rustlings, the lonely shriek of an owl, the distant harsh cry of a fox. Moon shivered as the breeze touched her hide, and a ragged sliver of cloud drifted over the Moon-Dogâs face.
Oh, Spirit-Dog of mine. I donât think Iâm cut out to be an Alpha.
Here in the darkness and the stillness of the night, she could be honest with herself. She hated giving orders. She hated trying to boss the other dogs around. Most of all, she shuddered at the thought of being responsible for them, the thought of knowing that they relied on her decisions for their safety and happiness.
Itâs too much. Father-Dog, you were wrong about me. Iâm no Alpha. Moon gave a huge, miserable sigh. I was happy when I was doing my job, obeying your orders. Not now when Iâm giving my own, and worrying myself sick about whether Iâve done the right thing.
She was distraught to think she was letting her parent-dogs down, but she couldnât help it. I want to be useful to the Pack in my own way. I know you had hopes and dreams for me, Mother-Dog, Father-Dog. But they werenât my dreams. . . .
She didnât even know if she was right to stay in this territory. Did the invisible enemy really linger here, she wondered? The halfwolf might be smarter than sheâd thought; perhaps it was stupid to remain in a place that harbored sickness. She was so afraid to leave, to walk away from the only home sheâd known . . . but was she being a bad Alpha by making her Pack stay in this place?
I donât knowâand thatâs the trouble. I just donât know!
Moon rose to her paws again and padded out into the glade. She paced to one end of it, where Omega lay snoring in his small den, then turned and paced the other way. Back and forth she padded, her mind a turmoil of indecision.
Do I let down my Father-Dog and Mother-Dog?
Or do I risk letting down all thatâs left of my Pack?
Gray misty light was beginning to outline the trees as the Moon-Dog loped toward the horizon. Moon heaved a sigh, halting in the middle of the clearing. She twitched one ear, hearing Omega mumble and squeak in his sleep.
My Father-Dog is dead, she thought. My Mother-Dog is dead. But my Packmates are alive. Theyâre alive, and they need me. But they need me to make the right choice.
I know what I have to do.
On a knoll just beyond the sunup side of the glade, she could make out Mulchâs outline; heâd been on guard through the night, and she saw him stretch and yawn. Moon barked softly to him,and he turned.
âMulch,â she said as he approached with his ears quizzically pricked. âCome with me.â
She roused the grumbling Omega, and together they padded to Snapâs den. Snap was awake and alert immediately, cocking her head.
âWhatâs up, Moon?â
âI need to talk to all of you.â Moon sat down. She glanced at the ground, scratched a mark in it with her claw, then looked up again. Her three Packmates watched her eyes, curious.
âTell us, Moon.â Mulch tilted an ear. âYou can ask us anything and weâll follow you. Youâre our Alpha.â
âYes, I am,â she murmured. âAnd your loyalty means everything to me. But this is something I wonât do without your consent. Alpha or not, I wonât force you into something you donât want. But I have a proposal to put to you all. . . .â
The grass was damp under their pawpads as the four dogs made their way over the ridge that marked the boundary of their land. Moon paused, her claws touching the line she knew was the border. On the horizon, the Sun-Dog was rousing himself to lope into the sky; his brilliant golden eye blinked over a faraway hill,lighting up the gray dawn landscape with green and gold and pink.
Moon took a breath, gazing out at the shallow expanse of the valley. The clearness of the sky seemed like a good omen; it was a good day to take such a momentous step.
At least, she hoped
Oh, Spirit-Dog of mine. I donât think Iâm cut out to be an Alpha.
Here in the darkness and the stillness of the night, she could be honest with herself. She hated giving orders. She hated trying to boss the other dogs around. Most of all, she shuddered at the thought of being responsible for them, the thought of knowing that they relied on her decisions for their safety and happiness.
Itâs too much. Father-Dog, you were wrong about me. Iâm no Alpha. Moon gave a huge, miserable sigh. I was happy when I was doing my job, obeying your orders. Not now when Iâm giving my own, and worrying myself sick about whether Iâve done the right thing.
She was distraught to think she was letting her parent-dogs down, but she couldnât help it. I want to be useful to the Pack in my own way. I know you had hopes and dreams for me, Mother-Dog, Father-Dog. But they werenât my dreams. . . .
She didnât even know if she was right to stay in this territory. Did the invisible enemy really linger here, she wondered? The halfwolf might be smarter than sheâd thought; perhaps it was stupid to remain in a place that harbored sickness. She was so afraid to leave, to walk away from the only home sheâd known . . . but was she being a bad Alpha by making her Pack stay in this place?
I donât knowâand thatâs the trouble. I just donât know!
Moon rose to her paws again and padded out into the glade. She paced to one end of it, where Omega lay snoring in his small den, then turned and paced the other way. Back and forth she padded, her mind a turmoil of indecision.
Do I let down my Father-Dog and Mother-Dog?
Or do I risk letting down all thatâs left of my Pack?
Gray misty light was beginning to outline the trees as the Moon-Dog loped toward the horizon. Moon heaved a sigh, halting in the middle of the clearing. She twitched one ear, hearing Omega mumble and squeak in his sleep.
My Father-Dog is dead, she thought. My Mother-Dog is dead. But my Packmates are alive. Theyâre alive, and they need me. But they need me to make the right choice.
I know what I have to do.
On a knoll just beyond the sunup side of the glade, she could make out Mulchâs outline; heâd been on guard through the night, and she saw him stretch and yawn. Moon barked softly to him,and he turned.
âMulch,â she said as he approached with his ears quizzically pricked. âCome with me.â
She roused the grumbling Omega, and together they padded to Snapâs den. Snap was awake and alert immediately, cocking her head.
âWhatâs up, Moon?â
âI need to talk to all of you.â Moon sat down. She glanced at the ground, scratched a mark in it with her claw, then looked up again. Her three Packmates watched her eyes, curious.
âTell us, Moon.â Mulch tilted an ear. âYou can ask us anything and weâll follow you. Youâre our Alpha.â
âYes, I am,â she murmured. âAnd your loyalty means everything to me. But this is something I wonât do without your consent. Alpha or not, I wonât force you into something you donât want. But I have a proposal to put to you all. . . .â
The grass was damp under their pawpads as the four dogs made their way over the ridge that marked the boundary of their land. Moon paused, her claws touching the line she knew was the border. On the horizon, the Sun-Dog was rousing himself to lope into the sky; his brilliant golden eye blinked over a faraway hill,lighting up the gray dawn landscape with green and gold and pink.
Moon took a breath, gazing out at the shallow expanse of the valley. The clearness of the sky seemed like a good omen; it was a good day to take such a momentous step.
At least, she hoped
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