It was the Challenge of the Breed.
The big husky was the leader of the pack, and if one of the other dogs had snarled at him, as Kazan snarled he would have leaped at his throat.
But in Kazan, standing fierce and half wild over Gray Wolf, he recognized none of the serfdom of the sledge-dogs.

It was master facing master; in Kazan it was more than that for he was Gray Wolf's mate.

In an instant more he would have leaped over her body to have fought for her, more than for the right of leadership.

But the big husky turned away sullenly, growling, still snarling, and vented his rage by nipping fiercely at the flank of one of his sledge-mates.
Gray Wolf understood what had happened, though she could not see.

She shrank closer to Kazan.