Survivors: Darkness Falls Part 13

"Now try it again, Wiggle." Lucky released his grip and the pup struggled to his paws. Wiggle shook himself off with an angry yip.

"You're doing really well," Lucky added, licking the pup on the head. Wiggle dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back. Lucky planted his paws on the pup's chest. "Try to wrap your paws around my neck and pull my head down."

Wiggle reached out, his paws scrambling at Lucky's neck, but his forelegs were too short for him to get a proper grip. He strained and grunted, his paws thrashing, but Lucky twisted out of reach and shook himself free.

The pup growled in frustration as he sank to the ground. "It's impossible!"

"No, you'll get it," started Lucky, but Grunt brushed past him.

"Don't give up!" he told Wiggle. "You need to be determined, whatever the enemy holds over you. Next time, you will beat him!"

Wiggle lifted his head and allowed Grunt to lick his nose. Lucky watched, admiring Grunt's loyalty to his litter-brother. The pup is a natural leader. With a little patience and compa.s.sion, he could be a great a.s.set to the Pack. I just hope Sweet can see what I see.

"Let's try again," said Lucky.

Wiggle spun around and charged at him, catching him off guard. The pup pummeled Lucky's muzzle with his paws and when Lucky ducked, he clung on to his back and buried his teeth in Lucky's flesh. A blast of pain shot through Lucky's neck and he shook Wiggle off with a yelp. Sweet growled low in her throat and tensed, but didn't move. Across the clearing, Bella looked up from grooming herself and narrowed her eyes.

Wiggle fell back, shocked by Lucky's cry. "I'm sorry," he whined, dipping his head, his tail drooping. "I shouldn't have been so rough."

Lucky had been nipped in play-fights, but never like this. The pain still surged at his neck but he tried not to show it.

Wiggle didn't mean to hurt me-he just doesn't know his own strength. And it felt like his fangs are starting to come through. . . .

"I'm fine," Lucky murmured, giving Wiggle's ears an affectionate lick. He beckoned the pup's littermates to come nearer. They sat in front of him. Lucky spoke softly, but he was sure to make his voice loud enough for Sweet to hear. "As you get older, you will develop fangs. They're going to be very important for you; they will help you catch prey, and to defend yourself against an attack. But they can also cause great damage if you're careless. Can I trust you to be careful when you play with one another or other dogs? Remember not to bite too hard."

Lick and Wiggle yipped their agreement and, after a moment, Grunt gave a nod.

"Good," said Lucky. "Once all your fangs have come through, it'll be time for you to choose your proper dog names."

"Really?" yipped Wiggle.

"Yes. Every Wild Dog I've ever met has chosen their name when they grew up. Leashed Dogs are named by their longpaws." Lucky shook himself. It wasn't an entirely good memory for him-the longpaws he had lived with as a pup had never cared for him the way the Leashed Dogs' longpaws did.

"Anyway, you'll be all grown up soon enough," said Lucky, surprised to feel a bite of sadness in his belly.

Martha appeared from the edge of the camp, padding languidly on her webbed paws. The pups pounced and yipped in excitement, bounding toward her and nuzzling her legs. She greeted them by licking their ears and turned to Lucky.

"I thought I might take these youngsters off your paws for a while. I'm going on patrol with Moon and her pups; maybe Lick, Grunt, and Wiggle would like to help? Only the cleverest dogs with the finest senses are invited to go on patrol."

The pups started running in excited circles.

"Yes, please!" yapped Lick.

"We'll be the best at patrolling!" added Grunt. "No dog has senses as good as ours!"

Lucky was touched by their enthusiasm. "What a good idea," he said. He sat down to wash his paws as Martha went to join Moon, the pups bouncing and scampering at her side. His neck still stung where Wiggle had bitten it, but he did not think it was bleeding.

He looked up at Sweet, but as he did she turned and padded away, her face unreadable. Lucky felt a pang of sadness as he watched her go. Couldn't she even bear to speak to him now? Perhaps Beta shouldn't be seen discussing Pack business with Omega. He hoped she wouldn't make too much of Wiggle's mistake when she reported to Alpha.

On the other side of the camp, Bella stood up and padded toward him, throwing a look at the big water-dog as she and the puppies rounded behind the pine trees and disappeared from view.

