The she-dog's drops of blood left a heavy metallic scent-trail through the forest as she ran.

She could hear North pursuing her as her legs pumped across the ground, eating up the distance as she burst from the trees and into blinding sunlight.

"Gypsy, you shouldn't go that way." This time, Ghost was giving her advice without appearing- as he'd done once or twice before. He spoke calmly into her ears; as the mother dog pictured his kind wrinkled eyes through the haze of hysteria.

"Leading North to where her pup was taken is the only thing I can do, Ghost," she growled as she heard the pawsteps falter behind her.

"No- that's not... North is having thoughts about your last pup, Gypsy. Finn. She- you know..." The grown man faltered uncertainly, as she put on the brakes and skidded through fallen debree.

The Pitbull crashed over a hard stone, banging her knees against its rough edges. Without faltering, she whipped around and leaped back over it; towards the clearing that the dogs called home.

"Then I'll get back before she does. Ace has him, anyways. Ace won't let her hurt him. And it looks like I have some questions to ask Bronx.." Her gut churned with apprehension. It could be something small, like a dumb trick he'd played on her. Or it could be something worse than I could ever imagine.

That feeling didn't subside as young Gypsy made her way back to the Pack.

~

Ace was playing tug-of-war with a stick he and Finn shared when Gypsy arrived, panting and out of breath. Sitting up erratically, he pricked his sharp black ears.

"What is it? Where's Copper and Lavender?" The male repeated his question from earlier, but Gypsy only shook her head. She watched as Ghost flickered into view partway between them, but the man's faint apparition in the slanted sunlight was just an afterthought.

"They... got stolen by the housefolk. But it was my fault." Her voice cracked as Ace stepped closer. The husky's eyes widened as he focused on her bloody wounds.

"Who did that?!" He yelped, looking angry for a moment and probably picturing Bronx. Then, the curly-tailed male dog took another step closer and bent his head around Gypsy's shoulders.

"No- wait!" She barked before he could lick her cheek and comfort her. "I have to go tell Bronx. But... North is coming and she may want to hurt Finn. Protect him." Her eyes desperately searched his striking blue irises as Ace's eyesbrows flicked up in disbelief.

"Ghost will explain if you just- Let me go real quick. Be right back!" Gypsy said over her shoulder and let her tongue fall back out, so she could breathe easier as she began running.

It was a short distance from the wide-spaced sunlit wash of forest that Ace liked to sit in. Bronx was huffing as he pulled out soiled bedding from his den, but his eyes flicked over to Gypsy as she slipped through the throng of bushes and ivy.

"Oh, great. You're here. Could you grab this half of the bedding while I get the rest? Your pups have stank it up to high heavens," the male retorted sarcastically with a role of his eyes.

Gypsy almost didn't know what to say. She didn't give a rats bottom about how much the bedding stank or because of whom. Besides, Bronx reeked the most, since he always came back home with twigs and dirt stuck in his fur and hardly groomed.

Her puppies had been clean, and with relatively short and smooth pelts. Aggravated, she stomped her way into the den and called loudly though the tunnel towards him.

"If you even noticed, I don't have the pups with me. That's because..." She drew in a shaky breath and lowered her tail. "Copper and Lavender were captured by the housefolk who feed us. It's almost like it was a trap, but I couldn't save them." She stopped halfway along the tunnel, dirt and shadow surrounding her as evening began to fall.

"Well... it's fine." Bronx said, and she thought she heard the swish of his fur as he shrugged. "We don't need any of those little buggers anyways. Of course its a shame North lost Lavender, but... We can just make more." He sounded genuinely apologetic as he recalled the yellow-and-white she-pup.

Bewildered, Gypsy whipped around and stared up the tunnel walls at Bronx's darkening figure in the entryway. The male was leaning down to pick up the moss once again, but dropped it at Gypsy's accusatory stony look.

Did he just disregard Copper but not Lavender?

"How can you say that? All of the pups were precious." Her chest filled with reckless accusations unspoken.

