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Legal Tension - Chapter 8

Suspicions

"Hello Puppa."

Maria leaned into the hug she got from her mother and drew strength from it. Feeling like a little girl again, she recalled coming home from bad days at school and finding comfort in those arms.

The older female's voice had grown soft and affectionate as Rachel Eckholdt slowly rubbed her back. "What's the matter, Puppa? You haven't called in weeks, so I had to come and see if you were alright."

Suddenly feeling tired, Maria hung on the older femme as she rubbed her nose into her mother's shoulder. Being near to the older female gave her strength and allowed her to lower her defenses and feel her unconditional motherly love and care. "It's been a rough couple of weeks, Momma."

Rachel gave her daughter's back one last rub before reaching out to her side and closing the door. Stepping back, she cupped the younger shepherdess' muzzle and noticed tear drops in the corners of her steely eyes before tenderly rubbing them away. "Trouble with work or does it involve that boyfriend of yours?" The tone of her voice made it clear that it was a purely rhetorical question. Turning her head away from her mother's paw, Maria growled softly instead of answering. Gesturing forwards with her paw, she guided her mother into the living room. Following behind, Rachel sighed and shook her head. "What did he do this time?"

There was another grunt that evolved into a curt growl as Maria threw her paws into the air before shouting. "What else?! He disappeared again! Poof; like a fart in a wind tunnel!"

Rachel sat down on the couch, not responding to her daughter's outburst until she had smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. "While I'm sure your father would be proud of you for putting it so tactfully, I'm less than impressed by you choice of words, young lady." Her head slowly turned and she brought her cool stare down on Maria. "Now, please refrain from the colorful adjectives and analogies."

Maria felt the urge to release a deluge of ever more damning colorful phrases that her father taught her, but in the end she thought better of it. Her ears drooped as she bowed her head gently towards the older shepherdess. "Sorry, Momma."

The stern expression on Rachel's face broke with a warm smile as little as she motioned to her daughter. "Good. Now sit down and tell me everything."

Over the next half hour, Maria told her mother everything from coming home to finding the mysterious box on the dinner table and the greeting she had given the wolf, to the things they had done over the month that ended with him bringing her lunch. Her expression darkened when she described looking forward to coming home only to find the apartment dark and empty, and every sign of the wolf gone like his presence had only been a dream.

Rachel nodded as she listened and once the story was told she stared at Maria and smiled. "He didn't take everything, did he?"

Letting out a snort, Maria gestured towards the table. "He left the book." As her arm moved into her field of view she suddenly realized what her mother was referring to. "Ah, no, he didn't."

"I thought so. Not really your style now, is it?" Lifting one leg over the other, Rachel watched her daughter for a while longer. "Tell me more about him."

Remembering her day spend with Helen, Maria frowned and rubbed her eyes with fingers. "Let me guess, whenever you asked before it was either lovesick rambling or complete silence." She got off her chair and held up a finger. "One moment." In a hasty stride she left the room but returned barely half a minute later. Killing time by brushing the creases of her skirt down, Rachel smiled up at Maria when she returned holding out a glossy piece of square paper towards the older shepherdess. "Momma, meet Nathan Fenn." Maria said with little enthusiasm in her voice before dropping onto the couch beside her mother.

Rachel took her time to look at the picture of the wolf in wet suit. "Well... He's certainly a healthy boy, isn't he?"

Glancing towards the picture, Maria realized she had forgotten just how revealing the photo was. "Yeah, diving keeps him in great shape."

"So he works on a ship and he dives professionally?"

"Yes." Maria said with a sigh. "I'm sure I already told you that."

Unperturbed by the slight annoyance in the younger femme's voice, Rachel replied easily. "A lot can change in three years, but this still doesn't tell me anything about his personality."

Not in the mood for a question and answer round where she was only responsible for supplying the answers, Maria clenched her teeth and muttered something under her breath before she could stop it.

"He's an inconsiderate asshole?" Rachel repeated, having picked up her daughter's vicious description surprisingly clearly.

A deep blush burned Maria's cheeks. Pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them, she turned her face away from her mother.

"He brings you your favorite lunch, that doesn't sound that inconsiderate. It cheered you up and you were looking forward to coming home to him." As she spoke, Rachel gave Nathan's bare chest one last look before putting the photograph down on the table. "I wonder why?"

Swiveling her head towards her mother, Maria glared at the older shepherdess, but she had her own iron gaze leveled at her. Having lived under her mother's gaze for years the rebellious side of her personality didn't pause for a second as she allowed her mental filter to break. "Because he fucks me like a wild beast!" Seeing the expression on her mother's face change to one of wide eyed shock, Maria pushed her muzzle down between her chest and her legs and suddenly felt ashamed of her outburst.

With calm and reserve returning rapidly to her posture, Rachel reached up and brushed a finger against the side of her muzzle. She repeated the move on the other side before finally speaking; her voice was ice cold. "You're still hanging around with that Raccoon aren't you? She's a bad influence on you, Maria." Turning to sit sideways on the couch and face her daughter more directly, she reached out and laid her paw on top of the tousle of black hair. "Puppa, I know you better than you think. It's not just about the physical element now, is it?"

Maria shook her head and a faint 'No' could be heard from somewhere inside the curled up form. Slowly she drew her head back and sniffed loudly as a tear matted the fur on the side of her muzzle. "He's sweet, he's funny." She bit her lip hard before continuing. "When he's here, he takes care of me. I feel safe around him, and... and I'm not going to lie; he can be a beast when we're alone, Momma; but he's my beast, even with all his faults."

"Do you love him?"

The question hit her like a freight train, leaving Maria stunned for a few seconds before burying her muzzle back between her legs.

Rachel's ears twitched as she could hear something being muffled by the thick sweater. "Don't mumble, Puppa. Answer your mother properly."

"I do!" Maria all but screamed, loud enough to be heard outside her clenched thighs. "I do love him."

Scooting closer Rachel wrapped an arm around her daughter and pulled the younger shepherdess against her side. "Does he love you?"

Finally pulling her head from between her legs, Maria let out a derisive snort. "Why would he keep coming back if he didn't?"

Raising her eyebrow, Rachel took a good look at her daughter before speaking in a clear admonishing tone of voice. "You haven't told him, have you?"

Filled with shame, Maria curled up closer to her mother, but refused to meet her gaze. "No..." She swallowed hard before speaking out her deepest fear. "He'll... I'll lose him if I say it."

