3 years later
Austain Texes
10:30am.

"Danget! augh! dang car!" Slam! " That flippen dog better get me some good money tonight or he's going on the sale tomarow!" I hate this dump. I live with Jake in a run down trailer in a suberbin neighborhood.Every day I am greeted with a boot in the side of my ribs. I once tried to growl when he did it the first time but that got me in even more trouble. I've learned whatever he does to me I have to take it because he is my owner and so I just rest to gather my strength, so I can leave the ring alive. I have the strength of my father and most of my looks from my mom. I have come up against many diffrent dogs. some were just scared pups like my father said. Kids forced to fight so they could survive. I would pin them and then tell them how to escape but mostly most were recaptured but the ones that escaped, were adopted by loving familys. The others were either forced to fight again or killed.

One day In August, I went to the side of my owners chain link fence and saw a young woman around the age of 20 or 21. She looked like she was afraid... in truble....... running from some one. Then I saw him, big, mean, drunk, and running after her. I had a feeling of dread...... a knot of fear. I had to do somthing so I had a plan. I saw the rusted chain link fence and saw a sharp peace on it. I ran up to it and rubbed up against it and my collar came loose and fell off along with the chain that always came with it. Before I knew it I ran, jumped, and flew over that brown rusted fence. I know I wasnt thinking, because when I jumped off the ground, a sharp peice of wire cought my left flank and scraped it pretty good. When I landed on the hard cement, My legs started pumping. It wasn't like the ring, it was better. Everything that happened next happed in flashes or movie still shot. The stages were happening like this....... Legs pumping, running....... Mouth opening...... teeth flashing....... warm flesh........ the tase of blood....... pain shooting through my back and head..... total bkackness. No time. No pain. No feeling. Nothing.

4:00 PM



Zuko.......... I am with you son. Your father and I are with you. Hang on. We know you are strong. Now is your chance to make a diffrence. Wake up. Wake.......up. I Heard my mothers voice. " Where is she? " I wondered. I tried to open my eyes. My head was throbbing. I got my eyes open and what I saw was diffrent than Jake's place. It was a trailer but it was nice. It had walls that looked like wood panels and carpet in one room. I was laying on the carpet. I heard a voice behind me. The voice of the woman I saw before. " If the police doesn't want to take care of him I will. He pulled out the short straw and I am tired of him doing this to dogs. Jake's time is up." The name Jake woke me up real quick. I jumped up as fast as I could and did a stiff 360 and was ready to kill Jake. I heard a gasp so I turned around. I looke to my right and saw the same woman I saved. She was on the floor by the wall. I realized then that I was barring my teeth twards her. " It's ok, Im here to help you. Don't worry, Jake is gone and If I get my way, He won't come back. He was arrested..." She got up and came twards me but stayed about ten feet away from me. " ....... he was arrested after you dug your teeth into his leg. He's gonna have to have stitches. The officer was going to call the dog warden have you put to sleep. I said you were my dog and that you were protecting me." By now I relized I had stopped barring my teeth and growling. She carefully came a little closer. I saw her eyes......... her beautiful blue, pleading eyes. I dropped my head a little lower and came twards her and wimpered. She put her hand on my head and said " Thats a good boy. Good boy. Ya' know what, I don't what to call you. Hmm. I know since you protected me, I can call you Zuka! " I heard my name and I barked. I guss my parents named me right. Once I asked my mom about my name.
........"mommy contonie, what does Zuko mean? " " Now, now Zuko, what brought this on?" " Nothing special mommy Contonie. I just wondered why you called me that!" " Well Zuko, We named you 'Zuko' because we knew we you would be protective and obediant. Some people and dogs can call you 'Zuka' when your older because that is what your name would be changed to in Wolf customes. Remember, what ever name someone humman gives you, follow by that name. Just don't forget your Wolf herritige......" " I wont mommy. I promise I wont! I promise....... I promise....I.......promise......".......
I layed down beside the woman and layed my head on her leg and she layed her head down on my body. For that one moment, I felt we conected in mind and body. In that one moment one word, I think both of us was thinking was peace. Peace. Peace. In that moment I felt nothing bad or anything of that sort. I felt absolutly no fear......anger.......hate.....regreat...termoile....saddness..... or loss, just love and Peace.
BANG! BANG!BANG! " ANNA LET ME IN! I WANT MY DOG BACK! LET ME IN RIGHT NOW YOU STUPID BROAD!" I jumped up and stood in front of the woman as she cringed near the wall. I saw out of the corner of my eye, she got something out from under a table, somthing shiny, a gun. Me and her were thinking the same thing about our company, Jake. I could smell the alchol and tobacco. Just then the lock on the door gave way and towering over me was Jake. He was back and this was a living nightmare.

