Angel On Earth- A Dog Novel

16🐾 Two-Faced

The she-dog's drops of blood left a heavy metallic scent-trail through the forest as she ran.

She could hear North pursuing her as her legs pumped across the ground, eating up the distance as she burst from the trees and into blinding sunlight.

"Gypsy, you shouldn't go that way." This time, Ghost was giving her advice without appearing- as he'd done once or twice before. He spoke calmly into her ears; as the mother dog pictured his kind wrinkled eyes through the haze of hysteria.

"Leading North to where her pup was taken is the only thing I can do, Ghost," she growled as she heard the pawsteps falter behind her.

"No- that's not... North is having thoughts about your last pup, Gypsy. Finn. She- you know..." The grown man faltered uncertainly, as she put on the brakes and skidded through fallen debree.

The Pitbull crashed over a hard stone, banging her knees against its rough edges. Without faltering, she whipped around and leaped back over it; towards the clearing that the dogs called home.

"Then I'll get back before she does. Ace has him, anyways. Ace won't let her hurt him. And it looks like I have some questions to ask Bronx.." Her gut churned with apprehension. It could be something small, like a dumb trick he'd played on her. Or it could be something worse than I could ever imagine.

That feeling didn't subside as young Gypsy made her way back to the Pack.

~

Ace was playing tug-of-war with a stick he and Finn shared when Gypsy arrived, panting and out of breath. Sitting up erratically, he pricked his sharp black ears.

"What is it? Where's Copper and Lavender?" The male repeated his question from earlier, but Gypsy only shook her head. She watched as Ghost flickered into view partway between them, but the man's faint apparition in the slanted sunlight was just an afterthought.

"They... got stolen by the housefolk. But it was my fault." Her voice cracked as Ace stepped closer. The husky's eyes widened as he focused on her bloody wounds.

"Who did that?!" He yelped, looking angry for a moment and probably picturing Bronx. Then, the curly-tailed male dog took another step closer and bent his head around Gypsy's shoulders.

"No- wait!" She barked before he could lick her cheek and comfort her. "I have to go tell Bronx. But... North is coming and she may want to hurt Finn. Protect him." Her eyes desperately searched his striking blue irises as Ace's eyesbrows flicked up in disbelief.

"Ghost will explain if you just- Let me go real quick. Be right back!" Gypsy said over her shoulder and let her tongue fall back out, so she could breathe easier as she began running.

It was a short distance from the wide-spaced sunlit wash of forest that Ace liked to sit in. Bronx was huffing as he pulled out soiled bedding from his den, but his eyes flicked over to Gypsy as she slipped through the throng of bushes and ivy.

"Oh, great. You're here. Could you grab this half of the bedding while I get the rest? Your pups have stank it up to high heavens," the male retorted sarcastically with a role of his eyes.

Gypsy almost didn't know what to say. She didn't give a rats bottom about how much the bedding stank or because of whom. Besides, Bronx reeked the most, since he always came back home with twigs and dirt stuck in his fur and hardly groomed.

Her puppies had been clean, and with relatively short and smooth pelts. Aggravated, she stomped her way into the den and called loudly though the tunnel towards him.

"If you even noticed, I don't have the pups with me. That's because..." She drew in a shaky breath and lowered her tail. "Copper and Lavender were captured by the housefolk who feed us. It's almost like it was a trap, but I couldn't save them." She stopped halfway along the tunnel, dirt and shadow surrounding her as evening began to fall.