Bella

"I don't miss them. Not much, anyway. I can't be that sad they left me behind, after all. They abandoned me. Besides, I have other things to think about, my friends, for a start. They need someone to take charge. I don't have time to mope." —Bella to Lucky The Empty City, page 141

The empty city

 * Bella first appears as Squeak when her mother is going to tell her and the others the story of the Storm of Dogs. She tells her siblings to be silent whenever the interrupt.
 * Later on, Bella is seen much older. Bella and her "pack" find Lucky in the mall. She is fighting foxes with her other fellow Leashed Dog friends to save her brother, Lucky. She tells him she's happy to see him again, calling him Yap. He remembers the name Yap from his Pup Pack, and is happy to see his sister, Squeak again. She tells him that her new name is Bella. He calls her name beautiful, which a pretty white dog makes a snorting yelp. Bella tells her, calling her Sunshine, that it was what her name meant. Lucky nudges Bella's muzzle with his own, saying he had a new name also: Lucky. Bella says that the name fits because he was lucky that they came along to save him. He agrees and turns to greet her friends.
 * When Bruno starts sniffing the meat on the counter, Bella gives him a nudge with her muzzle and a playful growl saying he's always hungry, even at the end of the world. Sunshine tells her she wishes Bella wouldn't say that, since they that didn't know it was the end of the world. Bella responds with an answering whine and questions her if it's not then where are their longpaws. Lucky stiffens, and exclaims, horrified, that they were leashed dogs. The Farm Dog replies with confusion that they were. Lucky then thinks of them as: leashed dogs, pampered dogs, and tame, silly, pointless dogs. He also wonders of how they are to survive as Leashed Dogs, but he shakes himself free and says that they should share the meat.
 * As they share, Lucky murmurs to Bella that her friends are interesting. She gazes at him fondly and says they weren't like them and she used to think all dogs were sheltie-retrievers. He blinks and asks if that was what they were. She responds yes, and then starts to introduce her friends. She says that Bruno's Mother-Dog was a German Shepherd, and Mickey was what longpaws called a 'Border Collie' and adds that he's smart and liked to herd them. Daisy's sire and Mother-Dog were a 'Westie' and 'Jack Russell'. She calls "Little Sunshine" a 'Maltese', adding on how she was very delicate. Lucky nods at the biggest, black dog. Bella calls her Martha and informs her brother that she was a Newfoundland. She then compares Martha's side to Sunshine's.
 * Lucky then starts to wonder who was the Alpha of the pack. He thinks that Bella talked a lot, and she was kind but brusque with Sunshine, but she didn't act as Pack leader. He adds that she didn't have the air of unquestioned authority; she didn't expect to be obeyed at her first bark or nip, and even when she seemed decisive, she looked to the others for approval or advice. He questions himself who the real Alpha is. Lucky's bewildered thoughts are interrupted by a high pitched howl coming from Sunshine. She leaps up, and runs in tight circles, yelping that she was bitten by one of the foxes.
 * Bella looks at her anxious, her eyes wide. Lucky now know that his sister isn't a real Alpha dog. When Lucky tells Sunshine to lick her wound, all the dogs are cheering for him when she says it's better. Bella gazes from him to Sunshine, and back again with delight.
 * Lucky is about to leave, but he hesitates too long, and Bella asks him to stay with them just for a while. He says okay, but just for a while. She gives a loud bark of delight, and suddenly she is down on her forepaws, then leaping up, tumbling into him. Lucky rolls with her, jumping up and spinning in a circle, then letting her chase him back toward the little Pack. Daisy darts forward, colliding with Bella. Lucky watches all the dogs happily as they play, until he feels Bella cannon into him and the littermates wrestle in a squirming heap. She asks him if he's alright, panting breathlessly. Lucky responds of course, springing for her again. The others continue to play.
 * At last all the dogs are exhausted and lie down, panting one by one. Sunshine finds a pile of silk cushions; Mickey lies contentedly beside her, and Lucky stretches out on the cold, hard floor, watching them all. Daisy flops down beside him, and he gives her ear an affectionate lick. Bella then tells Lucky to come up beside her. Her head hangs over the edge of a longpaw seat, her ears pricked.
 * He springs onto it, and curls up beside Bella, who gives him a happy little whine and licks his nose. He closes his eyes, tilting his head up to wish for a good sleep. Bella asks him for what he was doing. He replies that he was getting ready to sleep, which she responds that he was ready for sleep. Lucky cocks his head curiously at her, and wonders if Bella prepared for sleep properly. She softly tells him to soft fidgeting, and he responds that he couldn't help, it was just to comfy. She yawns that there's no such thing, and he'll get used to it quickly.
 * He then tells her that she must have been happy with her longpaws. She says that she was, and he asks her where they were now and what happened. She lies her head down on her forepaws, lifting her ears as if hearing something from her memory. She sighs and says that it was such a rush when the Big Growl came. She adds that it was such a terrible panic, and that they had to leave in a great hurry. They had packed all their possessions in the loudcage, all but her. Lucky thinks what did she expect and that they were all longpaws. She shouldn't have relied on them, and built all her happiness on Leashed life. But he nuzzles her head and licks her ear. He tells her that he is sorry. She says it was alright, and she didn't need them, responding that she needed to take charge of her friends and not mope.
 * Lucky is glad his sister is so practical and unsentimental, and thinks that she'd make a good Free Dog. She asks him what happened to him after the Pup Pack, and he tells her how his longpaw abused him. She nuzzles him and tells him that his longpaw didn't sound like her's. He admits that some longpaws are good, but not his. She nestles closer to him, and asks him if he remembers the stories their Mother-Dog told them. He responds that he did. She tells him that she's thinking of the story of Omega Wind and Forest-Dog. He frowns and says he didn't remember. She then tells him the story. After she finishes the story, she nuzzles him and says that he reminds her of that story.
 * The roar and clash of the Sky-Dog battle in the sky had ceased together, and water had no longer battered down. Bella raises her head, and Lucky gets to his paws. He muses that the Sky-Dogs have destroyed the clouds and that it's good. This makes the dogs think that they can return home, and Lucky looks at all of them, perplexed. He questions them where is their home, and Bella licks his face saying it's where they came from. They are all inviting him to come with them back to their homes, and he sighs, glancing at Bella. She is also looking at him with a combination of kindness and fervent hope. He remembers how good it had felt waking up at her side. He says he would come but only for now. She yips, dancing with delight, and the others give in to a volley of happy barks.
 * Bruno starts explaining that they were friends long before the Big Growl. Mickey adds that they played in the same dog parks, and he questions Bella if she thinks if the sandpit was still there. Martha observes that she doesn't see what harm could have come to the sandpit. Lucky nearly curls his lip and thinks that these dogs have never grown out of their Pup Pack days. He says so they are friends, and so are their longpaws, and adds that's it's not exactly like a pack. Sunshine shudders and denies, saying it wasn't like a wild pack.
 * Bella muses that it was sort of like a pack: they played together, sometimes ate together, and they all knew one another. Lucky thinks that there's more to being in a Pack than that. Mickey adds that their longpaws were in a kind of Pack of their own. Sunshine yelps that her longpaw will be back for her. Lucky catches Bella's eye. He doesn't want to say anything to spoil her moment of optimistic joy and is relieved that Bella doesn't say anything. She is beginning to understand how much had changed. He then nuzzles Bella's face. All the dogs are licking each others faces that moment, cheerfully wishing each other farewell and happy dreams.
