The evening breeze picked up, chilling my open maw. I couldn’t help it, my heart stuttered a painful throb, sinking to my footpaws. My breath abandoned me, and my open jaw yammered without sound. Even with the fox’s broad back turned, I could recognize the stance, the cant of the ears. When the fur turned a little to the side, directing his attention to Burt, his face confirmed my sinking heart.

In the golden evening light, as two identical-looking leopards unloaded several bags and cases, Dad lit up like a red torch. His fine muzzle line clear and the white on his chin seeming to glow. If ever an ideal image of a strong fox was needed, Dad filled that roll. Defined muscles on his well-built frame could be seen past his short sleeved shirt. Such a prime specimen of fox, I was not. A wonder I’d come from such a fur.

Burt’s hoof pointed towards Shadow and me, pulling me out of my daze. I startled when those amber eyes shifted to pin me. The recognition flared in the gaze, even at the distance between us. He moved the powerful, assessing gaze to Shadow, and I felt a hollow relief.

Burt gestured me closer, his questioning gaze turning concerned when I all but fell to the rooftop trying the move. My footpaws stepped forward, and I felt I floated across the white expanse. Dad stared me down as I approached, the world numbing all around. I knew what to expect of him.

I couldn’t keep a steady gaze on the big fox. By the time I got close, all I saw of him were the perfectly clipped nails of his groomed footpaws. I could feel his heavy gaze on my dipped head.

“-know this pup,” he finished, the rest had caught the wind or my nerves to escape my ears. His focus had turned to me as several military furs carried stuff beyond the 'copter.

Burt’s voice found clear path to my ears. “Oh? Tyler has been very helpful to us. It’s wonderful to find anyone from his past. I believe he’d be directionless if not for Shadow here.”

Dad made a humming sound, looking into my struggling eyes, searching. I could detect a faint growl within him. He found me lacking. He always did. He hated my blue eyes. He hated me.

“Where’s his mother?” my fox dad asked, glancing to the other gathered furs. “Is she down inside?”

Burt’s long pause was answer enough, but he tried anyway. “I’m very sorry, I don’t think she made it. Tyler has never told us what happened to his family. Are you his father?”

Dad snapped a growl, “As if I’d contribute to something like him. Weak aberration. He’s due to be a burden in any situation.”

My eyes stung a bit with… the golden-lit rooftop. It was that.

“Not so, sir,” Howard’s raised voice broke a strange silence beneath the whap of the chopper. “On the contrary, young Tyler and his wolf friend, Shadow, have been quite beneficial to the community here. Fulfilled a difficult task just yesterday, to my understanding.”

I stole a glance, my heart racing. Dad’s eyes continued to stare down with their firm disapproval. My heart sank further, knowing he’d never be able to look at me otherwise.

“Where’s your sister? Well?” He paused, and somehow I thought he must be gloating over me. “I know you didn’t survive by yourself. Your friend Eric join you?”

I shook my head, but was unable to make any verbal response. Anything I said would make things worse between us. He took nothing I said well. He had been responsive to me in the distant past, but those memories were faded and nearly imaginary.

I clenched my eyes shut. Dad was right; I wouldn’t have survived. Shadow had saved me. He would have found a way to be okay. Me? I would have died on my own.

Dad didn’t acknowledge me further. I missed what he said to the others, my ears endured a nasty, loud ringing. My paws trembled, slack and unable to clench.

‘You.’ He never called me by name or referred to me as his son, not for a long time. It had bothered Mom, but she had been unable to sway Dad’s dismissive behavior. He’d convinced himself, and would not change. But he could be wrong.

I had survived. With all the odds against me, I had survived. I had brought Shadow with me. We had endured the Curtain, the zombies, and the paranoia of furs who should have been supportive.

I gritted my teeth, feeling anger rise, but I swallowed it. Anger was useless. I knew how powerless I was against Dad. Like a worm, I’d wriggle, being filthy and repulsive.

Before I knew it, I was shrugging off Shadow’s paw to my shoulder. I stepped backwards, glancing in time to see a hurt look on his face. Dad stepped in, seizing the back of my neck, pulling me forward. I stumbled close, feeling an instinctive drop of my tail and resistance.

