Darkness Falls (19 page)

Lucky's fur bristled. He kept walking, almost at a trot. “I have to gather leaves before no-sun,” he barked over his shoulder. He could hear Bruno behind him, treading with clumsy steps. Lucky knew that the old dog would struggle to keep up with him.

How did he get to be a hunter? I can't imagine he's caught much prey
, thought Lucky. He quickened his pace.
Can't he just leave me alone? Like it isn't bad enough being Omega; he has to rub my nose in it!

“Lucky! Slow down!” Bruno was wheezing.

Lucky paused, his fur itching as he pawed the ground. A few days of being called Omega had been enough for it to stop stinging—but now he almost resented Bruno using his real name.
You wouldn't call me Lucky if Alpha were nearby
. . . .

“It's so hard, hunting out here,” Bruno whined. “Fiery decided we should split up to sniff out small prey, but I've been searching for ages and I haven't caught so much as a mouse.”

Lucky grunted, looking back over his shoulder, but instead of meeting Bruno's eye he scanned the surrounding forest. It was growing dark. He would have to hurry up with the bedding to avoid giving Alpha something to hold against him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bruno dip his head.

“I'm sorry, Lucky,” he said. “I should never have helped trap you like that. I honestly don't know what came over me. I don't blame you for being angry.”

The older dog sounded so forlorn that Lucky felt a stab of pity. Then he remembered how Bruno had thrown him down at Alpha's command.

If the black cloud had not appeared, I would have been scarred forever!

Lucky turned on Bruno angrily. “What were you thinking? You acted like a fox, or a sharpclaw. Sneaking up and attacking like that is not a dog's style. Where's your sense of honor? And after everything we've been through!”

Bruno's nose sank to the forest floor. “You're right,” he whimpered. “I'm so sorry. I was scared . . . scared of Alpha and the whole situation. I couldn't believe what happened with the foxes—everything got out of control so quickly. I thought being part of a Pack would make me feel safe. . . .” His ears drooped. “Lucky, do you remember when I drank the bad water and got sick?”

“Of course I remember!” snapped Lucky. “It was me who saved you. Do you remember
that
, Bruno?”

The other dog flopped onto his belly with a whimper. “I do. And I haven't forgotten. My point is, I didn't know water could hurt you. Even things that used to be harmless have been turned dangerous by the Big Growl. I thought I was coping with all the changes, adapting to life in the Leashed Pack. But . . .” He trailed off in a pitiful whine. Lucky could see this wasn't easy for him.

Bruno took a deep breath. “The truth is that my fears got the better of me. I never used to be scared of anything. I was the toughest dog on the street! Now I can't sleep at night for fear that a fight will break out in the Pack. Even the light of the Sun-Dog doesn't make me feel safe. You never know what's out there, what's watching from behind the branches. Now I'm scared of everything.”

Bruno's eyes flicked across the trees and he started to shiver, even though it wasn't cold. “I guess I wanted to fit in. When Alpha asked for help . . . I didn't think to refuse. There was something about him that just made me want to do whatever he said, for the good of the Pack. He promoted me to hunter after you'd gone—said a loyal, tough dog like me was wasted on patrol. I should've been celebrating, but every time I've gone out to catch prey I've just felt guilty.” He gazed down his snout, as though talking to the earth. “Please, Lucky. You know I'm not a bad dog, really.”

Lucky turned to face Bruno, his anger melting away. “I know you're not,” he said.

Bruno looked up at him with big, sad eyes. His bushy tail gave a hesitant thump. “You forgive me?”

Lucky sighed. “I guess so. . . .”

Bruno climbed to his paws. He panted happily, his tail beating the air.

Lucky relaxed his stance, but inside he felt a wrinkle of unease. He gazed up at the branches overhead.

If even kind dogs like Bruno can turn on their friends, what hope does the Pack have of nurturing Fierce Dog pups?

He shook himself. “Do you need help hunting?”

Bruno's tail thrashed happily. “I thought you'd never ask!” he yelped, approaching shyly but falling short of touching noses.

“You realize that I'm the Omega?” said Lucky, throwing him a sideways look.