 * Lucky pauses behind Bella, asking her if she's sure that she should sleep there. Bella tells him that he shouldn't worry because the Big Growl had faded away. He reminds her that it could return, and there was still danger there. She licks his face affectionately and says no wonder he was nervous, because of what happened in the Trap House but the buildings were their homes. Lucky doesn't think so, and he suggests they sleep outside. She glances back at her friends, confused. She informs him that they must stay at their homes until the longpaws return. Lucky doesn't say no to Bella, because he feels as if he can't.
 * There is a determined gleam in her eyes that he couldn't help respecting. He pads inside the house, and he noses around, searching for food. Bella tells Lucky that she couldn't get into the cold-box, and there were bits of food around the house, but she had already eaten them. She admits that she should have left some, but she was so hungry. Lucky tells her to not worry, though he thinks that she should have thought ahead. Her ears droop and she says it was stupid, and she should have known better. She did understand even if some of the others didn't. He remarks that they have a lot to learn. She gives him a beseeching gaze, telling him to not think too badly of her friends.
 * The two littermates sleep in separate rooms. She sleeps in a room which was furnished with tables, lamps, and a longpaw picture box. Lucky rests on one of the large, soft longpaw seats while Bella is crouched in a corner, sniffing mournfully at a small pile of longpaw things between her paws. He pads over to her, and she barely stirs. All she does is snuffle and whimper at the scent on a burst cushion. Along with it was longpaw fur, crumpled and smelling of sweat, and a leather leash, which were the ones that were usually attached to Leashed Dogs. She nuzzles with it longingly. Lucky licks her ears, and she jolts and scrambles to her paws, avoiding his gaze.
 * Gruffly she tells him that she was only tired and the things help her sleep. Lucky doesn't respond. He touches her muzzle gently with his own. He tells her that they must rest. She rests near the pile of treasure. In a cozy corner, there is a squashy cushion covered with shed golden hair, smelling strongly of Bella. Lucky snuggles down beside his sister and rests his head on her back. Bella seems unsettled, which her restlessness infected Lucky.
 * He raises his head, and slightly opens his jaws so that he can taste the air. Bella gives a soft whimper. Lucky whines that he couldn't sleep there, worried that the longpaw house falls on them. She informs him that it wouldn't happen. Lucky senses that she's wide awake, and once again she fidgets. She gets to her paws and Lucky tells her that they need higher ground, which she agrees. The two scramble through the hallway, and race outdoors towards safety. She cries that they needed to find the others, but before they could make any warning, the other Leashed Dogs are seen running from their homes. They are seen afraid, and they start to make their way back home, but Lucky orders they stay and to stay together.
 * As the Earth-Dog starts mourning and whining, Bella lifts her muzzle and gives a hysterical howl. Lucky watches in amazement as she stands there, trembling. He snaps, asking what was wrong. She tells him that a dog named Alfie is trapped in a house. Lucky questions who Alfie was, and Bella responds that he stayed behind to guard his longpaws' house. She says if they go in there to save him, they could be killed. Martha says that he was never really one of them, which Bella agrees with her. Lucky barks at them, saying that there was an alive dog trapped in there, and Bella responds that they couldn't help him. Sunshine whines at Bella that they couldn't leave them. Bruno gives a deep, gruff bark, glaring at Bella and the others.
 * As Lucky is sprinting away from Alfie's home, Bella and Sunshine bark something at him that he doesn't hear.
 * When the three dogs return, Bella comes forward and licks Lucky's ear, murmuring that she was glad he was safe. Sunshine tells Bella that it was the right think to do to save Alfie, and she shouldn't have tried to stop them, which Martha objects that she didn't want to help either. Alfie pushes forward, squeaking in disbelief that Bella wanted to leave him. She hangs her head in guilt, and Mickey replies that he mustn't be angry and she was thinking about everybody. She licks Alfie's face gratefully, which Alfie gives a reluctant nod. Lucky lies down and watches his litter-sister sadly. Her dog-spirit is quiet, repressed, and buried so deep. Bella thought like a longpaw. He pads closer to her, and she seems uneasy. He draws Bella aside, and she glances at him, her tail wagging low to the ground.
 * Before Lucky can speak, she says bitterly to not say anything and that she didn't want any harm to Alfie, to the Pack, or him. Which he replies that she was making excuses. She replies that she wasn't making excuses and he had went against it. Lucky responds that he was able to look after himself, which she snaps that Bruno nor any of them could. The argument gets interrupted by Sunshine's wailing whine. She cries that Daisy has gone missing. When Bruno suggests that they must think in order to find her, Bella agrees. As Lucky goes to try and find Daisy's trail, Bella and Mickey appear behind him so they don't seem hesitant again.
 * After Lucky finds Daisy and saves her, he begins to lick her face fiercely, and Bella joins. She whines at Daisy to wake up. Bella pokes Daisy with her paw, urgently telling her to not die. Lucky orders his sister to leave her, but she tells him to look at Daisy. The little dog starts to tremble and returns to life. As the little dog opens her eyes, Bella washes her face. Daisy sits up unsteadily, and Bella questions where she had went. Daisy replies that she didn't want to listen to the arguing so she had left. Lucky tells all the dogs that they must leave their homes. Bella shows her teeth at him, saying they couldn't leave and those we're their homes. Daisy whispers, but Bella cuts her off saying Lucky didn't understand since he was a Lone Dog.
 * Angrily, Lucky barks that it was dangerous for them to remain at their homes, reminding her how Daisy was almost killed and Alfie's house collapsed and adds that it was actually Alfie's longpaw's house, not his, and they had abandoned them. She defends her longpaws, saying they didn't mean to. As they continue to quarrel, Lucky finally says that their longpaws didn't say to get them out of trouble, making her looking downcast and for the first time, uncertain. She finally admits that the place is dangerous and they must leave. Before they do leave, though, they fetch their longpaw mementos. Bella's memento is a tattered stuffed bear-toy and drops it at Lucky's forepaws, telling him that those were their longpaws' and they needed something to remind them. He licks her nose in understanding.
 * Alfie spots water and bounds off toward it. Bella raises one paw in suspicion. She whines to Lucky that there's something wrong with the water. Lucky stops Alfie before he gets a chance to drink the water, and they all notice how the water's no good. Bella tells Alfie to stop being impulsive, which he apologizes. Bruno senses longpaws, and all the dogs are excited except Lucky. Bella is yearning toward a corner of the field they are in, panting, her ears pricked forward in enthusiasm.
 * They start to notice that the longpaws are different. However, Daisy does not. She chases after them, and Martha tries to warn her, but she doesn't listen. Bella's in the lead while the Leashed Dogs are chasing after her. After the longpaw had roughly shaken Daisy off, Lucky had dashed toward her and planted himself in front of her to make sure she didn't chase them again. Bella tells her to not chase after them. Mickey says with shock that he had never known a longpaw that had tried to hurt a dog, and Lucky says darkly that he has, as he was treated badly by his longpaw. Bella gives her brother a worried glance, but she is more concerned with Daisy.
 * The dogs go further away from the city. Sunshine complains about how her fur is falling out. As she continues to do this, Bella snaps at her to shut up. Mickey calms the two dog, and gathers the whole Pack around. Lucky tries his best to ignore Sunshine and Bella.
 * Lucky finds a river, and he races beside Bella. Lucky says the river wasn't poisoned, and springs into the deepest pool. She splashes in beside him, her temper forgotten. She and the other bigger dogs enter the water up to their bellies, lapping happily, and shaking their fur free of dust and easing the ache of their paw pads.
 * Alfie starts speaking about how much he missed, pointing out Sunshine's "battle scar". Bella reminds him that he had some excitement his self. As the dogs tell Lucky to teach him how to hunt, he starts picking out the likeliest hunters: Mickey, Bella, and Bruno, who is missing. As he looks for the big dog, he sees that he's drowning in the river. After Martha saves Bruno, Bella questions if she was alright, which she responds that she was fine and was more worried about Bruno.