By the time I looked up, we were at the helicopter door. I dug in my heels, dipping my head and ripping away from Dad’s neck grip with a yell.

“No!” I took two steps away, back towards friendly furs and the wolf who was in possession of all the good things in my heart. I held my arms around my middle, trembling.

Dad, with his paw still mid-air, glared at me from next to the open helicopter doors. “Get your ass over here,” he commanded with a sharp gesture. “Don’t be an embarrassment. Why you survived and not anyone else is beyond me.”

“But I did,” I muttered, finding my voice. Louder! “I did survive.”

My dad, with his perfect fox fur and his perfect fox build, narrowed his sharp eyes. “Well, you shouldn’t have. Abomination like you, linked with the Event. You should have died long ago. Only reason I’m putting up with you is the scientists want a crack at you.”

It froze. My heart stilled and froze with those words. Words weren’t supposed to hurt you, not really. But such pain, such coldness. I shivered, feeling weak. Weaker. Even weaker as seconds slipped.

“Now quit putting up a fuss and get in,” he growled and seized my arm.

Like a good pup, desperately seeking love from his father, I went limp. My head spun with questions and uncertainties. Why was Dad here, looking to put me on the chopper? Didn’t Daws agree to look into other options for all of us? Was this the right thing to do? Go with my Dad, who’d rather see me disappear?

Shadow moved towards us, showing bared teeth and panicked rage. I didn’t want to go either, but Dad ruled the roost. No one went against him.

Shadow caught my arm and gave a hard pull back towards the furs I knew as friends. I snapped back to myself. What was I doing? I couldn’t leave Shadow. He was the sole purpose of my survival. He counted on me, and I on him. We’d be okay as long as we were together.

I needed him!

I hunched over, shoving my dad away and yanked my limb back. I was myself, and I’d go with Shadow.

“What’s the problem now?” Dad again growled over the helicopter noise, looking to me.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going without everyone. I’m not taking another step without Shadow.”

The military otter medic and the roo, Murphy, came with Howard, trotting up, with a cautious Daws following. The gray wolf looked uncomfortable as Dad pinned him with a powerful glare.

“Daws, what is this?” Dad growled, the familiar frown on his face deepening.

“Mr. Evans, Sir! As I said earlier, the fox pup has explicitly said-”

“I don’t care what he’s said!” the large fox snapped. “He’s getting on this chopper, and he will cooperate with whatever we ask of him. We’ve risked enough to get his sorry ass.”

“No!” I had found my voice, and it had joined Shadow’s in the same word. I glanced at him before I continued, our determination joining. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving Shadow, and I’m not leaving the others. You get all of us, not just me.”

Dad threw his paws up. “We have room for you,” he pointed a perfect finger into my chest, “and I’m not taking some troublemaker wolf pup. Get in the chopper before I whip you.”

My ears twitched back. I’d been pretty little the last time I’d been spanked. I was basically an adult; it would be humiliating, more so in front of friends. He’d do it too.

“You can’t force him to go with you,” yelled Burt over the helicopter racket. He was blocked from approaching further by a sturdy boar and the sleek mongoose second-in-command whatever-his-name-was.

“I can!” Dad snapped back, showing some teeth. “I have orders! He’s legally my responsibility, even if not of my seed.”

Burt hesitated before he let out a great huff. “He doesn’t want to go. You can’t force him.”

Dad faced Burt, and they went chest-to chest, though the black bull was well taller. “He’s mine to take.”

Burt hesitated through his returning glare. His career had hinged on respecting the law, but his eyes hardened at my dad. “Any remaining courts under these circumstances would be too busy to deal with this nonsense. You’re not taking Tyler. He clearly doesn’t wish to go with you.”

“Of course he does,” snapped the big fox. “He’ll do whatever I say.”

“We need the pup’s cooperation, Mr. Evans, Sir,” pointed out Daws.

Dad growled. “Oh, he’ll cooperate, else I’ll skin him alive. You think I’m joking? I’m not.”

I shivered but pulled away my arm when he reached for me again. I took a breath. “Wait. Dad-”

A finger jabbed at me. “Don’t you dare call me that!” Dad’s eyes seemed to gain flames in their hard glare to me. “I may be responsible for you, but you’re not of me.” He looked upset on top of angry.

