"What are you looking for?" she asked him, still focused on her screen.

Marius kept moving his mouse and clicking it in what seemed like a random pattern to Jack since he couldn't see the screen. "The new adoption packet."

Jack's hand dropped to Missy's head, and he gave her a little pat. He'd found a dog for himself and would be taking her home. Being happy about that didn't quite explain everything he was feeling. It was more than happiness, more than comfort. Even more than the slow warmth that filled his heart. She was going to be his dog. He'd never had a dog that was all his own, and the frightened spaniel mix wasn't the dog he'd come into the shelter hoping to find. But, after spending two days with her, he thought she was a good dog for him. She sat down and looked up at him, her gaze appearing to search his as well. But for what he couldn't even begin to guess. Maybe she was hungry.

The printer sprang to life in front of him, and Clara got up from her chair to collect the sheets and lay them out on the counter in front of him. "This is the adoption packet," she explained. "Everyone has to read it, sign it, and adhere to it." She handed him a pen and pointed to the first place he had to sign. She looked impatient, like she wanted him to sign it right there in front of her without actually reading it. Too bad for her he'd never actually not read the terms of something he signed. He started at the top of the page and read about the rescue's mission statement, the employees they had, and how Marius and Clara had started it up with the simple dream of providing a home for neglected and abused pets. They had their rescue stats listed, a sweet quote about how dogs fill a hole in a person's heart they didn't even know was there. His fingers brushed over Missy's ear as he kept reading.

"She's already spayed, so you don't have to go through that part," Clara said. Again she pointed to the place where he was supposed to sign on that page as if he'd suddenly missed it since the last time she'd told him.

"Go sit down, Clara," Marius said. Jack lifted his gaze from the paperwork to see Marius glaring at the woman.

"But-"

He nodded toward her seat and rose from his. She pressed her lips together and sat down with an irritated-sounding huff. Marius approached the desk and leaned against it about a foot away from where Jack was standing. "Take your time," he said. "Read everything, and make sure you understand what you're getting into when you adopt a pet from us."

That sounded a bit ominous, and Jack read it a bit closer, making sure he didn't have to do a blood sacrifice to be able to adopt her or something outrageous like that. But there wasn't anything like that mentioned. He signed at the bottom of the page and went to the next one, which outlined their fees. Missy was an adult dog, and so her price was listed. He signed that page and went on to the next that talked about the care of a dog and how they needed walks, fresh water, and a high-fenced backyard.

Marius looked over his shoulder. "Do you have a backyard?" he asked.

Jack shook his head and met Marius's gaze. Would that be an issue for them? Would he not be allowed to adopt her because he lived in an apartment? His fingers tightened on her leash, digging in because now that he knew that he liked her so much, he was unwilling to let go of her.

"Do you live in an apartment, then?" Marius asked him, a comforting smile playing over his lips. Jack nodded.

Clara tapped her pen against the desk, sounding annoyed with his line of questioning. "He listed his address on the volunteer application. You can see that there's an apartment number right there."

Marius shot her a glare, and Clara gave him the finger in response. Seth laughed, and Jack smiled softly. He wondered what it would be like to work in a place like this, somewhere where they had fun and messed with each other all day. At least that's what he'd seen. He'd never worked in a place like that before. It looked like it might be enjoyable.

"All of our pets come with a thirty-day health guarantee. Do you have a vet already?" Marius continued.

Jack shook his head. He knew there was a lot he needed to take care of. A dog wasn't like bringing home a loaf of bread. The thought reminded him that he really should make the effort to get some food since peanut b.u.t.ter wouldn't be a good meal again tonight. It hadn't been a good breakfast either.

Marius nodded. "We'll set you up with an appointment to go to our vet. He's a good guy. I think you'll like him."

"He's cute too. Not that he responds to any of my advances. Oh no. Not him. The good vet can't be bothered with little ol' me," Seth spoke up from his desk where he was filing his nails. Jack raised his brows. He hadn't realized that Seth was gay.

Marius rolled his eyes. "Please excuse Seth. He can get a little cranky if he doesn't get his afternoon sugar fix. So yes, the vet is a good guy, and I'll set you up with an appointment with him. The first exam is always free, and it's good to go to just get a baseline of what's going on with her. You'll also get all of Missy's records while she was here. It's good information to have, so keep them somewhere safe. If you don't want to keep going back to him for whatever reason that's not a big deal. Just have your new vet's office call his, and have the paperwork transferred over. Or take a copy of everything we give you and what he gives you over there to make sure it's all together in one place. It's not a necessity, but it does make it easier if one vet has everything rather than trying to get all of the information together."

