Dog Season (Discontinued)

Part I: Chapter Eleven

"Are you sure you're okay?" Charity insisted.
"Charity, I'm fine." Cori huffed while Thyme finished up wrapping his right ear with cobwebs with her teeth.
When Rose sank her fangs in Cori's ear, Charity blacked out. The next moment, she woke up standing on top of Rose who bled from her right ear and was covered with bite marks and scratches.
"I'm just not sure how Rose feels." Beta laughed. "You gave her a good beating! I couldn't believe how you leaped onto her from High Rock!"
"I honestly don't remember that at all. I zoned out!" Charity felt hot embarrassment under her pelt.
"I still appreciate you standing up for me. Even if my ex-mate got the crap beaten out of her."
The scent of the Medicine Den started to get Charity. All the scents of the different herbs made her nose sting and her eyes water.
"Thyme, how do you stand these smells?" The Windhound snorted.
The young Golden continued to wrap Cori's ear. "I've been a Nurse ever since I've joined this pack. Which was a long time ago. Ever since I was a pup, I've dreamed about being a Nurse. And now I am! You get use to the smells after a while." Cori and Charity barely understood the young dog with cobwebs in her mouth."When I'm done here, could one of you fetch Rose? I'll need to patch her up, too." Thyme finished Cori's ear and spat out the cobs webs.
"Why? She doesn't deserve treatment!" Charity snarled.
"Alpha, it's my job. I can't stand to see a dog in pain. Please, Alpha?" Thyme whimpered.
Charity looked into her big, brown eyes. Boy, there's something about a Golden's eyes... "Alright, fine. I'll fetch her. Besides, I don't want Cori to lose another chunk of ear!"
"Thank you, Alpha!" Thyme called out as Charity padded out of the Medicine Den. She inhaled deep through her nose and sighed. Fresh air! The Alpha fluffed her fur and held her head and tail up high. She padded towards the Patrol Den where Rose stayed.
Inside, Cori's ex-mate laid curled up. Her ear flowed with blood and her body scarred with deep scratches.
What did I do?! Charity cleared her throat. Rose jumped and looked at the Leader with a tinge of fear in her eyes.
"What do you want?" The chestnut-colored Greyhound muttered while laying her head back down.
"Thyme wishes to see you. She wants to treat your wounds." Charity tried to speak softly, feeling a guilty twist in her gut.
"Okay." Rose continued to lay there.
"Listen...I just wanted to say I'm sorry." The Windhound took a small step towards the female dog.
The Greyhound shot up, fury burned in her gaze. "Are you kidding? Are you kidding me? You think a simple apology will make me forgive you? The dog who stole my mate away and beat me? I will never forgive you!"
"I didn't steal Cori away from you! You're too mouse-brained to see that! You just want to blame someone so you can feel better about yourself!" Charity howled in Rose's face. Her eyes bulged in shock and she didn't say a word. The Greyhound stumbled to her feet and limped towards the Medicine Den.
Cori appeared out of the den and his eyes widened, but the Patrol Dog didn't look at him while she stepped inside the den and out of sight. The Beta watched where his ex-mate disappeared, then he padded up to Charity. "What happened?" He whispered.
"I mentioned that Thyme wanted to see her then she back-sassed me and I yelled at her then she decided to visit Thyme." Charity said casually.
Cori raised his brow. "Wow. Impressive."
Before she could respond, Suzie, Forest, Dash, Kimora, Hunter and River emerged from the bushes with thick, juicy prey in their jaws. They all held plump squirrels and rabbits and they laid them down in a neat pile in the middle of camp.
Charity rushed to greet the Hunters. "Well done, everyone!" She nosed their shoulders except for Forest, who she touched noses with.
"As you can see, it went very well, Alpha."Suzie yapped happily.
Kimora let out a growl of approval. "You shoulda saw Suzie! She snatched up those rabbits like a bear trap!"
The young mastiff mix gave the short-furred Silken Windhound a grateful lick on the ear.
