The strong gusts of wind had finally calmed by the time that Flare woke. She hadn't been asleep for long, and hesitantly stretched out her limbs, expecting Shadow to have awoken her close by.
However, a much shorter stature was in front of her. Shadow was still asleep in a mound close by- his legs and tail stretched out as he lay sideways in the dark. And the dog in front of her was black-and-white with a wrinkly face; not brown with a long nose and floppy ears.
"What do you want, Jax?" Flare growled. She was a bit grouchy at being woken up so early, then became more annoyed as she thought, at being woken up at all! I've only slept a wink.
"Sorry." For a moment, he looked genuinely apologetic. But then the young male's stump of a tail began wagging. "I just smelled your heat-scent all the way from over there, as I was falling asleep-" he gestured to the dog-houses area. "And by that point I was wide awake. Just figured I'd ask if you'd like to-."
Flare could see where this was leading. She broke into a quiet, authoritative growl.
And yet somehow the male had the nerve to carry on! His eyes shone with fruitful suggestion.
"Mate with me rather than Crow. And seeing as how your friend, Shadow, won't because-." This time, Flare cut him off with an angry bark. She rose from her warm sleeping spot and dove for the male, who flinched just out of reach.
Flare's hackles were raised and her tail eerily still. She flattened her ears to protect them in case Jax attacked, but he was already backing away.
"Jeez, sorry. Why do all she-dogs act like Mocha? Such grumps. It doesn't matter who father's the pups!" Jax's voice receded into the shadows, and soon Flare could only see a pale splash of white against the dark ground. Her fur prickled. Did Jax not listen to anything that happened yesterday? He must've missed the whole point of mine and Crow's fight!
"What happened?" Shadow had awoken from the sound of Flare's bark, but Flare reassured him that everything was fine with a weak tail wag. "Nothing- just Jax snooping around."
Shadow nodded before he drifted off to sleep again. His floppy ears dropped over his paws as he rested his head between them. Flare watched him for a few moments with a bit of tightness in her chest.
She still couldn't figure out how she truly felt about Shadow. But something in her gut was leaning more towards friends than mates.
Sighing, Flare let herself enjoy the quiet. Her belly was hungry, but it was no new experience. The dark clouds rolling across the sky were nice to look at.
However, her dark and peaceful evening alone was soon interrupted. Again?! The rustling of grass sounded from behind her, so Flare flipped around and tried to pinpoint Jax among the darkened grass.
"Jax? Go away," Flare snarled a warning.
But she smelled a scent before she's seen any dog. Crow's sleek black pelt was unrecodnizable amongst the black edges of the Yard, swamped in shadow.
Flare narrowed her eyes at the area where she could hear the flattening crunch of grass being stepped on. Her hackles sprang up in high defense. I may have to fight him off again. After all, I'm still in heat. Couldn't a she-dog get any personal space around here?
Crow's voice was hoarse and sad, and he coughed to correct himself; a bit off-putting coming from such a powerful male. It's probably another trick. The tan female showed her teeth fretfully.
"I-I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry." Suprisingly, it sounded sincere. Flare let him continue on without dropping her lips to cover her exposed fangs. They were at the ready.
"I never meant for it to get this far- all of it, I mean. I didn't mean to start liking you so much, or that I would want to mate with you that bad, either. I didn't want you to attack me, or the others dogs, either. I should have listened to you." Crow took a few more steps forward, so that Flare could finally see his outline.
After speaking, Crow lowered his tail into the dirt. He turned his face away as if ashamed, but Flare was buying none of it.
"Not to be brash, but quite frankly- I don't care." Flare's muzzle was wrinkled with distaste. Her brows were pulled together in clear distaste. She kept her eyes locked onto his, knowing that Crow would react negatively to rejection. As he always does.
"I don't want, or need, to hear any of this from you." Flare shot him a simmering glare. Nothing he ever did would change what he had done in the past.
"Why? I'm trying to say that I was wrong, and make up with you." Crow looked pointedly down at Flare, who had the sudden impulse to stand up from her sitting position.
She rose to her paws with a snarling retort, tail flicking behind her. "I don't want to 'make up with you.'" The tan female purposefully rolled her eyes, which were hardly visible under the crescent moon. Crow's eyes burned with sudden offense, but she felt no remorse.
"Because you treated me horribly! I never wanted to come near you in the first place. When I first saw you, I never even liked your personality. It doesn't matter if we have the same body shape, fur length, or not- every second I spent with you was because of force or control, and manipulation."
This time, Crow rolled his deep brown eyes. His large furry head titled in mocking question. Taken aback, Flare lifted a forepaw and felt it shake with uncontained fury.
"Keep avoiding the real point all you want. You know you liked playing with me. And the affection- at most points, when you get past your fear and stubbornness."
