doesn;t beleive." Balto said, running up to the nose of the boat, his tail swishing passivley behind him. "She beleives him." Balto said lightly, his bland expression and bitter glare said all of his feelings.
Jenna trotted miserably around the back of a house, weeping to herself, her eyes shut and chest heaving.
"Balto..." she murmured to herself, letting her front legs slip down into the dirt so she was lying down, and she let her skull fall harshly onto her numbed little paws. Oh, how she felt so lost. Now she felt totally daft for helping Steele, yet she hated the fact Balto hadn't understood her. A side door from the house opened next to her, as Jenna peered around fro beside the bin she was laying next to.
"Go on boy," it was a gruff male voice. "I don't know what's gotten into you." he said, slamming the door as Jenna's chcoclate eyes fell upon the slumped frame of Jasper, who headed into the shed where the sleds were kept. Jenna's eyes shimmered with hope, and she pulled herself up off of the floor and padded slowly after the large, yet kind malamute. He slid into the shed and sighed, throwing himself down onto a rug that lay strewn across the floorboards. Jenna gently came in, the cold eerieness doing nothing to calm her.
"Jasper?" Jenna called softly into the cold, dank room. Jasper only shuffled a bit, huddling up.
"Jenna..." he murmured to himself, slowly picking his head up, like her presence was a burden. "What is it." he said abruptley, Jenna scoffed slightly, her ears flattening in disgust.
"Forget I even bothered." she spat, rusing back for the door when he suddenly leapt infornt of her, pinning the door shut.
"No, Jenna. I'm sorry." he apologised softly, as Jenna's ear slowly lifted to an average height. jasper gave Jenna a weak smile and dragged a cushion over beside his pile of rugs, offering Jenna a seat. "I bet Balto's mad at me huh? For stomring off on him like I did." Jasper laughed uneasily; of course, Jenna didn't have a clue.
"Sorry what?" Jenna asked timidly, as Jasper gasped and looked left and right, like help would be conured out from the shadows.
"I er... Ugh. There's no point in hiding any longer. This town conwiels my blood in evil." Jasper said mystically, Jenna shook her head and laughed, trying to act like she was scared by his strange words.
"W-what are you on about Jasper?" she asked uneasily, as Jasper closed his eyes,shutting out the green in them.
"I'm sad to say I'm related to the menace who toyed with your emotions." he said again, jenna could fell her heart getting faster, like it was beating only to hear these words, and then she would be in death's arms. "I am Steele's brother." Jasper said simply, Jenna fell backwards, kncoking over a metal paint can, as it span around precariously on it's side.
"Tell me it's not true Jasper!" Jenna cried, trying to get away from him as he paced closer. "Tell me your lieing!" she shouted, but Jasper shook his head, tears filling his eyes.
"I came here to get away from him, I now I found my emotions being toyed with. By you." he said seductivley, looking up at the female husky infornt of him. jenna didn't know hether to mate with him there and then or to shudder in fear, she took shuddering.
"Your a liar. I'm not playing with your emotions." Jenna spat, her hackles on end, teeth bared, but not in rage, in fear. Jasper towered over Jenna, and he looked down onto her, his eyes pleading.
"Can you be so blind? Can you not see that it is I you heart has been longing for!" Jasper, said, as Jenna scurried inbetween his legs and clambered up the barrels staked high in the corner, her legs scramberling uselesslly as she hauled herself up into the beams in the roof.
"No, no. I love balto not you!" Jenna cried, but even she was convincing herself. She let out a sigh and whimper, not sure what to do next. She couldn't live there forever.
"Now whose lieing. I can see the way you look at me, the way you make me feel when you look at me." Jasper said lovingly, Jenna's ear flattened in thought. She could go with jasper and betray Balto, who currently hated her, and please her family... or she could turn him down and hope the Balto situation would work out. Jenna took a deep breath and shuffled back aling the beams, Jasper's eyes watching her every movement. She slid off the barrels with expertise and landed present to Jasper, who enveloped her small frame and nuzzled it, thier coats tangeling together in warmth.
