Free Sweet's Journey by Erin Hunter Page A

more dangerous than they looked—because why else would they trot so confidently into the territory of a half wolf like Alpha?
    â€œTake them down,” snarled Alpha.
    Sweet gave him a nod, then growled low in her throat to summon the others into their fighting positions.
    â€œReady?” she snarled. “Let’s teach these mutts to stay out of our Pack-lands.”
    The others growled their angry agreement, and Sweet bounded forward, racing down the hill. The intruder dogs didn’t even notice them at first, and when their heads at last came up, there was nothing but stupid shock on their blank faces.
    Alpha was behind her. “Draw blood,” he howled. “Drive them away!”
    Sweet hurtled into battle, knocking one of the small dogs off its paws and sending it tumbling, stunned and winded. But even as she spun to snap at another, something caught the corner of her vision.
    There was something in the trees, higher up the valley.
    She paused, just for a moment, her fangs still bared. Was she seeing things?
    Probably .
    Sweet lashed out with her claws, focusing on the fight, but the strange dogs were already spinning, panicked, trying to flee.
    She glanced up the valley’s slope once more. Because she was sure, now, that she hadn’t imagined it.
    That flash of movement—it had been no lazy, street-dog strut. It was an animal, charging from between the trees, strong legs pounding in desperation.
    And the Sun-Dog’s light gleamed on shaggy, golden fur. . . .

EXCERPT FROM SURVIVORS: MOON’S CHOICE
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CHAPTER ONE
    A soft blue-gray mist hung on the horizon, but the sky above the young dog was clear as it dimmed toward night. Moon watched her namesake Spirit Dog stretch and lope into view. The Moon-Dog was half in shadow, but still she shone bright enough to make a dog mistake the dusk for daylight. A whine of anticipation rose in Moon’s throat as she gazed up at her.
    Just now the Pack members were going about their last duties of the day: Snap and Mulch were checking the border where a protective thornbush had blown down in the last storm; Whine, the little Omega, was trotting from den to den, renewing the bedding of the more senior dogs. Night had almost fallen, and soon the hunt patrol would return to camp, and the Pack would eat together. Then there might be time to lie contentedly, with a full belly, and talk about the day with her Mother-Dog and Father-Dog.
    Moon could hear the two of them behind her in the den,discussing some serious issue about Pack life in low voices. Moon knew that as Alpha and Beta of the Pack, her parent-dogs’ duties came first; it would be the same for her, when her time came to be Pack leader. She had to be patient.
    She had to be more patient than Star anyway, she thought, with a roll of her blue eyes. Her litter-sister kept bounding up to her, backing off, thrashing her tail, and snapping playfully. She was desperate to entice Moon into a fight-game, but Moon was having none of it. Fight-games were for pups!
    â€œStar, settle down!” she yipped, swiping a gentle paw at her litter-sister’s ear.
    Star rolled over, pawing the air, snapping at a moth. “Oh, Moon, have some fun while you still can. You won’t have any time to play at all once you’re Alpha!”
    â€œWe’re both too old to be playing,” Moon told her firmly.
    Star scrabbled back upright, sat down, and scratched at one ear. “You’re no fun anymore,” she said, an edge in her voice.
    Moon pinned her ears back, surprised. She had never heard Star sound quite so resentful before. That’s not true! It’s just that I’m going to have responsibilities one day. I’ll need to be ready for them .
    She found that her litter-sister’s accusation stung, more than she’d expected. It wasn’t that Star was jealous of Moon’s destinyas next Pack Alpha; Star had no interest in