Everything was so wonderful, and Noble knew that that simply wasn’t the case. If their parents had been so great, where were they now? Why did the pack have to be raised by Phyllis and Ranger Brock? And why did so much responsibility for the pack have to fall on his shoulders? He was a teenager just like the others, but somehow he never felt like one.

“What happened to them?” he said. “If our parents were as smart and strong as you say, then how did they get caught in the fire? Why did they have to die?”

Harlan, Tora, and Argus all looked at Noble with a variety of shocked, angry glances. To his credit, Phelan wasn’t bothered by Noble’s question in the least. In fact, he seemed pleased to answer it.

“You must be alpha male, eh? You are wary. Unbelieving.” He nodded his head. “That is a good way to think, but not forever. A time comes when you must believe so the anger and hurt in here—” He touched a talon-tipped finger to his heart. “—can go away.”

Noble suddenly felt ashamed. For as much as he enjoyed being the pack’s leader, there were times when he wished for nothing more than to be a follower. He rarely got that chance, and deep down inside he felt a bit of resentment toward his parents for placing him in that position. No matter how heroic they’d been in death, they’d still left the survival of the pack to fate and the kindness of a single man. Somehow, Phelan understood all that, and had been able to draw it out of Noble with just a few simple words.

“You know of the fire,” Phelan said. It was both a statement and a question.

“The ranger told us the story of how he found us and brought us home,” said Tora.

“Ah, the ranger,” said Phelan. “He is a good man. He works to save this…” He gestured to the forest around him. “That is a rare thing in their kind.”

“But how did the ranger come to find us?” Harlan asked. “What happened before that?”

Phelan was silent a moment, while he composed his thoughts. Then, after a deep breath, he began. “Your mother was already in the process of birthing you when we smelled the smoke.” A ripple of sorrow coursed through his body. “We thought there would be time for her to birth all the cubs before the fire came, but…” He shook his head slowly. “The fire was angry and ravenous. There was no time for anything but to run…run for our lives.” He paused again to take several breaths and steady himself. “Your father told us to go. He told us he would stay with your mother until all of you were born.”

Noble stared at Phelan, desperate to ask the question. But before he could gather the courage, Argus asked for each of them.