Protector

Chapter VIII

My interactions with John became frequent, though the human didn't utter any complaint. He instead welcomed me with a smile or snack.

It had become the norm to swing by his cabin, whether it was to greet him while on brief border patrols or spend time asking him about his background, of which Aria was correct in predicting. John hesitated in confirming it, fearing I'd shun him. However, he later admitted that he had a Hunting past, but emphasized the fact that he was a "former Hunter" to reassure me he meant me no harm. His kind gesture the first time we met assured me enough.

Rustling bushes was the sole indication of my arrival at the cabin. My head tilted in curiosity at the piles of boxes sitting around the clearing. When John emerged and smiled at my towering form, I couldn't help but wag my tail. "Preevyet, Malen'kiy Volk. What brings you by?" (Hi, Little Wolf.)

I blinked at the greeting and nudged his shoulder. John scratched behind my ear, grinning at my wagging tail. I just wanted to see what you were up to. I smelled a few new humans around the way here.

"Some of my friends from out of state decided to ship me equipment they don't have a use for."

My ears swiveled upright. You want some help putting them inside?

"Sure, if you don't mind, that is," John murmured, bashful.

I rolled my eyes. I reverted to daemon form with a flurry of pops and cracks. I tested my jaw. I stiffened at John's weirded out expression, my clawed fingers going to my face. "What? Did I leave a patch of fur on my face?"

The former Hunter shook his head, shuddering. "No, nothing. It just . . . takes a little getting used to this, you know?"

"You're a former Hunter!" I exclaimed through a laugh. "This has to be a regular thing for you."

"Seeing it up close and personal is completely different than using it as an advantage to kill, Malen'kiy Volk," He threw back, crinkling an eyebrow. "Doesn't it hurt?" (Little Wolf)

"It used to. I broke my skeleton more times than I care to admit." I snickered at the human's gawk before helping him. I took two or three boxes at a time despite the worried gaze he threw.

"How heavy are these, anyway? I can't really feel anything." I said as I rubbed my shoulders.

John squinted as he took note of the labels. "It took two people to lift a majority of these boxes when the trucks pulled up."

I gestured toward the boxes with an expressive flail of my hands. "Mind telling your friends to lighten the load? You can break your back with these."

"I'll make sure to do that next time," John laughed. "Do you want to get something to eat? Like, in the city?"

A cold chill engulfed my body; my wolf ears swiveled to lay flat against my head. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

The former Hunter furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about being a walking corpse to the public," The frown on my lips deepened the more I thought about it. My death hadn't even been a year ago and that single notion was enough to drive me away from human interaction.

John's eyes softened. "Just because the world thinks you're dead doesn't mean you should halt everything in your new life."

I ran a frustrated hand through my hair, noticing the extra length it gained in the past months. "I guess you have a point."

"So, do you want to go?"

I bit my lip before nodding.

John smiled, patting my arm. "Come on, I got the perfect place."