Shocked by Maria's statement, Rachel reached over with her free paw and rubbed the back of her fingers against her daughter's cheek. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"He's a free spirit." Maria said in a sad but steady voice. "He answers to no-one. He pulls pranks when he visits my office office because he can't stand desk jobs. He leaves without a word and a few months later he'll waltz back into my life like he never left."

"He sounds like your father when he was young," Rachel said with a nostalgic look on her face "the very idea of sitting behind a desk drove him mad." Leaning in, she kissed the disheveled array of black hair. "Just look at him now. Puppa, you just need a way to tame your savage beast."

The sagely advice made Maria to chuckle, remembering all too well the arguments her parents had that ended in her father losing. The price of that loss usually meant he would be doing the dishes alone which as a young shepherdess, Maria didn't mind one bit. The happy memories of her youth made her smile for a brief second before her face fell in sadness once again.

As if she could read her daughter's mind, Rachel spoke first. "What about his family? Do they live here in the city?"

"I don't think so." Maria said after a moment of thought. "Whenever the conversation gets close to the subject, Nathan normally refuses to answer. I pressed him once and he got angry before locking himself in the guest room, but he never raised his voice, not once." Finally she turned her head and stared at her mother, as a terrible truth seemed to dawn on her. "I don't think they're alive anymore."

Rachel understood and reassuringly went back to slowly stroking her little girl's hair and rubbing her back. They sat for a while before Rachel raised an eyebrow; suddenly remembering something from Maria's stories. "Puppa, how does he actually get into the apartment when you're not here?"

Maria looked up at her mother and began laughing; a deep hearty laugh that lifted her spirits. "I don't know."

-A day later-

The sun beamed over the city outside of the window, the air shimmering visibly as the summer had started properly; luckily the air conditioning in the building worked perfectly. Sitting at her desk in the prosecutor's office, Maria had a pencil twirling between her fingers while she stared at the wall. "How does he get in?" She asked herself idly before looking at the open folders in front of her. It was a simple assault charge, but the evidence was solid enough for a plea bargain; a typical nine-to-five case for the shepherdess.

Maria was about to close the folder and move on to a new one when her phone rang and from the flashing button she could see it was linked through the switchboard. That usually meant that a lot of extra work was about to be dumped on her plate, but she was looking forward to something new instead of the pile she had stacked in front of her. "Prosecutor's office, Maria Eckholdt speaking." There were several seconds of silence before a familiar voice finally spoke up.

"Hey, Maria; I thought I dialed Brutus' extension."

"Hey, Haffie." Maria said with a smile, she hadn't had the chance to talk to Helen for a week as work had kept both of them busy. "You're out of luck, Brutus has a day off. Anything I can help you with?"

Again, there was a distinct and uncommon moment of silence from the Raccoon. "Eeehm, not really; I need to talk with Brutus about a case that he has the information for."

"Which case is it? I'll get the information for you." Maria said quickly as she pulled a notepad closer. "I could actually use a distraction; so many boring cases right now, you know?"

Helen's voice was apologetic and slightly nervous. "I can't Maria. I can only ask Brutus."

"Aaah." Maria nodded as she leaned back in her chair. "I understand." It wasn't the first time something like this happened and she couldn't fault her friend for her curt responses when they were talking shop. "Orders from higher up, I get it. You could try reaching Brutus at home, but I would strongly advice against it."

On the other side of the line, Helen sat at her desk in her tiny office with her paw resting on a thick dossier. "I'll have to risk it." Nervously she picked at the label, scratching at the name with the tip of her claw. "Could you give me his home number?"

"Sure thing, Haf." Came the chipper voice from the phone before Maria began to recite the number she knew by heart.

As Helen scribbled the number down, she bit her lip. Her expression slightly troubled. "Will he be angry at you for giving out his private number?"

Maria chuckled on the other side. "He'll be annoyed that you've interrupted his day off. Mostly because he enjoys working in silence. Oh, and about the number, it's x-directory, so don't be handing it out." She fell silent for a moment then spoke up in a seriously tone. "I trust you with this, so don't leave it lying around."

"Gotcha," Helen said "I'll eat the paper once I'm done."

Hearing the more cheerful tone in her friend's voice Maria chuckled at the small joke. "That'll do the trick." There was a noise from the other side. "Ah, I've got a scared looking staffer in my office. Looks like I've got some fires to put out. Anything else I can help you with?"

"No," Helen said as she stared at the number in front of her. "Thanks for the help Maria."

"Good Luck with your case," The shepherdess said idly while looking critically at the staffer who seemed ready to piss himself. "We'll talk soon."

Even though nobody could see her, Helen nodded. "Yeah; talk to you soon, Babe." As she set the handset back into its cradle the breath she felt she had been holding for a while finally escaped her muzzle in a long sigh. Her gaze shifted from the slip of paper back to the dossier. "I need a drink..." She muttered and felt like her heart was beating in her neck. She ran a finger over the thickness of the dossier. It was all the information she had gathered over the past weeks in her own time, and now she needed a lawyer to look it over and due to the subject matter it couldn't be her friend. Lying had left a dirty taste in her mouth and as she stood up she growled. "Another thing I'll blame you for, Mister Fenn."

* * *

The hospital elevator opened and a strong smell of disinfectant flushed the Rabbit's nostrils. Striding towards the duty station, the tan furred bunny saw several heads turn in her direction, but she had no time for their gawking. The latex dress she wore squeaked a little as her high heels clicked on the hardened linoleum flooring.

The duty nurse looked up and saw her approaching. "Can I help you Ma'am?"

The Rabbit's neutral expression never changed as she nodded in response. "Yes, I'm Gail Whitetail. I have a friend here to see."

Picking up a chart and pointing down the hall, the Clouded Leopard nodded. "Yes, he's right down here." Stepping out from behind the station she walked quickly with the Rabbit. "I'm glad you're here; he's been a real menace for us. We've had to strap him to the bed to prevent him from getting up and opening his wounds again."

"Is he sedated?" The Rabbit asked, her voice betraying a fraction of her true concern.

"For now," The nurse confirmed "His medication will be wearing off soon so we need to get the next batch ready. You should have about twenty minutes to talk to him before the pain becomes too much for him."

Gail nodded, making her deep blood red hair flick lightly behind her. "How bad is it?"

"Honestly?" The nurse paused as they stopped by the door they had been looking for. "I'm not sure if he's lucky or unlucky to be alive after his ordeal. However, there is some good news; he'll be able to walk properly again, that is if he'll just let his body heal."

