A/N: Hope you're all doing well. Here is the next chapter! Enjoy :)

Chapter 9: If This Is True, Then Nothing Is True

The group of wolves surrounding Akeli had slowly dispersed, feeling shameful for what they did. Heads low and tails tucked between their hind legs as they walked to their separate dens. Akeli rolled his eyes and sat down licking the blood off his paw, savoring the flavor.

Two yellow orbs under furrowing eyebrows had been looking at him for some time. Akeli flattened his ears against his head and dropped his jaw into a snarl.

"Stop staring at me." Akeli growled, feeling Balto's intense glare on his form, reaching deep into his skin and causing a prickly feeling to course down his spine.

"How could you do this?"

"Oh Balto, quit acting so high and noble." Akeli says uninterested, and sets his paw back down on the ground, now fully focusing his attention on the wolf in front of him.

"I-I'm not…bu…." Balto quickly defends himself, but Akeli interrupts him before he can finish his thought.

"But what? What alpha wisdom do you want to share with me today….hmm? You know you think you are making the brave choice, the right choice, but believe me you've taken part in this bloodshed as much as I have."

"I didn't kill that poor husky. Y-you did. I didn't rip it apart for its blood. You did! And you led others to follow in your wrong path!" Balto shouts angrily, his hair shooting up from the crown of his head down to his tail.

Akeli allows a lazy smirk to fall on his face before bringing his paws together and giving Balto some mock applause.

"Oh bravo! Well that must prove your innocence then, brother."

"It doesn't prove anything….It's simply a fact."

"Oh that's a fact? Well then you wouldn't mind me sharing a fact, would you?" Akeli spits out.

He stands up, stretching his paws out. His claws leave deep gouges in the white. The red flecks stained the snow in front of him. His eyes ignited like a violet spark. Arching his back to make himself even bigger, he turned into a white mass in front of the smaller wolf. Letting his jaw hang open to show the blood smeared on his teeth. His coat still caked with dirt, snow and red specks.

Balto feels his legs begin to shake under his frame. He closes his eyes thinking of his mother's words and he begins to repeat them over and over again in his head.

No. No. Don't show fear. Be brave. Be brave.

He flinches when Akeli's harsh cackling breaks through the cool breeze. He tightens his jaw when Akeli pushes his face into his, refusing to give into the fear. Keeping his yellow orbs locked with the purple ones.

"Scared?" Akeli mocks, watching Balto's demeanor change instantly when he begins to circle him.

"N-no. No….. No I'm not!" Balto growls at his stuttering. But he takes a breath to regain his composure.

Akeli smirks to himself, enjoying the amount of power he had over the smaller wolf..

"I see. So when mommy is around you can be a big boy, but when she's not, you turn into a cowering pup."

Balto doesn't respond to Akeli's jest and closes his eyes inhaling deeply through his nose to gain control of his emotions and hopefully stop the pathetic shaking. It's as if his entire body, his every bone, every vein, every muscle was mocking him. Telling him he doesn't get to win the battle over his body. He wasn't allowed to.

"You're shaking like a leaf, kid. Dear Anui, what was Mira thinking?"

"You can't even call her mom." Balto says barely above a whisper, keeping his eye low. He didn't expect those words to escape his jaws and yet he was pleasantly surprised to see the effect they had on his brother.

Akeli froze immediately like a huge glacier that had just struck a wall. His purple eyes pinballed around in his head as his ears shot straight up like fireworks.

"What?" Akeli asks suddenly, caught off guard. He never expected Balto to say that. Maybe try some lame attempt to make amends with him or even give him some of his own medicine, but he never expected those words to come out.

"I…She's your mother Akeli and you don't even have enough respect to give her that. Why?"

Akeli throws his head back laughing and Balto can't stop himself from flinching that time.

"You have no idea what you're saying."

"I do." Balto states firmly and moves his eyes up to make eye contact with his brother.

Akeli scoffs and shakes his head, almost looking amused.

"You think you know everything since you're the alpha, but you don't. You have so much to learn."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You know what, as much pleasure I would get from telling you the truth and seeing you squirm, I'll let Mira have that honor."

Akeli walks over and sits down on the snowy ground again, the cool sensation sinking into his fur. He faces forward still keeping his eyes on Balto.

