Here Lies a Broken Heart (open)

[::Fox::]

The air felt cool, cooler than it had been in months. Autumn was on its way, the scent of it lingering and whispering promises of cool nights and clear skies. Detox hated it. The black German Shepherd hated the promise of those clear days and temperate weather. Right now the daemon fae felt selfish, longing for the weather to reflect her gloomy mood. Rain would be too cleche. A nice thick coat of fog would be nice, too dense to see the sky or even see much of anything at all. Then Detox could "mope" in peace without someone finding her. Sadly, Mother Nature was a cruel mistress and denied all whatever they desired, even in their darkest of moods. The solid black fae was instead left to her lonesome misery, lounging on some human's plaque with no regard for the body six feet under. Her retractable wings were gone, hidden under fur, skin and muscle. Violet eyes glared out at the moonlit evening with cold disregard, tail thumping slowly on the polished stone.

Her black form was like that of a midnight mistress, sleek black fur over a powerful body. Her violet eyes sparked interest or terror depending on her mood, making faes jealous and males either head over heels in love or disgusted. Right now, Detox wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep for the next twenty or thirty years. Maybe when she woke up things would be different, there would be a way to fix being a daemon. Then her problems would go away. There would be no confusing daemon males or freak-of-nature mutations to set her apart. That was all Detox wanted. Maybe she could even get rid of her foolish ideals that maybe someone would give her a shot but be patient enough to work with her, mend a broken heart. The litter she'd lost in the lab, yeah, they'd left her emotionally scarred. Detox was scared to try falling in love for the first time and trying to have a family again. Who wouldn't be? She'd had joy for the first time in her lab days and they'd been stillborn. How could she do that to herself again?

One brute had already tried, accidentally enchanted by Detox's coy ways and mysterious appeal. He'd ended up walking away, accidentally admitting to loving her. That was why Detox's mood was so sour now, nursing a bitter heartache was never good for anyone. It taught Detox an important lesson though. Never trust a guy when he says the word "love." Oh well. She'd known better from the start. It was her own fault for actually giving him a chance. She'd let him whisper once and that had sealed her fate. She was such an idiot. Some would call her a genius. Detox would now tell them with certainty that they were wrong. She was an idiot. She had been too dumb for her own advice.

Sighing to herself, the German Shepherdess laid her head on her outstretched forelegs which were covering whatever name was on the plaque. If only she could control weather...she'd make it foggy and damp, maybe even cold if she felt like it. She was sick of playing games with Cain. Part of her said she should get up, go into town and could easily have any guy in Harthorn if she tried. The other part of Detox didn't want to really. That was too much energy, too much effort. Plus, what if she got attached again? She wanted a family but..could she manage? If she picked up just some random guy, could she manage being a single mom? Feeling the lonely ache Cain left all his girls with? Cain had asked her to wait on him but Detox firmly decided that was a load of bullshit. He had no right to tell her who to wait for. Her irrational side wanted to rebel, go find a guy and let him have what he wanted. The other part said that was stupid and would just hurt worse.

What she really needed was a nice, stable guy. Then she'd rebel against Cain and prove to him that she didn't need to wait on him. That would be the way to do it but, in Harthorn, pickings were slim for a good guy. Detox had learned that a while ago.

[[Quasar]]

Rhode
Sometimes I feel like I'm from another world,
And everything I want in life seems impossible.

Blood trickled down from the sizable gash in his chest. With each step he winced in pain it hurt, it killed but still he pushed on. He had to get away as far away from them as possible if not there would be no hope for any of them. Groggy and disoriented the lean red dog begged, pleaded, struggled with, and fought against his own body forcing it to continue on even as the sedative started kicking in. He couldn’t give up. His paws felt like they weighed a million pounds his body was slowly giving out on him it was ready to give up but he wasn’t. He stumbled but continued on his course he didn’t know where he was going he just knew he had to go they couldn’t get him. He wouldn’t let them. Disoriented black eyes attempted to make sense of the world it was spinning faster and faster everything just fading into a solid blur of color.