The rabbit's soulful blue eyes fixed on the Clouded Leopards. "You can't mean that?"

"I wish I didn't, Miss Whitetail." The nurse checked her forms once more before opening the door. "I'm sorry; I never got your relation to the patient."

Glancing through the small window, Gail could see the various apparatus that beeped and whirred as they were hooked up to the person she had come to see. Swallowing hard she turned away from the small window having seen more than she ever wanted to. "His sister." The nurse raised an eyebrow. "For all intents and purposes, nurse. I'm his sister."

Reaching out and laying the back of her finger carefully against the door the nurse asked, "Would you like to speak with him?"

Tensing up at the idea, the rabbit quickly shook her head. "No, I don't. I'm really here to make sure his wishes are respected." She glanced towards the window one last time before turning her back to it and gesturing towards the desk. "I have specific instructions for you to follow as well."

Confused the Clouded Leopardess followed the rabbit back to the nurse's station before handing her a piece of paper and a pen when asked. "We'll do our best to adhere to the patients requests, but if this is about treatment I should call for the attending physician."

Gail shook her head again. "This isn't a medical issue." She wrote down a phone number and then handed the paper and pen back. "You are to call this number and repeat what I am about to say, word for word..."

* * *

A phone rang loudly and the person sitting next to it wasn't happy at all. With a colorful explicative the mastiff grabbed a small remote control and pointed it towards the Hi-Fi system nestled in the corner of the room, lowering the volume yet leaving the record player on top running. Brutus grabbed the phone's receiver and finally ended the blaring noise coming from it before barking into it. "Who is this?"

Pulling the phone from her ear in shock at how loud Brutus was, Helen stared at the receiver in her paw for several seconds and then quickly spoke up before Brutus could slam the horn down. "Mister Waterstone, This is Lieutenant Forrester."

His paw was midway towards smashing into the phone when Brutus heard Helen speak, for a split second he was very tempted to continue, but curiosity made him bring it back to his ear. "Lieuenant Forrester; who gave you this number and why are you calling me?" His voice was gruff and rumbled with annoyance.

Relieved that Brutus wasn't shouting anymore, Helen breathed a sigh of relief and quickly answered his first question. "I tried calling you at the office, but I got Maria."

"She's the senior staff member when I'm not there." Brutus acknowledged before leading Helen's statement to the natural conclusion. "So she gave you my home phone number?"

"She did." Helen confirmed quickly but was interrupted by the Mastiff before she could continue.

"If this is about a new case then I don't see why Maria couldn't handle it. There's no high profile prosecution going on and when I last watched the news all seemed relatively quiet; so why did you insist on calling me at home?"

Scowling, Helen kept her voice under control as she was unwilling to face any consequences for shouting back at the city D.A. "Because, Sir," she said with a tone that failed to hide her irritation from being interrupted. "She wouldn't like the subject it refers to."

Piecing together the subterfuge that had taken place, Brutus could guess who the subject was. "Helen did you lie to your friend to get my phone number?"

Already feeling bad about it; hearing it spoken out loud made Helen's stomach clench hard. "I did," she said in a hard voice that didn't mirror how she felt. "I found out some things about Mister Fenn that raised a few question and in my experience they appear to be a bit... Suspicious."

The fact that the Raccoon had lied point blank to her best friend piqued the mastiff's interest and he even found himself getting excited to hear what she had learned. "Well, what did you find out about our dear friend, Mister Fenn that you don't wish to share with my senior prosecutor, just yet?"

"What would you think if I told you that his entire identity is fake."

Brutus smiled and leaned back in his chair, the wooden construct squeaking and groaning under the bulk. "People change names for various reasons. Give me something more substantial." He didn't get to where he was in his life by focusing on weak cases. The raccoon would have to earn his attention once more.

Helen was ready for the challenge. "How about that his A.O.W.D. diving certifications were all done within one week at a diving school in the Bahamas that has been under investigation several times?"

"Saving the best for last?" Brutus asked with a chuckle, not really expecting an answer. Questionable certificates could seriously jeopardize the bothersome wolf's job; it would be a small victory but the Mastiff had no doubt that even that would be satisfying. "Well don't stop there. What else have you found?"

"The company he works for is under several international investigations for illegal salvaging, potential grave robbing and several more for illegally trafficking of historical artifacts." In her small office Helen was running her finger over an impressive list and she began to recite some examples. "An incident involving a sunken Dutch galleon off the coast of Central Africa, the two Congo's, and Angola. The Dutch government was in a fight over whose claim on the vessel was legitimate. One day the Nemo's Spirit swooped in and before anyone actually noticed the ship, the galleon had been ransacked and now the countries are fighting over who does the investigation."

"A bunch of pirates, clearly," Brutus mused "but of course they left no trace and it's all just speculations." He started to get an idea what she was aiming for and decided to let her talk a while longer.

Helen was leafing through the dossier, skipping a lot of minor infractions she had found that didn't hold much promise, but on the whole it clearly showed someone that had no problem brushing up against the law. "Furthermore, there are a dozen unresolved crimes to which Nathan falls perfectly within the description for one the culprits."

"There are a lot of wolves on the planet, Lieutenant." Brutus mused almost as if it was a random thought that popped into his head. "Do more of the crew match the other descriptions?"

"Only one," the Raccoon said slowly, the smile on her face almost visible in Brutus' mind. "A bull by the name of Jackson Jones matches descriptions according to several reports..." She fell silent for a moment to build tension. "He's also Nathan Fenn's best friend from what I can tell."

Holding the receiver to his ear with one paw Brutus scratched his neck with one of his thick fingers, tugging on a thin golden chain that was normally hidden beneath his tan fur. "I think I'm ready for the main course now, Lieutenant Forrester."

Flipping back through the dossier Helen returned to her first selling point. "That fake I.D.; if we can prove it then Mister Fenn has a very big problem."

"How so?" Brutus asked, anticipating the 'if' but still wanting to know more.

"The Nemo's spirit had two weapon masters, Jackson Jones and..."

The Mastiff chuckled in delight. "And out dear lupine friend of course. Helen," he began almost affectionately "would it so happen to be that Mister Fenn signed for some of these weapons?"

Now Brutus' smile was clear as day in Helen's mind as she closed the dossier. "He did, several in fact, even one that's illegal in this state."

