behaved, how you let down this Pack, youâd be lucky if he made you his Omega! Alphas donât run away from danger. They stay where they are and protect their Pack!â
âYour Father-Dog wished for me ââ
âDonât you dare!â Hunterâs twisting of her Father-Dogâs wishes finally broke Moonâs fragile self-control. She lunged for him, jaws wide and lips peeled back from her fangs, and had the satisfaction of seeing him flinch away. He dodged her attack, but Snap and Mulch flew at him from each side, snapping at his flanks, barking their fury.
Hunter twisted and ducked, barking once in fright. Then, abruptly, he bunched his muscles and leaped past Snap, fleeing for the trees with his tail clamped between his legs. Moonâs teeth closed with a clash, just shy of his rump, but he gave a startled yelp anyway. Even Omega was prancing behind them, watching from safety but urging them on with high-pitched barks, and Snap and Mulch harried Hunter all the way into the trees.
Moon skidded to a halt as they chased the traitor off. Her blood was pounding and her chest heaving, but nothing had givenher so much satisfaction in a long time as the sight of Hunterâs fleeing hindquarters. Undergrowth crashed and branches snapped as the panicked dog dived for cover and vanished.
Moon watched Snap and Mulch trot back, eyes shining with glee. She let her tongue loll with merriment. Between Snapâs teeth was a ragged clump of gray-brown rump fur.
CHAPTER NINE
With everything that had happened lately, and with the hard Pack work shared among just four dogs, Moon thought that the one thing she should be able to do was sleep. Instead she fidgeted and shuffled on her bedding, tossing and turning. She would have to have a word with Omega; he hadnât chosen the right leaves. He hadnât arranged the bedding properly. Heâ
Oh, itâs stupid to blame Omega. I know whatâs keeping me awake.
Fiery is leaving tomorrow.
Stretching out her aching muscles, she staggered up onto her paws. Her head pounded with tiredness, but the thoughts and fears raced around inside it like rats, giving her no respite. Admit it, she told herself angrily. Youâre not just going to miss him. The truth is, you canât bear the thought that you might never see him again.
Silvery moonlight filtered in through the den entrance, edging the overhanging branches with a pale glow. Soon the Moon-Dogwould be full, realized Moon, and what kind of a Great Howl could they offer her with such a small and vulnerable Pack? They wouldnât be crying out their joy to the Moon-Dog; they wouldnât be declaring their strength and togetherness. Their voices would be small and vulnerable, lost in the forest.
The Moon-Dog wonât even hear us, she thought in despair.
It wasnât just that her heart ached at the thought of Fiery leaving. Without his strong presence nearby, she and her Pack would be prey to all kinds of threats: coyotes, foxes, hostile dogs. How could they even survive?
I should regret driving Hunter away, but I canât. Iâm glad heâs gone. I think that he might have been the biggest threat of all. . . .
All the same, she, Mulch, and Snap were not the biggest and strongest of dogs; and Omega was next to useless in a fight. If they were left undisturbed, perhaps they could struggle on, living from day to day and taking turns to hunt and patrol. But Moon could not imagine a future in which theyâd be left alone. The coyotes might want revenge, and those brutes were only one enemy in a forest full of dangers.
Fiery was our protection. With him gone, weâll have no dog to defend us. What kind of an Alpha am I if I canât protect my Pack?
Utterly dejected, Moon padded to the den entrance and satdown, tapping her tail as she gazed up at the three-quarters form of the Moon-Dog. Beyond the camp the nighttime life of the forest was busy; there were scuttlings and
âYour Father-Dog wished for me ââ
âDonât you dare!â Hunterâs twisting of her Father-Dogâs wishes finally broke Moonâs fragile self-control. She lunged for him, jaws wide and lips peeled back from her fangs, and had the satisfaction of seeing him flinch away. He dodged her attack, but Snap and Mulch flew at him from each side, snapping at his flanks, barking their fury.
Hunter twisted and ducked, barking once in fright. Then, abruptly, he bunched his muscles and leaped past Snap, fleeing for the trees with his tail clamped between his legs. Moonâs teeth closed with a clash, just shy of his rump, but he gave a startled yelp anyway. Even Omega was prancing behind them, watching from safety but urging them on with high-pitched barks, and Snap and Mulch harried Hunter all the way into the trees.
Moon skidded to a halt as they chased the traitor off. Her blood was pounding and her chest heaving, but nothing had givenher so much satisfaction in a long time as the sight of Hunterâs fleeing hindquarters. Undergrowth crashed and branches snapped as the panicked dog dived for cover and vanished.
Moon watched Snap and Mulch trot back, eyes shining with glee. She let her tongue loll with merriment. Between Snapâs teeth was a ragged clump of gray-brown rump fur.
CHAPTER NINE
With everything that had happened lately, and with the hard Pack work shared among just four dogs, Moon thought that the one thing she should be able to do was sleep. Instead she fidgeted and shuffled on her bedding, tossing and turning. She would have to have a word with Omega; he hadnât chosen the right leaves. He hadnât arranged the bedding properly. Heâ
Oh, itâs stupid to blame Omega. I know whatâs keeping me awake.
Fiery is leaving tomorrow.
Stretching out her aching muscles, she staggered up onto her paws. Her head pounded with tiredness, but the thoughts and fears raced around inside it like rats, giving her no respite. Admit it, she told herself angrily. Youâre not just going to miss him. The truth is, you canât bear the thought that you might never see him again.
Silvery moonlight filtered in through the den entrance, edging the overhanging branches with a pale glow. Soon the Moon-Dogwould be full, realized Moon, and what kind of a Great Howl could they offer her with such a small and vulnerable Pack? They wouldnât be crying out their joy to the Moon-Dog; they wouldnât be declaring their strength and togetherness. Their voices would be small and vulnerable, lost in the forest.
The Moon-Dog wonât even hear us, she thought in despair.
It wasnât just that her heart ached at the thought of Fiery leaving. Without his strong presence nearby, she and her Pack would be prey to all kinds of threats: coyotes, foxes, hostile dogs. How could they even survive?
I should regret driving Hunter away, but I canât. Iâm glad heâs gone. I think that he might have been the biggest threat of all. . . .
All the same, she, Mulch, and Snap were not the biggest and strongest of dogs; and Omega was next to useless in a fight. If they were left undisturbed, perhaps they could struggle on, living from day to day and taking turns to hunt and patrol. But Moon could not imagine a future in which theyâd be left alone. The coyotes might want revenge, and those brutes were only one enemy in a forest full of dangers.
Fiery was our protection. With him gone, weâll have no dog to defend us. What kind of an Alpha am I if I canât protect my Pack?
Utterly dejected, Moon padded to the den entrance and satdown, tapping her tail as she gazed up at the three-quarters form of the Moon-Dog. Beyond the camp the nighttime life of the forest was busy; there were scuttlings and
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