In this beautifully written story set in the north woods of Minnesota, four healthy wolf pups—Leader, Sniffer, Runner, and Thinker—are born one spring. And then one final, undersized pup emerges—Runt. Despite his size, Runt manages to keep up with his brothers and sisters and learn the ways of the pack. But he finds it impossible to please his father, the pack’s leader, and gradually withdraws from the others. When he ventures into forbidden human territory, Runt at last comes to understand his mistakes and to recognize his own worth. Award-winning author Marion Dane Bauer combines her gift for evocative writing with her in-depth knowledge of wolves to create a compact tale that has the power of an epic. Like the best animal stories, it reflects our own world and shows us what it means to be alive. Afterword.

Turk's parents are proud of him, the biggest, strongest, most graceful bird at Wishbone Farm. "He's a dancer," says his mother. "He's an athlete," says his father. "He's a goner," says his little brother, Runt. But no one ever listens to Runt -- even after people with seasonal plans and roasting pans begin showing up at Wishbone Farm, or even after the juiciest turkeys are chosen, one by one. "Chosen for what?" Turk asks. No one wants to hear Runt's answer. But you will laugh at what he has to do to get his family's attention. They are, after all, turkeys.

JaRed, a small mouse who has been given the nickname Runt, cannot believe the course his life takes when he discovers rats are planning to invade Tira-Nor and that he has been chosen by God to save the city and become the next king.

THE ALPHA'S TOY To spare an innocent she has to become his plaything. When Zeke attacks her pack, Mary, a half-breed wolf, wants to save a young wolf, but to do so, she has to accept his bargain. She must be his toy until the next full moon. Mary despises the alpha she must now give her body to, but she can't deny the response he inspires within her. Exploring the deceased pack's lair Zeke stumbles onto something that could destroy all breeds of wolf. The leaders of Mary's pack had been experimenting on wolves. The reasons why are still unknown, but Zeke will do everything in his power to find out the truth, especially when he discovers Mary was one of their experiments. Even before the end of the month Mary becomes all he can think about, and he's determined to keep his toy safe. Then a twist of fate lets him know she's more than a toy. Mary is his mate. Can he overcome her fear of him and convince her to stay when her month is up? ALPHA BAIT There is a law that binds an Alpha to his wolf and stops him from hurting others of his pack. If an Alpha lashes out with the intention to harm, then his wolf will stop it, forcing on the transition...but one wolf has found the loophole. Chain is determined to inflict harm. He sends out the one woman he wants but cannot have, Victoria. She will be his Alpha Bait, luring another Alpha to his death, thus freeing Chain from the control of his wolf. For most of her adult life Victoria has been at the mercy of Chain. He scares her more than anything else. Doing as she's told, Victoria sets the trap in order to gain Scorch's attention. Scorch is a good leader and strong Alpha. He will not hurt anyone. When a beautiful red-head ends up in his care, he cannot turn away from the attraction she inspires. Their wolves are mates, and they're destined to be together. However, what will Scorch do when he realizes Victoria is with him to lure him to his death? Can she really send the man she loves to his grave? Being Alpha Bait was never her choice, but who really holds her loyalty, Chain or Scorch?

This unique retelling of the David & Saul story continues the adventures of the mice of Tiranor begun in the award-winning Runt the Brave.