Jack nodded, trying his best to follow along. But all he could think about was how Marius didn't seem bothered by Seth being gay. So maybe, if they were ever friends, Marius wouldn't mind that he was gay too. It was a weird thought. He liked Marius and thought he seemed like a good guy. From his limited experience with him or good guys in general. So maybe someday in the future when Jack was better they could be friends and go out and do things together like friends did. "When's a good time for you for the house check?" Marius asked.

Jack frowned. He really didn't have any plans for tomorrow. Or any day really. After what had happened, he'd taken a leave of absence from work, and he still had another week and a half of it. His boss hadn't been happy, but Jack wasn't essential to the daily operations, and he figured his boss couldn't really do anything about it. Except for maybe firing him. Which luckily he hadn't done. Yet. He'd told the man it was an emergency and left it at that. He wasn't sure what he'd do if there wasn't a job waiting for him when he went back. He tried not to think that far ahead.

He shrugged, responding to Marius's question.

Frowning but not missing a beat, Marius grabbed a sticky note off a pile near his hip and scribbled on it. "I'll put you down for ten, then. All right?" Jack nodded, and Marius handed him the note. "This is a reminder. Here's my cell number if you need to cancel. Also the number of the rescue is on there. Try here first, but in case I'm already out, you can call me directly."

Jack held on to it, his eyes seeing the numbers but not really understanding. Was it normal for these people to randomly give out their numbers to people they barely knew? He hadn't spoken more than ten words to any of them, but Marius treated him like a friend, like they actually had some level of familiarity going on that Jack hadn't picked up on. Was he really that out of it that he'd completely missed some sign Marius had been sending him?

"Do you want to stay for a while, or should I take Missy back to her kennel?" Marius asked.

Looking down at her, his new dog, Jack felt a flood of warmth sneak into his heart. He rubbed her ears and touched her nose. He had to get a few things and he'd been here long enough. She'd be all right in her kennel for another night. He put the leash down in front of him and waited for Marius to come around the side of the counter before he let her go. He waved to her as Marius took her away. Once they were through the dog door he stepped up to the desk.

"Can you do the home check?" he quietly asked Clara.

She looked up at him in surprise, whether because of his request or because he hadn't managed to string that many intelligible words together in front of her he didn't know. But he wanted her to come do it, not Marius. Not that he didn't think the man was nice and all. But, well, it just wasn't ideal. It wouldn't work having him there. It just wouldn't.

"Uh.... Sure. I think," she said slowly. "Any reason you don't want Marius to do it? He's the one that normally goes out on home checks. Or I can send Seth if you'd rather have him there?"

Jack shook his head. Neither of them would work. They were both men and therefore he didn't want them there in his s.p.a.ce. It had already been too muddied by everything else.

She leaned back in her chair and shrugged. "All right. I'll see."

Nodding, Jack turned away as he heard Marius coming back. He was in his car before Marius came into the lobby. After a quick stop to get groceries he was back home, pulling his mail from the little slot and tossing the junk mail in the trash bin the building's manager kept handy for just such an occasion. He walked upstairs, ready to put his few groceries away and clean up for Clara's visit tomorrow. He wasn't a slob by any means but he still wanted the place to be tidy when she came to visit. When he opened his door, though, something slipped forward. It was a silver-colored CD in a jewel case with no markings or writing on it. Curious, he picked it up and put it on the counter before locking the door behind himself. He stole glances at the strange present while he put away his groceries. Once they were stored, he examined the disk more closely before putting it into his player. But when it refused to play he realized it was a DVD and switched it over to that player instead. At first there was nothing on the screen, and then his living room slowly came into focus. But not as it was now. It was the room as it had been then. On that day. He didn't need the sound on to know what was coming, and his hands balled into fists on his thighs. He followed the camera's movements to his open bedroom door. Helpless to look away he saw himself on the bed, one man already on there with him. The camera was put down and the second man joined in. He'd called it fun. Had said Jack would learn something new. All he'd learned was how to hate himself. He'd never felt so dirty, so used before.

Tears streamed down his face, and his body shook as bile rose in the back of his throat, the acid tearing away at already-damaged tissue. For the next hour he watched what the men had done to him in every gory detail. Even those that he'd forgotten were played out in front of him. And as if paralyzed he was unable to look away from the screen until the men got off his bed, until the first kissed him on his temple and the second grabbed his b.u.t.t and they retrieved the camera. The screen went blank, and Jack's mouth closed. His mouth was dry, and his throat felt raw. A scream that he hadn't known he'd released rung in his ears.

