đş Dominic's POV - "The Wolf Who Knew Something Was Off"
It's been a week since the fireworks.
Seven days since that morning sunlight hit his face and my sanity waved the white flag.
And in those seven days, I've noticed something.
Lean's... off.
Not in his usual "I-accidentally-adopted-a-squirrel" kind of way. This is different. Quiet. Calculated.
He's been going out more-alone. No explanations. No "Puppers, I'm going to hunt!" or "Puppers, I'm kidnapping a duck again!" ok he did kidnapped a goose one day and it egged my bed.
Nothing. Just poof. Gone.
And when I ask, he fumbles. Looks guilty. Says something like,
"Oh! Uh-Boba emergency! The tapioca pearls called for me!"
Or
"I saw a sad pigeon, I had to help!"
...No. No, he didn't. I checked. The pigeons were fine. They pooped on my head, apparently it comes it two colours, black and white.
The last few nights, I've caught him on the phone too. Whispering. Smiling. Once I walked in and he jumped like I'd caught him summoning Satan. The phone flew across the room and he started mumbling something about "customer service for coffin mattresses."
He's a terrible liar. We don't own a coffin, though I thought of getting him one but my pockets are empty, thanks mom!
And for some reason, that bothers me more than it should.
I should trust him.
I do trust him.
(Okay, I try to trust him.)
But the wolf in me-the part that sniffs lies like blood-knows something's up. It's in the way his breath skips when I ask questions. The way his scent changes-like adrenaline and sugar and guilt all tangled together.
Every instinct screams: He's hiding something.
And I hate it.
Because if there's one thing I learned the hard way-it's that secrets break faster than bones.
This morning, it's worse.
I wake up to silence. His side of the bed is empty, the blanket tossed aside like a crime scene clue. (Ok people we sleep together now! Wanna judge? Go on I don't care! WE CUDDLE TOO HIS THINGNOT MINE!)
There's a note.
A note.
> "Went out! Don't wait up! Love you~ đŠ¸đ -Vamps."
Love you. With a blood emoji.
What am I, a substitute emoji for commitment issues?
I check the clock-7:42 a.m.
He never leaves before coffee. Or chaos.
I sigh, rubbing my temple, trying to convince myself not to panic.
But the wolf in my chest growls. Loud.
"Okay," I mutter, grabbing my jacket. "Fine. You wanna play spy games, Vamp? Let's play."
---
(cut to Dom trailing him)
The morning air is cold, the kind that makes your breath look like smoke. I follow his scent-faintly sweet, like cinnamon and honey (don't ask how I know that)-through the street, across the park, down to the corner cafĂŠ.
He's sitting there.
In the park. On the bench.
Talking to someone.
Tall. Red-haired. Wearing sunglasses indoors-of course it's Ray.
The human disaster himself.
I stop, watching them from a distance. Lean's laughing-loud, carefree, happy in that way he only gets when he thinks no one's watching. He leans in too close. Ray's holding something-papers? A map?
And that's when my chest tightens.
Because the rational part of me says, It's Ray. They're friends. Stop being dramatic.
But the wolf in me growls something darker.
Protective. Possessive.
Why didn't he tell me? Should I kill Ray?
Then Lean's phone buzzes. He looks at it, panics, and starts whispering furiously to Ray.
I can't hear what they're saying-but I see the expression. That mix of guilt and fear and "oh no Puppers found out."
Ray smirks.
Leans back.
And I know exactly what's going to happen next-because it's me. I know my damn luck.
Lean turns.
Our eyes meet.
He freezes.
I do too.
The tension hits harder than a full moon.
He opens his mouth. "Puppers! I-uh-fancy seeing you here! Totally not plotting world domination!"
I exhale through my nose, deadpan. "You're a terrible liar."
He laughs nervously. "Haha-thank you?"
Ray just grins, looking like he's watching a soap opera in HD. "Dommy-boy! What a coincidence! We were just talking about-uh-dog food!"
"Dog food?" I growl.
Lean blurts, "Yes! Premium kind! Gluten-free for emotional wolves!"
I stare at them. "...Both of you are dead."
Ray mutters under his breath, "One of us already is."
And that's when I know-
This isn't just Lean being weird.
Something's happening. Something big.
And whatever it is... they're keeping it from me.
I watch them, my tail twitching inside my butt like a metronome gone haywire.
Ray smirks-all casual chaos-and Lean's nodding like a little angel who just learned how to lie convincingly. Convincing enough... almost.
"Anyway," Ray says, pulling some papers out of his jacket like a magician, "I've got, uh... urgent, top-secret... Hawaiian business to attend to. Like, international-level business."
My jaw tightens. Hawaiian business? My wolf brain screams: BULL. SHIT.
"Right," I mutter. "Hawaii. Sure. Tropical islands, palm trees, and-what? Surfing lessons with ladies? Does Linda know that?"
Lean blinks at me, his big brown eyes going full Bambi-mode. "Uh... my boss called! Early shift! Lots of... uh... things came in for repair today at the shop!"
I sniff. Cinnamon and honey mixed with panic and guilt. Smells exactly like... a lie. My claws dig into my jacket.
"Repair shop," I say slowly, voice dropping an octave. "At... what hour?"
