As we continued on the trail, I couldn't take my mind off of that whole situation. I wasn't wanted by humans, and I wasn't wanted by wolves. Where was I to go?

I looked up at the family. Not my family. The family. Daniel looking like he silently wanted to spend more time in the luxurious sports bar back at home than here. Lynn trying to teach the kids different kinds of birds. Marie listening intently, but Felix daydreaming about dinosaurs tearing through the land.

I tried to distract myself. I would prove to myself that I didn't need humans or wolves. I could make it on my own. Hunting wasn't that hard, Daniel did it all the time. Sure, he had a gun, but my sneaking abilities were great, and all I would need was a fatal bite. I could run faster than most dogs and cats. It would be easy.

As I kicked up pine needles from the dusty trail, I tried to compile a plan in my head. I needed to get off leash so I could go into the wild... To live there. I swatted one last rock to the side before I figured how I was going to escape.

It wasn't going to be easy. It was something I tried not to do for my entire life. But, I had to do it. I had to leave my family. I was going to miss Marie, her dress up sessions and goofy hugs. I was going to miss playing construction worker with Felix. I was going to miss long nights of hockey games with Daniel. I was going to miss Lynn's reluctance to liking me, and then her grinning face when she finally cracked and snuggled me when nobody was around to see.

But I had to do it.

I slowly crept as far away from Daniel as possible while still being in a face's range away from his hand. And, with one last glance at the happy family, I lunged and bit the leash part closest to Daniel's hand. I yanked on it so fast that he didn't have a chance to react. He and Lynn simply gasped as they saw me take off into thick brush.

As hard as I tried not to be wavered, it just about killed me to hear Marie scream and cry in horror. So much, in fact, that I considered turning back. It felt like a stone had been placed in my stomach to hear her in such despair, even more because I was the one who caused it. This family had grown on me more than I'd thought.

I tried to drown out Marie's sobbing with the sound of my paws thumping on the dirt and the hissing long grass that I escaped through. The tree line was my goal, my path to emotional freedom. I would have to leave Itasca grounds because there would be missing posters up for me, and I would be captured. I would head northeast where there were more plentiful white tail deer. But first, I'd have to get out of Itasca by road.

     Daniel sprinted after me through the bushes, but gave up after he couldn't see me when he called for a few minutes. I closed my eyes tight with a strong but indescribable feeling, knowing very well that that was the last time I'd see that family again. I don't know why this family made me feel so strongly for them. They were just like the others - two kids, both parents together and happy, one parent doesn't want a dog, and they all jump to leave me when I accidentally hurt one of the kids.

     But I think that was my problem. It wasn't an accident. It wasn't just a coincidence, it wasn't them leaving me. I was the one who caused such heartbreak. I was the one who was leaving. I knew exactly how they felt, but there was one thing that they were missing - being alone. They were a group of people. It's different when a single person leaves a group then when a group leaves one person. And that one person is left alone, so cold that they can't move or they'll break into thousands of shattered glass pieces that they've stepped on for years like I have.

     As I hit the tree line and started heading toward the road, feeling a bit better. This was the start of a new beginning. There was nobody that I had to step on eggshells for to keep happy, to keep me around. There was me and only me, and I would take care of myself.

     I felt a pang of guilt when I remembered the boy from the kennels that wanted me so desperately to get a forever home. I missed the feeling of that green bone in my jaws. He tried so hard to get me into this home, and now I've ran away from it, almost like I've ran away from his generosity. But he'd never know the difference, unless the parents decide that they'll get another dog from the same shelter. The boy will ask where I went, and then he'll know.

     "No more thoughts," I said out loud. I pressed the thoughts and guilts and sour feelings to the shadows and tried to focus on positives.

     "Where ya goin'?" I heard a small voice from behind me ask. The accent was wolf-ish, which made my hackles spring up. I turned slowly to see a female pup no more than 6 moons old staring up at me from a rock.

"Uh..." I struggled for words.

"You're Lokel, right? I'm tryna learn all of the big wolves' names," she studied my markings closely.

"Yeah, that's me. But you can't tell anyone I'm here," I started thinking of a plan for why I was being secretive. Then I figured my story was that I was getting a birthday present for my, or Lokel's, mate. But I needed the name. "If you're trying to know adult wolf names, then let me quiz you. Do I have a mate? If so, what's her name?"

"Of course you have a mate, dummy! Everyone knows Fannie," the pup replied and started giggling. I looked around and seeing no one, I put my head closer to the pup with a grin.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I asked, pretending to see if anyone was around.

"Okay!"

"I'm getting a surprise present for Fannie. But you can't tell anyone. Not even your parents," I fibbed to the gullible pup. I stepped back with a smile. The pup made a fake 'my lips are zipped shut' face and trotted away.

I sighed of relief as the pup left. I thought it was one of the Imperial pack wolves. The encounter made me pick up my pace as I started to see the line of clearing to the parking lot.

A/N: I need a vote! How long do you like chapters to be? Shorter chapters means that I would be able to get them out sooner, but longer chapters would be, well, longer. The first chapter was 2700 words long, the second being about 1200, the third being about 1600, and this one is about 1100. Which chapter size do you like the most?

Kami is a little liar, isn't he? >:)