“Done.” Snap’s jaw opened cheerfully too.

“Yes, you both fought well. Now you can stop stroking each other’s backs,” snapped Alpha. “As for the rest of the Pack: It has been clear that Lucky was needed on the patrol, in place of Moon, but he’s a hunter now. Mulch?”

Startled, the black dog took a pace forward. “Yes, Alpha?”

“You are now demoted,” said the dog-wolf brusquely. “You will patrol with Dart and Twitch from this no-sun.”

“What?” Mulch’s surprise and anger must have got the better of his good sense. “Alpha, that is not fair! Demote Spring; she’s lower than me!”

Lucky heard a faint rumble of anger from Twitch’s sister, but she kept her head bowed and her eyes low. She knew better than to stick her snout into another dog’s argument with Alpha.

“Not anymore,” Alpha growled. “Beta, explain to Mulch that he should not question my decisions.”

Sweet bounded forward to give Mulch’s nose a sharp bite that drew blood. He sat back on his haunches, shocked, his eyes dazed with pain, and she gave him a clout with her paw for good measure.

“Moon’s pup Fuzz could have understood that,” she told him sharply. “So I hope you can. Understand?”

“Yes, Beta,” he whined.

“You have not been my best hunter,” said Alpha, with more than a hint of threat in his voice, “to put it mildly. If you are so keen to climb the ranks, you should try harder, instead of whining about other dogs.”

Lucky had got his breath back after the fight, but the tension in the camp was making his flanks heave nervously. I just wanted to rise a few ranks, he thought. I didn’t mean to cause all of this.

“I’ll see how he does on patrol,” Sweet barked. “And take that look off your face, Mulch. You have had this coming since you tried to take Snap’s place in the feeding. Accept it and learn—it will make you a better dog in the future.”

Mulch was trembling as Alpha and Sweet stalked back to the central rock, but Lucky knew it wasn’t only from fear. Sure enough, as soon as they were out of earshot, Mulch slunk to his side.

“You did this to me,” he snarled in Lucky’s ear. “Watch your scabby back, City Dog.”

Lucky watched him creep away, all the more glad that it was not Mulch who he had challenged. That could have gotten even nastier. . . .

He did not have time to dwell on Mulch’s animosity, because the rest of the Pack was crowding around him—even Snap—wagging their tails and giving him friendly barks and licks, congratulating him on his rise in status.

“You really deserve it,” said Twitch. “That was some impressive fighting.” Lucky saw Moon and Fiery exchange a skeptical glance—did they think he had used unfair moves?—but soon Dart and Spring had blocked them from his view as they eagerly added their praises.

Even as he yelped and licked them in return, Lucky could not shake the feeling that the dogs were seeking his favor to ensure that he did not pick on them in the future.