"Uh... nine! Nine a.m. sharp! Can't be late! Don't wait up!" Lean bounces on the balls of his feet, too bright, too chipper, too obviously hiding something.
Ray waves, grinning like he just saved his soul from a minor apocalypse. "Well, gotta jet. Hawaii awaits! Mahalo, Vamps. Don't get abducted by hunters while I'm gone, yeah?"
I narrow my eyes at him, a growl rumbling low. "I swear, you're dead when you get back."
Ray just smirks and vanishes down the street, leaving behind a trail of sunscreen-scented trouble.
Lean turns to me, bouncing slightly, trying to look casual. "See! Told you! I... uh... really gotta go. Early shift, lots of... repairs. Yeah. Nothing shady here."
My wolf growls low in my chest. Nothing shady here. The lie tastes like burnt sugar and disappointment.
"Uh... Puppers?" Lean fumbles. "You... you okay?"
I blink slowly, voice steady. "I'm fine. Totally fine. Just... one more question before I let you leave."
Lean freezes. My tail flicks once. "Where exactly is this 'shop'? Guess I should meet your boss someday."
Brown eyes meet mine. There it is-the tiny crack in the chaotic armor. My wolf growls. My heart... skips.
"Vamps," I say quietly, dangerously. "You've been hiding something from me. And I will find out what it is."
Lean's lips twitch nervously. "Uh... nah... nothing!"
And then-he runs off like a bullet train on espresso!
------------
Anyways... what can I even do?
So I just started strolling back home, when-bam!-meet a pack of stray dogs, and yeah, they're definitely fascinated by me.
Apparently, I can talk to all canines. The accents, the dialects, the barks-they're different, but I manage. So yeah, the dogs see me as a big dog. (Apparently they can't see my human form; they only recognize the wolf.)
And just like that, they decided I'm the new alpha. Asked me to help defeat a pack of larger dogs terrorizing their territory.
Two months ago? I would've just walked past. But yeah... I picked up a thing or two from that vampire. So I went with them. One look from me, and the other pack just ran away. Easy.
These dogs... they were ecstatic. Gave me like 30 bones. Okay, I love bones, but hygiene, people. I politely declined.
The pups clung to my legs. Huh... cute, I guess. I kneeled down, and those little potatoes just licked and sucked on my fingers. Heh. Alex always liked puppies. Always wanted one. And me? I was terrified of dogs. Huh... what a play of fate.
Here I am. Not myself-a wild dog-and surrounded by street mutts.
I gave those puppies some belly rubs, and they called me uncle. UNCLE!!!!
I AM JUST 23!
After parting with them (they all sniffed my butt to remember my scent-dog things, people, you don't understand), I finally reached home...
------------
What should I do now?
College opens in two days-the final year begins. I should probably ask Lean for some money to get supplies. (Yeah, yeah, the vampire funds my stationery, don't judge me.)
The house feels too empty. No chaos, no singing, no random explosions in the kitchen. Just silence. The kind of silence that makes even the fridge hum sound like an emotional support animal.
The gym's closed too-it's the owner's birthday party today. And Ray? Yeah, he's "in Hawaii." Probably terrorizing the locals with his bad flirting. So... no hangouts, no distractions.
Fine. Cooking it is. Then cleaning. My fur's everywhere.
You know what's funny? Lean always calls me a "good boy" when I vacuum. And the worst part? He's right. I am a good boy. I'm literally the only dog in the world who cleans up his own fur.
Wait-no, no. Not dog. Wolf. I'm a wolf.
...What happened to me?
------------
7 hours later.
What the hell happened to Lean! It's already 5:30! The sun is setting too.
I've called him five hundred and seventy-three times. Texted him a hundred times. Sent ten voice mails. No reply. Nothing. Not even one of his stupid emojis or voice notes that starts with "Dommmiiieee~ đŚđ."
By this time, he would've already spammed me a thousand times just to say he missed my "grumpy face."
So why isn't he-
No. No, no, no.
My hands are shaking. The phone's slippery with sweat, and my pulse is pounding so hard I can feel it behind my eyes. The ticking clock on the wall is mocking me-each tick louder, sharper, like it's counting down to something I don't want to face.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The butter chicken I made-his favorite-is getting cold on the counter. The smell still hangs heavy in the air, buttery, warm, wrong. It used to smell like home... now it smells like worry. Like loss.
Did he get into trouble? Hunters? Maybe some vampire mess? Or-no-what if he got into an accident? What if he-
No. Stop. He's fine. He has to be fine. He always bounces back. He's annoying, dramatic, clingy, loud-he can't just vanish.
Should I call Ray? His dad's got connections-goons, guards, people who can sniff out anything. But no... Ray will just bark at me for not watching Lean properly.
Then the cops?
Fuck, they won't believe the story that a vampire is missing and some magical creatures might have got him!
Goddammit! What should I do?!
My claws are out. I didn't even notice when they slipped. My wolf's pacing under my skin, snarling, restless. Every instinct in me screams run, find him, now! But where? How?
The room feels too small, too hot, like the walls are closing in. My shirt's sticking to my back with sweat. My chest's tight-like I can't breathe right without his stupid voice echoing somewhere nearby.
I keep glancing at the door like it'll open any second. Like he'll just waltz in, humming off-key, calling me "Dom-Puppers" like nothing happened.
But the door stays shut.
