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As promised, here it is:
The long-awaited PART FIVE!
- Things start to get interesting as the lovers are separted forever . . . Ooh, such suspense. But I don't want to give anything away:
Just read it already!
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September. All alone in the wilderness . . . . I could do nothing without you . . . .
The only color in front of the canine was a light green, shining brightly thanks to the light of the rising sun. The tall pine trees to her side fenced the dog from the rest of the town and the wilderness, but she didn’t turn back. She couldn’t turn back. The gray canine did nothing but run away from the home that she had known since as long as she could remember. She had to – it was her eternal punishment.
She panted until she found a small dwelling cave for temporary purposes, after about an hour of non-stop running. Then she stopped and turned around, realizing that she was quite far from home.
At least I’m near the mail team’s sled path, she thought. Then I’ll be able to at least see him again when they pass by . . . Oh, Kodi . . . I miss you so much, even if we just saw each other only hours ago.
The small canine went into the cave and lay on her stomach, falling into a deep sleep. As she slept, the voices of those she missed echoed through her mind . . . . Ralph, Kirby, Kodi . . . her teammates, even though they had all turned on her.
Well, Kodi never really turned on her . . . . He loves me for who I am, and I really want to spend forever with him . . . even if it will only be in the next world . . . .
I wonder, she thought before beginning a new hope-filled dream of what should have been . . . she was with the love of her life, as they began a new family together . . . I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him . . . I wonder if he will always remember me . . . even at this very moment . . . or in the days and weeks to come . . . .
Little would she realize that things weren’t going to be the same after that night.
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The early-autumn days went on as usual in the town of Nome: the sled team traveled onto the paths that they knew so well to deliver their mail. Unfortunately weeks after the trial, the situation with Dusty’s exile remained fresh in everyone’s minds and gossip in the boiler room.
“Hey, I heard that some dog spotted Dusty in the nearby woods the other day!”
“Oh, that little ****? Who cares about her?”
“Yeah, she got what she deserved. Now she’ll die either in the wild or when she returns.”
“But what about those pups that she’s carrying? They’re not worth killing if she returns!”
“But it’s the law . . . . If she even dares to bear them here or even bring them here, she’ll suffer the worst fate of all: after watching her newborn puppies die with her own eyes, she’ll be killed herself. Hmph! Serves her right.”
“That poor young pup. He got himself into that sort of situation . . . and he’s the son of Balto too. His father must be ashamed of his own son after what he did to that bitch. But somehow, I feel kinda sorry for him.”
“Why should you?” A sudden gasp ran through the room as everyone turned toward the dark corner and saw the dark-red husky with tears in his eyes.
“Oh, Kodi! We . . . we . . . we didn’t see you there!” One husky spoke up, stammering nervously.
“Why the hell should you feel sorry for me? Or for Dusty, in that matter? The law is the law, and even though I feel like breaking it in the name of love, I cannot. We fell in love with each other, we even took our love to the next level, and now we must pay the ultimate price: banishment from each other.” His voice got louder in rage at himself the more he spoke, and the tears were crashing down his face with every word he uttered. “Don’t you understand? What more is there to be done to destroy what’s left of my heart? More gossip and whispering behind by own back? I will never be able to see my own flesh and blood be born into this world! I will never see the only dog I have ever loved in my entire life ever again, all because of the law of Nome. This is our penance and ultimate punishment for the sins we have made . . . and committed. Why don’t you leave it at that? For our sake.”
Kodi stormed out of the room and ran to his secret place at his father’s boat where he sat down, gasping for breath. When he finally calmed down, he reached his only treasure that he had left of his lover, the brown collar that Kirby took off of Dusty before local dogs chased her out of town that fateful day a couple of weeks ago.
“Oh Dusty,” Kodi lay beside the boat, collar in his paws, and cried silently in sniffles. “If only . . . if only you were here when I need you . . just like old times . . . “
His wolf instincts got the best of him as he sat up and let out a loud but solemn howl. The part-wolf’s cries continued for almost a half-hour until a white snow goose screamed out, waking up a sleeping hybrid from his once-pleasant slumber.
“Hey! Kodi! Boichick! Is it possible for you to take that loud racket elsewheres?” Boris came out with his feathery hands on his head. “Oy vey! Can’t a goose get an evening nap in peace for once?”