I didn’t know how to respond. My awkward silence was shared by the furs around me. Shadow’s paw-grip tightened on my arm.

Dad sighed. “Now get in. I’ve been all over, looking for survivors, so-called ‘Listeners’ like you.”

Listeners? Looking all over? I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head. I wanted to know; I needed to know. If he was here, he’d had resources. “Did you find it?”

Dad stilled, confused, but still angry. Military furs continued to move things away from the helicopter and deter Burt.

“Did you find it?” I repeated. At his hesitation, I continued, “I left a letter on the table. Did you find it?”

“Why should I have found it?”

I growled. “So you didn’t check for us at all? Not even for Kaylee?”

Dad had at least the conscience to look a little chagrined.  He looked away, perfect eyes glowing with the golden light. “I had duties. I was looking-”

“You didn’t even try!?” I yelled. “I was waiting for help. What if Kaylee had survived with me? What about Mom? Didn’t you care at all!?” I screamed at him. I’d had it.

I knew he’d had important things to do. He was busy saving the world, right? But knowing he didn’t try, hurt. An angry hurt.

I panted and my ears rang. Tail low and stiff, I turned to face Shadow, and he pulled me away from the noisy machine. I spoke over my shoulder. “Leave me alone. You don’t care about me. And I’m not going anywhere without everyone. Not anywhere. Not anywhere….”

“Sir!” called a hyena from the helicopter cockpit window. “We need to leave. We’re low on fuel, and we can’t leave the bird here long. Especially through the next Event.”

A buck and a rabbit inside the noisy metal thing gestured from the hatch door. Their expressions were tense, urgent.

“I know!” Dad snapped back. The growl through his teeth was lost to the noise overhead. His face hardened, and he seized my arm to rip me away from Shadow. My neck wrenched with his sudden jerk.

“You should have watched over your family. That was all you had to do!” Dad yelled in my face. “It’s your fault they died. You’ll never be enough.”

“Enough?” I growled, looking up, anger boiling more. “No, I-”

My body jerked with Dad’s hard yank, I stumbled another step. A sharp snarl came from behind me.

The two identical leopard male furs had stepped in and were holding Shadow as he tried to struggle away from them. Panic glared from his eyes, and I wasn’t sure which was worse. The fear of losing me or the horror of being held, restricted from free movement.

“Dammit! No!” I screamed.

“Now hold on a minute!” Bellowed Burt over the whipping machine blades. He struggled to pass the boar and mongoose, but couldn’t seem to.

I looked to the few FurShopper furs standing there for help. Howard looked alarmed and scared, while Isaac looked a little too interested in what was happening. Bradley stepped forward, but a large black bear dropped his load and moved into his path.

I struggled against my dad, crying and knowing I wanted Shadow. Don’t take him away!

There was another noise, audible over the whipping and the sudden yells from furs. FurShopper furs confronted military furs, and the shoving started. A gun was drawn; the whole thing was getting out of control.

BANG!

A large, dark bird dropped near my footpaws. Dad was hauling me away, towards the metal beast. I tried to dig my heels in, but the effort was overcome by Dad’s quick jerk.

“Sir! Look out!” came a cry.

A noise from above. There was a sudden burst of feathers, and I recognized the extra sounds. Caws and screeches.

A mass of birds, greater than the other day, funneled from the clear sky. The thickness of black and color-marked birds centered on the whipping blades and the rear motor.

The pilot must have panicked. The helicopter lurched upwards, crushing me with extra weight of directed air. The metal flying thing, dreaded moments ago, lifted off a few lengths. Under birdy attack, it shifted sideways, slamming landing bars into the roof before bouncing upwards.

Tail blades spit bunches of feathers, appearing to recover, but seconds later stopped spinning. An awful moan came from the machine, sounding unnatural and metallic. The tail swung around slowly, then again, faster. The thing wobbled in the air, faltering as the birds continued their targeting dive.

Dad tried to call out something, still gripping my arm. I couldn’t hear it, but managed to pull away. I stumbled the direction I’d seen Shadow.

Top blades touched the FurShopper facade, tearing into the light material. They bent, and the whole thing spun more out of control. It disappeared over the side of the roof, followed by a great crash, merging with a flame-filled column of black smoke.

Well, there went that option.