The clock keeps ticking.
And my heart won't stop pounding.
Then suddenly-
My phone hums.
An unknown number.
Normally, I'd ignore it. Scammers, telemarketers, people trying to sell me "exclusive protein shakes for hot dudes, or term life insurance " But my heart stutters in my chest.
What if it's him?
What if Lean lost his phone? Borrowed someone else's? Or-hell-what if he's in trouble, and this is the only way he can reach me?
"Okay," I whisper to myself, hands trembling. "Okay. I'm gonna pick it up."
My thumb hovers over the green button. The screen blurs; sweat drips into my eyes. My throat's so dry it burns.
Click.
"...Hello?"
Static. A hiss. Then-
A voice. Cracked. Fragile.
"...P-Puppers..."
My heart shrinks. No-implodes.
It's him. But it doesn't sound like him. His voice is trembling, warped, like he's speaking through shattered glass.
"Lean?!" My voice comes out rough, feral. "Where the hell are you? What happened-"
A cough interrupts. Muffled noises follow-wind, hurried footsteps... and something else.
Wet. Sticky. Metallic.
The faintest scent bleeding through the speaker-
Blood.
My wolf freezes. Every muscle in my body turns to iron.
Then his voice again-broken, childlike.
"Puppers... I... I mossed up... thoso pupupl are bad... am scary! Am scored, Poppers... please..."
(translation: Puppers... I messed up... these people are bad and scary! I'm scared, Puppers... please...)
My heart just stops. I clutch the phone so hard the case cracks beneath my fingers.
"Lean." My voice shakes. "Where are you?"
I'm pacing now-one hand gripping my hair, the other curling into a fist so tight my claws pierce skin. "Tell me right now-where the fuck are you!?"
But all I hear back is a weak laugh.
Shaky. Broken.
"Puppers... I-ahh... please don't beat me... please, it-ah-ah... I don't know anything... please..."
Click.
The line dies.
I just stare.
Breath gone. Heart hammering so hard it rattles my ribs. The world goes silent-
except for that cursed clock.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
And then-
the wolf inside me snaps its leash.
I throw the phone. It hits the glass-crash! Shards splinter across the floor, reflecting pieces of my own wild yellow eyes. The clock dead as the time stops around me
I howl. A raw, desperate sound that tears right through my throat.
Then-
Rrrring.
The phone buzzes again.
Same number.
But this time-
It's a video call.
I freeze. My chest tightens. My hand moves on its own, trembling as I reach for it.
I pick up the call with shaking fingers-my breath loud in my ears, my pulse pounding like a war drum.
Through the cracked screen, I see-
"Lean!!!"
He's there.
In a dark room.
A single light glares down on his face, the rest swallowed by shadow.
His whole body is drenched, hair dripping like he's been doused with ice water. He's trembling-tied up-bruises painted all over his pretty face. That moonlit face I kiss goodnight looks destroyed. His lips are busted, blue blood and drool dripping from the corner. His eyes-swollen, half-closed-search the dark. He's whispering something-my name.
My voice cracks. "Lean! Vamps! Love-where are you? Please-please talk to me-LEAN!"
I don't even realize when I start screaming-when the tears blur my vision.
Then-
A gloved hand grabs his hair. Yanks his head back.
SPLASH.
Water slams into his face. He gasps, choking, flinching, twisting in his ropes as that bastard drenches him again.
"LEAN! NO! STOP-NOOOO!"
My throat rips. I slam my fist on the floor, the screen shaking in my hands. Rage and helplessness curl in my gut like poison.
And then-
The camera turns.
A man appears.
Mask on. Dark clothes. His eyes-cold and empty like a grave.
"YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" I roar, voice shaking the walls. "What do you want!? I'll hunt you down and tear you apart! Leave my Lean alone! If you-"
"Shhh..."
He cuts me off.
That voice-smooth, cruel, dripping arrogance.
"Don't get so feral, Mr. Big Bad Wolf."
I snarl, breath heaving. "What... what the fuck do you want?"
He chuckles. "Here we go. Straight to business."
"Don't fool around! Or I swear I'll-"
"You'll what, huh?" His voice sharpens, mocking. "Listen, you pathetic dog-say one more word of nonsense, and this vampire will be in pieces."
The camera tilts.
I see Lean again.
Another masked man steps forward and presses something sharp into his neck-just enough to pierce skin.
Blue blood gushes out.
Lean gasps-screams-and the sound tears straight through my soul.
My heart stops.
My breath stumbles.
I can't see-I can't think.
"Please..." my voice breaks, barely human anymore. "Please don't hurt him... I-I'll listen. I'll do anything you want. Please-just don't hurt him!" I beg and cry
The man laughs.
Cold. Cruel. Venom dripping from every syllable.
"Good boy."
My claws dig into the floor.
He leans closer to the camera. "Man to man, wolf. We don't need him. We need you. An alpha wolf. Strong. Rare. Useful."
He smirks under the mask.
"If you surrender yourself to us, we'll release this bloodsucker."
He pauses, like he's enjoying my silence.
"You'll get the location in five minutes. You've got one hour. Don't delay-
Or your precious vampire becomes ashes."
Click.
The line goes dead.
"NO-WAIT-DON'T HANG UP! PLEASE!"
Just static. Then black.
The phone slips from my hand.
