what you’re problem is?” the wolf snarled crushing the bone in the hound’s muzzle, then letting go. The dog could only yowl in agonizing pain as he was grabbed by the neck. “You’re to much of a bitch-dog to know how to live.”

~

“Red!”

Raytag’s ears perked at the sound of his friends voice. Loping across the yard, he leapt through the newly installed dog-door and into the kitchen, where a bowl of delicious Doggie Delights was waiting for him.

“When we finish supper, I’ll drop you off with Tim.” said his friend, Sally, stroking the soft fluffy fur on his back. “He tells me you’re doing so well. As if you were a natural. I know for a fact that you are.” she walked over to the microwave and started to heat up some left over meatloaf for herself. “I just know you were born to do great things, Red.”

The husky/malamute mix just raised his head from his food, and gave her a soft “Woof” for a response.

Half a hour later, head sticking out of the car window on the way to the office, Raytag was thinking about what Sally had told him. He wished that what he did felt like it mattered. So far his training to be a top-notch police dog was going rather well, but he wanted to do more. In his heart however, he knew that it was only the beginning of something bigger. What that was, he didn’t know. After all, it was only a year ago since he had been given a good home, and his human had gotten closer to the officer that offered to get her help. And since then he, Tim, had seen the potential for Raytag to become a specially trained police dog. Called a cadaver dog by his partners, but Raytag knew that his job was more important than finding a few stiffs. It was also to help the victims of killers, and the families of those who were found to late.

When they pulled up to the training area behind the station, Raytag stared at the other police dogs. They were all Sheppards and breeds thought more fitting for the unit of police dog. A dark brown Belgian Sheppard in particular was giving him a challenging glare. What a way to start off the day. But Raytag didn’t let it get to him, he just stared back and lifted his tail high in the air to inform him that he was the top-dog.

He didn’t like that. With an sudden growl, he met the challenge with his tail held high and a glare so fierce it could kill. Now Raytag knew this dog. Not personally, he never wanted to get to know such a pain-in-the-ass, but he did know more about him than he would’ve liked. His name was Mike, a dark brown Belgian with an ego big enough to bit off his head. Raytag growled back at him.

Tim and Sally were talking when they noticed.

“Re-” Sally started to hold Raytag back when Tim stopped her.

“Let him go. If it gets to bad, I’ll step in. But Mike needs to know he’s not the one in charge. And Red knows his place. Maybe he’ll shed a little light on our rebels world.”

Sally reluctantly remained silent, but continued to watch.

The two dogs were making it quite obvious that a fight was going to break out.

“How can they let you remain at the master’s heel?” Mike sneered. “I’ve been here years longer!”

“You just don’t have the heart for it.” Raytag responded calmly.

“Maybe he’d see different if I ripped out yours!” and with just that, the Belgian Sheppard lunged.

Raytag avoided the attack easy enough, and it gave Mike such a surprise, that it left him off guard for Raytag’s grab for a back leg. He swung Mike around and let him go flying across the damp grass.

With a snarl he was up again though. With another attack easily avoided, Raytag decided he didn’t have the patience for this, and instead grabbed his neck. He didn’t break through the flesh, but it left Mike stunned. He flung him on the ground and pinned him.

Placing a paw on the muzzle so Mike couldn’t even try to snap, Raytag whispered close to his ear, “I’m not going to kill you. Cause then you wouldn’t learn anything.”

Before Mike could get more than a cold glare across Raytag, Tim came over with a leash. “Okay, Red. You’re still the alpha dog. Let me just get Mike back inside.”

Raytag moved aside so Tim could hook the chain leash onto Mike’s collar and haul him away.

“Don’t you ever worry about being over thrown?” the voice was friendly for such a serious question. But Raytag knew the voice well. It belonged to his friend Ben or Benny, the Bernese Mountain Dog.

“No. But if that day were to ever come, I don’t expect it to be from him.” Raytag turned to him. The Bernese was close to retirement age, and almost looked it, but he was still to full of vigor to be tossed aside like an old shoe.

“I wouldn’t think so.” The two friends started to take their daily stroll through the yard to stretch their legs before training. Though by now, training was just more of a review for them. “Did you hear what happened at the Patrick cabin?”

“No. What happened?”

“Apparently, a wolf got into the dog kennel…and slaughtered the hounds.”

“What?!”

“Yeah. Even old Josh. Brent’s favorite.” Ben suddenly stopped and looked around.

“What is it, Ben?” Raytag asked. There was always something that he felt was hidden from the Patrick cabin. It was always one of the most kept secrets around him, and now he felt he was finally going to know what it was.

“I think you’ve been here long enough to know.” Ben started when he made sure no one was around. “We dogs know it wasn’t just some random wolf or some other bizarre incident. You see, about a few years back, Patrick found a year-old pup. And not just any pup…but a orphaned timber wolf!”

Raytag was stunned. He knew owning a wolf in these parts was just about one of the stupidest things one could do. Usually because a wolf’s heart is just to wild to tame. Brent Patrick was known well enough to be sure of the fact that he was too stupid to think of simple things like that. Sure people have successfully raised wolves, both happily and healthily, but this human, like quite a few others in this town, was a hunter. And that alone wasn’t the problem, but the fact that he wanted to raise the wolf as a hunting ’dog’. And that most likely increased the animals blood-lust. It was a well know theory through out the chain of dogs who knew about the mysterious lupine now free with the fresh taste of blood on his tongue. Raytag didn’t know though. Assuming wasn’t what right to him. He’d much rather know something more about this wolf. Talk to it even. Although it wasn‘t the main question he had in mind, he asked “How did no one else know of this?”

“Well you know how humans are. They don’t naturally follow their instincts. They just think of Brent as any other hunter or resident to our small town, and don’t see the way that bastard abuses his dogs. Sure they get a home and food, but many barely get what they need to survive. I think he figures the more hungry the dog is, the better his performance in the field. He only gives a damn about how much more game he can bag than anyone else, and he never even showed his dogs how much he appreciated them.”

Raytag nodded in agreement and finally asked, “Where is the wolf now?”

“I dunno. But where ever it is, he’d be better off away from any humans now.”

~

WIP: It's very sllooowwww...but more to be added later  ><)))">