Summer was passing relatively quickly in Nome and yet the things had not been changing in a good while. It'd take at least a month or two until the first snowfall and then the first mail delivery for any team from Nome. Balto and Jenna could relax now that their pups had grown up and were getting more and more independent…

Well, that didn't really seem the case with Aleu. She was still living with her father and Boris on the old boat, looking for a faithful day she'd get adopted by a human. For her age, she should have had a human on her own who'd have looked after her, fed her, cleaned after her and provided her with a warm bed.

Instead, she still lived with her father on the old boat, learning how to hunt on her own despite her father bringing the food whenever he could, cleaned herself and slept under a damp and gray blanket on the solid wooden ground. She was just not as fortunate as her siblings were in town.

"Aleu, sweetie, are you sure about your plan for how you'll have a human on your own?" Jenna had asked her daughter that evening in the outskirts of Nome. She had grown doubtful about her getting a human using the same method she'd been relying on for months. Stubborn as her father, she didn't seem to think of any alternatives.

"Of course, mama! My sisters and brothers may have been adopted when we were all little, but with my puppy-like innocence, I'll possibly convince a human to adopt me!" Aleu gave her a plan how to do it, despite the fact that it didn't sound well-executed. For a teenage pup like her, she relied on any possible solution she could possibly think of.

Jenna looked at her wolfish daughter, wanting to tell her the truth. Neither Balto nor herself even brought it up to her or her siblings, yet again, after being persuaded by Aurora. Jenna truly wanted all the best for her eldest daughter, but at the same time, she did not want to upset her with a painful truth behind the reason why she had no human.

"If that's how you think it will work like, I want to let you know that I'm going to be by your side. Someday soon a human will know how precious you are to be someone's pet!" Jenna sweetened Aleu's hope with artificial flavor, which made her teenage daughter nuzzle her mother and ask: "Do you really think so, mama?"

"Of course I do, honey! One day your siblings will finally see your own human!" Jenna let her know, still not being able to persuade herself to reveal the truth to her daughter. Aleu took in her mother's scent as a "I love you, mama" gesture just because her mother wasn't giving up on her. If only she knew what her mother was trying to say.

"Look, it's pretty late now, but before you go back to uncle Boris and your father, take this with yourself. I'm sure you must be hungry now!" Jenna had previously brought a bag of food with herself in case she'd see herself with Aleu in the town, not far from the boiler room. Aleu's muzzle tingled when she sensed a familiar smell of that food.

"Is that a…?" Aleu wanted to make sure by herself, but Jenna sweetly reminded her: "...chain of sausages? It is for you and your father because I know how much you love them and how you take a lot after your father, remember?" Aleu smiled shyly because what her mother was doing for her even at this age.

"Thank you, mama, I'll take them to the boat." Aleu grabbed the bag of sausages with herself, but before she parted ways, Jenna let her know: "Oh, before you leave, you must have heard that your aunt and Kane are now officially together, right?" This was the news for a week or two to speak about, even she knew.

"Yeah, I talked to aunt Aurora about it! Mama, does that mean that uncle Kane is now truly an uncle now?" Aleu wanted to make sure because unlike her siblings, she still refrained on using "uncle" and "aunt" for her parents' friends. Jenna leaned closer and with a smile on her face, made sure about it: "Of course he is and now your siblings will possibly call him an uncle again."

"That's great! He's always been so cheerful and relaxed and I can't wait to see how he and aunt Aurora will do now! Well, I better be going, mama! Papa will be wondering about me as if I am a little puppy again." Aleu's tone switched from cheerful to unamused when she let her mother know about Balto being protective towards her.

"Don't worry, Aleu. You do know how much he cares about you? Now off you go and sleep well!" Jenna reminded her how Balto always had a special spot for his special baby in his heart before licking her cheek. Aleu smiled sweetly towards her mother one last time before heading back to the old boat as the darkness had befallen the sky.

"If only you know, Aleu… if only we told you all when you were little about your wolf heritage… the time is nigh…" Jenna sighed, knowing how her daughter's chances of being adopted were very unlikely. It wasn't her age, any dog at her age could be without a human, like Aurora, but her wolfish look was the reason why.