The roar of the fire and the complaining of zombies below filled my attention, and I stared. Blank. Shocked.

My jaw exploded in sudden pain, and I was looking away. What happened? I looked back towards the devastation with my paw up to my face.

Dad stood there, arm in an upheld position. He struck me again, a hard hit to my head, causing me to stumble. “Dammit, Tyler! All you had to do was get on board. We could have gotten out of here. They were a sitting target for those hells-sucking birds.”

The roaring column died down from its previous fury. Black, heavy smoke rose through the still air. The smell of burning fumes drifted in the slight breeze.

“I-” My body dropped to the roof surface by Dad’s shove.

“I don’t want to hear it. Good furs died because of you!” he hissed over the lessened noise.

My ears dropped. My tail tingled in horror. “No, Dad. I-”

“I said to stop calling me that, you little bastard.” He kicked me while I was down. Towering above, he snarled, “That’s right. You are a bastard. Your mother gave you, but not me. You’re the worst kind of bastard. The real kind who screws up a family, who doesn’t deserve to live.”

Without a single glance over his muscled shoulder, he stomped away, Daws at his heels. Dad’s questions and demands to Daws were lost on the burning evening wind.

Damn.

***

“Tyler,” Shadow tried again in the green tent. “It’s not your fault. It just isn’t. Who could know those birds were going to attack.”

“I thought it was only just after the Curtain,” I mumbled, picking at the sleeping bag I sat on. I couldn’t think straight. I’d killed furs… I think. The two furs in the open rear, staring at me as they fell below the rooftop. I’d seen the frantic panic the hyena pilot was in as-

“Come to dinner,” Shadow worked another tactic. “Michelle made pancakes. It’s breakfast for dinner tonight. Bacon too.”

I blinked at Shadow a moment before my charging, racing thoughts took over again. I was wrong. I’d been wrong about so many other things in my life. What else would I destroy with being wrong, who else would die because of me?

“Tyler-”

I jerked away from the paw touching me on the arm. Shadow looked pained, hurt. I would hurt him more. I might only bring him hurt. I was a bastard of the worst kind. I caused death. Shadow would die-

Another blink as I tried to pull myself out of the thought torrents. “Breakfast?” I whispered, sagging further. “Not hungry.”

The black wolf’s jaw trembled. He reached out to me again, paw hesitant. I managed not to pull away, but it was a near thing. I could feel the panic sting my eyes.

“It’s okay, Tyler. I know you. You have no responsibility in this. If anything, your dad-”

“He’s right,” I snapped, looking away. “I’m a bastard who should never have lived. I’m incomplete and weak.”

“Stop saying that,” Shadow growled. “You’re not weak. I love you for who you are. I need you, and I need your strength. ”

I didn’t have any to share. My strength was all spent holding together. I couldn’t help anyone. I’d been deluding myself, thinking I could. Shadow didn’t need to know; it would hurt him more.

“You’re hungry. I know you are, because I’m starving. Come with me.” He struggled to unzip the damaged zipper. He cursed at the thing as it busted more. When he got it open, he said, “Come with me? I don’t want to go alone.”

I almost said no. I really wanted to say no. I should have said no. Without a word, I found myself moving forward.

I felt numb, my mind pained. Terrible thoughts swirled.

The fate of those around me, those who I cared about became dimmer with my existence. My dad should have drowned me as a fresh pup, before I’d done harm to the world.  My classmates had been right to avoid me; they should have done more – I was that ‘uncool’. I should find some corner to die. I should do it now. Now. Next now.

The more thoughts blasted through my tiny brain, the more convoluted each became. Thoughts twisted, became boldly untrue – but I believed them all. I was so closed into myself I hadn’t even noticed we’d made it to the middle of Camp.

I thought I’d get weird looks and glares from everyone as we entered the dining area, but all were busy socializing and familiarizing themselves with the new furs. Of special attention was Dad. He looked ‘near’ me, then didn’t glance my way at all.

I didn’t want to feel the snub, to feel the familiar rejection from him, but I did. It didn’t feel good. It was one thing to be refused by strange furs, as we had when we’d first come to the FurShopper. It hurt on a deeper level to be hated by someone who should love you, someone who was supposed to care.

