“See!” the man shouted, pointing his other meaty finger at Malachi now. “He’s vicious! He needs to be reported!”
“You’re right.” Chuck nodded seriously, widening her eyes. “Heisvicious. You know why?” She leaned in with a sly smile. “I’ll let you in on a secret. Malachi is trained to be vicious. His favorite treat is balls. But he’s not a fan of those filled with steroids. Those little shriveled sacks just don’t hold that juicy squish he’s so fond of.”
The man blinked in confusion, trying to understand her reference while Malachi wheezed with laughter. He counted down until the meathead got it.Three… two… one…
“Fuck you bitch!” he screamed, spit spraying from his lips as his face turned so red he might have been suffering a stroke. He took one stepforward, and before he could lift his other foot, Chuck closed the distance. Now the man stared at her in confusion as she shoved her badge in his face.
“Here’s my problem, Bobby. Or Larry. Or Daryl. Whatever your name is. I’m a police officer, and that dog right there? Malachi? He’s my partner. My K-9 partner. So, ask yourself, Jimbo. Do you know what the charges are for assaulting an officer? Human or canine? Because I’m happy to explain them both.” She arched an eyebrow and waited while the large muppet of a man slowly processed her words.
Fortunately for Timmy, or whatever his name was, he stepped back. “S-sorry,” he stuttered. “I didn’t know.”
Shaking her head, Chuck snorted in disgust. “Does it make a difference? When you didn’t know I could shoot your ass or set my K-9 on you, it was all fun and games. You were ready to pound on what you thought was a defenseless woman. Or intimidate me. Now that you know better, I bet it was all just a great joke, wasn’t it?” Nodding at his terrified expression, she huffed a wry laugh. “What I thought. So, here’s the deal. You’re going to turn around, walk away, and I won’t write this up. Or stick around, and I’ll show you just how tight I can get my cuffs. After Malachiretrievesyou, of course.”
Malachi lifted his lip and curled it slightly, a low warning rumble in his throat.
“My apologies for disturbing you, officer. Have a lovely evening.” Beefcake turned on his heel and marched away with what little dignity he had left. His dog hurried after him, tail still between his legs.
Malachi punched a little darkness towards him and was rewarded by watching the Doberman haul ass to the car, sprinkling pee the whole way.Poor Spike,Malachi laughed.
Bright bubbling laughter echoed his as Chuck plopped back on the grass and scratched Reena’s wiggling behind. “Alright, Malachi. What do you say we go see a witch?”
Witches be Trippin'
Watching the street signs pass in the late afternoon sun, Malachi grew even more uneasy. When Chuck said they were going to see a witch, he assumed she was kidding. Surely, she didn’t believe in that stuff. Then he recalled how easily she had accepted that he wasn’t just a normal dog without freaking out. He glanced over and studied her. She was calm, her aura a steady, even glow. She was humming along with the radio and tapping her fingers to the beat. Reena’s snores were muffled from the backseat where she was snuggled into a jacket.
During the altercation with the past his prime jock at the park, Chuck’s glow had been the steady purple of justice. She’d never wavered, and he was proud of her for that. But now he was worried about what her aura would look like once she learned the truth. If she actually knew a real witch, they might be able to detect his demonic heritage and out him.
“It’s okay, Malachi, Glenda is a good witch.” She snickered. “And no, it’s not Glenda from the movie. Her name really is Glenda, and she’s Wiccan. I figured she might be able to give us an idea of where we could start. She doesn’t put spells on people and certainly would never put a manin a dog’s body.” She glanced over and frowned, her glow streaking with blue, indicating sadness. “Don’t worry, Mal. I would never subject you to someone who means to harm you. I promise.”
Slightly reassured, he turned and licked her hand, releasing a soft woof. It didn’t mean anything in particular. He just wanted to acknowledge her words, but he didn’t want to let her in on his thoughts at the moment.
Pulling to the curb, Chuck put her car in park and glanced through the windshield, pointing at a row of townhomes. “That’s her, 242B.” She unbuckled her seat belt and smiled softly. “You ready?”
After his nervous nod, he waited for her to open his door and stood quietly on the sidewalk while she woke Reena. Meekly, he followed them both to the door, his steps dragging. As she rang the bell, he tucked his head into her hand, needing comfort. It was a strange sensation, seeking solace from another being. Demons usually only relied on themselves, and no one had ever indicated they would be willing to provide him with anything close to what Chuck offered, without question or quid pro quo.
The door opened almost immediately, and a shrill squeal rent the air with a high-pitched, “Kelly!” This was followed by a boisterous woman swirling out in a flurry of rainbow colors and laughter. The smell of earthy incense wafted around them as Chuck was enveloped in a cloud of scarves and riotous curls.
Stepping back after her enthusiastic embrace of Chuck, Glenda the good witch glanced down and squealed again. “Oh, this must be Reena! What a doll baby you are!” The short, curvy woman leaned down and swooped Reena up in her dark brown arms, hugging her tightly against her ample bosom, rubbing her rosy cheeks against the little dog’s fur.
Reena, for her part, welcomed the embrace and excitedly began licking Glenda’s face with her now trademark piggy snorts.
Happy laughter boomed again as the woman squeezed her close before transferring her into the cradle of her arms like a baby. Now her eyes turned to Malachi, where he was hiding behind Chuck. Her expression turned serious, and she frowned slightly as her eyebrows drew together. “Oh my stars. You poor dear. You must be Malachi! I can see why Kelly is so in love with you. What a handsome, strong fellow you are!”
Malachi’s ears perked up, and his tongue flopped out in surprise. He liked Glenda suddenly. She thought he was handsome and strong. That’s why he liked her. It had nothing to do with her saying Chuck loved him, of course. He knew that was just an expression humans used frequently and tossed it about without consequence. The warmth filling him was from the setting sun shining on his glossy black coat. And that rosy red color spreading fetchingly over Chuck’s neck as she hissed, “Glenda!” meant absolutely nothing.
“Well, let’s go inside. Time’s wasting!” Glenda declared and spun, her scarves fluttering behind her and her many bangle bracelets jangling while her hips swayed. Marching back into the bright space of her home, she snapped her fingers. “Come on! Let’s go!” she ordered Chuck and Malachi.
Brushing past Chuck quickly, Malachi followed Glenda inside, where he found her seated in a large, fluffy, oversized chair that looked like they could all fit comfortably in it. The room was stuffed floor to ceiling in white bookcases overflowing with books on everything from religion to alien smut. Grinning, Malachi studied that section with interest. He especially enjoyed books with women who wanted to make it with demons. Those were some thirsty bitches, and he was here for it. In addition to the books, every inch of space was filled with crystals, candles, and plants. He dropped his tail low, anxious about accidentally sweeping something over and angering the witch.
“Glenda,” Chuck called with a tired complaint. “Please don’t spoil her!” she begged.
Turning, Malachi noted Glenda was rubbing Reena’s belly while stuffing her with treats. His mouth watered as he caught the smell of bacon, and his stomach rumbled.
“Oh, there’s a man for you! Thinking with his tum-tum!” Glenda cheered in a sing-song tone. “Come on then, Malachi, there’s plenty for you too!” She held one out towards him.
Easing over, he gingerly took the treat from her outstretched hand and winked at her.
A large grin spread over her face. “Holy shit, Kelly! It’s true!”
