City Dogs

Chapter 19

Apollo followed me everywhere I went inside the apartment. 

When I got up to get a glass of water, we stayed by my side. When I started on dinner after getting a call from Naja saying she would be late, he sat by my feet. He stood between my legs as I brushed my teeth and probably would have jumped into the shower with me if I hadn't locked the door. I only let him in when his pitiful whimpers leaked leaked through crack.

<Separation anxiety, much?> Echo huffed, but I could tell she was pleased by the way her tail wagged.

"Apollo," I said, sitting down on the couch and grabbing the remote. "When are you planning to leave?"

The golden wolf nosed his way into my lap once more, and I grunted; why is it that all the big dogs think they're the size of a corgi? <Do you want me to go?> he asked, looking up at me with wide eyes.

I signed. "No, I rather enjoy your company. It gets lonely when Ramona and Naja are at work. Besides, you make better conversation than your other half," I teased, poking Apollo on the nose.

Apollo nipped my fingers playfully. <I know,> he said, beaming. <That guy's a bore, isn't he?>

I laughed and began flicking through the many movies on the T.V, trying to decide which one to watch. "Any suggestions?"

<Hmm. . . that one's pretty good, though I haven't seen any movies in a while. Malcolm isn't the biggest fan of them,> Apollo explained.

"Yeah, well, you can tell Malcolm that his tastes are gonna have to change."

There was a pause, then the wolf replied. <He doesn't like that idea very much,> he said sheepishly.

"Then, we can just watch all of them with you. You're much more cuddlable than he is, anyways," I said, earning a happy purr from Apollo.

<Shush, the movie's starting,> Echo said sternly, settling into a comfortable position, her clear stance of dominance not going unnoticed by me.

<Trying to impress someone, are we, now?> I said directly to her, temporarily cutting off Apollo from the link.

<Oh, shut up.> She stuck her nose in the air. <You'll be doing the same with Malcolm soon, anyways.>

<W-what do you mean by that?!> Before  I could wring an answer from her, my wolf slunk back into the depths of my mind, and I couldn't help but imagine her grinning snidely as she did so.

*****

The slight sway of being lifted into strong arms gently rocked me into that strange, blurry state between awake and asleep. My eyes struggled to open, but a quiet voice interrupted me.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered, setting me down on a cushiony surface and pulling a blanket over my body.

My eyes disobeyed his words and continued to try to open. A low chuckle sounded, and a warm hand passed lightly over my eyelids, closing them once more. "Sleep," he said again, "or I'll stay here until you do."

Was that a threat? It didn't sound like one. . . No, it sounded like something one would say to a lover, an intimate gesture of words to express feelings for a companion. But it didn't sound bad-- as a matter of fact, my half-asleep mind quite liked the thought of having someone stay with me.

He laughed again. "Fine, if you really want me here so badly. . ." My body dipped with the mattress, a compression left by the new body next to me, lying on top of the covers.

I sighed, leaning into his warmth, pleased. He carefully enveloping me in his arms, murmuring something I didn't catch as I was whisked off to sleep in the safe embrace of his body heat.

*****

Sunlight streamed through the crack in the door, catching dust particles floating through the air. A distant clattering sound came from the kitchen, followed by voices. Naja and Ramona, I realized, stretching and yawning before getting up.

"G'morning," I mumbled, helping myself to some oatmeal.

Ramona laughed. "Someone's not a morning person."

"Mm." I sat down, stirring the thick oatmeal with my spoon.

"Hurry and eat," Naja said from across the table. "We've got plans for today."

That got my attention. "What kind of plans?" I asked, more awake now that I had food in my stomach.

Naja grinned. "I'm taking you to the studio. I promised to get you some muscle on those bones, didn't I? Malcolm gave me the 'all clear' for you to start working out this morning."

"Really?" I exclaimed, nearly jumping out of my chair. "You're not joking?"

"Why would I be joking, pup?" she said, amusement glinting in her dark eyes.

"Just excited," I replied, stuffing my face with oatmeal. The faster I ate, the faster we could leave. I was happy to be doing something for once, instead of being cooped up in the apartment all day, save for the few times Naja and Ramona showed me around the city.

"You won't be too excited when I'm through with you," Naja said, earning a smack on the shoulder from her wife.

"Don't be too hard on him," Ramona puffed. "He's still in recovery."

"Yeah, yeah. . ."

We finished up breakfast and got ready, Ramona for her work, and Naja and me for the studio. She let me borrow some workout gear-- a loose fitting tank top, some sweatpants, and a light jacket.

She said that we can buy my own exercising clothes if I liked it enough to want to continue, but I wasn't too worried. I was sure I would enjoy whatever's to come, even if I end up on the floor.

I followed Naja through the crowds of commuters. The Alpha said the studio wasn't too far, close enough to walk in good weather. Twenty minutes later we arrived in front of a building, the windows showing early birds on treadmills, stationary bikes, and lifting weights.  

"I say 'boxing studio', but it's really more of a small gym," Naja admitted, opening the doors and inviting me in. The smell of sweat mixed with chilly air hit me as I stepped in.

"Oi, Naja!" a voice called from the back. "Finally decided to show up, huh? Well, it's about time-!" He was cut off as Naja threw herself at him, ready to attack. The olive-skinned man jumped out the way gracefully, his lithe form moving with well practice ease.

Naja jabbed at him with a flurry of fists and kicks. The man blocked and dodged, even managing to get in a few hits of his own, all his movements flowing together like water. Naja let up her assault, both of them breathing heavily. The man looked over her shoulder and noticed me.

"And who's this?" he asked, scanning me from head to toe. "He looks weak."

"This," Naja said, giving him a sharp jab in the stomach, "Is Augustus, our newest pack member. And this"— she gestured to the man—"is Kade. He's the werecat I mentioned briefly before."