........" John, I don't know what we can do about Anna. She has benn going through a tough time, I know that but to retreat to somthing that dangerous is beyond me, and she is so smart. I went through the same crap but I never even thought about doing that." " Kate, quit thinking about it. She went to Glory Pines and she's going to be fine. She's back and a lot better. She got over the teasing. If it happens again, she knows to come to us." BAM! " Uh, oh.It happed again John. Man, I tell you, Kids were never this braty back when we were kids. Kids knew when to quit because if they didn't they would get there but beat black and blue." " I know kate. I understand. Here she comes. " Anna walked in the room and threw down her back pack on the floor. " Don't say a word mom. you neather dad." " Baby Ann, tell mom what happened now." " The same things mom. The same freaken shi-.... crap." " what were you going to say young lady?" " Crap, dad, crap..."........

" Jake! Leave me alone!!!" " You stupid girl. Stay out of this you freakin idiot. This is about the dog. He's coming home with me so he can fight for the next 4 days without food or water. That will teach him to bite me again. Have 12 stitches. Before he goes into the ring he's getting a good beating. Come on stupid, going home!" And with that, he lunged at me but I was faster than him and he stubbled and fell on his back. Before I knew it I was flying across the room hitting the wall. Jake picked me up before I got a good bite on his hand and chucked me across the room and made me hit the wall. I saw him going twards the woman he called "Anna" and was cursing and talking to her about showing her where woment like her belong. I couldn't let that happen to this woman who saved me. I jumped up and felt blood running down my leg. The scrape on my leg that Anna banaged up started to bleed and throb. I ran twards Jake, when he grabbed her by the hair and pulle her neck back to where it was bare. He kissed her neck and said " Say good bye to stupid. Say good bye because you will never see him again. He won't die, but you will." " No Jake you have it all wrong. Let go of me or else you will get hurt or even die." " Fat chance Ann. Sad that such beauty was wasted on such an idiot." and with that he pulled out a knife. Before it was out of the sheath attachet to his belt, Anna twisted around and took the gun she got from the bottom of table and aimed it right in the middle of Jake's forehead. It had a laser on so pinpoint accuracy was perfect. " You wouldn't Ann. You and I both know that that gun isn't loaded." " Oh. Are you sure Jake? How do you know? I just loaded it before you broke into my house because I expected your anger to bring you here. You are so predictable. Theres also a camera in here so I can claim I warned you and can say self-defence. If It's unloaded, come on over here and I'll pull the triger and you'll be standing. If it's loaded and you come over here and I will pull the triger and you will die. Your choice. choose." The look on Anna's face was seriouse. She was ready to kill him. You could see the hurt and anger and deturmanation not to loose her ground. He had done some thing to her years ago that she could not forgive and it was comming out now. " Are you serious Ann. You really are a stupid broad." And with that he took one step forward and a deafining shound filled the air. Then Jake fell forward like a tree in the forest. Limp. Lifeless. I felt like howling a howl of victory and death. I wanted to howl out the pain of loosing my parents and howl out the victory of getting rid of jake and avenging my parents death. I did. I felt like I was pure wolf. Anna started to cry. She sunk to the ground near me and layed her head on my chest and as she listened to my howl of Wolves, and she stopped crying. She started to sing in a "ooooo" sound, and for a minute, we were on the same note of morning and then the same note of victory. For that one second our lives, bodies, souls, and spirits connected deeper than before. It was like we were one. I knew then that Anna and I had an unbreakable bond that could not be broken by death or distance. Not even by species. We were the same even though we looked diffrent. I finnaly found my home and Anna found a true friend.