“That's just a title,” said Bruno quickly. “That's not who you
are
. I know what you're capable of, Lucky.”

Lucky lifted his muzzle and took a deep sniff. He could smell the damp earth, the clean river water, the heat of dogs back at the shelter, even the hint of pine trees on the other side of the camp. There were small animals too, but none close enough to catch.

“Come on,” Lucky said. “Let's go searching.”

The two of them strayed farther into the forest. Soon Lucky picked up the scent of prey. He dropped his snout, nosing through a pile of fallen leaves and identifying some tracks.

Bruno sidled up to him. “Lucky, do you think that scent is . . . a bit strange?”

Lucky sniffed again, catching something flinty in the soil. The fur prickled along his neck and he swallowed. “There
is
something weird about it, although I can't figure out what it is.” He looked around. The shadows were lengthening between the trees. “Still, food is food, and soon it'll be too dark to see.”

A bird trilled overhead and Bruno's body stiffened. Lucky started padding between the trees again, hearing Bruno hurrying after him. They edged around a tangle of brambles and up a little ridge, where Lucky caught the warm, sweet scent of small animals. He looked to Bruno, who gave a sharp nod—he had smelled it too.

As one, the dogs lowered their haunches and stalked low to the ground. They eased themselves over a clutch of vines past the broken trunk of a fallen tree. The scent of the animals grew stronger.

Birds . . . but don't they all nest in branches? Why are they grouping together on the forest floor?

Lucky paused. “They aren't moving. Maybe they're hurt, or . . .” He sniffed again. Now he sensed it—the death scent. A prickle of fear caught the back of his neck, but Bruno had already pushed on ahead of him, hurrying around the fallen trunk with an excited yip.

“Pigeons! Two of them!”

Lucky approached more warily. The gray-feathered birds were limp, their small eyes glinting, their beaks slightly parted. Lucky held back, watching the darkening woods and listening for movement. “They only died a short time ago. . . .”

“That means they're fresh,” said Bruno, licking his chops.

Lucky gave an uneasy whimper. “It also means that whoever killed them could still be close.”

“I don't smell anyone,” said Bruno with a dismissive wag of the tail. “Come on, let's get them back to camp.”

Lucky could not smell anyone either, but he stood warily, reluctant to touch the dead birds. He could feel the fur on his spine standing up. “I don't know, Bruno . . . I don't feel right about this. Whoever killed these birds will be back for them—and they will probably be back very soon. They could track us back to the camp. There are pups there—”

“There's also Alpha, Sweet, Fiery, and all the others. I'd like to see them try!” He gathered one of the pigeons in his jaws and turned in the direction of their camp. Lucky paused, his ears pricked. Was that a twig snapping, deeper in the forest? He tried to ignore the heavy tread of Bruno's paws as he listened.

Nothing.

All that talk of danger . . . it must be getting to me
.

Lucky shook himself, then scooped up the remaining bird and followed Bruno.

As Lucky loped out of the forest and arrived at the camp with Bruno by his side, he saw Sweet treading toward them. His heart gave a small tremor of excitement—was the swift-dog finally going to talk to him? His tail twitched and he cocked his head, but Sweet did not return the gestures as she stopped a short distance from Lucky.

“Omega, Alpha wants to speak to you,” she barked. Before Lucky could reply, she turned and entered the shelter. Lucky guessed he was supposed to follow her.

“I can take the kill,” Bruno offered.

Lucky gave a nod, dropping the limp bird so that Bruno could scoop it up with the other one that he carried. As Omega, Lucky was not supposed to be hunting, and it would be wrong for him to approach the shelter with the bird in his jaws.

Sweet was already inside when Lucky dipped his head beneath the brambles and entered the dim light of the cave. She strode to Alpha's corner—the warmest and farthest from the entrance—and stood next to the half wolf. He was stretched out on his bed of moss and leaves, collected by Lucky as part of his duties as Omega. Alpha rose to his paws as Lucky came closer, throwing back his head in a gaping yawn that revealed his huge, pointed fangs. Lucky's stomach tightened as other dogs approached, watching with interest. Fiery and Moon were both there, as was Martha, though there was no sign of any of the pups. Looking over the dogs, Lucky noticed that Spring was nowhere to be seen—she must be watching the pups deep inside the cave.