I sat at a table, my head drooping. I watched Shadow brave the crowding furs to get at the food. Too numb to feel anything. I wanted to lay my head on the table, and it was all I could do to keep my nose from touching down.

A plate set in front of my nose. Smells of food I didn’t want assaulted my nose. Shadow sat down, but someone had followed him back, sitting with us.

“Tyler, you didn’t tell me your dad was a contracted Furdom Army adviser.”

Helaina. Of course. Make my day worse. Dad? I hadn’t known that part about him at all. I couldn’t remember. I couldn’t think.

I shook my head, trying to eat. I’d rather deal with my taste-dulled food than the pretty gray-toned wolf. She babbled to Shadow about Daws, how handsome he was. Somehow, she still managed to hint Shadow might join with her instead of me. Obvious insinuations.

“My clan leader’s pretty lax. I got a pass from him to work here at the FurShopper. Better opportunities and all, you know?” Helaina tittered a pretty laugh.

I didn’t want Shadow to go with her, or for her to even be near him, near us. Yet, I couldn’t find the willpower to chase her away.

Helaina yammered about the military furs, about my dad, about my car. “That car they have, it still runs; I guess ‘cause it’s so old. I heard it’s Tyler’s car. But he wouldn’t be here without Shadow, of course. So that means you have some claim to it too, right?”

I couldn’t stand any more. I dropped my fork and stood. As Shadow scrambled to get up and follow me, Helaina tried to convince him otherwise.

“Stay with me, Shadow. I mean, Daws is pretty hot, but you’re closer to my age and tastes. You know, you’re pretty sexy. I’ve been lonely, you know. Won’t you?”

I wanted Out. Of. There. Now.

I didn’t pay any attention to my surroundings and found myself in some nameless corner of the store. It didn’t matter what was on the shelves, it mattered how my heart clenched worse than my belly.

I startled when Shadow set his big paw on my back as I hunched over, emptying my stomach on the smooth floor. My tears followed as I struggled to stay silent. I didn’t want anyone to know, to see my weakness. Shadow was okay, he’d seen all of me. Accepted all of me.

I was in wolfy arms, trying to hold back my shuddering groans. I didn’t want any of it but Shadow. Couldn’t everyone leave me alone? Just leave me Shadow.

When my hushed sobs quieted, and I dragged a paw over my snotty nose, Shadow hummed above me. “You okay, Foxy?”

I wanted to bawl all over again, and I had snot in my whiskers too. My lips scrunched as I straightened and clung to him. I needed to feel him, remember what it was to be alive, what it meant to connect with someone’s warmth.

Eyes closed, I felt him lick at my messy muzzle. My paws dug into his fur, desperate to hang on, to be with him. I tried to lick back but was an uncoordinated mess. My muzzle cleaned, I tucked my nose into his shoulder as he continued attention to my weepy eyes and stressed brow.

I needed someone. Shadow was the one I needed. My very own Bardawulf. My Wulf. My Wulf.

I didn’t realize I was mumbling into the black-furred shoulder until Shadow growled out a low agreement. “Yes, I’m yours, and you’re mine.”

It was what I needed to hear. A calming drifted into my heart. A warmth filled my being.

Shadow mumbled into my headfur, “I nearly lost you. I can’t lose you. Don’t leave, okay Tyler?” At my nod, he held me closer. Releasing a sigh and a great tension.

It was moments before we bothered moving. When he guided me away from the corner, I felt calmer. Not happy, but calm, if a little drained.

Shadow led, and I didn’t care to where. When he hesitated, I stopped and looked up from the darkened floor.

Clovis, bandaged but on his footpaws, stood with Ruby in front of a pillar. I frowned; whatever their interest in the pillar, I didn’t want a part of it. The looks when they saw us were mixed. Clovis looked a little startled… or was it his wide-wide eyes?  Ruby however, brightened.

Clovis’ muzzle pulled into a worried frown. The aye-aye’s attention turned back to the pillar, and Ruby whispered something in his ear before approaching us.

“Pups?” she started with a jovial tone. “Can we talk to you for a moment? Clovis needs some convincing.”

Shadow shrugged. He didn’t seem to want to go, but when Ruby grabbed his other arm and pulled him away, he allowed it.

