The abandoned shipwreck groaned softly as the autumn wind swept through its weathered timbers. Outside, the ocean stretched endlessly, its waves crashing against the shore. Aleu stood at the hull’s edge, her back to Balto, still shaken from the close call with the hunter earlier—mistaking her for a wild wolf. The tension between them hung heavy in the air, unspoken truths finally surfacing.

Balto took a cautious step closer, calm but strained.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Aleu demanded, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.

Balto lowered his gaze, guilt evident in his posture. “Because... I wanted to protect you.”

Aleu spun around, her blue eyes blazing. “Protect me? From what-” her voice cracked as she continued, “from the fact that no human will ever want me because I’m part wild animal?”

“Aleu, I-” Balto began, but she cut him off, her voice rising.

“And what about my brothers and sisters?” she pressed, her words tumbling out in a mix of anger and despair. “They’ve got wolf in them too. Why did humans want them?”

Balto hesitated, the weight of the truth pressing down on him. “Because they don’t look it,” he admitted quietly, his voice heavy with regret. “And you do.”

Aleu’s breath hitched as tears welled in her eyes. She shook her head, stepping back toward the open air. “It’s not fair,” she choked out, her voice trembling with emotion. “I hate you!”

The words struck Balto like a physical blow. “Aleu!” he called after her, his voice desperate as she turned and bolted from the shipwreck. “Aleu, come back!”

Her sobs carried over the wind as she raced down the shoreline, her paws kicking up sand with every step. “Leave me alone!” she shouted back, her voice cracking as she disappeared into the distance.

---

Aleu ran through the forest, her paws quick against the earth. She reached a rocky hill, panting and looking out at the vast, moonlit wilderness. Alone, she whispered into the night

“Where do I belong?”