This is a joint effort between SilverAngel99 and shadow hound dancer. We decided to just post under this name.
Feel free to visit either accounts to see more details about us and our separate stories.
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Prologue
It had been far too long, Balto decided as he paced around the large house. He had been past the front door five times now, how many more times would he? Once more, he tried to take it slow, but he gained speed as he went, his nerves driving him forward at a faster rate.
Behind the house he paused completely, looking mournfully at the window before him. The curtain had been drawn, preventing him from looking into the room beyond. However it didn't stop him from getting up onto the window ledge, resting his paws against the sill, and looking wistfully at the curtain.
As he did he glanced down at his paws, a sad reminder of his wolf heritage. Oh how he hoped that none of his puppies ended up with these paws. He'd know soon he hoped. If they'd only let him inside!
Balto slid down from his place at the window and continued his pacing around and around the house; his path had warn through the snow and now was wearing into the dirt below it. He caught wind of several scents that on any other day would have sparked his interest but today, he just continued to pace; There was more on his mind than just what he smelt, when inside Jena was about to give birth to their puppies.
Rosie's parents had thrown him outside the instant they had realised Jenna was going into labour. Balto, the expectant father, was doomed to spend the next few hours kicking a track into the snow, missing what was the most important part of his life. All thanks to his "questionable lineage".
Thankfully when dinner time came around, kind hearted Rosie let him inside the house while her parents ate. Her head poked around the front door
"You can come in now." She whispered.
Instantly his ears pricked up, his tail jumped up and a doggy grin broke out on his face. He felt the urge to bark with joy, and only resisted when Rosie brought her fingers to her lips in a silencing gesture. Still, he could not keep himself from prancing up the front steps to the house. There, he felt Rosie grab at the collar she had given him a few weeks ago. While he did not enjoy being held back in such a way, he allowed it, knowing where Rosie was taking him and what awaited him there.
When they were only a few steps away from the cupboard in Rosie's room where Jenna had "set up house", he heard some quiet mewling sounds. Jumping to attention Balto rushed for the cupboard, but Rosie held him back and told him harshly:
"NO!"
So Balto stopped, knowing he'd never be allowed in if he kept up this type of behaviour. Tucking his tail between his legs, he peered around the corner.
Inside the cupboard lying on the jumbled pile of blankets, was Jenna, her eyes closed. Suckling from her belly were, not one, not two, but four beautiful puppies. Balto felt his heart stop and leap into his throat, when he saw them.
Even from this distance they were perfect. Four little puppies, all of his own….well not ALL his, his and Jenna's. All of them had four paws, two ears and a tail; to him they couldn't be more perfect.
Two were the colour of their mother, red and white, the third had his grey fur and the last one was a mixture of both.
A small wuff escaped his throat before her could help it, and Jenna opened one eye sleepily to look at him. There eyes met, and a pleased, yet tired smile crossed her face, matching his delighted grin.
Rosie still had his collar firmly.
"Balto," she said softly, "meet Shadow, Blitz, Scarlet and Robin." She pointed to each of the bundles of fur in turn.
Balto gave Jenna a questioning look. They'd named the puppies without him? She returned his look with an apologetic one of her own, but before either could say anything, they heard a sharp voice from the room behind them.
"Rosie!" Rosie's father had returned from dinner. "We told you not to bring him in here!" he quickly admonished her. "He might hurt them honey"
Feeling his heart sink as the older man's hand closed around his collar, Balto gave Jenna and the puppies' one final look before he was forcibly lead from the room.
"Balto!" Two feathered wings encircled his head and an orange beak kissed him repeatedly, the moment he was out the door. "You're a Papa!" Boris added, his Russian accent flavouring his speech.
Balto gleamed. "Yes Boris, I guess I am." That doggy grin replaced the sad look on his face. "To four wonderful puppies."
