fair rides and stuff on the way in. Maybe we could have a look around together?’ she suggested.
Gayle shrugged and wrinkled her nose. ‘No thanks. I’m not that keen on hanging out with younger kids. I’m already stuck with looking after Mikey – he’s my little brother. I’ve got to go now.’
Jessica flushed as Gayle sauntered past her, disappointed that she was so unfriendly. ‘Well… er… good luck in the balloon races tomorrow, anyway,’ she called.
Gayle didn’t bother to look round. ‘We don’t need luck. The Cloud Racers always win,’ she drawled.
Jessica watched the older girl trudge over to the huge RV and disappear inside it. ‘Oh gr-eat! Some weekend this is going to be!’ she said to herself.
Jessica sighed and set off again to look for water. Suddenly, there was a flash of bright golden light and a crackle of sparks from the marquee beside her.
She frowned. Jessica had briefly glanced inside as she passed and was sure she hadn’t seen anything in there. She went to check. As she had thought, there was only an upturned cardboard box and some folded chairs lying on the grass.
Then Jessica noticed the tiny brown-and-white Jack Russell puppy sitting on the box. Its fur seemed to be gleaming as if it had been sprinkled with gold dust.
‘Hello. What are you doing in there all by yourself?’ she crooned, walkingslowly towards the puppy so as not to scare it.
‘I come from far away. Can you help me, please?’ the puppy woofed.
Chapter
TWO
Jessica gaped at the puppy in utter amazement. She must be more upset by Gayle’s unfriendliness than she thought. She’d just imagined that the tiny puppy had spoken to her!
‘I am Storm of the Moon-claw pack. What is your name?’ the puppy yapped, looking up at her with an intelligent expression.
‘Whoa! You can talk!’ Jessica gasped, dropping the plastic water carrier and taking a step backwards. ‘Are you part of an act or something?’
She quickly poked her head outside the tent’s entrance to see if one of the festival entertainers was outside and playing a trick on her, but there was no one there. Jessica turned back to Storm. He was really cute with his softbrown-and-white fur, tiny pointed face and the brightest midnight-blue eyes she had ever seen.
Storm sat there with his ears pricked, looking at her quizzically as if expecting an answer.
‘I’m J-Jessica Tennant,’ Jessica found herself spluttering. ‘I’m… here with my mum and dad for… for the Balloon Festival.’ She bent down and tried to make herself seem smaller so as not to alarm this amazing puppy. She still couldn’t quite believe this was happening to her and she didn’t want Storm to run away.
Storm dipped his head. ‘I am pleased to meet you, Jessica.’
‘Um… me too.’ Jessica blinked as she remembered something that Stormhad just said. ‘What’s the Moon-claw pack?’
‘It is the wolf pack once led by my father and my mother,’ Storm told her proudly in a gruff little bark. ‘Shadow, the evil lone wolf, killed my father and three litter brothers and left my mother injured. He wants to lead the pack, but the others will not follow him while I am alive.’
‘Hang on! Did you say wolf ? But you’re a pu–’
‘Please, stand back,’ Storm ordered, springing down from the box.
There was another blinding flash and the air fizzed with gold sparks that rained harmlessly around Jessica and sizzled on the grass.
‘Oh!’ Jessica rubbed her eyes andwhen she could see again she noticed that the tiny brown-and-white puppy had gone. In its place there stood a magnificent young silver-grey wolf with thick fur and huge velvety paws that seemed far too big for his body. Despite being young, the wolf had large sharp teeth and a thick neck-ruff that glittered with big golden sparkles.
Jessica looked at it warily. ‘Storm?’
‘Yes, it is me, Jessica. Do not be afraid,’ Storm growled softly.
But before Jessica had time to get used to the
Gayle shrugged and wrinkled her nose. ‘No thanks. I’m not that keen on hanging out with younger kids. I’m already stuck with looking after Mikey – he’s my little brother. I’ve got to go now.’
Jessica flushed as Gayle sauntered past her, disappointed that she was so unfriendly. ‘Well… er… good luck in the balloon races tomorrow, anyway,’ she called.
Gayle didn’t bother to look round. ‘We don’t need luck. The Cloud Racers always win,’ she drawled.
Jessica watched the older girl trudge over to the huge RV and disappear inside it. ‘Oh gr-eat! Some weekend this is going to be!’ she said to herself.
Jessica sighed and set off again to look for water. Suddenly, there was a flash of bright golden light and a crackle of sparks from the marquee beside her.
She frowned. Jessica had briefly glanced inside as she passed and was sure she hadn’t seen anything in there. She went to check. As she had thought, there was only an upturned cardboard box and some folded chairs lying on the grass.
Then Jessica noticed the tiny brown-and-white Jack Russell puppy sitting on the box. Its fur seemed to be gleaming as if it had been sprinkled with gold dust.
‘Hello. What are you doing in there all by yourself?’ she crooned, walkingslowly towards the puppy so as not to scare it.
‘I come from far away. Can you help me, please?’ the puppy woofed.
Chapter
TWO
Jessica gaped at the puppy in utter amazement. She must be more upset by Gayle’s unfriendliness than she thought. She’d just imagined that the tiny puppy had spoken to her!
‘I am Storm of the Moon-claw pack. What is your name?’ the puppy yapped, looking up at her with an intelligent expression.
‘Whoa! You can talk!’ Jessica gasped, dropping the plastic water carrier and taking a step backwards. ‘Are you part of an act or something?’
She quickly poked her head outside the tent’s entrance to see if one of the festival entertainers was outside and playing a trick on her, but there was no one there. Jessica turned back to Storm. He was really cute with his softbrown-and-white fur, tiny pointed face and the brightest midnight-blue eyes she had ever seen.
Storm sat there with his ears pricked, looking at her quizzically as if expecting an answer.
‘I’m J-Jessica Tennant,’ Jessica found herself spluttering. ‘I’m… here with my mum and dad for… for the Balloon Festival.’ She bent down and tried to make herself seem smaller so as not to alarm this amazing puppy. She still couldn’t quite believe this was happening to her and she didn’t want Storm to run away.
Storm dipped his head. ‘I am pleased to meet you, Jessica.’
‘Um… me too.’ Jessica blinked as she remembered something that Stormhad just said. ‘What’s the Moon-claw pack?’
‘It is the wolf pack once led by my father and my mother,’ Storm told her proudly in a gruff little bark. ‘Shadow, the evil lone wolf, killed my father and three litter brothers and left my mother injured. He wants to lead the pack, but the others will not follow him while I am alive.’
‘Hang on! Did you say wolf ? But you’re a pu–’
‘Please, stand back,’ Storm ordered, springing down from the box.
There was another blinding flash and the air fizzed with gold sparks that rained harmlessly around Jessica and sizzled on the grass.
‘Oh!’ Jessica rubbed her eyes andwhen she could see again she noticed that the tiny brown-and-white puppy had gone. In its place there stood a magnificent young silver-grey wolf with thick fur and huge velvety paws that seemed far too big for his body. Despite being young, the wolf had large sharp teeth and a thick neck-ruff that glittered with big golden sparkles.
Jessica looked at it warily. ‘Storm?’
‘Yes, it is me, Jessica. Do not be afraid,’ Storm growled softly.
But before Jessica had time to get used to the
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