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He'd just closed the door when footsteps raced through the other room, and Dakota started grinning even before the dog reached the hallway.
The dog crashed right into Dakota, but he didn't buckle under her huge weight at all. Fuck, he was so strong.
"Hey, Candy! Did you miss me?" he asked as he went on his knees before the huge dog so he could hug her better. The name Candy was really at odds with the giant dog, but I could see Dakota loved her a lot. Watching them made me miss Hella, the resident dog soul in the demon realm. Right now, she spent most of her time at Azazel's place or with one of the demons who lived alone or with another demon. We couldn't have her at our place most of the time because of Dakota, and I hadn't seen her in a week.
Once they'd finished with their reunion, I stepped closer, and Dakota smiled at me before looking at Candy. "Hey, Candy. Meet our new roommate. His name's Ryk."
I offered my hand to her, and she gave it one single sniff before letting out a loud growl. My eyes widened as she squeezed herself between me and Dakota.
"I—I guess she doesn't like me," I said hesitantly, and Dakota frowned down at his dog.
"That's strange. She's usually very friendly," he said, and I shrugged. Could she sense that I wasn't human?
"Maybe she doesn't like the scent of my paints," I said, and Dakota nodded with pursed lips.
"Maybe."
"Come sit with us for a bit, boys. Moon's somewhere here, but he'll peek out when he's good and ready," she said with a shake of her head, and we followed her deeper into the house.
Dakota's dad—Darwin—was closer to my height, though his eyes were the exact shade of blue as Dakota's. Both of them were wonderful people, and while I didn't remember my own parents, it was clear to see how much Dakota's parents loved him.
"Ah, there he is!" Mom said—I still couldn't get over the fact that I got to call her Mom!—and I followed her gaze to see a cat slowly making his way into the room, green eyes cautiously scanning his surroundings.
I snickered as I realized the reason behind his name. He was all black except for a white circle on his face.
"Dakota, did you name your pets?" I asked, struggling to hold back my laughter, and he sighed.
"I never should've let her," he grumbled, then shook his head. "My niece named them."
"Wait. You have a sibling?" I demanded, surprised once more. Had he told us about them and I'd just forgotten? Or had the topic never come up?
"Yeah, an older sister," he said, and I shook my head. I was discovering so many new things about Dakota today.
I blinked in surprise when I felt weight on my lap, and glanced down to find Moon curled up on my legs, his green eyes watching Candy, who'd hogged the couch Dakota sat on.
"Well, at least one of them likes me," I joked, and Dakota shook his head.
"Moon takes time to warm up to people, so this is actually really surprising. Did the sun rise from the west today?" he asked his parents, making them laugh.
I ran my fingers over the top of Moon's head, and he looked up at me, giving me a soft meow.
"You're a sweet boy, aren't you?" I asked as he pressed into my touch, and smiled when he started purring.
Since it was late—and since we hadn't told the other two where we were—we didn't stay long. Dakota slid Candy's harness on her while I placed Moon in the carrier Mom brought over from the other room, and soon enough, we were ready to leave.
I was surprised when Mom gave me a hug, and I might've held on a second too long, though she didn't say anything about it. Dakota's dad was a little more reserved, but he was still warm and gave me a firm handshake before we left.
"Your parents are really nice," I said as we walked back toward our house, and Dakota shot me a smile.
"Yeah, I know. I'm lucky to have them."
"You don't mind that I called your mom 'Mom,' do you?" I asked, and he chuckled.
"Of course not. She asked you to call her that, so why would I mind?"
Smiling, I shifted the cat carrier to my other hand so I could walk closer to Dakota. Candy was still wary of me, but she dutifully walked on Dakota's other side, and together, the four of us headed home.
Five