Why the hell had he gone back? What was the reason again? It was to play the stupid mother fucking hero. Damn his stupidity it would kill him and the three he was struggling to break loose from the labs. Hours after his escape from hell house he had slipped back in quietly following behind a worker. Rhode wasn’t a hero he considered himself lacking in the moral department but something had prevented him from being able to leave the lab, stupid conscious. He hadn’t even been aware he had possessed such a thing but apparently even a bastard such as he could occasionally feel guilt. Blood it had to be that his flesh and blood lived on in the labs being tortured and experimented on certainly it wasn’t Makyla. Congratfuckinglations. The world hated him. He had finally, successfully produced a litter of puppies and he was forced to leave them in the pits of hell. He didn’t love Makyla he loved, adored, and treasured his two sons. Rhode hated the fact that they were going to grow up without him they were the reason for his desperate, crazed raid on the lab. It couldn’t possibly have gone any worse.

He could still hear the screech of the workers when they realized an unaccounted for dog was in the lab. After they recovered from their shock they were intelligent enough to realize it was Rhode the former escapee who had, apparently, turned himself in. Nothing had gone as planned Makyla and the pups had been moved to a different cage he was unable to find them. Frantically, desperately he had searched as the clock ticked down the seconds until he was caught. It happened sooner than he had been expecting the night shift workers usually weren’t the brightest. Cages crashing on the metal floor the workers chased after Rhode who ran like the devil was chasing him. He knew what those workers did and he didn’t want to endure a second round. In his desperation he had slashed open a large portion of his chest spilling blood all over the floors. The room reeked of blood, disinfectant, and fear. By the grace of the usually wicked and cruel God Rhode managed to escape but not before the darted him with a tranquilizer. Confused and in pain he ran blindly allowing his legs to take him as far away from the lab as possible he didn’t care where he ended up he just wanted to get away.

Safety was his goal, finding a safe place to nurse his wound and recover. He would try again as soon as he could it killed him to leave his small little family in a lab. Rhode hadn’t ever been in love before he was always too attracted to physical things such as beauty but with the birth of two small puppies his whole world had changed. His arrogance, boastfulness, and lusty ways certainly had not but a small part of the dog had opened up to the idea of maybe, eventually, possibly loving someone. It didn’t matter at the moment all he wanted was to know his sons were safe. He was their father and it was his job to protect them Rhode had failed again.

The terrain changed it was bumpier and harder to navigate. He prayed the workers had stopped looking for him at least for the night. Rhode’s leg caught on a tombstone causing him to slip and lie motionless a few feet away from a depressed, jet black shepherd. Red lips curled up in a snarl he was in no mood to be fucked with hopefully she would just let him go on his way. He didn’t want to waste the energy to fight it was energy he needed to heal himself and save those he loved. Everything was hazy all he wanted to do was sleep, give in and let the pain wash away. The cut was deep and went into the muscle the severed skin flapped with each labored breath he took.

[::Fox::]

The sound of grass being disturbed made Detox turn her pretty head. Of course. Without any fog, it was all too easy to be seen and it annoyed the hell out of the shepherdess. Twitching her ears, the night-vision enhanced femmora caught sight of a lanky-legged dog coming through the cemetery. Something about how he was moving told Detox all was not right with that dog. He was stumbling this way and that like a drunk human. Being a former police dog, Detox was well aware of what well, intoxicated, humans looked like. They were the reason for her name after all. Her human had named her Detox because her primary job had been a drug dog, side trained as a cadaver and rescue dog. That was a lifetime ago. Right now though, Detox remembered the signs. Doubting the canine would be drunk by any means, Detox wondered if he was drugged or just insane, perhaps rabid considering his step was so inconsistent. Raising her head as the dog stumbled his way closer, Detox breathed in to study his smell.

Instantly her stomach turned. Lab smells. Anesthetic, sterilizing alcoholic, unnatural chemicals. The acidic smells pelted Detox's nose like bullets, making the fae flinch a little at the freshness of them. He had to be a daemon, newly escaped from the lab. Very newly escaped. Looking behind the dog, Detox perked her ears. No sounds of running humans. They'd given up on the chase but apparently the dog wasn't convinced of that. Looking back at him, Detox smelled metallic blood and grimaced. He was injured, not surprising but not a pleasant smell.

