Ember, carrying two bags now , spends every couple of steps glancing down at the colourful woven scarf placed neatly atop his new wardrobe. The radiating warmth he feels from it adds a delicate float to his gait and makes him all but forget about the dreadful pull from being so far away from the manor. Cal often catches him looking at it and smiles to himself, happy knowing that he did a good thing.
They step into a footwear shop for men and find no other patrons at this time of day. Either that or news of two werewolves on a shopping spree had spread quick enough to evacuate the shops. A man in his thirties strolls over with a welcoming smile, he seems unfazed by their appearance.
"Hello Cal, always nice to see you again," the man greets warmly.
"Hey Stephen." Cal returns the smile, but seems more nervous about locking eyes.
"I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon, but if you want them now I can -" the man stops, seeing Cal's glare and shifts his eyes to the other wolf. Ember assumes this man thought he was privy to this exchange.
"No no, err, we're here to pick out some new footwear for my friend here."
Ember's ears perk and he glances at Cal, quickly turning away when the other wolf tries to return the gaze.
"Oh, I see." The man chuckles awkwardly. "Holler when you've picked something you like then." He walks back behind the till.
"You're a real networker huh?" The black wolf curls his lips into a sly grin.
"Heh, yeah ... I guess so. I just like talking to people."
"Is he another wolf enjoyer?" Ember asks subtly as they wander into one of the aisles.
"Eh," comes the cryptic response, accompanied with a dismissive shrug.
"Come on, I'm curious."
"Did you hear what happened to the curious cat?"
"Not applicable." Ember beams confidently, stroking his long lupine muzzle.
"Well I guess it's nothing you don't already know." Cal sighs and concedes to the pestering wolf. "His feet ... stink ... like, really really good. He gets discounts from work, gets himself a new pair, works them to death and I ... trade for them."
"I wondered if it might be something like that. This is a shoe shop after all."
"Sleuth wolf." Cal smirks and busies himself by looking at the end of the boxes on the shelves.
"I wonder what you could have to trade for them." Ember wonders purposefully aloud as he too pretends to look at the boxes.
"I clean his feet." He mutters, barely loud enough for the other to hear.
The black wolf looks around, switches a bag to the other hand and wraps his free arm around Cal's waist, so he can nuzzle against the neck.
"You're really cute." Ember says softly and pulls back, enjoying seeing Cal having to move the bag he's carrying over his crotch now and try not to show how bothered he'd become. "You made it seem like he wasn't really into wolves."
Cal takes a few seconds to compose himself and pulls a plain trainer off a shelf for Ember to inspect. "I guess he is, we just don't exactly do a lot. I ... do my thing, then I clean up the mess he makes."
"That sounds like a fun arrangement." The black wolf mulls over the trainer and puts it back, spotting a nicer one with an orange trim. "What am I getting anyway, what kind of shoes?"
"Three. Everyday trainers for coming into town, boots for the garden and walks, and formal shoes for events."
"Alright, I'll try these and these to start with." He pulls off two of the boxes off the shelves in his size plus a little extra for the wolf growth.
YOU ARE READING
Collar the Wild
WerewolfCollar the Wild follows the story of a werewolf who gets administered into an institution against his will after he'd been identified as a threat to humans. He must prove that he can integrate safely with humans and discovers more about himself in t...
