The shepherds wife

Story by Todd Fox on SoFurry

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" The shepherds wife"

Ronnie- male human

Sandy (freckles)- Border collie female

Andy- rough collie male

Hmm, kinda a darker story, it fits my current mood. Murder, drama, interspecies relationships, a possibly corrupt sheriff department. But who is to say what is good and what is bad in every case. Read and see if you find insight, it's not a quick spank story. And I hope it keeps your interests.

Kittens are capable of reading this story if they find it, it's your job as parents to take responsibility for your child. Do not lay off your ineptitude as a guardian off on the site host or me. It's your kid; it's your fault. Deal with it. I'm just so damn sick of poge bastards trying to get others and me to take responsibility for their children. You had the sex, you had the kid, you birthed it, it's your problem, do not inconvenience me with your problem.

For those of you who want to go on with the story, have fun, I hope you enjoy it. Deadbeat guardians can suckle my bloated love organ ^. ^

I would like comments on what you think of my story. Let me know what you think.

My heart cries, Lost and alone my soul screams, but there is no sound only the fall, with no paw to grasp. I stare toward the light as I fall away, my arm outstreached if I could still clasp the edge. Because there was no paw to grasp, I alone, fall away. Staring still as it fades, looking not to the abysmal maw that swallows me, but from the place I fell away. I close my eyes, as dark as all around me my arm extended fingers spread, if only there were a paw to grasp.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Left, then right, always forward, watch for strays, through the funnel and into the north pasture. Sandy stood on her rear legs looking about the green fields for strays. None were to be seen. She had done her job well again. She put her paws on her hips and nodded in satisfaction. The Border collie turned and locked the gate behind her.

She leaned on the fence watching over the flock. Then a familiar scent greeted her nose. She turned and smiled in her canine way, to say her mouth slightly agape her folded ears forward. Her dust brown eyes gleamed as she looked to her master. He was still a ways off, walking slowly with her dinner in hand. He was actually her mistress's son, but she considered him her true master. He never struck her or insulted her. And he didn't stink of the cheap wine of her mistress.

Her tail wagged a little extra as he held a tin plate, it was one of the old army tin plates, full of a nice smelling stew. Ordinarily she would just lap at it like a dog, but she took the spoon offered and the old canteen cup of water. She set the cup on a fencepost and began eating, watching her young master. As he leaned against the fence. He was in his early twenties and made her tail wag just a little more every time she saw him. "How's everything working out?" he asked her

She looked up to him "Just fine." He watched her bright eyes as she spoke to him. He could swear the color inside her ear was a dark red. She was cute, the stripe of white slashing down from her forehead to her muzzle where it flared out over more than half her muzzle. But she had black spots over the front of her muzzle near her nose. He thought of them as freckles, and she seemed to enjoy his pointing out that trait in her. Her paws were muddy and full of grass right now, but she had the whitest gloves and socked paws. She has a nice white scarf about her neck, the only break in the deep pitch ebony fur that covered the rest of her body, except her snow capped tail. Which was wagging from side to side at that moment.

He took the plate as she handed it and the spoon back to him. She drank lapping form the wide cup she was provided. She licked her lips and smiled. "Thank you Ronnie."

He reached over and ruffed her neck fur. "Hey, gotta keep ya fed." He grinned. She leaned over the fence and licked his face. "Still, thank you." She smiled and began walking into the pasture, gnats and grasshoppers fleeing before her.

She watched the flock graze as the sun began to dip into the sky, she began herding them back to the barn aria. Soon latching the gate behind her. She sighed, her work done, the sheep would be safe in the paddock. Now was time to get cleaned up and go to bed. She cleaned herself with the cold water from a spigot beside the barn. The night was cooler than the day, but she had always done this, so it didn't bother her. She was given old towels to dry off with she kept hanging on a nail on the barn wall. And soon she was asleep on a fresh pile of straw, the bleating of sheep her lullaby.

She woke when the barn door opened. The first rays of light just cresting over the horizon, giving a soft glow to the world as the evenings mist burned off. "Morning Freckles." Came the mirthful voice of her master. She looked up to him as he pet her, handing her the food, and as she ate. She loved the feel of his hands stroking over her back. She tilted her head back so he would pet her head and over her ears. She loved him. And that one revelation held with her. It bothered her, there on the edge of her mind. The thought of her master's touch. But it was lost in her duties as the almost mindless flock was directed and controlled to her will, their needs.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ronnie retreated back into the kitchen tossing the empty plate into the sink. He then sat back at the kitchen table, layered over with papers and invoices. He hated this part of the ranch, the constant upkeep of equipment and profits.

The clock read past noon before another figure appeared in the kitchen, a haggard woman. She looked old beyond her years, her skin like parchment, tanned to an unnatural brown mixed with a jaundice tone. Her thinning brown hair was curled tightly but not by nature. Ronnie tried to ignore the sour stench of alcohol and cigarettes as he worked on the ranch's finances, but it was difficult ignoring something that made him nauseous.

"Why the hell do you insist on being so damn loud in the morning." His mother protested angrily as she chased two aspirin with a beer.

Without missing a beat, because he had given the answer so many times before, he replied, "Because you insist on being so hung over every morning."

"Fuck you" she retorted, nursing her hangover with the fresh beer. "And I'm going to shoot that damn dog if she doesn't stop barking so early in the morning."

Ronnie closed his ledgers and packed them up as his mother tried to clear her eyes to read them. She was only interested in the money he pulled in so she could try to get more for her vices.

She groaned angrily. Resorting to her only argument for the past three years. "I can run this farm, and not into the ground" she added the last part hastily because it was his usual answer. "It's not like you will ever own this place you ungrateful bastard!" she said furiously as he left the kitchen to the office.

Locking the door behind him, he could still hear the muffled curses she shouted when she thought she could yell past her hangover. He had stopped arguing with her almost three months after he came to run the ranch. It was just the same arguments over and over, almost vir Batum. The only change was after he had gotten Sandy. Then the blame was on him for getting her and everything else was Sandy's fault.

His greatest satisfaction was that he already owned the ranch. He had found a few legalities and had, in a crafty and rather dishonest way, stopped paying the taxes in his mother's name, and put it in his. tossing out the notices the revenue service sent for her to repay him, and after a year and a day he got the deed. That was done over a year ago. He was beginning to actually show a decent profit margin. He had to sell twenty acres to a developer to get it out of debt and get new equipment and Sandy from another rancher who he befriended.

He sat back in his chair. He had the business sense and the strength to go on with the tormentative whore of a mother he had in his house. He often wanted to see the look on her face when he handed her an eviction notice. But something, he never knew what, wouldn't let him. And that of course led him to another fact of life. He was single.

He put the ledgers in a safe and locked it.

It seemed every woman he went out with was a dud, a bore or just plain stupid. That or had no interest in living on a ranch. He noticed how quiet the house was. He groaned and left the office locking it again and headed outside and to the pastures. He could hear his mother's drunken speech. She was yelling at Sandy from afar. Sandy the only black dot amongst the dirty white cotton balls.

"Stop your yelling. It's not doing anything."

That earned him a reproachful look as she rounded on him.

Sandy heard the garbled yelling the woman pointed at her, but she was used to it. She knew better than try to interfere when Ronnie started to argue with her. She just tended the sheep as always, ever vigilant. But her eyes blurred with tears. It was like this all the time. She was just their dog, but always the never-ending threats and arguments. She woke herself form her thoughts as she realized she lost track of several sheep. She forced her job to take over the bad thoughts of what could happen when she returned.

