“You’d better get used to it, swift-dog. You are now the Beta of this Pack.”
CHAPTER TEN
How in the name of the Earth-Dog, thought Sweet, could I ever have hesitated? How could I have thought I wouldn’t get used to being Beta?
She bounded ahead to where Spring and Dart were tugging at a deer’s leg, straining to drag it back to camp. Still gripping with their teeth, they both looked up at her, cocking their ears, waiting for her orders.
“Pull to the left, there,” she barked encouragingly. “There’s a tussock, see? The haunches are getting caught on it. You’ll have to drag it around.” She seized the deer’s neck in her own jaws and began to tug on it, showing them the way. Both the other dogs squatted back on their haunches, using the leverage to drag the deer’s body farther.
“Thanks for coming out here to help us, Beta.” Dart let go of the deer for a moment, panting. “This prey’s awkward, to say the least.”
“But you brought it down,” Sweet pointed out encouragingly.
Dart’s jaws broadened in a grin. “Yes. I never thought we’d manage one, but your training tips were exactly right. We don’t all have to be fast, so long as we have enough hunters to drive it.”
“Even Twitch contributed,” said Spring, sounding proud of her litter-brother. “That leg holds him back, but he followed your advice and stayed out to the flank. If he hadn’t been in position, the deer would have gotten away.”
Sweet felt warm with pleasure and satisfaction. “I’m glad the training paid off,” she said.
“We’re going to do some more sparring this evening, before prey-sharing, aren’t we?” Dart twitched an ear hopefully. “I’d like to learn some of your speed-tricks for a fight.”
“I need to organize tomorrow’s patrols,” said Sweet cautiously. “Moon’s still excused from hunting duty because of her pups, so we’re shortpawed. But after that, why not?” She gave Dart’s ear an affectionate flick of her tongue. “I’ve learned a lot from the Pack, so if there’s anything I can teach you back, I’m happy.”
“I love learning new fighting skills,” said Dart. “It’s been a long time since the Pack freshened up our tactics. You know Alpha, he does nothing about that or hunting practice, just skulks in his den all—”
“Dart,” growled Spring warningly.
Sweet shot her a dry look—Spring was one of the dogs who’d had her ears nipped by Fiery for bad-mouthing the old Beta—but on this occasion the young dog was right. Dart really shouldn’t show disrespect to Alpha. It was true that he took little part in organizing patrols, or training the younger dogs, but that was fine by Sweet. She enjoyed being Beta more than she’d ever expected, and she was happy to take on the half wolf’s share of the practical work. After all, she was rewarded with the second-best choice of prey at the end of the day, and she never went hungry or grew thin from hard work. And in her more fanciful moments, she could imagine she was in charge of the whole Pack herself—that she was Alpha.
I should have stood up to the old Beta sooner, she thought ruefully. For that matter, I should have faced down Callie long ago, in the days when I was still in my old Pack. She’d probably have respected me more if I had.
And I’m good at this, better than I ever knew. If I’d been Beta of the swift-dog Pack, maybe we would never have been caught by the longpaws. Maybe then so many of us wouldn’t have died in that terrible Trap House. . . .
The dogs had dragged the deer almost to the edge of the camp by now, and Sweet was distracted from her regrets when a small squirming body bumped into her paw. A tiny pup, its eyes still blurry, had escaped from Moon’s den and was wobbling its way into the outside world.
“You’re an adventurous one.” Laughing, Sweet left Dart and Spring to haul the deer by themselves to the prey pile. She picked up the tiny pup gently in her mouth and carried it back to Moon, ignoring its protesting squeaks.
Moon appeared at the entrance to the den, her face anxious, but when she caught sight of Sweet, her jaws relaxed and she let her tongue loll. She sat down and woofed gently to her pup.
“Oh, Squirm! You’re such a wanderer already, little one!”
Sweet set the tiny pup down. As soon as he smelled his mother, he blundered under her body and nestled there, clearly deciding adventure could wait till he was a few hours older.
“Another good hunt, Sweet?” Moon nuzzled her shoulder. “The Pack’s been well-fed this last Moon-Dog journey. I think you’ve brought us good luck.”
