"Five o'clock, time to turn in for the day!" said a wavy haired brunette in a white button up shirt, black skirt and an apron. Her green hazel eyes watching as the last customer left the coffee shop. "Hey, Rienne, see ya tomorrow!" a brown eyed blonde haired girl stated as she was hanging her apron on the coat rack and heading out the front door. "Yeah, see ya Lisa." said the brunette as she walked around the counter, hung her apron up on the coat rack, walked out and locked the door behind her.
As she walked towards her car, she noticed a big gray and red mass laying next to the building up ahead. Thinking it was a carpet someone threw out she continued walking until she noticed that the mass was moving. Stopping but not getting to close, she saw that it was actually a really large dog covered in blood and the only movement it made was the rise and fall of its chest. Looking behind her and noticing an empty parking spot, she ran to her car, cranked it up, and quickly claimed the spot before someone else could. Hurrying to the back right door, opening it, then hurried back to the dog. Looking at it, she knew she couldn't carry it herself. Glancing around, she spotted an old buggy with one of the sides rusted to the point it was nearly inexistent. Pushing it over to the dog, she lifted it's chest and placed it gently, while holding it in place with her shoe on the cart, slowly scooting it up until almost all of its body was on the buggy.
"Phew, if it wasn't for my gym membership….." she said wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.
Grabbing the front of the cart she pulled it to the edge of the sidewalk and picked up the dog to the best of her ability. Once making sure that the dog was completely on her back seat, she shut the door, walked around to the front of her car, climbed in the driver seat, shut the door and buckled her seatbelt. Before pulling out onto the road she quickly smelled something rank.
Sighing and looking in the back seat waving her hand in front of her nose before looking for oncoming cars, pulling out and driving off she said "Oh, why do I have to have a bleeding heart for animals?!."
After a half hour drive, she finally arrived at her apartment on the edge of town. Shutting off her car and unbuckling her seatbelt she climbed out and trotted to her apartment door. After fumbling with her keys she finally found the right one she got the door opened. Turning back, she quickly walked back to her car. Opening the back door she threw the dog across her shoulders to the best of her ability she struggled to walk inside, almost dropping it while making over to the couch where she laid it, collapsing from exhaustion on the available cushion.
Finally being able to get a good look at the dog, she noticed that it had long powerful legs, a long muzzle, and paws that were as long as her hands. To long for a dog, in fact. Taking a couple of courses in zoology, which her family thought was a waste since there weren't any places hiring for that position nearby, she realized this "dog" wasn't a dog at all. With a gasp she whispered, "There really are some left…"
A loud ringing made her snap out of her stunned silence. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she flipped it open and held it up to her ear still keeping her gaze on the wolf.
"Hello?"
"Hey babe, what's up?"
"Uh, nothing really, I just, well, I…." she muttered but thought then that he'd think she was crazy for: A. Having a wild but supposedly extinct animal in her home. B. That she would just pick up a strange animal. Or C: All of the above.
"You what?"
"Oh, I got a new dog!" she said nervously after a few seconds of silence. He'll flip if I tell him!
"You got a dog? Why? They're a lot of work and they're expensive!"
"Excuses, excuses. Why are you so against it? It's not like you have to take care of it! Plus you'll only see it when you come over. Which hasn't been in awhile. What say you come over tomorrow?"
"Can't. I'm busy."
"Doing what? You said that the last time I asked. Is something going on?"
"I got family over and it'd be rude to just leave them here by themselves."
"Oh, well maybe I can come over there?"
"Well, I just want to be with my family while they're in town. Maybe when they go back home, we can do something?"
"Yeah, like we could go see a movie or something."
"Sounds great. Talk to you later." with a note of happiness in his voice he hung up.
Setting the phone down, her gaze returned to the wolf. After a quick glance she quickly got up and went to her kitchen. Grabbing a large ceramic bowl out of a ivory painted cabinet she went to the sink and filling it with warm water. Setting it down on the oak table across from the sink, she grabbed a washcloth, threw it over her shoulder, picked up the bowl, then walked back to the wolf. Leaning down in front of it she gently washed the blood off it's grey fur. Moving to its chest, she removed the crimson stains and felt her breath catch in her throat. A large slanted X shaped scar lay in the center of its chest.
Gently running her fingers over the pale raised flesh, she fought back a gasp. Wondering what had happened in the past to give it such a scar she finished cleaning and wrapping the wolf's wounds. Looking at the clock hanging above the electric heater and realizing it was a quarter past six she went to her room changed into her pajamas, she decided to call it a night.
Opening his golden eyes, he saw a mahogany floral rug atop a beige carpet in the middle of a room with a brown leather couch against a set of windows nearly hidden by crimson curtains. With a grunt he raised his head, he took in the rest of the room. An oak bookshelf nearly filled to the brim with books, pictures and knick knacks sat against a wall with a recliner slightly angled towards it. Beside him sat an off white electric heater and a round clock with roman numerals hung a foot above it. Hearing pacing coming from the next room, he turned his head to the sound of a woman's voice and listened intently.