Finally the big guy lost his footing for good, crashing to the ground a yard or so away from where Detox was laying on the human's plaque. Peering at where his feet were, the fae saw he'd tripped on another flat tombstone. He curled his lip and snarled at her, something Detox thoroughly frowned at. Wasn't like she had burst in on his moping time, jeez. She could help him too. Her toxin was designed to be a powerful medicine if administered in small amounts but lethal if given in bigger doses, a curse and blessing to the fast-minded fem.

Getting up from her long-time resting place, the black fae's violet eyes regarded the big red canine with muted interest. The wound wasn't major, painful as hell but not deadly if he watched himself. Her medical poison would purge it of infections and spur the multiplication of cells to help close the wound. But, Detox wouldn't share this pain relieving venom if he was going to just snarl at her like some weird rabid squirrel. Carefully picking her way closer to the big male, Detox circled around behind him so she stood at his back so he couldn't whip around and bite her. If she was fast enough, she'd just stick him with her fang and he'd be at least on his way to dreamworld or something along those lines.

Eyes normally vivid as faceted jewels were dull and muted, regarding the dog with only as much interest as was necessary.

"If you want me to fix you up, you'll have to stop snarling and relax," Detox barked, violet eyes again skimming over the slashed chest and blood beginning to dry on the tips of the dog's fur while fresh moved to replace it. Apparently this guy hadn't tried to stop his bleeding and just kept tearing the muscles when he ran/wobbled away from whoever had been chasing him. The big idiot.

She couldn't really blame him too much for the "post lab escape panic." Every daemon could relate to it. Detox had been in a state of shock when she'd escaped, still reeling from loosing her pups and wanting nothing more than to be normal again. She'd even gone back to her human to see if he even remembered her. He had had her picture on the wall of his house but she hadn't let him see her. She didn't want to scare him. That was when it had really set in on Detox what kind of freak of nature she was. It had been a horrible discovery to know that to the humans she once loved and protected, she was a monster. She was their worst nightmare, their favorite fantasy. A dog with wings, dreamed of but not meant to exist. It was something that still haunted Detox, reminding her all the time that she wasn't supposed to exist like this, that she was just going through the world until the world was done screwing with her and then she could lay down and die.

[[Quasar]]

Rhode
Sometimes I feel like I'm from another world,
And everything I want in life seems impossible.

Darkness, his world was going black. Shaking his head in an effort to drive the blackness away the very drugged and confused Rhode realized it was just the big black dog who had been laying down a few feet away. Even in the mental state he was in he realized this dog was a lab mutant escapee perhaps she would help him. The snarl died in his throat, he allowed his lips to return to their normal position. His black eyes attempted to follow the bird/dog as she moved toward him. When she stepped behind him he tried turning to face her but winced in pain and remained where he was. Spread out on the soft green grass of the cemetery he closed his eyes and pictured the two puppies. They looked a lot like him it would be hard for someone to tell that they weren’t pure ridgebacks their mother had been a mix of ridgeback and bulldog. She looked a lot like an American Staffordshire bull terrier Rhode had thought she was pretty but not very bright, he didn’t love her. He didn’t love anyone until he became a father. A horrible failure of a father. Sadness consumed the young red dog he was such a failure, such a fucking failure. There was nothing he could do to get those puppies out of there not in the state he was in. He knew if he pushed his body much more it would give out on him and that would be the end for all of them. It was time to rest but still his mind kept running over the scenario in the lab thinking of all the things he could have done differently to buy him more time and maybe, just maybe, rescue his boys.

Ebony eyes snapped open when the black shepherd spoke. Her voice was smooth and soft in a little distant part of Rhode’s brain he tried to conjure up her image. All he could draw was fuzzy blackness but he was willing to bet she was pretty. Very pretty and here he was with her just not under the right circumstances. Damn, it was too bad she was probably real cute. Rhode had learned a long time ago how to tell if a girl was pretty by her voice, nine times out of ten he was right so this girl had to be beautiful. Knock ‘em dead gorgeous and here he was lying in a pitiful heap of blood stained red fur completely and totally exhausted. He was beat.

