Chapter 1

A raven-haired girl, hardly more than a child, darted past the sleeping guards, and went through the gates of Konohagakure.

Snowflakes were gently falling around the soon-to-be-mother as she ran into the surrounding woods, the full moon lighting her path.

She paused, panting slightly, as she turned to see how far she was from the village, as she gently touched her middle.

"So...." A silver-haired youth stepped out of the shadows, his arms crossed. "You were able to sneak away, huh Jinja?"

She took a step back, her dark eyes wide with fear. "I've brought you the money. P-please let me go."

"Hm..." He tilted his head as if considering. "Show me."

Jinja quickly threw a snakeskin bag in the snow before him, and he eagerly picked it up. She waited as he examined the contents, and her heart nearly stopped when he looked up at her, his eyes full of anger.

"You're one hundred yen short, you worthless brat." He snarled.

"I-I'm sorry..." The young girl's hands shook as she retreated a few steps away from him. "I-I must've miscounted..."

"Uh-huh..." He approached her, letting the bag drop. "And why, Jinja, would you have miscounted?"

"I-I don't know.... the baby's been kicking all day, and-"

"Don't give me that!" He shouted, smacking her across the face. "My child has nothing to do with this! I lent YOU the money- and now I don't see it. So guess what happens now?"

Jinja froze as he slid a kunai out of it's holster.

"Get a move on, kid." He smiled coldly. "Into the woods we go."

A few miles away, a small pack of wolves trotted through the mounding snow.

"We'll stop here for the night." The Alpha told his followers, entering an almost hidden cave. "Ichigo and Axel are on watch."

His mate, a pure white female, came in after him leading their three young sons.

"We're not far from the Leaf village, Takeshi." She said quietly. "And such nearness to the humans makes Dax nervous."

"EVERYTHING makes Dax nervous, Setsuna." Takeshi chuckled, referring to one of the pack's elders. "Anyway, at least we know there is nothing to fear from these humans."

"Yes...." The white wolf sighed. "But he does teach our sons, and the other pups. What if he somehow persuades them that all humans are bad? What if they grow up and lead an attack on-"

"Okay, that's enough." Takeshi shook his head. "True, he doesn't like humans. And to be honest, he has a good reason. He spent his puppyhood getting beat by the shinobi from Amegakure. But I highly doubt that he'd-"

A shrill shriek interrupted the wolf, causing both him and his mate to go on high alert.

"Wh-what was that?" The eldest of their sons, Kurai, asked. "Is it that old lynx again?"

"No...." A gray wolf muttered, joining them. "That was a human's cry."

"At this time of night?" Setsuna asked worriedly.

"Ignore it." The old wolf advised. "It's probably just those damn shinobi killing each other."

"Dax! A den mother scolded. "Watch your language in front of the pups!"

"Mommy!" Kurai called suddenly. The pup had wandered to the front of the cave and was now anxiously pacing back and forth. "Mommy! Look! Over there by that tree!"

The adults crowded around behind him, and stared into the distance. There, before them, nearly blending in with the swirling snow stood a lone wolf, it's glowing silver eyes focusing on the female alpha.

"Lupa...." Setsuna whispered.

The wolves bowed there heads before the great wolf mother, even the pups managing a clumsy duplicate of the show of respect.

"Arise, members of the Tenkai pack." She said, her voice low. "Setsuna, Takeshi. Follow me." Then she turned and headed into the night.

The alpha's wasted not time in going after her, both of them shocked and honored that the wolf goddess had requested them.

Lupa soon outdistanced the two wolves, and when they turned the corner, she was gone.

"What the-" Takeshi began.

"Hush!" Setsuna hissed, crouching low behind some bushes. "Don't you hear them?"

The Alpha pricked his ears, and caught the sound of voices: a man, a woman, and the cry of a newborn baby.

"Please, I'm begging you!" The girl was pleading, holding a small bundle in her arms.

"Good." The male chuckled, his eyes glinting evilly. "I like it when you beg. But, alas, I'm afraid it's too late for you Jinja. I lent you the money, and I was supposed to get it ALL back, tonight."

"I- I can get the rest! I just need some time-"

"NO!" He snarled, pulling a kunai out of it's holster. "You think I'm stupid?! If I let you go, you'll go straight to the Hokage. You had your chance and you blew it! Now, it's your fault that you and our daughter have to die!"

He tackled her, with a yell of anger, the knife gleaming in the moonlight. Then with a sound that was more like a roar than a growl, Setsuna launched herself on the male , knocking him off his target.

But it was too late for his victim, the kunai had slit the young girl's throat- slicing through her jugular vein- and killing withen seconds, her child still in her arms.

"What the hell!" The silver-haired youth snarled, brandishing his bloody kunai. "I'll kill you, you damn mutt!"

But before he could attack- Takeshi tackled him- sinking his teeth into the boy's arm with an outraged snarl.

He screamed in mixed pain and terror as his skin was torn from his arm, the bones cracking from the force of the alpha's bite.

He struck out with his free hand- smacking the wolf between the eyes, which angered him so much he went for the human's throat.

"Takeshi!" Setsuna cried. "Stop!"

Bloody fangs halted just before driving into the boy's neck as Takeshi checked himself and glanced at his mate, his anger still at a boiling point.

"Why?" He questioned, his ears pinned in annoyance. "Let me kill this scum!"

"Death is less than he deserves!" His luna replied. "Let him like this! Let the guilt of his crime haunt him forever!"

"Setsuna, monster's like this have no guilt!"

With a snarl, his mate backed him away from the boy, her fangs bared and her fur bristling. "Let me make this clear. If you kill him out of anger, then you are no better than he is. If he dies before he gets back to the village- fine. But I will not have you take him down like a buck!"