The next day…

It was already lively on the old boat. Muk and Luk were already there, ready to play with Aleu, out there in the wild. They were impatiently running around the deck, asking from time to time to ask: "How long? How long will we have to wait?" Apparently, she was stuck doing something or was still sleeping, or was talking to her father?

Luk asked his little brother what could be the possible reason they were waiting for her to come, with Muk answering him without any amusement: "What are you talking about, Luk? Is she not feeling well? No, she told us she'd play today!" Last thing these two large balls of white fluff needed was to have their days ruined because of Aleu not feeling well.

"Hey, hey! Of course I would play with you two today! Wow, I must have overslept today!" Aleu suddenly jumped out of the captain's room, much to the surprise of both Muk and Luk. Luk mumbled to Muk and he translated: "He says that we should race to the forest and the last one will seek!"

"Oi, not so fast, you two! As Aleu's babysitter, it is my duty to escort you to the forest first!" Boris already objected to their idea, much to Aleu's annoyance when she rolled with her eyes. She let him know: "Oh come on, uncle Boris! I'm old enough to take care of myself by now! Besides, we're just going to take a run to the forest!"

"Like I haven't seen enough of your tricks lately, malen'kiy! You will see by yourself when I have a talk with your father!" Boris reminded her this wasn't just over yet and he started looking around the boat to find out where Balto was. At the same time, he was just returning from the town and so Boris could waddle down to him.

"Balto, you've just made it! I almost prevented your wild daughter from making funny stunts before you came!" Boris let him know what was coming and the wolf-dog knew how the goose was exaggerating this whole thing. "Boris, what funny stunt could Aleu possibly do, uh? You should lay down easy with your babysitting!"

"Like racing with those two bears to the forest before you came! Last thing we need is her getting lost, boychick!" Boris didn't really see his words as overly exaggerated when the two were climbing up the boat. Balto got up there first while Boris was commenting: "You do know she takes a lot after you, not just looks wise!"

"Well, Boris, if you are so dedicated to your puppysitting, you'll find out you aren't doing your job well." Balto sarcastically reminded him, clearly finding this whole idea of babysitting to the tiniest of details just silly. Boris reached the deck again and noticed how the bears and the teenage wolf-dog were missing. He panicked while rushing to the back side.

Once he looked below, he saw a pair of canine paw prints and bear paw prints in the sand leading to the forest and three figures shrinking in the distance. Balto amusingly let him know: "Well, what are you waiting for? Fall equinox?" Considering how fall was looming closer, it was a random joke he had thought of.

As for the fun-loving trio, soon enough…

A summer sun was shining above the pine forest, with some clouds above covering the bright blue sky. Muk and Luk were seen peeping behind the trees and sneaking from one to another, revealing they were the ones who had to hide. Their seeker was out there, looking for them, or something else.

While the game itself was fun to both of them, being one of their favorite games they'd known of, it was also a pretty intense one because there were the possibilities they'd unexpectedly come across one another and take away all the surprise with their screaming… and much to their surprise, that was the exact same thing that happened!

Both landed on the ground after screaming frighteningly all because… they bumped into one another. The big bear mumbled as usual, while the little bear asked him: "Right. Who knew a game of hide-and-seek could be so terrifying?" Their answer was coming, or looming behind the trees, when they saw a canine in the distance.

Clearly the canine was Aleu, but with her wolf instincts, she enjoyed showing off with her wolf side, which she didn't know of except for calling it 'a wild side of me being a dog'. The bears were hugging one another while shivering. It was either a genuine fear because of her growling, or both were acting to be afraid just so they would admire Aleu's thrilling senses.

But the real one kicked in when she snarled loudly and leaped at both of them, pinning both bears on the ground. Both covered their eyes as their sign of defeat, to which Aleu responded with her thrilling howl that echoed for miles and miles around the wilderness. She was just having fun like any other young canine would!

But the fun as she knew of had come to the end when she heard a familiar Russian voice: "Okay, okay already! Knock off the rough housing!" Aleu whined when she saw Boris coming and disrupting their fun. She moved away from the bears in dissatisfaction, but of course, this didn't mean that Boris was done complaining.

"Aleu, how can I babysit if you won't sit? You don't sit nowhere for more than five seconds!" Clearly Boris was taking the puppysitting business too literally, like babysitting to him meant a puppy had to sit! "That's 'anywhere', uncle Boris!" Aleu corrected his grammar, which made both polar bears chuckle and Boris was still oblivious.