"What, what do you mean?" Balto asks, realizing that Akeli was talking about something else entirely. What did it have to do with his mother? He must have shown his worry clearly because he could hear his brother snickering.

"Have you ever looked at yourself, brother? I mean, you'd be a fool to not see it."

Balto tilts his head in questioning and his eyebrows furrow tightly as he tries to figure out what Akeli was saying.

"Look at yourself. Surely you have before and maybe in the past, you might have wondered."

"Wondered?"

"Why…. you look so different. Why don't you look like your dear mother or heh your so-called brother?"

Balto's eyes widened at Akeli's words. It's not like the thought hadn't crossed his mind before. It had… many times, but he buried it, pushed it aside. He had a pack to care for. He couldn't allow himself to overthink. He couldn't allow himself to wonder why his mother and his brother were pure arctic wolves while he resembled a completely different breed of wolf entirely. He didn't let himself think why he didn't have a pure white pelt or why he didn't have the black mystical swirls wrapping around his eyes like his mother and brother did. He didn't let himself wonder why he was so short compared to his family. And he didn't let himself think about how shut out he felt from them despite his mother's efforts.

In the past he had tried to ask Mira about his father. Perhaps he had shared the same genetics as same colored coat, the same stature, but Mira always hushed his worries and curious questions. He took small comfort in not knowing what his father looked like.

"Well look at that…seems like you have thought about it and your dear, dear mother didn't care enough to tell you the truth. She didn't trust you. Ahh…. she didn't respect you.'' Akeli retorts in a harsh voice bringing the yellow orbs back to his attention.

''And then you ask me why I don't have respect for her when she didn't even tell you the truth? You think it's a coincidence that you're here? That you…you're the alpha? Out of anybody else here…she chose you. She arranged that. That's what she does.''

''You're wrong!" Balto shouts, unable to control his temper. His yellow eyes were lit like raging fire. His fur was shooting up like brown and gray spikes all over his entire body. He clenched his jaw, feeling his teeth grind against each other. His claws dug into the snow as he felt every muscle in his entire body turn into brick.

''If your so sure of that, why don't you just ask her?'' Akeli replies smugly and watches as Balto turns around and gazes at the direction where his mother and Tala carried the husky.

''Don't let me stop you.'' Akeli rolls his shoulders and shakes more snow off his coat. He could sense the tension flooding through the smaller wolf.

''After all, your mother would never lie to you, right?"

With those final words hanging in the air, Akeli stands up and starts walking away, leaving Balto with his thoughts. A slight smile appears on his muzzle as he makes his way to the den.

He glances back one last time and sees Balto looking right at him. Akeli shivers from the cold wind suddenly rushing through his fur and closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them, Balto is gone.

He turns back around and walks with his head held high, feeling proud of himself. He had done the right thing. The noble thing. Balto knew now. He knew his pain, his knew the truth.

As if to make his pride swell even more, the sun seemed to peek right through the heavy clouds at that moment and Akeli walked with a bounce in his step, leaving a trail of blood pawprints behind him.

"No one is going to hurt you, Jenna. We just want to help you.'' Mira whispered to the shaking husky.

Tala watched from a distance as Mira inched closer and closer into the husky's space. She kept herself ready on her feet in case the husky felt threatened and tried to attack Mira. A black wolf stood beside Tala with a solemn expression on his face.

As soon as they had set Jenna down in the medic den, she darted straight for the back of the cave. She made herself as small as possible, gluing herself to the back of the wall. She curled into her body, unable to stop the violent shaking as her overwhelming fear took full control. She hadn't said one word since they had brought her here.

She kept whimpering, tears running down her cheeks as she continued to shiver. Her limbs crushed under her as she refused to move. Her brown eyes widened in panic and her chest was heaving up and down as her breathing got faster and faster. There was nothing no one could say to comfort Jenna.

After she had seen the other wolves rip apart Steele, she had no idea what her fate was. The small reassurance from the gray wolf was long forgotten as she took in her new surroundings.

The medic den was further away from the other dens to keep the privacy of the injured quiet. There was a small river beside the den for water and there were herbs pushed in piles around the side of the den for supplies. Inside the den it was dimly lit and there were huge palm leaves for the injured to lay on. Green and brown leaves were scattered around. There were oils beside the palm leaves to help in the healing process.