Nodding sagely, Brutus leaned forward and rested one elbow on the desk before cradling his chin in his paw. "Sadly you don't have enough evidence to warrant an investigation but," He drawled as he closed his eyes "you want me to give you permission to start one don't you? Having the support of the D.A. behind you means that you don't have to cobble together a case file on your own time and without all the resources you could normally use." He opened his eyes again and glanced to the side where he held the phone as if to try and relay his smirk through the connection. "Am I correct?"

Unbeknown to the smug looking District Attorney, Helen had her own equally smug expression. "You are, but not completely. There's someone in your office that's also digging into Nathan's affairs." Flipping through a couple of sheets of papers she pulled out a few. "They're focusing on an older employer of Mistrer Fenn, and the name Bryan Daye appears more often than Nathan's."

Pleasantly surprised, Brutus halted himself from reaching into the desk drawer and grabbing a box of nicotine gum. "Oh?" His paw hovered over the drawer handle as he spoke. "Are you telling me that Maria is actively checking up on her lover?

"The orders are from her office, but they don't have her signature. They're even lower clearance than what I've been using."

"An intern?" Brutus mused out loud before finally opening the drawer and retrieving a stick of gum; he bit down hard on it. "It seems young Mister Ashmore is more crafty than I've been giving him credit for."

"How do you know it's him?" Helen asked, her interest sparked.

Thinking about the young canine, Brutus chuckled in his head before changing his voice to his officious slow baritone. "He's the only one who has access to Maria's outgoing requests; so he could sneak one in without Maria finding out. He also knows that if he reached too far questions would be raised, he's digging on the surface and trying to strike oil." Once more the mastiff leaned back to hear the furniture protest. "As to why he does it? Well, he's quite enamored with his mentor. His eyes are like those of most males in the office; glued on her backside when she walks by and he runs to her office when she calls. Its puppy love; and I am sure he has no love towards Nathan." Tasting the nicotine, he took a moment to squeeze it out of the gum. "Back to that name, Bryan Daye. Did he come up in your searches?"

Knowing the dossier by heart, Helen was certain she hadn't. "No I haven't, but I would like to get his notes, however, if I ask Maria to borrow her intern..."

Throwing his head back in a moment of hilarity, Brutus nearly swallowed the gum as the laugh quickly turned into a short violent cough. "So you need my help with that as well."

"Yeah."

"Consider it done." The Canine growled excitedly. "I'll get you the boy's number and I'll give you the authorization to dig deeper, perhaps Richard's efforts will be a nice addition to your own investigation."

"I'm sure he found something. He's been sneaking the orders in for a few weeks now." Helen said with conviction.

Brutus toyed with the box of gum, poking at the sticks still inside it. "Then it's time you two compare notes. In cases like this, two heads are always better than one. "

Letting her mind wander to the young intern she and Maria had teased and probably given explicit dreams to, Helen licked her lips slowly. "We'll have to do this out of office hours. I should invite him to my apartment and we'll work from there."

"Sounds like a plan." Brutus said before standing up and leaning over his desk, one paw resting on top to balance him. "I'll give you his number tomorrow and tell him that I'll ignore his well-meant transgressions if he co-operates."

Helen grimaced. "Harsh, but I understand your reasons. Do want me to send you a copy?"

Not even thinking about it, Brutus dismissed the idea. "No, keep it out of the office or Maria might find out about it through someone. It's your responsibility until you find something concrete about Nathan." Leaning towards the phone on the desk he spoke before she could reply on his previous statement. "It's been a pleasure, Lieutenant Forrester. I'm looking forward to what you find."

"Okay, goodbye Mister Waterstone." Helen said, but heard the phone line go dead before she finished. "So far so good." She smirked.

* * *

Ten minutes had passed since Helen had called and still Brutus' paw lingered on the phone as a toothy grin split his muzzle. The conversation with the Raccoon had proven to be worth the interruption to his day off and he suddenly felt full of energy. Spitting his gum into the waste basket, he rounded his desk and carefully lifted the needle of the record from where it idly spun in the center, the music having reached its end somewhere during the phone call. Slipping the vinyl disk back into its protective cover, the Mastiff didn't realize how his tail was wagging even when he placed the record back into the large library as his excited limb tapped against the sound system.

A short while later, Brutus walked into the large sun room at the back of his house, with the glass doors all open it all but changed into a glass roofed patio while the gentle wind blew the scent of flowers in from his well maintained garden. Sitting in a thickly upholstered fan back chair he seemed to be out of place; the chair was something that would have been at home at the start of the previous century in a rich household while the Mastiff clearly came from the modern era and looked like he was from the lower spectrum of the income scale. Dressed in a pair of lose fitting track pants that had numerous colorful stains dried into the fabric and a t-shirt which was once white that suffered from the same affliction. He eyed the canvas in the middle of the room; the news Helen had given him had filled him with creative energies and this was the way he gave them shape.

The palette on the table next to the easle was clean except for the edges where the oil paints had crusted into the deep scratches. As he visualized his creation to be, Brutus began to fill the palette with his choice of colours and then retrieved a fine detail brush. Mixing a hue of blue that was to his liking, he began to paint a series of dots across the broad canvas, and crafted an image of a happier time in his life.Pointillism was time consuming and difficult, but his meticulous nature and sharp memory suited the style of painting. Slowly but surely, the image of a beach began to resolve, yet Brutus could see it in his mind as if it were yesterday. Stepping back after a few hours, he grunted in approval of what he had begun to create and wiped his brush on his track pants once more to clean them.

The peace and quiet was interrupted when the doorbell rang with its gentle but insistent chiming. Brutus' eye twitched; clearly he was some cosmic joke that the world wouldn't let enjoy a day off, alone. With a sigh he looked at his half-finished painting before cleaning his brush once more time and putting the palette back on the table under chorus of the doorbell ringing again. Lazily, Brutus sauntered into the house muttering under his breath. He passed through his den, circling around the luxurious leather seats to make sure no paint would touch them and then past the small bar along one side of the wall before stepping into the hallway. Through the etched fractal designed windows of his front doors he could see the outline of someone short standing in front of them. His paw came up and brushed against his chest for a second before he reached for the door. Putting on a deceitfully friendly smile, Brutus opened the door to see who and why someone wanted to speak to him. As the door swung open he wondered if security of the gated community had been lacking in their usual diligence and had let some sales rep or religious peddlers in; either one of the two and people would lose their jobs over it if it turned out to be the case. Brutus would see to that.

