Earlier, we’d
showered in the level’s bathroom, avoiding the occasional stare at
our sex-smell. Shadow looked well-satisfied, taking a sniff of my
neck and grinning. It was wonderful to be clean and have flushing
toilets again. That swish and chuk-chuk of working toilets… so
fulfilling.

We had finished
‘wolfing’ and ‘foxing’ down breakfast when the doe and a
familiar grumpy fox commanded our presence. I still didn’t know the
military doe’s name, and it seemed a bad time to ask. Down another
gray hall, descending to another floor of the complex, we went.

The doe stopped in
front of a door. “Tyler Evans, enter the room. Your… friend may
wait outside.”

Kedders opened the
gray door, leading the way into a grayer room. I didn’t know what
the tests would do, and I didn’t want to ruin my stuff. Pulling out
my photo, cat angel, and zombie kitty, I passed them to Shadow. He
put them in his trusty backpack, slipping the strap over his shoulder
with a nod.

I stared from the
doorway. In the little room was a chair and all manner of devices and
sensors attached. The wombat from the previous night was off to the
side, adjusting what must be the output readers. It all looked slick,
and high tech, and sloppy with cords, and-

“I- I can’t,”
I said without thinking. Sudden panic at all the contraptions, all
the data.

What would they
learn about me? What could they read off those? My thoughts? Would
they be able to tell I’d been with Shadow? More than that, what if
its output said I was useless? What then?

Wait, what if it
read I was truly linked with the Curtain? They might take me away,
might lock me up forever. What-

Arms came around me,
hugging me from behind. “You can do this,” said the wolfy voice.
“I know you can. Just relax, Foxy. You’ll be out of there soon.”

My clenching paw
reached up to grip onto the wolfy arm. I felt my very life and soul
depended on him.

“Any day now, Mr.
Evans?” blabbed Kedders.

“Shush your hole,
Kedders,” said the wombat scientist. “I don’t need you giving
him stress. It might throw the results. You never know.”

“Fine,” gruffed
the big fox.

“Please. Call me Tyler,” I asked, looking between all the
strangers around me.

Shadow’s grip on
me loosened, and his paws dropped away from me. “I’ll wait right
outside,” he said with his own nervous smile.

I nodded, allowing
myself to be guided to the chair. The door closed before my Wulf’s
watchful eyes. I knew he’d barge in if he heard anything to worry
him.

I sat in the chair
and waited. The wombat muttered to himself about damn feathers and
stupid-ass mammals while placing each and every sensor on me. I had
sensors glued to my scalp and tucked into my fur all over my body.
One even went into my muzzle. Really!?

The wombat told me
to be still, but my leg jiggled in my nervousness. What was supposed
to happen? What was I supposed to do? Nothing had been explained.

I pulled the sensor
out of my muzzle, “What do I-”

“Ah, don’t
remove it!” the wombat scampered close and shoved the metal rod
back into my muzzle.

“Just hold still,
Mr. Evans. The test doesn’t take long,” Kedders said from the
corner, where he monitored the whole ridiculous scene.

“Whaaw?” I tried
to say around the metal rod.

The wombat sighed,
“Mr. Evans-”

“Pyrrehr,” I
said, attempting my name.

“Tyler,” the
wombat corrected. “This is the first of three possible tests. This
one is the straightforward one… well, from our end. Please sit
still and remain calm. You’ll be out of here in a few minutes.”

I nodded, my eyes
wide. I wasn’t sure how much I believed the little brown fur. The
beady eyes on the marsupial scanned me. When he was satisfied, he
went over to the wide bank of readers.

The wombat nodded.
“Just a moment….”

My ears screeched
with sound, or it seemed like sound. I yelped, my skin stinging and
fur standing on end. The sound stopped. I blinked, trying to rid
myself of the lingering discomfort and the tears coming from my eyes.

“Good, good.”
The wombat adjusted something. “Let’s try it this way.”

I only twinged in
discomfort that time. I glared at the wombat, instinct calling for me
to retaliate on my aggressor. I could hear Shadow’s low growl from
outside the door.

The ‘test’
continued with different feelings and different sounds. Some sounds I
had a hard time telling if I was hearing them or feeling them in my
bones.

I felt drained when
the wombat announced the end of the test. I was wide-eyed and a bit
overwhelmed walking out the door, thinking hours had gone by.

Shadow pulled me
into his arms, sniffing into my fur. “You smell weird.”

I managed a weak
smile. Our hug ended, but I kept one wolfy paw in mine. Kedders
grabbed my arm, starting to pull me down the hall, but when I
resisted he was interrupted by my Wulf’s growl.

“Just- Slow down,
Mr. Kedders,” I pleaded. “My head feels funny after all that.”

“Still more
tests,” said the wombat, popping out the door behind us.

I shook my head.
“What is your name anyway?” I asked, feeling frustrated.

