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Quesnel donned his delighted academic smile Percy had the same smile "Initially, if we stick him in and Rue here returns to nor his tether"

"And after that?" Mother was a great dealthan she ith her own

"We’d knoe arrive and he wakes up again" Quesnel would not sugarcoat the reality of science

"He is standing right here!" Lord Maccon gave an aggrieved rumble His voice sounded worn and shaken, as if he’d been recently crying

"Quite right, your risk, Conall Do we try?"

"I am at your disposal, Wife I’ve no other duties now but to attend your whi She turned towards The Spotted Custard It had floated down for a better view of the Alpha challenge

Rue stayed behind and watched the pack

One at a ti Uncle Rabiffano Each knelt low over his forelegs and then flipped to present the soft underside of throat and stoe? Rue found herself trying to guess whose turn would be next Soht She wondered if she had some latent pack instinct after all

Her parents and Quesnel were up the gangplank now, chatting almost companionably to one another

"Infant," called Lady Maccon, "do co to lose everything, Rue was not

The last wolf, Rafe, rolled to stand after his abeyance

Rue approached the new Alpha She slunk, chest low, neck cocked slightly to show her throat She bowed over her forelegs Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh… And went to flip, to expose her belly to her pack

Her former pack as it turned out

Uncle Rabiffano’s eyes were sad But then, they were always a little sad Yet he left – they left – without acknowledging her