"What's anywhere? Don't try to confuse me, young lady. I'm your babysitter!" Boris fell for his oblivion and reminded the teenage wolf-dog pup what his duty was. Aleu, showing more independent traits like Yukon and Saba, spoke in defiance: "Uncle Boris, since I'm not a baby anymore, I don't need a baby-sitter! And you can tell that to my father!"

Speaking of Balto, he was also on his way. In fact, he was coming right from behind them and hearing his daughter, thanks to his advanced hearing senses, let her know: "Come on, Aleu. You'll always be my baby, no matter how old you are!" As much as she meant to him as a puppy, she wasn't really seeing it that way.

"Oh, you're hopeless. Let's go!" Aleu really couldn't believe how her father wasn't letting her go like this and looking at both Muk and Luk, she led the way. She stopped to look at her father and Boris and then asked: "What's going to happen when a human picks me up, huh, papa? Who are you going to baby then? Come on, guys!"

Leading the way, Aleu left her father and Boris behind, thinking how it was going to be anytime soon a merciful human would come and take her home. If she had one, she'd have her siblings and parents come over and see who her family was, who looked after her, fed her, cleaned after her and gave her a comfortable bed…

At the moment she was focused on Muk and Luk playing on a swing made out of a hollow log and a rock that balanced the swing itself. Having the inner puppy wake up inside her body, she let out one loud: "YIPPEE!" and leaped towards the swing, missing Muk while he was landing down. Truth to be said, she was expecting to miss him, all out of fun!

She rolled down the cliff, laughing joyfully like a little puppy. As long as she had her two friends keep her company and play with her, there was nothing that would make her fall down, except that she was still looking for a human and that she didn't have a proper canine friend like her siblings. She felt an orange butterfly lightly tickling her belly, being her most ticklish spot of them all. But then, something caught her attention…

It was a raven above her, cawing. From the moment she heard that black bird, she stopped laughing and got on all her fours to observe that mysterious bird. The raven didn't remain behind for too long as it was getting above pines. Moreso, Aleu felt the presence of an unknown figure, or at least she thought there was one in the shadows.

She soon dismissed it, thinking how that black bird just casually messed around with her. However, the figure in the shadows, tall one to be precise, moved from one tree to another and Aleu gasped, realizing that there was someone over there! She took a better look towards the figure standing in the shadows and figured out who or what was that…

"No, it's a human. He wouldn't hurt me." Aleu judged this situation, having a chance to come close to a human and a wild idea sprung in her head: "Maybe he'll wanna adopt me!" She was finally achieving her life goal to have a human at last! Did that raven fly above her that a human was nearby… ready to adopt her…?

Or not…?

A human revealed himself from the shadow, just a little bit. But that human wasn't coming to her embrace or joy. He was carrying something in his arms and he was pointing that something at her, standing still. Aleu wasn't realizing that, while she was rushing to greet that human, that she was walking to a trap and her… doom…

Then, the raven returned with that familiar cawing and at the same time, a wolf snarled not far from Aleu… or a wolf-dog, her father to be exact! A loud noise was heard from what the human was holding in his hands when Balto attacked him, making Aleu hit the ground in shock and disbelief. What was happening?!

Wherever that shot was fired, it was very likely a stray one because no one was hurt. Aleu watched her father wrestle with a human and what he was holding in his hands, making the teenage wolf-dog scream in confusion: "Papa, what's going on?! STOP!" She begged her father not to hurt the human, without realizing what her father was actually doing for her!

"Goose to the rescue!" Aleu heard Boris coming from above and at the same moment, she saw her father managing to wrestle the thing from human's hands before Boris went on to tackle the human's vision with his coat. To get things even stranger and stranger, she heard a hollow long tumbling down the hill, Muk and Luk coming down with it!

All the confusion and shock brewing in her head in the presence of her father culminated when the log collided with a human and resulted with Muk and Luk getting dizzy. A human looked like he was knocked out cold, but to Balto, who didn't want to attack a human due to him being responsible for the medicine being delivered over two years ago, he had no choice but to save his daughter.

"Is everyone alright?" Balto wanted to make sure there were no severe consequences to those bears and much to his delight, Muk let him know, albeit being dizzy: "Right as rain!" Not knowing when the human was going to come to his senses and hunt down wild animals, Balto let her know: "We've gotta get outta here! Aleu, now!"

