Over the past few weeks, Rascal had become friends with Moondancer, Hawk, and Sparrow. The three cheeky pups are always begging him to play or have him tell them a story. It was hard to say no to such inquisitive pups. Rascal was glad he made friends among the youngest Pack members.

"Let's play Hunt!" Hawk bounced around with his tail in the air.

"I don't like that game," Sparrow, the timid one of the group, shook his head and tucked his tail between his legs. "It's kinda scary."

"You don't have to play if you don't want to," Hawk raised his nose into the air. "Rascal will play with us. Won't you?" His amber eyes flitted over to the black wolf sitting a few paw-steps away.

"Of course I'll play." He got to his paws with a wide grin spread over his muzzle.

"I'll watch..." Sparrow slunk a few paces away.

"Can I play the elk?" Moondancer squealed and danced around Hawk.

"I thought Rascal should play the elk. He's bigger, you know." Hawk gazed at Rascal. "Do you want to be the elk?"

Rascal noticed the frustration light up in Moondancer's pale blue-gray eyes. "As long as Moondancer is okay with it, I'll gladly be the elk."

The gray she-pup wagged her tail, excitement suddenly replacing annoyance. "Okay!" She bounded over to a pile of rocks, standing on it with her tail high. "I'll be the scout wolf!"

Hawk nodded. "Okay, I want to be the hunter."

"We'll both end up being hunters, silly." Moondancer's high voice was edged with reminding.

Rascal's green eyes flicked over to Sparrow. The little red-brown wolf was staring at his siblings in longing. Was he jealous because Rascal played with them now? To ease the tension, he called out to the pup.

"Are you sure you don't want to play?"

Sparrow shook his head.

"If you were the leader, then would you join in?"

The pup's eyes snapped open. He nodded vigorously and scampered over to his siblings.

Hawk's brown eyes narrowed to slits. "Why does he get to be the leader?"

Sparrow winced hurt lighting up his face. He looked as though he was about to change his mind about playing. Rascal leaned over and whispered in Hawk's ear. "Try to make him feel welcome. You know how anxious he can be."

Hawk stared up in the adult wolf's face, nodding in understanding. Turning to his brother, he said. "You'd make a fine leader, Sparrow. Call our Pack whatever you want!" He brushed his brother's brownish fur, with his own red pelt.

Sparrow scuffed his paws over the ground. "Thanks." He murmured quietly, scrabbling up the pile of rocks Moondancer was sitting on.

"Let's start!" Hawk yipped, he and Moondancer staring at Sparrow expectantly.

"Um....hi....?" Sparrow didn't look like he knew what he was doing.

"You're the leader," Moondancer explained. "You're supposed to give us orders."

The small male shook his head. "Oh..y-yeah." He cleared his throat and raised his head. "The Pack needs more...." He trailed off.

"Meat," Rascal whispered in his ear.

"Meat." He repeated. "So....?"

"I need two very important wolves to catch us an elk." Rascal helped him out gently.

"I need two very important wolves to catch an elk." He swallowed. "Moondancer, Hawk?"

Moondancer leaped off the pile of rocks and pretended to be running from her den. "Yes, sir?" She and Hawk asked at the same time.

At the "sir" Sparrow's eyes gleamed in joy. He puffed out his chest and lifted his tail. In a deeper voice, he replied. "The Pack is low on meat, I need you two to go and catch us the biggest, yummiest, most amazing elk ever! Can you do that?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" His siblings echoed and padded a few feet away.

"You heard the alpha," Hawk stared at his sister. "He said the best elk ever! Do you smell anything?"

Moondancer lifted her nose to the air. Then her eyes widened. "Yes! And I think I see it!" She howled out as Rascal stumbled from behind a den. He lowered his head, eating imaginary grass, not noticing the two "wolves".

"Follow me." Hawk crouched down and slithered over the ground like a snake, Moondancer just behind him. Rascal saw them at the corner of his eye. They hey waggled their rumps, then sprang!

Moondancer gently stuck her teeth into the "elk's" flank. Hawk jumped up and caught the throat in his teeth. Rascal flailed his legs in surprise, making each struggle weaker than the previous one. Finally, he closed his eyes and fell to the cool ground.