Soon she lost herself in the feel of the lush grasses. She sat on a small hill overlooking the meadow. Her tail wagged as she thought of Ronnie. Feeling giddy she started looking about the sheep, bounding after them to form them in a tight circle, then ran through the circle parting the sheep around her. She rolled in the long grasses and bounded up. She ran about wildly, happily. She eventually flopped in the cool meadow grasses. She giggled as sheep ate the grasses around her. After a while she sat up looking about, making sure the flock was still there, then she noticed the sunset, it was getting late. Fear gripped her as she hurriedly barked running franticly to the home paddock. The sheep bleated in protest, the ones too slow received nips as she drove them hard.

Dusk had settled before she latched the gate closed. But there was no irate woman to complain or abuse her. Sandy had sighed easily, her muscles relaxing as the tension faded.

She jumped when the barn door was opened. She watched the dreaded form, reeking, like a wicked wraith it swayed toward her. She flipped her ears back, her tail tucked between her legs.

"Please mistress" the collie pleaded in a whimper.

"Shhhh" came a slurred sound. "I told you not to come back late while I'm trying to sleep you stupid bitch"

Sandy tried to become smaller, dropping to all fours "please mistress, I didn't..." her plea turned to cries of pain as the woman rained blows over the collies body with a broken shovel handle.

Sandy didn't move when the beating stopped, her ears were ringing; all she could taste or smell was iron.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ronnie heard the yelps emanating from the barn as he brought sandy her supper. Dropping the plate and cup he bolted to the barn. He didn't stop until his hand was on the broken shovel handle. He ripped the makeshift club from his mothers' hands knocking her on the ground. He brandished her weapon at her

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he exclaimed as he bent over to check on sandy.

"What? I am your mother" she shrieked like a banshee, "How dare you treat me like..."

She had to duck to avoid the shovel handle thrown at her. "Shut up you old whore" Ronnie snapped at her without looking, still checking sandy who whimpered at his every touch.

"I'm gonna kill that damn mutt. I'm sick of her and the way you treat her better than me. Your mother!" The woman spat venomously as she stood up and walked briskly with stiffened legs, furious her own son had had the gall to insult her. He was lucky she didn't throw him out on his ass, him and that damn dog. It was the dogs' fault. Always taking up time and money to feed and take care of. Sheep were sheep, they could eat wherever they wanted and be fine. Because of the dog she could only afford to get cheap wine and Budweiser to make it through the week.

She flung the door to the kitchen open and went to the refrigerator; she needed a drink to calm down. Why was her son so bad, she was his mother, he should listen to her. "Not lock the goddamn books and bank accounts from me!" she shrieked in the kitchen and slammed the cheep beer and took out another one.

* * *

"Please master" the collie gripped Ronnie's arm, "please don't leave me alone."

Ronnie looked at the desperately fearful canine, her body bruised and sore. He had no real desire to go back into the house. He nodded solemnly and laid beside her in the straw. She turned so she could see him and curled close in a semi ball, her paw on his chest her muzzle propped against his shoulder her head against his armpit. Her tail gave a weak wag and was still as he pet her side carefully, avoiding the bruises under her coat.

He laid there thinking of how Sandy must feel. Helpless, incapable of retaliation or self-defense without her life being in jeopardy. Genomes were not permitted to harm humans; it was usually punishable by death for the slightest of offences.

He turned to her and nose nuzzled her chin.

"I'll stay here with you, just go to sleep freckles." He smiled trying to ease the worried dog. She cuddled to him more his hand still on her side as she slowly relaxed, and finally allowed sleep to take her.

But sleep did not come that easy to Ronnie. He really resented the way his mother treated Sandy. She was just a dog. But his mother never shut up about her. He brood most of the night, just as sleep took him he smiled, he knew what he was going to do tomorrow.

*********************

The side door to the house exploded open, the haggard horrid woman stormed into the yard to her smiling son as he shot at yet another full beer can, the pressurized fluid and the impact of the large caliber bullet causes the container to explode. The contents forming a fine mist in the sheep's pasture. The pistol's report was not finished echoing from the hills when she started in on him, appalled at what he was doing.

"Just reminding you, that if you cost me money. I cost you money you worthless hag"

He smiled taking relish to cause her so much aggravation during a hangover, that and the noise form the gun must seem ten times worse, in the bright day.

He swiftly turned around and took the empty magazine from the pistol. "You cost me three hundred dollars for having David send one of his dogs over to watch our flock while sandy recovers."

Her teeth ground, her anger throbbed with her head now. That damn dog was the cause of all this, she should have taken a knife. She thought she raised a good son, she was a good mother, she did nothing wrong. Why was this happening to her? She released her fury taking a step to hit her son, who moved out of the way of the sluggish fist. Not really making a recovery before taking another swing, and without balance she staggered and fell to the ground, the grass staining her nightgown and elbows.

"Why are you so bad!" she yelled, you must have some devil in you, because you're not my son!" she shrieked as she tore up grass and dirt to feebly throw at him. But he had done enough; he just stood there, featureless as he watched the woman gone mad. He turned and walked into the house.

He locked the pistol back inside the gun safe and went to the kitchen to make Sandy her breakfast. He was almost finished with the breakfast when his mother brooded in and to the fridge for her unmolested bottle of wine. She huffed and left for the front porch. He smiled, a wine hangover is worse than a beer one.

*************************

He gently handed Sandy her food and water sitting down beside her. She leaned on him as she ate her meal. Ronnie stayed with her all day. Letting her sleep making her stay in the barn when she wanted to let Andy go back to his home, take her place back in the field. Each time Ronnie refused and made her lay.

As night came Andy came in with the sheep. After cleaning himself off he joined the shepherdess and rancher. Ronnie gave the rented dog a ruffing between his ears and a plate of lukewarm stew and water.

"Freckles, I've got to go inside," he stopped the panicked look from his collie by pointing to the male collie. "Andy will lock the doors form the inside, so no one can get in unless you let them."

He smiled and gave her a gentle hug. "I'll see you in the morning." He said softly to her, he stood up, and was followed to the door by Andy who promptly locked the hasp. The rough collie smiled to Sandy. She set her tail between her legs and curled into a ball watching him. He tilted his head

"What? You know me, it's not the first time you and me have had a barn to ourselves."

Sandy looked at him and quickly away, "I know, but I'm coming into heat, and I don't need a litter of pups, not now, not here." She said sadly. "I wish," she sighed" it's not that I don't like you. Our past experiences should..."

She was cut off with the male collie's hand wrapped about her muzzle.

"You love him." He implied Ronnie

Sandy's ears flipped back and she curled into a tighter ball avoiding eye contact.

"You do, don't you" he repeated as he sat next to her

She sniffed and tears streamed from her long muzzle and were flung off as she reluctantly nodded her head. "I do, I can't help it. It's so bad here and he is so kind." She warbled, "He protects me and feeds me and takes care of me."

She rounded on Andy suddenly gripping him by his long coat on his chest. "You can't tell anyone, you can't tell him." She sobbed in desperation he had her secret.

Andy took her paws in his. "It's okay sandy," he reassured the young collie " I have two bitches and William to take care of me, but there is no one here to take care of your other needs." He murred as his paw wandered over her white furred breast. She trembled and was about to shove him away, no matter how much she wanted the touch. But she stopped when he whispered one small suggestion.

"Just imagine I'm Ronnie."

She gasped at the thought as he teased her nipple gently, Andy still remembering the beating she had taken. "Ooh Ronnie" she crooned to Andy's molesting. She kept her eyes closed leaning to him, her lips pressed to Andy's kissing him tenderly, her paw caressing his face delicately. She held to the collie nuzzling him her breath hard, almost a pant.

She lowered her muzzle licking over the collie's chest, her paw finding his sheath quickly. He tried to be sensual but she was having none of it, she wanted something, and that's what she was going to get.

She stroked over his sheath, gripping his penis within. She felt him stiffen under her fingers, then more as she lapped the tip of his sheath catching over the very tip of his member as it peeked from it's confines. He stoked her head and received a growl to stop. She pulled the sheath form his enlarging member, past the knot. Her thumb and forefinger wrapped behind the bulbous gland as her muzzle took in his long pink shaft. She thought of her master, his hands touching her, her, having him in her mouth.

