1.

The plan was simple. The next time the Salthlex messenger was to deliver the food to their sell; Alex, Leo and Shelder were to act like they were going to fight. Once they

started to fight, the Salthlex would most likely get involved to try and stop it before someone was killed and one of them would knock him out. They were to steal the key to the sell and hide it. But when the Salthlex recovered and left, the trio was to slip out and sneak up on as many Salthlex as they could and kill them while the others would quietly make their way from up the stairs. They would meet there and fight their way out. It was simple enough. But it was easier said than done. Everyone liked the plan and Selina was interested in what the three of them were going to fake fight about. Something stupid. said Alex. Shelder and I are going to sit near the door while Leo stands not far. She grinned at the two boys. Then Im going to slap Shelder and tell him not to touch me. What?! cried Shelder. Alex winked, Leo sniggered. Then Leo will come over and ask whats wrong while Shelder takes the defense. When I tell Leo what happened, he will punch Shelder, or, she added quickly as Shelder spluttered in protest. He will fake punch Shelder while I plead them not to fight. And in the midst of the fight, she continued, smiling at the look on Shelders face. I will knock out the Salthlex messenger and steal his key. Selina burst out laughing and the others started chuckling. Dont get offended Alex, said Harland once he stopped laughing. Your plan is great; I just think its funny that the boys are actually agreeing to cooperate with you though. And he started chuckling again.

You better get into position though, said Tylor. Here comes the messenger Salthlex with our food. Alex, Shelder and Leo hurried to get into position as the Salthlex opened the door. He dropped the tray on the floor just as Shelder touched her. To her surprise, he actually touched her, not just play. She shrieked and slapped him. Not just a play slap. He staggered back as she shrieked, What do you think youre doing?! Leo walked over just as planned and asked what was wrong. Leo, he touched me! cried Alex in a terrified voice. Leo scowled and called Shelder something that made Selina gasp and pretended to punch him. The messenger Salthlex looked amused as Shelder pretended to hit back but tried to butt in just as planned. Alright boys. Dont fight. He said. Please, dont fight. Please! cried Alex. The Salthlex paused and looked at Alex with an unidentifiable glint in his eye. He grabbed her from behind by the arms and pulled her to him. His grip was so tight, she squirmed uncomfortably. The two fighting boys stopped and stared at him and Alex. Her hand was level with his belt and she felt her way to the hook with the key. Once it was free, she stiffened as the mans grip tightened and whimpered in pain. Now, no more fighting or Ill have to take this pretty young girl from you both. He said with a sneer. He let go of Alex but not before he licked her neck and said in her ear,

Ill be sure to ask the Master personally for you before she decides to kill you. It would be such a waste to kill such a beauty, even if you are a half wolf. It might be fun. Alex shuddered, fear etched on her face. He smiled and closed the door. When he was gone, she used the sleeve of Leos shirt to wipe the spot where his tongue had touched her flesh. What a discussing man. Im glad I dont have to see the likes of him again. Leo grabbed her face in his hands and looked sternly at her. Why didnt you knock him out? Wasnt that the plan? Alex blushed and turned her head away, her expression defiant. It would have looked suspicious if he had not returned upstairs, besides, she added more quietly. His grip was too strong for me to break. Alright, said Aunt Rain, breaking the silence that had followed Alexs announcement. Get going now. I dont fancy staying down here for another minute. Do you have the key? Alex handed her the key. Aunt Rain pulled Alex into her arms and hugged her tightly. Good luck. She said. She let go and shooed Alex away. Leo. Shelder. Come here. She said.

