The unwilling, p.6
The Unwilling, page 6
His mind raced as he went over the different routes he could take from the observatory. Discounting the ones in the back tunnels, he knew of at least three different ways to leave the Observatory Reserve. None guaranteed he wouldn’t be spotted, but each of them had several alternatives through more inhabited areas.
Any of those would make tailing him difficult, but not impossible.
He could travel in his hybrid form, but that would make him easier to see, not harder. After a minute, he came up with only one alternative, and he sighed.
“Well,” he said, “I could just leave in wolf form. I don’t think I’ve left a record of it anywhere.”
The man stared at him. “How close is your hybrid coloration?”
Oliver’s heart sank. “It’s pretty close.”
“The option’s still a good one, and probably the best you have. Florey tells me there are observers on each exit, and an ambush in the corridors you used to come in on.” He cocked his head. “Tell me, how do you feel about wearing a collar and leash?”
Oliver had backed up two paces, his lips rippling in a snarl before he’d had time to think about it.
The man laughed. “Yup. I feel the same way, but if it means getting off this rock without getting caught?”
He let the offer dangle.
Oliver sighed. “I think I could handle it.”
“Even with a cat holding the leash?”
And a lavender bow? said cat asked.
Oliver stuffed his hands into his pockets and scuffed the gravel at his feet. “I could try…”
The man smiled, and added, “And how do you feel about baths?”
If he was honest, Oliver didn’t mind baths. Of course, he preferred taking them in human form, and he preferred showers, but the feel of water sluicing over his skin didn’t bother him that much, so he agreed.
Several minutes later, he found himself in a small bathroom in the back of a storage area come office.
“Hurry up!” the girl ordered, her voice sharp with impatience. “Don’t make me come in there!”
Oliver blanched, shifting quickly to his animal form. He realized his mistake almost as soon as he’d completed the shift…the bathroom door was still closed.
Huffing out a sigh, he reached out a forepaw and rattled the door. When he didn’t hear any movement from beyond, he whined softly, and rattled the door again.
There was a moment’s silence, and then, “Really?”
The girl didn’t sound impressed. The door swung open and she glared down at him.
“You couldn’t think to open the door before you shifted?”
Oliver sat on the floor and gave her a tongue-lolling grin.
“Daaad! He’s as big a smart-arse as you are!”
The other wolf chuckled. “Pretty sure he’s nowhere near that bad,” he replied. “Just bring him out here.”
The girl stepped to one side, and patted her thigh. “Come on,” she ordered, and her face split into a grin. “It’s bathtime!”
Oliver was pretty sure she was enjoying this far too much, but he didn’t give her the satisfaction of reacting to it. He padded forward, looking to her for cues as he came out of the bathroom. She ruffled the fur on his head and curled her fingers in the luxurious fur at the scruff of his neck.
Oliver wagged his tail, and let her lead him into the storage and plant preparation room, stopping when he saw the huge tub standing in one corner. The girl’s fingers curled into a firm grip that included skin as well as fur, although how she expected to hold onto him if he did decide to bolt, Oliver didn’t understand.
Five small punctures made him yelp, her claws extending as he jerked away. Oliver froze.
Yeah…that would do it.
He waited until her claws retracted and then breathed a sigh of relief.
The damn child giggled.
Oliver laid his ears back and shot her a filthy look, but Tallie ignored him and led him closer to where her wolf ‘father’ was waiting.
“Tell me you didn’t draw blood,” he said, and then rolled his eyes, before assessing Oliver with a careful stare. “You’re an odd color for a wolf.”
Dust pack, Oliver thought, and was relieved when Tallie relayed it. The man’s brow straightened in understanding.
“Ah.” He turned to study the jars and bottles sitting on a shelf along one wall. “I’d suggest something in rust, then, although if you mixed a bit of that purple with it.”
Oliver groaned and hung his head. Whatever you think is gonna work…
He flopped down on the concrete floor and heaved another big sigh, his eyes switching between the girl and the man and the tub and then going to the shelf.
Tallie crouched down beside him and ruffled his fur. “Awww… What’s wrong, puppy? You scared of getting wet? Who’s a big baby, then?”
Oliver dropped his head to his paws and didn’t dignify that with an answer. He didn’t mind getting wet in the shower, but this was not a shower…and it was certainly not the sort of thing that came to mind when the word ‘bath’ was mentioned.