Andy yipped and panted as the needy collie sucked him; the ridges on the roof of her mouth were delightful as her tongue pressed his penis to them. She whimpered highly, thinking of how her master would like this, the vibrations in her throat traveling to her muzzle and up Andy's shaft. It was his turn to yip as he felt the first of his precum escape him.

Sandy felt the pulse in his shaft before she tasted the light flavor of his precum. She whimpered and sucked more, shifting her speed, just giving him head as she massaged his balls and behind his knot.

That was all Andy could take, the bitch was insatiable. She nursed his member as he shot stream after stream of hot cum into her muzzle. She knew and stayed on him through his orgasm until his knot deflated and slipped from her fingers. With her eyes still closed she licked her lips and looks as if she was seeing Ronnie. "I want you Ronnie"

She turned form the panting male, her tail high, as she leaned against a pile of hay bales. Andy smiled and wrapped his arms about her midriff his newly erecting rod pressed to her labia and she jumped a little, her paw shifting his member under her tail. "Not there Andy, here."

The male seemed surprised, it was rare she enjoyed that, but he was not asking as he reached around to fondle her vulva as he pressed his saliva and purposely slickened shaft into her anus, his fingers slipping further as he pushed deeper inside of her colon.

"Hard" she barked in aggravation, "take me hard all the way Ronnie, take me HARD!"

Andy was shocked but listened. He held her hips tight as he thrust his member into her, his knot stretching her anal muscle three times before he was trapped in her neither region. He pounded into her ass, his knot swollen to capacity, as he rammed into her neither region, his orgasm coming quickly. He began flooding her colon with his seed, still he pressed deeper into her, her barking and snarling would make a passer by think they were fighting. But he grew weak, panting hard he rested, his knot lodged firmly inside her rectum. He could smell her, she had cum. He was baffled. Maybe she was messed up from this place, all alone. He gently coaxed her to lean back and he carefully sat down with her still locked to him. She sat on his groin idly playing with herself.

Andy was not minding the ferocity of the bitch, but this was a sign. He would have to talk to Ronnie. Perhaps he should be invited to the farm more often, just to keep sandy from being to frustrated...

"Andy?" came the soft voice.

"Yes?"

"Promise me you won't tell Ronnie how I feel about him. It will just worry him."

"Okay" Andy lied. He began idly playing with her tail. "What about me?"

Sandy's ears flattened, muzzle down her eyes closed. But silent.

************************************************

The days went slowly for Sandy. Andy was a comfort, but she dreamt about her master.

But piece was not to be had for Ronnie; it seemed the entire week his mother was trying to get on his last nerve. She smoked nonstop in every room she could, leaving discarded beer cans and glasses over the house. Old alcohol and stale smoke permeated the house.

She walked over to the gun rack, the small lock on the case surprisingly strong. It was all that damn dogs' fault. It had to go.

He couldn't stay here forever, he had to leave sometime. Then she can have her life back, her son will realize his errors and she can have all the money again. She just had to do one thing first. Get rid of the dog.

The days slipped past for Sandy. Andy kept her comfortable and safe, as did Ronnie. She was healed; barely sore in some places but good enough to start her duties again. So now both her defenders were gone. Ronnie took Andy back; her only security was a lock and a hasp on the doors. She figured she was safe. It would be only a short time before Ronnie would be back. She curled up on a pile of straw a tattered blanket over her as she wished Ronnie was there already.

*****************************************

" Sir?"

Ronnie nodded signaling he was listening.

Andy took the cue "Sir, how do you feel about Sandy? And I don't mean as a farm dog, I mean personally"

Ronnie shot Andy a confused look and then looked back to the road. The searching look in Ronnie's eyes told him that maybe there was something. But Ronnie shook his head. "I think she's a good dog. I just wish better for her, my mother is such a shitbag."

Andy sighed, and looked dead at Ronnie, "Sandy wants you, needs you." The nonchalant nodding told Andy his euphemisms were not understood

"Sandy wants to fuck your brains out."

Andy yelped as the truck came to a screeching abrupt stop. Ronnie glared at Andy, "I thought you were a decent dog..." Ronnie shook his head disappointedly at the orange collie.

"Sorry Sir, but she loves you, she loves you in that way, she told me, she also told me not to tell, but she needs your love."

Ronnie sat staring at Andy. His features a mixture of anger and thought. But his features lightened and he nodded. The truck began moving, gradually picking up speed, but now way below the speed limit.

"Sandy wants me to have sex with her, is what you're saying?

"No sir," the collie contradicted "I'm saying she wants you to make love to her. She wants your love, not just your dick, she could have that with me."

Andy winced thinking it was the wrong thing to say, but the look on Ronnie's face made Andy think it was worth mentioning.

"She and you have..."

"Yes sir, on several occasions, but never for a litter"

"A litter?" realization crossed Ronnie's face "oh, okay. So why does she want me?"

It was Andy's turn to look uncertain. "I guess she just does."

Ronnie looked annoyed but began to speed up toward David's farm, Andy's home.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Axe in hand, she had had enough with the safe's lock, it was time to get rid of the dog. She swung sloppily at the standing glass and wood gun safe. Shards both glass and wood flew in all directions. But she just managed to break the rifle rack; the bottom storage aria was still intact. She shrieked in rage as she viciously hacked at the box. Her uncoordinated attack on the safe finally struck luck as the axe head broke through the top and ripped part of the door off. She got down in the wreckage and reached in the hole she made, pulling out boxes of ammunition and three pistols. She laughed giddily as she looked at the forbidden bounty, the keys to getting her life back.

Then she opened the first box of ammunition, empty shells? What fool kept empty shells? She fretted as box after box turned out to contain empty shells in the cartons. What was this, a cruel joke?

She started shredding the boxes and tossing the brass filled boxes as they turned out to be spent. She hardly noticed the weight of one box as she shredded it in half along with the Styrofoam holder and tossed it, but the solid thumps and the distance made took her out of her rage. She laughed gleefully and ran over to one half of the box, ripping the rest of the cover to expose unused rounds. She skipped over to the pistols with the coveted bounty.

She cursed and tossed two pistols into the wreckage-strewn floor, they were not the ones the ammunition fit, and the other two were semi autos. She sighed as she tried putting a bullet in a magazine. It was difficult to get one bullet in, but she did it, and more forced bullets followed. She picked up one pistol, and tried to fit the magazine in it, but the magazine was too big for the old German pistol. She smiled wickedly as she realized that she was about to kill his precious dog with the same pistol he used on her beer.

She fit the magazine in the pistol; she had seen enough television that she knew how to charge the pistol with the slide. She looked about and found her axe. Humming merrily axe on her shoulder, pistol in her pants waist she headed to the barn.

Sandy heard someone try the door, but by scent she knew who it was. The door was locked thank god, but that was not going to last. Sandy's eyes widened in terror as she realized the door was being broken down. She leapt up from her pallet to the other door unlocking it. She had it halfway open when thunder peeled through the air; suddenly pain flew through the back of her thigh. She fell backwards as wood around the door jam splintered after another clap of thunder. Sandy realized, it was not thunder, she looked terrified at the woman and yelped, she didn't want to die. She begged but the woman only smiled and let loose another round. A board in front of her threw splinters and had a hole suddenly; straw from bales behind sandy had a dirty little smoldering hole.

"Goddmnit, what do you think your..." Ronnie looked stunned, as did his mother. He looked down as a dark red stain began to spread out and down his shirt. He put his hand on the hole in his gut and looked up again. He fell on the barn floor with a lifeless thud.