Confused, the two boys stepped away from their father and went to her while Alex came over to Selinas beckoning hand. Be careful Alex. She said, tears in her eyes. Alex hugged her and looked down at Nanaka, who was also crying. Dont cry wolf cub. She said to the little girl. When this is over, Leo and I will take you to the mall and you can have any ice cream you like. Nanaka sniffed and smiled sadly. Alex ruffled her air and hugged her then she ran to say good bye to Leo and Shelder. Alex got up and looked at Selina. Selina, when that Salthlex held me like that, she paused, scared to admit whatever was tearing at her. I was completely at his mercy. I was helpless. It was terrifying. Selina smiled and pat her on the back. Alex, you know that Leo would never let anything like that really happen to you right. He would never allow it. No one here would. I know. But still, I was scared. I couldnt help myself. Alex looked hopefully at Selina. Have you ever felt like that? No. But I had Tylor to protect me. All girls are helpless when it comes to men, Alex. We just have to deal with it. Thats why we need someone to protect us. She smiled kindly at Alex. But that was probably just a onetime deal. Dont worry. Leo and Shelder came over at that moment so Alex dropped the subject. But before she could say even a word to either of the boys, Selina dragged them both over to the corner and pointed a finger at them both. Whatever she

was saying was probably about her because, Leo and Shelder both looked around at her after a moment with strange expressions on their faces. When they finished and came over to her, she opened her mouth to ask what Selina had said but Selina herself said, Dont even think about it. Ive forbade them to talk about what I just said so dont ask. She was curious but Alex put up her hands in a surrendering gesture. Alright. she said.

2.
Alright, are you guys ready? asked Mr. Anlet. As well ever be. answered Shelder. Well then, he said with a smile. Say your words. Destroy. said Shelder. It was like watching a slow motion video of a growing tree except it was the opposite. Brown fur sprouted and his back hunched. The next thing she knew, Shelder was a brown wolf. However, he was larger than a regular wolf. Protect. said Leo. It was the same with Leo. Though the only thing different was that black fur sprouted, not brown. He was also a bit bigger than his brother. Then it was Alexs turn. Everyone stared at her, even the two wolves sitting on the floor. She took a deep breath and said, Animal Attack.

It felt like a sudden heat took over her body and the next moment, everything was the same, only she was now a full wolf. A pure white one at that. She was smaller than the two male wolves beside her but much more agile. Like she was when she was human. Wow, said Nanaka, coming closer to Alex. Youre so beautiful. Thank you. She said. Or thought more likely. The little girl put her hand to her head and looked around wildly. Tylor chuckled and took her hand. You may not have a mouth but you can still talk. He said. All you have to do is think what you want to say and the others will hear. Suddenly, the brown wolf started chasing its tail. He went around in seven circles before he got dizzy and collapsed. Ha! No wonder dogs like doing that so much! came Shelders voice. Alex giggled. Or chuffed. Her wolfs body felt full of energy and ready to fight. Come on. said Leo. We need to get going. Alex padded over to Nanaka and licked her face before following the other two out of the bars. Leo led the way up the stairs and stopped at the top, looking for Salthlex. The wolfs sense of smell was great and Alex could smell three different body odors. Theres three of them, I can smell it. she said. Each of us takes one. Quickly! How? asked Shelder.

Ive got a plan. said Alex. She padded towards to nearest Salthlex, whining, and pretending to have a hurt paw. He looked down at her and then kneeled down next to her. Aw poor girl. How did ya get in? I bet it was those half wolves again. They always attract you guys. Alex whined again and licked the Salthlexs hand. Hey guys, come an have a look at this. I think I found my new pet. He said to his friends. Shes a pretty one aint she? said the second Salthlex. Alex wagged her tail excitedly and added privately to the boys, Anytime now. They caught on and leaped. The three Salthlex didnt make a sound except for the thump of their bodies hitting the ground. Nice acting. said Shelder. Who said I was acting? she asked. As she padded by Shelder, she aimed her tail so she could swat his face. Instead, he caught her tail in his mouth and pulled her to the ground. Alex yipped. Hey! No fair! She said. Ouch! She added when the big brown wolf jumped on top of her and pinned her down. You give? He asked. Never! She exclaimed and nipped playfully at him.

