A Pack Divided Read Online Free

she didn’t depend on Lucky anymore. She shouldn’t , Storm reminded herself.
    And it’s not as if Lucky is my real Father-Dog.
    Shrugging off her confusion, Storm glanced around for a friendly Packmate to while away the time with before prey-sharing. She was glad to spot Moon’s nearly grown pups Thorn and Beetle, tumbling on the ground in a play-fight. As she padded upto them, Thorn took her teeth out of Beetle’s ear and bounded up to her, yelping a cheerful greeting. “How did your first hunt go, Storm?”
    â€œIt was fine,” she said, still a little reluctant to talk about it, and the worries it had stirred inside her about her role in the Pack. Quickly she added, “What about your patrol?”
    â€œAll quiet,” barked Thorn, shaking her muscles loose after her tussle with her brother. “Except for a trace of fox, but it wasn’t very new. We’re not too worried.”
    â€œHah!” Beetle nipped affectionately at her muzzle, then bared his impressive teeth. “No fox had better dare come near this camp, or there’ll be a new fox-hide bed for Alpha and her pups!”
    â€œYou’re all jaw,” yapped Thorn. “Any fox you could catch would only have a skin big enough for one milk-pup.”
    â€œIs that so?” With a growl of laughter, Beetle twisted and pounced back on Thorn’s haunches, dragging her down and tumbling her over and over till both dogs were covered in sandy earth and dry leaves. Thorn ended up on top, though, and she grazed her teeth along her litter-brother’s exposed belly.
    â€œSee? All talk!”
    With a swift and tricky squirm Beetle flipped her over again. “Storm, help me teach my litter-sister some manners!”
    Yelping with glee, Storm piled into the play-fight, gnawing and snapping lightly at both pups. All three were soon wrestling and tumbling in a chaotic heap of legs and bodies. Beetle’s paws shoved her down into a pile of leaves, but Storm wriggled free and grabbed his neck in her jaws, sending them both thudding to the ground—with Thorn pouncing on top of them, yapping her triumph.
    â€œOof!” barked Storm hoarsely. “Why are you two so fat after Ice Wind?” She felt almost giddy with happiness, with the sheer fun of acting like a pup again. Maybe not quite fully grown, then, said a cheerful small voice in her head.
    â€œFat, eh?” Thorn clamped her jaws around Storm’s. “I’ll—”
    â€œPrey-share!” Alpha’s clear, commanding bark rang out through the glade, and all three young dogs paused in their tussle, ears pricking. “To me, Pack.”
    Getting to their paws, Storm, Thorn, and Beetle shook themselves free of earth and leaf scraps and shared a few friendly licks. But Storm noticed both the other youngsters tense as they stared at the spot where the Pack was gathering.
    Thorn’s eyes narrowed. “Twitch had better not try to eat before our Mother-Dog,” she growled, and Beetle nodded grimly.
    Storm pricked her ears, surprised. The play-fun had gone outof the young dog’s voice entirely. Thorn wasn’t joking.
    â€œI’m sure Twitch wouldn’t do that,” Storm reassured her. “Anyway, what does it matter?”
    â€œTwitch has been getting above himself lately,” rumbled Beetle, with a glare at the three-legged dog. “Our Mother-Dog outranks him, and he’d better not forget it.”
    Storm gave a sigh, but kept her jaws shut. Who cares, so long as every dog eats?
    With a slight hunch of her shoulders she trotted ahead of Beetle and Thorn to join her Packmates. They were all settling into their circle, lying or sitting with their friends and littermates. Every dog watched with respectful affection as Alpha nosed the prey pile, selecting a modestly sized rabbit and carrying it back to her place.
    It was a sparing choice, thought Storm admiringly, for a soon-to-be Mother-Dog.