When James woke up he had no idea of what time it was and he couldn't see Casper. James crawled out of the den, Casper was sitting just outside the den he was staring blankly into the trees.

"C-Casper what's going on, what are you doing?" He asked, reaching towards the wolf.

"Shut up!" Casper snapped at him.

James recoiled in fear.

The wolf regretting what he did almost instantly. "J-James I'm sorry, please, please don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you I swear. I-I mean you're...you're still alive, right?" Casper said. Hopping James would forgive him, he asked him to. "P-please don't be upset." To his relief James hugged him around the neck.

"I'm not mad, I-I just got a little scared that's all," James said. "B-but why am I still alive?"

"I just didn't have it in me." Casper sighed.

"So you're not going to hurt me?" He asked. "Of course not. I have no further intentions of hurting you." The wolf said, in an attempt to reassure James. "Come now, I'll take you home," Casper said.

James fell silent.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to go home?" The wolf asked.

"I-I do, it's its... it's just," James said.

"James d-do you want to stay with me?" Casper asked.

"W-well its just...yes, yes I do." He said.

"Why? If you miss your family why would you want to stay with me?"

"It's just my parents both work quite a bit, to support themselves, Ruth, and me." James looked at the ground. "And...and they've been struggling with money for awhile it would be easier for them without me." He said.

Casper gently licked James's face. "Its gonna be ok but are you really sure you want to stay with me?" He asked.

"I'm sure." He said.

"Well how about I give you the rest of the day to think about it?" Casper asked.

"O-ok," James said. "That...that sounds good." He said, shivering.

"James are you cold?" The wolf asked, looking at James concerned.

"Y-yeah," James said, still shivering.

"Then come back into the den with me," Casper said, walking back into the den as James followed.

The wolf lied in the sunlight and James lied down with him. The wolf curled around him and then wrapped his bushy tail around him.

Casper let the boy rest his head on his own. "I hope this helps you stay warm." He said, softly.

"Yeah it does," James said, wrapping his arms around Casper's head. "But why is it so cold?"

"I would assume its because of the higher altitude." The wolf said.

"M-may I go back to sleep? I'm still really tired." James asked, yawning.

"Of course," Casper whispered. "I'll keep you safe, warm and I promise I won't leave you." He said speaking softly, as the boy drifted off to sleep.

James woke up, sitting up suddenly, screaming, in a cold sweat while crying.

"James what the hell!?" Casper asked in shock.

James was sitting up straight, sobbing while breathing heavily.

"James whats going on?"Casper asked again.

"I-I just had a nightmare nothing special," James said still hyperventilating.

"Are you sure it was just a nightmare? I mean you seem pretty shaken." The wolf asked.

"It's nothing really just the same nightmare I've been having since I was ten. S-Since the night." James trailed off before he could finish.

"Oh a nightmare, would you mind telling me what it was about?" Casper asked.

"Well you see...It's about well." James said. "It's about you."

The wolf fell silent. "Oh god, oh god. T-that was you?" He asked finally.

"W-what do you mean that was me?" He asked. Then he realized. "S-so you really are the wolf from that night huh?" James said.

"Yes...yes I am," Casper answered.

"W-what were you p-planning on d-doing to me?" He asked.

"I wasn't actually planning on anything, I just stumbled upon your house almost completely by chance." The wolf told him.

"So I was never in any real danger?" James asked.

"No I guess not," Casper said. "You know what."

"Wha-what?" He asked.

"It's almost dark so its time for you to make your decision. So do you want to return to your family or do you still want to stay with me?" The wolf asked.

"I still want to stay with you," James said after thinking for a moment.

"Are you sure?" Casper asked.

"I'm sure." He answered.

"Ok, come on get on my back, I have to take you somewhere."

"Where are we going?" James asked.

"You'll see," Casper whispered before he took off running.

As Casper raced up the mountain James noticed the landscape changing from grassy to rocky and eventually snowy.

The wolf lied down and James got off.

"Come, follow me. We can make it fast because I know you're cold." Casper said, walking to a tree and digging at its roots.

James walked over to where he was digging, to see the wolf coming up with a wolf's skull which was surprisingly clean and intact, apart from the lower jaw missing.

"Wha-what are you going to do with that?" He asked.

"You'll see." Casper said, sitting down for him to get on.

When James got on he stood up picked the skull up in his mouth and started running down the mountain.

They got back to the den around midnight and Casper sat the skull down in front of James before sitting down behind him.

"So what are you going to do with the skull?" James asked.

"If you truly wish to stay with me, you will put it on and after you fall asleep I'll say an incantation that will make you will resemble me," Casper told him.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"Your appearance will be like mine... a Skulldog." He finished.

"A what?" James asked.

"A Skulldog, and once I turn you into one there's no going back. So now is your last chance to go home." Casper said.

James looked up at Casper, down at the skull, he thought about his little sister and his Parents struggles with money. "I still want to stay with you."

"Very well then, go ahead then put it on." Casper said.

"O-ok." James whispered, sliding the skull over is head, it was rather big on him, and had a faint earthy smell to it.

Casper lied down again and James leaned back against him, the steady rise and fall of his chest slowly sent him into a deep sleep.