She didn't know what to say, having everything happen as quick as flash. Boris wasn't really bothering to explain to her either because he was nudging Muk to move on: "What's the matter? You taking a nap?! Stand up! Hurry up! Come on!" He made sure both bears were gone by the time the human hunter was awake and ready to hunt again.

Aleu glanced quickly at the human before she disappeared from his sight and much to her relief, she found out that the human was getting up. This incident didn't leave any severe consequences to him either, but then again, she didn't want to disobey her father, who seemed upset enough that she made something that would unwillingly instignate doom.

Once they had made it behind the bushes so the human wouldn't find them, Aleu was still confused by everything happening whereas Boris, Muk and Luk were keeping a high alert in case of his arrival. However, with Balto saying nothing at all, Aleu couldn't take it anymore: "I don't understand, papa? Why did you attack him? What if he wanted to adopt me?"

She wanted to know everything, being clearly confused. What if her father still couldn't bear the thought of her being under human's care and him having no one to look after? Was he really that desperate? He didn't answer her but sought help from these three: "Uh, guys? Could you help me out here?"

"Oh, of course!" Muk was about to give his piece of mind about this, but once Luk nudged him to move on, he swiftly changed his opinion: "Oh! Uh, sorry, mate! But a wise polar bear always minds his own business." This was one of rare moments where Luk's intelligence surfaced, mainly concealed underneath his childish nature.

Boris was just clearing his throat and was about to say: "It is my opinion that… AHHHHHHHHHH!" He didn't get to say it because Muk pulled him back, also receiving the intelligence from his big brother and thus the three had to leave Balto and Aleu by themselves, hoping not to come across that human again.

"Well?" Aleu was getting impatient all because she still wasn't getting her answer. Balto sat down and knowing how the hard way to reveal the truth prevailed over easy was. "I really wish it didn't come to this… I shouldn't have delayed your advice, Aurora." Looking at his daughter, from this point on, he knew there was no return.

"Okay. See, that hunter was looking for wild animals to kill… for food and fur." Balto let her know how it was like to come across a human hunter like that one, as if he had a collision with at least one back then. Aleu moved to the bushes to see where that human was and still let her father know: "So? I'm not a wild animal."

Her illusions of being a domestic animal were no more after this: "Well, he thought you were." Balto revealed to her, which made Aleu gasp in disbelief and shock. "What? Why?" Aleu could repeat these questions as long as she wanted and act as if she was in a denial all along, but she couldn't when Balto further revealed: "He thought you were a wolf."

She didn't believe it. She couldn't… no, none of this could have been true! A human saw her as a wolf?! But how could that have been possible?! She was a daughter of a purebred husky and she also saw her father as one, clearly oblivious to him looking not-so-like a dog. Was that the reason why she… didn't have a human?

"Come on, let's get back home! I'll tell you more about it when we're safe!" Balto led his daughter back to the old boat, not wanting to risk her from being shot by the same hunter or another one. She just couldn't bring up any words, lost in confusion, denial and devastation. What was going to happen about her dream of having a human?!

The dusk was looming closer and closer above Nome than usual, signalling the end of the summer and arrival of fall or very early winter to the citizens of Nome. A bright moon was showing its face above the sand beach and the old boat in the distance. Aleu remained silent as she was following her father to the boat. She needed her answers once they were aboard.

Not even Balto was eloquent as usual, at least not until they'd reached the old boat and started climbing on it. Boris was already there whereas Muk and Luk were in their settlement. Boris wasn't saying a thing, noticing a turmoil in both father and daughter's eyes. Something was looming above them much closer than they thought.

Aleu was the one who finally broke this unsettling silence: "Oh, I knew there was something wrong with me!" Aside from her different looks, demeanors, habits and to count it, she really couldn't hold it anymore. Balto tried to keep the pieces glued together, but without success: "There's nothing wrong with you! You have a proud heritage."

"Oh, sure." Aleu didn't want to think about it now that the truth was unravelling in front of her eyes. "Your mother is a purebred husky!" Balto reminded her that her mother's side was something she should look up to, trying to justify Jenna's side passed on Aleu. Then, she asked for it: "Then what are you?"

