Chapter 11: Dreaming of Wolves

Alex awoke to a ray of golden sunshine gliding in from the window. The ray hit her in the eyes as she closed them shut. She brought her hand to her neck as she massaged her own body. It had been over four months since the last time she had to sleep on the floor. She missed her comfy small bed upstairs, lying next to her mate.

Why had she slept on the floor last night? Oh, that's right. Alex remembered Cole's visit and how she wanted to be with him that night. She just didn't want him to run away again, and she thought that is she stayed with him that he would see the error that he would make.

"Mornin', Cole," Alex yawned. No response. She tried again, "Cole, get up." Still no response. She opened her eyes and turned to her side, "Cole, I said-"

No one was there. Her heart started to throb as she realized her brother was gone. She frantically searched the room for any signs of him. Nothing.

It's alright Alex. He's probably is in the kitchen or maybe he went out to the train yard. Yeah, yeah, the train yard. That's where he would run off to when we were kids, he's probably out there reliving his past.

Alex let out a deep breath as she noticed her condition. She had grown hot and felt her heart was racing like the drums at her show. She lay down and could feel her outbursts delayed affects at such an early time. Her eyes drooped again and her body sagged to the carpet.

Danny's claws could be heard upstairs as he climbed out of the bed and stretched the tiredness away. More claw noises were walking towards the stair case and before you knew it, were already making their way to the living room.

She looked up and saw her mate smiling down at her, "Morning, babe."

She stood up again and said, "How'd you sleep?"

"Good…but it would have been better with you up there with me," he said nuzzling her. "Why'd you stay down here anyways?"

"So I could make sure Cole wouldn't run away again," she said.

"And obviously it worked," he joked.

"He didn't run away, he just went to the train yard," Alex replied.

"He told you?"

"Well…no," she said. Danny's face showed a lack of convincing. "I mean, no he didn't but, I know he's there. He wouldn't leave me again."

"So last night when he was about to go…he wasn't trying to go?" Danny said rhetorically.

"You know what I mean," Alex said hotly.

"Look, I think something is up with him. Did he mention anything about why he tried to leave last night? Or why he even came here in the first place?" Danny questioned.

"Um…well…no," she sighed.

"So how do you know he isn't miles into the forest by now?" Danny asked.

"Danny!"

"Look, Alex, don't tell me you didn't think this at first," Danny replied. Alex looked out the window and opened her mouth to say something but closed it shut. Danny walked over an nuzzled her, "It's going to be fine, Alex. And maybe you're right. Maybe he is at the train yard."

"I hope so because he better not have left me," a voice sounded behind them.

They turned and saw Taku on the TV, stretching his legs.

"Morning Taku," Alex said.

"Morning you two. So what's all this about Cole?" Taku asked.

"Alex thinks he's in the train yard, but I think he's-"

"Danny, please," Alex said.

"Sorry. Oh, hey, Taku. Did Cole ever mention to you why he tried to leave last night?" Danny asked.

"Oh, yeah. Cole was with this girl, Aleu, for a little bit. Real sweet thing they had going on. Until he cheated, that is," Taku said.

"Cole cheated on her?" Alex said. "That doesn't sound like him at all."

"Oh, Cole? My boy's got all the ladies at the feet of his paws. No one can resist him," Taku said admiringly.

"You think cheating is a good trait?" Alex asked.

"Well…no. But Cole said that she seduced him into an alley and jumped on top of him Kissed him. Then Aleu came around the corner and saw them. Said she never wanted to see him again. And Aleu's brother is the lead for the sled team and all of his friends pretty much hated Cole's guts for that. So Cole skipped town and then met me in the forest. Pretty much why we came here," Taku finished.

"So why go back to her?" Danny asked.

"Oh, oh, right. Yeah, I tend to get off subject. Um…what was it? I remember, Steele wanted to act out his revenge on Balto and the sled team and all his children…and Cole. So-"

"Wait…Balto? The Balto?" Alex asked.

"Well, yeah. Aleu is his daughter. Now can I finish the story or am I going to be interrupted again?" he asked. Taku saw that the two dogs were quiet and waiting for him to finish his tale. "Thank you. After Kaltag, I think you know him, told him this, Cole was going to make a be line for Nome to go save her. But, I stopped him and he said that he would stay the night."

Alex turned away from them and looked out the window, "Oh shit."

"What's wrong, baby?" Danny asked.

"He said he was going to 'stay the night'. If I know Cole that means he was only going to stay the night. That means he's gone…again. How could he do this to me?..." Alex trailed off.

"No, don't think like that. You were right before, he probably is at the yard. Look, Taku and I will go to the train yard and look for him. Hell, we'll look all over town, but he's here, I know it," Danny said. "Taku lets go."

"Promise you won't seduce me into an alley and eat me?" Taku joked.

Danny chuckled, "Chicken isn't really to my liking."

