Cat fight over a non-alpha???

Mooney sat at “his” spot at Mocha Joe’s, the human-run coffee shop, and stared dumbfounded at the two females fighting like cats. As one was human and the other a coyote, this was very odd. And as a male wolf, he had no freaking clue what started it. Well, that wasn’t strictly true- he knew that Marissa putting a triple shot of chocolate syrup in Maggie’s “latte only and none of the monkey frou-frou stuff,” what ever frou-frou stuff was.

Everything had been humming along just fine before the town’s Gossip Girl walked in. He was sitting, as always, at his spot at the end of the counter sipping an excellent cup of espresso and reading the news paper. Marissa was serving a gaggle of teenage geese kids sugary drinks at a cluster of tables by the window. Every now and then, Marissa the sexy Goth barista- he had learned that really was what the monkeys called coffee waitresses- would have a lull in customers and they sit and chat.

His current preoccupation was figuring out who his back-biting former best brother had hired to write this week’s sports column. It was scat, no lively dialog at all. Whoever the author was, he’d even reported the results of the chess tournament. It wasn’t a sport! Marissa was really kind of cool for a human, not something Mooney was used to in a female of any species. She wasn’t into sports but she did like spelunking, which was out-doorsy enough for them to have some common topics to chat about. Now that spelunking- cave exploring- sounded like a good sport. Marissa had even promised to show him how to do it next spring.

Then the mangy, self-important coyote sashayed in and informed him- and everyone listening- that she had agreed to go out with him in exchange for getting tickets to that blue-blood pack function in a few days. He had looked at her and asked what the bleeding hell she was baying about. Maggie informed him his former best brother had offered her an invite to that coming out ball or what every it was for the Hancock clan’s youngest pup. And then Marissa, the normally cheerful and slightly sarcastic human got… weird.

“So you think Mooney should grace you with his arm for this event because?” she purred.

“I wasn’t talking to you, ape,” Maggie sneered. “So where were we. Oh, yes! Mooney, you will come with me now so I can get a look in your closet, make sure you own something appropriate for a high society function.”

“Um, no,” Mooney said dismissively.

“Well, that will save a trip,” Maggie pontificated, sounding she thought she was high society herself. Mooney and Marissa snorted at the same time, then traded mutual looks of ridicule. It was kind of nice having someone who understood his sense of humor, he realized suddenly as he dodged a flying cushion. He grinned as he watch the two shes fight. Maybe that’s why people called them “throw pillows?” He considered wading in and stopping the fight- Maggie really wasn’t hold her own against the physically weaker human.

Nearest he could tell, that shared sarcastic look had been what set Maggie off into a territorial huff. She made her demand for the non frou-frou drink. Maggie had made it with triple the chocolate than she normally would have. Then the fur, feathers and pillows started flying- those goose kids hadn’t moved out of the way fast enough. Then it hit him: were these two fighting over him?

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Sorry the post was so late. It has been one of those days and I simply forgot to hit the "publish" button.

Rebecca
RebeccaLGillan.com