Vagary (noun): an unexpected change in a situation or in someone's behavior

The most violent dog in the pound.

Bit a whole chunk of flesh off his old owner’s hands.

Feral… nothing can control him.

She was starting to see why those people made the comments they did.

A bud of hope had begun growing in her heart as soon as she’d heard the news of an untamable dog. As the unofficial mother of all the puppies in her neighborhood, the girl was determined to prove them wrong, and the horde of furballs crowding her porch every evening said enough about her skill.

Yet, it seemed that she would soon eat her words.

Nothing worked. She’d fed him every brand of dog food in the grocery story, told him countless compliments about his golden-black coat, tried all sorts of playtime from playing catch to taking a stroll in the park.

Icy black eyes stared back at her, every time. Void of emotion and life.

Always had his ears pointed to the sky, tail silent with attentiveness. Not once has he eaten while she was around, and would only approach his bowls if he was sure that the girl had left the room.

Until the thieves showed up.

The poor girl was cleaning out her various dog beds when they suddenly swept into her home like phantom winds, closing in on her lonely figure.

That was when the dog attacked. Brilliantly ramming into the intruders with powerful muscled legs, the antiheroic animal stopped at nothing to save his new owner. He’d sent them scrambling with their tails between their legs within seconds.

Then looked at her with the same, icy black eyes.