I drop to my knees, gasping, my claws scraping the tiles so hard they leave gouges. My palms bleed, red on the floor of my cracked reflection.
I can't breathe. My chest hurts. My lungs are on fire.
"Lean..." I whisper. "Please hold on... I'm coming..."
Then-
Ping.
The phone vibrates again.
My blood-slick fingers fumble as I grab it
The blood slipping through the crack screen like veins.
A map opens.
A location pin.
One red dot.
One hour.
I'm losing my damn mind.
That place... I know that location. It's on the far edge of town-the outskirts, where the city lights fade and the ghosts whisper.
An old event hall, abandoned for years.
If I take a cab-no, impossible. The traffic, the signals, the payment screen lag-that's nearly an hour gone. I don't have an hour.
Not when he's there.
Something inside me snaps.
My breath shudders. My hands curl. My bones-
crack.
My spine arches, ribs shifting, fur bursting through skin in violent waves.
My claws carve the floor as my tail lashes behind me. My ears shoot up, twitching at every sound.
Teeth lengthen, vision blurs red and gold.
The world shrinks to one name.
Lean.
Then-
I burst out of the damn house, shattering the door like paper.
To hell if someone faints at the sight of a horse-sized black wolf tearing through the streets!
To hell if animal control sends a whole SWAT team after me!
I run.
The air slaps my face. My paws strike the asphalt hard enough to crack it. One Roof to another Roofs blur under my leaps-
One, two, three-
I slip once, crash into tiles, roll, then leap again, the pain only feeding the fire in my chest.
Screams echo behind me-shocked humans catching a glimpse of the beast sprinting under the moon.
I don't look back.
"Hold on, Lean," I growl through my panting breaths, voice more beast than man. "Your Puppers is coming."
And there-
Across the stretching fields, shining pale under the moonlight-
The hall.
A white, crumbling silhouette in the distance.
My claws dig deeper into the earth as I accelerate.
I'm howling now-not just calling, but promising.
A howl that splits the sky open.
A vow to death itself-
I'm coming for you, love.
And God help anyone who stands in my way.
The old event hall rises before me like a graveyard giantâits once-white walls now cracked, vines curling up like veins of rot. The moonlight spills across the broken windows, flickering over rusted metal and faded banners that whisper in the wind.
I slow down only when I hit the outskirts of the field. My paws dig into the dirt, chest heaving, steam rolling off my fur in thick waves. The scent hits meâ
blood.
Old and new. Vampire blood. His blood.
A growl boils up from deep within, low and monstrous. The fur along my spine bristles like an electric storm. My fangs bare on instinct.
"LeanâŚ" I whisper his name through gritted teeth, voice trembling between wolf and man.
The sound of it almost hurts.
I move closer, slow and silent now, padding through the tall grass. Every step echoes like thunder in my head. The hall looms larger, and I can see the faint flicker of lights insideâcandles, maybe, or some filthy bulb swinging from a wire.
Thenâ
thud.
A sound from inside.
A laugh.
Something in me snaps.
My claws sink into the ground as I crouch, breath ragged. My heart is pounding so loud it drowns out the crickets, the windâeverything. I can almost hear his voice again, weak and tremblingâ"Puppers⌠pleaseâŚ"
That's it. That's the spark.
I lower myself, muscles coiling tight. Every nerve screams now.
The windows rattle as I launch forward.
One leap. Two.
CRASH!
The hall doors explode open, shards of wood flying like shrapnel. Dust bursts into the moonlight.
And there I amâ
a black beast standing in the doorway, golden eyes burning like wildfire, chest heaving, saliva dripping from fangs.
Everything inside freezes.
Men in masks.
Weapons half-raised.
One of them stumbles back, muttering, "W-what the hellâ"
I take one step forward, claws clicking against the cracked floor. My growl rolls through the air like thunder across a valley.
I'm not even thinking anymore.
Only one thing beats inside meâ
Lean.
And in that heartbeat, before the violence begins, every predator in the room knowsâ
death has arrived.
ââââââ
The doors splinter apart, and what follows is madness.
Screams erupt like gunfireâ
"WOLF! WOLF!"
"RUN!"
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT MONSTROUS THINGâ"
Bodies scatter, crashing into tables, tripping over old chairs, slipping on their own panic. I barely see them. I don't care to. My vision has tunneled, my instincts locked onto one scentâfear, sweat, blood⌠and him.
I charge through the chaos, claws carving streaks into the floorboards. Men scramble away, tripping over one another like prey caught in headlights.
Thenâthere.
The one from the video.
The mask.
He tries to crawl backward, but I'm already airborne.
THUD!
We crash into the ground, the impact cracking the old wood beneath us. My claws pin his shoulders like steel bolts. My breath heavesâhot, ragged, animal.
He's screaming now. "NOâPLEASE, NOâ"
His voice breaks, trembling like the walls around us.
My muzzle hovers inches from his face, my growl vibrating through the floor. Drool drips from my fangs onto his cheek. His eyes widen, reflecting the monster above him.
I snarlâloud enough to rattle the broken lights hanging above. My fur bristles like wildfire. Every muscle in my body screams to end this.
To tear.
To avenge.
To reclaim what's mine.
I bare my fangs, lowering my head closer until he can feel the heat of my breath on his face. One more inchâjust oneâand I'll rip his throat open.