“Oh! Sorry about that, Boris.” Kodi sat up with embarrassment. “I didn’t know . . .“ He stopped when he saw a second goose, a female with a beauty mark near her beak, wrap her light lavender-tipped wings around the Russian gander’s neck and then give him a peck on the cheek. The husky coughed quickly, not wanting to be a bother in this situation. “I’ll just go to the other side of town to howl. Excuse me.” He ran away from his father’s boat in search of a place in which he could be alone. A shadow of another dog arrived a bit too late, let out a sigh, and glared at the two lovers. He knew his son didn’t want to see others happily in love while he was punished to see his own love again. With a look of concern, the wolf-dog began to follow the reddish dog into Nome.
However, ever since the trial, the town was very not welcome to the young quarter-wolf’s presence either. Kodi saw several of the town dogs give him a snooty look and turn away as he walked by. Their gestures spoke volumes in their silence: Kodi was not welcome in their company, but why? That was unknown. Perhaps it was fear of him raping the females of other dogs, as he had with Ralph’s betrothed. Or maybe they were afraid that the young part-wolf’s wild side would awaken, causing him to turn on them and attack in rage. Either way, it felt like every canine in town was against the love that the two dogs felt for each other.
He didn’t notice the large gray shadow that continued to watch him on the top floor of the boiler room, still in tears because of losing the one he, too, also loved and promised to be faithful to him forever. A wheat-colored dog came up to join him on their vigil, letting out a sigh, as if he felt he had made a mistake with his judgment. Unfortunately, they both knew nothing could be done to make things right, unless they wished to perish due to the laws of Nome, so all they could do was watch the lamenting quarter-wolf as he sadly walked through the town.
He slowly saw the edge of town, no guard dogs in sight. Maybe I could make a quick break for it . . . he thought as he looked both ways and began to dash outside of the town limits. Ha! Smooth sailing! But seconds later, he was stopped in his tracks by two large Malamutes that growled and blocked him with their long, powerful bodies that they had hidden silently in nearby bushes.
“Kodiak, you are forbidden to leave to town limits, according to the law’s punishment, unless you have both parental units accompanying you or if you are traveling on the sled team.” The first guard spoke in a low, booming voice, stating the truths that the young husky knew very well.
The second guard, who had grabbed a tuft of shoulder fur and dragged Kodi away from the freedom he longed, completed his duty. “Since you have met neither of the agreed requirements, I’m afraid we cannot allow you to pass. I’m sorry.”
The guard loosened his grip, letting go of the struggling pup at an area near the edge of town where Kodi’s father sat in disappointment at what his son was trying to do.
“Ow!” Kodi tried to straighten the patch of fur that the Malamute had messed up. “That hurt –“
“Kodiak!”
The pup gasped and then lowered his ears in shame, knowing that now he had to face the wrath of his father’s fury. “Dad . . . I’m sorry, but I had to try.”
Balto, still with an angry look on his face, sighed and turned to his ashamed child. “I know that you want to be with Dusty again, but you have to face the facts: the law has forbidden for the two of you to see one another again.” His face calmed down as he gave him a small nuzzle. “Both your mother and I only want what’s best for your safety, that’s all. Just give it a little time for this nonsense to pass and you’ll be happier by winter.”
“I can’t do that, Dad,” the son spoke up as he began to cry, remembering last winter’s events that caused him to like Dusty in the first place. “Over three years ago, you fell in love, became a hero and got the one thing that you wanted more than anything in the world: acceptance for who you are. This is who I am, Dad. Why can’t I be accepted for who I love?”
“Because another loved and claimed her first . . . and now that you’ve now fathered her first litter –”
Son interrupted Father. “Oh, give it up, Dad! You know I already know what you’re going to say, so just stop it!” The young husky’s angry growl soon defeated the wolf-dog’s determination. Balto knew that no matter what he said, Kodi’s passion to be with Dusty wouldn’t change, continuing to grow stronger by every passing moment.
“Fine, I’ll stop,” Balto gave up. “I know I’ll never be able to change your mind, but don’t be reckless.” A small tear fell down his yellow and red eyes. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I love you, son, and I only want what’s best for you. You’re so young with so much potential for a successful sled-dog career ahead of you. I don’t want your life to be taken away so soon because of something so stupid!”
Kodi gasped with a surprised look. He knew his father was protective, but he never thought that he would want to tell him what to do with his life. Surprise turned to anger yet again.
“I love you too, Dad, but this isn’t something that’s stupid! I love Dusty with all my heart! She is my life, my dreams! She’s everything that dear and precious to me! I’m sure that if the same thing happened to Mom, you’d go after her too, wouldn’t you?”
