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  “It’s perfect,” Oscar woofed, marveling.

  Shep watched as the pack wound its way into the sheltered dark and snuggled close to the trunk. Callie appeared at his side.

  “Bold move,” she woofed, her bark cold.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t bark with you about the cat,” Shep replied, “but I thought I’d lose the pack if I stepped aside.”

  “I just wish you’d woofed about this rescue idea with me beforehand. I’m all for saving dogs, but now we’re supposed to rescue all the animals we find?”

  “Not all,” Shep snuffled, “just those we can help.”

  “Which ones are those, Shep?” Callie yapped. “Are you going to make calls on whether we have anything to offer a particular ferret who squeaks for assistance? We’re barely surviving as it is!” Her eyes were hard.

  “Honey wouldn’t come without him,” Shep barked. “I didn’t want to leave her behind, and I figured it’s one cat, and he can bark, which makes him special, right?” Callie’s eyes seemed to be softening. He woofed on, “We don’t have to rescue every pet we come across. I mean, how many rodents speak dog? I’m guessing none.”

  Callie hung her head. “I’m not really angry about that,” she grumbled. “I know what you meant. But you didn’t say that — you said every pet who needs our help. As lead dog, you have to say only what you mean, only what you’re willing to fight for with all the fur on your back.”

  “How do you know what a lead dog can and can’t say?” Shep growled. “All you ever do is hide behind my flank.”

  Callie scowled, her jaw locked and ears flat against her head. “That was mean,” she snuffled.

  Shep sighed. Why was she making this so difficult? “I’m sorry,” he grumbled. “I had to make a call up there, so I made one. I’m trying my best, Callie.”

  “Aren’t we all,” she woofed, and padded away from him into the darkness of the banyan’s roots.

  Many thanks to my early readers: Kaitlyn and Amanda Johson, Angela LaCour, and Hallie-Blair Quatro; Anne Cunningham, Jennifer Decker, Shala Erlich, Mary Beth McNulty, and Matthew Weiner; and Tui Sutherland, who is so much more than just my writing guru. Thank you to my editor, Amanda Maciel, who made every thing better. I feel blessed to have such a supportive family, and especially want to thank my mom, Chris Kaufman, for reading every draft. Finally, thank you to my wonderful husband for being the man of my dreams, and my goat girl for being perfection personified.

  #1 - THE STORM

  #2 - THE PACK

  #3 - THE RETURN

  Text copyright © 2011 by Dayna Lorentz

  Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Joy Ang

  Book design by Phil Falco

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.

  SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  First printing, September 2011

  Cover art © 2011 by Joy Ang

  Cover design by Phil Falco

  e-ISBN 978-0-545-38881-8

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.