The man's sobs turn into choked gasps. "Pleaseâplease, I don't want to die virgin toâ"
And thenâ
A voice.
Small. Fragile. Trembling through the broken air like a ghost.
"P-Puppers⌠no⌠please⌠stopâŚ"
The sound hits me harder than any bullet could.
Everything freezes.
My claws still dig into the man's skin, but I can't move. My heart stutters. My ears twitch toward that voice.
No. That voice. That voice.
Slowly, I turnâ
And there he is.
I barely thinkâI just move.
I see him, broken and trembling in the corner, and my heart just snaps in half.
I leap.
"LEAN!!!"
We crash into the ground, but not violently this time. My weight pins him, my fur brushing against his shivering skin. His scentâblood, fear, himâhits me all at once.
"Lean⌠VampsâŚ" My voice cracks between growls and howls. I bury my face against his, licking himâfast, desperate, franticâcovering every bruise, every tear with thick, sloppy wolf kisses and licks
"AhhhâPuppersâ!" he squeaks, half sobbing, half gasping.
My ears flatten, tail swinging wildly behind me as I keep whimpering, whining, unable to stop.
"Lean⌠are you good? AhoooâŚAhooooo... did they hurt you too much? Ahoo⌠don't cry, don't get scared, I'm here⌠we'll get out of here, I promise⌠ahooâŚ"
My howls echo off the hall wallsâhalf war cry, half heartbreak.
Behind us, there's a scuffle. The masked manâthe one who started this nightmareâtries to crawl away.
My head snaps up. A low growl rumbles out of my chest.
"You suckerâwhere do you think you're going? I'm gonna feast on you tonight! AHOOOO!"
I lungeâ
âand suddenly feel a sharp yank on my tail.
"Puppers, NO! Let him gooo!"
"Vamps, let me go! I'll kill him!"
We're literally in a tug-of-war nowâme trying to charge, Lean digging his heels into the floor holding my tail, both of us snarling in our own ways.
The man stumbles, falls flat, scrambles for the exit.
"Idiot, run away quick!!!" Lean shoutsâstill clinging to my tail like it's a lifeline. Then he grabs my ears to pull me back as I bark and snarl violently at the man.
"LEAN! WHY ARE YOU SAVING THEM?! THEY HURT YOU! I SWEARâLET ME GO, I'LL FUCKING KILLâ"
"PUPPERS!" he screams, voice cracking, "THEY'RE PAID ACTORS!!!"
âŚ
Everything stops.
My brain lags. My paws freeze mid-pounce. I slowly turn my giant furry head toward him. The man runs away.
He's panting, hair dripping, ropes still hanging off his wristsâbut he's glaring at me like I'm the crazy one.
"Whaâwhat the fuck are they?" I huff, my tongue lolling out as I flop back onto my hind legs, fur puffed, chest heaving like an overheated dog in summer. I tilt my head confused, my one ear perks up like an antenna trying to grasps what just happened.
Lean just slaps his face, groaning.
"Oh my Satan, PuppersâŚ"
"My Satan, Puppers!" Lean groans, slamming his palm into his forehead so hard it makes a thunk. "We didn't expect you to go full Jurassic World Raptor and BURST IN LIKE THAT!"
I blink at him, panting, tail still twitching. "What⌠what the fuck you mean, 'didn't expect'? You were tied up! You were bleeding! There was a guy stabbing you, Lean! What else did you expect me to doâsend them an email!?"
He sighsâno, wheezesâhands flailing in exasperation, and I can tell he's trying so hard not to yell.
"Puppers, please, justâcalm down for one secondâ"
"Calm down?" I growl, still half on all fours, fur bristling. "I saw you bruised, crying, calling for me! You think I'd sit around making tea and waiting for subtitles to explain!?"
He looks at me for a long second, dripping wet, trembling, eyes wide like he's debating whether to laugh, cry, or pass out.
"Oh my god, PuppersâŚ" he mutters, rubbing his temples. "You really thought they wereâ"
"Yes!" I bark, cutting him off. "What else was I supposed to think?! You disappeared for a week, then call me sounding like you're dying, and then I see some psycho splashing water on your face! You want me to believe that'sâwhatâa theater rehearsal!?"
He sighs again, deep and weary, like someone who's just realized his boyfriend is both the apocalypse and the golden retriever version of it.
His hand reaches out hesitantly, touching my muzzle. My growl falters.
"PuppersâŚ" he whispers softly, voice shaky but gentle, "you scared me more than they didâŚ"
And I just⌠stop.
The fire in my chest flickers, my breath coming out rough and uneven. His words hit harder than any punch.
"...I scared you?" I murmur, guilt bleeding through the snarl. My ears flatten, tail lowering. "Youâyou were crying, Lean. I thought they wereâ"
He shakes his head quickly, eyes darting to the broken lights above. "Let's just⌠talk, okay? Outside this murder-scene-looking place."
I huff, confusion twisting through me. My claws dig into the cracked floor, heart still thundering.
Talk? Outside? After that?
"What the hell were you even doing here, Lean?" I mutter, half growl, half plea. "What is all this?"
He just sighs, looking way too guilty for my likingâand definitely hiding something.
"Puppers⌠it's⌠complicated."