Balto growled, shocked that his son would even say such a thing like that. “You’d dare say that to me?” Of course, his son knew that his love for Jenna was eternal, but he was much smarter than his son to even break the law. All dogs that obeyed the law lived long lives in Nome, and Balto only wanted the best for Kodi. “Well, if that’s the way you’re going to act, you can live it the hard way. Go ahead and stay here every day if you want. I won’t be here to save you next time. Good night, son.” The grayish-brown wolf-dog turned away from his son as he returned to his boat-side estate.
“Fine, Dad. Maybe I will be here every day.” Kodi muttered under his breath as his father trekked homeward, almost at the verge of breaking down in tears.
So that’s exactly what he did that night; and almost every night after wards - the red quarter-wolf just sat at the edge of town in the dark cover of nightfall, looking out at the wild world that his love was calling home . . . the world he could never enter alone.
We will see each other again soon, won’t we, Dusty?
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Some strange sensation awoke the red quarter-wolf from his midnight slumber that night. The continuous rainfall had lulled him to sleep, but it was something else that sprung him awake. He had heard howling cries throughout the early nightfall – Oh, it’s just a nomadic pack of wolves from the outskirts of town. – Then there was the moaning and groaning – Some dog must be having trouble sleeping. – And the weirdest thing of all: he had heard a female’s voice in his head of someone that needed his help.
Help me . . . please someone . . . help me! Ohhhhhhh!
Although the feminine voice was unrecognizable to the young pup, that did it. He knew that somehow he had to follow his intuitions and help whoever was calling him. The burgundy husky left his post at the edge of town that night, searching for the source of the call that wouldn’t leave him alone.
Who is this voice? He thought to himself as he crept through the town in the still-dismal weather. Why am I hearing this? Maybe it’s a sign . . . she sounded like she was in some sort of pain . . . almost like . . . . He stopped as the cry grew louder the closer he got to the boiler room. He had finally noticed the wet footprints and the faint smell of something familiar, something he had lost long ago. Could it be . . . her?
He ran behind the large building and looked both ways, making sure that no one else could notice what he was about to do. When he was sure that the coast was clear, he used his front paw to open a secret passage into the back of the room. It was much warmer, due to the back of the boiler being there, but he had to be undetectable in order to confirm his theory. Slowly, he crept past the very hot boiler and lowered himself to the ground, hoping he could discover the source of the sound without being caught. Suddenly, he gasped at the sight that he saw. No . . . it can’t be . . . is this a dream come true?
"Dusty?"
She let out a gasp, surprised to hear the familiar voice that she thought she was forbidden to hear ever again. "Kodi?" She paused for a second before repeating her call. She couldn’t believe that it was really him. "Kodi, is that really you? OH!" She began to groan, feeling a second puppy about to be born.
"Dusty!" The reddish-brown sled dog jumped out of the shadows of his secret passageway above the laboring husky and hurried straight to her side. "Dusty, are you okay?"
"Oh . . . . Kodi . . . ." she quietly muttered, her strength was slowly draining to the lower half of her body to deliver again. Her breathing began to quicken as she paused while she spoke. "I . . . thought I'd never . . . see you again . . . ." She let out a quick gasp as she shut her eyes tight and began to push. "OOOOHHHHHH!”
“Easy, easy. Just relax and let it out,” Kodi calmed her down as she began to complete birthing the child, breathing slowly and deeply. “Good, good. That’s it. You can do it, Dusty.”
“Uhhhh . . . . ahhhhh," The sac came out of her tail-end, followed by the emergence of the afterbirth and a gush of fluid. The maternal dog cleaned her second child, who was a girl with her mother's color and markings, and led the pup to her milking teats with its older brother, who was strongly biting down onto the nipple and sucking down the nourishment from their mother. The second-born then followed its brother's actions after a couple of quick whimpers and sucked the teat. "Ooh! She's a biter, even without her teeth yet!"
"Oh, Dusty . . ." Kodi shifted his gaze to the sight of his beloved and his nursing children. "They're perfectly beautiful." He nuzzled her gently and then looked around the room, hoping that they were alone. "Dusty, why did you come back? You know your life, and theirs are at stake if someone catches us together."