"Chicken?! Man, if you call me chicken one last time…" Taku was saying as he flew out the door, following Danny.

Alex watched them leave from the window. She smiled as she looked at her mate take lead. He's sweet. But if I know Cole, he's already miles away from town. Damnit, I should have kept a closer eye on him. Just please…please be careful, brother.

{{_}}

An hour passed and no sign of her mate or Taku. Then another hour. And another. Then another. Finally, when the sun was starting to set, and as the sky was turning orange and purple, they returned. Danny first, then Taku trailing above him. They came into the house with displeasure written on their faces.

Danny walked over and put a paw on Alex's shoulder, "I'm sorry babe…we couldn't find him anywhere in town. You were right."

"No, you were right. God, I was so stupid as to think he would stay!" Alex exclaimed.

"It wasn't your fault, Alexandria. You have no control over him. And besides, first thing in the morning, Taku is going to go out and talk some sense into him. He said it was a bad idea if I went because of our past," Danny said trying to reassure his mate.

"Morning? Why not now?!" Alex shouted. She pushed Danny's paw off of her shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Why not now?"

"Because Alex, it's too dark and it would be hell trying to find a brown wolf dog in a dense forest! You need to calm down, of all the crap that that dog has probably been through, this is nothing. You said it yourself: he ran away as a child. If he could do it then he can do it now," Danny said.

Alex looked to the ground, "You know what…you're right. You're right. It only makes sense. God, I'm just too tired to think straight. Can we turn in early?"

"Sure baby. We have to be up early anyway to wish Taku luck."

"Luck? I don't need no magic voodoo crap. You can sleep in if you want, I'll have Cole back before you can even do your morning stretches!" Taku exclaimed.

Danny laughed, "We'll still be up to send you off."

"Fine. But when I get back, I'll be expecting some nice seed and a better place to sleep then a TV antennae," Taku said as he flew over to the television set.

"Night."

"Have a nice nap you two. And remember, I can hear you through the ceiling so no…you know what," Taku said as he nestled in to sleep.

"Um…okay…" Danny said as he walked upstairs with Alex coming in behind him.

{{The Night Before}}

Cole lifted his head from the soft carpet from where he was sleeping. He looked down at his sister who was sound asleep next to him. Sorry, Alex…

He got up from the floor and stretched out his legs. Alex at the carpet being pushed from under her and she turned onto her side. Cole held his breath as she mumbled something. He let himself relax as he saw her chest rise and fall in a slow, calming motion.

Cole slowly moved next to her and kissed her on the forehead before he walked into the kitchen. He was about to walk out the door when he heard something move behind him. He swiveled around and saw the big man he knew as Paul sitting cross legged in a chair next to the table. He smiled down as he noticed Cole.

"Was wondering how long it was going to take you," Paul said as he got up and walked up to Cole. He bent down and patted him on the head. "Just like your mother. Always going places."

Cole looked at him with a look of bewilderment stamped on his face. Pal laughed, "You even have her look! Ah, but let's not dwell on the past. You're probably wondering why I'm up." Cole nodded. "Well, I knew that you weren't going to be here long, actually when you left with your sister yesterday I thought that was the last I was going to see of you. Glad I was wrong. You know, I really would like you to stay a bit longer but I know that there are other people you have to get back to and I won't keep you. But let me just tell you a story. Very quick, I assure you."

Paul walked back to his chair and sat down. He gestured for Cole to come over and sit near the furnace next to the sink. "It's a story about your mum. She was a spunky little girl, that one. But after she mated with your father, the team didn't want to listen to her anymore. Probably thought she was mad for being with a wolf. And at first I didn't blame them. I mean, wolves have gotten some of my dogs before and it wasn't very pretty. But your father seemed pretty tame.

"But, I digress. So, your mother wasn't the most popular of dogs anymore. And one day, they even replaced her and she got sent back."

Cole looked up at Paul as he told the story, already knowing the dog that replaced her. Paul continued, "One day, after they had replaced her, the team went deep into the forest. They had gotten lost and ended up stranded on a frozen lake with ice cracking all around them. She, and a few others, escaped. But a few others, and myself, were still trapped.

"Just when I thought all hope was lost, I see a gray husky walking towards us slowly. She was hugging the ice as she crawled towards us. She managed to get me off the ice and to save all the other dogs, even the lead. She was a hero to everyone. And that day, I gave her a collar that had been passed down from generation to generation."

Paul pulled out a brown collar, which Cole instantly remembered was the same one from the fireplace. "After she was killed and buried I put this up on the mantle over in the living room to remember her…for saving my life. But…those days are over. I think it is time to pass this down to a new generation."

Paul put the collar around Cole's neck and stood up, "Wear it with pride and remembrance."

Paul walked out of the room and back up the stairs, leaving Cole watching the empty door way then at his mother's collar.

