Like Alfie . . .

“He’s gone to the Earth-Dog,” came Alpha’s growl. “Leave him.”

“No,” murmured Lucky, feeling despair take over.

“Leave him, I said! Mulch fought bravely, but he’s gone.”

The sound of Mulch’s proper name coming from Alpha’s jaws stunned Lucky, and he sat down heavily on his haunches. The leader hadn’t called him Omega. In death, Mulch had regained his status and his dignity.

The things Lucky had taken from him.

The black wave of misery that swept over him was worse than anything Lucky had felt before, in all his deceptions and double-dealing. Guilt and shame coiled around his heart and guts like a snake, crushing his innards. The pain was wrenching, so much worse than the gash in his leg.

I brought it on myself. And I brought this all upon the Pack.

He couldn’t contain the feeling inside him; it wasn’t possible. Lifting his head, Lucky let out a great echoing howl of grief and agony.

Snap turned to him, shocked, but she sat down and raised her muzzle to howl with him. Then Twitch was howling too, and Dart, and suddenly Martha and Bruno and Daisy were joining in. In moments all the dogs were howling to the sky, united in mourning.

No Spirit Dogs bounded across Lucky’s vision now. They’ve deserted me, he thought, and so they should. His voice broke, his howl faltered, and Snap stopped too, to lick his ear comfortingly.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said.

“No,” added Spring, at his flank. “You did all you could, Lucky.”

“You fought for Moon’s pups,” added Dart. “Mulch came to help you, and he died bravely.”

As the three of them resumed their mournful cries, Lucky found himself voiceless. He sat among the grieving dogs, their howls tearing through his heart. Whine was watching him very intently, but he found he didn’t care about that sly little brute anymore.

I did all I could, he thought bitterly. I betrayed my friends, and brought Bella and the foxes here, and destroyed Mulch. And Fuzz.

If the Earth-Dog opened her jaws to swallow him now, Lucky thought savagely, he’d go willingly. Without so much as a whimper.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The Packs were subdued as they cleared the camp of bodies. They dragged the three foxes out to the hunting meadow for the crows. Martha used her giant, webbed feet to push their bodies across the ground while Daisy did her best to help, despite the injury on her muzzle. She fought well, Lucky thought, watching her.

Over them all lay a sense of dread; Lucky could feel it like a wet slab of mud-slip. This wasn’t finished; there were things still to be done and said that were only waiting out of respect for the dead. Lucky didn’t dare look at Alpha, or even at Sweet; and he couldn’t bring himself to glance at his litter-sister. He had betrayed the Wild Pack for Bella, and she had given him nothing but lies.