"No!" She shrieked, realizing she just shot her son, her precious good boy! Rounding on sandy with a snarl she retrained the shaky weapon at the mortified dog. "Look what you made me do!" she shrieked

But death did not come to sandy, no more pain. She looked up to see the evil woman hitting the back slide with her hand, the slide not moving forward. Sandy looked at the scene, her future murderer fumbling with her death device, her love, her dear master on the floor; she killed her master and was trying to do the same to her. Sandy leapt up, there was no turning back, she would not be this evil woman's next victim, not anymore, all the pain, all the beatings all the torment, fear, hate.

Sandy thought of the torture, her cruelty, fear was what she knew best, Ronnie was her love, her master her poor Ronnie. She suddenly realized she could not see. She could not feel, where was her body? Then it came to her, she was moving, she felt it, what was she doing. Suddenly, like waking up she could see, but couldn't something was in her eyes. She wiped her face and looked down at her paw. She was covered in red paint.

Sandy's heart leapt as the familiar scent of blood permeated her senses, so much tainted blood scent. Beyond her paw was something, she looked at it, scrutinized.

Leaping almost vertically she stood over the savaged body of her abuser. Her demon. She trembled in terror still. She was doomed, she killed a human, and they would kill her. She would be euthanised for sure now. Dead, like Ronnie.

That brought her back to reality. She looked over to the still form of her master. She bound over to him and turned him over, she wanted at least one kiss. She lowered her muzzle to his lips. Her thin canine lips pressed to his, her nosepad along side of his. The feel of breath over the fine hairs of her muzzle.

She leaned up, looking at Ronnie; she lowered her ear to his chest. His heart beat, slow and weak. She looked to the remains of Rons' mother, but resolved to save her master. Even if it cost her her life.

Sandy covered Ronnie with her towel and blanket, and then bolted for the house and the telephone.

Sandy hatched a plan as she gave the address to the 911 operator.

"My Master was shot accidnetly by his mother, she was drunk" sandy cried into the phone

"one person shot, where is the shooter now? Came the voice form the other end.

"I don't know, she ran off I don't know where."

"allright, how is the person shot?"

Sandy thought about the question a second before she realised it was asking his health "hold on, I'll look!"

The collie bolted back to the barn, where she did just that. She looked about franticly, trying to find a way to move the body without leaving a scent trail she noticed the tarps over the hay bails. She pulled a tarp off the hay bales. She put the corpse on the tarp and wrapped it up tight, making sure there was no blood leaking out.

She moved Ronnie, to a stall and shut the gate. She ran out the barn and to the paddock. She herded the sheep into the barn and spread hay over the bloody floor. The sheep bleated, marring the bloody mess with a muddy and fecal one. Satasfied the sheep would marr any blood she struggled and hefted the torn corpse over her shoulder and as fast as she could she walked the body to the fields.

She prayed for rain, thinking of the trail she would leave, then remembered that her scent was rampant over this ranch and noplace would seem strange to find prints or scent in. only if she could make it in time. She struggled. Her adrinaline fear letting her heft the corpse to a wood break seperating pastures, it was overgrown with brambles and any mannor of underbrush. There was a small ravene, carved from an old stream that barely ran anymore. She unfurrowed the tarp let the body fall and roll down the side of the hill as she spilled the corpse from the tarp. She had noticed coyotes in here, often chased them away from her flock. Maybe they would take the blame.

She crumpled up the tarp and ran as fast as she could back to the barn where she retied the bloody side down on the straw, leaving it as if nothing was amiss. Then she sat with her master, long forgetting the emergency operator. She checked his bloody gut and curled next to him, telling him to live until the paramedics, and police arrived.

The paramedics waded through the herd of bleating animals to get to the shut stall where the collie and her master lay. The blood soaked collie fretted as the paramedics worked over Ronnie, the police seemed disinterested in her then, but that was not her concern. She watched as they loaded her master on a gurney and into the ambulance. The police still seemed disinterested in her.

They were going thrugh the house and barn, it would have been comical watching them try to heard the sheep out of their crime area if she was not so fearful. She paced about watching all the commotion around the house. She never expected this.

She nearly yelped when a hand grabbed her collar. The deputy looked her over. "What happened here?"

Sandy swallowed hard, her whole body trembling. She couldn't stop trembling. she fell over, the universe dark before she hit the ground.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The sheriff deputy looked in on the only witness he had. The paramedics had shaved the back of her right thigh and bandaged a previously unnoticed wound. The medics had cleaned her up a good bit too. They were waiting for a vet to show up to check her out more.

Another deputy got his attention, a woman.

"Hey Steve," she looked to the collie and back to him. "Our only talking witness huh?"

Steve shrugged. "Until we find Madeline," he looked back on the collie "Well as soon as we get the vet to check her out, hopefully she can tell us what the hell happened here."

The female deputy nodded. "It's gonna be a hell of a story, it looks like the shining happened here."

A German shepherd in the same type uniform interrupted both deputies.

"Outside the barn, I can't pick up her scent, all I smell is a collie in heat and those dammed farm animals."

Steve looked outside the window and shook his head. "All right. Call in the chopper tonight and we'll send in search parties at first light, tell them to be here by four am."

The shepherd nodded and left the other deputies. Charlotte?" he addressed the woman. "Lock down the house and barn until it can be possessed."

The woman nodded and set the wide rimed hat back on her head before heading out to put up tape.

"Sir" one of the paramedics addressed Steve "she's awake,"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Steve looked over the flats of the ranch. Tiny hills hidden in the morning mist. The air still crisp in the dull light. Dogs of both sorts, anthro, and nonanthro, as well as handlers gathered around talking to one another.

He tapped on deputy Jackson's shoulder. She looked up to him, then down to the shorter Border collie. Her heat getting the attention of all the hounds. Jackson shook her head, knowing how the poor collie looked, as if she wanted none of that attention.

"Were going back into the barn, I want to see if we can find the weapon. You have this" he motioned to the search group. She groaned. She really didn't want to try to organize the searches... but there was no one lower around, she was stuck with it.

Max, she called out to the german shepherd in the deputy uniform, "you take the left fields, follow these breaks. Check any houses or barns she might be hiding in." the dog nodded and began rounding up his team. Charolette pointed to other team leaders and places on the arial map to follow. They had roadblocks and a door to door search. She watched the dog and other deputy enter the barn as the other groups went on their searches.

She sighed and manned the radios and map. The waiting gaim began.

* * * * * * * *

Sandy limped about the now sheep free barn. The deputy unnerving her at every step. What was there? Did he know? Would they or did they already know about the tarp? She jumped when he spoke to her.

" How often do sheep stay in here?"

The collie looked down. "During thunderstorms sir, not often. I guess the gunshots sounded like thunder to them and they came in the broken door." She dared not look at the deputy. She didn't want to know if he believed her.

She missed his look to her. "Madeline was no stranger to us, " he tried to draw the collie out "yea, lost her license for too many DUIs."

The collie just looked scared. She was hiding something, she knew more than she was telling

"So she just ran out the back door after she realized she shot Ronnie" the deputy continued the story

Sandy rubbed her arm her tail still trying to go between her legs. "Yes, she just, ran. Into the fields, but it was dark, I don't know what direction. I already told you all of this," she said pensively.

"Can I see Ronnie now?"

"no, you are'nt being honest with me." He saw the terror in her eyes, confirming that she knew more. "where is madaline hiding? You have to tell us, she will not be in toruble, it was an accident. Right?" the deputy questioned.

Sandy shook her head, then nodded, "I mean, I don't know where she is hiding, I only know she shot ronnie and ran away."

"really? No not really." He said with conviction, sandy squirming on the pile of bales she sat on, averting her gaze still. "what was she doing with the gun in the first place?, how could you not know what wnet on in the house, i know for a fact you have superb hearing, could you not hear her smashing things in the house?"