“I hope so. I owe you all so much.” Sweet returned Moon’s affectionate lick. “The pups are looking healthy!”
“They’re already getting too lively—oh!” Moon snapped her head around to stare, and Sweet stiffened, her hackles springing erect.
The peace of the evening and the relaxed mood were shattered as Snap bounded into the clearing, her volley of barks sharp and urgent.
“Dogs! Dogs are approaching. A strange Pack! In our territory!”
Now Sweet saw why Alpha was the head of the Pack. He sprang out of his den, leaped up to his favorite boulder and let loose a deep, barking howl of summons.
“Packmates! Our territory is threatened by strangers. Prepare for battle!”
Instantly Snap, Spring, Dart, Twitch, and Fiery bounded to his side, tails high and ears pricked keenly forward. Alpha barked out orders, fast and confident, and in moments he was tearing into the woods, his loyal followers at his heels.
Filled with true admiration for her leader for the first time, Sweet paused only for a moment. After checking over the camp to make sure Moon and her pups were safe and well defended, she left them with a reassuring bark, and followed the rest of the fighting party.
I’ve never been in a real battle before, she thought. Only food-fights with other Packs, and the fight with the longpaws—and I ran away from that.
Well, Sweet wasn’t running from this battle. She was actually running toward it—and not only was she determined, she felt a thrill of real excitement in her skin and blood and nerves. She was the Beta of a powerful Wild Pack, and she was running to confront its enemies.
The others were just ahead of her now, racing up a dry streambed, leaping from rock to flat rock, with Alpha in the lead. Sweet bounded forward to lope alongside at his flank, her muscles tingling with pride. Alpha slowed as he reached a ridge, then turned and ran along below the skyline till he reached a tumble of sandstone boulders. He trotted silently among them and halted, glaring down into the shallow valley below.
At his side, Sweet panted quietly as she watched the ragtag bunch of dogs who were trotting down the valley. She narrowed her eyes in surprise.
It was the oddest Pack she’d ever seen. There was a black, shaggy dog who was massive, but did not look particularly fierce. At her side were two stocky little dogs, one with a snub nose, and one with a pointed face. There was a black-and-white farm dog who kept retracing his steps and herding the others, fussing over them and trying to keep them together. There was a yellow-coated dog who reminded Sweet, a little painfully, of Lucky the City Dog—but this was a female, her fur sleeker and shorter, and she didn’t move with Lucky’s strutting, jaunty confidence. The last was an extraordinary-looking animal, and for a moment Sweet wasn’t sure it was a dog at all. It looked like a trailing bundle of white moss, except that it had tiny eyes in front, and a black button-nose. It gave a pathetic little yelp as a strand of its fur caught on a branch.
A low growl was building in Alpha’s throat, and Sweet shook herself. No matter how bizarre this Pack of mutts looked, they were still intruders. And they must be more dangerous than they looked—because why else would they trot so confidently into the territory of a half wolf like Alpha?
“Take them down,” snarled Alpha.
Sweet gave him a nod, then growled low in her throat to summon the others into their fighting positions.
“Ready?” she snarled. “Let’s teach these mutts to stay out of our Pack-lands.”
The others growled
their angry agreement, and Sweet bounded forward, racing down the hill. The intruder dogs didn’t even notice them at first, and when their heads at last came up, there was nothing but stupid shock on their blank faces.
Alpha was behind her. “Draw blood,” he howled. “Drive them away!”
Sweet hurtled into battle, knocking one of the small dogs off its paws and sending it tumbling, stunned and winded. But even as she spun to snap at another, something caught the corner of her vision.
There was something in the trees, higher up the valley.
She paused, just for a moment, her fangs still bared. Was she seeing things?
Probably.
Sweet lashed out with her claws, focusing on the fight, but the strange dogs were already spinning, panicked, trying to flee.
She glanced up the valley’s slope once more. Because she was sure, now, that she hadn’t imagined it.
That flash of movement—it had been no lazy, street-dog strut. It was an animal, charging from between the trees, strong legs pounding in desperation.
And the Sun-Dog’s light gleamed on shaggy, golden fur. . . .