I sagged, feeling the loss of my warm Wulf, the only one there for me. Not for anyone else. Not for Helaina, for me. Where had he gone? My slowed body followed my eyes towards the pillar.

“Shadow,” Ruby was hauling him forward by his stiff arm, “tell Clovis there’s nothing to worry about.”

The wolf paused. “Um-”

“The problem is right here, see?” the aye-aye rushed out. He was worked up, beyond what his bandaged body could sustain. “Right here,” he pointed to a spot on the pillar. “What do you see?”

Shadow’s eyes flicked back to me before studying the concrete pillar. “A post?” he tried.

“No, on it! The pillar is failing! Cracking!” Clovis yelled.

I was shocked enough to pay attention… a little more. What was he talking about? I stepped closer.

Ruby pointed a finger, her dark eyes seeming to make her black eye rings bottomless. “Look, Clovis. Right there. There’s nothing there.”

“No. Right here!” Clovis pointed to nearby a spot. “It’s right here.” He seemed to run out of energy and sagged against a nearby shelf.

Ruby’s focus switched to the panting form. “Clovis, please.”

“It’s all the pillars. All of them are stressed.” Clovis mumbled something more about structure and truss-load. That and-

“Collapse?” I caught a single meaning out of the mumbled mess.

“Now don’t you start too, Tyler,” Ruby scolded. “Clovis needs to calm down and relax before he opens his wounds.”

“I need to rest,” Clovis said, his head wobbling. “No. I need to let Burt know,” Clovis tried through a squinting, weaving pawstep.

Ruby moved forward. “Shadow, help me get him to the couches at Camp, will you?”

Shadow inched over to me. He wanted to help, but it would put him in close contact with another. Another who wasn’t me. I had forgotten how wary he’d been and how far he’d come. To see him hesitant around Clovis, who struggled to stand, was wrenching.

“Jeez, males,” Ruby scoffed. “Will one of you get over here and help!?”

She was misreading Shadow’s hesitation for some other reason. I managed an even mask over my muzzle, burying my upset deep within. Deeper, until I felt disconnected. With a vague nod, I stepped forward to help.

Clovis was heavier than I’d anticipated, and he was near collapse. I almost lost grip on him, but Shadow was there, propping the aye-aye back up. The wobble to the couch was long, but it took an instant.

Clovis sank into the soft cushions, but grabbed my shirt bottom on his way down. Ignoring the way I almost fell on him, he mumbled, “The pillars are all bad from the Curtain. The vibrations aerrr-….”

The fur faded into a weak panting. His wide-wide eyes closing. I frowned, feeling concern through my numbness.

Ruby sat on the floor next to the couch Clovis had crumpled on, stroking his arm. “He’ll be okay,” she murmured. She clenched her eyes shut. “We’ll be okay.”

I wanted to hide. The communion between them, the care from Ruby. I couldn’t leave them. I couldn’t have left them. Take the helicopter out into the sky, never to be seen again in the ‘hope’ I could make some difference?

No. I still wanted everyone out of here. I would not go alone. I would not leave. My mind spun.

A fur had died. He’d blown up, screaming in terror, facing zombies, a crash, and flames all at once. How many more had I doomed by being responsible for the helicopter crashing?

Wait.

Just how was I responsible? If they’d flown off right away after dropping off Dad, they’d have made it, right? But the birds might have continued to chase. I might have died with it. Would the metal bird have gone down in either case? It didn’t matter. It had happened.

I was still staring at Ruby as she crooned to an insensible Clovis. A throb in my heart reminded me I could still feel, even through my numbness. I wasn’t all numb inside; I was no machine.

They were valuable lives. Lives I might bring with me, with us. Shadow and I would survive. Could we bring Clovis and Ruby with us? Could our assurance, confidence of survival extend to those we cared about? What about the ones I didn’t care for?

I shook my head, realizing I was still staring. Shadow watched me, an unsettled, worried look on his face. When I managed a trace of a smile, he relaxed and grinned, grabbing my arm.

My Wulf’s tail swung hard, smacking me on my hocks, and I felt more focused and of lighter step as he guided us toward my family’s damaged green tent. It was getting late, the FurShopper had quieted and gone dark. Shadow bent low to enter our fabric home first.

