It was a warm summer day. A herd of elk was grazing by a river. Squirrels were chasing each other in the trees. Everything was calm. The sounds of snarling and snapping broke that calmness.

The snarling grew louder, followed by yelps of pain and surprise. A pack of coyotes coward in the presence of a large and aggressive figure. One of the coyotes attempted to attack the large dog, only to be grabbed by the neck and tossed to the ground. The dog glanced behind him, where two pups trembled in fear, then back at the pack.

"You are a disgrace, attacking defenseless pups. You better clear out now. Return and you won't be so lucky. BEAT IT!" the male dog snarled.

Heading the dog's warning, the pack of coyotes tucked their tails between their legs and high-tailed it out of there. The large dog listened until the coyotes were far away, then turned around. The two pups stood up and licked the large dog's muzzle, who smiled softly and wagged his tail.

"Yuzu. Karin. Are you ok? What were you doing out here? Mom is probably worried sick,"

"We were just going to swim in the river, since it is hot out. Mom and the old man said we could. On the way, those coyotes decided to ambush us. Thanks for saving us, Ichigo," Karin said, wagging her tail. Yuzu smiled happily, tail wagging also.

"It's ok Yuzu, Karin. Just don't tell dad. I don't want to deal with his drama today. Come on, let's go swim and get back before the old man throws a fit, " Ichigo said and trotted to the river, Yuzu and Karin right on his hocks.

Ichigo is 3 years old. He stands 28 inches at the shoulder. He is a German Shepherd/Akita with the German Shepherd build and Akita tail. He has a black mask and paws. The tip of his tail is silver and the rest of his fur is orange. He has golden eyes. He is very protective, swift, and powerful. He is the older brother of Yuzu and Karin.

Karin is 6 months old. She is a German Shepherd/Akita with the Akita build and German Shepherd tail. She has a red mask, black body, and brown socks. Her eyes are brown. She is kind but stubborn. She is the younger littermate of Yuzu and little sister to Ichigo.

Yuzu is 6 months old. She is a German Shepherd/Akita with the looks of a German Shepherd. She has a black muzzle, golden body, and white paws. She has light brown eyes. She has a very sweet disposition. She is the older littermate of Karin and little sister to Ichigo.

Ichigo lay in the grass next to the river, golden eyes watched as his little sisters splashed and played in the water. He flicked an ear back, listening for danger. His sisters ran up to him and splashed water on him, laughing and wagging their tails. Ichigo stood and shook the water off his fur. Yuzu and Karin yelped when the water hit them, making Ichigo laugh.

"We should head back," Ichigo told his sisters, who nodded and trotted next to him.

Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu trotted back to the den. On the way, Ichigo spotted an injured elk trying to find its herd. Ichigo to Yuzu and Karin to stay put, then bolted after the elk. Ichigo lunged at the elk, grabbing its throat and knocking it to the ground. Ichigo crushed the elk's jugular with his powerful jaws, killing it instantly. Yuzu and Karin ran over to him. Ichigo dragged the dead elk for a couple miles, Yuzu and Karin following him.

As soon as Ichigo reached the den, he was knocked to the ground. Jumping up, Ichigo growled and charged his attacker, grabbing it and pinning it to the ground. A yelp was heard and Ichigo let the attacker up. Yuzu and Karin laughed. Ichigo glared.

"You are strong, pup. I have nothing more to teach you,"

"He is not a pup anymore. I know this is play, but he is strong and can hurt you, Isshin,"

"I know. I want him to be strong so he can find a nice female and give us grand-pups. Right, my dearest Masaki?"

"You better knock it off old man," Ichigo said, pulling his lips back in a growl.

Isshin is 7 years old and stands 28 inches at the shoulder. He is a full-blood Akita. He has a black muzzle, dark brown body, and white paws. His eyes are brown. He is a big goof, but is serious when needed. He is the father of Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin. His mate is Masaki.

Masaki is 7 years old and stands 26 inches at the shoulder. She is a full-blood, long-haired German Shepherd. She has a black mask and her body is tan with a black saddle. Her eyes are brown. She is kind and caring. She is Isshin's mate and mother of Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu.

"You know I do, but if you keep teasing him, you are going to get hurt," Masaki said, laughing when Isshin whined and walked over to the elk that Ichigo caught.

Masaki licked Ichigo's muzzle and joined Isshin, tearing a chunk off and eating it. Yuzu and Karin ran over and tore into the carcass. Ichigo scanned the area with his keen golden eyes, then joined his parents and little sisters. A small squabble broke out between Ichigo and Isshin, which ended with Isshin yelping and Ichigo trotting away, stating that he was going on patrol. When the rest finished, they curled up next to each other and fell asleep, stomachs bloated with meat.

Ichigo trotted through the territory, patrolling and marking boundaries. As he was heading to the far edge of the territory, he pricked his ears and heard what sounded like a fight. Thinking that the coyotes had snuck back, Ichigo growled and picked up his pace. He loped towards the noise and burst through the bushes, growling. What he saw surprised him. The coyotes had snuck back, but were being attacked by a small, swift figure.

Ichigo watched the fight, itching to jump in and punish the coyotes again. The coyotes were circling around what appeared to be a wolf. He watched as the wolf dodged the attacks and scored bites on some of the coyotes. The wolf seemed to be holding its own against the pack until another coyote appeared out of nowhere and sank its fangs into the wolf's shoulder. The wolf growled and snapped at the coyote, only to have two more sink their teeth into its neck and hindquarter. The wolf was knocked to the ground.

Ichigo lunged forward, grabbing the throat of the coyote who had the wolf by the neck and crushing it. The coyote's jaw loosened. The coyote that was biting down on the wolf's hindquarter let go and lunged at Ichigo, only to have its leg snapped in half by Ichigo's powerful jaws. Ichigo sank his fangs into the head of the coyote biting the wolf's shoulder. He applied pressure, causing the coyote to let go of the wolf. Ichigo applied more pressure and crushed the coyote's skull.

Ichigo opened his jaws, the dead coyote hitting the ground with a thud. He towered over the others and snarled. The rest of the pack ran, never to return. Ichigo trotted over to the wolf, who whined in pain. The wolf slowly lifted its head to look at Ichigo. Ichigo pulled his lips back in a soft smile.

"Are you ok? You must be in a lot of pain."

"I have been better. I have been in fights before, but never to the point where I have been in danger of dying. Thank you. May I ask your name?" the wolf said.

"My name is Ichigo."

"Strawberry? That's a strange name," the she-wolf laughed softly, causing Ichigo to growl.

"My name means 'He who Protects' not Strawberry!"

"Ok Ok! I was joking! My name is Rukia,"

"Nice to meet you," Ichigo said, touching noses with her.

Rukia is a 3 year old wolf. She is small, standing 20 inches at the shoulder. She has jet black fur and violet eyes. She is kind but can have a short temper if provoked. What she lacks in height she makes up for in speed and power.

Rukia smiled softly at Ichigo, eyes closing due to fatigue. She slowly placed her head on her paws and fell asleep. Ichigo stared at her. He lay next to her, golden eyes scanning the area. He gently touched her cheek with his nose, then began to lick her wounds. Rukia groaned in pain, but still slept. Ichigo licked her muzzle then returned to cleaning her wounds. When he finished, Ichigo glanced around one last time. He sprawled on his side, being care to not hurt Rukia, and fell asleep. He didn't even feel Rukia scooting closer and placing her head on his thick-furred shoulder.