"Oh my- that's not something you can use against me," Flare snapped, steaming with adrenaline. She felt angry enough to bite Crow right between the eyes.
"I'd have liked it with some other dog," Flare played his game of mockery against him, taunting and tilting her head thoughtfully.
"If you want to choose a runt of a dog- a yellow-bellied, pitiful excuse for a male that cannot protect you, so be it. He's got thin skin, thin fur, and no balls-and you choose that over me?"
Now Flare was entirely offended for Shadow as well as herself.
"I. Don't. Need. Protected!" The tan canine snarled out. Fur on her shoulders bushed, and her tail raised above her head. Vibrating with fury, Flare let out a bark of uncontained anger into the males face.
"Go ahead- bite me if you want. It'll change nothing," Crow said suddenly. His voice was much weaker now. Flare hadn't expected the change of pace, and stilled momentarily.
"I've never had a female dog pay me any attention anyways- let alone one that was loving, soft and golden," Crow growled softly with remorse. It was more of a soft, sad growl, though.
He looked down at the dirt, rather than at her.
Taken aback, the young she-dog listened with a paw raised. Flare was smart enough to know that she may have to chase him off again. This is probably some kind of last-attempt manipulation... And I'm not going to let my guard down.
At this point, Shadow was awake. He was hearing the entire exchange, which faintly embarassed Flare. She did not prefer Shadow hearing about Crow's complicated relationship with her- that had been formed quickly over the past few weeks.
However, there wasn't but a moment to be aware of it. Crow carried on with hushed undertones; clearly he was trying to keep Shadow from hearing. Her heart pounded as she wondered whether it was working, but the night was so quiet...
"I tried my best to gently encourage you to be close to me. I switched tactics, and became tender and nice for you." Crow's eyes hardened as he looked up. And yet, no matter what he said- or how he said it, Flare could not forgive him. She took a breath before continuing, and avoided his gaze so she could try- just this once, to let him down easier.
"I will not lie and deny that you did. But you were never truly nice. You talked down on Shadow and the other dogs in The Yard the entire time! You are sleek and well-fed, while they're all bony with ribs showing. All you've ever been is self-centered." Flare needn't say more. Crow already knew he'd controlled the tires and water bowls as well.
The tan female took a deep breath. She knew she had to end this once and for all, and shove away the dog who she'd begun to open up to just days before. She remembered him coaxing her out of the tire, making her feel better about the fact that Shadow was gone.
Which was his doing in the first place. Hesitating no longer, the female met his hard brown stare.
"I cannot deny that I liked your long, dark fur and stature." Flare admitted with painful acceptance. "And how we played, and how gentle you were when grooming me." Flare recalled how the long strokes had filled her with peace and content. It had felt amazing to be so close to another dog.
"But I want none of that with you," she repeated.
"Can't I have another chance?" Crow's gaze was no longer threateneing. He seemed to realize that this was truly the end of his control over her. Good. It needs to be, Flare answered his question with a shake of her tan head.
"No," she replied calmly. "If you want dogs to love and care for you, try acting more like Shadow." Crow's vision became gradually filled with disgust, but Flare carried on.
"Share what you have, and talk kindly to other dogs by praising them rather than pointing out what they cannot do. Stop gaining control through trickery and bullying."
Flare swished her golden tail and sat down, rump comfortably resting against the dirt.
"You won't get a second chance from me, mating or not. So don't try again- unless you want to feel my fangs." She didn't try to put a snarl or growl into her voice this time.
Crestfallen, Crow stood there for nearly an entire minute. His expression changed from rage into regret, and then into crude acceptance. With a deep frown and a glance full of spite, he turned the other way to leave.
Finally, now that the male dog was leaving, Flare allowed herself to feel sympathy for him. She watched his tail drag a light line in the dirt, as he followed the fenceline back towards the darkest corner of the yard.
Flare could not deny that every dog deserved love- even this one. And in some ways, his only crime had been wanting too much. Perhaps he does deserve a second chance.
"Nice work sending him away," Shadow said with an odd strain in his voice. He seemed to be deep in thought, just as Flare was.
Too bad for him that it won't be from me.
After she heard the grass being flattened by Crow's broad side as he laid down, Flare finally let her shoulders fall slack. She got back into her laying spot, and curled her tail around her nose.
She had made sure not to lie too close to the coon-hound close by, in case he got the wrong idea about where their relationship currently stood.
After being woken up by Jax, and then forced into a heated conversation with Crow, Flare was beyond exhausted. Her limbs ached as she stretched herself out instead, deciding this felt like a much less sore position to lay in.
She looked up at the stars drearily before she fell asleep, but they were hardly visible. It was a cloudy night, and as a cloud crossed the moon, the Yard was plunged into complete darkness. Flare took this as her cue to fall into a comfortably deep sleep.
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Idealized Flare