ed whole by night. The room echoed empty-just me and the sterile h

inting at the time. A frien

it away, t

buzzed in-a

ame. There I sat on the steps, him crouched low, paws gentl

his. His shoulders locked rigid... but

ting. But the messages kept

about extreme thrills but too chicken to chase 'em? Boom-he drags you skydiving, paragliding. Thank me later for the taste of the high life, pup. But game's over now that I'm back. No

slamming like a trapped beast.

ffice without a heads-up?" He eased to the bed's edge, voice smooth as eve

d with some sharp, alien perfume. M

two blank sheets from my bag,

crawled his name l

hroat. Damn, he looked at her like she h

aching to cup my cheek, that

esh, taunting. Face draining cold, I jerked away. "Ian.

kered, just a

be me, eternal-betray that, a

er cool. "You know how I spoil you. Joravia Town pups barely weaned know better than to cros

ing fast-hurt crashing in

gged me into this snarl, cast me as h

. Pointless now. No

lind? I'd match hi

make 'em bleed for it

aw. "Ian... if it's Clara you burn f

!" His calm splintere

snatched it, face storming dark.

re for her, but

not a back

then cracked a laugh-wet,

ble. In his world, Clara's

echo? Stark as m

the unbound papers. Holed up in the

. No visits,

ll a warzone-s

ne; no need to pine

the door, slid the sign