For one thing, who knew botanists kept such huge tubs in the back rooms of the reserves they were building…and who knew there were so many colors fur could be dyed? He heard Tallie get up and cross to the shelf, and ignored her.
“We just have to make sure you’re not allergic,” the girl told him, holding up several colored bottles. “What do you think?”
Oliver lifted his head, and moved to the edge of the tub. He watched as the child mixed three buckets of color and pour a combination into the water, and then let the man help him in. The whole process took less time than he thought it would—and a lot longer than he wanted to.
He wondered how Lewis was faring, and wished he’d thought to check in before agreeing to the craziness coloring his fur. He’d moved on to wondering if the color would affect his hair in human form, when Tallie signaled he should get out of the tub.
“Now, to add the finishing touches,” she declared, and the were in charge of the Reserve set down the bucket of semi-liquid earth he’d been working on over at the bench.
Oliver laid back his ears, and Tallie grabbed his muzzle and shook it.
“Don’t be a baby,” she growled, and went to work.
8—Illusion
An hour later, Oliver stood in front of the polished glass of a tank and wanted to curl up in a ball and hide his nose under his tail, for a week. He studied the purplish brown of his coat and the rusty splotches marring it, and then looked away.
Not even those familiar with his wolf form were going to recognize him—especially after Tallie had gotten done with matting his fur. The creature in the glass looked like he’d been hiding out in the waste disposal unit of something too unspaceworthy to fly.
A shudder rippled his fur, and he looked at the girl and her father. They looked back, studying the disguise for any flaws. When they saw him watching him, the girl’s father spoke.
“Now, you look like the worst-tempered mongrel anyone could have the misfortune to meet,” the wolf instructed, and Oliver gave him a wide-eyed look.
The guy sighed. “Look. If I wanted frightened puppy, I’d have brought a shrink ray, but since we don’t have one of those, I need savage mongrel, okay?”
Oliver laid his ears back and curled his lip. Tallie leaned in and looked him in the eye.
“If you can’t do better than that,” the child whispered sweetly, “I’m going to rinse all this out, dip you in fuchsia and make you smell like you got dunked in a perfumery.”
Whether it was the proximity of her face, the expression in her eyes, or what she was suggesting, Oliver couldn’t tell, but he gave a snarl that shook the walls and snapped at her face. She was faster than he’d seen in the corridor, pulling her face out of range and wrapping both hands around his muzzle to clamp his jaws shut.
“That’s my boy,” she cooed, and Oliver rumbled in reply.
He shook his head, trying to shake her loose, but claws spiked warningly around his nose, and he stilled. Her father shook his head.
“You know I’m going to have to muzzle you, now, don’t you?”
Oliver froze, the human part of his mind scrabbling for dominance over the dominant wolf. He knew it was for the best, but the wolf side of him? Apart from hating having its fur in a mess, it had a real problem with restraints.
Fortunately, he was facing another wolf, and one who’d obviously had practice in muzzling his own kind—and Oliver didn’t want to know where he’d found that skill necessary. The guy straddled Oliver’s back, and slid the muzzle over his head, as Tallie slid her hands clear.
The little minx didn’t nick a single hair, even though he felt her claws leaving indents in his skin.
Her father held onto the muzzle and Oliver wondered what was coming next. The royal purple collar with rhinestone studs and the lavender bow was almost too much.
“You know kids and their pets,” the man on his back intoned. “It doesn’t matter how ugly a dog is, once a kid’s set her heart on him…”
That’s only going to work if there’s a pound somewhere close by, Oliver thought, and even then only if…
He stopped mid-thought, catching sight of the leash, dropping to his belly with a shocked whimper. Tallie stopped mid turn.
“What?” It’s not that bad.”
You don’t have to wear it, Oliver thought, and she gave him a teasing smile.
“I don’t know what you’re worried about. It’s not like we’re gonna take photos and show them to your friends…”
She stopped and looked at her dad, and Oliver was grateful when the man hurried to reply.
“No, Tallie. We are not…” He paused and Oliver heard something slide over cloth, as though the guy were checking his mobile or his tablet or something. “We have to move. Can you let Joelene know we’re coming through?”
“Gotcha.” Tallie took the lead and collar with her, and the guy kept a firm pressure on Oliver’s ribs.
“She’s a brat,” he said, when the girl was out of earshot and patted Oliver’s neck, “but she’s got a good heart. I need you to come with me and not argue. Okay?”
