Chapter Thirteen: Newest Pack Member

Kara stepped closer to us, not sparing Adriel a second glance. She examined me with narrow eyes, giving me the impression of undergoing the evaluation of a judgemental mother, then broke into a grin, stretching out a hand for me to shake.

“Pleased to meet ya,” she smiled. I returned her handshake, impressed with how firm it was compared to the lousy, weak ones I was accustomed to back home. “The lads have never brought a girl here before.”

“I – “

“She’s a close friend,” Adriel butted in, shooting me a sideways glance. “I wanted to show her around.”

Oh, so they kept their dirty business a secret, eh? I was feeling nasty and wanted to make Adriel squirm so I said, “We only reunited recently. They kidnapped me just to meet up.”

Without looking to see the effect my words had on Adriel, I stepped forward and gestured to the barn. “I like dogs, Kara. Show me around?”

Kara, sensing the growing tension between us, whistled low, chuckling after. “I like ya, lass.”

I had never been to a dog farm before, despite my love for the animals. The SPCA, maybe, when I was really young. Even that didn’t count for much because I left after getting bitten by a dog. This place, however, was unlike any I had ever seen, NGO dog shelter included.

We went into the barn. It was larger than it looked from the outside, more rectangular-ly long than wide. On the left were tens and tens of pens, the top edges of which came up to my waist. They had been segregated by small wooden poles driven into the hard-packed earth ground, each section varying in size. An entrance at the first pen allowed humans to enter; beyond that and you had to hop over the low dividers to access the rest of the pens. Not many dogs were in said enclosures, allowing me to catch sight of a few who had nice colouring. Some of them gathered at the edge as we entered, noses eagerly sniffing our new scent.

“I don’t suppose ya need the introductory, seeing as the lads own the place.”

“They do?” I measured out the surprise in my voice, loaded my question with more accusation and sarcasm. “Funny. They never told me about it.” Next to me, Adriel flinched. I made my way over to one of the pens, smiling down at the dogs and reaching to pat their heads, not once thinking that they might snap instead of lick. “Aw, they’re so friendly!” One dog, a Border Collie by the looks of it, limped up to me from the neighbouring pen, pushing its muzzle through the gap in the pole-fencing to get my attention. “Hey, friend.” I smoothed the fur over its head tenderly, wondering why he was alone in a small pen instead of one of the bigger ones. “What happened to you, huh?”

“Paul found him in a ditch. We think he fell in there during a storm. Injured his front leg.” Kara stood next to me, adding her own hand to the gentle stroking the dog was already receiving from me. “He was afraid when we took him in. Spent a week trying to gain his trust. Unfortunately, the limp is permanent. For now, we’re only allowing him to interact with certain dogs for a fixed amount of time so as not to exhaust him.”

“Poor baby.” I blinked at the bright eyes peering up at me from a face of fur, keeping him company for a bit by repeatedly running my hand over his head and down to his side. “What else do you guys get up to?”

“Breed puppies and take in strays. Not an orthodox mix but it’s what we do. Poor dogs we bring in are sometimes half dead and abused so badly that they won’t stop cowering for days. The humans who left them often break ‘em and it’s up to us to fix 'em all good again. The strays are treated before we introduce them to the other dogs, under supervision, of course. And the bigger dogs are kept away from the pups, here.” She waved a heavy hand at the empty pens. “During the day, we take 'em out in batches for exercise and training, according to their temperament. Most dogs we just let roam free though." A smile, filled with obvious affection for the animals she cared for. "The track is out back.

“Pups have their own little space.” Kara motioned for us – me, specifically, to the other side of the barn where a large portion of the floor had been fenced off with thigh-high picket fencing, partitioned into a number of sections. Inside were more puppies than I dared to count. They were of various sizes and colours, all prancing about happily. Attached to several of the pickets were water bottles specially for them to lap from. “These ones are the ones who don't need their mothers any more. They sleep and play here. Meals given separately. Nursing mothers with younger pups are kept apart from all this.”

I bent down, Kara's voice reduced to background noise, just as the barks were, hands already itching to hold one of the precious balls of fluff. A few puppies noticed me, tottering over on their short legs to sniff at my outstretched hand. They were so small that I could cup their entire head in one palm.

“Aren’t you the cutest little nuggets! Yes, you are!” Slowly, more and more puppies noticed me, excited at the new smell and affection. They all climbed over each other, tails wagging up a storm, noses snorting and little mouths letting out adorable yelping barks.

“Puppies that don’t get families are trained by us,” Kara went on, watching as I slowly let the pups suffocate me with their cuteness. “When they’ve graduated, we sell 'em at discounted prices to farmers, people who need a dog to guard their homes, people who want bigger dogs instead of puppies.”

“How many dogs do you have?” I asked her a question but my eyes were glued to the puppies and their fuzziness.

“210 adult dogs and 68 pups, nursing mothers and litters included. The number changes every week.”

Many, many dogs to fill up this big, big space. Suitable. I was reminded of my college courses, the ones that would set me on my way to becoming a vet and a sharp shard of longing stabbed me. That life was lost to me, stolen from me.

“Is it alright if I stay here for a bit?”

“Sure. Come out back to meet the other dogs later.” She nodded at Adriel. “He knows what to do.”

I stepped inside, a cloud of fluff swarming me when I squatted, letting them play fight over who got to nip at my hand or tug at my clothes. That odd feeling of numbness, the one I’d been feeling on and off since they kidnapped me, descended, quickly stamping out my earlier animation at the sight of so many small dogs. “So you own this place.”

