Into the Shadows by Erin Hunter

Author:Erin Hunter [Hunter, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-11-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Beetle and Thorn are finally starting to work as a team. Storm eyed the two apprentice hunters with satisfaction as the party made their way back to camp the next day. The litter-siblings had gotten their act together today and had cooperated well with the other hunters. Perhaps there was hope for the Pack after all—this patrol was bringing back a good haul of prey, including two rabbits, a couple of lazy pigeons, and a fat gopher. Beetle certainly learned his lesson with that first gopher; he kept the noise down this time till the very last moment.

It wasn’t like hunting with Arrow and Bella, though. Arrow, Storm knew, would never have let that squirrel reach the safety of a pine tree, as Thorn had; and Bella always managed to sniff out the most potential prey.

It was funny how much Storm missed having another Fierce Dog in the Pack. So many of the dogs saw her as something different, something Other—and it had felt good to have an ally. When Arrow had been here, she had known that there was at least one dog who understood.

Now she was on her own.

The weight of the realization hit her just as she reached the edge of the clearing, and she came to a halt. She felt a sudden reluctance to walk into camp, where so many dogs of her own Pack distrusted her.

Lucky glanced back at her, then nodded to the other hunters. “Go ahead and take the food to the prey pile. We’ll eat soon.”

When they had trotted on, to be greeted by a chorus of grateful yips from the dogs still in camp, Lucky turned and padded back to Storm. Sitting back on his haunches, he eyed her keenly.

“What’s wrong, Storm? You’ve been unsettled for the last few days. Is there something troubling you?”

Storm licked her chops and sighed, averting her eyes. “It’s—well, ever since my den was sabotaged . . .”

“We can’t be sure that was deliberate, Storm,” he said. “Maybe it was just—I don’t know—bad luck. You don’t think a dog is targeting you, do you?”

I doubt any luck is quite that bad, she thought drily, but she said nothing. “It’s not that,” she told him instead, quite truthfully. After all, I can handle myself. “It’s just that since then, they’ve all looked at me strangely. Beta, I’m not blind. I can see the suspicion in their eyes. I’m sure they think I did it myself.”

“Why would they think such a thing?” Lucky huffed a laugh. “Don’t let it bother you, Storm.”

“I can’t help it.” She heaved a sigh. “It’s not quite the way they looked at Arrow, but their expressions . . . it’s like they think I’m . . . strange, somehow.”

Lucky leaned in to lick her jaw. “Please, Storm, don’t let it worry you. It’s words and gossip, that’s all. And words can’t even rumple a dog’s fur.”

“They’re rumpling mine,” she growled.

“Ignore it, Storm,” he told her, a little impatience creeping into his voice. “There are much more important things for the Pack to be anxious about.

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