Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog

Chapter 10: Not In A Million Dog Years

A/N: Terribly sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with some other projects and stories, not to mention school starting, and a week-long power outage.

"What is the meaning of this? Calling that mongrel your friend? No son of mine will be friends with a wolf dog! Not in a million dog years!" Codie's mother was furious. Aurora was as well, but she was twitching, indicating it was taking every ounce of her concentration and strength not to lash out.

"So what? We're all dogs, aren't we? On top of that, Balto happens to be the best friend I've ever had!" Codie yelled.

"Your father is running out of time, and you and Aurora will be mates within the week."

"Doesn't anybody here care what I think? I mean, all my life, decisions were made for me! And all that time, I was never given the chance to share my opinions!"

"But why would you want to worry about things when you can have a mate to provide for you?" Codie's mother asked.

"Because I'm old enough to worry about things and make my own decisions. You know I never liked Aurora, or any of the other girls you've thrown at me these past seventeen dog years," Codie countered, yelling rather loudly. His mother was fully enraged now.

"Sit!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Scared to disobey, Codie sat.

"Now I want you to listen and listen good. You are not to see that mutt again, and you are not to leave this neighborhood unless either I, or Aurora, are with you. Do you understand me?" His mother's voice was low; almost a whisper, but it still terrified him. He just lowered his head and nodded. His mind understood, but his heart rejected the idea completely. Codie was actually starting to feel something a little more than friendship towards Balto.

"Good. Now go to bed." Codie would've protested, but he didn't dare object. He trudged over to his dog bed with his head low, and his tail hanging down, and fell asleep. He wondered how Balto would react, with her wolf genes and all that. He knew she wouldn't snap at him, but he knew she wouldn't be happy about it, either. He'd just have to wait and see.

….

The next morning, Codie's humans took him and his mother out for a walk around town. His mother was talking away with a friend they met up with, and Codie just kept walking behind them, occasionally stopping to sniff a tree, still upset about not being able to see Balto again. He knew he couldn't have Balto for a friend anymore, because of his mother's stupid rules and Aurora's controlling attitude, so he decided he'd just have to let her go. Aurora went into heat that day, and he had two options. Either mate with her and regain his father's health, or get left out on the streets and leave his father to die. He felt his blood run cold at the thought of mating with Aurora. If only I had someone else.

Meanwhile, Balto, Duke, and Garth were at the dock. Duke and Garth were relaxing in the sand, while Balto was pacing the dock back and forth. A small creak followed each step she took, driving the two boys crazy.

"Balto, if you keep doing that you're gonna drill a hole in the dock," Duke joked. Balto, however, wasn't laughing. She knew she was head over paws for Codie, and she knew that he liked her some, but his mother and Aurora were a major obstacle.

"Look, Balto, if you love the dog why don't you just tell him? Now there's an idea!" Garth suggested jokingly.

"The girl's not being logical, I tell ya," Duke said, shaking his head.

"But love ain't logical, now is it, Duke?" Garth countered. Balto needed an idea to get to Codie. But what to do?

Balto stopped pacing and turned to look at Garth and Duke. They had grown rather muscular over the years, Garth especially, and that's when a light bulb went on over Balto's head. Garth would attempt to distract Codie's mother, keeping her occupied, while Balto took Codie away to talk to him. It was almost foolproof!

"I need your guys' help with something!" Balto said suddenly. They could see the gears in her head turning, and knew that she had a plan and it involved one of them. "Garth?"

"Yeah?"

"You think you can create a diversion for me?" Typical. Garth almost always handled distractions.

"Depends. Whatcha need?"

"You remember Codie's mother, right?" Balto asked.

"The asshole pedigree that hates us with every fiber of her being? Yeah, I think so. Why?" Garth replied.

"I need you to try to distract her for me, so that I can get Codie away to talk to him." Garth was a bit surprised, but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. He had distracted several of the most alert dogs before, but none were as aggressive or powerful as Codie's mother. What made it even more dangerous was that she knew Garth was a good friend of Balto's.

"C'mon buddy! Do it for your ol' pal, Balto," Balto begged. She put on her best "get whatever you want no questions asked" face, and Garth immediately broke down and agreed.

"Alright! Alright! I'll do it. But if something goes wrong, I'm holding you personally responsible," Garth warned.

