you.”

“That's better,” said Luna. “Now, I don't want to see or hear any more fighting, okay?”

“I won't fight,” said Star.

“Yeah, me neither,” Angel answered anemically. “I was just trying to get some space is all.”

“I see,” said Luna. “Well, Star, why don't we let her have her space? Hopefully she'll be in a better mood later, and then she can join us.”

Yeah, right, she thought as they left.

“Mommy,” asked Star once she and Luna were out of the room, “How come only Angel gets to play with other dogs?”

Luna pursed her lips. “Well, I wouldn't say she's the only one,” she countered, “But I do see why you might think so. What it really is is just that Angel found her friends, and you haven't yet. Are there some dogs you want to play with?”

Star's ears drooped. “I don't know any,” she admitted weakly.

Luna smiled. “I'll tell you what,” she said. “Next time Angel goes with her friends, I'll leave the boys with Toby and we'll go find you a friend of your own. Deal?”

Star smiled and jumped up and down. “Yeah, that'd be great!”

Luna laughed. “Well okay.”

Late the following day, Arrow yawned and rose to her feet as the cuckoo clock in the living room sounded out the hour. Two o' clock, meaning it was almost time for school to be out. Luna had been in the habit of meeting Connie and Eugene when they left the schoolhouse before the pups were born, and since that time Arrow had taken over the duty. So, after a quick stop at the water bowl, she headed out, unaware of the figure lurking nearby.

She never sensed the other dog's presence until she ran smack into him rounding the corner of the porch. “Oof!” they both cried.

Arrow stepped back and shook her head to clear it. “Sorry,” she apologized.

“Meh, no harm done,” the other dog replied, walking on without a glance in her direction.

Arrow blinked. That brown-and-black fur, the old matted patch on top of the head... “Sam?” she asked.

The larger dog turned and stared in surprise. “Sis?” he asked.

Arrow stood gaping for a moment, then ran to her brother wagging her tail and rubbing her nose against his neck. “Where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you since I got my family!”

He laughed. “Oh, just knocking around like always.”

Arrow's ears drooped, and she pulled away. “Like... always?” she asked slowly. Sammy might have been her brother, but he was always in trouble. When she had last seen him, he was part of Groven's army in the rebellion. What new trouble might he be in now that he had come out of hiding?

Sammy seemed to know what she was thinking. “Ah, come on. I'm not starting any riots this time. Just ask your sister.”

Arrow blinked, and her ears leaned back as she tried to process the information. She had lots of sisters, but why would Sammy call any of them... wait. “You talking about Angel or Star?”

“Angel,” he replied. “She hangs with me and my pals.”

She squinted. “You're one of the friends she keeps going off with?”

Sam shrugged. “Yeah, what's the matter?”

“Well, it's just that, um...” she trailed off, suddenly not sure what to say. That he used to get into trouble a lot? That had been a long time ago. Besides, Angel's other friend Lily seemed okay. A little reluctant to talk, maybe, but okay. “Nothing,” she admitted.

“Look,” he said, “I know I did some dumb things before, especially with Groven, but I'm different now. Me and the other dogs, we don't hurt anyone. In fact, sometimes we help people.”

She tilted her head, considering. There hadn't been any big trouble going on lately, it was true. Meaning Sammy and Arrow's other friends hadn't been in any big trouble lately. “Well,” she conceded, “Okay.”

“Great,” he agreed. “'Cause, uh, the others are kinda waiting for Angel, so I came to pick her up.”

Arrow thought about it. “Okay, I'll get her. In fact, since you're here, why don't you meet Mom and Dad?”

“No!” he blurted, wide-eyed. “I mean, please don't mention me just yet. The last they remember, I was trying to help Groven and his bunch kill Chase. They wouldn't understand.”

She laughed. “Not understand? They're all about second chances, bro. They gave my uncle a second chance. And you may not know him, but he used to be a real jerk. Heck, I double-crossed them worse than anybody else could and they still kept me. I'm sure they'd give you a chance.”