I narrow my eyes, the fur on my neck rising again.
Oh no. No more "complicated." Not after that.
"Lean." I growl his name softly. "Start talking before I start chewing."
He gulps.
And smiles nervously.
"Uh⌠maybe let's start with a hug first?"
Before I can decide whether to yell again or just collapse, Lean steps closerâslow, cautious, like approaching some feral animal⌠which, yeah, fair. His arms slide around my neck, burying his face in my fur. For a second, I forget how to breathe. His heartbeat's right against my chestâfast, alive, real.
Then, the little menace actually kisses my muzzle. Soft. Trembling. A tiny press of warmth that short-circuits every wild instinct screaming in my head. My claws retract, breath hitching as the world finallyâfinallyâstops spinning.
"Okay⌠okay," I manage, my voice rough but no longer a growl. My head dips, eyes searching his face. "Now tell me what the hell all this was⌠you're really okay, right?"
He smiles up at me, sheepishly, still holding on like I might vanish if he lets go.
And that's when I realizeâwhatever storm I just tore through⌠he's the only reason I'd ever run into it again.
Lean just gives me that sheepish giggleâyou know, the kind that says "hehe I might've slightly traumatized you but it's funny so it doesn't count." I narrow my eyes, ready to interrogate him properlyâ
My fur bristles again. "Lean?" I growl low.
Before I can even move, BANG! POP!
Two party poppers explode in my face like mini grenades of glitter and confetti.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PUPPPPPPERS!!!"
"DOMMIIIIEEEEEEE HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"
The hall lights blaze back on, revealing chaosâstreamers, balloons, glowing fairy lights, ribbons and whatever the fuck are those glittery stuff., and a massive neon sign dropping from the ceiling that screams "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOMINIC QUINN THE WILD MUDDER PUPPY đşđĽ" in bold, flashing letters.
I just⌠sit there. Frozen. Covered in rainbow confetti on over my fur and moral confusion.
Head tilted. Ears twitching.
"âŚAhoo?" I mumble like the world's most perplexed wolfdog.
Ray's already on the floor, cackling.
"Ahhh poor thing!! HAHAHA! Vamps, look at that faceâlook at that cute confused Mudder Puppy's face! He looks like he just got isekaied mid-battle!"
Lean's doubled over beside him, gasping for breath.
"Gurl, we got him so bad! Mr. Grump got wrecked! Hahahaâoh my devilsâthe actorsâTHEY'RE TRAUMATIZED FOR LIFE!"
Ray wipes tears, wheezing. "Bro, one of them was crying and texting his mom like, 'I saw death. It had fangs and barks.'"
Lean slaps his knee, almost falling over. "You literallyâLITERALLYâbarged in like a life-sized Jurassic Park Raptor on steroids! I swear, I saw the boss man piss himself!"
I blink. Once. Twice. Then my brain finally connects the dots.
"âŚWait." I look up. "What's today's date?"
Lean and Ray exchange mischievous glances.
"8th January," they sing in unison.
My jaw drops. My tail stops wagging mid-air.
"âŚYou mean I almost murdered people⌠for my birthday?!"
Ray: "Yeahhh, basically!"
Lean: "But look at the bright side, Puppersâyou gave us the best party story ever."
I lose it.
"Millers! You said you were going to Hawaii!!" I snarl, all teeth and thunder, fur bristling like a badger on espresso.
Rayâperfect smug disasterâjust smirks. "Well, I didn't lie. I got Hawaiian girls tonight. For performing. You know how much it costs to bookâ"
"Fuck your money," I growl, my voice low enough to rattle the floor. "And that vampireâare you hurt? Where'sâwhat about the blood?!"
Lean, bless his dramatic undead soul, tilts his head and grins like sin itself. Then he licks a sticky smear off his forearm. "Oh, this blood?" he says sweetly. "It's blueberry jam. Extra food colour. Organic, even."
My brain flatlines. Like, toaster-in-the-bathtub flatlines.
Before either of them can blink, I'm gone. I launch across the hall like I was born for chaos.
Confetti flies. Balloons explode. The two morons start screaming and sprinting like toddlers who just saw their report cards.
"STOP YOU DUMBâIF I CATCH YOU I'M BITING BOTH YOUR ASSES OFF!!!" I roar, which, honestly, is not the most comforting thing to hear at a surprise party.
"DOM WAIT IT WAS A JOKE!!" Ray squeals.
"YEAH PUPPERS, WE PLANNED IT A WEEK AGO!!" Lean yells, tripping over a balloon arch.
Too late.
I pounceâone paw on Ray, one paw on Leanâslam. They flatten under me like cartoon pancakes, squeaking for mercy.
"We were joking! They're actors! It was fake! They got five hundred bucks! We love you, Wolf!" they babble at the speed of light.
I just stare, chest heaving, saliva dripping from my jowls, brain slowly rebooting.
And then⌠I flop. Right on top of them. Both of them pinned under my big furry tummy like two wriggling kittens.
They squeak. They laugh. Then they wrap their arms around my neck.
"We're sorry, bro," Ray whispers into my left ear, actually sounding sincere for once. "Didn't mean to scare you that bad."
"Yeah, Puppers," Lean squeaks in my right ear, "We just wanted to surprise you! Didn't think you'd actually freak out this much!"