The movie continued, the scene different. A man held up a sign in front of him. He was demanding money to keep a copy of the video private and said where Jack could have it delivered. Then, after a long moment in which the two men he recognized sat laughing with others on a couch and drinking beer, the video finally died and he felt his locked muscles release all at once as he fell sideways on the couch with tears streaming down his face.

He'd thought that'd been the end of it. One horrible afternoon in his otherwise good and normal life. But that wasn't the case. Not anymore. He didn't think about the money or where he was going to get it from. He simply wanted to be numb, to not let that memory or any since then come into his mind as he closed his eyes and wished for a peace that had been eluding him for weeks.

Chapter 6.

MARIUS LED LED Missy up to Jack's apartment building the next morning. It hadn't been a long walk for them, not really. In fact, he didn't think Jack lived more than thirty minutes from the shelter by foot. By car it must have been a lot less, but he wasn't good at judging that kind of thing with cars. He bent and poured some water from his bottle into a little nylon bag that he'd brought for Missy before they went in. She was better. Still not great, especially around people who weren't Jack, but she was absolutely better than she had been last month when they'd rescued her. And her transformation in just two days of meeting with Jack was nearly miraculous. She deserved to have a good home. If any of their dogs did, it was this girl. Missy up to Jack's apartment building the next morning. It hadn't been a long walk for them, not really. In fact, he didn't think Jack lived more than thirty minutes from the shelter by foot. By car it must have been a lot less, but he wasn't good at judging that kind of thing with cars. He bent and poured some water from his bottle into a little nylon bag that he'd brought for Missy before they went in. She was better. Still not great, especially around people who weren't Jack, but she was absolutely better than she had been last month when they'd rescued her. And her transformation in just two days of meeting with Jack was nearly miraculous. She deserved to have a good home. If any of their dogs did, it was this girl.

He found Jack's apartment easily enough, and surprisingly, no one even looked up when he brought Missy into the building. A few people he saw waved, probably recognizing him from the prowerewolf talks he'd done when the council had first asked those of them that were willing to come out into the open to do so. Some others scowled at him. But when he'd only pa.s.sed a handful of people in the building, getting one person who wasn't comfortable with what he was didn't exactly rate as a rarity in his day.

Marius knocked on the door and waited for Jack to open it. He heard the TV turn off, and the lock turned in the door before it opened just a crack. He met Jack's stunned gaze and had the door slammed in his face before he could even explain.

Sighing, Marius leaned his forehead against the wood. He knew Jack was still just on the other side. He could hear his heart beating, could smell his fear and panic. It lingered and left a nasty taste on his tongue. "Jack?" he called. "Look, I know you wanted Clara to come do this but she got pulled into a conference call with an investor, so I'm it. We can reschedule it for tomorrow if you'd rather, or you can let me in, and I'll do a quick check, and you won't ever have to see me again. It's up to you."

The door slowly opened, and Marius waited, Missy impatiently whining at his side, as Jack stepped aside.

"Can we come in?" Marius asked him. Though Jack kept his head down, trying his best not to make eye contact with Marius, he did nod, and that was enough. Marius stepped inside, tugging Missy along with him. "She had a good walk over," he said, getting down on one knee to take her leash off as Jack closed the door behind them. The lock turned firmly in place, and he tugged on it, appearing to check to make sure it had worked. Marius didn't mind. Safety was important, and he thought more people needed to take better care of themselves anyway.

Marius rose to his feet and placed her leash on the kitchen counter nearby. "I don't like being in vehicles," he explained even though Jack hadn't asked him about it. "This is a nice place you've got here." Jack shrugged. Marius went to the small TV, checking to make sure the wires were all in good condition without any exposed parts that could shock Missy if she became curious.

"If she starts chewing them you'll want to get a special covering so she can't get to them as easily. But she hasn't even attempted it in the time she spent behind the desk with us, so she should be okay." He moved to the kitchen, checking to see if any cords hung down that she could get hurt on. There weren't, and he quickly turned his attention to the black sheet he'd noticed when he first walked in.

"What's back there?" he asked, nodding toward the s.p.a.ce. He didn't try to go forward, just stood against the kitchen counter looking at it. Jack moved in front of him, blocking his path in case he changed his mind. But he wasn't going to. Whatever Jack wanted to hide was his business. But he still had to ask about it for Missy's sake. "Is there anything in there that can hurt her? Chemicals, broken gla.s.s, wire? Anything at all?" Jack shook his head. "Okay. If there is then you can pick up a baby gate to close the area off to her."