"And Bronx? How come, when I just talked to North... she told me that you've been hiding something." Gypsy held the roaring fires of a ticked-off girl-dog in her simmering glare, paws nearly shaking as the silence stretched on.

"North spreads rumors and false suspiciouns about me because she likes me," Bronx stated airily and turned his head away. His shadow blotted out the dying light as crickets began to sing from beyond.

"I'm sure she's just as jealous of you hanging out with me as I am of Ace hanging out with you." Suddenly, his gaze flicked back towards her and he began to advance down the tunnel. Gypsy's heart pounded with edgy fear, but Bronx simply slid his muzzle softly across hers. His plumey tail, full of burrs and twigs, wagged.

"I'm lost, Bronx." Gypsy said as she let her guard down. Her shoulders sagged with fatigue and stress as she half-crumpled into a heap, whispering.

"I'm so worried about our last pup, Finn. Something's going to happen to him, I can feel it. Ghost even said North would- I mean..."

The she-dog's eyes widened and she trailed off uncertainly. This isn't a time to talk about Ghost! But she searched Bronx's gaze anyways, leaning back. Waiting for a reaction.

"It's okay, and it will be fine." He said with a gentle rumbling tone. Resentfully, Gypsy pulled her face farther away from his.

"No it won't be! If North kills Finn... What- How do you not care?" She let a snarl creep into her voice as the den darkened into deep purple-browns.

Startled and a bit defensive, Bronx curled his paws into himself.

"I've never thought of you as a liar. In fact, I've never thought of any dog as a liar. Until... now." She held her breath on the last words, but was forced to let it out because Bronx still didn't answer.

His gaze was conflicted. His dark brown eyes glowed in the gloom of the underground den that they had shared for months. His black-rimmed ears, furry and brown and so similar to Copper's, were pinned back uncertainly.

"I just... I'm not lying-" Bronx began with a fake intake of emotional breath, but Gypsy shoved him away.

"Yes you are. Have you even noticed my wounds? You must have smelled my blood. You don't care. And you don't ask, because you know it was North's doing." Her hackles rose as she wrinkled her pink nose and lips at Bronx, showing her teeth. Rage boiled Gypsy's thoughts into a ferocious fiery spitting anger. I am not stupid! I am not gullible! I'll believe the lies no longer! A wolf of empowerment howled within her as she glowered up to the male.

Bronx rose to his full height in one fluid movement. The two steps he took towards Gypsy were rapid as his broad skull brushed the ceiling.

"You don't know who you're talking to, she-dog." Bronx looked down at her with a dark and threatening gaze. Gypsy had all but frozen, never expecting this demeanor from her mate. She sat in shushed panic as her nerves were flung off the radar.

What's wrong with him? Is he insane?

"Was this all a ruse? I'm not dumb, Bronx." She tried to muster some strength into her growl, but it fell flat in comparison to his.

"Oh. But I think you might be, if not just a little bit." His eyes flicked over her flank nocholontaly, but there was still interest there.

"Obelisk told me that owls don't live in trees this low-lying. He told me they live in tall, towering trees that they can nest up high in; and swoop through them to fly quicker and easier. These trees are too tightly packed." Her gaze fell upon the huge male as she took a step backwards, towards the wall.

"So what really happened to Star, Bronx?"

It took him a moment to reply, and he flipped his huge fluffy tail to the side from it's previous upright position. "I already told you, Obelisk lies for his delusions. Obelisk probably killed him, if not an owl." He looked confused, and Gypsy once again felt her panic melt away.

She gazed at him uncertainly and rose from her defensive crouch beside the wall. Then, as she padded towards Bronx for affection, he burst out laughing.

"I knew it!" He threw his head up and nearly bonked it against the dirt ceiling in his glee. "I knew you'd be so braindead as to believe it." Bronx's huge chest shook as he dug his claws into the dark floor and laughed heartily.

Her heart stung as if a million bees were stinging it over and over. The feeling didn't subside as Bronx turned his broad head back around to stare condescendingly.

"Want to know the truth, Gypsy? Something you and your friend were so very idiotic to have not realized by now." His tone was flat yet snarky as he gave a crooked smile.

_______
Bronx