"Obviously you didn't!" I bark back. "When was the last time you two thought of anything that didn't involve giving me heart attacks?"
I bury my big fuzzy head between them and whine. "Why do you two have to be like thisâŚ"
Ray just chuckles, ruffling my fur. "Because we love you, mutt. Someone's gotta add fun to your grumpy life. And who even forgets his own birthday?"
"Yeah, Puppers," Lean hums, kissing my muzzle. "If Ray hadn't told me, I'd have never known. We rehearsed the whole week for the play!"
And before I know itâpoofâI'm half-turned back, half-naked wolf man. Ears and tail still out. Clothes? Nowhere. Dignity? Gone. Do I care? Not one damn bit.
Ray's seen me naked more times than my mom, and Lean⌠well, he knows everything now.
So I pull both idiots into my bare chest and squeeze them tight, crying like a fool.
"YOU TWO DUMB FOOLS! HOW ARE YOU BOTH SO PERFECT?!" I sob. "I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU BOTHâSNIFFâI'M NOT CRYING, THERE'S SOMETHING IN MY EYE! I LOVE YOU BOTH! SERIOUSLY, RAYâYOU'RE THE BEST FRIEND A WOLF COULD ASK FOR! AND YOUâVAMPIRE!âYOU'RE THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME!"
And before I can stop myself, I'm smearing their faces with kissesâsloppy, wet, unhinged kisses.
"STOP, WOLF! YOU'RE GONNA EAT OUR FACES!" Ray squeals.
"Puppersâslow dowwwn!" Lean giggles, kicking weakly under my arm.
Ah⌠fools. My beautiful, chaotic, perfect fools.
I love them. I really, really love them. And I can't live without either of them.
For about thirty seconds after I'd finish smearing confetti in both their faces and squeezing the life out of them, the world is gloriously, staggeringly loud in the best way.
Ray got me some new clothes he got for my birthday! A black tanktop with a red leather jackets, yellow jeans, a pair of new neon blue shoes.
Lean dresses up too, sea green shirt, white blazer and white pants! A pair of sneakers, Ray funded everything!
Laughter ricochets off the hall's corrugated walls, the fairy lights buzz with expensive electricity, and some DJ (Ray's friend, definitely paid in snacks and smugness) and some fake pay people whome again he hired to just fill up the space. launched into a song as Ray clapped twice, that made my wolf hips ache.
Ray hops up like a caffeinated meerkat and slaps a hand to his chest. "Okay, okay, everyoneâsettle! Settle! My illustrious plan hasâuhâworked," he announces, dramatic as hell. A dozen phones lift in synchronized betrayal to record the aftermath. I growl at the glare of a camera, then immediately regret the sound because Lean giggles like a little demon and wrapping his arms around my neck for real this time. I let him. Let Ray grin. Let the noise wash over me. For once I felt like I could breathe.
The "actors" were huddles near the punch bowl, pale and shaky but grinning weakly, pockets crammed with cash and too many apologies. One of themâbald, with a dramatic scar painted on his cheekâkept rubbing his chest and muttering that he'd "survived the werewolf apocalypse." I suspected he meant me. I suspected someone had paid him too much too keep his mouth shut that they literally saw a werewolf! Well if not I will eat them in the dinner.
Lean, being Lean, flounce to the center and grabs a glittery paper crown off the table. "Puppers!" he sings aloud, clapping the crown over my head like I wasn't a seventy-kilo muscle machine with potentially lethal fangs. "King of the Hill! King of my Heart!" He plants two quick kisses on my nose and then pose like a drag queen accepting an award. I bark a laughâhalf-ruff, half-honestâand the room claps like we'd just cured the flu.
Ray has gone full showman. He pulls a tray of something suspiciously green out of nowhereâ"Hawaiian" cocktails with little umbrellas that leaned like tiny surrender flagsâand offers one to me. I point my lips at it. "Save it for your girls, Millers."
He bows like the little actor he wanted to be. "Your loss. Your liver's loss. Happy birthday, Dommy-boy!" He nudges a cake forwardâmassive, three tiers, smeared with frosting and a grotesque but lovingly handmade sculpt of my face with a wolf with a tiny dog tag. Lean squeals like it is the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and kisses the wolf sculpture reverently. I still haven't decided whether to be offended or flattered, Ray and Lean literally led a war for the chocolate sculpture that who's gonna eat the wolf! I stop them and grab the wolf and munch it down "no one eats me except me!!!"
Then...then comes my poor face sculpture, the two rabid dogs are having a civil war for it! Result? My right ear and face gets eaten by the vampire and the left part by the sunshine bastard!
Ray climbs onto a folding chair (falls three times in a row) and calls for attention in a voice that could both charm and terrify. "A toast!" He raises his cocktail. "To Dominic Quinnâwho showed us the meaning of family, chaos, and very intimidating batting technique, and 'How to Tame A Wolfie'." He raises his glass. "To the man who will probably bite us if we don't clean up by midnightâcheers!" fool!
"Cheers," I grunt, and for a second the words feels huge. Honest. I look at Leanâhair still wet from the fake "abduction" scene, makeup slightly smeared, eyes glitteringâand felt my throat tighten in the strangest way. He caught my look and blinked, big and bright like he'd swallowed a star.
