Free The Empty City by Erin Hunter

exercise, for a place to sleep. Without their longpaws they were helpless, hopeless.... The horror of it was beyond belief. How were Leashed Dog s supposed to survive the end of the world?
    Lucky shook himself free of the shivers in his fur. He couldn’t think about it just now. Besides, what did it matter at this moment, when they’d come to his rescue with such good timing?
    Lucky glanced back at Bruno, still snuffling at the meat with his muzzle. “Come on. Let’s share this.” He leaped up onto the counter and grabbed it in his jaws, then jumped back down and dropped it. “You saved me and this meat. I owe you a share. It’s the least I can do.”
    And it’s all you’ll get if you can’t hunt by yourselves ....
    For a while there was only the contented sound of tearing and chewing as the odd little Pack shared Lucky’s spoils. Wolfing down his own portion, Lucky murmured to Bella, “Your friends are … interesting.”
    Bella lifted her head and gazed at them fondly. “They’re not like us at all, are they? I used to think all dogs were sheltie-retrievers!”
    Lucky blinked. “Is that what we are?”
    â€œYes. Don’t you remember our sire and Mother-Dog?” Her expression was filled with conflicted emotion—relief, deep happiness, regret at their long separation—but there was amusement in her voice, too. “Most of us have proper kind-names, names the longpaws gave to all of us.”
    Lucky grunted disapprovingly. “Things aren’t proper just because the longpaws invented them.”
    Bella ignored that. “Now, Bruno there, his Mother-Dog was a German Shepherd. And Mickey’s what the longpaws call a ‘Border Collie.’ He’s very smart, likes to herd us! Daisy’s sire and Mother-Dog were a ‘Westie’ and a ‘Jack Russell.’ Little Sunshine, there—she’s a ‘Maltese.’ Very delicate,” she added.
    â€œAnd this one?” Lucky nodded at the biggest, black dog.
    â€œMartha? She’s a ‘Newfoundland.’ Look at the size of her next to Sunshine!”
    Lucky eyed the pair. Martha was much taller than Lucky, and Sunshine didn’t even reach up as far as her knee joint. The foxes had been right about one thing: This really was the most unorganized Pack he’d ever laid eyes on. Were they even a real Pack at all? Who was their Alpha? Bella talked a lot, and she was kind but brusque with Sunshine, but she didn’t act like a Pack leader. She didn’t have that air of unquestioned authority; she didn’t expect to be obeyed at her first bark or nip, and even when she seemed decisive, she looked to the others for approval or advice. The collie-dog, Mickey, seemed intelligent, and Bruno looked like he could handle himself in a fight, but neither of them had played the Alpha with the foxes. Sunshine—certainly not! And Daisy seemed brave, and scrappy, and feisty, but she was barely out of puppyhood, no Alpha dog, either....
    Who was in charge of this Pack?
    Lucky’s bewildered thoughts were interrupted by a high panicked howl. Sunshine had leaped up, abandoning her last delicate morsel of meat, and was running in tight circles, long hair floating, claws skittering in panic.
    â€œI’m hurt! I’m hurt!”
    â€œWhat—” began Bella.
    â€œThe foxes! I got bitten! ” Sunshine’s yelping was becoming hysterical, and she lifted one paw pathetically off the ground. It was the forepaw she’d been favoring since the fight, and now Lucky realized there was a reason—one she’d only just discovered herself. Waving her paw in the air, flapping it as though she was still trying to run, Sunshine instantly fell over. She got up on three paws, still panicking, and flew in circles again.
    â€œMy longpaw! I need my longpaw now ! I need to go to the vet! ”
    Lucky saw that Bella looked anxious, her eyes