......... BAM! BAM! " Jake, listen to me. you don't have to do this. Put the gun down son. We both know that your angry and we both know you don't want to do this." " What do you know. I loved her and you banished her! How do you know what I fell or think." " Look Jake, I am your father and you will do as I say, now put the gun down." " NO! Not until you tell me the truth! Where is she?! I want to see her! You had no right to take her and her mother away from me!" " FINE! You want the truth. I let her die. It was an accident! She was drunk and she was driving with the baby in the back seat. I was in the car with her. She hit a pole and The driverside of the car wrapped around it! She was gone! her head went forward and snaped her neck in two. Kate wasn't hooked in her car seat and was found around 25 feet away from the car. I never forgave myself. I don't think I will. I should have made her let me drive. There that's the truth! you got the truth! I hope your happy now." " You did nothing to help them? You did nothing! How could you?! All this time, you told me that they were at Terri's mom's. For eleven years I believed a lie..." Jake raised the pistol to Johns head. "...... You don't diserve to live. Your a murderer." " And if you shoot me, you will be a murderer also. Be better than that. Really. I love you. Cat loves you. What will she think if she comes in here and she found my bodie what do-" " Cat's dead. She has a nice little grave plot in a flower garden-" " Your sick Jake. Real sick. I want to know what we did to deserve a monster like you for a son. I am ashamed to have you as a son....." " Good bye father......"...............

3 years before

" Hay everyone, look at Anna, the retard! Ha!" " Look it's Anna, the Orger!" " Whatch out everyone, don't touch Anna, she might give you *'necrotizing fasciitis'* " Everyone laughed.
* necrotizing fasciitis is a flesh eating desiese that can kill someone or something.*
Anna remebered the girls at school. What they said to her hurt her more than they relized. she needed securety, a way out. She came home and ran upstairs to the bathroom and locked the door then sat on the rim of the bathtub. She started to cry and sob. She put her hand down and touched somthing sharp. She , then in that moment, remembered what she over heard a girl at school say, " .... Yah, whe you place the blade on your arm, the pain begins to go away and when you push or pull, it's like all the bad oozes out with all the little bit of blood. You fell a lot better afterwards." Anna looked at what her hand had touched. An antique razerblade her father likes to use to shave with. She picked it up and looked at the thin blade and thought about what the girl had said and than placed the blade on the ball of her palm. As the blade touched, A tingle raced across her scalp like goosebumps. She pulled ever so slightly and saw a speckle of red fall into the tub. She watched as the speckle grew into a drop and then into a tiny puddle. After that, it seemed to growing. Why? She watched this and said, " What just happened? Why do I feel this way? I feel physical pain but I feel light as a feather, how can this be?"

" Now we turn the floor over to Breanna Holt for our breaking story taking place in residental area Ohio where a man has been shot to death, Breanna?" " Yes Julie, I am here on the crime sceen. The man who was shot was 27 years old Jake Mets. The shooter's name was
Anna Kents who lives in this apartment complex behind me. What she told the police was that Jake broke into her apartment and came after her but her dog named "Zuka" protected her. The dog is being tested for Rabies because it is a Black labradore-wolf mix. The police are prossecing the sceen right now but all we now is that Anna's story is so far truthfull because her door was caved in and the lock was tore from the wall. This is Breanna Holt with channel 17 news. Back to you Julie." CRASH! " What? No, this can't be happening. Jake was put in jail years ago for those dog fighting rings. MATT! We need to go some where. Now!" " What? Why, what's wrong?" " It's Jake......... my brother...... he's ........ dead." " What? are you sure? mabey it was someone else named Jake, you never know for shu-" " It was him Matt. I just watched the report on it. Look, it's on again, whatch this."