Alpha had stopped yawning and was staring ahead as Lucky approached.

What does he want? I've done my best to play by his rules, to be an obedient Omega. Is he going to cast me out of the Pack after all?

Lucky caught Bella watching him, her muzzle tight with tension. She must have been thinking the same thing.

The half wolf spoke in his strange, deep voice. “You may be wondering why I called you here, Omega.”

Lucky's fur bristled but he stayed silent.

“Despite your lowly status I will you do you the favor of discussing a serious matter
with
you, since you were the one who brought the problem into my camp.”

Lucky instantly thought of the pups, and the confrontation between Moon and Martha. He glanced at the water-dog, who returned his look with a worried expression in her eyes.

Lucky turned back to Alpha and made an effort to keep his voice even. “What do you mean?”

“Those little Fierce Dogs of yours attacked Moon's pups. There are witnesses. We need to make a decision about whether we should be harboring potential enemies—particularly those that were brought here after the black Sky-Dog appeared in warning.”

Standing by Alpha's side, Sweet and Moon barked in support. Lucky felt his heartbeat quicken. What had happened while he had been in the forest? How had a simple case of play-fighting getting out of hand turned into this?

“If a pup can attack another pup without any reason,” Fiery growled, his lips curling back in anger, “what will he do once he's a full-grown Fierce Dog?”

“The black cloud was an omen!” Dart put in. “Don't you remember that awful day? The sky screamed, and then it came! And soon after that,
they
came!”

There was a bark of agreement from Moon.

Alpha raised his muzzle and the other dogs fell silent. “I was willing to give the three pups a chance despite my reservations, but they are showing all the violence and anger we have come to expect of their kind. Soon they will cause real damage. It will not be long before their fangs are long and their bodies powerful—every dog here will be at risk.”

“Sorry, Alpha, but I think that's unfair.” It was Martha. “It's true; the pups are strong, but they will learn how to control themselves in time. They are not cruel or violent by nature—and they are all very sorry about what happened.”

Bella barked in agreement but Lucky was quiet.

What Martha said is true of Wiggle and Lick
, he thought,
but what about Grunt?
He remembered the pup's expression during the confrontation between Martha and Moon. He had not looked sorry. . . .

Lucky shook himself. It wasn't fair to be hard on the pup—not after everything he had been through.
Grunt's first experience in this world was the death of his Mother-Dog. The very first feelings he felt were grief and anger that he could not explain. There is still time for him to learn how to handle his emotions. He does not
have
to grow up into a bad dog
.

Alpha stretched his long forelegs. “We have to find out the truth of their natures. We need to be
sure
that the pups won't grow up to tear us all to shreds in our sleep.”

Most of the Pack growled their agreement at this—even Leashed Dogs like Daisy and Sunshine.

“All dogs have the ability to be aggressive when they think their lives are in danger,” Lucky said. “Hasn't every dog in this Pack gone to great lengths to ensure their own survival?”

“Survival is one thing,” Alpha snarled. “Outright savagery is another. Perhaps all dogs have an inner fighter, even feeble ones.” He cast a disdainful look at Whine, who cowered and looked away. “Fierce Dogs are different—they
enjoy
destroying their enemies.” The dog-wolf licked the scar on his forepaw, then raised his eyes to stare hard at Lucky. “I have to find out if these angry little pups will be loyal and obedient to their new Pack. We have a right to know the truth about them while they're still small enough to be
dealt
with.”

A shiver ran along Lucky's spine. He was about to protest, but Martha spoke first.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘dealt with'?” she snarled.

The half wolf's hackles rose and his pale eyes bore into her until she looked away, lowering her head. When he spoke again there was a note of finality in his voice. “First the pups must be tested. Then I will decide what's to be done.” He sank onto his bed of moss and leaves and turned his face away. The dogs took their cue to disperse.

Martha padded away, grumbling about the decision as Mickey sought to console her. Lucky walked behind Sweet. Once they were out of Alpha's earshot, he murmured to her: “Do you support this?”