ENDURING {Sequel to Everlasting}

Chapter 53 - Part A

The days blend into weeks, the same routine day in, day out. I didn't mind, it distracts me from missing Hardin, who has been extra busy with the pack lately. I get it, I know there's a lot of training and paperwork, and meetings, along with dealing with the idea of Roman coming back.

He checks in most days, or if he's been too busy he'll just text me either in a morning before work or before bed. It's hard, working around both of our schedules to find time to actually talk.

On the plus side, it's been three months and Apollo is perfectly content with wearing a saddle while he jumps. It makes riding him a lot more fun, although I did have to get Adrian to teach me to ride which was slightly humiliating.

But I guess there's actually a lot a human can do, things that wolves don't do. Like train a horse to jump saddle backed, or teach a high risk aggressive dog to not savage you when you remove his collar.

Which I've just done, for the first time.

I couldn't help but be a little tense, despite all the hours of work and training that I've put into this, I do have a sense that he'll just turn and savage me. Without the chain, or that awful worn leather collar, he's completely free to attack. He's so big that I wouldn't be able to fight him off either.

Lucifer doesn't budge, just looking at me like he has no clue why I've taken the collar and chain off.

"Break." I command him, and Lucifer instantly lunges as I give the signal for him to break his sitting position.

My heart hits my ass so fast that I fall down in shock,  covering my face from his claws and bite. An attack that I expect, but it doesn't come.

As I realise he hasn't touched me, I cautiously open my eyes and raise my head, searching for him. The dog is already at the other end of the field, bolting full speed, like he's got an enemy up his ass.

What's he doing? I wonder silently, videoing him on him phone simply because it's strange. Until I realise that him pelting around full speed is his show of freedom.

Has he never been let loose before? The thought breaks my heart, especially seeing how overjoyed and relaxed he is to just be free, to just run around and not have some horrible heavy mental chain dragging him down.

I give him as long as he needs, letting him take great joy in such a small thing. It's big for him, this field is big, but it's sad that this is the most freedom he's ever had.

Trusting that he has no interest in attacking me, I lay in the middle of the field and close my eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun. His heavy thudding sounds in my ears, a familiar thing as he's running up and down.

Except the thudding gets louder, and closer. And I freeze a little, remaining still as he comes to a stop next to me. His cold wet nose touches my arm, his breathing heavy as he pants, dripping saliva all over me.

I dare to crack one eye open, seeing him just stood beside me, head facing the trees as he sniffs the air. So I slowly sit up, not wanting to startle him.

"Whatcha' doing boy?" I wearily whisper, about to get to my feet and away from him.

Suddenly Lucifers head swings towards me, towering over my sitting form. Golden eyes stare me down, pink tongue hanging out of his huge fluffy head. I froze.

To my sheer shock, and disbelief, Lucifer drops his body onto the grass beside me, head banging against my thigh along with one of his paws. He rests there, looking up at me as he pants. He's never been so close, and he's never showed any signs of affection.

But my heart melted.

I've never been able to stroke him, or pet him in any way. I give commands and feed him, and that's all.

I find myself hesitantly reaching out, watching for any sign of discomfort as my hands hover over his massive head. He remains more relaxed than I've ever seen him. So I take a leap of faith and gently stroke his head, noticing how his panting stops for a few seconds, his body tensing as I pet him.

Just as I'm about to pull my hand back figuring he doesn't like it, his tongue licks my forearm. And I knew in the second he just wants to be loved.

So there I sit for almost an hour, stroking his head and scratching behind his ears.

"You're such a good boy." I praise him, feeling somewhat whole.

After a while I realise the sun is starting to go down, so I get up.

"Come." I call, hearing him instantly come running after me as I head up to the post that he's been chained to.

His fluffy tail wags the entire way up the field, until he sits next to the post. His ears fall, and his tail becomes still as he patiently sits.

I could see the sadness in his golden brown eyes as my hands linger around his neck, the leather touching his fur.

"You don't like this, do you?" I whisper softly, full of guilt. If the dog could talk, he'd definitely be begging me not to chain him back up.

With a slight exhale I simply submit, tossing the collar and chain aside.

"You need a bath if you're going to stay inside." I sigh.

Given how tired the poor thing is, I doubt he'll go bouncing around my house. So I stand back up and call him to come, leading him inside the house. He looks around with little interest, more bothered about following me upstairs into the guest bathroom.

Considering I haven't actually bought dog shampoo because I never assumed he'd let me, I settle for sensitive skin shampoo that Cami uses. I use a comb and grab the scissors, working out as many lugs as I can, having to cut small patches of hair. Only when he's frizzy and knot free, do I turn on the water and use the hose head.

"Stay." I state, Lucifer immediately stands still, panting as I begin soaking his thick mucky fur.

Almost no dirt comes off him as I massage the water into him, ensuring that he's wet down to the scalp, from the tips of his ears to the tip of his tail. Then I squirt the shampoo on him, using over half of the bottle before using both hands and massaging it right into him.

It takes me about fifteen minutes of scrubbing with my hands, before I'm finally able to rinse the shampoo away. The black Filth that runs out of his fur turns my stomach, there's so many of it that I have to go in with a second wash just to get it to run semi clean.

"At least you're home now." I whisper, drying him with multiple towels. When I realise it's not actually doing much, I'm forced to get the hair dryer on him.

Which takes over an hour of my time.

As I sit there combing his fur as I blast him with the hairdryer, I don't hear the bathroom door open.

"What in the fuck?" Hardin's familiar voice is full of disbelief.

I turn my head and flash him a smile, turning down the hairdryer so it's not so loud.

"It's a long story, but he's staying inside from now on." I declare, continuing to brush him.

While Lucifer does stare at Hardin, he doesn't make a move or indication to attack. Not unless Hardin grabs me a certain way, or I give Lucifer the command. Re-training his aggression wasn't easy, and he's still very much in training every day.

But this is a huge leap forwards.

"Sarah's taking him back once he's rehabilitated." Hardin tells me softly.

"No she's not, she hasn't checked in for nearly two months." I tell him, shaking my head as I finally finish drying Lucifer.

I run my fingers through his much lighter, softer fur, and I smile.

"She is, Kal...she's outside." Hardin says.

My eyes snap to his, and I felt my heart fall. She's come to take him back?