Hawk and Moondancer high-pawed each other. "Yes! Sparrow will be so pleased." The she-pup yipped.

"I know," Hawk nudged the "dead elk" with one paw. "But how are we supposed to get it back? It's too big for us to carry."

Puzzled, Moondancer stared at their "kill". Then she gasped. "I know!" She bounded over to the elk's side. "We can roll it! See?" She asked as she pushed the limp Rascal over.

"Oh yeah!" Hawk joined in, and soon, they had it back to Sparrow, who looked pleased.

"Wow!" Sparrow jumped down from the rocks. "That's the biggest, yummiest, most amazing elk ever! Good job you two." He looked at his siblings. "Let's eat!" They pretended to eat their kill. After a bit, Hawk slumped down.

"Whoa," He rubbed his full belly with a paw. "If I eat anymore, I'll be as big as a bear!"

Rascal stood to his paws and stretched. "This has been fun guys. Maybe we'll play again another time."

The three pups stared at him with round innocent eyes. "Aww." They whined. "Can't we play a little longer?"

Rascal sighed, hating to leave the pups. "Sorry, but your mother is back," Wren had asked him to watch the pups while she went on with her normal duties. The red she-wolf emerged from the entrance, trotting over to her pups.

"Did you have fun with Rascal?" She asked as she ran a tongue over Hawk's pelt, quite similar to her own.

"Oh yes, Mama!" Moondancer jumped high into the air. "We played Hunt! Rascal was the elk!" Nudging Sparrow, she added. "And he was our leader."

"Really?" Wren's amber eyes shone proudly at her meekest pup. "Well, I'm glad you had a great time," Padding over to Rascal, her eyes softened. "Thank you."

Rascal became shy, and drug his paws over the dirt. "W-we had a great time."

For the first time since Rascal's arrival in Flame Woods Pack, Wren placed her head on his shoulder in a wolf-like hug. That embrace nearly made Rascal's heart melt. Wren whispered in his ear. "I'm so sorry about the way I've treated you. I-if it's all right with you, I'd like to call you my friend."

"I forgive you, Wren," Rascal pulled back, placing a paw over one of hers. "And yes, I'd love to be your friend."

The old she-wolf's eyes glimmered with gratitude. She gathered her pups together and guided them to their den. Rascal watched her go, warmth spreading throughout his chest. Finally, he managed to make Wren, the crankiest old she-wolf of the pack, his friend. He loved her three pups as if they were his own.

Maybe I will have little ones of my own, Rascal thought hopefully. He was hungry and padded over to take a rib bone with some meat on it. Sitting outside his den, he ate and gazed around, enjoying the cool breeze blow through his fur.

~ ~ ~

Night fell over the pack, enfolding them in a shadow as clouds hovered in the sky. Sprinkles of rain spattered the ground, turning it into damp mud. Branches rattled and creaked, creating an eerie sound whenever two branches rubbed together.

Rascal kept tossing and turning. Sleep wouldn't come so easily when anxiety was lodged in his gut. Why am I anxious? He asked himself as he stretched in his den. Playing with the pups earlier had tired his body. He yawned and slapped his tail against the pelt he was sleeping on.

His mind itched to take a walk, but he knew he must rest. The Pack needed providing. With a jolt, he realized that he no longer felt like a prisoner among Flame Woods Pack. In fact, he felt...welcome.

Flame Woods wolves aren't the hostile, bloodthirsty killers that Stone Hollow Pack had said they were. They were kind, caring, a strong Pack with a desire to protect each other, and fight for what they believed in. Howler made them look like the evil ones; when in reality, they were.

Rascal snorted, remembering Skylark and his taunting ways. The silver wolf was no longer an everyday problem. Howler and Destiny didn't nag him anymore, wolves didn't whisper behind his back, and his struggles of proving loyalty were now over.

Yet not all things were bad there.....

Ella...

Rascal missed her sweet heart, bravery, and the look of love in her bright blue eyes. He placed his head on his paws, wishing more than ever Ella was with him right now. Flame Woods were good to him, no doubt about that. But they would never be able to give him the family support of his sister.

Thinking these sappy things, he yawned and closed his eyes. But they snapped open quickly when the faint bark of a dog roused him...