EXCERPT FROM SURVIVORS: MOON’S CHOICE
KEEP READING
FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT
CHAPTER ONE
A soft blue-gray mist hung on the horizon, but the sky above the young dog was clear as it dimmed toward night. Moon watched her namesake Spirit Dog stretch and lope into view. The Moon-Dog was half in shadow, but still she shone bright enough to make a dog mistake the dusk for daylight. A whine of anticipation rose in Moon’s throat as she gazed up at her.
Just now the Pack members were going about their last duties of the day: Snap and Mulch were checking the border where a protective thornbush had blown down in the last storm; Whine, the little Omega, was trotting from den to den, renewing the bedding of the more senior dogs. Night had almost fallen, and soon the hunt patrol would return to camp, and the Pack would eat together. Then there might be time to lie contentedly, with a full belly, and talk about the day with her Mother-Dog and Father-Dog.
Moon could hear the two of them behind her in the den, discussing some serious issue about Pack life in low voices. Moon knew that as Alpha and Beta of the Pack, her parent-dogs’ duties came first; it would be the same for her, when her time came to be Pack leader. She had to be patient.
She had to be more patient than Star anyway, she thought, with a roll of her blue eyes. Her litter-sister kept bounding up to her, backing off, thrashing her tail, and snapping playfully. She was desperate to entice Moon into a fight-game, but Moon was having none of it. Fight-games were for pups!
“Star, settle down!” she yipped, swiping a gentle paw at her litter-sister’s ear.
Star rolled over, pawing the air, snapping at a moth. “Oh, Moon, have some fun while you still can. You won’t have any time to play at all once you’re Alpha!”
“We’re both too old to be playing,” Moon told her firmly.
Star scrabbled back upright, sat down, and scratched at one ear. “You’re no fun anymore,” she said, an edge in her voice.
Moon pinned her ears back, surprised. She had never heard Star sound quite so resentful before. That’s not true! It’s just that I’m going to have responsibilities one day. I’ll need to be ready for them.
She found that her litter-sister’s accusation stung, more than she’d expected. It wasn’t that Star was jealous of Moon’s destiny as next Pack Alpha; Star had no interest in the hard work and duties that would come with leadership, and Moon knew she was happy to be a free spirit. But surely Star realized, now that they were both older, that Moon didn’t have the same liberty to mess around and play pointless games?
I must learn to be serious and dutiful.
Before she could gnaw at her anxiety any longer, a new sound made Moon’s ears prick up. Those were pawsteps coming toward the camp through the undergrowth—yes, the hunt patrol was returning! The hunt-dogs’ shapes became recognizable as they drew closer and emerged from the bushes: Rush and Meadow, the wily terriers; Fly, the brown-and-white snub-nosed dog with the sad but watchful eyes; and in the lead, biggest and strongest of all, was Hunter. Moon felt her heart skip a nervous beat as Hunter’s eyes caught hers. He lifted his head slightly with pride; between his strong jaws was a plump and good-sized rabbit.
Moon rose to her paws, ignoring Star’s snort of amusement. She dipped her head in solemn greeting, and Hunter gave a low whine of reply in his throat.
He’s so well-named, she thought. He’s the strongest dog in the Pack, besides my Father-Dog, and he’s the best hunter. I’m glad my parent-dogs chose him for me.
She sometimes wondered what it was going to be like, running the Pack with Hunter as her Beta. It couldn’t be anything but exciting, she decided, with a warm rush of gladness. She ignored the prickle of tension in her neck fur; nervousness and uncertainty were silly. She would be lucky to have such a strong and capable mate. Her parent-dogs had chosen carefully, and they were never wrong about such important Pack matters.
She would go on making her Father-Dog and Mother-Dog proud, and she’d go on showing her gratitude to them and her favor to Hunter. I don’t care what Star thinks about it, Moon decided a little grumpily. It was true that she didn’t feel completely comfortable in Hunter’s company—he wasn’t the easiest dog to talk to, and he had a stern taciturnity that sometimes bordered on sullenness—but in time, they’d learn to get along. Why, she felt guilty for thinking even the mildest criticism of him; it felt like disloyalty to her parent-dogs. She and Hunter would make a perfect match in the end, she knew it.
