Chapter 4: Nothing is Forever.

Spirit's life had been nothing when he left Nome but slowly his wounds were healing, not just physical but emotional to, he found himself thinking of her less and less. The first few days had been difficult. At first his life had no meaning but about a week after leaving something happened that gave his life a new purpose. He was in a small town trying to find food when he saw a human beating a young wolf. This wolf was no older than Spirit himself. Spirit had attacked the human and probably saved the wolfs life.

"Thank you for saving me dog." The young wolf said. "My name is Devon."

"Don't thank me yet, come on we have to get out of here before he comes back." Spirit had already seen what happens when dogs attack humans and it wasn't very nice.

Once they were both an hours run from the town they finally stopped to talk.

"So...Devon was it?" Spirit asked.

"Yes dog." Devon replied.

"Spirit." He said.

"I don't follow, dog." Devon said obviously confused.

"My names Spirit, leave the formalities ok Devon." Spirit laughed. (First time in a week he thought.)

"Oh ok Spirit." Devon laughed a little too.

"So why was that human hitting you?" Spirit queried.

"Because I stole some meat from his garbage." Devon answered solemnly.

Devon was a year old, his fur was light grey. He was captured by humans when he was two months old. The humans had planned on using him in dog fights but they were taken away and he was freed. Since he didn't know where to go to get home he simply wandered from town to town, stealing food to survive. He was obviously half-starved. Spirit decided he should take care of this wolf. He and Devon quickly became best friends. This was the start of Spirits pack. The two dogs wandered Alaska for two months but they weren't alone. The pack had grown to nearly thirty dogs in a month. It was the strangest pack anyone had ever seen, made up of animals that had been exiled, abused, animals that ran away from home. The pack was composed of wolves, dogs and mongrels but because of their back rounds they all got along great. Their newest recruit was a three year old falcon named Swift. He had proven to be an invaluable ally to the pack. Devon and his mate were Spirits prime betas. Spirit however who had never totally gotten over Aleu still did not have a mate. Though he would soon find a dog he would fall in love with.

Spirit and Devon walked to the edge of a lake, both silent, listening for anything out of the ordinary. It was a quiet, almost like the world was holding its breath. Devon walked forward, and lowered his head slowly to take a drink. Just as his tongue touched the water four wolves leapt at the two intruders.

"Dawg." Spirit thought "How could I have been so stupid." He and Devon were trapped by the wolves.

"What do you want?" Spirit asked.

"You invade our territory." A large cream wolf said. "What do you want?"

Devon backed slowly away from the lake and stood behind Spirit. Neither of them scored their chance of survival very high.

"We weren't aware this was your territory." Spirit answered. "Let us go and we'll leave."

"Silence mutt." The same wolf replied. "Why do you speak to us, where is your alpha?"

Spirit was getting really fed up of being called a mutt.

"I am alpha." Spirit answered proudly.

The wolves started laughing at this, no one had ever heard of a half breed leading a pack before, let alone a pup like this.

"You don't believe me." Spirit said. "Why not?"

"Because, pup." The wolf walked towards Spirit and hit him in the face with his tail. "Two reasons, first you are to young, second no pack would follow a half breed." He smiled.

Another thing Spirit was tired of was being called "pup."

"Listen wolf, whether or not you believe me I am the alpha of our pack." Spirit looked at the wolves defiantly. He could tell that still none of the wolves believed him.

"I doubt it, DOG!" The lead wolf snickered as he spoke.

"He IS our alpha" Devon growled.

The wolves looked at each other and discussed what to do with the intruders. They finally agreed what to do with the dogs. They would simply kill them both that would solve all of their problems. They began to advance on the dogs.

"STOP! NOW!" demanded a young bitch. She stood between the two dogs and the wolves. The wolves instantly stopped in there tracks, staring at the bitch.

"You have no authority here bitch." Shouted the largest wolf.

"Yeah go back to your father. You can't tell us what to do." Added another.

The bitch just stood static as the wolves walked up to her. They threatened to kill her to if she didn't get out of their way. Even when they were right next to her she still protected the two strangers.

"Listen I am alpha female so I tell you what to do GOT IT! Wolves." She shouted.

Spirit didn't understand, she was risking her life to protect two strangers from her own pack. The wolves finally agreed to stand down, reluctantly.

"Thank you." Spirit said to the bitch. "Devon go back to the pack, I'll catch up."

Spirit and the bitch walked to the edge of the lake. The lake, that's what caused all this in the first place. Spirit was glad though, he wasn't actually listening to anything she said, he was just happy to be with someone. No bitch had made him feel like this since he left Nome.

"Ah sorry, what?" Spirit was suddenly snapped back to the real world.

"I asked what your name was...pup." She replied.

Normally he didn't like being called "pup" but she was different, from anyone else it would have sounded like an insult.