Standing in the bright sunlit walkway to his front door was a short, golden retriever girl that barely looked past the age of twenty. Her modest but pleasant curves were wrapped up in a strapless sun dress that almost matched her natural fur coloring. Her long red hair cascaded down in slight curls, past her shoulders and were tipped with bright blue. "Hiiii, Mister Waterstone," she sang in a high pitched voice "Daddy sent me over here to tell you that we're back from vacation." She scrunched up her face and thrust out her hip to one side to strike a pose, the dress fluttering up as the hem barely reached halfway down her thigh. "He's been such a pain in the ass. Even in the car he didn't want to turn the A.C. down like two degrees." Her paw rose up and she hooked a finger down into her dress, between her breasts before pulling the fabric forwards a little. "I mean could he be any less considerate?"

Brutus kept on his fake smile as he looked straight down between the lovely humps under the girl's dress. When she was done cooling herself he looked more at her neckline and the leather necklace with small cubes strung along it that seemed to read out a name. "Cloe, I don't think your father sent you here to tell me that he didn't want to turn up the air conditioning in the car.

The golden retriever's ears perked up as much as they could before the young woman pouted. "No, you're right Mister Waterstone." It was fun for Brutus to watch her bounce back and forth between adult and moody teen, which was typical for her age and being a spoiled brat. "Dad did a quick walk around the house and he wanted me to thank you for lending us your gardeners." Cloe crossed her arms and huffed, making her charms push against the thin fabric of her dress. "If he hadn't fired ours he wouldn't have been worrying all the time about his stupid roses." The sheer annoyance in the voice got Brutus to chuckle and the look of sheer indignation he got didn't help. Cloe huffed again before he saw a glint in her eyes and she sensually pushed her torso towards the Mastiff. "Mister Waterstone, it's so hot today," she dabbed at her bare shoulder before gliding the paw down and teasingly brushed over her breast "can I come in and have something to drink?"

"You're not trying to avoid carrying your luggage into your house now, are you, Cloe?" The moment he said it Brutus could see that flirty mask fall away and the little socialite's scowl return. Before she could make a scene, Brutus stepped aside to let her pass. "Come on in." He watched her bound past him, her golden tail seemingly intentionally brushing against the front of his pants and resulted in a blue spot at the tip of her tail that seemed to match the ones in her hair.

"Oooh, Central Air." Cloe cooed as she raised her paws up in the air and stood on tiptoes before doing a small pirouette that send her dress fluttering. The front of the Retriever's dress had been a joy to admire for Brutus and the back was just as nice as it revealed a large bare patch, but to his surprise there was no hole for her tail. Instead it jutted out from under the hem and during the pirouette it rose to give the male a perfect look of the frilly white panties that perfectly enclosed a pair of shapely cheeks. Looking over her shoulder, Cloe seemed to be doing her best to flash the older male. "You had a bar in there, right, Mister Waterstone?" She asked but didn't wait and proceeded towards the den in a brisk bouncing step.

With a hard-on growing but so far still hidden by the lose fitting track pants, Brutus sighed and reached up to rub his temple, but after a few moments he chuckled and shaking his head slowly, he set out to follow the girl. Inside the den Brutus found his visitor behind the bar, dropping ice in a short glass before grabbing one of the bottles that stood opposite the counter. Cloe saw him in the large mirror that hung behind the bar and winked at the Mastiff as she grabbed the bottle before pouring herself a double whiskey. "You're not allowed to drink that yet Cloe." Brutus stated flatly as he leaned on the counter directly in front of her.

"Almost!" Came the Retriever's retort while she stared defiantly at him. "One more year." Immediately she saw that he didn't believe her and she scowled. "Fine! Two, technically." The ice clinked against the thick glass as she used the paw she held her drink in to point at him. "On Majorca I was allowed to drink." To prove that she could handle it just fine, she brought the whiskey up to her lips and took a swig.

With great pleasure Brutus saw her face contort into pure agony and he quickly snatched the glass from Cloe's paw as she began to cough loudly. Sticking his finger into the glass he quickly fished out the ice cubes and dumped them into the small sink behind the counter before taking a sip of the whiskey. "This is not one the crappy bourbons your father drinks, my dear. This is Scottish Whiskey; you do not defile it with ice."

Once she recovered from her coughing fit, Cloe was shooting daggers at the big male.

The look did nothing to the Mastiff that was used to facing down psychopaths or people he tried to keep out of jail across a courtroom. Raising his free paw he pointed towards the side. "In the fridge at the end, there should be some sodas." He took another sip and smacked his lips before smirking at her once again. "I can't have you going back home stinking of booze."

"Whatever." Cloe muttered as she walked behind the bar before bending at the waist, putting everything on display.

Brutus licked his lips as he admired a perfect camel-toe that was so snuggly held in those white panties that appeared to be as thin as the sun dress. When he grunted in admiration, Cloe stood up with a bottle of soda in her paw and began looking for the bottle opener, but he didn't pay attention as two small points caught his attention. Whether it was the cold from the fridge she had been rummaging in or something else, the Mastiff was left little to the imagination.

"Where is the damn opener?"

Ignoring the question and turning around, Brutus walked to the low table in the center of four chairs and opened the small case sitting on top of it. He pulled a thick cigar from case and as he bit off the tip his other paw also grabbed a match before striking it against the abrasive surface specifically lined in the lid for that purpose. Turning to face her, he watched the girl take a drink from her soda after she found the opener as he inhaled deeply and set the tip of the cigar glowing.

Seemingly ignoring the male, Cloe strutted around the room and lifted the hem of her dress up to clearly put her panties on display again before pulling out a smart phone from the waist band that the Mastiff hadn't noticed. A few short swipes later she held it up to make the camera look down at her face and cleavage. "Hey, hey, guess whose home?" She pressed a button and then growled. "Damn it, no Wi-Fi." Batting her eyelids she peered at Brutus over her shoulder. "Mister Waterstone?"

Knowing the question that was coming Brutus shook his head. "No, I don't have Wi-Fi in the house. And call me Brutus, I start feeling old if you keep calling me, Mister."

Rolling her eyes, Cloe began to walk towards the sun room and muttered loud enough for him to hear. "No Wi-Fi? You are an old fart, Brutus." She glanced through the doorway before chuckling mockingly. "What are you painting? It's a mess, doesn't even look like your garden."

Sucking hard on the cigar, Brutus' eyes had become pin points as he watched the girl mope around. He couldn't deny it was actually fun seeing her out of her comfort zone. "I paint from memory, unlike your generation who can't seem to survive without the ability to access the Internet for more than two minutes."

