Alpha Initiative

18 - Puppy Pile

There's just enough of a gap under my wing for me to see out onto the surrounding deck, and I watch as feet pass me by. Occasionally, Dima will growl if a set of feet lingers nearby for too long, and then the feet will make a hasty retreat.

The sun beats down on me, but luckily the white of my wing helps reflect some of the heat away. I've never had to pay attention to the passage of time, so I don't even know what season it is. I can only hope it is summer or I'll have to add another item to my mental list of things that suck at sea; if it gets any hotter, I may seriously consider living nocturnally.

Try as I might to stay awake, my vision is getting blurrier as time wears on. I blink rapidly to clear some of the tiredness from my eyes, and try to find something to keep my focus off of sleep.

I attempt not to let my tired mind stray to thoughts of being some kind of mother of a whole new species, but my thoughts drift there anyway. I don't know why I expected anything different from a bunch of blood sucking scientists; after all, I've lived under their thumb for long enough to know they mean trouble in everything they do. For some reason I thought Logan would be different. Maybe it's just because he wasn't completely callous in his treatment of me, or the fact he didn't abandon me to pirates all by myself when given the chance. Knowing what I now know, perhaps the real reason Logan stayed with me was to ensure I stayed "pure" for my future as a breeding machine. After all, if I ended up impregnated by a pirate instead of the male they made specifically for me, it would ruin whatever plans they had for me.

I absentmindedly lick at some blood matting the fur on my paw. The tight tugging feeling from the dried blood is starting to get really uncomfortable. I can only imagine what it looks like, having my bright white fur covered in dark red splotches and streaks from the Captain's and my own blood. Despite being covered in his scent, I still can't figure out what the Captain's shift could be. His scent is unlike mine, but at the same time I can smell a mix of scents that confirms he's not a purebred. If I concentrate hard enough on separating the confusing scents, I can almost distinguish the scent of a feline from the hodgepodge of smells. A feline cross would explain his arrogance, but not his unique changing eyes.

Some kind of commotion brings my thoughts back to the present, and I pause in my licking. Lifting my wing higher so I can see further out onto the deck, I see pirates running around looking harried. I growl as one of them nearly steps on my wing in his haste, but he barely pays me any mind as he continues running past. I can't tell why everyone seems to be in a hurry, and scan the ship for something that can give me a clue as to what's going on.

From near the bow of the ship, I see Keeley and Samuel coming toward me. They both look worried, with Keeley's expression one of worry and anger. They're both rushing toward me, and I raise my hackles and bare my teeth in warning; whatever reason they have for coming near me doesn't change the fact I'm in no mood to be bothered.

As expected, Samuel stumbles to a halt a few feet from me, and Keeley completely ignores my obvious warning to stay back. He stops only when he's within touching distance and kneels on one knee right in front of me. I snap my teeth at him and lower my head, placing my antlers between us to deter him from coming any closer.

"We don't have time to deal with your issues right now," Keeley snaps at me. I growl lowly in response and stare him down in challenge. He gives a growl of his own and grabs one of my antlers in a strong grip. I snarl at him and toss my head in an attempt at dislodging his hold, standing on shaky legs and digging my claws into the wood beneath my feet so I can pull away with more force.

"Stop!" Keeley yells over my loud snarling, giving a sharp yank on my antler that has my claws digging deeper into the deck. "You need to get out of sight. We can't do this right now!"