“Yes, Daisy,” said Sweet, her voice a level growl. “You will do this, for the good of the Pack. You will leave tomorrow at sunup.”

Lucky and Alpha trod over the dewy grass of the meadow to the edges of the forest. Upwind, a dozen long-strides away, Daisy was leading Lick, Grunt, and Wiggle on a path between the trees. Lucky could hear the excited chatter of the pups. It was not long after sunup, and they hadn’t journeyed far enough to get tired and cranky just yet.

But how long will this last? Lucky wondered.

“Why were we picked to go on this journey?” Lick was asking.

Lucky had wondered the same thing when Alpha had woken him with a rough nip at his shoulder.

“Get up, Omega, and come with me.” When Lucky had given him a blank look, Alpha had gone on in a low growl. “I will be observing the Fierce Dogs from a distance. I want to see for myself how and when they fail our test, and I want you to see it too.”

Lucky had suppressed a growl of annoyance and followed Alpha, trailing behind Daisy and the pups as they left the camp.

“Alpha chose you because you’re small but strong, like me,” Daisy told Lick. “We’ll cover a good distance through the forest, but no one will notice us.”

“We’re going on an adventure!” yipped Wiggle.

“It’s about time we were given a proper task,” said Grunt. Lucky could not see his face but he could hear the satisfied note in the pup’s voice. He felt a surge of confidence. Perhaps this is what he’s needed all along—a sense of purpose.

Lucky and Alpha walked in silence, holding back regularly behind the cover of trees, careful not to get too close to Daisy and the pups, whose progress was slow. The forest cut a sharp course uphill. The land was sandy, making it difficult to climb, and thorny brambles twisted and crawled along the forest floor.

This journey was not going to be easy for the pups.

Lucky heard Daisy instructing the pups. “There’s a steep hillock coming up,” she told them. “It might be tricky to climb. Take small, careful steps—don’t overstretch yourselves, or you may catch on a thorn—or roll backward. Watch me.”

Alpha met Lucky’s eye with a hard gaze. He could guess what the half wolf was thinking. This is the first test.

Lick followed Daisy up the hillock in front of her litter-brothers. She seemed calm and composed, taking small steps as she had been told. Lucky’s tail wagged with pride. She’s learned her lesson from the accident with the tree. He watched as Lick mounted the incline and joined Daisy at the top. The pup gave a yap of delight and shook out her fur.