A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you're doing well and staying safe! Here is the next chapter! Thankyou for always taking the time to review and read. I appreciate it so much! Enjoy :)

Chapter 2: You Are More Than You Will Ever Know

Mira started to crawl onto the dirt floor, but ended up tumbling to the ground when she couldn't coordinate her bony, fragile limbs.

Balto took his time walking back to the corner of the den, but when he saw Mira collapse, he rushed to her side.

"Mom! Mom, are you alright?"

"Oh I'm fine. I'm fine. Must you worry all the time?" Mira reassured with a shaky smile as Balto used his head to nudge her body up.

Once he nudged her back on her stomach, he stood back and stared at her intensely with his yellow orbs, his mouth slightly open.

"Really son, I'm fine." Mira emphasized the word "fine" so Balto would stop looking. She didn't want him to look too closely.

Mira smiled up at him and she watched his eyes fade from the intensity. With a resigned sigh, he plopped down beside her. He laid his head on his paws and let out a low whine.

Mira watched as he dropped his body next to hers. She was worried about Balto. He had been so lost in his thoughts lately. She couldn't seem to get through to him. He was always thinking, trapped in the colors of his mind. He used to tell her everything, but now he seemed to have a huge brick wall around him that not even she was allowed to peer into.

She began to lick his forehead with her warm tongue. Sometimes he fell asleep when she did this. The lulling sound would relax him.

She knew this comforted him when he was just a pup. At first he had pushed her away not wanting her to touch him at all. He had been terrified of her.

When she first took him in, he was so fragile and so scared. Every sound, every movement caused his little body to flinch. There was so much fear in his yellow eyes. Always wide. Always alert. Always hurt.

Her voice had been one of the first things he took to. She could tell that he liked her quiet hushed tone because his ears would perk up every time she spoke. Even when she wasn't around him, she could sense his ears shooting up. Her warm voice soothed him. And he never stopped listening to her.

Gradually with a lot of love and a lot of comfort, he learned to accept Mira as his mom.

They had grown close over the years and whenever he was scared or upset, she would lick his forehead and ruffle the unruly patch of hair on top of his head.

The patch of hair between his ears was a lighter cream grey with hints of white. The fur was impossible to tame. No matter how hard he tried, the scruffy hair seemed to have a mind of its own as it always bounced back up, almost as if taunting him.

"Try to get some rest. Please." She whispered, pressing her head into his with a soft smile.

"I'll try."

Mira rests her head on his neck and tucks her paws next to his. She starts to breathe softly through her nose and the heat from their bodies makes her start to close her eyes slowly. She soon falls asleep laying beside him.

He could feel her body next to him, slight flinches as she kept drifting to sleep. She had lost so much weight. Her fur stretched over her bones and clung to her frame like a windbreaker in a gale. Her movements were faltering as if each step pained her and her head was always hanging off her neck, almost like a string was holding it up. Her blue eyes were sunken in, dull and glassy and her coat had lost its shine. She wouldn't eat. Even when it was her turn to partake, she would save her portions for those who needed it more. And she suffered.

He kept his eyes open, bouncing them back and forth as he laid his head on his paws. There were so many things plaguing his mind. He didn't understand how he could dare even sleep with all the thoughts tormenting deep inside of him.

How would they survive? The pack barely had enough food. Certain ones were allowed to eat which caused a lot of tension in the pack. Others thought it was unfair and questioned his motives and reasoning. They often ridiculed him since he was so young.

His mother had told him he would become the leader one day. He just didn't think it would be so soon.

The idea itself was uncomfortable and a heavy weight was constantly on his shoulders knowing he had to provide and take care of others. He felt he wasn't ready for such a position. He had been shocked at the idea because he had had such a lowly position in the pack, but his mother said it was his destiny.

When others learned that Balto was to be Alpha of the pack, they were shocked. Some scoffed at him, feeling as though the boy was taking a grownups place. Other wolves had deserted the pack unable to accept such a young wolf to take the lead. They had lost half of their pack in one day because no one could accept the foolish Balto to take lead.

Balto had asked his mother that same night about her decision. But she became angry at him for questioning her. Since that day, they felt an unspoken tension between them. Mira had been Alpha of the Shadow Pack for quite some time and it had been hard for Balto to learn to accept his new responsibility.

Balto closes his eyes thinking back to that day. His mother's words. How angry she had been. He scrunches his eyebrows as that night replays back in his mind.

(Balto's Flashback)

The pack had gone into chaos after Mira had stepped down as Alpha and announced that Balto was to take her place. The wolves kept shouting and talking amongst themselves questioning Miras' judgement. Questioning their new leader.

"What is Mira thinking?" One black she wolf asked, her emerald eyes wide with confusion as she paced back and forth.

"Balto is just a kid! How can he be our leader?" A brown wolf growled. He stomped his paw on the ground angrily and flared his nostrils

"Balto is no Alpha! You can't be serious! He can't even scout properly! The boy can't even find his own tail!" A stocky, tall white wolf with black circles around his amethyst eyes snorted, holding his head up proudly with a haughty laugh, causing others to laugh and snicker along with him.

