The brisk morning breeze ruffled the fur along my back and flicked my ears as I sniffed the air. The smells and sounds around me were almost overwhelming. Birds swooped overhead, chirping in their different calls, while leaves rustled beneath the paws of the pack racing around me.

Then my nose caught something familiar beneath the scent of pine and morning dew. My legs responded before I could think, carrying me forward as though an invisible string had wrapped itself around my muzzle and was pulling me along. I ran faster and faster. Leaves crunched beneath pounding paws, and huffing breaths surrounded me as brown, gray, and black blurs flowed through the woods on either side. I had to squint as the bright morning sun peeked through the branches, scattering beams of light across the forest floor. Cool dew soaked my muzzle as I followed the trail.

It smelled like squirrel. I'd chased enough out of my yard growing up to recognize it. My stomach growled as the trail grew stronger. I barreled through bushes, getting smacked in the face by twigs and leaves. As I ran, I glanced to my left just in time to see Mom gracefully leap over a rotted fallen tree. She landed with a heavy thud but never broke stride. On my right, I caught a blur of brown that I knew was Dad, weaving effortlessly between the trees with the practiced ease of a hunter.

As I drew closer, I realized I had become faster than the rest of the pack. One by one, I passed them until it was just me and my prey. A small brown blur darted between the bushes ahead. I lowered myself closer to the ground, my stomach fur scraping against the earth as I crept forward. I was so focused that I never noticed the twig beneath my paw.

Crunch.

The squirrel burst from the bushes. My instincts took over. I lunged after it, weaving between trees and crashing through underbrush. The smell stayed just ahead of me. I was gaining. I pushed harder, my breaths coming faster with every stride. Then my back paw caught on a tree root hidden beneath the leaves. The forest disappeared beneath me.

Thump.