Chapter 4

I launch myself into the nearest guard and sink my fangs into their throat.

The other guards try to shoot me but Kiba leads the others into attacking the guards before they can pull the trigger.

Out of nowhere, a gunshot goes off and hits my left thigh. I lift my head up, trying to shake the blood off my muzzle. An older man is aiming a rifle at me. He had dark hair and a bushy mustache. His trench coat showed that he was part of the police, maybe even the chief.

He cocks his gun and puts his finger to the trigger. I lift my tail and give him a loud growl. The man hesitates as he wipes the sweat from his brow. I could tell he was afraid.

Before he could fire, Tsume tackles the man. He rips the rifle out of the man's hand and tosses it aside. Tsume snaps his jaws just inches away from the man's throat before he leaps away.

I watch him run towards the escape route and don't hesitate to follow. At least I had some fun. But now it was time to get serious. We had to get Cheza out and find shelter and food before nightfall.

I hear paw steps behind me as the others notice our disappearance. I see the air duct ahead of me. I will my legs to go faster so I could be free of this sick building.

I duck my head as I dive into the air duct. I slow my pace and become human as I crawl through the small space. Ahead, I can hear Tsume as he shuffles through to get outside.

Soon enough, I see Tsume's figure as light begins to flow into the space. Tsume hops out ad turns around to help me out. He grins when he sees it's me but still decides to help me down.

I grab his outstretched hand and jumps down. I quietly thank him, and receive a "whatever".

After all of us are out, we decide to quickly talk about where to hide.

"How about my place? No one comes by it because they think it's haunted," I suggest my place.

Kiba looks at me and nodded. "When I went there, it was really quiet. It's also hidden behind an old abandoned building. The only problem is it's on the other side of the city. "

I smile. "I know the quickest and fastest way there. I also know where to get food along the way. "

I squeeze through the hole in the side of the hospital. In my jaws, I carry a small crow. I climb up the stairs and decide to settle in Kiya's old place. I didn't want anyone else in his favorite spot.

As I begin to eat, the pack reaches the top of the stairs. They glance around the place.

"It's a pretty cozy place to rest," Blue says around the small dove. She spits it out and coughs up some feathers. "Why do we have birds instead of hot dogs?"

I swallow my mouthful of meat before I answer. "Well we are now some of the most wanted people in the city. You want to go up to a hot dog stand in public just to get caught?"

Blue looks taken aback my rude reply.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little ticked off about some stuff. Kiya used to just laugh and say something to calm me down. Now that he's gone..." I trail off.

Blue frowns. "I know how you feel. It's hard when you lose someone close to you. "

I stop mid-bite and look up at Blue. I close my mouth and stand up. I look back down at my half eaten crow and shake my head. I shove it away with my paws.

"I'm not hungry anymore. "

I push in-between Kiba and Cheza as I bound down the stairs. I slip through the hole again and make my way to the back of the hospital. I strain my eyes until I make out the churned dirt that covers Kiya.

I allow myself to collapse at the edge of his grave, tears streaking down my cheeks.

I sit in silence for a while. The night air cool and eerie. I refuse to move as I hear paw steps crunch behind me. I hear the wolf sit beside me, their warm fur pressed against mine. They take a deep breath and then surprise me by licking the top of my head once.

"I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

I flick my ears at Kiba's voice. I shake my head, not wanting to speak.

" We all have been through what you have. Blue lost her owner. So did Toboe. Then the rest of us lost our pack. Tsume's was murdered and he was exiled. Hige got lost. And mine was burned in a noble's fire. "

I turn my head to look at Kiba. That sounded familiar. I push myself to my paws and look at Kiba.

"I remember how Kiya led me away from a big fire. I heard the agonized howls of my pack as they were burned alive. I remember when the fire went out, I could see one pup still alive. I snuck away from Kiya when he was asleep to try and find it, but it was gone when I got there. While I was down there, I saw my parents. "My eyes narrow in fear and sadness as I recall the memory.

"Smoke choked me as I made my way through the ruins of my pack's territory. My parents' bodies lied next to each other. Their fur was all burned off and the skin was red and smelled terrible. I tried to run but all I saw were the bodies of my friends and pack. Kiya soon found me and comforted me. He took me back to the hill where he found us food. He told me he spotted a city in the distance. He said we would go there and live our lives in peace.

"Our journey was long and tiring. At one point, a bobcat attacked us. Kiya chased it off and got scars but he still held his pride. Afterwards, he showed how to hunt and fight. I became the best hunter and fighter to Kiya.

"When we got to the city, we became human. We learned how to do that too.

"We found the hospital and made that our home. We found our way around, stayed out of trouble, until one day. But that's a whole 'nother story. I remember thinking I saw the wolf pup from my pack. But he disappeared. "

"What did your pack's territory look like?" Kiba breaks my focus.

" Lunar flowers everywhere! It was so beautiful. It smelled wonderful and was like the description of paradise. "

Kiba's eyes look off into the distance for a few moments before he looks into my eyes. He takes a deep breath and sighs.

"Akiela. I never thought I would be able to say this to someone, but..." Kiba's sentence fades off.

I lean in closer.

Kiba stands up so he's looking down at me.

"Our packs, are the same. I'm that other pup. "