"Oh, Spirit." He was still lost in her beauty.

"Well nice to meet you Spirit, I'm Nian." He still wasn't listening but he did manage to catch her name.

"Are you really the alpha female of this pack?" he asked, staring at her.

"Yes, are you really alpha male of yours?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're not a real pack though." He answered. He was looking at the ground as he spoke to her.

"Listen can...I...tell you something?" he asked sounding a little embarrassed.

"Sure." She was intrigued by his question.

"Well...I...ah...I think I love you." He was still looking at the ground, not daring to look her in the eyes.

"What, what do you mean?" She asked.

"I know, it's stupid, I mean you've already got a mate but I can't deny what I feel." He said.

"No, what do you mean, think?" She looked at him a little offended.

Spirit didn't follow. "Wait, you don't have a problem with me loving you? What about your mate."

"Number one I have a problem with you only THINKING you love me. Number two I don't have a mate." She responded, still sounding offended.

"But you're an alpha you must have a mate. You can only be alpha female if you are chosen by the alpha male." He really didn't comprehend how she could be alpha without a mate.

"I know how packs work, I am alpha." Nian didn't like him questioning her position but she let it slip. "I was chosen as alpha female by our alpha male, my father."

"Oh, I see." Spirit had just made a total fool of himself. "So why did you help us anyway?"

"Well, firstly my father doesn't like senseless violence, secondly I don't like those wolves and finally because I think your cute." She giggled as she said these last words.

"Huh, really?" he was shocked and quite embarrassed "would you consider joining my pack Nian? Please."

"I'd love to. I'll go and talk with my father, wait here" She stroked his chin with her tail as she walked away. She noticed that he couldn't say her name right but she liked the way he said it so she didn't correct him.

He'd found an alpha female for the pack but more than that he had found a bitch he cared about. Life was getting better slowly, very slowly. It was almost an hour later before she returned. She was crying and obviously injured.

"Nian are you ok?" Spirit was concerned, since when did animals return from a talk looking like this.

"Yeah but my father won't let me leave the pack." She answered pitifully.

"Wait you asked him if you could leave and he beat you?" Spirit was outraged.

"My father is a very kind animal but he is also very strict, if we anger him he will beat us, especially me." She was still weeping.

"I'll go and see him." He was angry but he would try and keep his cool.

He walked past the groups of wolves, who simply stared at him. Eventually he found Nian's father, he was an aging dark grey wolf. Spirit approached the older wolf and whispered in his ear. Spirit wanted this conversation away from the pack if possible. The elder accepted and they walked into a clearing in silence.

"What do you want?" the elder asked.

"Listen to me wolf, you can't stop Nian from leaving the pack, it's her decision not yours." Spirit was still calm, for now.

"I am her father and her alpha it is my choice." He was stubborn Spirit had to give him that. "No outsider is going to tell me what to do."

"You can't stop her from coming with me." Spirit began to walk away, he wasn't in the mood.

"So you're the reason my daughter wants to abandon her family." The elder shouted.

"Listen she's coming with me! You don't deserve her, as an alpha or a daughter! You treat her as if she's nothing!" Spirit shouted and then continued back to her. Her father had accepted defeat, he wouldn't stop her.

"Did he agree to let me go?" Nian asked as soon as she saw Spirit approaching.

"Well no but he wont try to stop you." Spirit replied. "Don't worry I didn't kill him or anything." He added reading the look on her muzzle.

The two dogs settled down for the night, they would go back to his pack in the morning it was to late now. He enjoyed the feeling of lying against someone, it was great feeling fur against his own.

"Sleeping on your owns really cold" he thought.

Morning eventually broke but Spirit didn't really care, he would have been happy if this night lasted forever. When she woke up Spirit had already been hunting and found them both some breakfast. They talked about what they were going to do as they ate. Once they had finished their meal they began the walk to meet Spirit's pack. They walked in silence, once or twice Nian tried to start a conversation but Spirit never answered her questions, he was happy just walking with her. When they found the pack Spirit introduced Nian to the pack and announced her as his alpha female. Once he had finished he lay on top of a small hill overlooking the pack. His mind wandered to Nome, he wondered if Aleu had gotten rid of Sabre yet. Not that it really mattered, he would never see her again anyway. He woke up late the next day, he could feel someone licking his ear.

"Nian leave me sleep for a couple more hour's." He yawned, eyes still closed. Despite his objection whoever it was still licking him.

"Sorry wolfy, wrong bitch." Spirit didn't recognize the female's voice.

Spirit opened his eyes quickly and jumped up. His first instinct was to check on the pack, they were fine everyone was there. He then looked towards the unknown animal. Standing in front of him was a pale grey fennec.

"Who are you?" Spirit growled.