"I know, Kodi," Dusty spoke using a quiet voice. "But after all this time, I thought about only you. Not Ralph. He was my first love by arrangement, and I thought we had something going on when I was training him one-on-one last year. But we didn't – it just wasn’t as strong as true love should be. We were only best friends, friends that weren't willing to go steady until the right moment. Soon, I found my moment of true love." she paused and kissed Kodi on the nose. "I met you. I would have never expected that you would be my first, but I . . . I'm glad that you were.”
"Me too . . . ." Kodi returned the kiss, walked over to the wooden door of the boiler room, and closed it shut, locking the door’s lock in place with his nose. "There. Now no one can get inside here from the main entrance, and since only my siblings and I are the only ones that know of the secret back entrance that I used, I promise that you'll be safe and sound as our children are born." He gave her a confident wink and a smile.
"Mmm, that's good." Dusty spoke, licking one of the puppies and then ingesting a piece of afterbirth for nutrients. She hadn't eaten anything for the past couple of days, and she needed something to eat to produce more milk, since she felt a third puppy beginning to move through her birth canal.
“You have no idea what I learned out there in the wild about survival . . . and myself." Dusty knew that Kodi had learned about what she might have been and now she knew the truth of her birth, she needed to find the right time to tell him about all the trials and tribulations she went through over the past few weeks.
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Almost a month had passed since her exile from Nome and things weren’t very easy for the young gray bitch. She had to hunt for food, which was simple at first because of her speed, but as time went on, she started to have bad luck with catching rabbits, mice, and fish, causing her to scavenge for leftover food like a vulture. She would search for days and days on end just for enough to nourish her body to find more the next time she was able to find more. At least the female was lucky to at least have quick access to a pool next to her current dwelling of choice.
She had to fend for herself by protecting her new home from other wild animals that wanted to steal her home and everything in it and protecting herself from attacks with large predators that smelled her from a mile away. The weather was as wild as the terrain, filling the wilderness with sudden downpours and humid sun that weakened the female at times.
The hardest part was not learning the basics of surviving life in the wild; it was learning to survive in the wild while carrying a growing litter of pups inside her body. She could constantly feel the growing brood inside her beginning to grow – the faint pattering movements of their still-forming feet, the fluttering pulses of their now-beating hearts, and their new bodies, still under construction, squirming in separate sacs that lay against the walls of her womb. The female, like every mother, would give her own life to guarantee her children’s safe growth. Her maternal instincts remained as the guiding belief that she used to live on through the hot days.
Life was difficult . . . but little did she know, everything would start to fall into place in due time.
It was halfway through her pregnancy when it happened.
It was the end of the month and the gray knew that 30 days from now, she would welcome her pups into the world alone. She let out a sigh as she began her trek for food in a mountain valley of light green and beige. Hour after hour passed as the bitch unsuccessfully managed to hunt, but her bulging body rustling against the grass caused her prey to flee quicker than she could react. Her legs were still short and strong, but with the extra weight that she now had to endure, she was unable to run as fast as she once did carrying the mail sled. Occasionally, she would trip over her paws as she ran, and each hunt lasted longer and longer as time moved on.
It had begun to drizzle during this hunt. The sky was the same color as the bitch as she tried to find shelter nearby, since her cave was a few miles away from her hunting grounds.
Brrr! The gray shivered as the cold, tiny drops of liquid tapped against her fur, darkening her light silver tone. I have to find some place dry nearby, before this rain gets heavier!
Suddenly, she heard a cackling caw in the air. She looked up in the air and found the source of the cry: a solitary raven, soaring over her head. The bird continued to caw as its lightly-drenched feathery cloak of midnight ebony shone slightly in the breeze while it flew.
Do . . . Do you want me to follow you? The bitch looked at the creature, tilting her head to the side as it continued to fly back and forth, side by side. Wait a second, She thought to herself. You’re a raven. I’ve heard that ravens were nothing more than a sign of bad luck! The bird, as if to hear the dog’s thoughts, answered back with a cackle and a nod when it suddenly landed in front of her feet and then returned to the air only several feet above her head. She sighed, realizing that this bird might be her only source of survival for the time being.
I don’t know how you could hear what I’m thinking, but I guess I have no choice but to follow you, Dear Raven. The gray gave the creature a slight nod, showing that she was putting her trust in the dark-feathered fowl. All right then. Lead the way.
The bird flew low in front of the gray as she followed slowly behind, hobbling with her pregnant belly weighing her down. The rain continued to fall as they walked, pattering a little bit harder as every minute went by. After about a couple of minutes of traveling, the raven perched itself onto a branch near a small rocky mount, cawing the female’s attention.