 * Lucky receives another dream of the Storm of Dogs. He wonders if he helps Bella and her friends, the dreams may stop. He thinks that it is worth a try. Lucky wakes the Leashed Pack up early so that they can hunt. Bella nudges her brother's muzzle affectionately.
 * She, Mickey, and Bruno are doing their best in trying to hunt. They are slinking low to the ground, avoiding twigs and rustling brush as they sniff the air for clues, though they are not used to being unseen.
 * Mickey and Bella chase after a rabbit, with Sunshine joining and Daisy barking in excitement.
 * She and Martha scrape a pile of soft fallen leaves together into a thick bed, broad enough for all the dogs if they snuggled close together. Bella steps back, and examines her work in satisfaction. Sunshine flops down, panting, remarking how hard it is to be a Wild Dog. Bella licks her ear, and responds that they hadn't finished yet. Lucky agrees and adds that they had to organize themselves, since they all had different talents. As she and Lucky decide on the talents, Bella agrees that Mickey should be in charge of food, and Bruno and Martha can stand guard.
 * Daisy, Lucky, Alfie, and Sunshine return with soft loudcage skin-stripes, and only one tattered soft-hide. Bella is curious to know where they had found the loudcage skin-stripes and tattered soft-hide. After Daisy and Sunshine tell Bella where they found it, she gazes admiringly at the new sleeping-place. She informs that they had good luck, too; Mickey had caught a squirrel, and they caught another rabbit.
 * She shows him something else that Mickey and Martha found, leading him to the two dogs. Bella and Lucky wade into the water so they can see what Mickey and Martha are doing by a boulder at the banks of the stream. Martha shows Lucky a big flat rock, and beneath was a small cavern formed by thick tree roots, which Mickey and Martha had hollowed it out. It had now formed a deep hole beneath the bank, and the very edge of the stream rippled across its entrance.
 * Bella is proud of her friends for finding the cavern. Lucky notices that she is terribly proud of her Leashed friends.
 * The dogs share the prey Mickey and Bella had caught. She and Mickey divide the rabbit and the squirrel, tugging them into bits of fur and flesh and nudging the pieces to their friends. Lucky lifts a rabbit leg, and feeds the Earth-Dog, since she hadn't been fed in awhile.
 * The dogs decide to save the rest of the prey in the cold-box. Lucky asks if they can call it the 'river-store' instead of cold-box. Bella agrees, as it sounds more doggish.
 * The Sky-Dogs are having another fight, and Lucky orders the pack to test the shelter. Bella rests her head across Lucky's shoulders.
 * Later on, Daisy catches a mole, which all the dogs are surprised about. Bella tells her that she had never caught a mole. Lucky exchanges an affectionate glance with his sister, since they both knew how important it was to encourage a young dog like Daisy. He thinks warmly of how Bella has a great deal of good sense and instinct, and she would be a great leader once he moved on. Daisy starts saying how she's grateful for Lucky teaching her how to hunt. Bella agrees that she can now hunt well.
 * Sunshine is seen running toward them, panting with panic and exertion. She tells them that Mickey was trapped, since his collar was choking him. Bella, Lucky, and Daisy rush to Mickey to save him. Lucky tries to help Mickey, and calls for Bella to help him, which she is at her brother's side in an instant. Since she had a narrow head, he orders his sister to try and reach for Mickey's collar. She nudges and forces her way into the bushes, getting scratches on her muzzle and ears, but she manages to get a hold of Mickey's collar. As Mickey starts to back into the bushes, Lucky tells Bella to pull on his collar. Mickey is free from his collar, which is now dangling loose in Bella's jaws.
 * Mickey goes over to Bella to get his collar back on. Bruno grabs the other end and helps put it on Mickey. Lucky is angry with them, so he proves it to them by attacking Bruno. The Leashed Dogs tell Lucky about how they won't let go of their collars.
 * He glances at Bella, and her gaze is beseeching. She tells him that the collars were important to them, and were a part of who they were. Suddenly, Alfie starts yelping for the dogs. Bella is behind Lucky as she and him go searching for Alfie. He tells them that he thought they forgot about him.
 * Alfie informs the dogs about a garden he saw that had dogs and food. Bella thinks they should investigate, though Lucky is shown to be cautious. She compliments on how he was a wonderful leader, but it was something they Leashed Dogs were used to. Lucky is still shown to be nervous, though. She suggests that only a small patrol of the dogs could examine the garden, why the rest stay guard. Lucky reluctantly allows, as it is reasonable. Bella, Alfie, Daisy, and Lucky go to the garden.
 * As the four dogs make their way toward the garden, Bella sees the kibble. She gets excited about seeing the kibble for the first time since the Big Growl. She, Alfie, and Daisy all want to eat the kibble, but Lucky begs his litter-sister not to leave. She snarls at him that she was now the Alpha of the Pack, and he should listen as she commands. Lucky tells her that she had no dog-spirit, which she retorts that he pretended he knew everything. The litter-mates are circling each other, avoiding the whimpers from Alfie and Daisy. She yelps that she ordered him to come with them, which he says she wasn't his Alpha. She points out how she was the Alpha, and he replies coolly that she was welcomed to it, scratching his ear with a casual attitude. She, Alfie, and Daisy leave him as they go to eat the kibble.
 * Bella tells the two that they should return some of the kibble back to the others, and adds contemptuously that she might return to some back to Lucky.
 * Suddenly, the Fierce Dogs return. They are outraged to find the three Leashed Dogs eating their food supply. Daisy and Alfie back down, which Bella is stubborn. Daisy pleads that she'd stopped challenging them, which she yips at her, ordering her to be silent. But she finally dips her head in defeat and lies down awkwardly.
 * The Alpha of the Fierce Dogs, Blade, emerges from the other Fierce Dogs and demands on how they entered. Bella lies that they had jumped over the fence, which Lucky thinks was a stupid idea of a lie.
 * Blade turns to the Beta, Mace, and questions if he believes they jumped over a fence, which he responds no and they would eventually get the answer out of them. Before they do, Lucky comes to the three's rescue, distracting the Fierce Dogs, by insulting their bloodlines. While the Fierce Dogs chased Lucky, Bella and the others were able to escape, which one of the dogs reports it to Blade who demands to Lucky where they were. He remains silent, wishing they left the compound.
 * Once Lucky is able to escape, he searches for Bella, Alfie, and Daisy. He thinks they left him to fend for himself, but he heard a bark of delight, that is almost at his ear. His litter-sister charges from the undergrowth, panting with relief. She puts her paws on his shoulders, licking his face enthusiastically. She is happy that her brother made it out alive. Bella seems more subdued, though he tail still wags. She apologizes to her brother about how she didn't listen to him before. She tells him softly how she wouldn't make the mistake again. He accepts her apology, and the four dogs return to the others. Bella and Daisy follow Lucky close on his heels.
 * When the four return, they inform the others about the Fierce Dogs. Lucky says they should leave before the Fierce Dogs follow their scent to their camp. Most of them complain about this, but Bella tells them briskly that they must leave and they wouldn't want to meet Blade.
 * The Pack start to move on, and they stop at a field. Lucky tells them that it was where the yellow longpaws were. They all eye the field nervously, which Lucky is relieved. A longpaw comes, and the dogs prick their ears and one or two give yelps of excitement, but Bella snaps to be quiet, reminding them on what had happened to Daisy. Bruno, Mickey, Alfie, and Sunshine race toward the longpaw, though Bella, Martha, Daisy, and Lucky remain where they are. The longpaw retreats toward a building with their deer and slams the door shut. Bruno flings himself at the door, and the others scratch at it as well. Bella barks at him if he had heard the loudstick, which he replies that it was only a gun, as his longpaw had a gun as well. Mickey cries that it wasn't a bad longpaw, since it didn't shoot its loudstick at them. Alfie points out excitedly that it had a deer in there.
