I felt cold, like my heart had just turned to ice. For what I had just experienced would always stay in my memory, no matter what happened next.

I had just witnessed the changing of my mate though I was glad that her efforts were not waisted, I still would never get that last look I'd had at her. Her pelt was covered in Ink, her eyes were the color pain, gray.

She had been in pain and I couldn't help her, after all she had done for me, I didn't help! But at least I'd been able to save Stripes, that had been her last wish.

Though now all our son did was sit at the cave entrance and watch, his purple eyes still glistening with the fear of seeing his first ink, and with hope that his mother might come home.

But even if she did we would soon have to send her away, for nearly every pack animal knew that when an animal fights an ink and is wounded also becomes an ink. Stripes was one who did not yet know, for his mother had planed on being the one to explain to him all the knowledge he needed to know and I would teach him battle strategies and hunting techniques, now I had to do both...

"Stripes," I said quietly as I slowly padded over to him, "I'm so sorry but... She's not coming back..." he was quiet for a long moment, then he turned and snarled a whisper "How can you say that?! She is your mate, you of all wolves need to know that! If anything she will come back as a spirit because she save us all."

I needed to tell him, but how?

"She's not dead Stripes, when a pack member gets wounded by an Ink..."

"They What?!?"

"the ink that reaches their blood takes over the body, turning the fur and everything but the memories into Ink. She's not coming back as a spirit, I'm sorry-"

" you should be! Have you no faith in her? She loves you, she saved everyone she is not going to become a demon!"

After he spat at me he stormed across the cave to his den. I stayed and, for some reason my memory creeped back to the day I had last seen my cousin, that was also the day I died, and the first time I had ever laid eyes on Icy. It had been a horrid day, our alpha was very ill and I was to become the alpha, my cousin was jealous and was ready to take extreme measures...

___

[ Paw-steps thudded on the ground behind me. He was catching up to be. He had always been faster then I had, even when we were still pups just running around the cave, but this time if I let him catch me, he would kill me for sure. I was beginning to tire quickly and I knew he would get to me anyway...

"NO!" I said to my self as I sped up to the fastest I could go, if he became alpha the packs would die out in the mist of war! Yes! The human black path was in sight, all I had todo was cross and I would be within range to call to my pack. I tried to leap to the other side but the moment I crouched claws dug into my spine causing me to fall to lose most feeling in my legs, I collapsed.

I could hear Bloc grunt triumphantly as he shifted his position and placed his paw on my spine then, he slowly added more wait to that paw, he had to have been two times the size I was and I was certain that this was going to be a slow and very painful death. So I just chose to close my eyes and not to even bother fighting back.

Within moments I heard paw steps rushing toward us, I whimpered in pain as my mind instantly went to the thought of them all falling for Blocs lies and joining in with him and beating me to a pulp no questions asked.

"I am sorry about my trespassing on your packs territory," I heard him say politely "but I was merely going after this traitor."

"Lies!" I managed to whimper, only to gasp in pain as he added pressure to his death grip

"This fox is a danger to all packs-"

"what has he done?" this was the first time I'd heard anyone interrupt the lying basterd

"Why, this wolf has attempted to murder our pack leader! He is power hunger and a killer, and I have been sent after him and have been told to bring him back dead!" he filled his voice with fake anger and fake pride at being the one to catch me.

"Really!" the she fox gasped her voice filled with fear, I opened my eyes to take a look at her. She was obviously a young pack member and most likely a low rank, she had an ice blue pelt and eyes, but the fear she had shown only lasted for a moment before her eyes filled with anger.

"You're lying." She said calmly, "I have seen this one in my camp before, speaking to my leader with your leader. All I've heard him speak of is peace! And now you think you can just tell me he's a murderer?!"

I could feel Bloc's anger that the she-fox had dug up all his lies with out but knowing him for a single minute. "And just how do you believe that? He may have been lying. You've never even met him face-to-face before. He is a killer and if I were to let go of him this moment he would kill both of us! Help me kill him so we can save the forest!"

I expected her to join him, but again she knew of his lies "and you expect me to listen to your symphony of crap? I know what you are thinking right now! You let it all show in your eyes, if you really wanted me to believe you, then you would have at least tried to hide your true feelings!"

"Okay then..." he said as he lifted his paw off my back and slowly walked towards her. This was it; I knew she was giving me the chance to run. But how could I with this huge gash spewing blood from my back, I would have to go for it anyway.

The moment Bloc was facing her I dragged myself up and ran as fast as my paws would carry me. Though it didn't last long she had given me the time I needed to get closer to the path, unfortunately it was not enough time to get into my territory for I made the mistake of looking back, and when I did I saw Bloc midd-air just above me but then a blue streak slammed into his chest knocking the breath right from his lungs and causing him to crash to the ground. Now she faced him her pelt covered in blood, she was tired and if I left her bloc would have the advantage and possibly kill her.

But it looked as though he'd had it too and was too weak to fight any longer, so I assumed it was safe to walk over and see if she was okay. I looked at Bloc as I stood next to the she-fox, now the large strong fox lay helplessly panting on the ground next to my paws.

"you okay?" I said to the she-fox "I'm is just as good of shape as you are... why was he trying to kill you?" she replied calmly

"our alpha is very sick, and I am next in line, Bloc, was always greedy and he wanted to become leader before I did so he knew that if I died, and he had a good reason to kill me, the pack would choose him to replace me."

"If he became leader there would be war..." she responded in a mutter

"Yes... there would have been a great war between all pack animals and loners. Let's get him back to camp, would you mind helping, that is if your pack won't miss you- and if your wounds are not in need of instant treatment."

"I'll help, you can carry him and I'll go ahead to warn the camp of what he can do."

"Watch your way at the road, if the human see us we will never see to the peace we have now."

"You may be a higher rank in your pack- but we all know of the humans and there hunting, so you don't need to tell me of them and how to avoid them."

I nodded to her as she ran in the direction of my camp. She stopped at the road and checked to see that there were not any cars coming from either direction. She then crossed with ease.

Turning to Bloc I wondered how hard it would be for me to carry him, he was heavier then me and my back wound we killing me. I had to get him to camp before he regained his strength.

First I sniffed the air nothing fresh crossed my path, just the scent that Icy had left a few moments before. So I choose to cross. As I leaped across the road a new scent hit my nose, it was a truck!

I could have finished the leap unharmed but then the human would know of our kind and perhaps start to hunt us, so I just tossed Bloc to the other side of the road and stood in the middle of the road. the heat of the trucks lights burned through my fur and its horn let out a loud bellow before the pain hit. the fire of the trucks blast lasted for no more then a moment, after that I knew i would never become the pack alpha.

After my few days in the spirit world I came back to my pack, the other pack members then told me of our alphas death, she had died as I was being attacked by Bloc. Also while I was gone the pack had listened to Icy and had banished Bloc. Then as in tradition I chose the next alpha, i chose Gaize, she was young at the time, but she was wise and she had earned her place in the pack from a low placing.

___

I don't know why this memory has risen through my mind, i hadn't even known that I remembered it that clearly. maybe stripes really was that much like Bloc, he could even be his reincarnation, could he? No one even knew if Bloc was dead or alive, he'd been out casted long ago, and he has stayed out of all territories ever since. What if I was wrong and Bloc was dead then perhaps Icy would see him in the demon world, if she was lucky she wouldn't.