“I told you. It’s
Moore.”

I shook my head
again, pretty sure he’d not told me before. We followed Kedders
when he made an impatient gesture. A few doors later, we stopped
again. I gulped, hoping the next test wasn’t too bad.

The door opened.
Inside was a clear-walled tank of water. The feather from last night
was there, checking some kind of read-out.

“That’s him?”
the eagle asked.

“Yes, Galena.”
Kedders gestured to me. “Tyler Evans for a test.”

The feather made a
whistling huff. I didn’t know what it meant, but the name suggested
the feather was female. Didn’t she remember me from the previous
night?

Shadow waited
outside the door which had not quite shut, due to a wolf toe. I hid a
smile; Shadow would monitor the situation. There was little trust for
us to share among such brusque and grumpy furs.

The feather and
wombat bickered while connecting me to new sensors. I stared at the
tank, wondering what it was for. I found out when firm wombat paws
shoved a breathing apparatus over my head. It was uncomfortable, even
after the adjustments the marsupial made.

I hesitated when
directed to climb into the tank, being unfamiliar with this. I was a
weak swimmer, and my idea of fun was not what I was facing. I shook
my head, but the feather made a sharp gesture.

“This is a
required test, fox,” Galena said. “Fluff out and step in. You’re
a fur, don’t you love the water?”

I shook my head,
taking a steadying breath, suddenly wanting Shadow. I must do the
test. I must.

Slipping into the
tank, my body was supported by the salty water. I clenched around the
muzzle-piece and took desperate breaths.

“Calm down,”
snapped Galena in my inserted earbud. “Calm breaths, or you will
throw the results off.”

I closed my eyes,
trying to stay calm. Vibrations came through the water.

“Don’t touch the
edges of the tank,” said Moore.

It was disorienting,
not being able to touch something while keeping my eyes closed. The
test took longer than the first. Different vibration tones and
electric feelings went through me.

When they pulled me
from the water, I was shaking in distress and whimpering. Shadow
swung open the door with a wild look on his face; Kedders was there
too, looking pissed. Clearly, they’d been arguing.

“Enough,” my
Wulf growled at the two scientists, who were rapidly discussing the
results in low voices.

I couldn’t follow
what the two were talking about, my mind was a mess, even as Shadow
drew me in for a grounding hug. Was it all over? No. There was one
test remaining. Couldn’t I just go to sleep or something? Just
cuddle with Shadow and-

“How’d he do?”
asked the doe, stepping into the room.

“Wonderful!”
said a grinning Moore. “He has a high testing aptitude with what we
know of the Event. He still has the third test.”

“Hmmph. Don’t
envy him that one,” said the doe.

“Neither do I,”
said Galena, with a breathy whistle.

“What does that
mean?” I asked from Shadow’s arms.

“What it means,
dear pup,” said Moore, “is that the third test is rather
miserable.”

“Agreed,” said
the brown eagle, eyes blinking strangely.

I blinked. “Um…
could I try another day?” I asked.

The doe frowned at
me. “You wish to wait another day on our research to end all of
this? You want to let society tear itself apart an extra day before
any attempt can be made to put us all back together?”

I hunched down. “No,
ma’am,” I mumbled.

“What was that?”
she huffed.

Might as well bite
the bullet. I could do it. Gathering myself straighter, I cleared my
throat. “No, Ma’am.”

“Hmmm. You may
call me Lisa.”

I blinked. “Okay?”

She gave me a
confusing glare. With a sigh, she said, “This way. You’ll meet
with the other Listeners while you wait for the third test.”

“There are more?”
I asked, not sure if I believed the rumors.

“Yes. A few….”
Her look was guarded, and she turned away to stalk back down the hall
before I could see more.

Galena and Moore
stayed in the test room, arguing with each other and oblivious to
anyone else. More scientists converged to get whatever updates the
two might have gleaned from my body.

Ugh.

Shadow and I were
led by Kedders and Lisa to a larger, gray room. Three furs waited
inside.

They sat apart at
different tables, not looking up from their quiet activities. A
rabbit read a book, a cheetah drew on a table’s bare surface, and a
porcupine ate chips. All three were pretty young; none looked older
than mid 20s. The three looked up at our entering group, not startled
until they saw Shadow and me.

“A new one?”
asked the rabbit, her delicate nose wiggling in excitement.

The young cheetah
looked up from where her nose almost touched her drawing. She blinked
in our general direction, smiling. Her eyes didn’t meet or even
come close to mine.

The porcupine
grunted. “More fodder for the Event light.”

Lisa gestured Shadow
and me inside. “This is a new Listener, Tyler. His wolf friend
accompanies him by exception. Please confer among yourselves on
anything you noticed from the last solution attempt.”

Lisa and Kedders
stalked away down the hall, leaving Shadow and me standing without
any further directions. Only the rabbit seemed interested in greeting
us.