He lowered his head, knowing that he couldn't lie to his daughter, or any of his pups, about being a pure dog when he wasn't. He spoke: "I… I'm the one who's part wolf." The pieces of puzzle were coming together in Aleu's head and she gasped in disbelief, finding out her father wasn't a pure dog actually, asking: "How could this happen?!"

"Look, Aleu." Balto told her to stay put, about to open the pathway to his origins, something he only had vague memories of. "My dad was a husky who had pups with a wolf." He didn't know how his father looked like or what his name was, but when he mentioned pups, he meant himself and Aurora, as he had no memories of if there were more pups or not.

"Great! My grandmother was a wild animal?!" Aleu spitefully asked, unintentionally insulting her own grandmother. This whole time she was led to believe she'd been a pure dog like the rest of the family. She didn't stop there though: "Did the wolf teach you how to know when a human wants to kill you?"

He didn't have to face many humans in the wild who were hunting for him or someone else, having faced abuse with his own eyes in the town of Nome. He stopped her here: "I was accidentally separated from her when I was young so I…" Balto's mind went through a series of memories and flashbacks of a white female wolf with black and golden eyes, tightly pressing his throat when he had to talk about it… his own mother… no longer with them…

"...I never spent much time with… the wolf." Balto said before taking another break, pointing out how he didn't remember what was the name of his own mother. However, he brought up the lighter side of the memories: "But I remember, that she was as white as snow, that she had this warm voice, that made me feel safe."

Feelings flew through his body when he remembered the times he was a little puppy and always around his beloved mother. He continued soon enough: "Well, then Boris took me in and… after being raised by a goose, it's a wonder I don't honk instead of bark." He tried to enlighten the mood here, with Boris giving both canines a warm smile all while he was occupied with his usual floor mopping.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Aleu wanted to know, clearly the attempt of her father to enlighten the mood in here didn't work out. "Because… I wanted to protect you." Balto let her know, regretting that he didn't listen to Aurora about telling all his pups about them being part wolf like he was. His excuse wasn't strong enough.

"Protect me? From what? From the fact that no human will ever want me because I'm part wild animal?" Aleu's voice raised with each question she had, having the emotions overtake her instead of rational thinking. The dreams of her having a human were nothing more than a false hope she used to hold on to.

"Aleu, I…" Balto tried to hold the things under control, but the glue was no longer holding, letting all the parts flow away. "And what about my brothers and sisters? They've got wolf in them too. Why did humans want them?!" Aleu wasn't wrong when it came to her siblings. So far, Yukon was the best example of having a wolf in him - taller, stronger, faster, having occasions when he snarled like a wolf and being the only one who couldn't curl his tail.

"Because they don't look it… and you do." Balto sighed when he admitted her that painful truth that let the emotions rage inside a teenage wolf-looking pup. Without thinking and knowing why would she ever say this to her father, she yelled: "It's not fair! I hate you!" And once she said it, tears were finally seen in her eyes and she was sobbing silently.

She couldn't take it anymore. She headed for the edge of the boat and leaped down the sand, with her father calling: "Aleu! Aleu, come back!" Watching her run away, she was quite upset and only told him: "Leave me alone!" It had come to this, making the adult wolf-dog sigh in disappointment.

He watched the sky turning darker and darker and the teenage wolf-dog pup was fading in the distance. "Let her be. She needs some time… she needs to think this all through… she'll be back by the morning, I know that she will…" Balto thought to himself, whether to follow her and bring her home or let her be until this was all settled.

Watching the bright moon in the sky, Balto knew that this should have been revealed to all six of them much sooner, when they were puppies… instead they were all going to find out the hard way. A guilt was breaking him apart, signaling the start of the turmoil in his family life with Jenna… and a long path to it.

"Aurora… you were right all along. This was all my fault. I should have told them before and I should have listened to you… We should have told all of them about me being part wolf and they'd know you are one like me too." Balto let those thoughts flow through him, having his sister's face flash in front of his eyes and the tears seen in his eyes from guilt.

Having nothing else to do but let Aleu come to herself after this revelation, Balto decided to sneak in the captain's room and lay under a blanket. By tomorrow he'd see a sandy gray female teenage wolf-dog pup in another corner of this room, turning her back on him and still battling with the truth he'd told her.