For all the vicious fighting, no one had won, and they all knew it. The sense of doom and despair weighed in his belly like a great stone, and he knew he couldn’t bear the guilt he carried for long.

The Wild Pack turned to their own dead, gently moving Mulch’s and Fuzz’s bodies down under a brightly flowering bush just outside the camp.

Sweet turned and pressed her muzzle to Moon’s neck. “There’s no time for a long good-bye right now. I promise we’ll mourn them properly.”

The realization that he didn’t know how the Wild Pack honored their dead stung Lucky like a fox bite. He would fight to the end for these dogs, but he still wasn’t one of them—not really. Not yet.

Fiery and Moon crouched together beside the bush for a second, with Squirm and Nose trembling between them. Then they got up and walked away.

“Now let us settle this,” barked Alpha from his rock. “Both Packs, to me.” Lucky was almost relieved. At last his fate would be clear.

Some of the dogs trotted eagerly to the circle, keen to see matters resolved between the Packs; others, like Lucky and Bella, limped there, whether hurt or filled with dread. Alpha waited till all the dogs had gathered, then gazed around them with his cold, unsettling eyes. Sweet, at his side, looked almost as fierce and unforgiving as he did.

“You,” growled Alpha, turning to Bella. “Leashed fool.”

Despite everything, Lucky couldn’t help but admire his litter-sister’s staunchly defiant stance. As she stepped forward she looked Alpha full in his yellow eyes, her head proud.

“You brought foxes into my camp,” growled the dog-wolf, “and death to my Pack. If you want to speak before you die, do it now.”

The other dogs stirred uneasily, the Leashed Dogs whining and barking in protest, and Lucky’s fur prickled. Sunshine whimpered softly and Bruno’s brow creased in deep folds of anxiety. Lucky had been afraid of this; only Bella could save herself now.

“You denied us hunting and fresh water,” she told Alpha fearlessly. “We had no choice. If you’d listened to reason from the start, none of this would have happened. And you killed one of us!”

Alpha gave a belly-deep bark of anger. “You’ve had your vengeance for that, haven’t you? I wonder if it will be worth it.” The light in his yellow eyes was as dangerous as fire. “You Leashed Dogs invaded my territory. You had no right under the Law of Dogs—none. Unless you were willing to fight for it, and you couldn’t even do that until you’d made allies of those . . . vermin.”

Bella dropped her eyes. “The foxes lied to me,” she said softly. “I was wrong to bring them here, and I’m sorry.”

“You’ll be even more sorry.” Alpha curled his muzzle. “I’ll kill you myself.”

“No!” barked Sunshine, and Alpha turned to her, crushing her with his fierce glare. “Please don’t,” she whimpered more humbly. “Please. Bella’s a good dog.”