Leos even bigger wolf body came over and growled warningly. Stop it you two! Now is not the time to play! Shelder rolled off Alex and padded away guiltily. Sorry Leo said Alex. But when Leo wasnt looking, Alex kicked out her back leg and hit Shelder on the butt.

They encountered more Salthlex along the way, and took them out, but Alexs pure white fur was now tinted pink by all of the blood. Luckily, there werent very many Salthlex on this level, so the three of them transformed back into half wolf and continued from there. Alright, said Alex. We said that we would meet the others at the top of the stairs. Lets go. The other two nodded and followed as Alex led the way. However, the others were not there when they arrived at the top of the stair that led to the cells bellow. Maybe they went ahead, said Shelder. Alex shook her head. That wasnt part of the plan. They wouldnt do that. Leo nodded. Shes right. They would have waited for us as planned. Alex frowned and looked at the two boys seriously. Somethings wrong. I can feel it.

They nodded. Shelder opened his mouth to say something but was never able to place him comment because at that moment, the Salthlex woman who had tortured Alex, The Master, said, Yes, you are quite right. Something is wrong.

3.
Very clever. The woman said. But not clever enough. My men heard your friends coming up the stairs and when they discovered that you three were gone, they called me. Where have you taken them?! cried Alex. The woman sneered. They have been taken outside, to be killed at once. They proved of no use to me. They had no information for me. She gave them a small wink. But it seems you three do prove useful. After giving both Leo and Shelder a look that meant a dozen things, Alex leapt for the woman, claws extended and teeth bore. The woman chuckled and snapped her fingers. At once, Alex felt hands hold her down and bind her. She could only guess from the cries of protest and fury from the boys that the same was happening to them. The woman continued as if there were no interruption. I will spear your friends, she said, her eyes on Alex. But only if you agree to tell me everything you know. She eyed Alex. What is that on your stomach? she asked sharply.

Alex tried to hide her symbol before she could get a good look at it but it was too late. The Salthlex holding her forced her to stand straight and with her arms bound behind her; her torso was in full view. The Salthlex woman gasped and murmured something incomprehensible. She walked over to Alex and cleared the smeared blood and dirt away from her stomach. With a triumphant shriek that sounded more like a screech she slapped Alexs face, hard. I do believe you lied to me, spiral. To the Salthlex holding the three half wolves, she added, Take them to the others; THEY are going to be very pleased. And she was off. The Salthlex took them outside to a small courtyard, where the others were tied to a thin, high pole; some sitting, some standing, all speaking in low voices. The Salthlex dragged Leo and Shelder over to them but took Alex over to a different pole on the other side of the courtyard, one with blood spattered all over the ground around it. All thoughts of who THEY were flew from her mind as she saw the pole. She struggled, instincts driving her more than anything. Finally, after the two Salthlex suffered minor cuts and bite marks from Alex, they hit her over the head and everything went dark.

Alex came to lying on the ground and tied to the pole with the blood around it. Salthlex stood ten paces away from her and the other pole with everyone else bound to it. They all stared at her in concern. Alex tried to get up but a pain in the back of her head prevented her from doing anything other than lift the upper half of her body. She groaned and closed her eyes at the pain. Stay where you are and dont do anything foolish. The others are alright and I am working on a plan to get us out of here but you have to play along. It was the voice of Mr. Anlet. With a ping, she remembered that he was a telepath. He could move objects with his mind and talk to people without moving his lips. Alex had the feeling that he too was looking at her and gave the slightest of nods to show that she understood. Good Girl. Now, act as if we came here to gather information and to report to a larger group of Half Wolves. They will think that the group will come looking for us and panic. We will take advantage of their panic and attack. Knowing that he could hear her, she thought, But the Salthlex woman saw my mark Mr. Anlet. She said that THEY would be pleased to see me. There was a pause and could almost feel the tension coming from the other side of the courtyard. Thats not good. It means that there will be more Salthlex to fight.