 * Sunshine agrees, saying it was trying to scare them even if it didn't try to hurt them. Lucky snarls furiously that it would kill them next time, which Bella interrupts. She waits till the surprised look on his face fades before she continues. She turns to the rest of the dogs, saying she missed her longpaws as well, but they couldn't chase after every longpaw they saw. Alfie whimpers, but she scolds firmly that it was no good, asking if Lucky got through to them at all. Lucky looks up at his sister, pride and nervousness jangling together in his mind, as he is impressed by her leadership. They apologize to their Alpha, and she accepts it. As the dogs rest, they stare at their city.
 * Bella tells her pack that they must become free dogs now, and says they have to survive on their own, as they have no choice. She says they're acting like a real pack, but they can never be self-reliant if they don't trust themselves. She adds that it was time to listen to their dog-spirits. Alfie tells her that Lucky doesn't understand, and how she's not understanding either. Mickey agrees with Alfie, saying Bella knew how much it mattered. Bella says it mattered, but not as much as their survival. Alfie says she's only saying it to please her brother, and she snaps that she was saying it because it was the truth.
 * All the dogs take their mementos and say they wouldn't abandon their longpaws. She barks that they weren't coming back. After being silent, Martha takes her red scarf and buries it. Bruno follows her grumpily, digging up his peaked cap, then Alfie, then Sunshine. Daisy takes a bit longer to bury her's, but Mickey is stubborn. He tells her that he wouldn't give his faith up in his longpaws, and he would be the dog who carried the memories of his longpaws. Bella agrees. She howls to the Earth-Dog to keep their mementos safe.
 * The following day, Lucky is preparing to return to his life as a Lone Dog. He brings the Leashed Pack to a new territory. Lucky tells them that he was returning to a Lone Dog, which they were all upset about. Bella pads forward to her brother, licking his nose. He wishes that his sister won'y try to stop him. She touches her nose to his and tells him to not worry, and she wouldn't argue with him again. She invites him to stay one more night with them.
 * Her gaze holds his, and she says if he feels the same at sunup, they wouldn't try to stop him. Lucky sighs and closes his eyes, and finally agrees. They don't allow Lucky to hunt, since he was their guest and so they could say farewell. Bella catches a rabbit for him. As they finish hunting, Bella stalks forward, lowering herself onto her forelegs, and bows her head, allowing him to eat first. Lucky obeys. Once the feast ends, Bella lies down by her brother.
 * Lucky is having a dream of the Storm of Dogs. Bella is close to his side, screaming as a huge red-eyed hound bowls her over onto her back and lunges for her throat.
 * The dream ends, and he springs to his feet. As Lucky is telling the pack farewell, he turns to Bella. She presses her face to his, and murmurs that did they have to lose each other once again. He says they can say goodbye properly again. She licks his ear and thanks him for teaching her and the Pack how to survive. Bella tells him good-bye, but only for now, and nuzzles him affectionately, then taking a pace back. He tells the pack good luck and that he would miss them, bounding away. Lucky tries to hunt a squirrel, but misses.
 * He hears a dog fight, and realizes that his pack is in trouble.

A hidden enemy

 * In the prologue, when the pups hear a dog, her Mother-Dog informs her pups that it was a wolf. She tells them how wolves are very cunning and crafty as well. Squeak announces that she bets she can outsmart a wolf, which her Mother-Dog says that dogs are clever, but not devious. The Mother-Dog starts reminding her pups about the story of Nuzzle, and how she was brave as well as inquisitive. Squeak interrupts on how she is brave as well. Her Mother-Dog tells her that there was brave and there was foolish. Yap squirms close to his mother's foreleg, and asks if the wolf came they would still be alright. Squeak gives a scornful yip, saying that the wolf couldn't get them. He tucks close to his mother and so does Squeak, the two and their other siblings falling asleep.
 * Bella appears in the battle with the Wild Dogs, giving her pack orders. Though she is scared, her voice is brave as she gives commands.
 * As Lucky returns to the Leashed Dogs, she is proud to see her brother again. She is upset about the death of Alfie, and when the dogs are speaking, Bella is seen standing on a rock, speaking. Lucky remarks to himself on how she looks like a real Alpha.
 * She and Lucky speak alone, away from the Pack. He asks her on what had happened when he left. She tells him how they noticed how the water he led them to wasn't good, so they searched for some clean water close by. The Leashed Dogs had found a lake, so they all start to paddle inside, after Martha and Bruno. They were unaware that they were in another Pack's ground until they saw a long-legged guard. Bella tells her brother that she tried to reason with their Alpha, but they wouldn't listen, and the alpha gave the order to attack. They ran at first, but they got closer to the poisoned river, and they couldn't keep running, which was when Lucky came back.  Then, the two return to the pack's makeshift den.
 * The dogs are searching for clean water, and Daisy suggests that if they gave the River-Dog a gift, he may clean the water for them. Lucky asks what gift would they give to the River-Dog, which Sunshine barks excitedly that they should give him food, which Bella contradicts her, saying they had no extra prey to spare. Mickey suggests that they should give the River-Dog something to play with, which Bella wonders how that would help. Mickey tells her that they should the River-Dog a stick, which she cocks her head, saying it could work. Mickey says they should ask Martha if it was a good enough gift, which Bella barks in approval.
 * Martha is worried that the River-Dog is unwell himself, and Bella nuzzles her neck, saying they should hope he enjoys their offering. The pack goes to sleep, and Lucky is hopeful they could learn how to survive in the wild.
 * Lucky wakes up when he hears a crash in the sky. He turns to Bella, who snaps awake, trembling. All the dogs awaken as well, whining anxiously, as the rain begins battering against their bodies. Lucky watches as the pack as they run in chaotic circles, and he orders they stop, but they won't. As the dogs continue to freak out, he orders they go with him.
 * Lightning turns a pine on a tree on fire, which the dogs are frightened by. Mickey howls that it was a wildfire, and Sunshine yelps, fleeing from the safety from the trees. Bella barks at her to return, but she was already racing away. Bella speeds after Sunshine when the little dog is running toward the river. Lucky sees why she was stopping Sunshine; because the river was rising, and he races after his sister. Bella is seen on top of Sunshine, holding her down. Lucky helps her, by grabbing one of Sunshine's forelegs while Bella takes her collar between her teeth. Sunshine settles down, and they realize the River-Dog didn't enjoy the stick given to him. He and Bella drop Sunshine unceremoniously on the ground, and Lucky spins on his paws. He orders the pack to run, which they obey.
 * They reach a slope, and halt there. Daisy asks Lucky if the hillside was safe, which he responds that it was the safest as it could be, which Bella agrees, saying they would protect her. Lucky gives his sister an affectionate glance, wondering that after what had happened to Alfie, Bella would be more protective of the smaller dogs than ever. The dogs try to get as much extra sleep as they can.
 * After speaking with some of the dogs from the pack, Lucky returns to the exposed caves. Bella pads quietly to his side, sniffing and gazing at the great holes with him. She murmurs that they look like they would be useful, but she wouldn't want to stay in them for very long. Lucky agrees with her, adding how the river can rise again, and if it did, it would wash away anything in the caves. She adds with a shiver that it was just like when it washed away the mud that was there. Lucky ventures that it would make it good temporary camp. She averts her eyes, and says yes. She apologizes to her brother to what happened during the Sky Dogs' fight, and says she had panicked. While Lucky is in the middle of asking her where he wonder she would go next, a sickening, choking, heaving growl is heard. They realize that it was Bruno.
