Dog Season (Discontinued)

Part I: Chapter Four

     Charity left the rabbits by the cave's entrance and rushed to Axle's rescue, but the lab's large eyes stopped her.
     "Don't come any closer!" She managed to gasp while getting tackled by the huge male wolf. The creature glanced at Charity, but continued to swat Axle with paws the size of boulders. "He's not normal!" The windhound realized she was right. Foam flowed from the creature's jaws and his bloodshot eyes bulged with madness. A normal wolf would've left knowing he was outnumbered but this one seemed to be quite aggressive.
He has a disease! I've heard about it before!
     The huge wolf smacked Axle with giant paw that sent the lab flying into the stonewall of his lair.
     He turned and his eyes stabbed into Charity's. With a grunt, the animal began to stumble towards her while growling deep in his throat. The wolf's jaws spread apart and he frothed at the mouth. Fear closed Charity's throat and she began to back away, her fur spiking with alarm.
It's rabies! He has rabies!
     The young dog, lowered her head and growled savagely, preparing herself for a deadly fight. The wolf charged, jaws wide open and foam flying out of the sides of his mouth.
     Out of nowhere, Axle flew on top of the mad animal with an outraged bay, and grabbed a mouthful of loose skin on the back of his neck. The wolf yowled and rolled over, crushing the old lab. He crawled on top of her and sunk his diseased fangs into Axle's shoulder.
     "Nooooooo!" Charity howled. Without thinking, she dove onto the wolf's back and stabbed her razor sharp teeth into his throat. The mad wolf ripped his fangs out of the lab and yowled in pain and shock. He started to buck like a horse off of Axle, swaying his body from side to side and up and down, trying to get rid of the windhound on his back.
     Charity hung on for dear life, scraping her claws into his hide and digging her canines deeper into the wolf's neck. She could feel his strength pooling out of him, just like his blood. The creature collapsed onto the stone ground. The impact crushed the silk hound's right legs and she yowled. Charity slipped her legs out from under the rabid wolf and carefully stood onto her all four legs, staring down at the suffering animal.
     The wolf struggled to breathe with a hole in his windpipe that flowed with scarlet blood. After a few moments, the gray wolf gasped his final breath, then laid still.
I have ended your suffering. May you find your way to a new eternal life, Wolf.
     A groan sounded behind Charity and she limped to Axle's side.
     "Axle, why didn't you just run?" The young female whimpered and tried to clean the elderly dog's wounds, but the older dog rolled onto her bitten shoulder.
     "I don't want you to catch the disease." Axle rasped then said "And I couldn't leave, 'cause the dirty mutt cornered me."
     Charity growled deep in her throat and stomped a paw on the ground angrily. "Oh, Axle this is all my fault! If I wouldn't have found this stupid cave-"
     "Don't beat yourself up, Chari. It's not your fault. I should've been more alert." Axle ungracefully got onto her paws and shook her black pelt. The lab didn't make eye contact when she mumbled, "I think you should leave."
     Shock stabbed Charity's heart. "No I-I can't! I won't! I'm not gonna just leave you alone to die!"
     A snarl rose in the old waterdog's throat and her eyes beamed in the younger dog's. "Wake up, Charity! I'm gonna die soon, anyway! I'm old, useless, I can't hunt! And now I have a disease! Why wouldn't I want to die?!" Axle's voice softened and lowered her head. "I'm infected with rabies: the disease with no cure. I won't be able to control my actions when I change like that guy." She gestured with her head to the dead wolf who laid in a puddle of blood. Axle raised her head and looked at Charity with serious brown eyes. "I don't wanna hurt you..." The elderly lab wrapped her neck around the younger dog's then pulled away. "Please...just go."
     Charity felt like her heart just got torn apart by a pack of vicious wolves, but she knew she had to leave Axle behind, before she changed and wouldn't be able to control herself.
     "What will you do when you change?" Charity mouthed.
     "I'll try to kill myself before that happens." Axle said determinedly.
     The sighthound dropped her head. "A-Alright. I'll leave." The young windhound trotted out of the cave.
She stared down at the rabbits that reminded of her hunger, and licked her chops.
No, these are for Axle.
     Charity shook her head, grabbed the six rabbits and returned to the old dog who waited for her. "Here, take these."
     Axle's eyes widened, shook her head and made eye contact with Charity. "I can't take these! You're skinnier than I am. You haven't eaten a bite since you and Forest were at the shelter."
     Charity flinched at the sound of her mate's name and sighed, "Fine." She stepped forward and grabbed the two smallest rabbit in her jaws. "There. The rest are yours."
     "No, you should take half. You have a long life ahead of you-"
     "Shut up and take the rabbits!" The Silken Windhound growled impatiently then gently added, "I want you to have a healthy last supper."
     "Charity, you realize that I'm not dying as we speak, right?"
     "Yes."
     Axle sighed, knowing that she was defeated. "Alright, you win." The waterdog ambled forth and gathered the four rabbits with her nose towards her chest. "That's very thoughtful of you, Charity."
     The younger dog smiled. "Anything for a friend." She stepped up and wrapped her neck around the lab's. "Bye." Charity grabbed her rabbit with dainty jaws and began to limp out of the cave.
     "Charity!" Axle's bark stopped her in her tracks. "You're like the daughter I never had! Good luck!
     The Windhound dropped her single rabbit and turned to the old dog who stood by the mouth of the cave. "Thank you, Axle! Good luck to you, too!" With that, Charity resumed her journey, galloping, without the ancient Labrador by her side.