Another pause. Alex, do you know why a wolf howls? As Alex shook her head, she heard Mr. Anlet sigh from the the other pole. They do it to tell the pack where they are when they are alone or when they are morning their dead. And then Alex caught on. She nodded and smiled slightly. She sat up all of the way and stared at Mr. Anlet from across the Courtyard. I havent told anyone else that bit of information so keep it until you need to use it. Before she could reply in any way, the Salthlex woman came out with a group of at least twenty or so more Salthlex. As you can see, she was saying. I have captured the last of the spiral clan along with her accomplices. The Salthlex that had come with the woman wore important looking clothes and dresses and stared in awe and shock at Alex as if she were a living dinosaur. The Salthlex woman, she saw, had a whip. Alex suddenly understood why there was a whole bunch of blood around the pole. She struggled in her bonds and almost cried in pain at the memory of the woman inflicting the cuts and stabbing her. The woman just laughed. See how she panics at my approach. The other Salthlex just kept staring at her and the others in shock.

The woman walked over to Alex and sneered at her. Then the woman lifted her arm and the whip made contact with Alex. It hit her across the shoulder and face, leaving a long red and bleeding welt. The others from across the courtyard made sounds of protest and anger but the other Salthlex silenced them. Alex didnt see how as she was slashed repeatedly. The slashes feeling like a hundred knives slashing in the same place as the woman striped various parts of her body. Transform, it will ease the pain. Mr. Anlets voice sounded pained, as if seeing her flogged was hurting him too. Alex took the advice and murmured the two words under her breath with much difficulty. Animal Attack. Instantly, she felt her body transform into a large white wolf, now partly pink and red with dried and newly shed blood. Mr. Anlet was right. Her fur did prevent the whip from much of the pain and making new wounds. The Salthlex woman stopped and laughed softly. I see. She said. She came over the Alexs wolf body and kicked it onto its side. The bonds had come free when she had transformed. Alex whined softly and growled at the same time. As the woman drew back her foot to kick her again, Alexs wolf spirit came to life; a feral growl deep in her throat. Alex thought of her friends, her FAMILY over by the other pole and a fierce urge to protect came over her. She needed to protect what was special to her. She needed to defend her pack.

Quick as a flash, Alex got up, ignoring the pain of wounds pouring even more blood and went for the womans throat. The Salthlex womans body fell lifeless to the ground in the next second. Alex looked up, hatred and rage in her lavender eyes. She looked toward the other side of the courtyard and the rage kicked up to a higher level when she saw the Salthlex hovering over them with knives at their throats. Alex bounded toward them and before they could react, she tore each Salthlexs throat from their body. Then she went for the other leaders. They had reacted differently from the others. They had drawn weapons and claws. As she bounded off in their direction, she saw Leo, Shelder, Tylor, Selina, Night, and Harland transform and follow her. From pure wolfish pleasure from being in a pack again, Alex stopped in her tracks and howled to the nights full moon. It was all over in ten minutes, Salthlex bodies were everywhere. More had joined the fight and Alex and the others had killed them just like the others. All of them had managed to avoid their weapons and claws, none of them were injured. And only one Salthlex lived from the hundred or so that occupied the house. The messenger Salthlex stood shivering near the pole where Mr. Anlet, Aunt Rain, and Nanaka stood, their bonds untied. Alex transformed back into human form and headed toward them. She could feel other than see the others transform back too, but she paid no attention. She walked straight over to the Salthlex who was cowering in Mr. Anlets grasp.

She grabbed the collar of his grimy shirt and bared her teeth in front of his face. You are going to answer every question I have the urge to ask, understand? He nodded vigorously and tears ran down his face. Alex smiled horribly for a moment before asking the first question. How many Salthlex are left? The Salthlex messenger swallowed and then answered in a terrified, squeaky little voice. About three hundred in the states, more than a thousand in the world. Alex frowned and tightened her grip on the Salthlexs grimy shirt, ignoring his tiny whimper. How many clans of half wolves have you killed so far and how many still live? The man averted his gaze and said, Im not an important person in all of this, I But Alex cut him off. She removed one of her hands and put her claws to his throat. Answer me! The man made a small scream and said, Three! Weve killed three and there are at least seventeen more! Alex sniggered.