 * Lucky saves Bruno's life, by head-butting his belly multiple times, and Bella nuzzles him, thanking him for saving Bruno's life. She questions what had made Bruno so sick, which they find out that the river was poisoned. Bella commands her pack to not drink from the river, which they obey.
 * Suddenly, they hear Daisy call for them. Lucky is worried that now she is in trouble, but she is looking into one of the caves excitedly. She informs them both that there was really clean water in there, with sort of a bowl in the rock, since some rain has gathered. Bella congratulates the younger dog. They bring Bruno and Martha in there to rest.
 * Mickey finds some small objects in the cave, which Bella and Lucky go to see what he has. Lucky questions what they are, and Mickey asks Bella if she knew, nudging a stone bowl, making it roll and clatter to Bella's feet. He tells her that they were longpaw things. She cocks her head and gives a happy bark, saying he was right. She points out how one of the skin covers that they would put over their bottom paws before they went for walks. She picks it up delicately with her teeth and shows it to Lucky, who asks with bewilderment why it matter, since they weren't too far from the city.
 * Before he can continue, Mickey yelps that when the water washed the mud away, it showed them all of it, and it wasn't the River-Dog at all. He thinks their longpaws are still watching over them, though the dogs disagree, Mickey is too stubborn to back down. Before Lucky can say that they're trying to convince themselves that the longpaws are watching over them, Bella nudges his shoulder. She tells him softly to come with her, and there was something she wanted him to see.
 * Bella and her brother get out of the caves and walk away from the camp. She leads him to a thin copse of trees a few paces up from the bank, where the ground was soft and wet. She stops and sits down, nodding her head at something in the ground. Lucky notices that she looks very solemn, almost afraid. Lucky bends his nose to the paw prints in the ground, and sees that they were from a small dog. Bella says beside him that she was scared, and his neck prickles as she echoes his exact thoughts. Bella tells him the reasons why she's scared: because Martha is injured, Bruno has been poisoned, and if nobody drank from the river, they would get sick from not drinking at all.
 * She adds how soon the water will run out if it didn't rain that night, and they hadn't hunted for awhile. Lucky questions what was she suggesting, and she lies down on her forepaws. She gazes at him with her determined eyes saying they needed the other Pack's water supply, and they had to be able to share it. She wanted to be able to have their water and to be able to hunt in their valley. Lucky realizes that it was just his litter-sister's typical thinking.
 * Lucky reminds her that because of that, it killed Alfie. He yelps at her to think, and the Pack wasn't going to change its mind. Bella looks at him with her stubborn look, telling him it was exactly why they had to insist on sharing it. Lucky argues that they needed to get away, which she curls her lip back over her teeth, saying she wouldn't give up. He tells her that she didn't have to be so stubborn, trying to control his temper. He tells her the smart decision is to leave. Bella says it would be different this time; he barks how would it be any difference. Bella says this time they would have a plan. She says she will make the pack leader listen to her, and Lucky growls that he wouldn't wait to listen.
 * She sits up, saying she had a plan this time, and it was a good one. Before he can say much more, she says that one of the dogs needed infiltrate the other Pack, and to become a member so they could speak for them as one of the Wild Pack's. She continues, saying the pack never laid eyes on Lucky, since he left them. She keeps going on, saying he would make good friends with them, and he'll make them earn their trust. She orders he try to persuade them, but if it didn't work, they tell him how to get to the lake without realizing. He grumbles how the plan is stupid and how long did she expect him to remain in their pack. Bella says that it was just until Martha's leg healed and Bruno felt better. She looks at him with her pleading eyes.
 * Lucky hates the idea, but he agrees to do it. Bella is proud that he's going along with the plan. She informs him that about five or six rabbit-chases further up the valley, there was an old longpaw camp, and where she and her pack played and their longpaws went there to play and eat. She tells him to meet her there whenever the Moon-Dog rises and to tell her what he's been spying for. He dips his head slowly to show that he agreed. She licks his nose happily, thanking him. Without another word, she turns and trots back toward the camp, tongue lolling, and her head and tail held high. Lucky sees that his litter-mate looks like a real Alpha now.
 * Next morning, Lucky is hunting with Daisy, Mickey, and Sunshine. They return their catches to Martha, Bella, and Bruno. Lucky decides that it was time to go to the pack, nuzzling Bella's ear. Before he leaves, he gives Bella a last glance. She is watching him with a solemn look in her eyes. More and more, Lucky thinks the she seemed to fit naturally into her roles as Alpha, and more and more he wishes he could be she she was capable of that responsibility. He licks her nose fondly and presses his face to hers before forcing himself away.
 * As Lucky is seeing the dogs of the Pack, he sees that the Pack was larger than Bella's. He adds that even at full strength, Bella's Pack would be no match against the well fed, well-disciplined, and strong Wild Pack.
 * When it is Lucky's turn for night patrol, he decides to go find Bella. He then sees curled shadows that moved slightly, revealing Bella and Mickey. To awaken the two, Lucky licks their faces and says their names which results in making them wake in an instant, snarling and hackles high. Lucky announces that it was himself, and they relax. Lucky questions about Bruno and Martha, which Bella hesitates. Mickey answers for her, saying they still were unwell.
 * Lucky apologizes that he was unable to get their water supply because there were dogs always watching. Bella responds on how she understood, but the poison crept farther and farther downriver. She adds on how the hunting is poor, since all the prey was moving away from the bad water as well. She also says that they need to get out of the caves unless it floods when it rains. Lucky licks her and tells her that it was sensible and it must be difficult.
 * Bella raises her eyes to his and asks him that if he found a way to get to the lake, which Lucky responds that he did. He says that the Wild Pack will not allow them to share, but they can go to a gully, and they would need to follow it around the long way to the far side of the lake. The patrols didn't go there, and if they were there at night there wouldn't be enough wind to carry out their scent to them. Lucky adds that the best time was sunset, and says that it wasn't only a good time to travel, but the dusk gave them good camouflage.
 * Mickey begins to paw at the ground, and Bella's brows furrow. She says that Martha and Bruno were still recovering, and they wouldn't be able to travel. Lucky assures them that the strong and fit dogs can retrieve some water back to them. Bella and Mickey exchange a glance, much to Lucky's dislike. She starts to peer at the stars above her, as if searching intently for the shape of the Rabbit or one of the other star-creatures their mother had pointed out to them when she was a pup.
 * Lucky happily tells them that he was happy to be returning to them, adding how he missed them all. Bella sighs, saying he couldn't return. Startled, Lucky asks why, though his litter-sister shakes her head determinedly. She says he has done a wonderful job, though the Wild Pack now trusted him and he can figure out more ways they can get the territory and water supply. Lucky reluctantly agrees to return, and begins to say his sister's name, though she sharply responds what, he shakes himself, saying it was nothing. Bella gives Mickey a guilty glance, but Lucky shrugs it off, leaving the two Leashed Dogs to return to the Wild Pack.
 * After Lucky becomes a hunter, he realizes that now he is more important to the pack, it would be harder to visit Bella during the night. As he goes to visit Bella, he realizes she sent the two youngest dogs in her pack to meet with him: Sunshine and Daisy. He wonders if something bad happened to Bella, but Sunshine whines that nothing bad happened. Daisy jumps in, informing him that she had a special mission on her own, so she sent them in her place instead. Lucky's eyes narrows, and he questions what she was up to now. He thinks on how it wasn't like Bella to send the most junior members of the pack to speak to Lucky. Daisy assures him, saying how Bella had a brilliant plan, and they needed to trust her. Lucky thinks to himself on how Bella's "brilliant" plans had gotten them into lots of trouble.
