After they rescue and adopt a lost female wolf pup, the matriarch of a farm family of German Shepherds tells her brood the mystical story of how one line of ancient wolves descended from the mythical Wolf Goddess Zaila remained wolves and another became dogs, setting off a series of surprise events that change canine history forever.

SYNOPSIS:

(SPOILER ALERT ... It's a love story!) I have adapted this short into an illustrated children's book that is selling nicely online. I've included the cover art below.

Three German Shepherd pups, Kylo and his sisters Abbie and Zelda, play happily on the edge of a grassy field near a farmhouse, when suddenly a pack of gray wolves appears. Curious about why the wolves look like them, but frightened, they run to their mother, fierce German Shepherd matriarch Bella.

The pups' father, regal German Shepherd Maximus, appears, ready for a challenge.

Bella asks the leader of the wolf pack, Rain, why they are there, and learns the pack is in search of a lost wolf pup that has been missing for days, and that they all are hungry.

"You'll find no food here," Bella tells Rain, adding a herd of elk passed by the day before.

"Thank you, sister," replies Rain. "I am not your sister, and it was decided so eons ago," Bella replies.

Bella decides to wait until her pups are older to tell them the mystical story of how one of the Wolf Creator Goddess Zaila's lines of wolves remained wolves and another line became dogs, servants of man.

The lost wolf pup, Sage, falls into a river and before she drowns, she is rescued by a huge Canada goose, Mercy. Sage finds her way to the family farm in a blizzard, and they take her in. As they mature, Kylo is smitten by Sage and she by him.

Now older, Bella tells her brood how the two lines of Zaila, led by wolf Queens Lotus and Lexa, became separated when Queen Lotus's family was captured by "the two-legged creatures," early man.

Flashback: After a fierce winter, when Queen Lexa and her band try to free Lotus's family from captivity, Lexa learns from Lotus that they have been working with mankind to help him hunt, survive and thrive, and in return, they are fed and sheltered. "We are happy here," Lotus says. "I am so sad for you. We can save you,'" exclaims Queen Lexa. "We don't need to be saved, Lexa. We will be with man and all will benefit. Goodbye."

Heartbroken, Queen Lexa and her wolf nation disappear into lands far off and leave Queen Lotus and her family to serve man – and eventually lose all wolf traits and become dogs.

As Bella concludes her story, Rain and her mate Bolt, and their pack of gray wolves, appear at the farm. Sage runs to them, overjoyed to be reunited with her family. Crushed and grief-stricken, Kylo announces his love for Sage, and as she is leaving, she announces her love for him, but sadly says she is compelled to leave with her family.

A week later, Bella is informed by the family cat, smart-aleck Smokey, that Kylo confided in him the night before that he is leaving to go find Sage, the love of his life. Bella is enraged at Smokey for not telling her earlier, and Abbie and Zelda chase the cat into the barn in fun.

Bella, in her grief, goes daily to the grassy field facing the forest hoping to see her son come home one day.

After a year, the two family horses, Dakota and Cisco, look out of their stall windows in the barn toward the forest, and alert Smokey to tell Bella to wake up for a huge surprise.

Bella is overjoyed to see full-grown, regal and confident Kylo jogging across the grassy field toward her with his love Sage – and four puppies.

Bolt and Rain follow them and explain that Sage has told them the story of the Two Lines of Zaila. Kylo, now King Kylo, and Queen Sage tell everyone that they have started a new nation of canines, neither wolf nor dog, but which will have the best traits of each – the Third Line of Zaila.

"Should I bow to your majesties?" jokingly asks Maximus. "Oh Dad," replies Kylo in fun. He and Sage tell everyone to listen closely as they begin to recount the joys of the past year and the vision they have for their pups and their new canine nation.