Oliver flicked his ears and didn’t move when the guy unhooked his legs and stood beside him. It was all he could do not to go racing out the door and find the nearest loamy piece of soil and roll in it, but he managed. The man breathed a sigh of relief.
“My name’s Chitin. I don’t normally give an introduction, but with what we’re about to put you through, you deserve it. Besides, you can use it on any Odyssey operatives you come across and call me if you’re in trouble. I’m from the Edge Wolves.”
Oliver’s ears pricked. The Edge Wolves. He knew them—but only by reputation. Their remediation work on Earth was renowned… They were also renegades, the dreamers of half a dozen packs, who broke their pack affiliations to join together and make the Earth their sole concern. There were many threads that made them one.
“The Observatory was my part of that,” Chitin explained, “and Tallie, Odyssey and Florey helped make it happen.”
He led the way to the back of the storage shed. “I’m going to take you through to the back of Stray’s Haven. You know it?”
Oliver stiffened. There wasn’t a single person in Lunar One who didn’t know the local pound. Stray’s Haven had been built during the Separation, when werewolves had been discovered and imprisoned. Strays had been set up ostensibly for lost dogs, but it had been a conduit for wolves to be smuggled off the moon.
Once things had settled, it had gone back to being a haven for lost animals.
Oliver gave a growling ‘wuff’, but he kept his head down and his tail partly tucked to show he wasn’t happy. Chitin ruffled his fur, again.
“I know,” he said, “but we’ll get you out of here, okay? And we’ll make sure your partner makes it, too.”
It was the best news Oliver had heard all day, and he swished his tail once in acknowledgment. Chitin gave him a thoughtful look, and opened a panel in the back of the storage shed wall.
“Through you go,” he instructed, ushering Oliver into the gap.
Oliver trotted forward, sliding a glance up at him as he passed. If he’d been paying more attention, he wouldn’t have taken a single step, but by the time he registered the bars and concrete floor, Chitin had slid the wall closed between them, leaving him alone.
Oliver turned around and leapt for the space that had been behind him. He impacted with the wall, and dropped to all fours, letting his wolf instincts take over and trotting the length and breadth of the cell. He scented the floor, the bars, every inch of the crevice where the floor met the walls.
Pacing up and down his cell, he let his humanity sink into the wolf’s restlessness and wondered whether Chitin and the girl would really come. He would even welcome the purple monstrosities they wanted him to wear.
His fifth circuit was interrupted by a flurry of movement at the door, and a young woman’s fractious tones.
“It just can’t be any dog, dad. You know that!”
Tallie, Oliver thought, and his wolf curled its lip. If she thinks…
He listened as she progressed along the pens, finally bothering to put a location to the different dog scents around him. They were useful in tracking her progress down the aisle. Eager yaps interrupted his thoughts, as did Chitin’s encouraging tones.
“That one looks cute, sweetie.”
Sweetie, huh… That’s not what he’d call her… Oliver trotted along the bars and then circled to the center of the cell where he’d get a good look of the pair of them. He listened as they dithered their way closer, discussing every dog in between.
Ugh! Why are they taking so long…
“Because there are now three contracts on your head and that last sighting of you means every exit to the rear corridors and the Reserve is being watched,” Florey snapped in his head, “and because I need to map a path of lowest risk.”
“I need to get to Lewis,” Oliver replied, the human slipping into place over the wolf in the blink of an eye.
“No. You don’t,” Florey said, and panic rose.
“I can’t leave him!”
“Of course not, but you’re not going back to get him. Li got in touch and told me what your chances were of getting back to Doc’s without interception.”
Oliver sat. “Let me guess…”
“With the extra contracts out, your chances of getting five feet past any door leading to a public corridor are decidedly slim…except in the disguise you’re in, now.”
Oliver gave Florey credit. She wasn’t laughing. He stayed silent as she continued.
“I decided I could do without the compromise,” she said. “It’s a good thing some of Doc’s patients have people who care for them. A florist’s delivery goes uncommented.”
The anxiety left Oliver in a rush and he flopped down on the floor with a heavy sigh.
“How much extra do I owe you?”
“It’ll be on the bill, but you should be more concerned with Li. He says you owe him one more.”
Oliver pushed himself back onto his haunches. “He what?”
“You heard,” Florey replied, “and he may have a point, as much as I hate to admit it.”
While Oliver digested that news, she changed the subject. “The pick-up went without a hitch, by the way, and the patient will meet us at the warehouse.”
