A Pack Divided by Erin Hunter Page A

to face the small dog, but Dart was not alone. Ruff and Rake were eyeing Storm too, lips peeled back from their teeth.
    â€œBut,” Storm began, confused and hurt. “I don’t mean—”
    At that moment, to her intense relief, Twitch himself bounded forward on his three legs. “We can all argue about leadership some other time,” he barked, a steely look in his eyes. “For now, get yourselves organized. If we have to run, we must be ready. We will all go together.”
    Storm felt like leaping on him and licking his ears with gratitude, but she only dipped her head. She was about to bark her agreement, too, but above their heads something was changing. The racket of the loudbirds was not as deafening, and the terrible gale of their spinning wings was lessening.
    â€œThey’re flying back upward,” she barked, filled with renewed hope.
    â€œAre they leaving?” Mickey backed a few paces, narrowing his eyes at the sky.
    â€œYes! They’re flying away!” Daisy leaped off the ground with all four paws, she was so relieved and excited.
    A few last disturbed leaves whirled down, pattering onto the grass, and the high branches calmed their wild thrashing. Around them the more slender trees creaked back upright, and birds began to sing hesitantly again. The loudbirds circled higher and higher until they were nothing more than faint black dots flying toward the sunup horizon.
    The whole forest seemed to shiver and relax. Bruno gave his shaggy coat a violent shake. Ruff licked her black flank, seeming angry at her own panic. Sunshine crept out, trembling, from beneath her rock. All around Storm, dogs were shaking themselves, wagging their tails, and letting out yelps and barks of relief. Storm’s own flanks were heaving, and she was panting with exertion.
    â€œWho do you think you are, Storm?” Dart seemed to have recovered quickly, and her bark was vicious.
    â€œShe’s making a play to be Alpha, if you ask me,” snarled Ruff.
    â€œPackmates.” Lucky bounded forward before Storm could even open her jaws to argue with them. His brown eyes were unusuallyhard. “Storm’s one of the few dogs who kept her head cool just now. She was trying to help us—and it’s obvious we needed all the help dogs could give!”
    Dart, at least, looked slightly abashed, and the others fell into a surly silence, but Alpha padded to Lucky’s side and solemnly watched Storm’s eyes.
    â€œAll the same, Beta,” she murmured. “Following Pack Law is more important than ever now. We all have to respect the hierarchy, or every dog is lost. Now is not the time for any dog to make challenges, or get ideas above her rank.”
    Lucky hesitated, then nodded. Storm felt her heart sink like a stone, and her tail clamped tightly between her hindlegs at the reprimand. She wanted to apologize, but no sound would come— and why, she thought with sudden anger, should she say she was sorry? The Pack had been in chaos a moment ago! She had been trying to help!
    Searching the circle of dogs for a single supportive face, Storm caught Bella’s eye. The look the golden-furred dog gave her was very knowing and intent, and Storm felt a small shiver in her gut. She knew exactly what Bella was telling her: This is just the kind of thing I warned you about.
    But it was too late for Storm to argue. Without waiting forher reply, Alpha nudged Lucky’s neck, then paced forward to the center of the glade.
    Into the silence, the swift-dog gave a commanding bark. “The danger has passed. It was a strange thing, seeing the loudbirds so close, but they’ve gone now.”
    â€œHuh.” Moon gave a gruff growl. “They appeared out of nowhere, straight from the sky. That means they can do it again, at any time. How can we know the danger’s truly past?”
    Whisper shrank nervously closer to Storm, and Ruff and Woody exchanged glances. Beetle and