"My name is Mirage." The young fennec replied. "And you wolfy are coming with me, ok?"

"What?" he growled louder.

"Well I need you to perform as little spell I wish to cast, Ok." She smiled as she spoke it wasn't a question.

"I can't leave the pack, my duty is to protect them." He was lying he could leave if he wanted but he knew she was up to something, and he guessed it wasn't a good thing.

"You dare lie to me. You will come with me even if you have to come in little pieces." Her voice became cold and threatening.

Spirit took a step back to place himself between her and the pack. He didn't know what she was capable of but he did know she was no normal fennec. The sudden growl had alerted the pack to what was happening on the hill. A few of the younger more arrogant animals ran up the hill to help their leader. Mirage simply stood her ground even when the snarling dogs were less than two feet away.

"Now this hardly seems fair." The fennec laughed. "Four wolves against me."

Spirit didn't like her tone, it was far too confident, she was up to something and he knew it. No normal animal, faced with this situation would stand there with their eyes closed laughing. As the first wolf leapt towards her she simply sidestepped and opened her eyes. She faced the wolf, staring into his eyes. She then shouted something that none of the on lookers understood, the wolf in front of her yelped as its neck broke. Two of the other wolves launched their attack. Again she shouted words no one recognized. One of the attackers dropped to the ground writhing in agony and vomiting blood, within minutes he was dead. The second had a far quicker death, the young animal howled as its neck suddenly tore open, severing its windpipe. None of the others could see how the small fox like animal had killed their friends; the remaining aggressor was beginning to back away from her.

"I told you it wasn't fair" Mirage laughed, "I just didn't say who it was unfair on."

"What the HELL are you." Spirit growled.

Everyone stood silent watching the two animals. Spirit had always inspired a mix of fear and awe. However no one had ever been as scared of him as they were of Mirage right now. Spirit stepped forward, he would have to go with her to protect the pack. He knew this would be a mistake, she was defiantly not going to do anything for the betterment of the planet, so what exactly was she up to? Mirage and Spirit walked quickly, she obviously wanted to get wherever they were going in a hurry. When they eventually stopped Spirit found himself in a large cave. Mirage turned to look at him, a smile on her muzzle.

"What do you think of my home wolfy?" she asked, faking pleasantries.

"Lovely, so why did you bring me here." Spirit inquired, sarcastically.

"You are absolutely clueless, aren't you." Mirage laughed. "You really don't understand what I'm trying to do."

"No so why don't you enlighten me?" Spirit asked.

Mirages plan sounded totally insane to him but after what he had seen with Gevadon and Fenrir, maybe it was possible. She wanted to create a creature of immense power by combining her blood with his. The power flowing through their blood merged by her magic would create the most powerful animal in any universe. Spirit couldn't let her carry out this plan; she would be unstoppable if this worked. With a creature that powerful that was totally obedient to her no one could stand against her.

"I won't allow you!" Spirit growled. "You hear me Mirage!"

"You won't allow me?" She repeated, anger flashed in her eyes. "YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!" she shouted.

Spirit ran at her, determined to end her life to stop her insanity. As before she remained calm and collected. She stared at him as he closed the distance between them. He faintly heard her mutter something, suddenly pain seized his body and he fell to the ground writhing in agony. This was the most painful thing he had ever endured, he howled in pain as she stood above him laughing.

"You could never hope to match my power, you stupid, arrogant mutt." She laughed as he yelped in pain.

He eventually passed out from the pain. The last thing Spirit heard as he lost consciousness was Mirage laughing at him.

"Well funs over for now I guess." She said as she stopped the spell on Spirit.

He awoke a few hours later, his head was throbbing, his vision was blurred and far slower than it should have been, it was like his brain was on a time delay from his eyes. He moaned as he tried to stand up, slowly his memory returned and he remembered what had happened.

"Good morning." Came Mirage's voice, mocking him. "Sleep well?"

He walked towards her slowly, careful not to fall. He was still light headed and dizzy, as he reached her he leaned against the wall for support as she spoke.

"So now you know how powerful I am. Will you consent to me now?" She asked.

"Never." He answered defiantly, still cautious not to fall over.

"Well then I guess I'll just have to take what I want from you by force won't I." She stared into his eyes, filling him with a mix of fear and determination. He may be scared of her but he would kill her, he must. He dived at her, this time he would kill her. She spoke another spell, once again pain filled Spirit's body. He stopped dead, grimacing.

"I...won't...lose!" Spirit shouted, "I am the son of Fenrir!"

He opened his eyes, more determined than ever. Fighting the pain he walked, tentatively towards her. She started to back away, this was the first time anyone had been able to fight against her power but she would not back down, one of them would die. A howl of agony cut through the silent surroundings as another obstacle was removed, another soul freed, another life ended.