Oliver gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he began, but Tallie’s voice interrupted him before he could say anymore.
“That one, daddy!”
Oliver jerked his head toward her voice, and flattened his ears, letting out a loud rumble at the sight of the purple collar and lead. Growling at those monstrosities wasn’t hard, but looking like he was savage got harder at when he saw the expression on Chitin’s face.
The other were was doing the best impression of an appalled father Oliver had ever seen.
He scrambled to his feet, head down, lips curled back to show his teeth and feet braced, snarling like his life depended on it. It was enough to bring the kennel attendant running.
“Oh, no. Not that one, sweetheart. We have a muzzle on him for a reason.”
Oliver was impressed. The woman had never seen him before in her life…and she pretended she knew him well.
“In fact, I don’t know what we’re going to do with him,” she murmured. “Last spacer we offered him to, said he’d make a good meal once they got through fattening him up…and was angry we wouldn’t let them take him. Said we’d be lucky to move him at all.
She let out a soft sigh.
“I hate to admit it, but I think he might have had a point.”
Oliver turned in a small circle, scratched his feet like he’d just dropped dung and giving them the perfect wolf’s ass before stalking toward the back wall and dropping his nose to snuff along its base.
“I like him!” Tallie declared. “He’s… He’s…”
“Very rude,” the woman supplied, sounding mortified as Oliver sprayed the wall to mark it.
“No, he’s perfect!” the girl told her.
“Uh…sweetheart,” Chitin started, “can we talk about this?”
“No. You’d only try to change my mind,” Tallie argued. Her voice softened, “…and I love him, already…”
“You would,” her father grumbled, glaring at the wolf.
“You do?” the woman asked, and Oliver looked over in time to see Tallie nod, her young face earnest.
“Yes, I do. He’s perfect.”
“Your mother is going to have a fit,” Chitin told her, and Tallie wrapped her hand around his.
“But she said I could have any one I wanted.” The girl shifted her attention to Oliver, “and I want him.”
“But he’s dirty,” Chitin argued.
“He’s only just come in. We were hoping to get him to relax a bit before we tried to give him…” The woman lowered her voice, “a B. A. T. H.”
Oliver tilted his head, as though he didn’t understand her spelling. He flicked his ears forward as though their voices intrigued him, and then snapped them back again the minute they looked over.
Any of those would make tailing him difficult, but not impossible.
He could travel in his hybrid form, but that would make him easier to see, not harder. After a minute, he came up with only one alternative, and he sighed.
“Well,” he said, “I could just leave in wolf form. I don’t think I’ve left a record of it anywhere.”
The man stared at him. “How close is your hybrid coloration?”
Oliver’s heart sank. “It’s pretty close.”
“The option’s still a good one, and probably the best you have. Florey tells me there are observers on each exit, and an ambush in the corridors you used to come in on.” He cocked his head. “Tell me, how do you feel about wearing a collar and leash?”
Oliver had backed up two paces, his lips rippling in a snarl before he’d had time to think about it.
The man laughed. “Yup. I feel the same way, but if it means getting off this rock without getting caught?”
He let the offer dangle.
Oliver sighed. “I think I could handle it.”
“Even with a cat holding the leash?”
And a lavender bow? said cat asked.
Oliver stuffed his hands into his pockets and scuffed the gravel at his feet. “I could try…”
The man smiled, and added, “And how do you feel about baths?”
If he was honest, Oliver didn’t mind baths. Of course, he preferred taking them in human form, and he preferred showers, but the feel of water sluicing over his skin didn’t bother him that much, so he agreed.
Several minutes later, he found himself in a small bathroom in the back of a storage area come office.
“Hurry up!” the girl ordered, her voice sharp with impatience. “Don’t make me come in there!”
Oliver blanched, shifting quickly to his animal form. He realized his mistake almost as soon as he’d completed the shift…the bathroom door was still closed.
Huffing out a sigh, he reached out a forepaw and rattled the door. When he didn’t hear any movement from beyond, he whined softly, and rattled the door again.
There was a moment’s silence, and then, “Really?”
The girl didn’t sound impressed. The door swung open and she glared down at him.
“You couldn’t think to open the door before you shifted?”
Oliver sat on the floor and gave her a tongue-lolling grin.
“Daaad! He’s as big a smart-arse as you are!”
