“I suppose you’re right,” Lucky whined, feeling a flash of guilt burn in his belly. This was my fault.

“Of course I’m right,” said Sweet. “And I was right to go seek out a Pack! I have missed you, Lucky . . . but I found just the Pack I was looking for. They’re strong, organized—” She stopped, cocking her head and giving him a quizzical look. “But what brings you so far out of the city? I thought you were determined not to leave.”

“I couldn’t stay,” he told her. “There was too much danger . . . you were right about that.”

Sweet gave him a playful nudge with her nose. “I’m right about most things.”

He licked her jaw affectionately. “I left the city with a Pack”—he wasn’t about to mention which Pack—“and I was just striking out alone again when I heard the sound of fighting.” He dipped his head, giving a sad, but sharp, whine. “Dogs fighting each other! When we’ve all just escaped the Big Growl! It seemed . . . strange. I was curious.” He fell silent, deciding he’d said too much already.

Sweet looked astounded. “You were with a Pack? But I thought you hated Packs! I thought that’s why you wouldn’t come with me.”

“It wasn’t like that, Sweet.” He hesitated, wondering how to explain.

She didn’t speak for a moment, her gaze focused on the ground between her paws. When she looked up again, her eyes were angry and full of hurt. “You said you were a ‘Lone Dog,’ that you wanted to be free and by yourself!”

Lucky felt prickles of regret as he remembered the things he had told her in the Food House, the day he had refused to travel with her.

“I’m not with a Pack,” he said. “Not really. It just happened. Almost by accident. They didn’t know how to get by, so I tagged along. They were strangers, but they needed my help, so I gave it to them. Just like I would have helped you, if you hadn’t run off and left me behind like you did.”

“I didn’t want to leave you behind,” said Sweet, her voice small. “But you wanted to stay in the city. And I needed a Pack. I wish I could make you understand, Lucky.”

Inwardly he squirmed. He understood far better than she thought he did. “And you found one. You must have done well, Sweet. They were treating you like a leader during the fight.”

“I’ve advanced quickly,” Sweet agreed a little reluctantly. “It’s the way of a Pack, that’s all. Things change.”

Lucky raised his head and sniffed the wind, which was rising again after the stillness that had accompanied the Growl. There were distinct smells of life—and death—creeping into the air.

“I have to get going, Sweet.”

“Again? But where will you go?”

Lucky was silent as he thought about it. He was desperate to find Bella and the others, to find out what had become of Alfie, but he couldn’t tell Sweet that. He had as good as told her that he had nothing to do with the ragtag Pack she had been fighting. He couldn’t go back on that now.