"I have had enough!"

Coriander winced. The four-month-old Sheltie pup was pressed against the wall inside Wind Pack's healer's den while her parents fought outside. They had had arguments before, but none as bad as this one.

"I've told you before, Rosemary, there's nothing we can do." Her father's voice, usually so patient and gentle, was sharp with irritation and anger. After months and months, he was fed up with his mate's complaining.

Coriander knew her mother wasn't Wind Pack born. She had once lived with the strange, mysterious creatures known as humans, but she had gotten lost on something called a "camping trip." Coriander's father, Gale, had found her and she joined Wind Pack after they fell in love.

At least, that was what they said. Coriander hadn't seen many examples of such love. Most of the time, Rosemary had nothing but complaints for how Wind Pack lived: the hollow was drafty and dirty, the food was bad--and on bad days, the packs were uncivilized and barbaric. Most of the time, Gale was able to calm her down, but after a week of pouring rain and scarce prey, she seemed more furious than ever.

"I refuse to put up with this anymore," came her infuriated snarl. "How do you expect me to raise a pup in these conditions? I'm done. I'm leaving."

Coriander peeked outside to see the confusion on her father's face. "Leaving? What do you mean you're leaving?"

Before Rosemary could respond, Hazel, Wind Pack's alpha, stepped forward. "Gale, I think you and your mate's arguments have caused enough disturbance," she said, her voice icy. "You should take them elsewhere."

Rosemary glowered at the Border Collie. "Oh, I'm just 'his mate?' I'm not one of your precious packmates?"

"You haven't done much to earn your place here," Hazel retorted. "And you clearly don't think of yourself as one of us."

"Maybe I did once," Rosemary snarled. "But not anymore. I meant what I said: I'm leaving. I'm going to find my humans again, and I'm taking Coriander with me!"

Coriander's eyes widened. Shouts of dissent rose from the pack. Shock and pain was evident on Gale's face. "You can't do that," he said, stepping closer to her. "You promised you'd stay, for Coriander."

"I'm leaving for her," Rosemary growled. "No one deserves to be raised in this rat's nest."

Howls of outrage at the insult erupted from the pack. "After all we've done for you, this is how you treat us?" spat one.

Hazel's eyes were colder than ever. "Coriander was born in Wind Pack," she snarled. "You don't get to take her."

"She's my daughter!" Rosemary howled. "I have more right to her than any filthy pack does!"

Coriander shrank back into the healer's den. They were fighting over her; was this her fault? Was she the reason that her parents fought so much?

She didn't hear what was said next--all she remembered were snarls and flashes of fur. Then her mother was surrounded, and Hazel was up against her, growling.

"Get out now," she spat. "Get out."

Rosemary's eyes flickered with rage for a moment, but then she bared her teeth, wriggled free and shot out of the hollow. She vanished into the tall grass and was gone.

"Mama!" Coriander shrieked, running out of the healer's den. "Mama, come back! Don't go!" She ran towards the entrance but her father suddenly grabbed her by the scruff. "Put me down!" she wailed. "Mama!"

"Coriander!" Gale forced her to look at him. "Coriander, listen to me. Your mother isn't coming back. She's gone."

Tears flowed down Coriander's face. "Make her come back, Papa," she begged him. "Make her come back!"

Gale's eyes welled with tears of his own. "I can't," he whispered. "She wanted to leave. There's nothing I can do."

Coriander trembled, staring up at her father. She'd always believed he could do anything. He had always been her strong, gentle, loving father. But now her hero was helpless. And she never saw her mother again.

Ayy! Welcome back to the story and meet Coriander! She's our new main character, and I hope you'll like her just as much as you liked Sophia. Unless you hated Sophia... in which case I hope you like Coriander more! Eheh, anyway, this prologue is six years prior to the events of Dire Warnings, so things are gonna be really different and we won't be hearing from very many dogs that we know. So sit back, relax, and enjoy Fall of the Packs: Powerless!