Luna the Moon Wolf Read Free Page B

more dogs and foxes came forward, snarling. Silver launched himself at Tom again, even more ferociously.
    The Beast is controlling the animals , Tom realized. They’re doing her bidding; she’s making them attack. Silver, too.
    Storm ran at the wild animals, stamping his hooves. They shrank back, then regrouped. Luna howled again. More wild animals darted forward. They were coming from all sides now, and the flaming branch was knocked from Elenna’s hands as she tried to fight back a large dog. She cried out as she was thrown to the ground.
    As she twisted around to look at Tom, he could see the fear in her eyes.
    He reached out his free hand toward her, but Silver launched a new, frenzied attack. He ripped the sword from Tom’s hands with his teeth and threw it to one side. Tom heard it clatter to the ground, beyond the light of the fire. Then Silver threw his full weight onto Tom, covering him with his body and smothering his face with his thick fur. Tom struggled beneath the wolf, but felt the fight draining out of him. Silver’s teeth flashed in the moonlight as he lunged closer. Tom turned his head away and felt the wolf’s hot breath as the animal writhed on top of him, his claws tearing into Tom’s flesh.
    â€œNo, Silver!” he cried. But when he turned his head back around, he saw a light in Silver’s eyes that didn’t belong there. It was the glow of evil.
    There was nothing he could do now. If Silver wanted him dead, Tom didn’t stand a chance.

“H OLD ON !” CRIED E LENNA, SCRAMBLING TO her feet.
    A rat threw itself at Tom’s legs and he was just able to kick it away before its teeth sank into his thigh. Tom was still pinned to the ground by Silver. He glanced over to see his friend dragging the rope from her quiver. Her hands moved rapidly, looping and knotting the rope.
    â€œHurry!” gasped Tom. Storm had cantered over and reared up on his back legs to keep the rest of the wild dogs, foxes, and other vicious creatures at bay.
    â€œThere!” said Elenna. In one quick movement, she threw something over Silver’s back. She’d knotted the rope into a loose net! Silver snarled and bucked, trying to shake the net off. But the more he struggled, the more entangled his paws became.
    With Silver distracted, Tom had the chance he needed. With a mighty effort, he rolled out from under the wolf. His knee struck something. It was his sword! He snatched it up and with all his force thrust the blade through one of the loops of the net, deep into the ground. Now the net was pegged down, but only in one corner. Silver was still struggling and might free himself at any moment.
    Elenna fitted an arrow to her bow and aimed it at the opposite side of the net.
    Thunk!
    Silver howled in anger.
    Thunk!
    Thunk!

    In rapid succession, Elenna sent two more arrows into the earth, pegging the net down securely. Silver was trapped. He jerked and kicked, trying to thrust his muzzle through the loops. But there was no way out.
    His struggles gradually subsided and he lay still, panting. He was defeated.
    Storm whinnied. Tom turned to look at the wild animals that surrounded them. With the defeat of Silver, their excitement had died down. They retreated a little, back into the darkness. Luna’s burning red eyes still shone, slowly encircling the camp as the Beast moved about.
    Tom let out a shaky breath. “That was … close!”
    Elenna stared at Tom in bewilderment. “I don’t understand,” she said. “I’ve never seen Silver like this!”
    â€œIt’s not his fault,” Tom reassured her. “It’s the Beast’s magic — she turned Silver mad.”
    â€œThe Beast?” Elenna asked with a start, looking around.
    â€œCan’t you see the eyes?” Tom said, pointing. The twin red coals still burned in the darkness. But as Tom and Elenna watched, the eyes receded. Then they turned away and