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shallow breaths. Callie didn’t speak again, and Sweet barely noticed the moment when the gentle movement of her rib cage stopped altogether.

CHAPTER THREE
    I never really cared for Callie , thought Sweet, gazing back numbly at the swift-dog’s motionless body. But I never wanted this to happen .
    She sat back on her haunches, gathering her thoughts, not wanting to abandon her former Beta quite yet. It’s the Big Growl , she realized with a chill of dread. Everything has changed because of it. We don’t know who our friends and our enemies are. We don’t even know if the Spirit Dogs are on our side .
    It had been bad enough imagining her Pack dying in the carnage and chaos of the Trap House; actually watching Callie die had twisted Sweet’s insides with horror. And now she felt more alone than ever. Is this what happened to them all? Every single one of my Packmates—have they all gone to the Earth-Dog the way Callie just did?
    Oh, I miss Lucky even more. . . .
    But there was no way of getting back to him, she realized. She’d probably lost the City Dog’s scent, and his company, forever.What was more, the bridge was gone, and the River-Dog wouldn’t let her cross back—if the River-Dog even cared anymore what happened to her. River-Dog was probably concerned only with her own terrible sickness.
    We’re all on our own from now on. But if the Spirit Dogs can’t or won’t help us, that makes it all the more vital to find a Pack .
    With one last sad look at Callie’s remains, Sweet turned and plodded away, following the same stars as before. There was no point going back; she could only press on. The stars seemed so much farther away now, though, and the night felt colder.
    Sweet did her best not to run, knowing she should save her energy. Short, sharp bursts of speed would do her no good here; how far she would have to travel, no dog knew. But still her muscles and paw pads ached by the time the Sun-Dog rose behind her.
    By his low, golden light she could clearly see more of those cruel gashes in the earth as she traveled on. They were worse even than the wound in Callie’s flank, the wound she’d died of. Was Earth-Dog dying too, Sweet wondered?
    How can she possibly survive this?
    A black misery settled over her, but it lifted just a little when she crested the rise of a grassy knoll and saw a line of distant lilac hills. If she could reach that high ground, she might be able to spother old Pack’s territory.
    Though I doubt I’ll find any of my old friends . Sweet heaved a sigh of grief, then shook herself. Callie and I survived the Trap House. Maybe some of the others did . . . ? Even one . . . ?
    As she forced her aching legs to move, every step jolting her slender joints, she began to catch dog-scents again, and her ears pricked with hope. At the same time, her skin tingled, alert to the chance of danger. The scents grew thicker and more numerous the farther she walked, and there were none she recognized. Every tree and every rock was thick with dog-markers, filling her nostrils with overpowering messages, and Sweet knew this must be the territory of a Pack.
    I will have to be submissive to get through this territory in search of my friends . Nerves jangled beneath her fur. Be careful, Sweet, be wise . . . and be humble .
    Taking a deep breath, she paused, then headed for the dark line that marked the beginning of a forest. She didn’t want to be caught unawares. Sweet placed each delicate paw with care, her ears alert for the slightest noise, the tiniest movement in the shadows.
    Her caution was unnecessary. With a crashing of undergrowth, a muscular red dog bounded out of the trees and stoodfoursquare, growling and glaring at Sweet.
    â€œStop right there, intruder. No dog trespasses on our land!”
    Sweet swallowed hard, lowering her forequarters and wagging her tail. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to