{{_}}

Cole trudged through the white snow that glistened against the afternoon sun. He had been walking through the forest nonstop since he left Nenana a whole day ago. He thought he was going the right way, but he couldn't tell. For once he wished that Taku was here to fly into the clouds and point him in the right direction…but this wasn't his problem. He was better off staying with Alex and Danny.

Cole lost his footing and slid down a steep hill. He rolled to a stop with snow covering his coat. He laid there and watched as the world around him got darker and darker. His eyes were failing him and his legs were too tired to push himself upright.

Maybe a little nap…won't be so bad…

Cole let his eyes shut and his mind fly as he opened his eyes again.

Cole groaned, "Ugh…can't even sleep for more than a second!"

But as he looked up at the sky, it was pitch black. There was no sun, no moon, no stars…nothing. But the ground and the trees seemed to be illuminated as if it were still the afternoon. The air around him was silent; there were no animals or any sign of life.

Something blew against his back. A sudden gust of wind rose out of nowhere and pushed him forward. He let out a quick yell as the forest transformed into mountains and he was looking out onto a great ocean. With an island placed right in the middle. There was still a bridge, but it was thinning, fast.

But what Cole was focused on, was the one creature in the landscape. A brown she-wolf looking out from one of the high peaks.

Aleu…

As if by magic he was transported down to her and stood behind her with is mouth open. She was looking out onto the ocean with tear streaks running down the side of her cheeks.

"Look what you have caused, you insignificant excuse for skin!" a female voice shouted from behind him.

Cole twisted around to find a white wolf with her teeth bared, "Aniu."

"Yes, you pest. Look at what you have caused! My poor, granddaughter is sad and you are the one to blame! Explain yourself!" she yelled.

"Uhh…I…Chloe. She…she jumped onto me! I couldn't….oh, what's the use. I don't know what got over me…I, I just saw her and remembered the time that we spent with each other. It was all my fault…"

Aniu growled but brought her head high, "That is good. Lying to your elders is a great sin. But you did not lie. Why?"

"Because…I…I'm tired of screwing up. I just want to have a normal life. With a normal girl. Aleu. And maybe, if I tell her the truth….I might still be able to be with her."

"Well you are wrong," Aniu said. "You will never have a normal life. Or a normal girl. Never will these things come to you."

Cole sighed as he said, "Figured as much."

"But," Aniu said. Cole perked his ears and listened. "You will have a fulfilling life. With an amazing prize of a girl. And the family you have always wanted. But these things will not come easy. You must work for everything you do and do your best at everything."

"I will," Cole said holding his own head high.

"Then I will tell you this: Do not go back to Nome just yet. Aleu has left to go back to her pack. You must stop her if you desire all the things I have mentioned. Go now, and let me tell you this. If you ever mess with my family again, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?" Aniu asked.

Cole nodded, "U-huh. Yeah."

"Then go to her, half-breed," Aniu said as the scene around Cole was clouded in white.

The next thing he knew he was awake in the same forest that he had been travelling in for a day. He got up and stretched his legs, "Damn. Not going to piss off her."

"Piss off who?" someone asked. Cole turned around and saw a small bird sitting on a tree branch. "Mornin' sunshine."

"Taku! How did you find me?" Cole asked.

"A brown dog stranded alone in the middle of the forest passed out in a snowy meadow. Not that hard actually," he said. "Or maybe I'm just that good at tracking."

Cole laughed, "So are you here to drag me back to Alex?"

"Naw, I figured if you went out of your way to sneak out if the middle of the night, then you probably weren't going back."

"Wow, I gotta give you more credit. At any rate, I know where Aleu is. And no, it's not Nome. It's a mountain range south of it. If we go now we can make it to her in time before she leaves," Cole said.

"Then let's get going," Taku said as he flew down to rest on Cole's back.

{{_}}

Kodi and the team came into town with a roar of applause. They came up to the post office then came to a stop. Their tongues lolled out of their mouths and panted heavily.

"I think…we beat them," Dusty said.

"I think so too," Kodi said. "Guess we showed-"

"You," Steele interrupted. The mail team gasped at the sight of Steele and his team already recovered from their long run. "Thought you were going to beat us, eh? Guess you have to guve me more credit next time. But it really is a sad thing."

"What is?" Kodi asked.

"That my owner in the mayor's office right now talking about how we should be the new mail team," Steele replied. The dogs went into a hush whisper as Kodi just stared at his dad's rival. "Oh, did you forget what I told you? I was going to take your job and now I am. See you soon enough, Lobo."

"He isn't serious is he?" Dusty asked.

"I-I don't know…"

"Mr. Simpson!" the mayor walked out onto the porch and waved to the musher. "I want to talk to you about something!"

"Oh, no…" Kodi trailed off.

A/N- So, new chapter hope you liked it. Thank you guys for your reviews, I appreciate it! And I am trying to get the chapters out as fast as I can, though I do have work and now that it is becoming the end of the year a hell of a lot of work. So I'm sorry about that…Until next time have a great day and a great week!