He was halfway through the tent’s ripped opening when some paw seized my arm and yanked me away. With an undignified squeal, I found myself hurled to the floor behind me.

“Well, I haven’t seen this in a while,” grumbled the last fur I wanted to see. Dad leered, towering over me, tossing aside an empty glass bottle. “Crawling on the floor like a rat, you are.”

“Mr. Evans! Sir!” Daws came running from around another nearby tent. “What are you doing!?”

“Scum needs to understand what scum is.” Dad kicked me, snapping pain into my thigh.

He’d never taken things physical before today. Twice today! Scared. I was terrified. He was drunk, out of control.

This was Dad. He loved me… before. I’d hoped he still did. If I could prove to him I was worthy. Prove it to him, though I’d never been able to before.

Shaking, I tried to get up, but he kicked me in the stomach. I collapsed, trying to breathe, gasping through my hot throat. A sound came, but I was trying to suck in air, trying to remember to live. It came again. Loud snarls from nearby. A black shadow launched at Dad, halted by a big gray wolf.

My Wulf thrashed out of Daws’ hold, grabbing at the big fox over me. Dad was wrenched away, his legs spinning as he regained footing. Shadow landed to the polished floor with a heavy thud.

“Stay out of this, wolf,” snapped Dad, snarling back at Shadow’s shivering, growling form.

The black wolf had angry tears streaming from his dilated eyes. His golden yellow eyes flickered to me, a painful panic more than my aching body inside the depths. His spirit cried for help, for me!

“No!” I gasped. “Leave him alone!” my voice grew stronger in my anger.

Burt bellowed in rage from where a few military furs held him back. Roger appeared to be in some shock at what was happening.

Dad had no right to do this. He had no right, no cause to- to attack me! He was in the wrong. He was being a bad fur.

The otter medic dashed forward to help keep my Wulf away from ripping into Dad. Shadow’s eyes raged, cried, as his muzzle blasted ignored curses and nasty growls.

We were attracting attention of other FurShopper furs. I saw Helaina whisper something to an alarmed-looking Roger. Burt was thundering closer, struggling against uniformed furs. Peter and Michael had creepy smirks on their muzzles as they gestured Helaina to them.

Dad turned from me as I stopped writhing, struggling for breath. His drunk voice snapped, “Keep that savage wolf back, Daws. Knock him out if you have to. I need to take this… Thing and watch over him.”

He frowned back at me. He didn’t want to be responsible for me. I could tell he wanted someone else to do it. Why didn’t he? I didn’t want to face him, I couldn’t face him. He was wrong, but perfect, and-

I shook my confused head, rising to my footpaws. Before I could take my step towards Shadow, Dad’s paw locked around my arm.

“I got a tent. It’s disgusting the rumors I’ve been hearing about you and that wolf. Disgusting. You’ll stay in the tent until I figure out how we’re to handle you.”

Great. I was a Thing to be ‘Handled’. Disgusting. I cried inside, sobbing in my heart, as I threw angry glares at the big fox.

I tried to wrench away my arm, but he yanked me close, stinking breath in my ear, “Keep struggling if you want your ‘friend’ hurt.”

I froze, aware Shadow was still struggling, snapping the air as he was forced to the floor by Daws and Murphy. Ice stilled my heart further. He wouldn’t.

“Think I won’t?”

He could read my mind?

Dad smirked an ugly grin. “Try me,” he breathed alcohol over my muzzle.

I cringed away from him, and he wrenched my arm, drawing a yelp from my muzzle. My shoulder! I wasn’t trying to get away. I-

Dad made some gesture and nod to Daws, who looked more and more uncomfortable with everything as he and Murphy held Shadow down. The gray wolf’s eyes migrated from me to Shadow and back to Dad.

Shadow sobbed onto the hard, polished floor, shaking in anger and terror. His eyes were hugely wide and black-dilated with his inner and outer terror. His fur everywhere was puffed out, his paws twitching, as if he were trying to run in sleep.

I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t help anyone. It hurt, my shoulder hurt, and I tried to hold it close to my body. The pain distracted me, making me draw panting breaths, trying not to cry out.

Dad didn’t help as he roughly guided me away from the scene. Burt bellowed and others milled in varied distress and confusion. The last thing I knew of it was Shadow’s terrible, mournful howling.