Sandy was on the verge of tears, he was close, he knew and wanted her to tell him, he wanted to kill her fo rmurdering a human, she had no self to defend in court, she was just a dog, a dangerous one at that. "No,"she muttered weakly.

"no?" the deputy mocked "did you miss all the other holes in here as well!" he sneered at her, what really happened, why was she shooting up the barn? I know what happened,.." a icy sliver of dread perked the canine her eyes wide with her worst fear spoken aloud. "I want to hear it from you." The officer smirked.

Sandy hung her head. Her mortal terror prevented her form shedding a tear as she spoke in a choked voice. "she was trying to kill me, I'm sorry." She whined not looking up " she came in here when she thought ronnie was away, he was away, dropping off andy at david's house."

The deputy listened and took down the names to check out as the canine femme continued in her horse tones. Ronnie surprised her and she turned around and shot him, I thought he was dead, he fell over and I thought he was dead, and ,.. " she could not bring herself to tell steve she had killed a human, her body trembled and shook as she tried despratly to just end it. She almost jumped when arms reached around her, the deputy had her, but he did not hold her to harm her, he held her as a comfort, the way ronnie held her. her head nestled under his chin. She felt calmer, safe in his embrace.

"It's okay" the deputy whispered "we'll find her, it was just an accident."

Sandy felt herself heartened, an ddared to ask in a whimper " can I please see ronnie now?"

Steve looked over to the collie, her eyes now on him, very intense, like she was herding him. "There are rules about animals in the hospital". He let her go as he saw she was recovering. He looked to the floor shifting the stained hay on the floor. Sandy winced at every scuff against the floor the deputy's boot made. She involuntarily looked, her ears pinned back when he made a quizzical sound. He was using a pen to shift straw away from the pistol, encrusted with mud and dung.

He stuck the pen in the barrel of the weapon and lifted it up. He looked up at sandy.

"You're both lucky I guess," he lifted up the impaled pistol to show the slide jammed back a ways, "she put a round in backwards" he laughed shortly and looked to her. "Ronnie has been asking about you. It's becoming a health issue and he proclaims alt-med. you'll see him." Steve gave up.

Sandy's eyes showed her excitement her ears betraying her fear. She never thought to look for the pistol. Her stomach churned. But that did not delay her going on all fours, running three legged (her wounded leg raised) to the patrol car. She paced franticly waiting for Steve to walk up from the barn and take her to the hospital.

Something was still rather amiss. He couldn't figure it out, but there were things, as he let them roam his head, that did not seem right. Mostly, where was madaline? She could never last out there. and was there any other details the dog was hiding. He would have a car ride to figure out more.

It was a long ride, sandy played with her tail tip as she stared out the window.

"Ron's important to you, isn't he"?

Sandy nodded "He was always nice to me."

Steve looked over to the collie; she was so intent on the outside and how fast the car was going. She appeared more impatient than nervous.

"What about your mistress"

Sandy scowled at him and shook her head. "She was my mistress"

Steve nodded before sandy realized what she just implied, then hurriedly followed, "Ronnie has always been more my owner than her."

She snapped her mouth closed as she realized she was digging a hole for herself.

"We'll be there soon." Steve said, not wanting to make the collie scared to talk. Sandy nodded and went back to staring out the window.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Master!" sandy barked, "How are you master, are you well?" Sandy's tail wagged vigorously as she bounced on her paws. Her face showed every curve and ear tilt of concern and glee. Steve looked at the collie as she and Ronnie talked.

"Did they find mom yet?" Ronnie finally asked.

Steve watched the canines look before she looked up to him, strained, and told him simply they did not find her yet. He knew the collie knew more than she was letting him in on. What happened in that barn?

Steve was annoyed when his phone went off. He wanted to keep an eye on the collie and her conversation. But he was not too surprised at the news he received. He ended the call and slipped back into the room.

"I have to go," he looked at the way the collie was looking at her master. And he her. He slipped out. He had a hard time ahead of him. But nothing was confirmed yet. But was it really possible to find a fresh corpse where a woman went missing?

He shook his head. He knew the law if it was thought a genome took a human life. There were no trials for nonhumans.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The coroner flipped off his microphone and shook his head. "Looks like a dog chewed her up, a lot of abrasions and bites."

"Are you sure? Could it have been wild dogs or coyotes or wolves?" Steve twisted his face trying to figure it all out. It reeked of foul play, but he knew Madeline, anyone with sense would have wanted to beat her. She had alienated every neighbor and business in the town. Did her son kill her? Was it the collie, or both?

"What would you say was cause of death?"

The coroner raised his furrowed brow, "massive blood loss due to wounds inflicted." He shook his balding head. "Honestly, it looks like she was mauled by dogs." No bullets or bullet wounds, about five times the legal limit on alcohol and a failing liver and kidneys, la." He said the last as he waved his hand in continuance.

Could a genome have left the marks?" the corinor looked surprised and after a moment of thought shrugged. "its not likely but not entierly impossible. But it would be hard to tell, unless we have a sample of hair or saliva, but it would have to be tested against the dog she already has."

Steve raised his head. "what do you mean?"

Well there were a lot of dog hairs on her clothing remnains, and a lot of other debries.

The deputy left the office, requesting a report from the coroner. So much to think about. But right now, he had a crime scene to reinspect.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sandy nuzzled her pillow; she could hear Ronnie breathing softly in the background. She couldn't sleep; she was scared that she would be taken from Ronnie. She sat up her arms wrapped about her legs her tail wrapped about her side. She looked up at the gurney Ronnie lay on and sighed. She crawled over to his bed standing up at the side. She watched him sleep, the blue dotted white gown rising and falling with his breathing. She wiped a tear form her eye. She had time to think now. To regret.

She loved him. She wanted him to love her, but she was a killer. She killed his mother. How would he react if he knew, what if the police found out, and she never told him herself. How could he love her, would he love her?

She shook her head and leaned over him sniffing him, his scent was something that brought her comfort, the knowledge she was protected. But what if they never found the woman, what if everything was okay for her? For them. She wandered out the room and into the hallway. She just needed someplace to think to sort out her mind. She was trembling slightly thinking about being euthanised.

She about fainted when a nurse, a large dark man asked her if she was all right, and had to catch her when she stumbled.

"I'm fine" sandy stammered her ears aback to the large man.

The nurse smirked and looked to the collie's leg. "Are you here for treatment?"

Sandy shook her head vigorously. "I'm here with my master, he was shot."

Nodding the nurse looked to her. "You shot too?"

Sandy blinked in surprised realization that she had been. But just grazed, nothing as bad as Ronnie's "It's just a," what? A scratch? "A flesh wound"

The nurse stifled a laugh and shook his head. "Look, this is a hospital," she feared she was about to be tossed out, "You should never have been admited without getting cleaned up."

Sandy looked at the nurse confused, letting him lead her to a separate room it had a lot of odd tubs and racks. All steel and sterile looking, it made her very nervious. She wished she never left the room now as the huge man lifted her onto a table with tiny holes in it. It wasn't cool like she thought but warm.

Her heart skipped a beat when he took out a pair of large silver scissors. But his demeanor was not aggressive; she would see what he would do to her.

She watched as he cut her bandage away and looked at her sewn up wound. He hmmed at the angry looking lips of the wound. Sandy gasped softly when he applied a clear jelatonus substance to the wound. It didn't hurt or feel better, it was just there. She watched as he adjusted a sprayer nozzle, she closed her eyes as warm water pelted her coat, soaking her down. She had always washed herself in the cool water from the faucet, it felt amassing as the nurse rubbed in a light smelling shampoo into her fur.