Skulking back towards him, Cloe put on a vile face when she climbed over the chair that stood between them before dropping into it. Putting both her arms up over the back rest and one leg over an armrest she writhed in her seat to make sure she showed off her panties again. "And you can't even look at me without getting a stiffy. I'm impressed you can even get it up you dirty old fucker."

The cigar drooped in Brutus' mouth as he took in the moment, he was indeed hard enough to pitch a tent from her constant flashing; for a moment he almost felt guilty. Almost. One foot came down before the other as he rounded the table and saw the look of fear in the Golden Retriever's eyes when he closed the distance.

"Look, don't touch you asshole!" Cloe screamed weakly as she tried to raise her arms, but the Mastiff was faster than she expected and let out a bark of pain as his paw wrapped around her wrists and pulled her arms back down over the top of the backrest.

Grinning at his conquest, Brutus planted a knee between the girl's legs to make sure she couldn't kick him as she raged. "I'm done looking," he said easily as he took another hit from his cigar before taking it from his mouth and set it in the small hidden ashtray in the armrest of the chair. Turning his head to make sure the cigar was placed safely he heard the sharp inhale of breath before something wet and slimy hit his cheek when he turned back to face the girl beneath him. He growled deeply before gathering up some of her spit with his free paw. "I was hoping you would do something like that." He said in a creepy voice before sticking the fingers into his mouth and sucking them clean.

Cloe strained against his grip but couldn't break out. She shook her head and sent her curly red hair flailing until she only obstructed her own view. "Sicko!"

With an almost caring touch, Brutus brushed the blue tipped locks out of her petite cleavage before harshly pushing his finger into it and pulling her dress down past her charms. "There now, they don't have to strain against your dress so much." The smile on his muzzle became genuine for a moment as he saw the large golden ring suspended between her breasts on a thin golden chain that hid under her fur. Turning his attention to her perky mounds, he gave her arms a sharp tug, making the girl groan and push her chest out further.

Biting her bottom lip until it almost bled, Cloe watched the Mastiff lower his large muzzle down her body. Trembling and with aching shoulders, she was powerless to stop the broad tongue from flicking over one of her pert nipples. Against her will she moaned with terrified delight.

Feeling the young body jerk from his touch, Brutus smiled before he took his cigar from the ashtray and closed his mouth around her stiff pink nipple. Her struggling moans quickly became groans and sighs of confused pleasure and disgust that rang through the room, but he didn't care as he kept suckling her hard nub of flesh.

"No... No..."

Brutus listened to her beg as he switched nipple, slathering his saliva all over it as she struggled in vain. Biting down on the nipple firmly, the Mastiff listened to the Retriever's moan while she fought to keep them silent. He pulled away and looked at Cloe's furious expression that was rendered moot by her panting and small beads of sweat on her forehead, plastering her beautiful red hair against her fur. "Daddy must have kept you on a short leash in Majorca. I bet he didn't want his little princess to get spoiled in some seedy bar."

Taking hard breaths, Cloe wanted to rage at the brute but couldn't find her voice. In the end she choose to spit at him again, but failed and ended up with drool dripping from her chin.

"I can see it now," Brutus continued as he ignored her feeble attempts to free herself "You dancing in a night club; anybody that wants to run his or her paws over your body getting free reign." Taking a deep draw on his cigar he blew it in her face, the thick smoke making the girl's eyes water. He put the cigar back into the corner of his mouth before running his free paw over her body. First he gave one of her perky B-cups a squeeze; hard enough to make Cloe moan and turn her head away in shame, then he slid his fingers down her side before dropping down her bare thighs and giving the soft flesh another firm squeeze. "You wouldn't stop them would you? You love being the center of attention, what would you care if..." Cloe stifled a scream as she felt the fingers slide under her dress and push hard through her panties and against her pussy. "I can feel how wet you are," Brutus growled towards the girl as he vigorously rubbed with one of his thick fingers. He felt her labia spread before the digit and how the thin fabric separated him from touching her most private spot directly while it absorbed her gushing fluids.

Trying to kick him, Cloe fruitlessly struck the larger male's hip with her ankle; the tremors that his touch caused traveling down her legs. All she could do was let out another meek growl in protest, but she couldn't even look at him while he continued his story.

"You'd love standing there with the music pounding and paws all over you. Finally, when one begins to pull on your panties you'll just raise your tail and push that ass into their grip to make it easier." While he'd been telling his suggestive tale, Brutus shifted his finger to hook her panties and with one hard tug he had them down to her knees. "I bet you would stop dancing just to get them off your legs, and once they're around your ankles you'd give them away like a trophy." It wasn't quite as easy as he described, but with some coaxing he ended up with a soiled and musky pair of frilly white panties dangling from his finger. Carefully he switched out his cigar for the pair of panties, parts of the waistband dangled from the sides of his muzzle while he drank her juices from the crotch as it lay on his tongue.

"You sick fuck!" The Golden Retriever barked, finally able to cast a glance at him, but upon seeing her underwear in his muzzle she turned away once more.

Brutus took his time draining her panties of every drop of her sexual fluids, but when he deemed it time to go back to telling the story he looked at the cigar in his paw and proceeded to crush the thing that could buy a family of five an expensive restaurant dinner into the small ashtray. Once he was done, he took his time extracting the dripping garment from his mouth and held it up to her face. "I should thank your father. Instead of your panties staying in Majorca I can put this next to my own trophies. Perhaps I'll show them to your parents next time they come over for dinner." Carelessly throwing them behind him, the wet fabric hit the small case on the table where it lay on display. Having them waved in her face, Cloe watched and now stared at her unmentionables laying there, claimed by the Mastiff. "Where were we?" Brutus asked out loud for show before closing his eyes and nodding. "Oh right," he commented idly before roughly shoving his paw back between her legs "it wouldn't be long before so many were trying to finger that little cunt of yours."

Pushing her entire body forward, Cloe yelped in pain as the strain on her arms burned at her shoulders. Brutus' grip on her wrists was unwavering as his thick digit went back to rubbing over her slick slit. "Only one would be able to win that contest for your affection. Only one would be lucid enough to unfasten the front of his pants and push his cock underneath your dress and just fuck you right there on the dance floor."

Cloe screamed at the top of her lungs when his thick finger suddenly changed angle and it went two knuckles deep inside her clenching pussy in one rough push. Her cry of pain and dismay died before it reached the garden through the open doors, the thick carpet on the floor and the lush upholstered furniture soaking up the sound.