 * He orders the two to tell Bella what he found out, speaking on how the Wild Pack have challenges, and how he had defeated Snap, a high-ranking hunter of the pack. Sunshine says with awe that it was quite strange, wondering if they needed to fight all the time in the pack. Lucky orders them to bring him to their camp, but Daisy yips that Bella didn't complete her mission, so he was unable to.
 * After Lucky's walk with Sweet, he goes to see if Bella came to meet him that night. He wonders if Bella didn't come, when suddenly her voice comes. She calls him Yap, and says she wondered if he had given up on her. Lucky nuzzles her, saying that she shouldn't give up on him, calling her by her Pup Pack name, Squeak. She questions him on how it's been a few no-suns since his last arrival, asking what kept him. He tells her that since he is now a higher-ranking member, he's running out of excuses. He then notices that Bella has scratches on her nose and a shallow gash on her left shoulder. Curious, Lucky tentatively sniffs her shoulder, catching the dark and musky scent of other animals.
 * He takes a step back from her, demanding what was going on. Brightly, Bella responds that they were all fine and his instructions on getting to the lake and the hunting grounds had worked perfectly, and she was sure they would all by stronger soon. Lucky remarks that she looked hurt. She tosses head dismissively, explaining that some Wild Dogs came along, and they had to fight them off, but they managed. She eventually asks on what had happened since his last visit. He notices that she sounds bright and curious, and tells her everything, though he begrudged each word.
 * Bella listens keenly, and gives a sharp little bark of encouragement as he pauses, saying Daisy had told her about his adventures with the loudcages, remarking on how she thought it was terrible. Lucky responds that they were, pointing out that it wasn't much on an adventure, instead it was frightening, and starts to speak about how Alpha saved them. Her ears prick up sharply as she hears the respect in his voice as he speaks about his Pack leader. She demands to Lucky about him, though he doesn't explain, changing the subject back onto the longpaws and their loudcages. Eyes full of sympathy, she noses anxiously at his flank, asking if he was hurt. He tells her no, and begs her if he can return, explaining that Whine knew about him spying for the Wild Pack, and could expose him at any moment - by the next turn of the Moon-Dog he would be back to Omega, and would reveal his betrayal.
 * Bella barks cheerfully that it was long time away, and he has kept the "horrible dog" happy for now, so he would be fine. Lucky stares at her, and says that it wasn't just Whine, but if the other dogs found out of his allegiance to the Leashed Pack, she would no longer see him, and he would be hunting worms with the Earth-Dog.
 * She stares at her paws, and tells him that he couldn't come back. He asks her what she meant, and Bella said that not forever, but he had to remain with them for now, and he didn't understand. Angrily, Lucky said he didn't. Bella placates him, ordering him to listen, and he could come back, perhaps in a few days. She adds that Martha and Bruno were still unwell. He doesn't understand on why they are still unwell, and she says hurriedly that he mustn't worry, and he had nothing to think about. He tells her that he had to betray a dog for her in the pack, and she said they are such at low strength, and she needed him to spy for her pack a little longer, adding that they needed him. He agrees, and asks if he could go see Bruno and Martha, but she said she wish he could, but he couldn't. She nuzzles his ear, and licks him affectionately calling him Yap again, and she didn't want him to get hurt. She tells him goodbye, and leaves. Lucky is annoyed on how she dismissed him like a pup.
 * The next day, Lucky returns to camp when Dart informs him, Fiery, Snap, and Spring that they were being attacked by the Leashed Pack.
 * Lucky sees Bella in the lead, her tail stiff and her hackles high as she grimly faces down Alpha. Lucky sees two healthy dogs with them: Martha and Bruno. He then knows she lied to him. Bella's great, courageous bark silences the low growls of a challenge. She cries for Alpha, demanding that they have a share of their territory, since they have food, water, and shelter. She orders that they share it, or they would take it by force.
 * Alpha invites her to try with a silky growl, and calling her stupid for wanting to fight. Bella doesn't even blink or cower. She draws herself even stiffer and higher, saying he made a big mistake. Surprised, Alpha gives a great bark of laughter, saying it was her that was making the mistake. She says nothing; only wrinkling her muzzle in disdain and giving a great summoning bark.
 * Foxes emerge into view, and one of them say they were with her. Lucky realizes that the dark, mushy scent was the scent of foxes. With a cool and certain growl, Bella tells Alpha that she knew he was making a mistake. She says that they were no longer weak Leashed Dogs, and he couldn't drive them away from the valley. Alpha stands stock-still in disgust, rigid and stunned. Bella barks at the foxes to attack.
 * Bella knocks Sweet flying, though the swift-dog quickly recovers, onto her paws again and snarls in rage as she tears at Bella's neck. As foxes attack Lucky, he begs for help from Alpha, Sweet, and Bella.
 * After the deaths of Mulch and Fuzz, Alpha orders Bella forward, saying he was now going to kill her. Sunshine whimpers to Alpha to please not kill her, and that she was a good dog. Bruno puts in that she was a good leader. Alpha shakes his head, saying a good leader would have thought ahead, and she put her pack in much peril as his pack. Before he kills her, the Mother-Dog, Moon, paces forward, asking if she could speak. Alpha allows her, and she begins that she lost a pup because of Bella. She says that Bella was honest, and it was obvious the foxes duped her; she had never intended the deaths to happen the way it did, and it was stupidity, not wickedness.
 * As she explains more, Fiery nuzzles his mate and agrees with her. Alpha scowls at the two, but their is fondness in his frown and her turns to Sweet, ordering her to advise him. She starts to speak to him on how they could join them, but begin as patrol dogs. As he questions about Bella, she says she was willing to agree with Fiery and Moon. Alpha says they will join the Wild Pack, and start as patrol dogs, given the hardest tasks. Sweet prompts about Bella, and Alpha growls that she would be Omega. After he explains to her about her new role, she stands up, hackles rising. Before she can make her decision, Whine comes.

Darkness falls

 * He orders Alpha to not make a decision yet, as there was a traitor among them. He reveals that Bella's brother, Lucky, was working with the Leashed Pack the whole time, putting both, Lucky and the Leashed Dogs in trouble.
 * Bella first appears in the prologue. She is seen as being Squeak, her Pup Pack name. As the air splits with a piercing crack and thunder growls, she and her brother, Yap, press close to their Mother-Dog. Squeak presses next to her brother, trembling.
 * As Yap awakens, he later returns and settles down next to Squeak, who gives a small snuffle but doesn't wake up.
 * Bella is next seen after Whine had informed the Wild Pack about Lucky's betrayal. Whine is excited that he was right, and points out that Lucky had met with Bella. In response, Bella glares at him until he cringes and cowers. His words trail off when she does so.
 * Sweet tells the pack that Lucky had defended the pack against the foxes, and he was no Leashed Dog, but truly part of the Wild Pack. Lucky gives a grateful bark and glances at Bella. She stares hard at him, head slightly cocked. Lucky realizes that Bella knows that it's true; he had grown loyal to the Wild Pack. Alpha growls that they had saved the Leashed Dogs—calling them a band of weaklings—and they couldn't be expected to save grown dogs that are as feeble as pups.
 * Daisy bristles, and Mickey scratches the grass, but Bella is the one to step forward. She admits that it was very stupid of her to bring the foxes to his camp, and Lucky had no part of it. She adds that her pack would join his and do as he commanded. As she finishes her speech, she glances at Moon, who whines her agreement. Lucky is proud that his sister hadn't deserted him. He begins to remember her as a puppy, when she was still known as Squeak, who was bright, bossy, curious, and loyal, like she had always been.