The nurse shook his head as he watched the usually white soap sud up a dark red form her undercoat. He lifted her head and sponged her face clean. He renced the soap form her fur and washed her again, just to make sure she was cleaned from all the blood. He then sponged the jell form her wound and wiped up all the gel. She was happy when he wiped over her wound with some medicated wipes, it stung but felt good at the same time. He then dried her off. She smiled as he brushed her coat out. She looked to the steel tubs and could see herself in the reflection, only slightly distorted. The nurse then lifted her off the table and to the floor.

She was led to another room with a padded table, and was lifted up on it for her leg to get bandaged again. Soon she found herself back in Ronnie's room. She was placed in her bed and was asleep before she could remember she was scared out of her mind. Sandy woke up the next morning when the night nurse made his final check.

Sandy sat up and watched the large man take Ronnie's vitals and log them in. She sighed at her master's sleeping form. He had no idea his mother's fate. Sandy whimpered to herself her delima from the night now fresh in her mind. There was little hope in pleading fo rher life from the human officals. But most of all there was the fear Ronnie would figure it out, or what he would feel if she did not trust him enough to tell him. She fretted and worried as a day shift nurse came in. she smiled at Sandy and gave Ronnie two injections in his IV port. Sandy higged herself thinking of the pink fluid that would end her life.

She only stared as ronnie stirred slightly. She could only think about her nervous system shutting down, her breathing and heart stopped as life and light faded form her eyes. She sat back on her bed and curled into a ball her tail hiding her face. There was no escaping death, but she did not want to end like that, unloved, afraid, and disposed of unceramoniously into a waste pit or incenorator.

But most of all she didn't want ronnie know from anyone but her. if he let her go, told the police. Then she could pass from this world, uncaring that the one thing that matters to her, does not matter to him. And she would go with what she was, refuse, discarded broken and dead.

She remained melancholy and fretful until she was roused from her morbid thinking by the day nuse. Ronnie was up and wearing some clothes David had brought from the farm for him. She wasn't paying attention as the nurse gave ronnie several scripts to have filled and explained each.

She almost mechanicly helped the slowly limping man toward the elevators. She couldn't take the strain in her mind anymore, the mounting tention and worry gnawd on her like a ravonus parasite.

She moved to block his path (not a difficult feat at his shuffle). He gave her a curious look, and she dreaded seeing the look for what she was about to tell him.

"Master, I need to speak to you" sandy said just above a whimper.

Ronnie looked to her smiling stopping short of the elevators. Sandy felt like she was going to vomit, she even had the bile taste in her mouth. But in terror and a small tone she made her confession.

"Master, ronnie, I, " the words caught in her throat but she was determined to know " I killed your mother." She hurried to talk at the strange wide-eyed look Ronnie sent to her. " I'm sorry master, she was going to kill me, I thought she killed you" she sobbed taking hold of his shirt in her paws her muzzle a short distance form his chest her eyes closed, not wanting to look at him. She was so afraid, "I didn't want to die master, and I don't want to die." She buried her head in his chest like a frightened puppy. She dared not look at him. She didn't know what to expect from here. Her entire existence hung in the balance.

Ronnie couldn't readily comprehend what his dog had just confessed, all the while the conversation with Andy played back in his mind. He was confused. Mixed emotions ran over him, both relief and grief. Then he remembered Sandy. He grabbed Sandy by her upper arms. She made a squeak as she was ripped form his body. She averted her eyes and looked to her left, scared of what was to come.

"Who knows this?" Ronnie whispered to her sternly. "Do the police know?"

Sandy shook her head, "I covered it up as best I could." She suddenly looked ten times more guilty and looked down. "I'm sorry mas,..."

"That's not important," Ronnie interrupted "we have to get you home, we have to sort this out."

Sandy could hardly believe her ears. Ronnie was going to keep protecting her!

She looked to him with her soft dust eyes and continued to lead him toward the elevators.

Neither of them noticed the man across the hall, leaning against the hallway with his hand up on his forehead as if just waking up from a rough night. Matching well with the look of the hospital guests. Steve lowered his hand as he heard the elevator doors close. He was in his civilian attire, so was not that obvious. He knew what happened now. He understood Sandy's motive and reason, and in a court of law, she could get off on self-defense, if she were human.

He knew the law; he had to take care of one thing before he went to the ranch. Steve stepped into an elevator and pressed a button going down.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sandy sat uneasily on the floor. Ronnie looking down on her form his as comfortable as he could get, condition. She looked unsure of the plan, if the police look for her, he would send her to another ranch with another name. The other benefit of being a genome was the lack of sustained records. She hated the plan. It seemed lame in her eyes. And being away from Ronnie could be done in death as well.

She sighed distraught. The weight of the entire situation showed on every twitch of her ears, the very way she walked.

Sandy put another blanket on Ronnie ignoring any complaints. She went to the kitchen, finding some of the soft food the doctors recommended. She also picked up the cordless phone on her way back to the living room.

Ronnie looked awkwardly at the collie. He chuckled softly, trying to not hurt his wound. Sandy set the bowl and a glass of watered grape juice on the end table near him.

"I'm shot, not invalid." He half teased her.

She just looked down at him and flipped her tail her features very serious. "Just let me take care of you for once."

Ronnie leaned back more and smiled to her, giving in to the stern collie femme. "Okay, then would you hand me my book please, It's on the coffee table."

Sandy smiled and trotted over retrieving the novel and giving it to him, then handed him the phone. He looked quizzically at her and then the phone.

"If I'm inside taking care of you, who's tending the flock?" she explained.

Ronnie was really taken with her thinking; the dog could probably run the ranch better than his mother. The last thought depressed him, the realization that Sandy could be taken from him. He took the phone from her and called David, asking to get Andy dropped by to watch the flock. That task finished he opened his book and pretended to read, the words a blur as he thought about his mother. He never liked her, but down to it, he hardly felt sorrow for her death. He liked sandy, he really did, but what was he to do? He thought hard and long about her, and what could happen to her.

Sandy took the dishes into the kitchen after making sure Ronnie was finished and figured out how to wash them, leaving a larger mess in the sink and floor with the dish soap and sink stopper. She was thinking on how to get it clean when there was a knock on the door.

Sandy trembled as she saw the deputy smiling at her when she opened the door. "Hello, Sandy"

Sandy gasped, she tried not to let her legs shake but she could hear her claws tap the floor. "H-h-hello deputy, um, Please come in." She stammered fearfully.

Thank you sandy he smiled to her, but it did nothing to relieve her fear. He looked about then back on her. "Where is Ronnie? How is he?"

Sandy swallowed hard, tried to talk twice before she managed to get the words out "Fine!" she practically yelled, then instantly lowered her voice. "Ronnie is fine, he's in the living room."

She looked up to him as if he was going to shoot her on the spot. Steve only smiled and thanked her before traveling a hallway he recently became familiar with. He stepped in as Ronnie closed his book in haste. "Hello, can I help you?" He saw the terrified collie looking like she was going to bolt out the door any second, so he knew this man was a police officer, then the recognition took, it was difficult without the uniform.

Steve looked down at a chair; pointing to it he asked, "Mind if I sit?"

"Please go ahead." Steve offered hastily.

"Thanks," he said sitting. "I came to tell you about the results of the coroners report"

Ron and Sandy's heart leapt at this, " Oh, what happened." Ronnie tried the question and found it bitter with fear.

Steve looked condoling, "well apparently, according to the coroner, she must have fallen in the woods in her drunken state and the coyotes must have found the co, body before our searchers. I'm sorry but it looks like an accident."

Ronnie really wanted to yell and jump up and down but tried to look down, nodding at the news. "I see." He managed.

Steve nodded and stood. "Well, I have to go, I just thought that it would bring you closure knowing that there was nothing you could have done or said. The best was done, but it was already too late."

Again Ronnie nodded looking down. Steve nodded a goodbye and walked past sandy who held the door open for him grinning. "Take care sir, and stay safe."