The other wolf chuckled. “Pretty sure he’s nowhere near that bad,” he replied. “Just bring him out here.”
The girl stepped to one side, and patted her thigh. “Come on,” she ordered, and her face split into a grin. “It’s bathtime!”
Oliver was pretty sure she was enjoying this far too much, but he didn’t give her the satisfaction of reacting to it. He padded forward, looking to her for cues as he came out of the bathroom. She ruffled the fur on his head and curled her fingers in the luxurious fur at the scruff of his neck.
Oliver wagged his tail, and let her lead him into the storage and plant preparation room, stopping when he saw the huge tub standing in one corner. The girl’s fingers curled into a firm grip that included skin as well as fur, although how she expected to hold onto him if he did decide to bolt, Oliver didn’t understand.
Five small punctures made him yelp, her claws extending as he jerked away. Oliver froze.
Yeah…that would do it.
He waited until her claws retracted and then breathed a sigh of relief.
The damn child giggled.
Oliver laid his ears back and shot her a filthy look, but Tallie ignored him and led him closer to where her wolf ‘father’ was waiting.
“Tell me you didn’t draw blood,” he said, and then rolled his eyes, before assessing Oliver with a careful stare. “You’re an odd color for a wolf.”
Dust pack, Oliver thought, and was relieved when Tallie relayed it. The man’s brow straightened in understanding.
“Ah.” He turned to study the jars and bottles sitting on a shelf along one wall. “I’d suggest something in rust, then, although if you mixed a bit of that purple with it.”
Oliver groaned and hung his head. Whatever you think is gonna work…
He flopped down on the concrete floor and heaved another big sigh, his eyes switching between the girl and the man and the tub and then going to the shelf.
Tallie crouched down beside him and ruffled his fur. “Awww… What’s wrong, puppy? You scared of getting wet? Who’s a big baby, then?”
Oliver dropped his head to his paws and didn’t dignify that with an answer. He didn’t mind getting wet in the shower, but this was not a shower…and it was certainly not the sort of thing that came to mind when the word ‘bath’ was mentioned.
For one thing, who knew botanists kept such huge tubs in the back rooms of the reserves they were building…and who knew there were so many colors fur could be dyed? He heard Tallie get up and cross to the shelf, and ignored her.
“We just have to make sure you’re not allergic,” the girl told him, holding up several colored bottles. “What do you think?”
Oliver lifted his head, and moved to the edge of the tub. He watched as the child mixed three buckets of color and pour a combination into the water, and then let the man help him in. The whole process took less time than he thought it would—and a lot longer than he wanted to.
He wondered how Lewis was faring, and wished he’d thought to check in before agreeing to the craziness coloring his fur. He’d moved on to wondering if the color would affect his hair in human form, when Tallie signaled he should get out of the tub.
“Now, to add the finishing touches,” she declared, and the were in charge of the Reserve set down the bucket of semi-liquid earth he’d been working on over at the bench.
Oliver laid back his ears, and Tallie grabbed his muzzle and shook it.
“Don’t be a baby,” she growled, and went to work.
8—Illusion
An hour later, Oliver stood in front of the polished glass of a tank and wanted to curl up in a ball and hide his nose under his tail, for a week. He studied the purplish brown of his coat and the rusty splotches marring it, and then looked away.
Not even those familiar with his wolf form were going to recognize him—especially after Tallie had gotten done with matting his fur. The creature in the glass looked like he’d been hiding out in the waste disposal unit of something too unspaceworthy to fly.
A shudder rippled his fur, and he looked at the girl and her father. They looked back, studying the disguise for any flaws. When they saw him watching him, the girl’s father spoke.
“Now, you look like the worst-tempered mongrel anyone could have the misfortune to meet,” the wolf instructed, and Oliver gave him a wide-eyed look.
The guy sighed. “Look. If I wanted frightened puppy, I’d have brought a shrink ray, but since we don’t have one of those, I need savage mongrel, okay?”
Oliver laid his ears back and curled his lip. Tallie leaned in and looked him in the eye.
“If you can’t do better than that,” the child whispered sweetly, “I’m going to rinse all this out, dip you in fuchsia and make you smell like you got dunked in a perfumery.”
Whether it was the proximity of her face, the expression in her eyes, or what she was suggesting, Oliver couldn’t tell, but he gave a snarl that shook the walls and snapped at her face. She was faster than he’d seen in the corridor, pulling her face out of range and wrapping both hands around his muzzle to clamp his jaws shut.
