awoke with the usual amount of nerves, things that would have looked and twanged like steel guitar strings, before tentatively examining himself under the hotel duvet. He inwardly groaned, noticing how tall he was getting. His feet now hung over the bed. Sighing out a warm gust of breath into the otherwise chilled room, Canis stood up and didn't even flinch against the cold floors. He padded noiselessly toward the wardrobe, opened it and looked at himself critically in the wardrobes mirror. Thirty five, he decided quickly. He didn't know why or how, but his transformations into the Wolf were doing things to his body, making him younger, stronger. He traced the outline of his shoulders and realized he was getting slighter broader as well, the ill-fitting singlet he went to bed in was actually beginning to fit. Canis glared at his own reflection, scrutinizing as if he could see the wolf somewhere just behind his eyes. But the wolf was silent, oddly so. Looking around for his bathrobe, he grabbed a set of clothes for the day and set off towards the shower, mind still ticking over the new changes internally. He reached the bathroom and quickly closed the door behind him, undressing and turning the shower on from warm to scalding. After a moment he got in, the hot water soothing away some of his anxieties and allowing him to relax for a moment. Besides what was happening with him there were other, more important things to worry about. Puck, for example. The little faerie boy had been hurt and was now a floating ball of rancid smelling puss. Despite their arguments and the many times they often conflicted Canis felt an honest, almost affectionate bond towards the boy. He'd been a nuisance ever since he'd arrived at the house, but had more than proven his worth helping to save the girls lives and even daring to battle him. He remembered their first violent encounter a little fondly, remembering the boy's recklessness and fearlessness. After a while he turned off the water and pulled back the shower curtain, reaching for the towel. What he got was a handful of foul smelling slime.

"What the…"

Canis looked up and then up again. It was puck. Well, what he recognized as puck now. The ball of noxious gas had followed him in here and was now floating above the ground. Canis had no idea whether that thing had eyes but he felt nude anyway and reached around the thing for the towel, wrapping it firmly around his waist. "Puck?" The thing didn't move, but when he took a step toward sit, out of the bath tub it moved accordingly. He moved to the left and was surprised when it followed suit. It seemed the thing was shadowing him for some reason. Just before he could start to wonder why there was a soft wet ripping sound as the top began to open slowly. Canis held his breath, steeling for whatever was going to happen next. Suddenly the floating thing let out a noxious smelling odor, made worse to Canis because of his heightened sense of smell. To someone who was good at identifying scents this smelt like dead and rotting vegetation compacted and liquidated. The gas quickly filled the room, bring the older man to his knees. He hadn't thought things could get worse until he realized that the awful scent was soaking into his pores and hair. Growling, the man stood, the wolf glaring out of his eyes. He didn't care if this was puck, the boy was going to pay for this attack dearly. He reached out to grab the slimy orb when the door opened and suddenly Moth was there. The little fairy girl took one look between him and the floating ball back to him again and then screamed long, high and infuriatingly sharp.

"You! You dirty wolf! Don't you dare touch him."

Canis recoiled under the sheer screeching power of Moth's voice, withdrawing his hand. Not long after Relda ran in, slippered feet squeaking on the hardwood floors. It was still very early, he was surprised Mot was up at this time. "What's wrong?" Relda said, staring at the three of them standing still in the bathroom. Relda looked at Canis then blushed and looked down. " ?"

Canis looked down and realized he was only wearing a towel. Blushing a little himself he nodded at his friend and despite Moths loud and over all piercing screams, shut the door soundly in her face. Puck had stayed with him in the room. He looked himself over. The gas hadn't appeared to leave any residue on him but he thought he might as well shower again with the curtain firmly closed. He dressed in the shower as well, unsure why he was so suddenly shy around the giant ball of ooze. It wansn't as if that thing was actually looking at him but Relda's expression had put him on edge. After he was dressed and ready he opened the bathroom door prepared for almost everything. Everything that is, except an almost rabid Moth being barley restrained by Sabrina and Daphne.

"What's happened?" Canis asked. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Puck was still following him.

Moth glared daggers at him. "You have stolen my right as future queen!"

Canis lifted one eye brow in response.

"When a faerie is its larvae stage of healing he or she chooses someone they trust intimately, to protect them and keep them safe. That right was supposed to be mine!"

Canis looked at the floating ball, unable to understand why the boy had chosen him. Surely Sabrina would have been the boys first choice. Granted, he was probably strong enough to defend the boy but he was nowhere near he thought, to the top of the boys most trusted list. Seeing that Moth was still looking him Canis said, "Is there anyway we can change who he chose?"

Moth shook her head. "The scent you're wearing now is so he can find and track you easily."

That managed to bring a smile to his face. He never thought he'd be hunted down by his scent, especially by an arrogant twelve year old faerie. "So we're stuck together for now."

Moth nodded, rage quivering through her veins. "for now."