Steve smiled to her and leaned over to the freckled collie. "Thank you for your blessing, you need to take care of Ronnie well, and good luck with your new life together." He smiled, sandy catching the glint that told volumes and confirmed nothing. With a nod Steve took the stairs off the porch and to his car, waving to the collie as she watched him go.

Steve wrestled with what he had done. He was supposed to uphold the law. But it didn't seem right to him. Sure, everyone deserved justice, but was Sandys' death just? Would it do anything but make Ronnie's life harder than it was already? To what end, few, very few people in town would mourn Madalines' loss. But still it edged on him.

He brooded on it until he got to his house. The German shepherd from the initial investigation looked in on him. He wasn't wearing the uniform, or anything but his pelt. He smiled at his master's return, and then tilted his head perplexed at his master's obvious distress.

"What's wrong," the Shepherd asked as he approached.

Steve shook his head and headed to the dining room. He sat at a chair and put his elbows on the table, the dog taking a seat looking to him. "What's going on?"

Steve sighed, addressing the table more than the genome shepherd. " I don't know what I did was right, I mean, I do have a job, responsibilities to the public."

Max shook his head. "Why did you do it then?"

Steve looked to the shepherd. "Because I know what a hell my life would be if you were taken from me, I figured he had suffered enough."

The shepherd knelt in front of steves chair and laid his head on steves chest hugging him tight. "Law is what humans put on paper as a guide." The shepherd looked up to the officer." Your heart is what should guide you."

Steve stroked the shepherd's cheek ruff and held his chin up, lowering his head to kiss the genome on his thin lips. The shepherd stood returning his affection. "And to cheer you up and thank you for being who you are, we can play prison shower, and I just dropped the invisible soap"

Steve shook his head still unsure but max would hear nothing of it pulling his masters arm to follow him. "I assure you, you did right."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

It had been a few months. Sandy smiled at Ronnie. He was up and active more, the wound from the bullet and surgery were mostly healed, but he was still on light work only and no lifting. Pretty much nothing short of breathing and walking. Sandy put her brush back in the paint and continued to do trim work. She whipped her gloved paws off on some of Ronnies' old clothes that sagged around her. Ronnie put his brush in the tray he was using.

Sandy took off the pants she was using and stretched, her tail had become cramped. She walked by Ronnie stroking an ungloved paw under his chin. "I'm making lunch."

She caught the look Ronnie gave her "No, I will not burn it like that again,"

Ronnie laughed. "Well I know you're talented, I've never seen soup black and encrusted in a pot before. That took real talent and skill."

Sandy rolled her eyes at him and headed down the hall. Her tail lifted the long shirt so glimpsed of her long furred rear could be seen. Ronnie felt a stir. He had seen her naked all the time, actually he had never seen her clothed except in the past two weeks as they scrubbed the layers of yellow tar and repainted the house. But hidden her body was something to wonder. Her trim waist, only when she donned his shirt did he truly recognize her breasts, how the shirt opened at the top would give glimpses of her cleavage.

She may have been a dog in his mother's eyes, and a friend in his. But his assessment was changing. It was awkward to know her amour toward him, the way she tried to impress him. She tried to cook, and clean, everything she could to stay in the house. She even took to sleeping with him. Not in a sexual way, just nuzzled comfortably to him at nights.

He did find himself looking to her as more of a partner than a servant, maybe she was a slave. He pondered those ramifications as he came into the kitchen just as something exploded in the microwave. He reflexively jerked back shielding his body with his arms. Sandy growled at him "stop with the melodramatics" she then buried her nose in a book and scratched her head. I don't understand she whimpered, "the symbols looked the same."

Ronnie shook his head at the illiterate farmhand and took the book from her. "I'll pick something up anyway" he smiled to her. "And I'm gonna teach you how to read, just to save cleaning expenses."

He expected a reproachful look form the collie, but she looked on the verge of crying but she was smiling, her paws wringing the shirt. "Thank you" she whimpered.

Ron gave her a kind hug. I'm going to get something of dinner, you clean out the microwave. Now he got a smirk.

* * * * *

Ronnie got back with some Styrofoam cartons. Sandy's mouth watered with the scent of steak. Ronnie picked up a new walkie-talkie, speaking into it. "Hey, call it an early day and come in."

He got a puzzled reply from the voice at the other end but compliant.

Sandy had the table set and plates held what the three cartons had held when a rough collie came in the door, a harness on with a walkie-talkie on it. Andy smiled unsure, looking to the smiling man and bitch. "Did I miss something?" He nervously tried

"We'll see" Ronnie said motioning to a place meant for the rough collie. Still uncertain about this new and unusual situation Andy sat. Ronnie and sandy took a seat and began small talk about the farm and things needed to be done. Andy loosened up in the conversations, adding advice and agreeing or disagreeing with things said or suggested. If all went as planned, Andy realized, this ranch would soar into prosperity. Then came the question. He shook his head and looked to Ronnie with a cocked look unbelieving. "What?"

Ronnie smiled and looked dead at the collie. "What would you think of having this as your new home?" Ronnie sat back in his chair, "Me and sandy have discussed it and I have already asked David if he would mind giving you up, and he is fine with it, as long as it's okay with you."

Andy blinked rapidly as he looked at the floor, his mind racing. Thousands of questions raced through his mind.

"That," Ronnie spoke in a jesting tone "and with you and sandy, I won't have to buy any more dogs."

That cleared Andy's mind with only one question in mind as he looked at sandy. The Border collie looked crestfallen at the remains of a potato on her plate, then inhaled deeply and smiled looking up, not pleased but acceptingly at Andy.

"Don't kill yourself on answering tonight," Ronnie got Andy's attention "think on it, and when you decide, just let me know."

Andy nodded and smiled "thank you, I will."

* * * * * * *

Sandy finished drying herself off from the shower. Her coat was shiny but ruffled. She began to brush herself out when suddenly the brush was taken from her. She looked at Ron quizzically,

"I'm not incapable of taking care of my dog completely." Ron said as he motioned for her to turn around. She feigned annoyance smiling slightly as she felt the brush through her coat. He brushed her back and over her shoulders. She enjoyed it but loved it as he touched her tail, moving it out the way as he knelt down to brush the feathery fur on her rear and down the back of her thighs.

"Sandy?"

"Yes?" she murred softly as he brushed behind her knees

"I know I'm your master, but if you didn't want to do something, you would tell me right?"

Sandy looked behind herself to where Ronnie squat. She had never thought about it, she had served, but there were times she did go against him. "Yes Ronnie, I would tell you."

He smiled and finished brushing the back of her thigh fluffing the fur out. He gripped the base of her tail and began brushing it out. She twitched her hips a little as one of his fingers was against her tailhole. She loved the grip on her tail as it was brushed and the inadvertent touching of an intimate aria. She sighed when he let go of her tail. He pointed her to the bed as he undressed for bed.

She was still disappointed about one of the reasons Ronnie wanted Andy to stay. She wanted him, and he was distancing them even though they slept in the same bed. She had hoped that knowing her feelings, he would show his love for her. She thought he was just taking time to heal before she could have him. But tonight, she learned the truth.

She sat on the bed Indian style and sighed, her paws on her knees as her mind wandered over what she wanted, and what she got. Ronnie sat in front of her, his hand on her chest as he ran a smaller brush through her pelt, between her breasts and over her belly. She wished on hope that it was more than grooming.

Ronnie set the brush on the side table and pulled the covers down letting sandy and him crawl under. He curled up to her, his body pressed to hers. Familiar and welcome, but she wished for more than the subtle warmth of his bare body to her fur. He was touching her, but unobtainable. She hoped for a change, prayed for it. But hope was lost as was her wakefulness, and in her dreams she was fulfilled.

