A/N: I kept my promise. Here's the next chapter of Inseparable!
"Well, well, well. Lookie what we got here," Heath drawls. I grunt, my eyes flickering around.
"I- I can take you on!" I bark menacingly.
"You and what army?" There's a pause. Heath chuckles, his rolls of fat jiggling. "Ha-ha, that's what I thought. Petty wolf."
"Then- then what are you, huh? Dog." I try to act mean, but I'm scared, and I'm rooted to the spot. I can feel my tail lowering every passing second.
"At least I'm not a wild creature of the Devil."
"Okay, you've gone too far," I whine, my head turning away. Rocco, please come. I'm sorry. I'm a wimp. I am petty.
"Got your pay for this week?"
"Why do I need to pay!?" I demand.
"You know why. I let you romp around all these days. Let you eat my food. This is my territory, after all. Now pay up." Heath waited, his eyes glowing more and more devilishly by the minute. "Oh, I guess you didn't ration yourself and save half of your scavenged food for me. Oh, well… Get him, boys!" I back up, my tail lowered. I flatten my ears as two Dobermans and a Chow Chow appear.
They surround me. Fear floods into every vein in my body. There's no way out. Then I hear barking. I glance back towards the approximate location. The same dog from the widow lady's house comes racing down the street, its back's fur standing tall. Now I can tell the breed. Rhodesian Ridgeback. Its thin copper coat is a blur as it attacks the others. The Dobermans back down. Why aren't they fighting it? Then I can tell why. It's a she.
"Leave him alone," the Ridgeback demands, her voice something just short of angelic. I can feel my jaw open just a little.
"Okay, my princess. If that is your wish," Heath smirks.
"I am not your princess. I'm not even a princess. I hate them," She yowls. Heath laughs and trots away with his goonies trailing behind, sneaking glances at her. She snorts and turns around, her chocolatey brown eyes peering into mine.
"Thanks," I say.
"No problem. And it wasn't just for you, you know. My owner hates them."
"Oh," I let the word slip. I clamp my muzzle shut. That was the wrong thing to say. She lets a smile play on her lips.
"See you around," she says in a tone… a different one… I just can't place it. I don't want to see her again. Sure, I may have acted like I might have, you know… love at first sight deal, but… no. I hate dogs. All of them. No, no, no!
"Hey, Rocco," I say as the Bulldog appears from the Alley, licking his chops.
"What happened? Anything?" he asks curiously.
"Sort of… picked up some food. And ran into Heath." I say, purposefully avoiding the small interaction with… she never did tell me her name. Then again, I didn't ask.
"And he let you go? Just like that?" Rocco seems too stunned to recite the time when he escaped Heath. Thank heavens.
"Well, I had help," I add on. Rocco acts content with my short answer, and we take a stroll through the back roads. Anywhere but Huckleberry Street.