The half wolf sneered at him, his lip peeling back to reveal his teeth. “Couldn’t you and your house-pet survive on your own?”

Behind him, Lucky heard Mickey give a soft whine.

“Where’s your longpaw toy, house-pet?” mocked Alpha.

Mickey stiffened. “I left it behind.” He licked his chops. “I was mistaken in thinking that the longpaws had returned—the city is just as bad as we left it . . . worse.”

Daisy and Martha nodded sadly.

“I was wrong to leave,” the black-and-white dog went on. “I would like to”—he glanced at Lucky—“that is, we would like to join the Pack again.”

Alpha’s muzzle wrinkled, revealing a glint of ivory fang. “If you need the Pack so much, you had better be prepared to prove it.” He jutted his long snout forward.

He means we should be prepared to grovel, thought Lucky, feeling his hackles rising. Well, I won’t grovel before a coward who fell apart at the sight of a black cloud! He took a deep breath, trying to shake away his frustration, remembering the three pups who were waiting alone outside the camp: It was not the time to start arguments.

Alpha took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Lucky. His top lip trembled and spit hung off it, gliding down his shiny fangs. “Prove it, city rat! Prove that you need us!”

Lucky was not going to cower before the half wolf. He raised himself up to his full height and opened his mouth to growl back a reply. But before he could, they were interrupted by a volley of high-pitched yaps.

Lucky spun around. Sunshine had shimmied her way through the circle of dogs to appear between Lucky and Alpha.

“Fierce Dogs!” she yapped breathlessly. “I can smell them, can’t you? Fierce Dogs are close!”

A wave of nervous barks and yelps coursed through the Pack. Fiery pressed closer to Nose and Squirm, growling. Sweet sniffed the air as little Whine whimpered, his curly tail trembling.

“I smell them, too,” snarled Sweet.

Alpha sprang forward, his gray fur puffed up so that he looked almost twice his size. “Where are they? Where are the monstrous cowards? Show yourselves!”

As he turned to face the pine trees, Lucky caught Mickey’s anxious gaze. Their return to the camp was not going the way they had hoped.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Lucky barked above the noise of the Pack. “It’s three little pups. We brought them with us.”

Alpha shot around. “You brought them?”

“Lick! Grunt! Wiggle! Come here,” Lucky called.

The Pack watched as the pups emerged from between the trees. Led by Lick, they walked through the long grass toward Lucky.

Bella, Dart, and Spring fell back to let the pups pass. Bruno scrambled behind Daisy, while Whine hid his head in his paws.