"I saw what that pup did. It looked painful," she said. She leaned over to inspect the bite, but he pulled away from her. The swift movement sent a shot of pain through Lucky's neck and he struggled not to wince or yelp.

"He was only playing," said Lucky defensively. "He didn't mean anything by it."

Bella whined uncertainly. "He can already cause damage and he's only a play-fighting pup. What will happen when he and the others have deadly weapons in their mouths? Don't you remember the Dog-Garden?" She shuddered, her ears twitching.

"They're still young, Bella. We can raise them in the right way. We can teach them to be careful. Just because they're Fierce Dogs, that doesn't mean-"

A howl cut through his words, immediately followed by a volley of distressed barks. Lucky's heart lurched. He bolted toward the river with Bella at his side, in the direction of the sounds. Other dogs had also heard and were tearing across the camp. Lucky saw the flash of Mickey's black-and-white pelt and the patchwork of Dart's mottled coat. By the time he and Bella reached the riverbank, half of the Pack was already there, although Alpha was not among them.

Lucky could hardly believe his eyes-gentle Martha was facing off against Moon, spit frothing at her jowly lips. The Fierce Dog pups were lined up behind her, Lick and Wiggle looking tense and fearful, while Grunt snarled and gnashed his teeth. Lucky saw that he had short white fangs, just like Wiggle's.

Hostile scents tingled Lucky's nose. He had never seen Martha like this and it disturbed him. And where were Moon's pups? He could smell them; they had to be close.

Bella, Mickey, and the other dogs were still as they watched the standoff.

"They're little savages!" Moon growled. "Look what that one did to her!" She glared accusingly at Grunt.

Lucky crept around Martha and Moon. He spotted Squirm crouching by a tawny bush. She whimpered pathetically as her litter-brother, Nose, nuzzled her, his eyes leaping fretfully to the Fierce Dog pups.

Lucky's stomach churned with nerves. "What happened?"

Moon turned her eyes on him. "That vicious little Grunt attacked my Squirm for no reason at all!"

"They were play-fighting," snapped Martha. "It just got out of hand-it happens sometimes. Grunt didn't mean any harm." Then she gave a shake of her s.h.a.ggy head and sighed deeply. Her face softened and she lowered her body so she no longer towered over the Mother-Dog. "Let's not allow this to become a reason to fight, Moon. Little Grunt has learned his lesson."

Moon looked at Martha uncertainly a moment. Then she slowly lowered her hackles. Lucky was relieved when the two dogs nosed each other and Moon turned back to Squirm, who was not badly injured. It was a good thing that Fiery was out somewhere, presumably with Alpha and Sweet. Lucky didn't want to think about what the great brown dog might have done to Grunt.

Lick and Wiggle pawed at Martha, who lowered her head to comfort them. Only Grunt remained alone, a scowl darkening his face as he watched Moon beckon her puppies away.

Lucky stood by, barely feeling the bite throbbing at his neck now. He cared about the pups; he was also well aware that he had brought them into the camp. He would be blamed if anything went wrong.

Another clash like that and they'd all be out of the Pack for good.

The pups are going to need a lot more teaching, he thought. Grunt most of all.

Lucky sighed and plodded through the forest toward the river. The bedding in the hunters' den needed to be changed. It seemed as though one of the worst parts of being Omega was going to be the boredom-repeating the same tasks over and over again, never getting to take part in the thrill of a hunt or even the responsibility of patrolling the camp border.

The riverbank was the best spot for digging up nice, soft moss. Lucky sidled up to the bank and started sniffing his way through tangles of gra.s.s, where tall trees closed in again, marking the edge of the forest. He ducked under them, spotting some decent leaves-only half-dry, as Sunshine had recommended-and was scooping them up when he heard a twig snap beneath a paw. Turning, he saw Bruno making his way under a huge oak. The old dog had risen to the position of hunter while Lucky and Mickey were away. Lucky guessed he was sniffing around for prey. The other hunters must be in the forest too, but he couldn't scent any of them nearby.

Lucky dropped the mouthful of leaves and pressed deeper into the forest, but Bruno called after him.

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 t.i.tle," 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 p.r.i.c.kled 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 p.r.i.c.kle 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 p.r.i.c.ked. 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 c.o.c.ked 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."