“That’s my boy,” she cooed, and Oliver rumbled in reply.
He shook his head, trying to shake her loose, but claws spiked warningly around his nose, and he stilled. Her father shook his head.
“You know I’m going to have to muzzle you, now, don’t you?”
Oliver froze, the human part of his mind scrabbling for dominance over the dominant wolf. He knew it was for the best, but the wolf side of him? Apart from hating having its fur in a mess, it had a real problem with restraints.
Fortunately, he was facing another wolf, and one who’d obviously had practice in muzzling his own kind—and Oliver didn’t want to know where he’d found that skill necessary. The guy straddled Oliver’s back, and slid the muzzle over his head, as Tallie slid her hands clear.
The little minx didn’t nick a single hair, even though he felt her claws leaving indents in his skin.
Her father held onto the muzzle and Oliver wondered what was coming next. The royal purple collar with rhinestone studs and the lavender bow was almost too much.
“You know kids and their pets,” the man on his back intoned. “It doesn’t matter how ugly a dog is, once a kid’s set her heart on him…”
That’s only going to work if there’s a pound somewhere close by, Oliver thought, and even then only if…
He stopped mid-thought, catching sight of the leash, dropping to his belly with a shocked whimper. Tallie stopped mid turn.
“What?” It’s not that bad.”
You don’t have to wear it, Oliver thought, and she gave him a teasing smile.
“I don’t know what you’re worried about. It’s not like we’re gonna take photos and show them to your friends…”
She stopped and looked at her dad, and Oliver was grateful when the man hurried to reply.
“No, Tallie. We are not…” He paused and Oliver heard something slide over cloth, as though the guy were checking his mobile or his tablet or something. “We have to move. Can you let Joelene know we’re coming through?”
“Gotcha.” Tallie took the lead and collar with her, and the guy kept a firm pressure on Oliver’s ribs.
“She’s a brat,” he said, when the girl was out of earshot and patted Oliver’s neck, “but she’s got a good heart. I need you to come with me and not argue. Okay?”
Oliver flicked his ears and didn’t move when the guy unhooked his legs and stood beside him. It was all he could do not to go racing out the door and find the nearest loamy piece of soil and roll in it, but he managed. The man breathed a sigh of relief.
“My name’s Chitin. I don’t normally give an introduction, but with what we’re about to put you through, you deserve it. Besides, you can use it on any Odyssey operatives you come across and call me if you’re in trouble. I’m from the Edge Wolves.”
Oliver’s ears pricked. The Edge Wolves. He knew them—but only by reputation. Their remediation work on Earth was renowned… They were also renegades, the dreamers of half a dozen packs, who broke their pack affiliations to join together and make the Earth their sole concern. There were many threads that made them one.
“The Observatory was my part of that,” Chitin explained, “and Tallie, Odyssey and Florey helped make it happen.”
He led the way to the back of the storage shed. “I’m going to take you through to the back of Stray’s Haven. You know it?”
Oliver stiffened. There wasn’t a single person in Lunar One who didn’t know the local pound. Stray’s Haven had been built during the Separation, when werewolves had been discovered and imprisoned. Strays had been set up ostensibly for lost dogs, but it had been a conduit for wolves to be smuggled off the moon.
Once things had settled, it had gone back to being a haven for lost animals.
Oliver gave a growling ‘wuff’, but he kept his head down and his tail partly tucked to show he wasn’t happy. Chitin ruffled his fur, again.
“I know,” he said, “but we’ll get you out of here, okay? And we’ll make sure your partner makes it, too.”
It was the best news Oliver had heard all day, and he swished his tail once in acknowledgment. Chitin gave him a thoughtful look, and opened a panel in the back of the storage shed wall.
“Through you go,” he instructed, ushering Oliver into the gap.
Oliver trotted forward, sliding a glance up at him as he passed. If he’d been paying more attention, he wouldn’t have taken a single step, but by the time he registered the bars and concrete floor, Chitin had slid the wall closed between them, leaving him alone.
Oliver turned around and leapt for the space that had been behind him. He impacted with the wall, and dropped to all fours, letting his wolf instincts take over and trotting the length and breadth of the cell. He scented the floor, the bars, every inch of the crevice where the floor met the walls.
Pacing up and down his cell, he let his humanity sink into the wolf’s restlessness and wondered whether Chitin and the girl would really come. He would even welcome the purple monstrosities they wanted him to wear.