"Yeah, but Kimora was rather impressive, too. Like when she jumped to snatch a squirrel off that low branch." Hunter grumbled and looked at Kimora with adoration in his dark brown eyes.
Charity's brow raised when she saw her sister lick the Lab's muzzle with the same look expect deep down there was more: love.
Wait. Are Kimora and Hunter mates?
She watched them pad away from the group with their flanks brushing. A feeling like a heavy stone in her gut made her cringe. Charity didn't completely trust Hunter; he seemed suspicious.
"Um, Alpha?" A low male voice rumbled.
Charity turned to see River with his head low and his eyes looked glazed with disappointment. "River, what's the matter?"
"I...I think I should be a Patrol Dog for now on." The Golden wouldn't look into his Alpha's eyes.
Charity scowled with surprise. "What? Why? You caught this prey–"
River shook his head. "No I didn't. Forest caught that so I wouldn't look pathetic. I'm too slow and I'm terrible at stalking. I respectfully ask for your permission to become a Patrol Dog."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Alright. Do you mind if I make an announcement?"
"Go ahead."
Charity began to pad towards High Rock, then she turned back to River. "Hey, River?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
The Golden scowled in confusion. "'Bout what?"
"About beating you up. That wasn't really a good first impression."
"Alpha, don't worry about it. I forgive you. And besides, I was probably the worst type of Alpha."
Charity tilted her head. "What type?"
"The one that thinks they're tough but their only a tail-length tall." River laughed.
Charity just smiled and leaped onto High Rock. She cleared her throat. "All packmates gather around High Rock!"
Patrol Dogs pushed through the bushes making their way to the Rock. The Hunters crawled out of their den, yawning and stretching. Thyme lead Rose out of her Medicine Den with the injured dog leaning on her shoulder.
"Where's Cori-I mean Beta?" Charity barked. The dogs looked around looking for the Sloughi.
"Over here." A voice murmured behind the Alpha. She turned to see Cori, who's jaws parted in a huge yawn. He shook his short, tan pelt and trotted next to Charity.
"What happened to his ear?" Kimora yelped out of the large crowd of dogs. Pack-members began to whisper and murmur to each other.
Charity glanced at Rose who stared up at her with pleasing eyes. She could read the Greyhound's mind: Please don't tell them.
The Alpha swallowed. "He...got it caught in a trap. Isn't that right, Beta?"
Cori tilted his head and scowled confusedly. Charity beamed her eyes into his warningly.
"Yeah, that's right. I was sniffing for a rabbit and I didn't see this steel trap and it snapped onto my ear."
Charity sighed with relief. "Alright. Getting on with the purpose of this meeting, there is going to be a slight change in ranks."
"Yeah like I'm becoming a Patrol Dog, isn't that right, Alpha?" The tiny Omega yelped, his tongue lolled.
The Silken Windhound remember how she planned to make Rose Omega but now she changed her mind. "Why would I do that, Omega?"
The Jack Russell tilted his head. "Because after Rose–" Thyme swiped with a swift, gold paw to the back legs of the little Omega, making him fall flat onto his white brown-patched back. "Oof." He snorted.
"Oh, goodness! Omega, are you alright?" Thyme cooed and leaned over the terrier. "You better come to my den."
The Omega, still on his back, snarled. "Why would I do that-"
Thyme picked up the small dog by the scruff like a puppy. "C'mon, let's go." Her words muffled between Omega's fur.
Charity gave the Nurse Dog a thankful look, who nodded while carrying the tiny dog back to her den. "Eh-hem. Anyway, the purpose of this meeting is a rank change. I've decided we should have more Patrol Dogs. So River volunteered to become one."
In the group of dogs, Charity could see Forest and River make eye contact. They nodded at each other then their eyes returned to their Alpha. "River will be the Second Patrol Dog."
River smiled at Charity and nodded his thanks. Pride swelled in the young dog's heart while she returned a brief nod. At least one of the dogs I beat up is now one of my allies...