Free The Pup Who Cried Wolf by Chris Kurtz Page A

excitement.”
    We start walking toward the motor home. Glory has a long, striding, side-to-side, swing-your-tail-back-and-forth sort of walk I have never seen before.
    Then I stop. “Glory,” I say quietly, “no one made you come save me. You could have just let me run off on my own and let me get snapped up in the wilderness. It would have served me right.”

    Glory gives her feathers a shake. “Oh, I would have to agree with you. It definitely would have served you right. I probably should have.”
    She chuckles. “But what a glorious escape we had. And my goodness, you were a little blur.
Que rapido.
I don’t know where it came from, but I do believe there is a bit of wild-wolf speed in those little legs of yours.”
    A few moments later, we reach the motor home. From the way Glory hunkers down as she creeps toward the steps, I know we are thinking the same thing.
Alexandra could be waiting. Make a quiet entrance.
But it isn’t meant to be.
    We hear a screech. “Glory and Lobo came home!” That’s Alexandra. I brace myself for the attack. But it never comes.
    Because Mona beats her to it.
    She scoops both Glory and me up in her arms before Alexandra can get to us, and twirls around and hugs us. I even get a kiss on the nose.
    Truthfully, I don’t mind. Maybe I even like it.When she is finally done hugging and kissing us, she puts us in the motor home.
    Alexandra tries to get past, but Mona playfully grabs the monster, gives her a noogie, and tells her that we have had enough loving to last us for a while.
    I have to agree.
    Quite a while.
    The door closes. The footsteps and whining noises fade, and for a long moment I listen to the quiet and look around. Glory’s cage has been shined up and cleaned. My pillow has been brushed.
    Wow. We came so close to leaving Mona all alone.
    I glance inside Hector’s cage. Seeing it empty makes me sad. Someone has cleaned it out and put in fresh sawdust.
    I wander over and sniff the bars up and down. “He’ll never come back,” I say.
    â€œTrue. And thanks to you, he’s not causing indigestion, rolling around in some wolf stomach.” Glory flutters up to her cage and climbs in. “Onequestion. What on earth made you turn around and head back toward that meadow?”
    â€œWhen I figured out it was you who was sick … even though you weren’t really—I had to go back for you.”
    Glory shakes her head. “You are brave,” she says, “and a good friend.”
    I make a few circles.
    She turns around and pokes her head out. “Now, enjoy your peace and quiet. I know I will.”
    I settle down on my own beloved pillow and try to enjoy the quiet.
    But the quiet feels all wrong. “Actually, I kind of miss him,” I say. “I wish I could tell him that.”
    Glory cracks open a few seeds. “I miss him too. Although heaven knows I won’t miss all the squabbling and fighting around here.”
    â€œHe’s probably out there with a girl rat right now,” I say. “He’ll never give us another thought.”
    I hop up on the seat and looked out the window.
    Stars are beginning to shine through.
    I close my eyes.
    â€œLobo,” Glory says softly. I look up. “I’m sorry your lifelong dream of finding your pack wasn’t meant to be.”

19
My Pack
    It’s true. If there was ever a time to feel sorry for myself, this is it.
    I feel mixed up or dizzy or sick. I feel … I don’t know what I feel.
    Tired. That’s one thing I feel.
    Maybe after I get some rest I’ll know what I’m feeling.
    I close my eyes again and just start to doze when a happy scream from outside makes my ears shoot straight up. I leap to my feet and run in circles.
    There are a few more shouts and then the door of the motor home bursts open. Mona hurries in and slides a fat little white rodent into his cage.
    â€œHeckles?” I leap