Moon's Choice by Erin Hunter

CHAPTER ONE
    A soft blue-gray mist hung on the horizon, but the sky above the young dog was clear as it dimmed toward night. Moon watched her namesake Spirit Dog stretch and lope into view. The Moon-Dog was half in shadow, but still she shone bright enough to make a dog mistake the dusk for daylight. A whine of anticipation rose in Moon’s throat as she gazed up at her.
    Just now the Pack members were going about their last duties of the day: Snap and Mulch were checking the border where a protective thornbush had blown down in the last storm; Whine, the little Omega, was trotting from den to den, renewing the bedding of the more senior dogs. Night had almost fallen, and soon the hunt patrol would return to camp, and the Pack would eat together. Then there might be time to lie contentedly, with a full belly, and talk about the day to her Mother-Dog and Father-Dog.
    Moon could hear the two of them behind her in the den,discussing some serious issue about Pack life in low voices. Moon knew that as Alpha and Beta of the Pack, her parent-dogs’ duties came first; it would be the same for her, when her time came to be Pack leader. She had to be patient.
    She had to be more patient than Star, anyway, she thought with a roll of her blue eyes. Her litter-sister kept bounding up to her, backing off, thrashing her tail, and snapping playfully. She was desperate to entice Moon into a fight-game, but Moon was having none of it. Fight-games were for pups!
    â€œStar, settle down!” she yipped, swiping a gentle paw at her litter-sister’s ear.
    Star rolled over, pawing the air, snapping at a moth. “Oh, Moon, have some fun while you still can. You won’t have any time to play at all once you’re Alpha!”
    â€œWe’re both too old to be playing,” Moon told her firmly.
    Star scrabbled back upright, sat down, and scratched at one ear. “You’re no fun anymore,” she said, an edge in her voice.
    Moon pinned her ears back, surprised. She had never heard Star sound quite so resentful before. That’s not true! It’s just that I’m going to have responsibilities one day. I’ll need to be ready for them. . . .
    She found that her litter-sister’s accusation stung, more than she’d expected. It wasn’t that Star was jealous of Moon’s destinyas the next Pack-Alpha; Star had no interest in the hard work and duties that would come with leadership, and Moon knew she was happy to be a free spirit. But surely Star realized, now that they were both older, that Moon didn’t have the same liberty to mess around and play pointless games, didn’t she?
    I must learn to be serious and dutiful.
    Before she could gnaw at her anxiety any longer, a new sound made Moon’s ears prick up. Those were pawsteps, coming toward the camp through the undergrowth—yes, the hunt patrol was returning! The hunt-dogs’ shapes became recognizable as they drew closer and emerged from the bushes: Rush and Meadow, the wily terriers; Fly, the brown-and-white snub-nosed dog with the sad but watchful eyes; and in the lead, biggest and strongest of all, was Hunter. Moon felt her heart skip a nervous beat as Hunter’s eyes caught hers. He lifted his head slightly with pride; between his strong jaws was a plump and good-sized rabbit.
    Moon rose to her paws, ignoring Star’s snort of amusement. She dipped her head in solemn greeting, and Hunter gave a low whine of reply in his throat.
    He’s so well-named, she thought. He’s the strongest dog in the Pack, besides my Father-Dog, and he’s the best hunter. I’m glad my parent-dogs chose him for me.
    She sometimes wondered what it was going to be like, running the Pack with Hunter as her Beta. It couldn’t be anything but exciting, she decided, with a warm rush of gladness. She ignored the prickle of tension in her neck fur; nervousness and uncertainty were silly. She would be lucky to have such a strong and