A mountain! Her eyes gleamed. Maybe there’s a cave up here! She found a thin path of smooth rock near the raven’s wooden perch. And a mountain path! I wonder if this is where the raven was showing me . . . Thank you so much for leading me here. She bowed at the bird before beginning to hike the mountain trail. It didn’t take long for the female to find what she was looking for; she found a wide-mouthed cavern on her right side after walking about sixty paces.
Well, this looks like a dry spot to rest until the rain ends, Thought the female as she walked inside. Hmm, it’s not too bad! Kinda reminds me of my other cave . . . except a bit more inviting. She joked as she looked around at her new surroundings.
The cave was cool but dry, as the further in she walked, the darker it got. The walls were sparkling with minuscule treasures that dimly lit the pathway that seemed to lead to the main chamber of the cavern. The chamber was bright, lit by a beam of white light that shone down from above. But it wasn’t the light that caught the gray’s eye; it was the shadowy figure that stood underneath it.
It was a dark brown ball of fur, almost four feet tall, humped over something, but what, the bitch could not tell. Its size overpowered her own, almost as if she could be flattened by the sphere if it began to roll towards her tiny yet pregnant body. The glimmering beam made the creature sparkle in such a way that it seemed like some sort of a dream.
Is this real? The dog pondered as her now-dry coat cast that beautiful silver shine that her lover had been missing for weeks. Maybe this is the resident of the cave . . . Oh, I hope it doesn’t mind me intruding on its property . . . She bravely crept towards the center of the room where the ball of fluff had curled up.
“Hello?” she whispered into a circular attachment on the fur sphere. “Hello? Is this your cave?”
“Yes . . .” A soft female’s voice echoed through the rocky walls of sparkling dust. “Yes, this is my cave, young one.”
“Oh, I’m sorry if I’m intruding in your living space.” The female bowed her head. “I’ll leave and find some other cave on this mountain instead. Please excuse me.” She turned and began to walk back to the entrance of the room, but was interrupted by the same voice again.
“Wait, Dusty.”
The silver-gray female was frozen in her tracks. “How . . .” She turned to the ball, still gleaming in the light. “How do you know my name?”
“It’s because I know you, Dusty. I have known you ever since you gave your first breath. No, even longer than that. Ever since you were conceived in your dam’s womb, I have known your name.”
The husky’s eyes grew in shock and curiosity. “Who are you? And you forgot to answer my question: How do you know my name?”
The ball of brown uncurled itself, revealing its true form. The fur was the creature’s back, which was protecting a flat oval object that glittered like a crystal underneath its thick skin. The sight of the front of the creature made the bitch jump backwards in shock.
“Yaaahhhh!” She shrieked, stammering to complete her sentence. “You’re a . . . a . . .”
“A bear, yes,” the large creature stood on its hind legs and remained at the center of the light beam. “But do not be afraid of me, for I will do you no harm. My name is Ursa, and I know your name because I am what I am.” She bowed in front of the trembling female to properly introduce herself. “I am your spirit guide, Dusty. At your service.”
“Spirit guide?” The female leaned her head to the side, confused by the term. “What is a spirit guide? I’ve never heard of those before in my life . . . Well, not from what I can remember, that is.”
The bear nodded. “A spirit guide is kind of like a guardian angel. It’s a very special spirit that walks with a creature through life. Every being has a spirit guide that is assigned to them from before birth. Sometimes you can’t see or sense them, but somehow you know that we’re there if you just concentrate hard enough. It’s only a natural instinct really.”
“Ursa . . .” Dusty sat down, trying to recover from the sight of seeing a spirit guide that she never knew had existed and still bewildered by the creature’s sudden presence. “If you are what you say you are and you’ve been with me since my beginning, then . . .” She lowered her head, feeling afraid of the response. “Tell me . . . who am I? What am I? I have been exiled to this land and all my life, I’ve only wanted to know the truth.” She lifted her head as she queried loud and clear. “Please tell me who I am, Ursa!”
The bear gave the female dog a kind grin, lowering her eyelids halfway. “I can show the answers that you seek, but first you must lead the way.” Ursa motioned a gesture with her clawed paw towards the large crystal object that she was hovered over earlier. “Come here, Dusty, and I will guide you as you discover your true identity.”
The bitch walked to the object, seeing that it was a flat mirror made of perfect crystal. The bear towered over her as she spoke her instructions to the female, who was ready to find the truth. “Now, look into my mirror of truth . . . Tell me, what do you see?”