Now that he had quit running the pain in his chest hit him. He was unable to focus on the wound when he had been running. All he could think about was going just a little farther, and farther until he had gone so far they wouldn’t be able to find him. He despised weakness he hated showing this girl he was vulnerable. Here he was weak, tired she could kill him if she wanted. He chose to believe she wouldn’t. If he died everything would be in vain and it would all be because of some random black dog. He had to trust her. If she could heal him as she said it could expedite his recovery that was exactly what he needed. Rhode attempted to string together a few words to form a simple sentence his brain was so foggy. Grasping at threads he barely managed to give her the all clear. “Uhh...” he drew in another breath and concentrated on figuring out what should come next. “Ye... yes.. please.” Using all of his brain power he managed to spit out a whole sentence “Do it, please.” Rhode wasn’t one to beg but he understood he was at her mercy no need to be an ass when she could kill him. She’d get to know the real Rhode, later, once he was able to walk.

Struggling he concentrated his efforts on lifting his head to look the dog in the eyes. She wouldn’t be scared of him… most normal dogs thought Rhode was a freak. He didn’t posses wings or scary mutation he just had jet black eyes that scared the hell out of other dogs. They thought he was the devil, he wasn’t such a bad guy once someone got to know him and this girl he planned to get to know her if she didn’t kill him first.

[::Fox::]

Getting consent from the long-legged fellow was like taking catnip from a cat, obviously painful. Detox felt bad for him but she wasn't in the mood for pity or sympathy. Dogs came to her all the time for her medical poison, usually finding themselves tested with some witty riddle or task. Tonight though, Detox just wasn't in the mood. She wanted everyone to go away and leave her alone but, she wasn't going to watch someone die for a bit of solitude. Maybe a few hours earlier she would have but right now she wasn't that inconsiderate. So, when he started blacking out after giving his consent to medical treatment, Detox moved closer to the bloodstained hound. He was a big guy, probably a hunting hound when his ancestors were alive, not meant for herding like Detox and many other breeds. He wasn't ugly but he wasn't the handsomest thing she'd ever seen. She refused to think of anyone as handsome because eventually it led to some form of attachment and that was just hell.

Laying down close to the brute, her black fur brushing against his shorter reddish pelt, Detox leaned close to the nape of his neck. Touching her nose lightly to the back of his neck, the fae searched for the major vein in his neck. Finding it, Detox parted her jaws, extra sharp fangs easily as fine as surgical tools. With the tip of her poison-hollow fang, Detox pushed aside the fur and found skin over the vein. She had to be careful, very steady, or this would end badly and she'd have to dig an unmarked grave tonight.

Her fangs breached skin and the fae counted in her head. Considering the size of this guy, she'd need a little more than a brute of her own breed. After a few seconds, Detox let go of his neck, licking the blood from her front fangs with distaste on her face. The metallicy taste of blood was highly unappealing to the black femmora. It was one of the things that kept her from the Demerons, from heeding to Athena's desires for her to join the pack. She didn't care for blood. Sure, she'd fight and bleed but she didn't purposefully get hungry for blood or anything of the sort. Plus, maybe she was imagining it but she would swear this guy's blood tasted like chemicals or something.

Getting up and leaving the brute where he laid, she circled around to peer at the chest wound. Sure enough it was still oozing blood but, slower than before and the blood was darker, blackened with whatever infections might have gotten to this guy. She wondered if it would purge any sedatives he might have in him but she didn't know for sure, she'd never tried. No doubt he'd be feeling better already since her poison was amazingly good for the immune system.

Going back to the plaque she'd been lounging on before the big bafoon had stumbled upon her, Detox laid back down in a lazy sort of sphinx pose. Resting her pretty head on her outstretched forelegs, the German Shepherd looked out at the moonlight graveyard. The guy'd probably get up and leave without saying anything since his pride was probably bruised from needing a fae's help or some stupid thing like that. Some would say Detox should "take him under her wing" since he was a new escapee but, again, she wasn't in the mood for nosy newbies that didn't know their way around their powers. Detox was in no way responsible for whatever havoc his lack of control would cause. He'd have to learn control like every other escaped daemon in Harthorn. He was no concern of hers.