Feeling her squeeze him, Brutus laughed a little sadistically before quickly pulling his finger out and stuffing it back in with a stab. "But you youngsters are always too eager and your new lover would take a few times to get the angle right." He moved his entire body and forced the leg she had on the armrest higher so her hips had to roll up a little. "Or until you bend over just a little bit more, like a good slut and present your pussy to him."

Moaning despite herself, Cloe felt the finger drive in even deeper before curling slightly to rub against her walls. "No!" she said weakly as her hips moved of their own accord and another shiver ran through her body.

Brutus looked at it for a moment before leaning down and brushing his nose against the side of her neck. "Now Cloe. I don't need to point out that that's a lie; you want this. Why else would you let your panties get pulled down?" He twisted his finger and was rewarded by another deeply reluctant moan that came from her throat in a stutter. "You'd love being fucked there on the dance floor by a guy you haven't even seen. Not knowing what species he is." Curling his finger a bit more he dug his blunt claw tip into her flesh. "I bet you would love a feline with his cock barbs. Just imagine how angry daddy would be; he wanted to set you up with one of his cousins to keep the bloodline pure, but there you'd be, getting fucked by a stray cat. Just imagine the hybrid that could come from it."

His words clearly struck a nerve as Cloe threw her head back and howled as her body tensed. Her pussy clenched hard around the digit and squirted over the tan furred paw wedged against her groin. "Ooooh, fuck!..."

"Once you came the first time it'd be easy for a small group around you to whisk you away to a dark corner of the club. That's where daddy's little girl will be turned into a real whore." Withdrawing his paw he extended another finger before shoving both digits all the way in fully extended. While still coming down from her orgasm when she was penetrated again, Cloe screamed as best as she could manage. Her weak body twitched involuntary as she was abused, but something deep inside her rebelled. "They'll take turns spreading those legs and..." Brutus didn't get to finish his story as he suddenly felt teeth digging into the side of his neck. "Ow!"

Brutus' consistent rubbing of his nose against her neck had left him open and Cloe had struck. With her smaller muzzle she was able to put her nose right behind his jaw and once she had gathered enough courage and strength she threw her head forward and bit down as hard as she could. It wasn't hard enough to draw blood but she felt his paw around her wrists slip. Like a pair of springs suddenly released Cloe's arms came down hard on top of the Mastiff's head.

Reaching up with a messy paw, Brutus grabbed the side of his neck once the Golden Retriever had let him go. The spot stung as did her strike on his head, but due to the great difference in weight and muscle he recovered almost instantly.

Seeing her split second chance, Cloe put both her feet on the chair's seat and jumped off to the side, her plan was to dash off towards the hallway and perhaps out the front door, but she didn't get far. Her legs felt like jelly and she swayed right into one of the barstools, making it and herself topple over and tumble to the floor. Luckily the carpet was thick and it absorbed the impact, but the Golden Retriever kept trying to get away and ended up on her paws and knees when she was caught again.

With a growl, Brutus took hold of the girl's rich red hair with several of the blue tips sticking out from between his clenched fingers. Cloe screamed again as she felt the tug on her hair; she threw her paws up to grab Brutus' wrist and relieve her pain. "I'll tell my Daddy about this!" She sobbed from underneath the tangle of red locks. "He'll make you pay!" The response she got was not what she had expected and it made her shiver.

Brutus laughed loudly with one paw holding her in place he used the other to flip her dress over her rump; though her tail hid her soiled folds from his view. "Oh you stupid brat. Let me tell you how the world works." Twisting her head back so he could catch the glint of her eyes, the Mastiff pulled down his tented track pants, peeling the artificial fabric from his cock as a large stain of pre-cum did it's best to stick the two together. He let out a sigh of relief now that the pressure was off his groin and he stroked himself slowly. The large canine wasn't as long as some males of his size, but he had girth. A lot of it.

Seeing what he was doing from the corner of her eyes, Cloe could see that cock and she let out a terrified whine when she thought about what was going to happen.

"Your daddy still wants to become mayor next year, and he won't be able to do that without my help!" After giving himself one last stroke along his cock, Brutus reached out and grabbed the Retriever's tail. Pushing his thumb under the patch of golden fur, he poked at her tail-hole and earning him another whine and whimper. "When your father asks his price and I tell him it's you; he'll throw you on my bed in a heartbeat!"

Taking a long shivering breath, Cloe felt her tail being lifted up over her rump, her desperate attempts to cover herself only making it flag up and down, which in turn made a cool breeze brush over her swollen and slightly parted labia. A desperate cry for help got stuck in her throat when the broad tapered tip touched her.

"If I told him to do so, he'd stay in the room." Brutus' voice was malicious as he rubbed his tip between her lips, feeling how hot and wet she was before gently pushing it right at the opening of her vagina. "He'd be standing there as I fuck you, and he'll be glad to finally have a use for you, seeing as you hang around his house doing nothing! Then, once I've fucked you and you're lying there with my cum leaking out of you for your dear father to see, he'll ask me if you were satisfactory. I wonder what I would say."

A cry found its way out of Cloe's throat when she felt him force her swollen labia apart. Pain and pleasure came in a strange mix that echoed slightly in the room as he spread her more than his fingers had before. She let herself fall onto the shaggy carpet, burying her cheek in it with her paws grabbing at the long fibers; the necklace with the large ring wedged between her squashed breasts.

"Snug." Brutus commented as he moaned in pleasure. Releasing her hair, he put his paw on her ass so he could squeeze the cheek and pull it to the side so he could admire how the teen stretched under him. "You've not been fucked by a group, but I can tell you like 'em big." He paused when he watched his cock sink a bit more into her warm yielding body; the occasional visible twitch from her pussy signaling when her entire passage would squeeze him. "Does daddy know his little princess isn't a virgin anymore? Does he know you like them big? If so, it would explain why your weakling cousin walked away in shame last time you saw him."

The shame burned Cloe's cheeks and it gave her golden fur a reddish hue. The Mastiff's harsh words and her current position made her burn inside and as his sizable member plunged deeper into her body as her hips began to roll of their own accord. Letting go of her tail, Brutus smiled wickedly when it remained curled over her back. With both paws on either side of her shoulders, he leaned over the small body not having to thrust or move to fuck her as she moved on her own. "You let an older male fuck you. A big man! Was it your gardener? Is that why your father fired him? He couldn't stand the fact that the old fox fucked his little princess?"