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The birthing husky was silently contracting as Kodi found a couple more blankets for her to keep comfortable during the long delivery night. However, whenever she gave birth, the coverings near her tail ended up wet with uterine fluid, blood, and the birth sacs where their puppies had lived ever since Kodi and Dusty had created them only a couple of months ago.
Only a few minutes later, Dusty let out a loud groan as another puppy was entering the world. "Ooohhh, Kodi . . . . AH!" The new father came to her side, allowing her to use his leather collar to bite down upon as she eased the puppy through her body and into the outside world. She let go of his collar, allowing him to massage her still pregnant belly with his comforting nose. "Ahhhh . . . there it is." The third child slowly emerged from her and was released from its birth sac. Dusty bit the cord that connected the baby and its placenta to each other as the puppy whimpered for warmth. She led the puppy to the teats where its siblings were. "Mmm, thank you, Kodi . . . for everything."
The two huskies nuzzled lovingly as Kodi rested his body against her back, laying his head lightly on her sleek neck that was still drenched in rain. "How many more, Dusty?"
"I . . . I don't know," she whispered. "Goodness, I'm so exhausted. Giving birth is even more tiring than pulling that heavy mail sled!" Dusty lightly chuckled. "Well, I don't feel any contractions now, so this will give us some time to talk."
"Yeah," Kodi moved his head underneath his lover's own and closed his eyes. "I knew you would return to me one day, even if you were told never to come back. Those dogs cannot control the love that we feel. The love that we both feel is so strong; we can't be separated for long. Almost two months was too much for me."
"True, I knew of the consequences of returning, but I thought that if anything happened to my children, the doctor would be able to help them while I recover. I don’t know of how to raise children in the wild! This was the only way that I knew!"
"But, Dusty, if those high-up law dogs in charge of things find out that you're here, we're finished." His head lowered to Dusty's chest. "I honestly don't know how I can deal with losing you forever."
"Neither can I," Dusty placed her head on top of his. "It's not right to kill newborns after they've just been brought into the world! That's just inhumane, even for dogs!" They both let out a sigh of frustration. "Oh, Kodi . . ." Dusty began to cry on his neck. "What are we going to do now? We can't show ourselves in public, we can't run away from here, and we can't stay locked up in the boiler room forever!"
"I know, I know. Calm down, love." Kodi lifted his head from her chest. "Don't worry about that now. You still have children to care for . . . . Oh!" He felt his mate's contractions start up again, stronger . . . as if another puppy was about to be birthed. "And to give birth to." He completed his statement as he went back to nuzzling the laboring husky's stomach, assisting the puppy on slipping out of the birth canal, with its placenta in tow.
Dusty paused to release a sigh of relief. "That one was easier than the others."
"I guess your muscles are used to it by now." the wolf-husky mix chuckled, still in awe by his mate's strong spirit. "Or maybe because I'm here with you. Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Umm . . ." Dusty checked the pup for its gender. "Oh! It’s another girl! She looks just like her older sisters – just like me!" She observed with a smile.
"So, that makes three daughters and one son," Kodi kept track of his offspring so he could help name them later on. "Good. When you're done delivering your litter, then you should get some rest. I'll stay guard during the night and protect you, no matter what.”
“But, you need rest too,” the now relaxing new mother told him. “You’ll use up all of your strength to protect me and the pups.”
“Don’t worry, Dusty. It’s my turn to play the hero now.” He winked at his lover and stepped over to the doorway. “If anyone comes to take your life or theirs, they’ll have to pass me first.”
Dusty let out a yawn, then nudged her whining puppies with her nose. “I owe you my life, Kodi. And theirs. Thank goodness there are such kind canines in the world like you. I am truly thankful to have bore your children.”
Kodi’s white face markings almost turned a dashing shade of blush. "Gee. Thanks, Dusty. We both knew the risks and consequences of reuniting, but I'm glad that we defied the law. If we hadn't, we wouldn't feel this feeling that we both feel right now." He smiled at his mate, even though he was also praying that no one would be able to notice that a defiant miracle was taking place in the same room in which they were both punished, forbidden to ever be together again.
God, please don’t let this feeling go away . . . .
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Ooh, isn't that just nice? But wait, that's not the end yet! What wonderful surprises does the chapter hold?
Please comment and critique! Thank you!
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). And I also have a title fanart pic too (not available until the fic is completed)!