He dropped his chin, thinking fast. “Maybe, but I just... well, I'm just a little, you know, shy. I'm new at this being good stuff, and I don't really like dogs crowding me. I mean with you it's okay, you're my sister. But them...” he trailed off and shrugged weakly. “Guess I sound kinda dumb, huh?”

She shook her head sympathetically. “No, I know exactly how you feel. I was the same way, right after I told them I was supposed to keep them out of Groven's business. It took me forever to really feel like they forgave me, but they did.”

Sammy looked away and fidgeted just a little.

“But,” Arrow conceded, “If you'd rather keep a low profile, that's okay. I'll just tell them you're one of Angel's friends and leave it at that.”

He grinned and ran his muzzle over the top of her head. “Thanks, sis. I owe you one.”

She laughed. “I don't keep debts. It's on the house.” And she ran inside to tell Angel that her friend had arrived.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief and wiped a paw across his nose where, in spite of the low temperature, he had started to sweat. That, he told himself, Was too close.

It seemed luck was with Sam that day. When Arrow called to Angel to tell her one of her friends had arrived, Luna was too preoccupied with Star to see Angel off or ask when she'd be back. And luckier still, Toby was already out with the trio of boys. So there was no one to ask any questions, and no one to see them leave who might, just might, recognize Sam and remember his history.

“So, ya hungry, kid?” asked Sam.

Angel nodded. “I think I'll have some pork today,” she said. “It comes pretty salty, but I like the sweet juices and the chewy fat.”

Sam shrugged. “I prefer a good bit of beef myself,” he replied. “There's just something about the taste that's kinda boom, you know?” A more trained gourmet might have said the same thing as, “It has a nice, robust flavor,” but then thieves such as Sam are not generally known for a good vocabulary.

“Anyway,” he went on, taking a turn down a side street, “We decided we're gonna show you a little something else before we go there.”

Angel's tongue was hanging out, partly from keeping up with the larger dog and partly from the anticipation of some juicy pork. “What?” she asked.

Sam herded her into an alley, then to an old, run-down shed in someone's back yard. “Angel,” he said with the air of an artist about to unveil a great masterpiece, “I give you our hideout.”

Angel tilted her head, confused and slightly disappointed. As secret places went, it wasn't much to look at. It sure wasn't as pretty as the crystal caves her parents had shown her and her siblings once, or even as interesting as the caves that the Northern Lights Pack lived in when their seasonal travels brought them within a short walk of Nome. “Uh, thanks,” she said. “What am I supposed to do with it?”

Sam looked at her funny. “Do with it? What do you... oh, I get it,” he added as realization washed over his features. “No, you see, when I said 'I give you,' it was just an expression. The hideout belongs to all of us. Come on, the others are waiting inside.”

Angel followed him in to where the others sat or lay around amidst various items piled against the walls. Numerous tools and a few buckets and other miscellanea sat gathering dust on a dirt floor.

“Hey, Angel, what's up?” asked Lily.

She shrugged in reply. “Not much. So, we gonna go?”

“Yeah,” said Max, “We're goin', but first we got somethin' to show ya.”

He stood up and stepped back, scratching at the dirt floor until his nail caught on the edge of a large board just below the dirt. He lifted it up, caught it with his front teeth, and pulled it aside to reveal...

Bones. So many bones as Angel had never even imagined being in one place except for the butcher's heap. T-bones, ribs, little circle bones from sliced hams, all lying in a hole about three feet in diameter.

“Whoa,” she said in awe, feeling as you might if someone showed you a stash of pirate's treasure.

Max grinned. “We stow our leftover bones here,” he explained, “And anytime one of us wants one, they're right here for the taking. This way the butcher never finds any leftovers from our visits.”

“You can't tell from up here,” Buck added, “But that hole is so deep if you fell in it would take forever to get out.”

“That is so cool!” Angel