For the first time since we entered, Adriel spoke, thumb rubbing knuckle. “Yes. Also, the shipyard in Autumn Springs, Corner’s Dock, a high-end tailor’s shop, a restaurant downtown, a diner on the outskirts and a bar.”

“Anything else?”

His silence spoke volumes.

“Figures.”

The puppies were slowly losing interest in me. I wasn’t responding to their eager advances they way they were expecting me to. Combined with my sudden shift in mood, possibly, I was sending mixed signals to them. Maybe if I laid down they could trample me and make me forget with their endless fuzziness.

“I’m sorry, about yesterday.” He was looking down at his shoes. “Things were supposed to go differently . . . Anyway, I brought you here so you could pick out a puppy for yourself.”

My head snapped up at his words. The thought of bringing one of these furry little guys back as my own had crossed my mind. Getting told that my secret hopes were a feasible attempt was enough to make my heart skip a beat. Forget being moody. Puppies were much more interesting.

“Really?”

Adriel smiled at the slight quaver in my voice. “Really. You seem good with them and after last night, well, I figured you could use some cheering up.” To halt the fidgeting that was getting increasingly obvious, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I know this won’t make up for everything we’ve done but it’s a start.”

But what will you do when you’re free from them? If you’ll ever be free.

Who cared.

Isn’t this a little weird? The guy did knock you out. He could be playing you to get you to trust him and his loony friends. He’s taking advantage of you.

Who. Cared. I was getting a puppy and that was all that mattered.

“I can really take one of these guys home?” I asked in a high-pitched tone, ready to burst with excitement.

“Yes, you can,” Adriel laughed. “Perks of owning the place. Pick any one you want.”

I straightened up, unable to contain my obvious joy at being able to finally have a dog of my own, and carefully stepped out of the pen to wrap my arms around Adriel’s neck, pulling him down to my level so I could hug him. He stiffened at first, either not used to such affection or just adequately astonished. The dull reaction prompted me to rethink my impulsiveness, suddenly aware of his very solid form pressed right up against my softer one. Just as my cheeks began to grow hot from embarrassment, he responded by encircling my waist with his own arms and lifting me off the ground, pushing a squeal from me.

“Thank you.” I meant it.

“No problem, love.”

We pulled away simultaneously, lingering in each other’s arms for a second. I knew we were both too close, was aware of the pounding in my ribcage at his proximity, of the defined muscles of his body. It had been ages since I was this close to a human male, sober. Adriel had incredibe blue eyes, clear-summer-sky blue, eyes that were inching closer with every passing moment. He was going to kiss me and he wasn’t stopping, going in for what he wanted. I panicked, pleasantly surprised that he was even entertaining the idea. Turning my head at the very last second, his lips bumped into my cheek instead.

“Cheeky,” he smiled against my skin, inducing a snorted laugh from me at his lousy joke. Sufficiently embarrassed and not knowing how to respond otherwise, I pulled away from him and cleared my throat.

“Can I pick my puppy now?”

+++

“You got her a puppy?!”

“I cheered her up.”

“Noticeably.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I wanted to go too.”

“You’re a grown arse man, mate. Pretty sure you can go there without having to ask permission.”

“You forget he’s a child in a man’s body.”

Kieran. Adriel. Tommy. Repeat.

We left soon after I picked my puppy: a three-month-old male with chestnut fur and smears of black all over. His tail was a slightly lighter brown and the black fur there tapered to a point right in the middle, forming a small arrow. Kara told me he was mixed, from one of the strays, though she couldn't say for sure mixed what. I wasn’t really paying attention to her, to be honest; I was impatient to get back and play with him. Once at the house, two began bickering, dragging the third unwilling gang member into it a well, the topic revolving around me and the new pup.

“Have you named him yet?” Kieran inquired. I was squatting near the lattice wall, keeping a close eye on my pup as he got himself acquainted with the adult dogs. The little guy was thrilled at being in a new environment. His tail hadn’t stopped wagging since I walked in with him in my arms, squirming earnestly, waiting to be put down. The three older dogs were curious about the newcomer. At first I freaked out, afraid that having a younger, much smaller dog around would get on their nerves. Dogs were as sociable as they were territorial after all. Adriel repeatedly assured me that they knew how to behave and I was witnessing proof of his words now, heart warming at how gently patient they were with him.

“Dart. Short for D’artanagon.”

“Dart?!”

“At least I didn’t name mine after a Marvel character.” An insult hardly disguised, poorly executed.

Tommy snorted, sifting through a collection of movies on the flatscreen on the sofa, punk and grumpiness dialed down, humour visibly intact. I reckoned it was because of his wound. What transpired between us the night before remained in the night before. I was grateful he didn’t seem to be holding it against me. “Bruce Wayne, not Bruce Banner.”

“I gave my dog a name that will uphold his personality one day.” I folded my arms across my chest, narrowing my eyes at Kieran. “Your dog can maim people and you call her Teddy?!”

“Looks like a Swiss Roll but can actually kill,” Teddy’s owner justified with a smirk. “Misconception always wins.”

“Why Dart, though?” Adriel asked.

“He was zooming through the pen when I spotted him. Literally darting between the other pups in a blur.” I shrugged. “Plus, there’s a little arrow on his tail.”

All three guys turned to look at me, the only sounds in the living room being the dogs’ playful scuffling.

“I’ll accept the name.” Tommy was the first to speak, successfully initiating another round of protests at the agreement and insults at the protests.