[[Quasar]]

Rhode
Sometimes I feel like I'm from another world,
And everything I want in life seems impossible.

The warm mid afternoon sun felt good on his pelt how long had it been since he had gotten the chance to feel it? He couldn’t remember and he didn’t want to try. Blinking away sleep Rhode raised his head and surveyed the world around him. It was like seeing it for the first time he was far too drugged the previous night to really realize what was around him and where he was. Powerful legs pushed the lean cinnamon colored dog up. He inhaled sharply the moment he became aware of the pain in his chest. It probably wasn’t the best idea to stand but he wasn’t going to be caught dead on his feet for another day. Wheezing the red dog decided sitting up was good enough for the time being he owed his little black angel a thank you. She was the first dog who had ever been nice to him. His mother had just gone through the motions taking care of Rhode and his siblings she hadn’t really cared. The litter he was born in had been her fifth or sixth by that time it was just another batch of puppies for the breeder to sell. She had learned long ago not to get attached. The rest of the world didn’t care if you were dying on their doorstep as long as you didn’t spill your innards and soil their home they would ignore you. Rhode had learned that long ago, he had also learned to take what you could and be grateful for it.

It was clear that the black shepherd didn’t want him to hang around, he was thankful for what she did he had no desire to anger her. It was a beautiful late summer day. Green grass blowing in the breeze, a brilliant blue sky with soft puffy clouds it was the kind of day that needed to be spent in good company. His black angel had been kind enough to reach out to him, extend herself; in his moment of need obviously something was bothering the shepherd. Rhode wanted to help; he was torn between getting to know her more and simply leaving like she seemed to want.

Indecisive as ever he studied the gash on his chest. The skin was repairing itself he was no longer bleeding freely on the ground. Fresh, light pink skin rimmed the area the wound was slowly healing quicker than he had expected. Just another thing he owed to the black shepherd and he didn’t even know her name. He should at least get her name. He pushed his large, lean body up and began stretching out his tired, sore muscles. A dull throbbing in the back of his head reminded him of his wild, desperate escape. It also reminded him of his failure to rescue his children. Rhode had no clue where to begin he had never been on his own before he was fresh to the streets. Surviving the lab had to be enough to toughen him up he would survive. Dogs in the lab they gained odd mutations and special powers… Rhode didn’t develop anything special. His light copper eyes had been stained jet black and his reflexes had been heightened nothing super special. He could pass as normal if it wasn’t for his eyes. Finishing up his stretches he moved closer to the black dog but was careful to give her, her space he didn’t want to intrude.

Manners he didn’t know he possessed were showing themselves. He was thinking about her, considering the fact that she would want space instead of pushing himself on her and expecting her to fall for him. It was a new way of thinking he was entering virgin ground. Should he just spill his story and what a miserable failure he was? No she didn’t look like the type who would care. No need to turn into a sobbing heap at her feet but there again she had already seen him at his worst. What would it hurt to open up to her? He would shorten his story to nothing more than a few words, thank her, and kindly take his leave.

Maybe they would meet up one day under different circumstances so he could really get to know this girl. He owed her big time. Taking a seat a few feet away from her he studied the ground unwilling to make eye contact. Typically confident and cocky he was thrust outside of his element forced to talk about something very near and dear to his shriveled little heart. “My name is Rhode and I know you don’t give a flying fuck but thanks for saving me. I’ll get out of your hair so don’t stress your pretty head over it doll.” She was pretty. He did owe her. He caught her eyes and found himself captivated by the odd purple color. “You probably think I’m a dumbass I would too. I was going in there to rescue my family,” pain momentarily crossed his features this was what he got for being open. “As long as my two sons are in there I’ll keep trying to rescue them.” He laughed in a weird, crazed dog who was willing to face death kind of way. “The only way they’ll stop me is killing me.”

