The entire time, the poor dog cowered into me. We’d been a right pair as we cringed away from people getting too close, enduring it all because it was for his own good.
Once he was a much cleaner, healthier dog, we’d headed to the till to pay. The vet who’d treated Fang gave me a T-shirt that came as a bonus for some local cat food—seeing as I was still shirtless—and Gem laughed at the graphic of a tuna head on my chest. I couldn’t care less what I wore; her laughter was totally worth it.
Swiping her plastic card, she tried to hide the bill from me, but I noticed the tally. I’d tried to add the fifteen-hundred dollar cost to the many thousands I already owed her, but the numbers were getting too big to keep track, granting an even deeper headache.
Even if I had the funds, I would’ve felt indebted to her for the rest of my life—not only for letting me keep Fang but also for welcoming him into our family as if he’d always meant to find us.
Once we left the vet, Gem decided it was my turn to be poked and prodded, summoning yet another car to drive us to a doctor’s clinic that accepted walk-ins. Fang wasn’t allowed in, and no way in hell was I going to risk him being stolen and hurt again while waiting outside for us, so I did something I didn’t think I was capable of.
I kissed Gem goodbye.
I left her on the sidewalk with the dog.
And I headed into the clinic on my own.
Through a miracle or perhaps sheer determination to finally be normal, I kept my triggers and panic in control all while a kind-eyed female doctor cleaned my bite, gave me a packet of antibiotics, and stabbed me with a needle that ensured I wouldn’t die if Fang had something contagious.
I wouldn’t lie, I’d almost bolted out of the clinic once she was done, desperate to be away from strangers and back with Gem. But I hadn’t killed anyone. I’d let someone I didn’t know be in my personal space and touch me.
Progress.
Afterward, Gem finally decided she’d tortured Fang and me enough, permitting us to find something to eat. I had no idea what to feed him, but Gem bought him a blue-rare steak from a local restaurant, all while we indulged in burgers with all the trimmings.
The eatery was busy, even where we sat outside in the sun.
Bike riders sat in their tight neon outfits sipping coffees and other dog walkers shot wary glances at my tuna head T-shirt, Gemma’s stunning gown, and a twitchy dog with a bandage around his throat.
It was the most interaction I’d had in one spot, and even though people milled around, waitstaff brought us food, and my instincts were on high alert, not once did I feel threatened. It wasn’t me I was worried about for once. It wasn’t Gemma or my Fable family. It was a dog who rested his chin on my thigh and let out the biggest sigh of relief as I rubbed his head.
I stayed sane for him.
I noticed everything, judged everyone, yet I wasn’t afraid.
I knew I could protect him if needed.
Fang never left my side as we finished our lunch and walked the short distance to a pet store Gem had found on her phone.
And...without even thinking about it, without second-guessing my violent reactions or how smart it was putting me in a busy retail environment, I stepped into my first official store and fucking loved it. Any whispers of my past and how I’d been stolen vanished. I didn’t care how I’d first been kidnapped. I no longer needed to chase such nightmares.
I was just there.
Present.
Loving the way Fang’s tail wagged as he sniffed toys, food, and beds. He had my entire attention as we went down aisles, filling a cart full of dog stuff, grabbing almost everything that Fang nosed.
Someone brushed by me, and I didn’t flinch in disgust. A man smiled at me, and I didn’t hear voices in my head. It was as if all my panic had been channeled into ensuring Fang was happy, which in turn gave me space to just be.
To be normal in a busy store of other like-minded, pet-loving individuals.
I felt kinship as I caught the gaze of a young girl who reminded me of Nyx when we first met, cuddling a tiny puppy gnawing on her yellow jacket. I nodded at an elderly woman as she hobbled down the aisle with her equally elderly dog.
There was nothing to fear.
Nothing to lash out at.
And by the time Gem slipped her hand into mine and we caught another ride home, and Fang curled up beside me with bags full of stuff for him in the trunk, I had a heat inside my heart.