" Ma'm, can you tell me everything that happened pleas?" " I just did. What, do I look like someone out of a mental institute? Huh?!" " Ma'm, calm down. I was just making sure nothing was left out. It is my job. That's all. Thank you for your time but I am going to have to ask you to come with me right now." The officer walked Anna to the car and I wanted to comfort her so bad. I wanted to get out of cage too. It looks too much like my old kennel. I see the car drive off. I laydown and wait for her to come back for me but I have a feeling they want to make sure she's ok before hand and I have a feeling they want to check me out too. So off I was to somthing called a " Vet " what ever that is.
~~~~~0~~~~
They tied a string to my collar and led me into a tiled room where it was cool. I loved this compared to the grimy hot trailer That I used to live in with Jake. They treated me nicely. They fed me this stuff that was wet and looked like Jakes canned chili but it tasted wonderful. I was watered too. Before they did that, they made me stand on some type of raised floor and weighed me. Then they took blood to test me for diseases. Gave me a pill and cleaned out my ears. Afterwards, Anna came into get me and we had to go some where. We finnaly made it to the police station. When we went in, there was a man in a suit sitting at a table. He introduced himself as Sam Bulavard. He told Anna that she would need a lawyar to win the justifiable homiside case against her. They planned a plan. I knew every fighting ring in the city and could show someone with the blink of an eye because I can smell the decaying dog with my sensitive nose. They planned to tell the judge that we could help get rid of dogfighting rings insted of time in jail. It wasn't suposed to actually work later that day!

............ " Baby Ann, what happened now? " The same things mom. The same freaken shi-....crap" " What were you about to say young lady?" " Crap dad, I was going to say crap." " I have an idea Ann sweet heart, why don't we both go shoping later. Just the two of us. How does that sound?" " Not today mom, not feeling up to it and besides I have to go pack." " Ann baby, are you sure you want to go there? you go some were closer to home. There are plenty of treatment options around here." " I know mom but I dont want to go to 'Sick Minds' mom. I have heard things about that place, and they were not good. No way mom, no way." " Ann. The place is called
' Picked Times ' not what ever you called it and besides it's not that bad. Aunt Nell works there." " I can see where she is coming from Kate, your sister needs to stay there 24/7 instead of-" fooft! " Kate! Why did ya' do that for?" " Shut it John. My sister if perfectly fine in the head. She has always-" " 'Always been like that because I grew up with her, not you two' We know what you say mom, you say it twice a month after she leaves and daddy brings it up. Come on mom, Im 16 and she knits me sweaters with kittens on them saying ' Staying drug free is the cat's meow!' I have 28 from her and they are all the same. It's insane." " Watch it young lady, your aunt has worked a total of 268 hours in all 28 sweaters. Get over it but your changing the subject. Are you sure you want to go to Glory Pines?" " Yes mom. Nicole said it's the best one in the country and it's less expencive." " But you'll need new cloths so we are going to leave in a half hour." " But mom-" " No 'buts' were going and you can buy anything you want. "...........

" Is there anything you want to say to defend your client Mr. Bulavard?" " Yes your honor. The defendent on trial had a video camera installed a month before the insident occured and it recorded what happened that day. If your honor and the jury wishes us to show it we would like to. We also have the animal that tried to protect my client and if possible, we bring that animal in the court room for you too see he is not vishess at all and see what breed he accualy is for the animal report is wrong." "Ok Bulavard, you can show the tape and then we will discuss the animal."
~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~~
" I would like to see this animal in person and see just how calm this animal is and to see just what breed this dog is Bulavard." " Yes your honor."
~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~~
