One howl from Irving wiped out the relief in Len's and Claude's chests. They both scampered toward the source of the noise, but Keith shot them down with steel nets coated with silver powder. Their bodies sizzled at the substance, but Len bit the net to make a tear in it.
Claude lowered himself to get out of Len's way. He saw Keith shoot Irving with the same net, enveloping the poor little brother. Eugene, who was hidden underneath, didn't even make a noise. He probably thought of staying with Irving for as long as possible. That left the two Alphas to find a way out of the steel net and rescue Irving.
However, the stronger smoke bombs blanketed the area with a gray screen. It even made Len cough and close his eyes to keep them from getting stung. He lowered his body to cover Claude with his fur.
Cough! Cough! Len was not alone. Most wolves slowed down and wheezed to keep the smoke from suffocating them.