Mira's eyes grew particularly dark towards the white wolf as she watched him drag others down with him with his senseless taunt.

Balto shrunk to the ground as he heard the anger, panic, and disrespectful jests flood the crowd. Then he flinched with a hard jolt when he heard his mother's voice boom, silencing them all.

Balto had kept silent, accepting the new position with low eyes and a tight tongue. After the crowd dispersed, Balto waited till his mother was alone so he could talk to her and tell her how he felt. But the words wouldn't come. And when he had saw how others had taken the news, he felt unworthy to even say one word.

He retreated with his tail tucked between his legs and went back to the cave unable to muster up the courage to speak up.

'Some Alpha I am' He thought to himself and sulked.

He laid down in the corner of the cave and rested his head on his paws. He kept looking out of the entrance of the den waiting for her arrival.

Mira had been the only one to accept him with love and respect into her pack. And he had learned to trust her and in time, love her.

Balto had heard her try to reason with the wolves who had decided to leave, but it was no avail. No one could accept that this young boy was now to be their leader.

He could hear her footsteps coming closer to the den so he shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He couldn't speak up. He heard the pitter patter of her pads walking into the entrance and squeezed his eyes shut even tighter.

Then suddenly the footsteps stopped, but he kept his eyes shut tight so she thought he was sleeping, but she already knew.

"Something is troubling you, my son." Mira stated when she entered into the den

Balto slowly opened his eyes. He lifted his head off his paws and looked up at her. With a sigh, he rose up to his feet and sat on his haunches. He curled his tail beside him, feeling insecure. He felt so small in her presence. He felt small in anyone's presence.

"What is it?" She asked in a gentle tone, taking a seat beside him.

"I don't know. I just…I feel. I don't know what to say."

"Try. The words will come."

Balto scrunched his eyebrows and thought hard about how to pick his words, but he ended up babbling as his true fears overtook him.

"I don't understand Mama. Why me?"

Mira studied her son's face for a moment. He seemed to be serious in his question and his eyes held a look of fear.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Why am I Alpha? I'm no leader. I can't even hunt a decent sized deer without scaring it away! There are plenty of other wolves more qualified than me! I just don't get why you chose me! You see they don't agree. Even Akeli knows I'm no Alpha!"

Mira felt an anger course through her veins. He questioned her decision. He had never ever questioned her once! She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deeply through her nose. But when she looked into his eyes, she sensed his restless spirit.

His thoughts were earnest and she could see the fear in his eyes. He was so unsure of himself. She couldn't tell him why. He wasn't ready to know. He wasn't ready to face the truth.

"Never mind your brother's words. He was a fool to say what he did and I intend to speak to him."

"But he knows. He's one of the wisest wolves in the pack."

"And who told you that?" Mira asked in a serious tone, but couldn't help the tiny smirk tugging on her lip.

"...Akeli"

Mira shook her head. Her son was so prideful, so cynical. Her spirit could never rest as she always wondered what her other son would say or do next.

"Balto, your brother is many things, but wise is not one of them."

Balto hung his head low and flattened his ears. Akeli had filled Balto's head with foolish talk since he was a pup. And Balto had believed every word. He had looked up to Akeli, but there was something different in his eyes. A different kind of soul.

As Balto became part of Mira's pack, Akeli never accepted him. Akeli would always taunt Balto with the others. And he would try to get him in trouble with his mother or the higher ranking wolves. As Balto got older, he realized Akeli never cared about him. Deep down Balto knew he would never gain Akeli as a true brother.

But he had never seen hate in his brother's eyes for him until Mira had made the announcement that Balto would be Alpha of the pack. His eyes had become a dark violet, almost fading into a bloody red. Balto had seen his brother angry, but when Mira said those words, Akeli just stared at Balto with so much hate. He would never forget how hateful and dark his eyes had turned.

"But why me? Why not a higher ranking wolf? Someone who can be useful as a leader?"

"I choose you, my son. I choose you because I know what you are and what you will become."

"What does that even mean?" Balto asked, forgetting his tact and sounding like a pup.

"Balto…in time my son. In time you will understand."

"It just doesn't make sense!"

"It does to me."

"But Mama I'm not fit to be a leader!"

"Balto, you stop this foolish talk now! You are more than ready to take the place of Alpha. You just need to stop fighting against yourself."

Balto could feel Mira's eyes seeing right through him and he flattened his ears against his head and hung his head low.

Mira felt her anger leave her as soon as it came over her and she walked over and nuzzled Balto under his chin.

"You are more than you will ever know."

(End of Flashback)

Balto looked over at his mother and she was sleeping soundly. Peaceful. He was so grateful for her. To her. She had done so much for him.

And he just didn't understand. He still didn't understand.

His body finally started to give into sleep as he felt his eyes begin to droop. He yawned and listened to the sound of her heart beating. He smiled to himself, licked his mother's forehead, and laid his head on his paws and went to sleep.

As long as she was with him, he could be a leader. He could be strong. He could be fearless. For her.

Alright that's chapter 2! I hope you enjoyed it and I would love to hear your thoughts! It originally was going to have Jenna coming in this chapter, but it didn't flow right in my head. Thanks for taking the time to read!