The medic was a short black wolf with white patches over his eyes like a raccoon and painting his feet as if he was wearing socks. There was also a huge white patch that resembled a heart engraved in his chest. He only had one eye. His left eye had a deep scar running through it. The eye itself looked like it had been torn out as the flesh around it had healed in a jagged way. His name was Toboe and he had the worst personality possible to be a medic. He was impatient and stubborn. He didn't like to help wolves who didn't want to help themselves. Yet he managed to heal many in the pack and he even helped others in different packs. He had certain ways of doing things and his record spoke highly despite the way he interacted with the injured.

When he saw Jenna for the first time, he sighed heavily knowing this would be a lot of work and a long journey ahead of gaining her trust. He was a wolf and she was a husky. She was born to fear him.

"Husky…"

"Her name is Jenna.'' Tala offered with a smile.

Toboe rolled his one eye dramatically and Tala dropped her smile immediately.

"Do tell." Toboe said uninterested, brushing past her as he made his way over to the husky.

"Jenna, honey…you know no one can help you if you try blending into my walls. And while I appreciate the change in scenery, I do need to take a look at that leg of yours.'' Toboe joked half heartedly, noting how tightly Jenna had herself pressed into the corner.

He could sense Mira glaring at him disapprovingly. He turned around and saw Tala's eye twitch.

''Tough crowd.'' He said to himself.

He looked back over at Jenna. The husky started whimpering as soon as his eye made contact with hers and she desperately tried to stand to get away from the black wolf.

He was small compared to the other wolves. Maybe even smaller than her, but he was still one of them and that one orange fiery eye didn't help in the slightest to calm her down.

'Now now, didn't anybody tell you it's not good to move around on a bum leg. Just settle down. I'm trying to help you.''

Even though he hadn't been able to give the husky a proper examination, he had seen that she had sprained her leg very badly from the way she moved. She jolted around like a ballerina with a broken limb. As he moved closer, he could see the blue and green marks discoloring her leg.

"Please…please don't hurt me." Jenna pleaded, closing her eyes as new tears streamed down her face.

Toboe turned around and gave Mira a questioning glance.

"She's been through alot. Just be patient with her.''

''That's one thing I don't have and I particularly don't have it for her kind.'' Toboe says harshly, glaring down at Jenna.

''Can't you see past what she is?''

''Can you?''

''That's why I brought her here. I knew if anyone was kind enough to help her, it would be you.''

''Ahh very clever Mira. Trying to butter me up huh? Well you're lucky I'm in a generous mood.''

Tala feels a growl forming in her throat, but Mira holds out a paw sensing Tala's irritation.

''I was hoping you'd say that.''

''Well it isn't too often I get visitors and such lovely ones at that.''

Tala's tail swishes back and forth as she feels her hackles raise. Toboe was an insufferable canine.

"Now, if you're done jumping around and wasting my time, I'd like to look at that leg if you don't mind.'' Toboe turns back around towards Jenna.

The husky's shivering gets worse as he comes closer and closer until he's standing right over her. Tala and Mira watch the interaction with wide eyes.

Jenna buries her head in her paws and whines loudly.

"Anui's sake, stop that yapping!'' Toboe orders gruffly and reaches a paw up to rub at his ear.

The harsh yelling does nothing to help Jenna and she continues to yelp over and over, unable to stop as her fear takes over.

"What's going on?''

Blues, Hazels, Browns, and Orange lock with Yellow as they all turn their heads at the voice.

''What are you doing to her?'' Balto asks, his attention fully on Toboe.

He had been walking lost in his own thoughts when suddenly he heard loud yelping coming from the medic den. He rushed over quickly, making sure everything was alright.

''Well I was about to examine her leg when she decided to screech like a demon.'' Toboe replies annoyed.

''Would you look at that?'' Mira says suddenly, her voice conveying shock.

''What?" Tala asks following Mira's gaze over to the husky.

''Son, say something else.''

Balto felt his throat constrict when Mira called him ''son.'' Akeli's words still echoed in his mind. His anger was slowly building when he kept thinking back to what he said.

She didn't trust you.

''W-what?'' Balto stutters, feeling his lungs heat up.

Mira turns her head sharply as soon as Balto speaks and looks right at Jenna.

''Look at her! She's not shaking anymore.''