Behind Moon, the fir branches rustled as her Father-Dog emerged from the den and shook his fur. He waited expectantly as Hunter padded up to him and dropped the fat rabbit at his forepaws.
“Well done, Hunter! Your day was good, then?”
“It was, Alpha,” replied Hunter, lashing his tail from side to side. “Plentiful prey, though some of it was too fast for the rest of the patrol.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d heard Hunter criticize other dogs in his hunting patrol, but on this occasion Moon was a little startled. Rush and Meadow were very capable stalkers, after all, and long-legged Fly was a swift and agile runner. But as she glanced toward the brown-and-white dog, limping up behind Hunter, she noticed he did look stiff and tired. He placed his paws awkwardly, as if he was trying not to stumble, and his eyes seemed much duller than usual.
“Still, you’ve all done a fine job,” Moon’s Father-Dog was saying. He didn’t seem to have noticed the change in Fly’s condition; he was too busy admiring Hunter’s rabbit. “The Pack will eat well tonight.”
Hunter gave his Alpha a nod of acknowledgment and stepped back, his eyes still shining with pride in his catch, but Moon nudged her litter-sister with her shoulder.
“Fly doesn’t look well,” she whispered to Star. “Don’t you think?”
Star cocked her head, frowning at Fly. He was sitting on his haunches now, his noble head drooping. His lolling tongue looked dry and swollen.
“It was a long hunt,” Star muttered uneasily, “so he’s probably just tired. And hungry—he’ll feel better when we’ve all eaten.”
Moon wasn’t so sure, but she put Fly out of her head for the moment as the Pack began to gather for prey-sharing. Alpha and Beta, as was their right, claimed the first share, taking Hunter’s rabbit between them, but there was plenty of other prey for the rest of the dogs. As soon as his leaders had eaten their fill, Hunter paced forward and selected a juicy squirrel for himself. Moon could forgive the arrogant tilt of his head, the aura of satisfaction that surrounded him. After all, he’d done more than any dog to provide this feast. She watched him brightly and approvingly, ignoring any unease she felt at his cockiness.
He’s my future mate. It’s good that he’s strong and confident!
She felt Star’s breath at her ear. “Look at him,” her litter-sister muttered. “Thinks his tail touches the Sky-Dogs. Do you really want to b
e mated with him?”
It irritated Moon that Star could reawaken all her own uncertainties with a well-placed jibe. “It doesn’t matter,” she growled quietly. “The Pack needs strong leaders, and that’s what Hunter is.”
Star licked her chops and lay down with a sigh, clearly deciding the best policy was to keep her jaws shut. Moon was glad. She could feel her hackles bristling, yet she knew she shouldn’t let Star’s words ruffle her fur. Her sister was talking nonsense, obviously.
All the same, she couldn’t help stealing a glance at her parent-dogs. Now that they’d eaten, and their daily responsibilities were behind them for another night, they were chuffing quietly together over some unheard joke. Alpha muttered something in Beta’s ear, and in playful impatience she batted his nose with a gentle paw.
They had such a connection, thought Moon wistfully. Her Father-Dog and her Mother-Dog were friends as well as mates, companions as well as leaders. They respected each other, worked well together . . .
Against her will, the inner voice and its doubts rose inside her head. Moon clenched her jaws and rubbed her paws over her ears.
If I wasn’t destined to be the Pack’s Alpha . . . would I choose Hunter at all?
EXCERPT FROM SURVIVORS #6: STORM OF DOGS
DON’T MISS
CHAPTER ONE
Lucky’s eyes snapped open, and a terrified whine escaped his throat. He caught his breath, his ears pricking up. Gone were the crashes and howls of the Trap House.
It was a dream . . . and we did survive!
He breathed deeply, relief coursing through his limbs. The night air was silent and cool. From the mouth of the den he could see an icy breeze stirring the leafless branches of the trees that dotted the territory. He saw the grassy slope near the top of the cliffs, the place where he and the rescue party had found the Pack after their failed mission to save their friend, Fiery. Sweet had decided that they would stay there, despite the dangers they faced—they had expended too much energy in their endless hunt for safer territories.