"Fair enough. Now let's go. Duke, go get Jack and tell him to meet Garth and I at Connaught Park." Balto instructed before running off towards the park.

"Okay!" Duke yelled after them. "Wait, what?"

….

Balto and Garth, now joined by Jack, sniffed out a pet store in town and stole a collar that looked to be "upper class." They helped Balto put it on and went to the beach to take a quick bath in the ocean. Balto didn't like any of it, but it was necessary to make her look more like a pedigree and to blend in with the uptown society. Once she was clean, she fought the urge to roll around in some mud, and went to town to find Codie. It was freezing cold out, but Balto couldn't care less. She was a wolf on a mission.

Garth and Jack were sniffing every which way and Balto was looking around. It took them a while, but they finally found them at Jericho Park socializing with some other dogs, obviously pedigrees. Garth was still nervous about this whole thing, but he was doing it for Balto. Balto nodded her head and hid in some bushes. Garth walked over to Codie's humans, and picked his pocket, taking the man's wallet in his mouth.

"Hey!" Garth was running as fast as he could, dodging other dogs and trees. Codie's mother was after him too.

"How dare you, mutt! Why on Earth would a dog need money?" She yelled.

"You'd be surprised," Garth answered, taking off again.

Garth seemed to have them distracted, so Balto crept slowly behind Codie and unhooked the leash from his belt-collar. He was startled at first, but relaxed when he found out it was Balto. She dragged him over to Jericho beach and led him underneath the wooden walkway. As soon as they were out of sight, Balto shook off her collar and rolled around in some dirt.

"Balto, no. I can't see you," Codie started walking away, only to have his path blocked by Balto.

"Wait! I need to talk to you!"

"No Balto. No." Codie rejected. As much as he loved spending time with Balto, he'd rather live to be eighteen. "Balto, Aurora went into heat today, and I'm expected to—"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Balto yelled, squeezing her eyes shut, grimacing at the very thought of him mating with Aurora. "Codie. You're no decoration. You're a spoiled little pedigree, even. But, under that, you are the most amazing, astounding, wonderful dog that I've ever had the honor of knowing."

"Balto, I—" Codie began, only to be interrupted again.

"No! Just let me get this out. You-You're ama—" Balto stopped to take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm not an idiot. Alright? I know how canine hierarchy works. My own mother was a pedigree, dammit! I don't have a family, or a home to offer you, and I know that. I understand, but I'm too involved now."

Codie was perplexed, but also understood. It was the next thing Balto said that really made him feel guilty.

"I could've decided to not save you from falling off the dock two days ago. You know my tail is still sore? I chose to help you because I cared. I may be half wolf, but my dog side is still there."

"It's not up to you to decide what I should do." He said firmly.

"You're right. Only you can." Balto's eyes were now locked on his. Balto knew what he said was a lie, but she didn't say so. Then she heard loud barking and yipping nearby. Oh, Garth. What are we gonna do with you?

"Help me!" Garth yelled, his voice muffled by the wallet in his mouth.

"God dammit, Garth!" Balto cursed as she turned around to face Codie.

"Just think about it," she suggested before running off towards Garth.

Codie didn't know what to think. He was just a red husky lost in the world, held by the chains that came with being a housedog. Balto and those other wolf dogs were free to roam. He even heard they've been to Saskatchewan. He didn't know shit about Saskatchewan except that it was near Ontario. Mutts really did get all the fun.

Garth had dropped the wallet, growing tired of being chased, and he and Balto ran back to Jericho Park to catch their breath. Codie's mother was still barking at them, but had stopped chasing them. It was a waste of her time. Her human came back and found Codie underneath the walkway and put him back on his leash, whilst grabbing hold of Evelyn's leash.

After Garth and Balto got to Jericho Park, Garth had several bite marks on his hind legs. True to his word, he held Balto personally responsible.

"Shit! Godammit, Balto! No thanks to you, my hind legs are all scuffed up!" Garth complained, slowly lying down on the grass, as not to damage his hind legs further.

"I'm sorry, pal. I'll make it up to you, alright?" Balto could care less about Garth's hind legs right now. She couldn't very well focus on anything except for one particular purebred husky.

"How!" Garth barked.

"Godammit, Garth just go back home, alright? Go with the guys to get some lunch or something." With that said, Balto ran off.