 * After Bella's submissive speech, Alpha scratches one of his ears with a ragged claw, and looks around his pack. Dart's hackles are still raised, though Twitch and Spring are more relaxed. Snap's tongue lolls from her mouth in a grin, and Whine turns away while Moon and Fiery stand tall and glance at their leader. Alpha allows them to join his pack, but they would be given the hardest tasks, and begin as Patrol Dogs. He informs the Leashed Dogs that Lucky would become Omega, and would be given a permanent reminder of his treachery: a scar on his flank.
 * Mickey tries to stop Alpha, saying Bella and Daisy are good hunters, and they shouldn't wait to use their skills. Snap disagrees, and they needed to have order. Before Alpha can give Lucky his scar, Bella begs for him to release her brother, and it wasn't fair. Alpha responds that an Omega's duties aren't honorable, and continues his job. Lucky pushes Sweet and Snap off, passing by Bella and Daisy.
 * Suddenly a howl comes in the air, and the sky is sick. Lucky tries to detect the smell, and Bella appears at his side, telling him it was bad smells. He agrees with his sister. The dogs are wondering if the dark cloud could hurt them, making Bella shift from paw to paw, saying it was too far away. Lucky tells the Pack that the needed to leave the camp, which most of the pack disagrees. Bella turns to Dart and Twitch, saying that if Lucky said they needed to leave, she believed in him. The dogs evacuate, and Bella leads the Leashed Dogs after the Wild Pack.
 * Lucky hears pawsteps behind him, and it's Bella. She's starting to begin a sentence, when she trails off, spotting Alpha. Following Lucky, the two both go over to the dog-wolf. Alpha speaks lowly to himself, saying it was an evil Sky-Dog. Bella draws closer, squinting in the direction of the cloud, remarking on how she thought all Sky-Dogs were good. Alpha whines that they said the same thing about the Earth-Dog, but she didn't stop the Big Growl.
 * A loud cry of pain comes throughout of the forest. Bella shoots forward toward the sound, followed by Lucky and Alpha. The three run through the trees to the source of the noise, when they see Twitch lurching in a circle, howling in agony.
 * Bella is seen dropping back so she can walk at Lucky's side. She throws a worried glance at Twitch, and Lucky realizes that she and her are thinking the same thing - how much pain Twitch is in. When Snap asks Alpha where they should shelter and they don't respond, Bella barks that they should stay where the water meets the rocks. Lucky agrees. He looks up at the sky, observing on how it would be dark soon. In response, Bella steps forward, saying they didn't have a moment to lose.
 * As the Sun-Dog begins to go down in the sky, Bella and Lucky are skidding on the pebbles. She is again seen when Bruno nips Whine on the flank. Because of this, Bella barks at him to stop.
 * After Lucky has another dream of the Storm of Dogs, he wakes up to see Sweet snarling at Bella. Sweet is snarling on how Bella's Pack had brought nothing but trouble since their arrival, and they should leave before everything fell to pieces. Bella doesn't budge, and responds that it wasn't her fault, or the fault of the pack that Twitch decided to leave. She adds that they had slowed down for him, and that Twitch was with Sweet when he was injured. Sweet growls, but Lucky interrupts, asking what happened to Twitch.
 * Sweet finishes telling Lucky what happens, and barks at Bella, inching closer to her. They didn't know where Twitch had gone. She informs Bella that their pack was too big to allow them to remain with them since the territory wasn't that big to allow the whole pack to stay, telling them it was time for the Leashed Dogs to find another territory somewhere else. Bella ignores the worried glances of Daisy and Martha, and the wary looks of Bruno, Snap, and Fiery. She seems to not allow herself to be cowed. She tells Sweet that she was rather full of herself, and it was Lucky who spotted the dark cloud and helped the Pack to safety, and in case she had forgotten, he was one of them. Bella finishes by saying that the Wild Pack needed the Leashed Dogs.
 * Lucky thinks how it is unfair of his sister to bring him into the argument, and he wanted the whole pack to forget about how he betrayed the pack. To stop the argument between the two she-dogs, Alpha lands between Bella and Sweet, who both start in surprise. Head high, Alpha paces between Bella and Sweet, saying how arguing wouldn't help. He comments to Bella, while giving her a dubious look, telling her that her dogs look up to her as well, and Sweet and Bella must both demonstrate courage and good sense, so that they wouldn't compromise the security of others by being reckless or selfish, adding the way Lucky did. Alpha blames Lucky for everything bad that happened.
 * Bella points out reasonably that the cloud wasn't Lucky's fault. Alpha growls to her to address him by his proper name. He adds that she had seen the form of the evil Sky-Dog as well. When Sweet questions on what he meant, Alpha explains to the pack on what the dark cloud was. Speaking softly, Alpha says the Leashed Dogs will live as one of their packmates now. He turns back to Bella and Sweet, avoiding to share any eye contact with Lucky. Alpha tells the two that they had both spoken to him, as though he was their ally, but he had brought them to constant bickering and was the center of all that has gone wrong for the Wild Pack. Alpha barks that Lucky must leave the pack.
 * Before Lucky leaves the pack, he turns to his sister. She stares at him with a blank expression, and remained silent. He yelps her name, and she drops her gaze. Lucky wonders what she was doing. Her abandonment stings Lucky deeply as he realizes that she now obeys Alpha's commands. He exchanges a quick glance with Bella. She looks sad, but stern. Without another word, Lucky leaves the pack.
 * While Lucky is on his own once more, he thinks about his litter-sister Bella and the other Leashed Dogs, wondering how they were faring in a much large, more disciplined Pack, hoping Alpha wasn't being too hard on them.
 * Lucky later finds Mickey, and the two travel for a little while. Mickey suggests that they return to the Wild Pack, and Lucky replies quietly that he left and he cannot return. Mickey whines why not, and tells him that he had left as well, and begins that if they reason with Bella, there could be a possibility of rejoining. Lucky suppresses a growl, saying it wasn't Bella they needed to worry about, thinking about the arrogant dog-wolf, Alpha.
 * When Lucky and Mickey return, Lucky sees Bella. Her head hangs low and she stands beside Dart and Spring. When Lick, Grunt, and Wiggle enter the camp, Bella, Dart, and Spring fall back to let them pass. Dart whines about where their lair is, and Lucky assures her that it was far away, back through the forest and toward the city. Bella asks him if he was followed. Lucky notices how those were those were the first words Bella had spoken to him since he left.
 * After Alpha's explanation of why he despises Fierce Dogs, Lucky meets Bella's questioning gaze and knows that she thinks he's done the wrong thing as well.
 * Bella nudges Lucky after Alpha allows him, Mickey, and the Fierce Dogs pups to remain in his pack. Her pink tongue lolls from her panting mouth, and she reaches forward to lick his nose, but he backs away. Bella paws at the ground, telling him to not be that way, and approaches again. Lucky raises his haunches and she stops in her tracks. She tells him she was sorry, and they didn't even had a chance to speak alone since the dogfight, so she needed to talk to him. Lucky makes an attempt to leave, and Bella calls after him. She says that what she had told Alpha was true, and she was a fool to attack the Wild Pack, and even more of a fool to do it without warning him. Lucky raises his muzzle, questioning about the foxes.
 * In response, she drops her head. She admits how it was a terrible mistake, and she should have spoken up to him when Alpha was casting him out of the Pack. She adds that she really wanted to, but she felt like more than anything, she had to do what was best for the Leashed Dogs, and was scared for what would happen if Alpha attacked them or kicked them out, so she didn't know how the Pack would survive. Bella ends her sentence by asking him if he could forgive her.