He came around the side of the counter and slid his backpack off his shoulder. Poor Missy hadn't moved from the place he'd taken off her leash. "With an apartment, the home check is a lot faster. I had this one adopter that had four other dogs already and a big backyard, a pool, and young kids. That took all afternoon to make sure everyone would get along. But it was worth it since this is the most important part of being a rescue. We want all of our pets to go to homes, but they've got to be the right home for that pet, and it needs to be a good fit. Sadly it isn't always like that, and I hate breaking hearts by telling an adopter they just aren't a good fit for the pet they've set their hearts on." He pulled out the Great Start bag. It was more or less a reusable cloth bag filled with coupons, treats, and food samples. He'd taken the liberty of sneaking a few toys in there as well. They usually didn't go home with the dogs, and Missy had never shown much interest in them. But if Jack could get her to change her ways about humans so easily maybe he could get her to play with a ball as well. It was worth a chance anyway.

"What's a normal day for you like, Jack?" Marius asked him. He could get away with gestures sometimes, but Marius had questions and needed answers if he was going to leave Missy with this man. He had to know Jack had time for her, that she wouldn't get pushed aside in favor of the rest of his life. When Jack didn't respond immediately, Marius stepped closer, intent on explaining his position to the younger man. "I've got to know that she'll have a place with you, that you won't get overwhelmed with life and forget about her like a lot of people seem to. People get busy, they have more kids, but our point as a rescue is to make sure adopters know these animals are a commitment and not a sweater to be worn and then discarded when they grow tired of them."

Jack's eyes were wide as he shook his head. He stepped up to Missy and placed a hand on her head. Marius was glad to see her move toward him as well, her whole body practically pushing against his leg. "I won't," Jack quietly replied.

Marius nodded. He didn't think he'd get much more out of the man than that. "Good enough," he said, hating that it was so impossibly hard to get Jack to open up to him. He had yet to meet anyone as quiet or closed off as the other man. Still, he'd been able to get Missy to open up, and that counted for a lot in his world. He pulled out the adoption contract and handed it to him. "Go ahead and read this over, then sign. If you have questions feel free to ask."

Jack nodded and started reading. A few minutes later, he took out a pen from a wire basket on the counter and signed. Marius took the paperwork back and stuffed it into his backpack.

"Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. You have my cell phone number and the vet's number. I wrote them both down in her paperwork in the bag." He got down on his knee to be able to look at Missy. "You're getting a great home here, little girl. Take care of him." Her tail twitched just a bit, and he smiled at her. Yeah, she'd take care of Jack. He got back up and offered his hand to Jack. "It was nice meeting you." His hand hung in the air for a long moment, but he didn't give up. He could see the indecision in Jack's gaze, and though he'd tried to not push him about anything since meeting him, Marius thought handshakes were important. After another minute or two, Jack gingerly slipped his hand into Marius's. He didn't squeeze him, instead letting Jack choose to do that if he wanted to. Which he didn't. Instead, they pressed their palms together in the strangest handshake Marius had ever been part of. Jack was the first to drop his hand away, leaving Marius to pick up his bag and let himself out of the apartment.

Though Jack was an odd person, Marius felt good about leaving Missy with him. The change in her was remarkable. He'd rarely seen her seek comfort from anyone and that she chose Jack was enough to let Marius know he'd made the right decision about letting the younger man adopt the little spaniel mix. He left the apartment building and headed back to the rescue. He cut through yards and found his way through alleys, the familiar town opening itself up to him as he wound his way back to work.

But first, he had to make a quick stop. Chocolate Lovers was a quaint shop with flower boxes in each of its large windows and dark-blue shutters that stood out against the bright-white siding. It had once been a house, but sometime within the last fifty years the owner and his mother had converted it into a gift and chocolate shop. When Clara had asked for the best chocolates for their bet, he'd immediately thought of these. A person couldn't get much finer sweets in town. The bell above the door chimed as he stepped in, and the familiar scents of caramel and dark chocolate wrapped around him. There were a few other shoppers in the store, albeit none were in front of the chocolate display.

"Marius, good to see you again," the owner said, leaning his arms on the gla.s.s case across from him.

He smiled at the man. "Mr. Davis, good to see you too. How is your mom doing with her new rabbits?"

