Lucky’s moment of doubt had passed. He was not responsible for the dark cloud. Whatever it was, it was somehow linked to the strange, changed world that the Big Growl had left behind. Alpha’s just using it as an excuse to get rid of me!

He felt heat rise through his flanks. His breath came quicker, and his ears tingled with anger. The surrounding dogs crowded around them. Alpha’s posturing could not work this time. Surely everyone saw the way their “leader” had fallen apart in the face of the black cloud. Despite his deadly fangs and smooth words, the half wolf was a coward. He had no clue what to do in the face of disaster, no idea how to survive. Left to him, the dogs would have stayed at the old camp as the poisoned cloud drew closer. They would not have run when it made to pounce. All of them would have—

“For the sake of the Pack,” barked Alpha again, “the City Dog must leave.”

“If it weren’t for me, none of you would have made it out of the forest alive,” snapped Lucky, trying to control his rage. “I found the route away from the old camp. I led the way up the hill. The so-called ‘Sky-Dog’ you saw was a poison cloud, and the sight of it almost scared the fur off you, Alpha! You did nothing to help your Pack escape.”

Alpha turned at him, snarling. “Face it, traitor: you’re nothing but trouble. Your name is just a cruel joke. You and your bad luck aren’t wanted here.”

Daisy whimpered and ran to Lucky’s side.

Big, gentle Martha took a step forward. “Lucky’s a good friend to us,” she said. “He always worked hard for the Leashed Dogs. He’s never let us down.”

“He pulled his weight in our Pack too,” good-natured Snap put in. “He helped the smaller dogs climb the hill and led the way through the forest.”

Whine yelped at this. “Snap’s right; we should be grateful to Omega.” The stout little dog nervously pawed the ground in a show of deference. It was obviously taking courage for him to speak out against the fearsome half wolf. “We wouldn’t have made it without his help. Please reconsider, Alpha.”

Lucky sighed. Whine had never spared him a kind word before, and he doubted that the little dog had had a change of heart now. He was probably just worried that with Lucky gone, he would go back to the rank he had cheated and blackmailed his way out of before the battle with the foxes.

The rank of Omega.

Alpha snarled at Whine, who scampered away with a whimper. Then the dog-wolf flashed his teeth at Snap and Martha, who quickly dipped their heads in submission.

Lucky watched in disbelief. They’re following him, despite everything! They’re going to let him kick me out of the Pack!