[ooc] sorry about this weird post my internet spazzed out on me. I'll reply once I get him at around 5:00pm [/ooc]

[::Fox::]

The big male slept through most of the night which didn't surprise Detox. He'd had a lot of blood loss apparently, if his stumbling had been anything to go by. So, since Detox felt no need to get up and run off, she remained on her plaque and stared at the moon as it traveled across the sky and began to dip toward the horizon. The sun was wanting to come out, as much as Detox hated it. For right now though, she didn't want to get up and leave. Normally she'd be running off to find a dark place to sleep since during the day her vision was reduced to nearly nothing. For whatever reason though, any sense of time Detox normally had, slipped away from her. So, she lingered, lounging near the knocked out brute as the sun came up to the east, glad to be facing the north instead of toward the sun. Had she been facing the sun, Detox probably would have run off to find a place to hide. For now though, it wasn't too horrible. When noon rolled around, she'd no doubt have to find shade or some form of darkness to escape a splitting headache.

The fae's wandering thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound nearby. Detox didn't turn her head, already telling her vision was getting dimmer as the sun rose higher. Things were getting blotchy and blurry, like a human not wearing its glasses. If she turned her head, she'd probably end up looking toward the sun and making herself temporarily blind. He would probably leave anyway, Detox wouldn't blame him. She was just a drab, dull shepherd moping around in a graveyard, not fascinating and not paying him any attention. Why would he stick around?

That train of thought was broken by the brute speaking, giving her his name and spilling that he'd escaped the lab and tried to go back and get his sons. That made Detox turn her head. She raised her head from her forelegs and peered toward the red-colored brute. To her, he was now just a tall blob of red-rusty fur, two pin pricks of black on his face. She stared at him though, her pupils shrunk down as far as they could go. She'd have to find darkness soon but for now she stared. He had pups in the lab? That instantly had Detox's attention. He was a daemon, probably bred with another daemon and he had apparently living sons. Detox's heart rate sped up.

"You...you have pups in the lab? They were born there with another daemon?" Detox demanded, half rising from her laying position.

Realizing what she was saying, the German shepherdess snapped her jaw shut and looked away at her blurry paws. Giving her head a firm shake, Detox didn't look back at the male. Instead she cleared her throat, trying to pull together her scrambled composure.

"Good luck getting them out. Not many go back to the lab and get out again."

She tried to sound like she didn't care, like she wasn't interested, like she wasn't desperate. It wasn't working very well and damn it all Detox knew it. She hated feeling desperate, out of control. Her witty riddles and logic gave her serenity from such chaos. Sometimes though, she just couldn't hold on to it.

[[Quasar]]

Rhode carefully carved the single image he had of his two pups deep in his mind. Two small little red bundles of fur were the only family he had that he gave a damn about. He couldn’t forget them they were a part of him. Focusing his black eyes on the dark shepherd he was quick to notice her interest when he mentioned he had pups in the lab… why the hell did everyone want some kind of explanation from him? Wasn’t it his choice if he sired pups within the devil’s playground? His red fur began to bristle but he settled reminding himself what she had done for him no need to repay her with a slash across her chest. The young dog felt obligated to offer up some sort of explanation she had to understand he wasn’t that bad. If he could go back he wouldn’t have ever brought them into the world. Not that he didn’t love them because he did they didn’t deserve to be stuck in that place. He could only imagine what the workers had in store for them their lives would be horrible if they carried his odd ridgeless mutation. All of it came back to him it was his fault their mother had been brought their, his fault they had been born, and it was his fault he had been unable to rescue them. His life amounted to nothing more than a mass of failure. “Look doll going back I wouldn’t do it. I swear. They don’t deserve their fate but as they say boys will be boys.” The corners of his lips curled up in a very familiar Rhode smile. Plastered on his maw it gave his features a to hell with the devil I don’t care kind of look. If one let their imagination get the better of them the creepy dog even looked charming.