His fifth circuit was interrupted by a flurry of movement at the door, and a young woman’s fractious tones.
“It just can’t be any dog, dad. You know that!”
Tallie, Oliver thought, and his wolf curled its lip. If she thinks…
He listened as she progressed along the pens, finally bothering to put a location to the different dog scents around him. They were useful in tracking her progress down the aisle. Eager yaps interrupted his thoughts, as did Chitin’s encouraging tones.
“That one looks cute, sweetie.”
Sweetie, huh… That’s not what he’d call her… Oliver trotted along the bars and then circled to the center of the cell where he’d get a good look of the pair of them. He listened as they dithered their way closer, discussing every dog in between.
Ugh! Why are they taking so long…
“Because there are now three contracts on your head and that last sighting of you means every exit to the rear corridors and the Reserve is being watched,” Florey snapped in his head, “and because I need to map a path of lowest risk.”
“I need to get to Lewis,” Oliver replied, the human slipping into place over the wolf in the blink of an eye.
“No. You don’t,” Florey said, and panic rose.
“I can’t leave him!”
“Of course not, but you’re not going back to get him. Li got in touch and told me what your chances were of getting back to Doc’s without interception.”
Oliver sat. “Let me guess…”
“With the extra contracts out, your chances of getting five feet past any door leading to a public corridor are decidedly slim…except in the disguise you’re in, now.”
Oliver gave Florey credit. She wasn’t laughing. He stayed silent as she continued.
“I decided I could do without the compromise,” she said. “It’s a good thing some of Doc’s patients have people who care for them. A florist’s delivery goes uncommented.”
The anxiety left Oliver in a rush and he flopped down on the floor with a heavy sigh.
“How much extra do I owe you?”
“It’ll be on the bill, but you should be more concerned with Li. He says you owe him one more.”
Oliver pushed himself back onto his haunches. “He what?”
“You heard,” Florey replied, “and he may have a point, as much as I hate to admit it.”
While Oliver digested that news, she changed the subject. “The pick-up went without a hitch, by the way, and the patient will meet us at the warehouse.”
Oliver gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he began, but Tallie’s voice interrupted him before he could say anymore.
“That one, daddy!”
Oliver jerked his head toward her voice, and flattened his ears, letting out a loud rumble at the sight of the purple collar and lead. Growling at those monstrosities wasn’t hard, but looking like he was savage got harder at when he saw the expression on Chitin’s face.
The other were was doing the best impression of an appalled father Oliver had ever seen.
He scrambled to his feet, head down, lips curled back to show his teeth and feet braced, snarling like his life depended on it. It was enough to bring the kennel attendant running.
“Oh, no. Not that one, sweetheart. We have a muzzle on him for a reason.”
Oliver was impressed. The woman had never seen him before in her life…and she pretended she knew him well.
“In fact, I don’t know what we’re going to do with him,” she murmured. “Last spacer we offered him to, said he’d make a good meal once they got through fattening him up…and was angry we wouldn’t let them take him. Said we’d be lucky to move him at all.
She let out a soft sigh.
“I hate to admit it, but I think he might have had a point.”
Oliver turned in a small circle, scratched his feet like he’d just dropped dung and giving them the perfect wolf’s ass before stalking toward the back wall and dropping his nose to snuff along its base.
“I like him!” Tallie declared. “He’s… He’s…”
“Very rude,” the woman supplied, sounding mortified as Oliver sprayed the wall to mark it.
“No, he’s perfect!” the girl told her.
“Uh…sweetheart,” Chitin started, “can we talk about this?”
“No. You’d only try to change my mind,” Tallie argued. Her voice softened, “…and I love him, already…”
“You would,” her father grumbled, glaring at the wolf.
“You do?” the woman asked, and Oliver looked over in time to see Tallie nod, her young face earnest.
“Yes, I do. He’s perfect.”
“Your mother is going to have a fit,” Chitin told her, and Tallie wrapped her hand around his.
“But she said I could have any one I wanted.” The girl shifted her attention to Oliver, “and I want him.”
“But he’s dirty,” Chitin argued.
“He’s only just come in. We were hoping to get him to relax a bit before we tried to give him…” The woman lowered her voice, “a B. A. T. H.”
Oliver tilted his head, as though he didn’t understand her spelling. He flicked his ears forward as though their voices intrigued him, and then snapped them back again the minute they looked over.