"She adores them. They're perfect for her," he replied. "And please, call me Peter. We've known each other for years. Ever since I came in to the rescue and adopted Napoleon from you."

Marius smiled softly, remembering that day. "You're a good man to adopt a senior pet. Not many people do that. We get most adopters looking for puppies or kittens, sometimes an animal a little over a year, but not often. And you took home a cat that was well past the prime of his life. I admire you for that. We need more adopters like you out there." Peter blushed deeply and dropped his gaze. His fingers trembled on the gla.s.s between them. "How is he?"

Peter's lips pursed, and he shook his head. "Not great. It's cancer. The vet is doing what he can for him, but at fifteen years old there's not much he can do, and he doesn't think surgery is a good option. It's too much of a risk. But I knew I wouldn't have him for very long when I adopted him. I just couldn't see him live out the rest of his life in a shelter. Not that your rescue isn't great. It is. But it's not a home, and he needed that and-" His words cut out on a m.u.f.fled sob, and he turned away, his hands going to his mouth to further quiet the sound of his grief. "Sorry. I just-"

Marius came around the gla.s.s counter and put his arms around the man. Peter trembled against him, and Marius said nothing, knowing there was no way to soothe the loss of someone so important to the other man. Some might say they were simply pets. Other, crueler people might not even think they were worth crying over. But Marius knew differently and, more than that, he could tell that Peter believed that as well. Napoleon had been his from the first moment Peter had stepped into their rescue. He hadn't said he was looking for a cat or any pet in particular but had started looking around. Marius hadn't thought much of it. He hadn't recognized the man, and they got plenty of people simply wanting to spend time with animals at the rescue.

But less than an hour later, Peter had taken home the little black stray, and Marius knew his story. He'd come to town to take care of his aging mother. He made chocolates and would be building a store off Main Street. On that day, Marius had made a friend, and Peter had brought happiness to a cat that had otherwise had none.

And now cancer was going to take him away from Peter.

"If you ever need anything," Marius softly said, "anything, you know we're here for you."

Peter nodded against his chest. "Thanks. I appreciate that. And I know you are." He stepped back and gave Marius a watery smile. "Look at that mess. I made your shirt all wet." He haphazardly tried to brush the wet spot on Marius's collarbone off, but Marius stopped him.

"You're fine. Don't worry about it. Will you be okay now?" he asked.

Shrugging, Peter turned back to the chocolates in front of him. "I'm better, but I don't think I'll be okay for a while. I know he's just a cat. A silly little cat. But, he's mine. You know?"

Marius smiled at him as he came around to the front of the gla.s.s case, once again becoming little more than a customer to the man across from him. "Yeah. I know."

Peter gave him a tentative smile, though the unshed tears were still clear in his eyes. "So, Marius, what can I do for you?"

"I lost a bet with Clara and need to get her a box of your best," he replied, looking down at all the chocolates he wished he could enjoy. He'd never tasted chocolate but he'd sniffed it plenty of times, and even now the sweet aroma was tempting him to risk the pain he'd likely endure from even a slight lick of one of the truffles.

"Do you want me to mix it up, or do you want all milk chocolate or all white" Peter asked as he put on a glove before sliding the gla.s.s case open.

Marius shrugged. "Surprise me. Well, I guess it'd be her you were surprising. So yeah. Go for it."

Peter nodded and began picking out the different chocolates. White ones with red swirls, dark ones with nuts on them, and brown ones with white powder all went into the nice white box in Peter's hands.

"What do they taste like?" Marius asked him.

"If you like chocolate they're some of the best. And I'm not saying that just because I make them. I sneak a few truffles a day. It's not really sneaking them since I make them, and they're all mine. But I eat them. A lot of them," Peter replied, grinning up at him.

Marius smiled back. "And somehow you manage to stay thin. I think Clara would be jealous if she could hear you now. She loves your chocolates but doesn't want to gain weight, so she limits herself to only when she wins our bets, which isn't all that often."

Standing up, Peter put the box on top of the case and pulled out a length of creamy white ribbon. He showed the chocolates to Marius, who quickly nodded, before wrapping them up and tying off the box with the bow. "Tell her she's beautiful for me please. Though I think her husband would be jealous. I can appreciate a curvy woman." Peter shrugged and handed the box to Marius. "Here you go. Have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you the next time you lose a bet."

Marius nodded, balanced the chocolates in one hand, and pulled out his wallet with the other. "How much are they again?"

Peter shook his head. "Nothing. Not this time."