Red triangular ears flicked to catch the girl’s words. Damn did he have to keep repeating himself? There again she was just a woman and their intelligence level was debatable. Fuck she was acting like she wanted him to spill his whole life story. Defiance flashed in his dark eyes she would have to pry it out of him. He owed her something even if it was just the skeleton of his pitiful little existence in the lab. He couldn’t deny she deserved that much. “Yes I had pups in the lab. Yes I regret it. I don’t have a clue if their mother was a mutant freak and I could give a rat’s ass what you say about getting into the lab, I will get in.” toward the end of his tirade anger flared in his voice challenging the black shepherd to tell him he wouldn’t get in. Rhode was pissed off at himself for not rescuing his boys, royally pissed. He was physically and emotionally recovering from his experience in the lab all he wanted was something to vent his frustration on. Sure she didn’t deserve it she had saved his pathetic life but if she was after a fight… even the freshly healed wound wouldn’t prevent him from granting her wishes. He did owe her.

“Little black angel I owe you my life, I don’t have time to grovel and beg when it comes to repaying the favor. I have things to do love. My family needs me I don’t intend to dawdle. Doll I think you’re absolutely adorable but I’m not sure we can have any kind of future together. I am barely able to care for myself. “ Everything he said was true, for once in his life. He didn’t have time for her and he had no desire to make friends, a friendship with a girl could eventually lead to the big l word. He hated that word. He would never fall in love again the boys would be the last of his bloodline. “So precious why don’t you tell me what you want me to do for you. Your wish is my command.” Every fiber in his being absolutely detested what he was doing. Willingly serving another canine what had happened to him? He owed her. He owed her big and he had to keep reminding himself.

Rude. Damn he was a rude bastard. Rhode cared about her, a little, if only because she had saved her life. If someone were to spring out of the bushes after the black shepherd Rhode would feel compelled to defend her. He wasn’t a good guy, he’d never been the hero but something in him would compel him to act. He could hear the interest in her voice when she had asked him about pups in the lab. Having nothing better to do the large red dog shifted his weight and decided to make small talk into his little angel decided what she wanted from him. “So pretty lady I heard the interest in your voice and I know you’re not after High King Rhode…. Do you have pups in the labs?” His voice was soft, gentle, and if he stretched it a little caring. His boys were a sore spot for him one he didn’t like many other canines to know about but given the circumstances she had found out. Maybe they had gone through the same thing, maybe in some distant world the two of them could be friends and support each other. Even though he hated admitting it he had always fantasized about having the kind of life every dog wanted. A beautiful, devoted mate and small, sweet puppies secretly he wanted it. Boy would it be nice but he had long ago dismissed it as nothing more than a fantasy. He didn’t fit the mold, he was too irresponsible for someone to ever scoop him out of the rubble and dust him off. Rhode was certain he had no value as a mate, god forbid as a father.

“Little black angel, my special love, I owe you my life. My sweet minx what are you doing all alone? Darling you are truly beautiful and, though you may be reluctant to admit it, you’re a good person. Doll, I owe you everything. Please don’t take advantage of my debt to you sweet heart… I don’t think you would be what the hell do I know? Pretty lady I know you know these streets better than I please help me out, I’m desperate girl.”

Sweet, charming Rhode there was some truth to what he said. The odd, dark shepherd had managed to work herself into a soft spot on his typically hard heart. A single simple act of kindness and he was forever in debt to her, the odd little girl had found herself a place in his mind one where she would never leave. No one had ever been nice to Rhode his mother was nothing special, he had never possessed any friends. With a little work he could be a good guy his true character was exposed whenever he was forced to talk about his children. With work he could be a good guy, a genuinely good guy he hadn’t chosen his deck of cards but he was forced to do his best to play them. Forcing himself up the large red dog moved closer to the shepherd and settled down next to her. The green grass was soft it felt good under his paws. He hadn’t felt it in a long time. Lying next to the other canine Rhode took the moment to savor his first few moments of freedom. She was a beautiful black dog with dark purple eyes; something had hurt her he just didn’t know what. It wasn’t his place to find out what someone had done to her it had happened before he had entered her life.