Then Lean jumps up on the table and starts chirping. "Okay, so I was going to do an emo speech about the time I nearly died in episode 12 of my tragic childhood, BUTâ" he pauses, made a ridiculous face, and the crowd whoops. "No. Instead, I will say this: Domâyou are my chaos. My grumpy, soft, dumb, hairy chaos. You are the only one who can terrorize me and keep me unlive in the same breath. Thank you. Also, cake!"
He leaps off the table and shoves a fork into my face. The way he say "thank you" makes me go stupid-mushy inside, as if a whole nest of warm things had just moved residence in my chest. I shove a chunk of cake into his mouth because dramatic vampires deserve to be force-fed on birthdaysâand because I could.
Music swells. Ray drag a reluctant Lean to the DJ booth and insisted they do a duetâsomething obnoxiously poppy. Lean harmoniz with the kind of off-key perfection that made the room laugh and clap more. I stand back, arms folded over my chest in that disappointing domesticated way I'd learned to do, watching them be ridiculous together. Ray's arm was thrown over Lean's shoulders in a way that said, loudly and plainly: we made this. We fixed you. We're yours.
The night loosened its edges. People danced. Someone started a conga line. The confettiâGod help the carpetsâsettled like metallic raindrops. Lean and Ray cornered me for pictures; Ray's head suddenly appeared in the frame and made an exaggerated kiss face, while Lean stuck two fingers behind my head in a perfect devil horns peace sign. The photos would be blackmail evidence later.
At some point Ray slipped me a small, wrapped box. "Open it now," he said, fierce and gentle in the same breath. I peeled back paper and found a battered but immaculate dog tagâmy name stamped on it. I swallowed. For once my voice couldn't hide behind a growl.
"RAY!!!!"
He ran away giggling like a cartoon!
Its not bad though! Oh the tag can be opened! Wow Ray put a picture of me and lean into it! Not bad
"Thanks." I mutter no one hears it!
Lean feeds me another forkful of cake and whispers, loud enough this time for only me to hear, "Birthday's not the same without the smell of real pancakes and your grump. Don't ever stop being mine, Puppers."
I let out a sound that is not quite a laugh and not quite a sob. It is everything. I hug them both again, arms clumsy and sure. For a few hours, in a hall full of idiots, actors, cheap cocktails, and ridiculous decorations, the world was simple and soft and utterly, beautifully ours.
And then chaos, lean is the whole crowd! Drinking wine competition! Ray got 5 drums of Red wine specifically for lean! And dude for real sniffed all those up in 5 minutes like it's nothing? Damn Vampire and their wine addiction like who does his barbie slim belly have that kinda space? The crowd is too intoxicated to suspect something wrong!
Laterâmuch laterâthe lights dimmed. The DJ played something slow; Ray and Lean begged me to dance. I stood stiff for a second, then let them tug me into the circle. Lean wrapped his arms around me, nose tucked under my chin. Ray draped a hoodie over my shoulders and hummed the stupidest, gentlest melody out of tune. We swayedâdangerous, ridiculous, tenderâwhile confetti stuck to our clothes like stubborn memories.
I didn't think about the map ping waiting on my phone. I didn't think about the line that had whispered through the night earlier like a half-forgotten nightmare. For now, there was frosting on my lip, a crown slightly crooked, and two warm idiots in my arms.
And for one blinking, glorious heartbeat, the wolf in me slept.
The guests are gone. The DJ, the actorsâeveryoneâvanished like smoke. The hall smells of spilled wine, glitter stuck to everything like it plans to stay forever. I lie in the middle of the mess, chest heaving, tail splayed behind me, ears twitching.
Ray's draped over me from the right, drunk as a sea monster, clinging like I'm a life raft. Lean's on the left, still squirming, still trying to wiggle into a last dance, but eventually he flops, stubborn little vampire, and lets me hold him. "Stop it, Vamps!" Both Ray and I shout, because seriously, no more dancing.
I curl my arms around them both. Lean's drool drips cool against my chest, soft and sticky, chest rising and falling like a tiny storm. Ray's head is tucked against my shoulder, one leg over my thighs, a hand around my chest and Lean's neck, nibbling absentmindedly on my arm, mumbling something about Mesopotamian gods in his sleep.
I look at the ceiling, breath coming easier now, muscles unclenching. My heart still beats fast, a little, but the tension leaks away. My fingers sag. Tail twitches once, then stops. I huffâa soft, satisfied soundâand a small smile spreads across my face.
Lean shifts, murmuring softly in his sleep, drool smearing over my shirt. Ray shifts too, mumbling nonsense, still clutching me. And I just⌠let myself sink. Into the floor. Into the mess. Into them. Pulling them close.
*đşDom â Damn people, it's not a cuddle, I'm not into that kind of shitâŚ
đ¨âđťAuthor â You sure, wolf? I can rewrite itâLean and Ray cuddling to sleep, and you on a deluxe bed!
đşDom â Evander⌠you have a dead wish?
đ¨âđťAuthor â Dude, I was just trying to help! Damn, you're thick!! đ*
Safe. Full. Loved.
Finally, finally, I drift off. The wolf in me rests for the first time all night, while the chaos sleeps around us and inside us, tangled in the warmth of three idiots, one drunken, one undead and the other me? The DADDY PUPPERS, heh; who somehow became my whole world.