Good, now, answer this. Do you have a leader? A lone one that controls all of the Salthlex in turn? Yes he croaked. Alex removed her claws from his throat but kept them close. She moved in closer and whispered in his ear so the others, who had gathered around to watch couldnt hear. Im going to let you live, but only for one reason; to deliver a message. If we ever meet again, she growled threateningly in his ear. I WILL KILL YOU. She had said it so softly and deadly, she could feel him trying not to faint. She drew back. Now, she said. The message I want you to deliver is this: Gather all of your forces around the world to fight, as we will do the same. We will fight when each army is ready. To tell when, they will send you. Tell them that I, the last survivor of the spiral clan, has challenged the leader of the Salthlex personally. He will pay for the death of our beloveds. She let go of the man and he staggered to his feet in fear. Go deliver the massage. As he still did not move, she nearly barked the next word. GO! He went.

4.
Alex woke to the sudden knocking on her bedroom door.

Alex, Selina and Nanaka are here to see you. It was Aunt Rain. Okay. Give me a minute. Well be waiting downstairs. Alex heard her go back down the stairs. It had been two weeks since the day they all had escaped from the Salthlex strong house. As Alex had said they would do, Harland, Tylor, Night, Shelder and Leo had been going across the country and gathering the half wolves in hiding. Mr. Anlet had been communicating to the half wolves from across the world and giving the message from the princess of the half wolves that the time has come to fight and to meet at the school to plan. It was now summer vacation, so none of the students would interfere or be a worry. However, the people who were old enough and wanted to help were all the welcome. Alexs friends, Cassie, Grace, Alice, and Neil said they would help without hesitation. By now, every half wolf from around the world would be there at the school and Selina and Nanaka were here to take her there. Alex got out of bed, showered, dressed and made her way down to the livingroom where Aunt Rain, Selina and Nanaka were sitting and talking about the preparations being made. At the sight of Alex, Nanaka flung herself out of her mothers lap and ran to hug Alex. Daddy and the others arrived yesterday! she squealed. Alex giggled.

Is that so? Alex ruffled the little girls hair fondly. Nanaka smiled happily. Yeah! Leo and Shelder are here too, Theyre outside. Alex looked from Selina to Aunt Rain and they nodded, confirming the little girls announcement. Alex had not seen her friends since the day after they had escaped the Salthlexs clutches and she had missed them a lot. She took Nanakas hand and let the little girl lead her outside to the backyard. The two brothers were conversing quietly but stopped and looked around when Alex opened the door to go out. Nanaka immediately ran into Leos arms but he put her down almost as quickly when Alex came up to them and hugged her, hard. Wheres mine? she heard Shelders hurt voice pierce the silence. Alex laughed and released Leo to hug Shelder too. He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. A little too long to where Leo pulled Alex away from his older brother and put an arm protectively around her waist. Alex blushed but tried to ignore the little warm glow in her chest at the little act. So how has everything gone? Is everyone okay? Shelder nodded.

Weve done all we can with the recruiting of the other half wolves and yes, everyone is tired but fine. Alex looked at Leo. How many half wolves do we have on our side? He smiled. About eight hundred give or take fifty or so. Alex sighed. Thats a good number but not as good as the Salthlex. Nanaka giggled. Yeah but from the way you guys fought at that Salthlex house, the number of half wolves could be just a hundred with Alex and you would win. Alex looked down at the little girl and beamed at her. She picked Nanaka up and kissed her cheek. You know what; I never got you that ice cream I promised you did I? The little girl grinned and shook her head. Well then, lets go get a triple scoop for both of us. Both she and Nanaka started to giggle at the face Shelder made. What about me? Alex smirked at him. If you want an ice cream, you have to buy it yourself. They all laughed, even Shelder.