"Jenna... I love you." Jasper whispered into her ear, as Jenna nuzzled deeper into his auburn red fur.
"I love you too." she replied with a softness in her tone, and the pain she had felt with Balto melted away.
Jenna and Jasper stood in the silence of the shed, huddled close together, as if not to break thier bonds.
"No-one can know yet Jenna," Jasper whispered into her ear, jenna nodded back in understanding,gently parting from him.
"I promise I won't tell anyone. I have to go now..." Jenna said with her warm voice, warming up the atmosphere in the shed as she left, and Jasper smiled to her. Once into the brisk cold, the sun was setting fast on another day. Jenna kept a jaunty dash up on the way back to Rosie's, all thoughts blocked apart from one. Jasper and his brother. How on earth were they related? Well, apart from the fact they were both malamutes and had the same build about them; but Steele was so devious and Jasper was so caring, it just didn't seem liable. Jenna shut out this thought with a gruff snarl, before something stepped out infornt of her from behind a fence. Jenna felt her heart pound faster in fear, oh my god, Steele was going to tear her apart and then-
"Jenna." The voice said soothingly, Jenna sighed deep inside, wanting to cry and run off. It was Balto, and he seemed to be civil, after her decision with Jasper, it was the last thing she wanted him to do. She'd rather have him hate her so she couldn't feel guilty.
"Balto. Oh, hi." Jenna said shortly, pulling herself back to a square stance and ruffling her fur.
"Listen, I think it's time we had a talk. Come back to the boat with me." balto said wisely, going to turn when Jenna yanked him back gently by his tail, and he whimpered at first, thinking of the day's previous events.
"No, Balto. Because everytime we have a disagreement, you take me back there, we barely talk and we get intimate. Well, not this time. It's off." Jenna said coldly, like the elements around her had over thrown her soul. Balto winced and quivered, no, not this.
"J-Jenna? What did you just say?" he asked, as Jenna passed him, purposely fluffing her thick tail in his face.
"You heard me." she said with a cool tone, like she wasn't bothered. Balto couldn't belive any of this.
"No, you can't finish with me, I saved the town, I'm your mate!" he protested, as Jenna flipped, her teeth bared and she turned on balto.
"Oh grow up! It wasn't meant to be, your just a- a- filthy mutt! I'm a pedigree, I deserve a handsome, brave purebred and well, your just not good enough!" she said, losing her raging passion towards the end of her statment. balto was wise, he ignored her hurtful words and read her features like a book.
"Something happened didn't it? You found someone new." he called to her, as Jenna went to pad away. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him.
"Yes I did," she said surpisingly, Balto exppecting her to deny anything. "It's Jasper. Heartthorb of Nome, and I'm going to be his mate, and we're going to have a litter of pure-bred puppies-" Jenna paraded, winding Balto up, the wolf inside calling him to go for her throat and tear it out, stop the stupid lies and noise. "It's going to be happy ever after for me, but what about you?-" she then let out a gag of a scream as Balto pushed her to cold ground and dug his paw up into her throat, snarling.
"Shut up! Stop lieing!" he cried, crushing his weight into Jenna, who just wouldn't stop laughing.
"Haha.. Go on Balto, kill me. Cut my throat and devour the flesh. See how much of a hero you feel then." she said, tempting him, taunting him. Balto lifted his paw slowly, and Jenna watched it carefully as the enamel on the surface of hios sharp claws glinted in the lunar light of the moon, and she smiled... Bout then a shadowey mass flew at Balto, sending him off of Jenna's frame in a barrell roll. Jenna struggled to get up and winced in pain, seeing Steele pinning the struggling Balto into the floor.