''You're right! She's even looking at us.'' Tala replies, noting the sudden change in the red and white husky.

''Not us. You.'' Mira says, looking at Balto. She walks in front of him and follows Jenna's gaze.

''Well if she's calmed down, I can examine her finally.'' Toboe drawls out and doesn't miss the disapproving glance Mira throws in his direction.

''Has anyone tried to ask her about what happened?''

''That hasn't been the first thing to cross our minds, no. We were more concerned with making sure she was alright.'' Tala states annoyed, slightly surprised that Balto was more interested in what had happened rather than seeing to the husky's health. It wasn't like him.

''Well, maybe we can get some answers out of her now.'' Balto says, his voice tight as his eyes bore holes into the husky. He starts walking closer to her and Jenna watches him, not daring to blink.

''Maybe we should wait….'' Mira interrupts, sensing something was bothering her son.

''Maybe we shouldn't question the alpha's decisions.'' Balto snaps back harshly.

Mira's jaw hangs slightly open, not expecting that response. She glances over at Tala and sees the shock clearly written on her face. Toboe sits down and watches as Balto practically pushes his face into the husky's nose.

"Now, what is your name?'' Balto asks after taking a deep breath.

''Her name is Jenna.'' Mira says softly.

''I was asking her.'' Balto bites back, not bothering to look back at them.

He knew they were probably both shocked with how he was acting, but he didn't care. Everything he ever knew was a lie. It had to be true. Akeli has lied to him before, hurt him before, but this…deep down he knew what he was saying was true.

''Jenna, can you tell me what happened in the woods?''

Jenna looks up at him with big brown eyes, but she doesn't say anything.

''It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you. I won't hurt you.'' Balto reassures in a whisper.

Jenna closes her eyes, visibly relaxing and opens them again.

''I told you what happened.''

Toboe's ears perk up at the sound of her voice. It was the first time he heard her talk since she was brought into the medic den.

''I know, but I need to know exactly what happened.''

''I-I don't know what you mean.''

''You were there. You saw it. I need to know. What happened?''

"Balto….'' Tala warns softly.

She didn't like how insistent he was getting, and she didn't like how close he was getting into the husky's space especially since she was injured. She glanced over at Mira and saw that her ears were flat against her head. Tala had to put a stop to this.

''They killed him. I don't know what you want me to say.''

''Who?''

''I-I don't k-know.

''Who killed him? Tell me!'' Balto barks loudly, scaring Jenna.

Jenna hadn't been afraid of the gray wolf at all, but she could sense that he was angry and that terrified her. She whimpers and tries to make herself smaller, but she doesn't shake like she did before.

''That's enough!'' Tala shouts, rushing over to push Balto away from the husky.

''Man, I thought I was impatient.'' Toboe says sarcastically, but a sharp glare from Tala has him shaking in his paws.

Balto can feel his veins seething when he looks over at Mira. She looks up at him with sad eyes.

''Balto, may I have a word?'' Tala asks, seeing the look Balto was giving his mother. Something had changed and she needed to figure out what it was.

Balto walks out of the den, his claws leaving deep gouges in the dirt. He couldn't control his anger and he didn't even know if he was right for feeling this way.

''Maybe I should talk to him.'' Mira stands up, her legs shaking.

''No Mira, you stay with Toboe. Help him with Jenna.''

''I don't need any help handling the husky.'' Toboe offers, but when Tala shoots him a glare, he shuts his jaw and focuses on getting the herbs needed.

''Tala, I need to talk to him.''

''I know you do and maybe somewhere deep inside of him, he knows what you have to say and that's why he's acting like this.''

Mira stays silent. Did Balto know? Had he found out without hearing it from her? And he was angry because she didn't tell him. Now it made sense. How could she have been such a fool?

"Go to him, Tala." Mira pleads in a whisper. If anyone could make her son forgive her, it was Tala.

Tala had always been the one to be the fixer in the family. Disgruntled puppy arguments with his mother had been the first time she had inserted her role as fixer. She always managed to make the two wolves compromise. Even now she still felt she had a role when there was tension in the family.

Tala nods and walks outside, leaving Mira watching her from behind.

Tala squints her eyes as the light from the moon invades her pupils. At first, she can't find him as she looks around in all directions. Then her eyes fall on the sitting form by the river, and she walks over, her paw pads crunching under the dirt.