 When they arrived at the school, they immediately saw that Mr. Anlet had made preparations for the great mass of people that would be coming. No one knew how but he had made the gym the size of a football stadium in which every half wolf that was willing to come and end the fight between the long, long enemies were standing or sitting. There was a large platform in the middle of the room and Mr. Anlet guided Alex to it, along with everyone who had been at the Salthlex strong house. Mr. Anlet tapped the microphone that was in the middle of the platform and cleared his throat. Apparently, there was a whole bunch of speakers in the room because the murmur of talk that had been defining the room stopped abruptly. Every eye turned on the little group on the platform. Mr. Anlet cleared his throat again and said, We have been gathering every half wolf in the world that is willing to come for the time range of two weeks. Now, as you know, there will be a war in a short while of time between the Salthlex and the half wolves. The last known daughter of the spiral clan, the princess of the half wolves will now explain. Silence went through the room as Mr. Anlet gestured for Alex to come forward. She felt nervous, scared, and even giddy. She could feel herself trembling as she came up to the microphone but every thought of nervousness fled her mind as the sight of hundreds of half wolf eyes fell upon her. Her half wolves. Her people. Her responsibility. Her pack. Alex swallowed. Well, as you all must know by now, my friends and I were most recently abducted from these very grounds by our enemies, the Salthlex. We were

tortured and abused but we still did not give any information that would have helped them. We tried to escape, failed and I was tortured again while my friends were forced to watch. But as I thought of them, it roused my wolfs spirit. I needed to protect them. I needed to defend my pack. We fought seven against a hundred, two hundred maybe and all because we wanted to survive. She paused, letting this information sink in. We let one Salthlex live to ask questions and deliver a message. There are at least a thousand Salthlex out there, give or take a hundred. Just think; if seven of us could kill a hundred or so, what can eight hundred of us do? The Salthlex messenger will come to me when the Salthlex are ready and then I will say where we will fight and when. We dont want to involve the humans so it has to be a place where we can shed a lot of blood and burry many bodies. Any suggestions? Alexs gaze swept over the crowd and found a large half wolf man raising his hand near the back. A microphone floated to him and he spoke. How about the Nevada Desert? Its not too far from here. Alex smiled. What is your name, friend? Earl Rating, Princess. Alexs smile turned stern. Look here Earl Rating, your idea is perfect and we will be fighting there. But first thing first, she looked around at everyone on the room. I will have no one calling me Princess, Your Highness, or anything like that. I am known as Alex to everyone in this room.

There was a murmur around the room and everyone nodded or said okay. Alex nodded in approval and continued. I suggest that anyone who has not connected with their inner wolf or does not want to in any reason, bring their own weapons and that everyone wear light clothes, seeing as the weather is almost always hot in the desert. That will be to our advantage. But one last thing, Alex gave the big crowd a grave stare. If anyone has second thoughts about this, they should leave now, for we fight to the death. No one left. Alex smiled again. Now, does anyone have any questions? A few people raised their hands. Alex nodded toward the woman closest to the back and the microphone zoomed toward her. What sort of weapons should we bring? Alex pointed toward the small group behind her. Questions such as that and any other related to the upcoming fight should be consulted with Harland, Night, and Tylor at the end of this session. Most of the hands fell back to their owners sides but two were still left up. Alex nodded toward a small looking man with long black hair. I understand this is a personal question but, what was it like being in the wolfs spirit? Alex smiled darkly.

Like rage, elation and pure canine content. As Alex pointed to the last person, a woman with short brown hair, she silently cursed herself. That was a horrible answer. The woman looked a bit shy and nervous to ask her question but said, Do you think we will ever win this war? Alex fixed her gaze on the woman for a long moment, considering the question. Truthfully, I dont know, but that depends on everyone in this room. If you really want to win, we will win. If you halfheartedly want to win, we will most likely lose.