 * Lucky angrily tells himself that Bella stayed silent when Alpha was casting him out, and she let him carry out the worst of the blame for the dogfight, and she had betrayed him; what she did was unforgivable. His tail shoots out behind him and he tries to walk away, but he doesn't get three dog-lengths when she calls him Yap. Lucky stops in his tracks, and in an instant he feels at his Mother-Dog's side again. He turns and meets Bella's eye. Her long snout is low, and she gazes at him with her large, sad eyes. He sighs and tells her that he knows that what she did was for the good of the pack, and her heart was in the right place; it always was. Bella repeats in a whisper and if he could forgive her, which he replies for her to come by him. She bounds up to him and licks his muzzle, nudging him and whining with relief. Lucky thinks that he could forgive her, but he wouldn't forget. He adds in his thoughts that he wanted to trust Bella, but he couldn't. Not after everything she had done.
 * Mickey tells Bella, Daisy, Bruno, and Sunshine about the crumbling city. A moment later, loudbirds come by. All the dogs are surprised and shocked by the arrival of the longpaw tool flies over the sky. Mickey backs into Bella, who throws her head up and barks. The two dogs stand close as chaos breaks out around all of them.
 * When Sunshine helps Lucky out with his Omega duties, she explains to him on how she was Omega before he returned. When his head droops sadly, Sunshine raises to her full height, jutting out her snout, saying Bella, Martha, Daisy, and Snap were very kind to her still.
 * She is seen again on the other side of camp, standing up and padding toward Lucky, throwing a look at Martha as she and the Fierce Dog puppies rounded behind the pine trees and disappear from view. She says that she saw what Wiggle had done to him, and it looked painful. She leans over to inspect the bite, but he pulls away. Lucky defensively says that he was only playing. Bella whines uncertainly and he can already cause damage and he was a play-fighting pup. She questions about what would happen once the pups have deadly weapons in their mouths, and reminding him about the Dog-Garden. She shudders, her ears twitching.
 * Lucky reminds her that they were still young, and they could raise them in the right way. His sentence is interrupted by a howl. He bolts toward the river with Bella at his side, in the direction of the sounds. By the time the two reach the river, half of the Pack are already there, though Alpha wasn't among them.
 * Bella is seen watching the standoff between Martha and Moon with Mickey and a few other dogs at her side.
 * After Grunt attacks Squirm, Alpha makes a meeting. Most of the dogs in the pack attend it. When Alpha suggests to no longer shelter the Fierce Dogs. Martha steps forward, saying they were not cruel and violent by nature, and they were all very sorry about what happened. Bella barks in agreement.
 * Sweet leads Daisy and Lucky to Alpha, passing by Bella. Bella stands sentry at the entrance, eyeing them curiously but turns away as they step out of the cave.
 * Bella is seen again when Blade and the Fierce Dogs raid the Wild Pack. She whimpers that it was Blade, and she returned to get revenge. Sweet gives her pack orders to fight back, but they are all frightened. Bella charges forward, lips pulled back into a defiant snarl. She barks at the pack to form a line, and to let Alpha and Beta through, and to protect the pups.
 * Blade releases Daisy, and the little dogs scampers back over to Bella's side. Sweet is later seen speaking to Lucky about his loyalty, briefly mentioning about his loyalty with Bella and the Leashed Dogs.
 * Bella goes over to Lucky after his challenge with Snap. Bella presses if his wound hurts, taking a tentative step toward her brother. He responds that he was fine.
 * Alpha is later seen speaking to his pack about their failed fight with the Fierce Dogs. He says that they would need to be more organized, and their standoff with the Fierce Dogs was a disgrace. He adds that no dog acted with sufficient discipline or bravery except for Sweet and Bella, who gave sensible commands when needed. At the rare compliment from the Pack leader, Bella's ears prick up. Alpha makes a suggestion on leaving their new camp behind.

Personality and appearence
Bella is a
 * Bella adds how the camp was perfect, telling him to look how well the Pack had settled there. The hunting was good, and the cave provided them cover from the wind and rain, though Alpha disagrees.
 * Squeak tumbles her brother, Yap, over, pinning him down. Her breathless bark declares that she was the Alpha, and he should give up. Though, Yap kicks out with his small legs, flinging himself on her. He replies that he was the true Alpha. Giving her brother a high-pitched growl, she says, "Just you wait, Yap." As she makes her clumsy attack, Yap sinks his puppy teeth into her foreleg. Squeak whines as he does so. Yap worriedly questions if he was hurting her, though she uses the advantage to twist away and run.
 * He begins to call her Omega, though is cut short. His litter-sister disappears in the longpaw home. Yap decides to not follow his sister, and allows his senses to lead him away.
 * In modern times for the dogs, Bella has now been promoted to a hunter. Lucky is returning to camp with a white rabbit, when Bella comes out. She begins to speak to her brother about the foxes raid. Lucky is still angered for her about this. The two siblings argue about this matter for awhile. During this bickering, Bella accuses her brother of not defending her when Alpha was preparing to kill her.
 * Lucky feels guilty as she says this, but before this verbal fight can go any further, Lick comes into view. The Fierce Dog pup apologizes for eavesdropping, but tells the two that they shouldn't argue, adding on how that they could lose each other. This reminds Lucky on her deceased brother, and her other brother who currently resides with the Fierce Dogs. Bella and Lucky agree that she was right, and they forgive one another.
 * Lick runs off to camp at Lucky's order, and Bella and Lucky trek onward together. During this stroll, Lightning begins to bark in the skies. The two are in complete awe and alarm, so they run the rest of the way. They continue bounding toward camp until they encounter a badger.
 * The badger turns on Bella, scrambling onto her back. It sinks its teeth into her neck and raking long claws across her shoulder, causing her to yelp and stagger in affliction. Lucky comes to his sister's rescue, taking the badger off of her back. It has tremendous speed, making the two dogs surprised.
 * Together, they kill the creature. Bella pants to her brother on how it was now dead, crouching low to the ground while trembling. Lucky questions his sister about her condition, and she confirms that she was fine, pointing out that he had an injury himself. With a calm attitude, he assures his sister that it was only a scratch, and he would be fine.
 * Lick returns to find out what had happened to them, and they assure the pup that they were fine. The three dogs return to the camp.
 * Bella, Lucky, and Lick are late to the Naming Ceremony for Nose and Squirm and need to explain to Alpha about their encounter with the badger. Alpha remarks it as a stupid skirmish.
 * After Nose chooses her "deadly" name, he murmurs to Bella that it was a fine name chosen. She questions to her brother if they were all frightened of thorns. Lucky responds that it was good for the protection of the pack. Bella nods, deep in thought. Lucky curiously asks her what is on her mind. She replies that she wondered what name she would have chosen. Her brother reminds her that her name meant beautiful, and it suited her.
 * Thanking her brother, Bella still has her sad expression. Lucky is about to add something, though is interrupted by Lick.
 * Whine begins to pick fights with Lucky, but before it can increase, Bella bounds forward. Growling threateningly to the former Omega, she says that Lucky already learned his name, and he didn't need the knowledge of the Naming Ceremony for a name. For a moment, they glare at one another before he waddles away. Lucky thanks her, saying he was gratefully, even if it was a lie.
 * Bella reminds her brother about the day of the longpaw house when he had received his name. Lucky begins to remember himself on how he had obtained his name, Lucky.
 * More Coming Soon

Do you like Bella? Yes No I did,but she sucks now She's growing on me