"Go Jenna! Run!" Steele called to her, as Balto snapped and bit down hard on Steele's leg, as Steele let go of Balto quickly, yelpng. Balto then literally flung hi limp and confused body at Jenna, wiping her out as she smashed her back into some bins. Her vision blurred over slightly, she was to stunned to react when he yet again ran at her, limbs outstretched, his jaws snapping aimlessly. Steele quickly intercepted and shoved Jenna aside, taking the blow on his neck, the blood seeping out from his fur. Jenna gasped quickly, she couldn't bare to watch this.. but her heart called out for Steele; she was helping Steele. Jenna thrust her shoulder blade into balto's leg musceles, causing them to weaken inwards and he collapsed, Balto looked mercifully up at Jenna, who looked down on him with no remorse.
"Night, balto." Jenna said, placing both paws either side of his head and twisting them in a swift movement, Steele was nursing his bloody neck at the time and didn;t see what ahppened, all he heard was a echoing snapping sound, then the thump of a weight falling to the floor.
"Jenna! Jenna what happened?" Steele asked, as Jenna's eyes stayed solid on the dead Balto, but after a few seconds brimmed with tears. She took a step back, and Steele automatcially rested his head on her neck, comforting her. A couple of months ago, he would of celebrated at the fact Jenna was allowing him to nuzzle her, but he didn;t care about that, he cared about Jenna's feelings.
"Steele... I- I killed him." Jenna wept, her voice stuttering between sniffles. Steele soothed her, rubbing his furry neck over her's.
"Jenna... it's alright-" he reassured, not particualrlary sure why he was saying this, because it clearly wasn't true.
"No, Steele, it's not alright!" Jenna spat, slipping from under him, a frantic gaze crossing her face as her body quaked. "I have to get home." she said rapidly, running away from thier crime scene.
Jenna lay in the silence of Rosie's room, her girl laying fast asleep beside her. Oh god, she'd killed the male she was supposed to love once upon a time. She kept telling herself it would blow over, but the look of mercy and guilt on balto's face... it melted her to the core. She wished she could undo what had been done.
"jen? jenna you still up." Rosie whispered lazily, yawning, Jenna licked Rosie's cheek half heartedly, before rolling over and pretending to go to sleep, thoughts racing in her mind. "Night girl." Rosie giggled softly, smacking her lips together in an irritating noise before she closed her eyes and went to sleep. jenna tried to sleep, but she jkust couldn't if these thoughts kept on occupying her thoughts. She crept off of the bed and slunk to the window, unlatching it and leaping out inot the bone chilling cold, her jaw chattered annoyingly, but she knew where she had to go.
Jenna waited outside of the door, switching between her paws irratebly, when the light in the kitchen came on and the musher opened the back door, jenna slipped back out of sight quickly while Jasper was coming through the door, and once it had been closed, she appeared from around the bin much to his suprise.
"Jenna," he said seductively, circling around her as she fake smiled. "Come to seal the deal?" he said, his expressionate eyebrows moving upwards. Jenna dragged her tail under his chin and smiled sexily,sending him under her spell.
"Actually, I came to tell you some news," she said, fluttering her long, thick eyelashes, watching Jasper get more and more allured. "I'm a criminal." Jenna said, as the pair found themselves, someho unbeknowsnt, edging closer and closer to the hidden privacy of the shed.
"I'm guessing you want me to sort you out then Jenna?" Jasper said in a strong tone, Jenna felt a queake of guolt come through her.
"I just want to let you know that I- I... I killed Balto."
"With your astounding beauty," Steele said, taking it as a metaphor. jenna pulled back from under his chin, bringing him back down to the cruel reality of earth.
"No Jasper, I killed balto. I broke his neck and I killed him." Jenna persisted, the truth felt so pajnful, as if something had been driven through her heart. Jasper shook his head and gulped.
"Oh jenna, what are you going to do?" he asked, to astounded to say anything else. Jenna shook her head, her paws tracing in whatever was left of the snow, now mainly just a sheet of slush.