" See the wolf and the black lab but he looks tame and safe from the way he is sitting there protecting Miss Anna. I find all charges against Anna Channaler droped due to self-defence. Good luck Miss Anna and your dog. We will take you up for the offer about finding dog fighting rings for us. File up with Sgt. Conner in two days. Court dissmissed."

Anna bent down to me and kissed me on the muzzle. She was crying but said " We won Zuka! We won and we can save your friends now. Come on, we need to get home and get some sleep. lets go." And with that, we left the court room, feeling good and victorious. I felt like we were one once again. When we got home we sat on the living room floor. " Come on Zuka, let's howl to victory." And with that, she made her ' Ooooooo' sound and I made my wolf howl. We were in perfect harmoney. We were together at last and we would stay together forever.

.... " You don't diserve to live. Good bye father. have a happy life in heaven if God thinks you diserve it." " I will go to heaven if Jahova wishes it to be so and I will see you burning in hell! " " Ha,ha. never father-" " CUT! That was great John, but we need more emotion." " How more emotional can it be? I'm giving it all I've got!" " Well if thats all you've got we don't need you anymore. Good day John." " But Peter I need the job. You know I need this job. Pleas pete-" " Good day John. Now get out, your costing me more money the longer you stand there now LEAVE!" " Ya know what pete, I'm in love with blanks but ya know the diffrence between real ones and blanks?" " What are you getting at now John, I thought I told you to leave." " I'm not the one who is going to leave, you are." " What? What are you talking about. Stop talking and-" BANG! BANG! BANG! Peter fell to the floor with blood pooling around his chest on the floor. All John could see was Peter's sandy blond hair laying in a pool of blood. " John! Put the gun down! Now!" Matt comes in to the room hoding a gun. John turns and starts running out of the room but Matt runs into him and stops him as he grabs the gun." I can get you a job oportunity at my company! Just dont hurt anyone! pretend we are your family,would you hurt your own flesh and blood would you?! " " No. No, but what should I do?! I just killed a man! I didn't mean to! I was just acting like there was a real bullet. I didn't know there was a real one in the gun! I was acting to show that I've still got it! Thats all! I had no Idea!" " Just put the gun down John. Put it down." John dropped the gun and fell to his knees and tried to strangle himself. Matt jumped on him and pried Johns fingers away from his neck. " My god John, what happened to you today?" "My baby, my fiancae, my parents, their all dead. Dead. Gone.There's no one left for me. Nothing is left. my life? Nothing. Nothing." John starts to cry and Matt holds him for comfort. " I'm here. I'm still here for you. Your not alone John, your not alone..... your not alone..."..............

........... CREEEKE " Anna? Anna baby? Anna. Oh there you are. I'm sorry about how your day went. I know it's hard. Oh my god! are you bleeding?!" A tall brunet walks closer to her daughter sitting on the side of a tub. Anna drops the razor and starts sucking the blood off her arm so her mom would not see. " Anna, how could you?!" Her mom holds her crying. " I promise you, there is no time in life where it is worth hurting your self baby. No time at all." " Mom, I hate life and a girl at school told me how good it feels and what she said was true. It was true!" Anna starts crying. Both Anna and her mother sit there for minutes that turned in to 2 hours. KNOCK-KNOCK " Katie, Anna, are you in here? Oh no. What happened? Why is my antique razor on the tub and why is the tub full of blood? Anna baby. Why. I know what your going through and so did my sister. Your mom can tell you where she went, how long, and where she is now." John walks over to Katie and Anna and kneels down as he hugs them both as he blinks away tears. "Its ok baby, you'll stop. I know you will. You have my and your mom's support to stop this. I promise...... Promise......Promise.".......

" Well Zuko, this is the big day. You ready to save some of your friends?" I bark yes in reply. I was more than ready. I was over ready. I knew if I had to I would kill some one to save the other dogs. Anna grabs her keys and we head out the door to our destination........ 82nd St.
~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
