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Can wolves even be ESA’s?
To my surprise Caspian returns with a glass of water, crossing his arms as I drink gratefully.
“So what did your foster parent do to you in this dream?”
I choke slightly on my last sip and cough while he takes the empty cup from me and puts it on the side table. I’m silent for a long moment and inhale deeply, preparing myself to verbalize a piece of my history no one knows.
“This one’s name was Frank. Frank didn’t like my existence. He used varying methods of showing me how little my life was worth, but his preferred method was to use his belt as a whip. Particularly, he enjoyed when the metal pieces tore skin. That always got the best reaction.”
Claire would kill me if she knew the secrets I haven’t told her in years, I’m telling to some random century old person.
Caspian’s face remains unreadable, his jaw clenching and pulsating is enough to tell me he doesn’t particularly enjoy the thought of that method of torture.
Same here, Mystery man.
The room is quiet for a while as I reflect on that memory and as I stare down at my wrists, my mind wanders.
“How did you and Dana find me, when... Leathery man had me?” Caspian’s lip twitches at the name, but his face remains serious as he thinks for a moment.
“Dumb luck, really. When I got wind that my brother had you, I headed to the nearest town and waited to see if you’d pop up. By the time I rounded the area you were being held, the wolf was flagging down my truck and I followed the direction he was sprinting.”
My suspicion at his ‘dumb luck’ is interrupted by a small revelation in his words and I pause, “He?” I ask nervously.
“He,” Caspian affirms with a nod.
My hands gesture between my legs, “How do you know he’s a he, if he has no manly bits?”
Caspian’s lips curl up in a poor attempt to smother a smirk. “Scent is what mostly gives it away. He is also not a wolf, so the ‘manly’ bits as you so kindly called them aren’t there in that form which is on-brand for those who can shift. Our kind has no need for them since we have our normal forms.”
Wait.“You can smell that he’s a ‘he’!?” I squeak, my jaw goes slack and my eyes bulge out of my head, turning to look at the creature laying against me, and then back to Caspian.
What the fuck else can he smell?!
Caspian barks a laugh and Dana, or Dan or whoever, jumps off the bed and cowers in dejection. “To be fair, he is a wolf right now, but whenever magic is returned he will have another form that is much more human in appearance, with very manly parts.”
I groan and glare at the canine hiding behind Caspian, “You saw me naked! Now I have to rename you, Dana is not going to work. Dan. Your name is Dan.”
Dan huffs again and Caspian sighs, “Well now that that is settled. Time to sleep, it’s way too early to be awake.”
I take a deep breath and look at Caspian, “Any clue where my cell is?”
His face is guarded as he nods before leaving the room and Dan whimpers sadly from where he stands.
“Get on the bed you big furry oaf. Once magic is back, though, the bed is off limits.”
Dan’s tail wags as he curls up alongside me and I shake my head as Caspian returns with my phone in hand. “How did you get ahold of it?” I ask, taking it from him.
Caspian winks, “I’ve mastered the ability to recover lost items over the years, it seems.”
I look at the screen and groan loudly at the 76 missed messages, 40 missed phone calls and 15 missed video calls. I unlock it and start damage control, first sending something to Claire.
Lara:Another nightmare. Different one this time, we’ll talk about it in a few days. Need to sleep for now.
The message is instantly read, and I see her type back.
Claire:Glad to know you’re alive! Candace and Henry both reached out. We will talk soon about the nightmare.
My next message goes to the group chat.
