Storm of Dogs by Erin Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

first creeping light of the Sun-Dog.
    A wave of relief ran through him. The Sun-Dog was still safe—the Fierce Dogs hadn’t banished him yet. He caught himself and frowned. That was just a bad dream. For all their might, the Fierce Dogs could never attack the Spirit Dogs. Their teeth aren’t that big.
    The air was salty. There was probably a stream nearby, running into the Endless Lake. That would explain the water dripping from the ceiling. Lucky padded toward the edge of the cave bowl and hopped onto his hind legs, searching for a way out. The walls were too steep to climb. He tried to hook his paws on the ragged rock face, but he couldn’t get a clawhold.
    Behind him, he heard an amused growl. Lucky turned to see Blade standing in the tunnel over the rock bowl. She glared down at Lucky.
    â€œI hope you had sweet dreams,” she rasped. There was a kind of frenzied victory in theFierce Dog Alpha’s eyes.
    Lucky could barely stand to look at her. “If you’re so determined to destroy the Wild Pack, why didn’t you kill me when you caught me?” he spat. “You must be going soft!”
    Blade stepped to the edge of the bowl and lowered her head menacingly. “Don’t underestimate me, Street Mutt. I’m every bit as ruthless as I need to be, and I intend to prove it.” She snorted through her nose. “Do you really think I’d go to so much trouble just to kill you ? It seems that being made a Beta has gone to your head.”
    Lucky’s face must have given away his surprise. How did she know?
    â€œOh, I know everything you’ve been up to,” she hissed. “Fang saw your touching little ceremony with the skinny swift-dog. Don’t get me wrong. In some ways, she impresses me. She’s tough, and she runs an efficient Pack, for a group of mutts. Unfortunately she’s also dumb, like all Wild Dogs. She lacks discipline .”
    A low growl rose in Lucky’s throat. Fear still consumed him, but another sensation tingled through his whiskers— anger. “Leave her out of this!”
    Blade shook her head slowly and ran a self-satisfied tongue over her chops. She dropped onto her belly and lowered her muzzle so it hung over the edge of the rock bowl. “It’s too late for that. What do you imagine happened the minute your Pack-rats realized you were missing? It won’t be hard for them to track you here, not with Fang’s blood dripping a trail. Loyalty without intelligence—that’s the problem with you Wild Dogs. She’ll walk right into my trap.”
    â€œLeave Sweet alone, she’s no danger to you!” Lucky barked, his head still pounding.
    Blade threw back her head. “You stupid idiot! Do you think I care about your skinny Alpha? It’s the Fierce pup I’m after. I will rip out her throat and stop her from doing more harm.” Her voice was brittle. “I will eliminate the threat.”
    A chill ran down Lucky’s spine. “What do you mean, ‘the threat’? Storm doesn’t want to take over your Pack. She’s no threat to you as long as you leave her alone!”
    â€œYou’re wrong,” growled Blade. “That young dog will destroy us—Fierce Dogs, Wild Dogs, Leashed Dogs, all of us . I have seen it in my dreams.”
    Lucky’s breath caught in his throat and he froze, stunned. Hadn’t he also guessed that Storm had a role to play in their downfall? He thought of telling Blade about his own dreams. Had she also seen the Storm of Dogs, the terrible battle in the swirling snow? He pulled himself together with a violent shake of the fur. Blade was just afraid of losing a fight with Storm. It probably had nothing to do with the Storm of Dogs, nothing to do with his visions. . . .
    Blade’s eyes were wild. “I have seen it—the end of this world. Just as when the Big Growl came and lakes of blood poured from the Earth-Dog’s