"Y-you're right..." The alpha muttered, allowing the boy to crawl off. "As you usually are..."

Setsuna sighed and turned back to the girl's body. "What should we do with her? We can't just leave her here, can we?"

Takeshi scratched his ear thoughtfully. "Well I'm not sure what else we could do. I mean it's not like-"

A small cry interrupted him, and both alpha's turned their attention to the bundle of cloth that appeared to be moving.

Setsuna moved closer to investigate and jumped back a few feet when a small hand appeared and reached out for her muzzle.

"Her pup..." She whispered.

"Poor little thing..." Takeshi sighed.

His mate made a small sound of agreement before gasping.

"What is it?"

"We- we have to take her with us!"

"WHAT?!"

"Takeshi if we don't, she'll die!"

"If we took her, she would anway! I mean look at her! The furless wouldn't last through the night!"

Setsuna glared at him, her eyes flashing silver. "Lupa appeared to us Takeshi. She LEAD us here! There had to be a reason, and the pup is the only one I can think of."

Without another word, she picked up the corners of the blanket in her mouth and headed back to the pack, leaving her mate to follow.

"A human!" Dax snarled when he saw it, his grey fur bristling. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Setsuna set her new charge down, and turned to growl at the elder. "Her mother is dead. And if that was her father we saw, he is unfit for her. I had to take her."

Dax ignored her and glared at Takeshi. "Now you're bringing humans in the pack. Just what I'd expect from a ninken DOG."

"Hey, let's calm down." Takeshi's lieutenant, Ichigo, spoke up. "First of all Dax, most of the pack's ninken so you're not gaining any points with that kind of talk. Second, she's just a pup. What harm can she do?"

"When she gets older? Plenty."

"When she gets older, she'll be on our side." He said easily. 'So chill."

Brimming with curiosity, Kurai and the other pups came up to investigate the newcomer.

"So this is a human?"

"Lookit! The only fur it has is on it's head!"

"Golly, it's pretty weak, huh Mommy?"

"Yes..." Setsuna said slowly. "Speaking of that..... Takeshi, you know.... HIS secret name, don't you?"

He gave her a kind of 'duh' look. "Of course. EVERY leader of a Ninken pack knows the ren of the wolfgod."

Dax stiffened. "You're not seriously thinking-"

"I am." Setsuna said coolly.

"But.... having his ren is the only thing keeping him from turning on us! You shall kill us all!"

"Dax." Ichigo sighed. "Lupa appeared to us. They go chasin' after us and bring back a human's pup. If you ask me, it sounds like she's been chosen by Mother. And if Setsuna wants to summon HIM and use is power to help the kid live- I'm all for it."

"BAH! Says the only surviving member of the Goto pack! YOU summoned him, and he killed YOUR pack!"

"ENOUGH!" Takeshi snarled. "Dax you also used to be an alpha, until you were beaten by me. I've let you stay for many years, but so help me- if you don't SHUT UP-"

"Takeshi!" Setsuna scolded.

The alpha silenced himself, and Ichigo spoke up.

"I am aware that my pack was killed." He said softly." But.... my lieutenant, Riku, told me it would be best to summon him near the autumn equinox. He said that he would be the most powerful at that time.... and he was, but...Riku betrayed me. It turned out that he was a deciple of the wolf god. And he lead his own pack in an attack on mine ON the Fall equinox, using Lycaon's power."

All wolves present flinched at the name, except Setsuna who continued on with another question.

"What's so special about the Fall equinox?"

"It is the last day before darkness overtakes the light." He explained. "And it is said..... that Lycaon was born on that day."

"The equinox is past us." Takeshi pointed out. "And it's a full moon which means, Lupa's power is at it's strongest. If we're going to summon him, now would be the time."

"Kiro," Setsuna called to a young den mother. "Take the pups in please. It's past there bedtime."

"Awww!" Kurai whined as he was led away with the other pups.

"Perhaps you would like to join them Dax?" Ichigo teased.

"Shut up." The elder growled.

The wolves gathered around in a circle and Takeshi stepped forward.

"I, Takeshi, alpha of the Tenkai pack, invoke the secret name of the wolf god, Lycaon! Shenisfet- come forth!"

Red lightning struck the ground before him, and where it ad hit stood a man with red wolf ears and a tail. He wore a crown made of bones that stood atop his head of midnight black hair.

"Takeshi.... son of Tadashi." Lycaon mused.=, his blood-red eyes focused on the alpha. "You've grown since I saw you last. Ah.... but I'm sure you don't want me to talk about the past do you? You want your wish."

Setsuna stepped next to her mate and placed the child at his feet. "We want you to make her one of us!"

"Setsuna... daughter of Khione- ninken of Kirigkure." Lycaon scowled at her, his fangs bared. "You wish me to waste my power on something so trivial?!"

"YES!" Takeshi snarled. "You heard her SHENISFET! Make her one of us!"

The wolf god glared at the child. "Whatever you say."

There was another flash of lightning which struck the child. And when the light had faded, Lycaon was gone.

"Dear Lupa!" Setsuna gasped, heading towards the child. Not only did she still look human- she looked dead. And then she saw it.

The baby had silver wolf ears and a tail. But other than that....

"He tricked us." Takeshi growled.

Ichigo sighed. "I'm afraid we caught him in a bad mood, sir."

"You think?!"

"No one shall accept her now." Dax predicted grimly.

"What do you mean?" Setsuna demanded.

"She's a half-breed." The elder said simply. "And besides that..." He mentioned to a mark on the child's stomach; a tiny red lightning bolt. "She bears the curse mark of Lycaon."