5.
You were great! Selina came running after Alex with Leo, Shelder and Nanaka at her heels. Alex smiled weakly and collapsed on a bench outside the gym. The rest of the large group of half wolves were conversing in the gym or scattering around the school grounds to discuss other things. Selina and Nanaka sat on either side of her and the two boys stood in front of her. Alex closed her eyes and let her head rest on Selinas shoulder. Are you alright? asked Leo. Alex opened her eyes and let them fall on Leo. She sighed, nodded and closed her eyes again.

Im fine. Nanaka bounced up and down in her seat. She grabbed Alexs hand and tugged. Well, if youre fine, then can we play? Alex opened one eye to stare at her. You run, I chase. The little girl squealed as Alex suddenly grabbed her and tickled her in just the right places. She let the little girl go and waited for her to get a head start before she took off. To her surprise, Nanaka was faster than she had expected. She dodged Alexs grabs for her with ease and succeeded in knocking Alex on her bottom twice. The second time, Shelder and Leo evidently could not resist, and joined in the game. They tickled her and Nanaka until their eyes were watering with laughter. A throat was cleared and Alex glanced up to see Earl, frowning. Alex got up hastily and smiled as Leo, her torturer, fell over by her quick moves. Whats up? Is there something wrong? Alexs grin disappeared as she saw Earls face. Actually, there is a Salthlex by the gate, saying that he has a message for you and that he will speak with no one else. Alex frowned. It was time. The Salthlex messenger was by the front gate of the school, being held down by three young half wolves. Alex nodded to them and they released him.

The Salthlex from the safe house did not get up. He did not even look at Alex. The high king says that he accepts your challenge and will be waiting. He asks where you want to fight. He did not look at her when he spoke; he just looked at the ground. A fact that the three young half wolves noticed and did not like, but as one of them made to turn the Salthlexs head upward, Alex stopped him. Tell him that we will fight in the Nevada desert. Exactly one week from now. Alex looked at him hard. And remember, she said, slowly so he had to look up. If we ever meet again, she glared at him. I will kill you. Now go. He went. So tell everyone that we leave in exactly one week. Tell them to pack everything they need and to disguise themselves well. We do not want to alarm the humans. But tell them to bring some sort of armor to protect themselves. Alex paced in Mr. Anlets office as the others listened to the story of what Alex said to the messenger Salthlex. We need to start traveling now because we cant go in one big group. Alex continued. I doubt no one will notice a lot of half wolves traveling at once. Alex, calm down said Selina.

Yeah, Alex. said Night. We realize this has given you a lot of stress but that wont help us win the war. We need to concentrate on how we will win. Night was right. Alex stopped pacing. She muttered the two words that would turn her into a wolf and transformed into a great white beauty. She turned in a circle three times before lying at Nanakas feet. She licked the little girls hand and nudged her before she started scratching Alex behind the ears. The reason why she had turned into a wolf was because she could mull things over without having to deal with other unwelcome things. She stood up suddenly and asked Nanaka to open the door for her. Where are you going? asked the little girl. I need some time alone for a while. Ill spend some time with you later, okay? She nodded and Alex headed for the edge of the forest, where she could be alone and process everything that had happened in the last few weeks. Alex sat down and cleaned her paws absently. A few minutes later, she heard someone rambling through the bushes, but it was only Leo. He had also transformed into a big black wolf. Alex went back to cleaning her paws as she said, I said I wanted to be alone. I know. Alex sniffed. Then why are you here. To do this.

He lay down next to her and licked her face. In doing so, licking the tears pouring from her eyes. He laid his head on her body in a protective gesture as she laid her head on his paws. A few minutes later, she found herself drifting off to sleep. Thank you, Leo. She said absently. He licked her face again. For what? For being there for me. He nibbled her ear softly. I wouldnt leave you for the world.

END