" Now people. We are going to have to watch it in there. From what we have heard, there is a fight going on right now in a 6 block area. I am going to have Anna take Zuko around this area because this where Zuko's senses are higher and more sensitive. We belive he can smell blood. We will walk him around. Ok Anna?" " Don't ask me. Ask the employe." " Ok...... You ready Zuko?" You kidding! I was born ready. " BARK! BARK! " " Ok. lets go."
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
" Anna, the Judge dosn't trust you. " " Can I ask why? " " Well, Considering that you were a cutter and have been put in jail for possesion for crack and crystal meth. " " Ya, I've had a rough life but don't kill me for it. Wait! I think he found somthing! " Bet ya' I did! I smelled blood and it was fresh. I took off almost knocking Anna off her feet. Off into the brush we went. " Anna! hang on! We need a team to go on in there!" " Hold on Zuko! Wait! Their almost here. I promise." I was ready. I was as ready to run in there as the moon was to rise. Finnaly, they came! We were heading into the rings once more. I saw somthing I never wanted to see again. All of a suddenly my head was filled with memories of my puppie days. I saw my mother, my father, Jake, and Anna being chased. I felt the pain of loosing everyone I loved. I saw pain, loss, blood, and death. I saw a puppie that looked like me in a cage with a large male dog. In the ring was a male dog, mean, dangerous. And a female who was dying. Dying in the ring, just like my mom.

........ " She's here John. It's benn 3 years. What if she changed so much we can't even tell it's her?" " Kat, stop worrying about her. She's still the same girl that we sent off to get help no matter what she looks like. Besides, what could have changed?" KNOCK_KNOCK! " Mom? Dad? Anyone home?" A tall slender young woman with a flawless face, a define jawline,and brunet colored hair with blond highlights walk in the door bearing wrapped gifts. " Annie! Annie sweety! we are so glad to see you! Baby, you are so grown up and lean and beautiful. You look just like me when I was young." " Hi mom. You look beautiful. You look like your glowing." Anna looks down at the preasents and then to her mom. " I brought these for you guys and for Brittney." " Thank you sweet. You know that christmas has not been the same without your right? Brittney dosen't even know your here." "Why didn't you tell her? Dad?" "It's ok Ann, your mom and I have an idea that will make Britt the most happy kid in the world." "That would be nice to see her smile this morning. What did you have in mind?"
~~~~~~~*~~~~~~
" Britt! Brittney Chanaler! Get down here! your mom and I need you!" THUNCK! " Now young lady! Darick's here!" "Your mean John." "Kate, if it will get her down here it was worth it." "Coming!!" A tall, lanky, brunet with blond highlites and a defined jaw line runs down the stairs stumbling. " Darick? Darick?! Where are you?" She stand down at the end of the stairs near the living room. " Where's Darick daddy?" " He's not here, but we do have a big present for you. The biggest one of all. Just for you." "I don't want a big present. I want Anna and maby Darick." "Just open this up and you will be surprized." John said pointing to a huge box. Brittney walks over to a small, fake tree where there was a large box covered in wrapping paper bearing pointsettias. She grabbed the ribbon off the top and pulled. It came off and as it fell to the floor, it looked like a peice of silk blowing in the wind and falling to the ground. Then Brittney tore off the paper. She saw it was a box that the top came off of. She pulled off the top to reveal styrafome penuts. She started to dig through when somthing or someone jumpped up and yelled "SURPRIZE!!" Brittney was surprized because Anna jumped up out of the box. " Merry Christmas Britt. I'm home." "Anna!" Brittney runs over to Anna and hugs her, crying, laughing. " I thought you'd never come home again. I missed you so much. This is the best christmas I have ever had." " I'm not your only christmas present-" Anna picks up a bunch of gifts to show Brittney. "- These are for you and mom and dad too. Plus I have another surprize that mom and dad don't even know about yet. Watch this." Anna wistled and yelled "Zuko! Jade!" In came the dogs. " Oh my god, It's a wolf! John kill it now! it's coming twards Anna! It's going to kill her!!" " Mom, dad, no! this is Zuko. He's my dog." I wanted you to be there when I take them somewhere. somewere were they belong."..........