Closing his eyes images of his new found savior being hurt flashed through his head. Stretching in the soft green blanket he was reassured that nothing like that would happen because he was there. The black dog had done one simple thing and with that action that she repeated thousands of times a day she had earned herself a guardian. The black dog knew nothing of the real Rhode who he was once the layers of a confident, cocky, vain dog were peeled away. He would be there for her, to protect her. He doubted she needed it but the same conscious that had dragged him into the lab bound him to the black angel. A life was a debt that could never be repaid even if he did what she wanted he would always be in debt. “My little angel, what may I call you? I am Rhode, sweet girl.” Possessive as ever Rhode insisted on calling her his angel. Not someone else’s she was clearly marked as his in his mind. Rhode the piece of shit failure, his protection would offer her little. He was unable to defend himself, unable to rescue his sons but still he would be there. He would be there lurking in the shadows, watching doing his damndest to protect her. What a fucking failure and here he was forced to take another under his wing. She might be a woman and her intelligence might be debatable but she was now his commander in chief. He disliked swearing his loyalty to a damn woman of all things. His stupidity and rash actions had gotten him into another mess. At least she was pretty even if he wasn’t interested in her for those reasons. Stretching out the red dog lounged next to his jet black lady.

[::Fox::]

Detox clenched her jaw. She should have kept quiet, let him bleed out or something. Every mention of the damned labs made her insides tighten and her heart burn. She hated that place, couldn't wait to see it burn. She wanted those humans to hurt like she did every time she saw her own reflection, every time someone so much as glanced at her. Was that so much to ask to ease a could-have-been-mother's aching heart? Couldn't they at least fix their mutations? Why were they damned to forever be labeled freaks of nature, hated and hunted? It wasn't fair but, Detox knew better than to think the world could or would ever be fair. It had taken everything from her once, snatched a chance at happiness from her and now left her with the dead even though she was still breathing. The fact that the guy she'd just saved was talking wasn't making things better.

Every time he said "little angel" or whatever pet name he had for her, she wanted to give him a dose of her poison large enough to kill an elephant. Something in that tone was a little too condescending, a little too patronizing. It was like he was talking to a young pup, trying to convince the pup that he was talking to it on the fair grounds of adulthood but missing by a mile. Not even Cain with his player ways had ever talked to her like that. At least he'd spoken to her like their was a brain in her skull, not sugar-coating and falsely friendly. He sounded like he was hanging around because she had a ball and chain around his neck or something ridiculous like that. Heaven above, were all men like this? If so, they were a far cry from the males Detox had grown up with.

Irritation and anger that had been building since she'd left the McClain Farm seemed to come to life in Detox. She stood up on the grave plaque and turned to glare at Rhode. Her violet eyes lit and danced with a fiery glare as if someone had lit a torch behind her eyes. "What I have in that lab is no concern of yours," she snapped sharply. "Run off to your death you dolt, you don't owe me a damn thing but next time there won't be saving in my poison, only me putting you out of you down like the sorry fleabag you and every other male in this town are!!"

This was quite out of character for Detox, this explosion of emotion. Usually she was composed and cool but, when under the impression someone was talking down to her, she became irritable very quickly. Add that to her recent heartbreak and new outlook on all male creatures, it didn't equate to anything near pleasant. Not even in the same universe. If Rhode keeled over choking right now, Detox would probably kick dust on him and walk away. Maybe she was being judgmental but the former police dog was beyond caring. She was mad and irritated, heartbroken and jealous. There would be no sane dealings with her tonight, especially with smooth talking brutes that called her "little angel" and "precious." She'd had enough of those types. One had already broken her heart, she wouldn't let it happen again. She was going to kill the disease at its source before it could take root and ruin her again.

Baring her teeth, Detox's hackles rose and a growl rumbled in her chest. She was a formidable force, impressive with her sleek black form, venom coated fangs and angry violet eyes. "Get away from me, you and every dog like you!"

Turning sharply, Detox felt her wings sprout out of her shoulders. Bone and muscle cutting through skin and sprouting feathers like something being put on fast forward until a pair of lush, blacker than raven wings rested on her back. Spread fully, they had a nearly thirteen foot wingspan, impressive, intimidating and blacker than her sleek fur. They made her look like an angel of death, ready to take flight and escape the oppressive world, claiming lost souls as her own. Her rational mind knew she'd never be able to fly far enough or fast enough to escape males like Rhode and Cain, but damn it all if she wouldn't try.