"I don't know I haven't talked to him since last week." more pacing followed by the sound of a wooden chair being pulled out and being sat in. "No, I don't know. I know! I'm going to call him over and confront him about it. This is so ridiculous! Oh, I have to go to the store before it closes, I'll call you later. Alright bye sis!"
Please don't tell me some chick made me her pet!
The sound of the chair being pushed and footsteps heading towards him made him bringt his attention to the woman heading towards him. As she walked into the room and paused to scratch something off her figure fitting black mid-length sleeved sweater with three open buttons that appeared to be just for looks. Looking up from her shirt, she glanced at him and smiled.
"Hey, you're up! Let me get you some water before I leave." she stated, her hazel green eyes shining with happiness and relief.
Watching her walk back into the room she just came from, he glanced at his body. A bandage on his front right leg and one covering his stomach.
Huh, she must have done this. Human females….. he thought with an annoyed grunt for their gushy sympathy. My wounds would have healed on their own. The bandages were a complete waste. With a sigh he laid his head back down.
The woman returned with a large red bowl filled with water, she placed it gently in front of his face. "I'll be back in a few." she said grabbing a black leather jacket and a set of keys and headed out the door.
With a click she locked the door. The sound of a car starting and driving off held his attention. With a grunt her raised himself and stretched his sore body. In his human form he walked around the small apartment until he found the bathroom. Shutting the door, he quickly cut through the bandages with his claws. Looking at his new scars that was now barely visible on his tanned skin, he opened the door and walked into the kitchen. Looking around, he took in the brown, beige, and red striped curtain drawn shut over the small window over the round ceramic sink. An island with a black marbled top and wooden ivory painted bottom surrounded by matching wooden barstools served as a table. Behind that, a china cabinet with ceramic cups and plates designed with elegant roses and gold ribbons. To the left was a washer and dryer with two wicker clothes baskets in front.
He walked back towards the living room. Taking a last glance, he walked towards the door. "Damn it." he muttered, his hand hesitating near the handle. I can't leave when she'll be back any moment. Maybe I'll get her to let me out, then I'll be gone. Plopping down on the couch, crossing his legs at the ankles, placing one arm behind his head, he reached for the TV remote and a show about some guys making a guitar shaped cake was already on. I'll just watch this until she returns. The guys had just delivered the cake to some guys 80th birthday. Just as the old guy was taking a picture with a cardboard cut-out of the head chef, who couldn't be there because his wife was at some charity party in her honor, the beeping sound of a car locking captured his attention. Quickly turning off the TV and placing the remote where he found it, he changed to his wolf form just in time to see the door open.
Walking up towards the house she could have swore she heard the TV on, even though she knew she didn't leave it on. Brushing it off, she put her key in the lock and pushed the door as soon as the tumbler clicked. Walking in, she noticed the TV was off just as she knew she had left it. Looking at the empty spot where the wolf had been, she glanced around and noticed him lying on the couch, belly up and head propped on the cushions.
Hmm, must have chewed the bandages off.
"You want me to get you a beer, before you start watching the game?" she joked after seeing the humorous and so typical male, well human male, position on the sofa.
After the wolf cocked his head in a confused manner, she walked in the kitchen, pulled some thawing hamburger meat out of the fridge and started to make dinner. Making burgers for her self and just cooking the meat for him. She was halfway through her burger when she glanced at the wolf eating the meat from a large blue bowl. Noticing her staring at him he perked his ears up and raised his head. "I can't keep calling you him and I can't just call you wolf. So…." she said narrowing her eyes as she thought of what would be perfect to call him.
Oh, hell. She's gonna name me now! What? Bruiser?
Her gaze still focused on him, she said "Silver"
He lifted his head up more and perked his ears back up. Well that's better than Bruiser. It's tolerable. Lowering his head, he went back to eating. When he was through she picked his bowl up and put it and her plate in the sink. As she washed the dishes, he went to the front door and scratched at it. The water stopped running and she came into the living room. He glanced at her, not moving away from the door. She made a slight frown, not making a move. "Well, I don't believe in keeping a wild animal caged, but…." she paused, contemplating what she wanted to do. "Well, you made it this far in the city, so you must have somewhere safe to go." she said a worried look on her face. She walked to the front door and opened the door and stood back, that look still on her face. He ran as fast as he could out the door and down a back alleyway.
Finally getting to the abandoned business building he made his home, he walked in his human form to the room he slept in, opened the door and crashed down on a old twin spring mattress held up by an equally aged wooden bed frame. Turning on his side he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Watching Silver run out the door, she let out a deep sigh. She walked back in, shut and locked the door. The hands on the clock pointed at XII. "Well, better hit the hay or I'll be late for work." Walking down the hallway, into her room, she dressed into a black tank top and her black flannel pants with pink crescent moons and silver stars. She then crawled into bed and under the covers. Wondering if Silver would be alright, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Hey everyone! Finally glad to be able to post this story! I started it awhile back but due to life events and work and many marathons of Wolf's Rain to make sure I got certain details right I couldn't put it up sooner. Please R&R!