Marius was surprised. "But-"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Peter again shook his head. "I needed help, and you were here for me. Thank you for that. I'm not charging you for the chocolates. Tell Clara and Seth hey for me, and I'll see you soon."

Not that he didn't appreciate saving money, but he wasn't going to let Peter do that for him. Chocolates, like animal rescue, were a tentative sort of thing. People didn't need them like they did bread or milk and so he knew that Peter couldn't possibly be in the position to be giving away his truffles. He pulled out a twenty and put it in the cobalt-blue tip jar Peter kept next to the register. He didn't remember how much a box of chocolates cost but he hoped that would cover them. Peter pursed his lips but didn't try to take the money out of the jar as Marius backed away from the counter.

"See you later," he called, grinning at Peter and feeling a bit like he'd won.

He balanced the chocolates in his hand as he put his wallet away before walking out of the shop. A pair of middle-aged women stood outside the door, their heads bent over the flower display Peter kept outside to attract customers. Marius stopped to sniff a brightly colored one. He knew nothing of flowers beyond that he liked how they looked, and so taking a moment to admire them was a nice break before he went back to the rescue. His small errand was turning into an all morning trip but he didn't mind. Clara might until she saw the chocolates he was bringing her, but right about now she was probably looking at the clock and tapping her pink pen against her desk.

One of the women whispered something into her friend's ear before glancing at him. The other responded, her voice soft but not nearly as quiet as her friend's. Even if they hadn't been trying to be quiet Marius would have heard them. It was hard not to with his enhanced hearing. Still, he pretended that he hadn't been called a mutt and a freak as he walked around them and headed back down the sidewalk toward the rescue.

He couldn't please everyone. He knew that. But it'd still been a shock when people had started drifting away after he made the announcement of what he was that fateful afternoon. It'd been a choice; the council hadn't made coming out mandatory. And they continued to promise they never would. But Marius had believed in his town, in his friends, and had thought things might have been a bit different than they were. Some people stayed. Others severed ties with him immediately. But it was the people who had stuck with him, those that he'd called his friends for years and had continued to be with him for months after that speech that hurt the most. Because those were the people he'd relied on in those dark moments when people used to yell at him in the streets or refuse to serve him at the deli counter. He'd had a nice, tight circle of friends he'd gone to about those problems when he felt like the world was against him. Now only Clara and Seth were left from that group. The others had been slower to leave than the first group. But they'd left all the same. Peter had come later, but Marius trusted him as well.

He was an attractive man, and once upon a time Marius might have wanted to ask him out. But there'd always been something there between them. Or, rather, not there. The spark was missing, and even though he pretended it wasn't, he couldn't change what he didn't feel for the other man. He still appreciated the view, and caught himself looking at him more than once when he saw him outside of the chocolate shop.

He quickly arrived at the rescue and placed the box of chocolates on Clara's desk. He heard her talking in another room and knew she'd see them when she came out. Seth enjoyed chocolate nearly as much as she did but he knew better than to take her truffles without permission. With their bet settled, Marius went into the kennels to see if there was anything that needed to be done.

Chapter 7.

"WHAT ARE ARE you doing here?" Jack asked him as he came up behind Marius on the sidewalk. Missy pushed against his side, and he reached down to pet her. He wasn't sure if she was impatient or trying to comfort him, but he was glad she was there with him. you doing here?" Jack asked him as he came up behind Marius on the sidewalk. Missy pushed against his side, and he reached down to pet her. He wasn't sure if she was impatient or trying to comfort him, but he was glad she was there with him.

Marius turned toward him, a small smile playing over his lips.

"Did I forget to sign some paperwork?" Jack continued. He'd had Missy for less than twenty-four hours now, and he thought things were going pretty well. She seemed to like him. But finding Marius standing on the sidewalk in front of his apartment building was a bit jarring.

Marius shook his head. "No. I like to check up on adopters after the first night. See if they have any questions. So do you? Have questions that is. Or do you need anything?"

Jack's hand tightened on her leash. "No. I think I'm okay."

"Oh. All right." His smile slipped a bit. "That's really good, then. So... I'll just be going. Take care of yourself, Jack. Bye, Missy." Marius stepped around them and headed through the small park behind the building.

Jack watched him go. Something felt like it was stirring inside of him, something he didn't know how to define. But it felt like want. Maybe. Not desire, he wouldn't call it that and didn't think he'd be capable of that for a long time. But maybe he wanted to be around another person, even if Marius wasn't really human. "Wait!" Jack called before Marius got too far away from him to hear. Before Jack could change his mind.