Moon's Choice Read Free Page B

air, Moon could feel the heat of her body. When she touched Star’s flank gently with her nose, the burning intensity of it shocked her. Star’s eyes were almost closed, but she gave a tiny hoarse whimper.
    â€œStar!” Moon sprang to all four paws and bent her head urgently to her litter-sister. “Star!”
    Again that awful plaintive whine came from her litter-sister’s throat, but it seemed Star couldn’t even raise her head, much less respond to Moon’s frantic licking.
    She’s caught Fly’s sickness, Moon realized with a plummeting senseof dread. But Star seems much worse than he did yesterday. This has come on so quickly!
    â€œStar, I’ll get help. Wait here!” She realized as soon as she said it how ridiculous that sounded; Star was clearly incapable of moving a hind leg, and her desperate breathing was shallow and wheezy.
    Fear squeezed Moon’s lungs as she bounded out through the den entrance and raced to her parent-dogs’ den. Her paws skidded, sending up sprays of loose earth and leaves as she plunged into the dimness.
    â€œMother-Dog!” As she caught her breath, she remembered she wasn’t a pup anymore. “Beta! Alpha! It’s Star—she is very sick!”
    Her Father-Dog turned as her Mother-Dog sprang to her paws. “What, Moon?” he growled. “How sick?”
    â€œVery,” she panted. “Worse than Fly yesterday.”
    Beta hurried out past Moon, her eyes sparking with anxiety. As Moon followed, her heart beating hard, she realized her frantic barking had roused many of the other dogs. They were emerging from their dens, their fur bristling, their expressions bewildered and worried. Snap came bounding over, Omega at her heels, and nosed in concern at the den entrance as Beta and Moon squirmed inside.
    Moon wished she could calm her heart. The blood pounding in her ears felt almost painful as she waited for her Mother-Dog’s verdict. Beta was nuzzling Star, who shivered where she lay curled on the den floor. Alpha stood at Moon’s shoulder, and she was glad to feel his reassuring solid warmth at her side.
    â€œIt’s all right, Moon,” said Beta at last, giving Star’s ear a last gentle lick. “She has a sickness, but I’ve seen it before. It looks terrible and it’s frightening, but dogs always recover from it.”
    â€œBut she’s so hot,” exclaimed Moon, looking from her Mother-Dog to Star and back. “And her breathing is so bad. . . .”
    â€œYes,” Alpha soothed her, “but Star’s young and strong, like Fly. They’ll both get better, I promise.”
    â€œYour Father-Dog is right.” Beta padded back to Moon and nuzzled her neck. “This invisible enemy strikes sometimes, but it doesn’t stay forever. It hurts dogs, but it won’t kill them.”
    â€œOmega.” Alpha twisted his head to give the little snub-nosed dog a commanding bark. “Please bring water for Star. She mustn’t get thirsty.”
    â€œAll right, Alpha.” Omega almost rolled his eyes; Moon was sure of it. She’d never liked him.
    â€œAnd bring more for Fly, too,” added Alpha sternly. “Keep watch on these two through the night, Omega. They mustn’t runout of water.”
    This time the little dog’s sullen grunt was perfectly audible. Moon twitched an ear in annoyance, but Alpha simply stared hard at him until he’d turned and trotted off toward the stream.
    Omega’s a lazy, bad-tempered little thing, thought Moon resentfully. But so long as he does his job and looks after Star, I don’t care. She turned once more toward her litter-sister, unable to repress a low whine of anxiety. Star’s lolling tongue looked so dry and pale. And this sickness had struck so quickly. . . . “Alpha, are you sure she—”
    â€œShe’ll be fine, Moon.” Beta licked her anxious face. “Now, don’t