Chapter 6

When times were simple, the journey clearer, before all the circles and déjà vu…

Vance woke to warmth. Odd, he'd gone to bed alone. He opened his eyes and of course he couldn't see.

"Didn't realize you were coming to visit, Sir-" the body's scent stopped him mid sentence, "Holy hell…I'm dreaming".

But one sniff told him all he needed to know. It was the girl, Bryn. How did she get here? More importantly, what the hell was she doing in his bed?! Did it really matter? For the first time in a long time, Vance felt comforted and in a small way loved.

His heart, so hard, was softened. A part of Vance welcomed the change, but the other part of him repulsed the idea of love. But was this love? Was this what he'd envied for so long, and what that soft part of his heart longed so much for?

"I just can't believe she's here. Do the reasons really matter? She's here…she's mine…I hope".

Bryn stirred and Vance went still. His heartbeat quickened and he was surprised she didn't wake. Bryn's head sunk a little lower to his chest and he swore he saw a small smile play at her lips.

"Bryn…" he whispered her name, "Bryn, wake up, you can't stay here".

At his words, she stirred and opened a single emerald shaded eye. She moaned a little.

"Oh, you're awake" she said.
"Why are you here?" he asked, calmer than he should've been.
"I didn't want you to be alone".
"What made you think I was alone?"
"'Cause Sirena took off and it looked like she was pissed. Figured she wouldn't accompany you".
"She was jealous. Look, kid, you know I'm not exactly the safest guy to hang around. I got the cops on my tail, quite literally sometimes, and if you're spotted with me you could get into trouble as well".
"It's okay. My dad, he was a cop. He was the inspector of this town".
"What?! You're Aubrey's daughter aren't you?!".
"You know him?"
"I know of him. My mother…she knew him…kinda".
"How?"
"She was a pup when he was the Inspector. She broke a leg once in an accident and he carried her to the town vet. They were hesitant to treat her until the cops showed up and told them what she was. Poor woman was always believed to be a wolf".

Bryn got up and looked at him curiously. So he wasn't half wolf…what was he?

"What are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Ah a little blunt you are. If you must know I am a malamute-German Shepherd mix. Malamute on my…father's side and shepherd on my mother's. And I know at least one half of your parentage. What are you?"
"I consider myself a wolf dingo, since I primarily take after papa".
"And your mother?"
"Well mama's kinda like me, my grandpa's half wolf and my grandma's a husky".
"Ah, so you're Aleu's kid. I kinda see some resemblance, but look kid-"
"Bryn"
"Okay, Bryn, I'm not exactly the kind of guy you wanna be around. I appreciate you wanting to keep me company, but I don't wanna drag you down".
"Who's to say you'll drag me down? Maybe I can lift you up".

Vance laughed at the statement, which left Bryn annoyingly confused. Vance was happy to elaborate.

"Lift me up? As in make me good, purify me? Please, the only thing that redeems me is music. It's the only thing that keeps me from going rogue. Music is my mistress and I heed her every call".

Bryn thought of a safer subject. She looked over at the pile of books.

"Do you know how to read?"
The blind dog moved toward his pile and looked thoughtful. "I used to read all the time before my sight went. It was one of the few good things my mother taught me, besides stealing and being an escape artist".
"Wow…I was wondering about that. What about your father?"
Vance went stiff. "I don't talk about him. The dog was a monster and a coward. Died a few months ago. The world's a better place without him".

Vance's ears perked and he cocked his head. Bryn gave him a puzzled look.

"There's someone here. I think it's a cop…oh no…I know who it is! Bryn, I need you to get out of here or make yourself scarce!".
"Who is it?".
"Go".
"I won't leave you!"
"I said go, I'll be fine!".

As much as it pained him, Vance ran at Bryn, snapping his jaws to scare her, nipping one of her heels just enough to give her a light pain. The young wolf dingo ran out of the apartment and into another across the hall where she watched the events unfold.

A large, wolf like creature in a police harness made his way up the stairs and down the hall. His short coat was silvery gray, his head was angular, and eyes sharp but a clear blue. There was no warmth in those eyes. They were the eyes of a predator. He was in good condition, muscular but not overly so. His legs were somewhat thin and his paws huge. His triangular shaped ears stood perfectly erect.

His name was Erik. His breed was a fairly knew one, just now getting its beginnings in the Czech Republic. It was the result of an experiment mixing German Shepherds and Carpathian wolves. The Czechoslovakian Wolfhound was created to be the ultimate guard dog. Erik, a rare pure bred one, was the very definition of what his breed was designed to do. If ever there was such a thing as a heart of stone, it belonged to this creature, hardened by months, which felt to him like years, of training.

Bryn's ears lowered. Seeing him was enough to terrify her. She trembled as he walked by, not even noticing her. The wolfhound sniffed at Vance's door and anger blazed in his clear eyes. With a show of great strength, Erik stood up on his hind legs and kicked the door open with his front paws, literally knocking it off the hinges. Inside he found his prize, ready to fight. In a somewhat heavily accented, yet clear, voice, Erik growled and spoke.

"We meet again, my old friend".