Cloe wasn't listening anymore; she merely moaned and whimpered as she rocked herself back and forth. Brutus wasn't about to let her be in charge when the perky Retriever's ass came up towards him and he met it with a hard thrust, pushing her down until she was nearly prone and adding his own moans to her chorus. He felt the tip of his tapered cock bump and grind against her velvety walls and was spilling pre-cum like crazy while her juices flowed just as freely.

As she drooled into the carpet Cloe didn't think about what was happening; how the big Mastiff had broken her down or how he simply took liberties with her body. That changed when a hard wet thud made pain shoot up her spine. Jump starting her mind as Brutus presented her with his knot as it eagerly bashed at her opening. "No, don't knot me!" She suddenly screamed, her paws once more grasping at the carpet as she tried to get away from the male on top of her.

"Too late!" Slamming his paw down between her shoulder blades, Brutus pinned the small femme. Her hips stopped moving so he took over; rutting her even more fiercely and every sloppy kiss of her lips on his knot spurred him on.

"I'm not on birth control!"

The protest made Brutus grin more savagely. "Good; maybe you'll finally do something with your worthless life!" He growled and grunted loud enough to drown out Cloe's whimpers; even the wet plop when he finally entered her was nearly unheard due to the shrill scream from the Retriever femme.

Feeling the fleshy bulb pulse inside her, Cloe's mind went blank once more. Her body did it's best to squeeze it out, but it only slipped in deeper to where nature had prepared her body. Fully locked together, the Mastiff's length continued to sink deeper. She felt the tapered tip forge its way through her insides and press hard against her cervix; the sensation made her entire body convulse wildly.

Wrapped up in his own experience, Brutus' body kept moving; rolling his knot against Cloe's soft insides as he lay upon her. With his cock buried to the hilt it didn't take him long to arrive at his final destination. The large canine huffed and puffed before blowing his load deep within the less than willing woman. He felt his good mood return, he had been pent up for too long with no real time or inclination to relieve himself. The spoiled teen's arrival at his doorstep had been somewhat fortuitous.

The hot wash of seed splattering her insides made Cloe shudder, the constant pulses of the Mastiff's heartbeat kept hitting all the right places. The delicate moan that left the Golden Retriever's muzzle made Brutus smile, he could feel her cum around him. Shifting his position slightly something slipped from his shirt, a delicate golden chain with a golden ring intricately woven into it that wouldn't even fit on the tip of his little finger. Noticing the slight pull on the chain he glanced down and watched the small loop dangle, the display making him smile. Brutus brushed his nose through her long red hair; his big toothy smile never leaving his short black muzzle. "If you do get pregnant, perhaps I'll do the honorable thing and marry you."

Cloe shivered again and she glanced over her shoulder through stray locks of hair at Brutus. The look she gave him set him laughing, a gregarious and joyful sound that made her titter quietly along with him.

* * *

Picking at the collar of her suit jacket, Maria stood in the hospital elevator as it ascended. Several other people stood with her including some doctors in white coats. Floor by floor more got off on their way to their destinations, but she didn't pay them any heed. She had been on the phone with Philippa Tracker, a lawyer friend who had requested her assistance with a civil case when another call came in. She had initially let it pass, but the nurse on the line had been insistent about talking to her. Once she had accepted the call, the nurse, a polite sounding woman, had informed her that a client of hers was currently residing in the intensive care ward at Revered Asclepius Hospital. The nurse hadn't disclosed who the client was or even why he or she was there; only requesting the Shepherdess' presence as soon as possible.

Biting her lip, Maria stared at the floor indicator and sighed. The hospital had a lot of floors. In the end, curiosity had overcome her frustration over the lack of information. It didn't feel right, but at the same time, didn't feel like she had been asked to go to a dark alley in the middle of the night. Checking in at the front desk, the staff had just given her directions to the I.C.U. before sending her on her way and calling ahead of her arrival.

"That should conclude the paperwork." Gail said in her usual soft, demure voice as she put the clip board back on the nurse's station counter. "Once Miss Eckholdt arrives, you'll be free to disclose any information about the patient should she ask." She turned her head slightly as she heard the sound of the elevator opening. Showtime, she thought to herself as she turned and quickly walked towards a small waiting area.

Two pairs of high heels sounded in the hallway and when the German Shepherd rounded the corner she and the Rabbit stood face to face for a moment. Gail feigned indifference as she stepped into the waiting area and took a seat where she could easily see the counter. Maria had the feeling she knew the latex clad Rabbit as they passed but she didn't look as the Clouded Leopardess nurse had already stood up from behind the counter to greet her.

Running her paw over her leg, Gail smoothed a crinkle in her dress while she watched Maria with an inscrutable expression on her face. Her eyes slowly moved up and down the shepherdess' body taking in every detail. "So, that's the Ice Queen." With her little cotton bud tail twitching, she felt jealous of the long silky tail that hung from the other femme's curvy backside. Glancing down, Gail noted with pride that her own chest was more voluptuous, but felt quite envious of the shepherdess' overall curvier body frame; her own slender body offering far fewer curves than Maria's.

The discussion at the nurse station became more heated and her long sensitive ears picked up a name. Curious to see the shepherdess' reaction, she leaned forward; the latex creaking while she watched unblinking. The silky tail of the Shepherdess she had been eying was now jerking in agitation. "Huh, she can show emotions." Maria began gesticulating wildly at the poor nurse who looked like she was in the path of an oncoming train with no escape.

Unable to resist Gail stood up and took several steps closer, using a pillar to hide behind, but when she got closer the pair began to walk away. With the nurse in the lead and the Shepherdess on the leopardess' heels, the two women moved down the hallway at speed towards the door that Gail had refused to enter just an hour before. The Rabbit wanted to get closer, but when she saw the look of terror and fear on Maria's face she stopped. "Perhaps she'll be too scared to enter." She felt it would be a small victory for her, to see the fierce and unyielding Ice Queen back away from the horror in that room.

The nurse was busy explaining some things to the Shepherdess and barring her way until the older femme had said everything that needed to be said and then stepped aside. Much to Gail's disappointment and shame, Maria didn't pause for a millisecond before she pushed through the door. Bowing her head and swallowing her own pride, the Rabbit couldn't help but admire the Shepherdess' strength of character in that moment.

From the room came a cry of anguish as Maria finally saw for herself what the nurse had been telling her but what she couldn't believe. The cry was quickly followed by a loud sob as she broke down in tears.

"Nathan..."

* Find out what happened to Nathan Fenn in the first part of "The Renegade" here: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1395348