Sweet's Journey Read Online Free Page A

trespass.”
    The red dog’s lip curled. “Then what are you doing here?”
    Sweet let her tongue loll, trying to look as friendly as she could. “I’m looking for my own Pack, that’s all. Have you seen any other dogs like me?”
    The red dog gave a bark of laughter. Her eyes were narrow and contemptuous. “Like you? There are no dogs like you on this territory. They wouldn’t survive!” She paced forward, circling Sweet and sniffing at her disdainfully. “You’re skinny. You’re weak. Any dogs like you will have taken a very wide path around, because our Pack doesn’t tolerate weaklings. Are you prepared to fight your way through us?”
    Sweet turned her head to watch the red dog. She was frightened, but she didn’t want to make any sudden moves. “All I want is to pass through here. I’ll keep moving, I promise. And I wouldn’t dream of hunting on your territory.”
    The red dog laughed again. “As if we’d let you!”
    It seemed so horribly unfair and unreasonable, after all she’d been through. Sweet clenched her jaws to stop herself growling.As the red dog walked around to face her directly once more, Sweet slowly stood upright, meeting her gaze defiantly.
    An expression of surprise crossed the red dog’s face, but then her muzzle curled. She ground her forepaws into the earth, her shoulder muscles bunching for an attack—but at that moment, a pale shape appeared in the trees behind her.
    Sweet took a single step back, startled but curious. Her nose twitched at the new dog’s strange scent. As he came forward, the red dog’s attitude seemed to change instantly. Her head dipped slightly in submission, her hackles lowered and the aggression melted away as she stepped aside.
    He must be her Alpha , thought Sweet. He has all the power here—it’s as clear as the scent-markings on the boundary trees .
    He was a massive creature, as close to a wolf as Sweet had ever seen. His shaggy fur was rippling shades of black, gray, and white, and his eyes glowed yellow and fierce, but without the snarling aggression of the red dog. Behind him came an even bigger dog, burly and blunt-faced, and a much smaller white-and-tan female with a mean expression.
    â€œWho’s this, Beta? And what is her business in my territory?” The half wolf’s rumbling voice seemed to silence every sound in the forest.
    Sweet ducked her head quickly and respectfully, opening her jaws to respond, but the red dog got there before her.
    â€œShe’s begging for passage through the woods. Can’t survive without her friends,” she sneered. “Though I doubt they’ve survived anyway. We should get rid of her—drive her back where she came from. It will be kinder in the long run, Alpha.”
    Sweet gathered her dignity and stood straighter, ignoring the red dog to address the half wolf directly.
    â€œI don’t mean to cause trouble,” she told him, quietly but firmly. “And I won’t. If you’re willing to let me pass through your territory, I won’t hunt. You can send a dog with me as an escort, to make sure.”
    The half wolf said nothing for long moments; he just examined her with that piercing yellow gaze. Sweet couldn’t suppress the tremor that went through her muscles, but she managed not to let it show. The whole forest seemed to hold its breath until at last the half wolf gave an upward jerk of his head.
    â€œVery well.” There was a look in his eyes she couldn’t quite read. “Fiery here will escort you through to the far edge of our territory. But don’t get your hopes up. There have been no other swift-dogs in the forest that I’ve seen—and I see everything.”
    â€œWhich doesn’t mean,” snarled the red dog, in obviousannoyance at the Alpha’s concession, “that you can come crawling back to us when you fail. We’ve