"I don't know... Maybe I can just cover this up, it will be yours, mine and Steele's little secret." Jenna said, as Jasper pulled his head back in grimace
"Steele?"
"He was there when I killed Balto. He comforted me." jenna pritested, as Jasper puffed his lips out.
"Pfft, yeah, because he loves you." Jasper replied coldly, Jenna fluffed her chest out, much like Dixie would do.
"Trust me, we'll pretend nothing ever happened." She said, nodding him farewell and trotting off home like she wasn't bothered.
The townsfolk were all gathered at that one spot just behind the butchers. Rosie sniffled, huddling into her mother.
"Who could've done this mama?" Rosie wept. Jenna stood in the dirt beside her girl, looking at the dead body of Balto. The butcher and Jasper's musher were helping clear up Balto's body ready for burial. Jenna felt so guilt; she should've thought about Rosie before she broke his neck. Jenna wanted to be alone, alone from the view of everyone.
"Hey Jen," Jasper said, pulling up beside her and looking at the lighter shade of dirt that had been sculpted by Balto's lifeless body. Jenna barely looked at him, she just gestured her head slightly ot the side.
"Hello Jasper." she whispered, scarcely able to draw a breath in the chilling shock. Jasper bit his lip, he could feel the tension rising in Jenna. The pair stood together for warmth, when a large shadowey figure cast itself over them both, Jenna turned around and gasped, uh-oh.
The looming figure of Steele stood behind her, his blue eyes blazing in disbeleif and rage. Distraught families shuffled past the 3 dogs back home after mourning Balto, and then the alleyway was left clear.
"I cannot believe my sorry eyes." Steele began, rubbing them in a pantomime style. Jasper's hackles stood on end and Jenna's ears flattened as she sulked. "I didn't want to have to ever set my eyes upon you again brother." Steele snapped, circling his brother, forcing Jenna to the outside.
"Stop it." Jenna called, sick of all of the violence. Steele wouldn't budge, he kept circling and circling, itwas making Jenna dizzy. "Steele." Jenna called sweetly, as Steele looked up and saw her, her neck buried into her shoulder in a graceful, yet sensual momvent as she twisted her head to see him. "If you both would be so kind as to stop fighting." she said through gritted teeth, padding up to them.
"I don't understand. You turn down the glory of Nome... for my opposition team mutt brother?" Steele spat, as Jasper backed up at Jenna's side. Jenna took a deep breath and burshed her tail against Jaspers.
"I love Jasper, Steele, he has other qualities you don't." she said, as Steele turned his face away in a raging passion storming off.
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The heat kept on rising in the boiler room, the skin on skin, the friction and pleasure. Jenna moaned softly into the mass of fur, as the owner growled lusterouslty back at her.
"Tell me I dreaming," it gruffed, pleasure taking it's tone. Jenna smiled to herself, burying her back futher into the rug.
"Your not dreaming." she replied, her paws loosely gripped at the male's shoulders. He began to rock roughly ontop of her, grunt and snarling like he was taking down a prey, and Jenna smiled triumphantly to herself. She found herself howling, but she didn;t want to, he'd find her, he would punsih her. The door flung open, and the male ontop of Jenna stopped mating and looked across, Jenna's neck twisted too. She couldn't like away, the shame was over bearing.
"Jenna! jenna why?" Jasper cried, running towards her. Steele pulled himself from Jenna and sauntered over, one paw falling flawlessly infornt of the other.
"Well brother, it looks like I've done it again. I'm the one everyone else respects not you." So whilst they argued, Jenna crept up from the mat, she kept herself low as she scrambeled up to the medium high window and fell out of it, the brisk summer night telling her to go somewhere new. So jenna did, she let her paws dash on the dirt as she bounded out of Nome, past balto's boat and into the night.Once Jenna stopped on a petruding rock that stuck out vliantly over a cliff, she let out a wolf like howl, getting a response from a pack somewhere. She felt at home for the first time in a long time.