* * * *

Sandy opened her eyes as the first rays of the morning sun touched her. Her mind was wistful but full of what needed done. She made to get up but was held tight by Ronnie. He then pulled her on her back at he shifted over her, his knees outside her thighs his elbows rested against her ribs his hands between her shoulder blades, lifting her bosom up, her nipples barely touching his chest every time she inhaled. Her breath had quickened, she tried to stay calm but already she was at a slight pant. She tucked her chin down and looked up to him with her earthly brown eyes. Her whole body tremboloed, as he looked down on her, his face exploratory, gagging her with the look of a curious kitten. "Sandy?"

"Yes?" the quivering canine replied. She tried to play down somehow, this situation. It could not be the manifestation of what she dreamed of for months. But why else would he do this. But now all she could think of was how hard her heart was beating in her chest. It had to be audible, how could something so loud be unheard?

Her nipples hardened and throbbed with every beat of her exited heart, the tingling in her thighs did not lie about her hopes.

"Sandy, I know you are my dog. You have served me and taken care of me. But I want to know, honestly, if you love me as your master, or ...more?" Ronnie looked very concerned now as she flipped her ears back. "I just dolt want to, well, I dolt want to rape you. You're more than a brood bitch for the farm. I know I surprised you last night. I dint mean to hurt your feelings, and no one will do anything to you you don't want anymore." He leaned down and kissed her nosepad

Her whole body erupted in waves of internal heat, she felt like she wanted to stretch, her muscles screamed for movement burned her form within as her heart pounded like a drum in her head. She only had one thing in her mind, that if this was a dream, she needed to act and stop him form talking.

She shoved him over, he yipped as she flung the sheets down pinning his shoulders with her light form, and he looked honestly scared. His hands reached out and grabbed her shoulders, but her muzzle could still reach down and touch his face with long licks. She felt the tightness of his grip on her, the feel of everything was not the aethrial brush of a dream, and she was touching Ronnie, holding him under her.

She let her body weight be held by his arms as she lifted her paws from his shoulders to caress his face, her fingertips tracing over the rim of his ear.

Sandy began to tremble anew with excitement. Her tongue tip barely edged over her lower incisors as her breath came heavier. She rocked back straddling Ronnies' groin. She felt his firmness mount as she slid her velvety vulva over his shaft, slickening it with her own leaked fluids.

Ronnie lifted his hands to touch her hips, the black fur strained through his fingers as they caressed her sides. The collie murred when Ronnie shifted under her. She suddenly put her paws back on his shoulders as the head of his thick member teased the inner opening to her triangular mound. Her vulva stretched about his maleness, the heat his tip felt, as it lay poised at her entrance. Her tail teased his legs, the long tendrils near it's back played over his sac.

"Oh, God Freckles" Ronnie moaned as he was suddenly engulfed in the burning hot body of the Border collie. She was tighter then any woman he had been with, or could imagine, the heat and feel of her insides was nothing he could imagine, he gripped harder at her hips his eyes tight shut as he felt her hot vaginal muscles explore it's new invader.

Sandy heard her masters' call to her, the pleasure in his voice. She loved the way she could make him feel, sharing her excitement as her breath slowed but her body still trembled. She closed her mouth and her eyes her head canted to the left as she ever so subtly shifted her hips, the heavy flesh inside her grated against her inner walls. The throbbing in her chest began to pulse into her being again, she put her paws over her filled middle, then traced her own fingers up her white pelt to cradle her breasts as her nipples pulsed with the sound in her ears.

Ronnie could not believe how wet and hot his collie was. He sat up a bit his arms wrapped around the small of her back. Her fur was soft and smelled of her. Also was the scent of her arousal. A tangy sweet scent that enticed his senses. And he thrust up into her.

Sandy yipped and shot her head up her muzzle to the ceiling then leveled out straight her tongue lolling form the front of her mouth as her love thrust into her. She felt his arms relax from around her and caress over her ebony fur to the snowy pelt over her breasts. She moved her paws to let him touch them, the energy she felt under his gentle exploratory caresses made her body burn more. She stretched her arms over her head her fingers interlocked her back bowed to Ronnie as he tenderly massaged her breasts. She inhaled deeply and exhaled the same a whine emitting from her throat as her fingers unclasp each other and her arms went wide as if she were flying.

Ronnie felt the soft fur infer his fingers and palms, then he discovered hidden in the thick pelt a nipple. Stiff under his touch he played with his new discovery with his middle finger, his palm cupping, cradling her furry memory. She began to whimper as he discovered her other nipple. The whine was only cut off when she inhaled and grew in pitch as he thrust into her faster. The collie was howling her head pitched as far back as it could go her paws holding onto her halftone ears and behind her skull, her arms held her own head in her passion filled vocalization.

She yipped in wide eyes surprise as she was suddenly thrown to the mattress. She gripped the spread unsure when she felt Ronnie's cock pierce her again. She howled with the ferocity he mounted her. She wrapped her legs about his the feathery whips of long fur on the back of her thighs exiting him with the novel feel. Her arms wrapped about behind his neck holding him to her tight. The weight of his body over her, the thrusting between her tights.

She howled octaves higher and hit pitches where she sounded like a coyote. Ronnie had been fighting the buildup, the pressure to fill her with his seed. He lost the battle in a low moan and a sigh, his thrusting faster harder deeper as he lost his essence inside the collie.

The pulsing against her vulva and the hot pressure of his semen flooding her sent sandy over the edge. She soaked both their groins with her feminine canine fluid. Her jukes seeping out from around runniest knotless shaft and down over her ass and tail. Her rear became matted with her cum as runniest sodden skin spread it.

Sandy's breath shuddered as the fire in her loins was quenched. She held Ronnie inside her even though she could feel him softening already. But her passions were not forgotten as he kissed her deeply, his short tongue touching hers and lacewing over her canines and incisors. He rolled over with her; she now lay atop of him her fluids now seeping to cover more of his thighs. She wagged her tail softly as she broke the kiss and looked to her human love with her soft brown eyes. "I love you Ronnie. Thank you." She looked to him with that passion still in her eyes.

She really did love him, he could see it. She was so comfortable to be with. He slowly came to the realization that, who he has looked for as a mate, was already with him. Shepherdess to shepherds wife. He chuckled and pulled her down on him her muzzle nestled in the crook of his neck, the rumble of his voice in his throat was as welcome as the words he spoke to her.

"Honestly Freckles, I wasn't sure about this," he confessed. He felt her shift on his chest and continued quickly. " I think I should have realized your closeness to me earlier." He nuzzled her muzzle with his chin and felt her cuddle to him. "I love you Freckles." He felt like he should have something else to say, but he was tired, he just held the collie tighter and felt her do the same.

For reasons unknown, maybe the scent of fresh straw where it did not belong, Ronnie looked over toward the door where Andy stood. The collie had a grin on his face and a bulge in his sheath, the pink tip of his canine member showed brightly in his white belly fur. Sandy turned her head and blushed enough to be seen through the white bridge of her muzzle. She gave a finger wave to the orange collie.

"I see you two have decided to try expanding the farm without my help, ya sure you still need me?" The collie laughed softly.

Ronnie and sandy both leaned toward the collie and in usion asked, "you're staying?"

Andy lifted an eyebrow smiling. "After that," the collie joked his tail swaying "but seriously, I already let David know, I'm yours now." Politely excusing himself from the intiment moment, finally, he turned in the door. "And no matter what, I want you to know, them sheep ain't nothing but dirtily liars."

Ronnie and Sandy both got the referenced joke, and possible engagements of the collie male.

Ronnie kissed one of her velvety black ears causing her to look up, her muzzle against his jaw but her eyes to him.

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Ooh that was kind of long, lets see how it flew. Leave a note if you managed to survive the reading. Don't be shy, you know you wanna. Tell me what you liked, tell me what you didn't, tell me how to make my breasts bigger by two cup sizes,.. o no wait, that's my email. But with this story, tell me what you think of it please.