Moon's Choice by Erin Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

anyway. Do you understand?”
    Oh, yes, she thought. I understand perfectly, Fiery. Misery rising in her throat, she met his gaze. “Why do you have to leave?”
    â€œAlpha—my Alpha, that is—he doesn’t like staying in a place where there was sickness. He’s worried the invisible enemy is still in the air around here, and he thinks staying would be a bad idea. I can’t convince him otherwise, I’m sorry.” Fiery’s tail tapped the ground in agitation. “He wanted to leave before now, Moon; that’s the truth. I asked him to stay, so I could care for you, make sure you recovered.”
    â€œOh, Fiery. And you did. You were so kind.” She tried to clear the weight in her throat.
    â€œIt wasn’t really kindness,” he said. “But Moon, now that you’re better, I have to obey my Alpha.”
    Moon lay down on her forepaws. She didn’t think she could stand upright anymore without wobbling. This was such crushing news, and she was weak already. And this further proof of Fiery’s kindness and devotion made her almost dizzy. “You asked your whole Pack to stay? Just for me?”
    â€œJust for you, Moon,” he said quietly.
    She swallowed hard, trying not to let her voice shake. “I wishI could repay you, Fiery. I wish I could do what you want. I wish it more than anything, but I can’t. My family’s gone, and the Pack needs me. This territory—it’s all we have left.”
    â€œThat’s what I was afraid you’d say.” He nuzzled her jaw. “But I do understand.”
    Moon sat up on her forepaws, her eyes brightening. Why didn’t I think of it before? “Fiery, would you consider staying here?” The brashness of her question made her suddenly shy, and she glanced away. “I mean . . . you could stay here. With my Pack, with me. We could lead this Pack, look after them together . . .”
    A look of torment crossed the big dog’s noble features. “I can’t. Oh Moon, I’m sorry, but I can’t. You’re bound to your Pack—and I’m bound to my Alpha.”
    â€œThe half wolf?” Moon closed her jaws on her next words: But he’s so . . . arrogant.
    â€œHe found me when I was a pup,” Fiery sighed. “He saved me from a giantfur, and he took me in and cared for me when there was no other dog to do it. I know he seems . . . harsh. But I owe him my life and my loyalty, and I can’t abandon him or my Pack. Oh Moon. It seems we’re both tied by bonds we can’t break.”
    Moon swallowed, nodding. Despite her disappointment, Fiery’s loyalty to the half wolf stirred her affection for him evenmore. We can’t be together. But that’s no dog’s fault. We both have duties we can’t ignore.
    He’s the dog I was meant to be with, I know that. But it can’t happen. And in a strange way, she loved Fiery even more for it.
    â€œWhen do you leave?” She could hardly bear to ask.
    â€œTwo more journeys of the Sun-Dog, and then we move on,” he told her gently.
    She gathered the scraps of her courage. “Will I see you again?”
    â€œWe’ll pass through your territory on our way,” he assured her with another lick. “I promise I’ll see you then. And say good-bye.” He hesitated, then met her eyes, his own full of sadness. “I’ll miss you, Moon.”
    He turned, his paws heavy as he padded back the way he had come. His head hung low, and as he glanced back once, she saw the longing in his face. Then he vanished into the shadows of the wood.
    It’s just as well he walked away, Moon thought. Her heart felt like a stone in her chest, and for long awful moments she couldn’t move. I don’t think I could have been the one to walk away from him.
    She blinked hard, peering into the darkness of the trees, but he was gone. And after all that had happened, she wasn’t