I ran in and that made the leash jerk out of Anna's hand. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" I barked out. The dog in the ring that was advancing on the female stopped in his tracks. I jumped in the ring and ran in front of the female. " Get out of the ring kid. You don't belong here. You may be strong but you wont stand up against me." " Whats your name and why are you attacking a female of our kind?" I yelled. "My name's Rassic. What's yours? I like to know who I'm killing before I kill them. The idiot behind you, the one your trying to protect is Jasmyn." The names 'Rassic' and 'Jasmyn' hit me like a stone brick. " I thought you were dead. I thought you were put down when my father attacked you." " I was going to be put down but my owner protected me. Wait. Your charlies son?" " Ya. And I'm going to make hom proud by killing you today!" And with that I jumped on his back bitting, tearing, and ripping. I felt a sharp pain in my left ear. I felt fur in my mouth along with blood. Then I feel a sharp pain in my left flank and then in my right ear. After that, I here Anna screaming " Zuko! Zuko! No!" Finnaly, I grab Rassic by the throat and shook. I tasted blood in my mouth so strong, I had to let go. As I stepped back, I saw Rassics throat had been torn open and was bleeding badly. " I told you that my father would be proud. My mother and I would leave here alive. We are going to live with Anna." With that, Rassic fell to his stomach and died. Anna came over and petted me and my mom. I walked over to my mom and Anna and said " Mom? " "Zuko? Is that you?" " Yes mom. It's me." "Zuko, your bleeding." " Its not that bad mom. The important thing is your ok. Never again will you have to see Rassic." "Well Zuko, let's go home-" Anna looks at Jade. "- lets all go home." BANG! Anna fell to the ground. Standing over her was a young woman in her early 30's holding a gun to Anna's head. "Hi Anna. Nice to see you again. I'll get strait to the point. You killed my brother and I am going to avange him. You killed him before he even got to have another kid." "Another kid? What are you talking about. Ruka, tell me." Ann was holding her arm which was bleeding bad. " My husband was there when Jake was there shooting the producer of a movie he was playing. His name back then was John. After he killed the director he ran and my husband Matt helped him hide and get a new I.D.. That's when he became Jake. He had a wife, a kid, a family until they were killed in a terrible accident. I don't know where he went wrong. I think it was when he started dating you. A dealer." " Ruka, I met him at a bar a month ago. I didn't know anything about him. He came after me. I had no choice but to kill him. I swear. If I could have, I would have knocked him out and called the police but he was going to kill me. I gave him a choice. He chose to attack, not me." "PUT THE GUN DOWN. NOW! i WILL BE FORCED TO HAVE MY MEN SHOOT IF YOU DONT PUT THE GUN DOWN." The woman dropped the gun and fell to her knees. "My brother's dead. I loved him so much." The cops came in and arested Ruka along with everyone at the ring. Anna was taken in an ambulace. She got the bullet out and got stiches. One week later she was out of the hospital with a sling. One month later, we all jumpped into the car and went to Toledo, Ohio t visit her parents and sister. On the way, we stopped many places buying food, presents, and wrapping paper. In the car, she told us we were free to go into the wild. I thought why would we want to do that after all that we had been through. Thats when it hit me. She ment that she wanted to see me on a moutain top howling to the moon. She wanted to see the majasty of that moment and get it on video except there would be one more thing diffrent, my mom would be there. She would howl with me. Howling to the moon. I know that when that time came, Anna would be singing, my mom would be crying tears of joy while she was howling, and we would see the spirit of my father beside us, howling. We would atlast be together to say goodbye. Together at last.

As we were driving to the Smokey Mountain National Park, Anna and her family were talking about all that had happened in the past years. Finnaly, we got there. At the gate of the park, there was a small ridge. We desided that was the place to take the video. My mother and I climbed the ridge to the top and sat there. By the time we got up there, It was sunset. " Mom, you remember what the wolf custum is. To morn the lost wolves of the past? " " Yes Zuko. I was thinking the same thing. We will defanitly morn your father. After that, we will howl the howl of victory for we are together." She looks down twards our human companions. " All of us are together forever. " And with that, we started howling the howl of morning when we were joined by a chorse of other wolf howls. I looked over and saw my father standing beside me along with enough wolves to make 8 packs. They were all howling the howl of morning but then they changed notes to howl the howl of victory. My mother and I joined them to say good bye once and forever when I heard Anna's soft voice singing with us. We were all in harmony and I knew that we would be this way for the rest of our lives. That night I saw something I never saw before, everyone around me was grining. For once, I felt no fear at all, just hope, and happiness. I knew I finnaly found my loving home mom was talking about. I would live with Anna untill the day I died and joined the spirit of my father and the other wolves and finnaly, I would be part of a pack.....
.....the wolf pack.