The Wolf, Tiger, and Wolf pup

Chapter 3

The morning sun rose as the two wolves snuggled together in the attic. It was a Saturday morning, and the two were allowed to sleep in on said morning. Antony snored away in his sleep while Lucas was lying beside him, playing with Armstrong; the young pup played for a bit until he heard a knock at the front door downstairs. Since he didn't want to wake his dad, Lucas went downstairs to see who was outside.

The young pup went over to the door and quietly opened the letterbox; he saw a male figure wearing a business suit carrying a small suitcase. Lucas was confused about who the man was and didn't know whether or not to let him in; he went upstairs and shook his dad to wake him up. Antony groaned and yawned, and he got up from his slumber.

"Nnnhhh, why did you wake me up, cachorro joven?" asked Antony.

"A man is waiting outside; I think he wants to speak with you," said Lucas.

The knock came back but a bit louder and more aggressive than before; Antony was curious about who was knocking at his door this early.

"Stay here, Nino, I'll see who it is."

The young pup nodded and resumed playing with Armstrong; Antony went downstairs to see who it was at the door.

The grey wolf opened the door to see a man with short dark brown hair and some grey streaks wearing glasses around his late 40s. The way he looked indicated that he had just come back from a political party, and he gave off an uneasy feeling to Antony.

"Hey there, Antony. I'm Jeremy Walsh, a social worker from C.H.A.N.G.E. I'd appreciate conversing with you and your son if you don't mind. Can we spare a few moments?"

Antony's heart skipped a beat; his boss had warned him and his co-workers about these people yesterday.

"Okay, what do you want to talk to me and my son about?" asked Antony.

"It's not a big deal; it's just a routine that we do every month where we expect different households with kids to see how things are going for them. It's just a quick check-in, you know? Mind opening the door for me?"

Jeremy seemed eager to come into the grey wolf's house.

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable right now, so do you think you can come back another day or- "

"Look, it's a routine check-up, okay? We must ask you a few questions about your home life and daily routine. Would it be so difficult for you to bring your son along? It's a standard procedure we conduct every month, and it's important to ensure we have all the necessary information about you and your child," Jeremy said in a passive-aggressive tone.

The way Jeremy looked gave out substantial red flags to Antony and gave the impression that the man was up to no good; the grey wolf let Jeremy into the house and offered him a seat at the table.

"Would you like some tea or coffee?"

"No, I have my man-made stuff here with me."

Jeremy took a small metal flask from his jacket to show off to Antony. The grey wolf didn't know if the man was insulting him by the way he was shaking the flask, as if he thought Antony and Lucas weren't as intelligent as him.

"Excuse me, would you mind grabbing your son for me? It would be rather impolite if he neglected to descend and engage in conversation with his superiors," said Jeremy.

Already two minutes in, Jeremy was getting underneath Antony's skin, but the grey wolf kept it together and walked upstairs to see Lucas holding onto Armstrong with a nervous look.

"Estás bien, hijo mío? You look like you've just seen a fantasma," said Antony concerningly.

"I don't want to go down... he looks creepy and weird. What does he want?"