She can feel the tension coursing through him like waves and she sits down beside him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Yeah… you know you're a really bad liar right?" Tala nudges his shoulder with her head.

"What do you want, Tala?" Balto asks, annoyed.

"Well you could start with not being so grumpy all the time." Tala jokes, trying to make him smile.

It doesn't work.

He keeps his eyes low staring at the light stream flowing a few feet in front of him. His shoulders were hunched as he curled into himself. His tail was tucked firmly under his legs. He was distant.

"So what happened back there?"

"Tala…don't." Balto warns.

"Okay I won't." Tala states, but then she glances in his direction.

But you had no right to attack that poor husky like you did."

"I didn't attack her!"

"Balto….you snapped at her. You got in her face. You almost stepped on her. That's how close you were. And we said your name and you didn't hear us. You just kept yelling at the husky."

Balto closes his eyes and takes a shaky breath in.

"So I'll ask again, are you okay?"

"I didn't mean to scare her. I just wanted to know what happened."

"But you know what happened. I mean she told you repeatedly."

"I know."

"And it's like you didn't even hear her."

"I know."

"And then you just started yelling."

I know!" Balto shouts and immediately regrets it when he sees Talas ears flatten against her head. Her hazel eyes, big with fear.

"I-I'm sorry." Balto apologizes. He didn't mean to yell at Tala, but those god damn words kept ringing in his head.

After all, your mother would never lie to you, right?

"It's okay. I'm just worried about you. I've never seen you act like that before." Tala whispers softly. Was this why he was acting this way? Maybe he didn't know about Mira. What had made him so angry?

"I didn't mean to scare you or her. I just wanted the truth."

She doesn't trust you enough to tell you the truth

Balto's nostrils flare as he tries to steady his quickening heartbeat.

"I know, but she's already terrified as it is. And I know you want her to tell you everything, but think about what that's like for her. She saw our pack rip apart her friend. You think she wants to relive every detail about what she saw and who did what?"

Balto takes in Tala's words with a frown on his muzzle, but he stays silent. Akeli's words kept reaching into the corners of his mind, ripping open all the truths he had been told his entire life. He starts counting his heartbeats.

1…

2…

3…

"You have to give her time. Then she'll open up. But right now, you cannot yell at her to tell you what happened to her friend. She needs time and she needs to learn to trust us and right now, with what she saw our pack do, that's going to take a long time. So you have to be patient."

Tala looks over at him and sees him staring intently out into the distance. She isn't even sure he heard her or if she even got through to him.

"Balto?"

He looks over at her. His yellow eyes fading with intensity as he looks into her hazel ones.

"Did you hear me?"

He nods and gives her a small smile to reassure her, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah."

Tala smiles at him and gives him a soft nuzzle under his chin before getting up and letting him be alone for a while.

Balto watches her walk back into the den and he turns back around and looks out into the horizon.

Why you look so different.

She doesn't respect you.

You think it's a coincidence that you're here? That you…you're the alpha?

She chose you

Balto closes his eyes as tears well up in his eyes. He could feel his heart pounding violently inside his chest. Akeli's words continued to shatter the confines inside his brain. He took in shaky breaths trying to gain control of his emotions.

It was getting harder to breathe.

He gulped over and over trying to get air into his lungs. His body started to shake as he felt his bones chill. His throat felt hot and closed.

He shut his eyes.

Don't show fear. Be brave. My son, be brave.

Balto's eyes snapped open.

She doesn't trust you.

You have so much to learn.

After all, your mother would never lie to you, right?

Balto takes in shaky gasps of air and slams his paws against his ears, desperately trying to silence the words echoing inside his head.

He grabs at his throat, his tongue lazily moving about. He chokes on nothing, but his own thoughts and miseries.

He closes his eyes.

Breath

Balto takes in a gasp of air to regain control of his lungs. His panicked state slows down and his heart starts to have a slow thump to it. He sighs and feels the tears still running down his cheeks.

And now there was just one single thought running back and forth in his mind.

If this was true, then nothing is true.

Alright, that's chapter 9! I hope you enjoyed it. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the chapter! Thank you!

Also I apologize for the long break. Life has been rather busy and I will try to update when I can. The story is still ongoing. It's just a slow going process. Anyway thanks for reading! Next chapter is coming eventually :)