The little white
rabbit stepped forward. “I’m Daisy. I know it’s a cliché name,
but it was my great-grandmother’s. Family tradition ya know.”

At my nod, she
grinned, taking up my paw in her own and dragging me further into the
room. Shadow didn’t appreciate her style of welcoming, and grumbled
as he followed.

“So I’m Daisy, I
got here a few days ago. Pekkins if the Porcupine; he’s been here
the longest - the grouch! And the cheetah is Terri; she doesn’t see
too well.”

“I’m Tyler,” I
said, “and this is Shadow. They let him in with me.”

“Mate,” said
Shadow, pointedly.

I blushed, grinning
when Daisy’s look turned fascinated.

“They let you?”
the rabbit asked. “Maybe they think you can help a lot or
something? Otherwise, they would have tossed you out already.”

“You do the
tests?” said the cheetah from the next table, looking near us, but
not at us.

I grimaced, sitting
at an empty table and gesturing Shadow to sit also. “Just went
through two tests. Didn’t like them.”

“Not the third?”
The porcupine adjusted to a look of interest.

The bunny huffed.
“That’s Pekkins. Don’t mind him. He’s been here the longest.
Made him all kinds of prickly.”

“Haha,” spoke
Pekkins in a monotone. “I’ve seen ‘em come and go. We just lost
Callie.”

A dark silence fell
on the three furs. I didn’t understand. How many could have ‘come
and gone’ seeing as it was only a few weeks since the start of
everything? How were they lost? Unconscious in a coma? Were they
dead?

“It won’t be
long ‘till the next one of you goes,” continued the prickly fur.
“We’re fine down here, but these scientists have no idea what
they’re doing.”

“Then why are you
still here?” snapped Daisy, still standing near us. “You can
leave.”

Pekkins shook his
head. “The scientists may be idiots down here, but outside of here
is definitely worse for my health. And complexion,” he added with
an orangey, buck-toothed grin.

“Shut it,”
mumbled out the cheetah, Terri.

The other two fell
silent. Shadow and I stared at the trio. Daisy sat back down at her
table, and the other two ignored us. Watching each do their best to
ignore the other two, reminded me of friendlier times with Burt,
Jennifer, and Howard.

Shadow and I didn’t
have familiar furs with us any more, leaving us adrift in the social
scheme of the base. Where did we fit in? Would we make friends of
these furs or more adversaries? Would we even be around long enough
to make a difference?

Diasy sighed,
watching Shadow sit there, solidified in hesitation with his arms
around his backpack. “What are you two, sticks in the mud? Speak.”

She looked at our
nervous faces, lips quirked in humor. She leaned forward, elbows on
her table and her muzzle resting on her paws.

Daisy said, “Don’t
worry so much. How are you ever going to enjoy yourselves if you just
stress over the little things?”

Was I missing
something? The world outside was chaos, furs were dying, everything
was getting worse. I was supposed to do something to make a
difference. Of course I would stress.

Shadow was nodding
as he checked the contents of his pack. He agreed with her.

Maybe I was taking
things too seriously. I couldn’t shoulder the world. No one should
ever be asked such a task, not me, not one of them. But… how much
would be asked of me and these three other furs?

A knock on the open
door drew attention to Kedders. “Event’s approaching. Tyler,
you’re on me. Your wolf friend will wait for you here.”

I stood up, trying
to prepare myself mentally for whatever the third test involved.
Something with the approaching Curtain?

A paw stopped me
from taking a step. Shadow was still sitting, but his paw was tense
on my arm, his face troubled. It would be the first time we’d been
alone for the Curtain since the beginning. I turned back to Shadow
and attempted to show confidence. I placed my paw over the wolfy one
on my arm and nodded to him, a silent promise of return.

“I don’t like
it,” he whispered. “I won’t be near. What if you need help and
I’m not there?”

“I will return,”
I promised in a low voice, knowing the others in the room watched.

“And if you
don’t?” he asked, his muzzle turning a little aside.

“I will find you.
Any way I can.”

He didn’t look
convinced, but let my arm go. I made my way out of the room, managing
to not look back. If I looked back, I wouldn’t be able to leave.
The room was dead silent behind me.

I followed Kedders
down the hall. I was a little surprised when we took an elevator up.
Up?

The big fox scowled
at the elevator doors, and I didn’t want to interrupt his grumpy
silence. I tried to occupy myself with counting the tall panel of
buttons, but was only halfway through figuring out how many floors
might be in the base when the upwards elevator slowed. The doors
opened, and I was surprised to see the familiar entry of the base in
front of me. Surface level.

“What are we doing
all the way up here?” I asked, feeling nervous.

Kedders didn’t
bother with an answer, stepping forward and leading the way down a
side hall. Moore tapped his wombat footpaws outside a door at the end
of the hall.

“Moore?” I
ventured. “Why are we all the way up here? Is it something for the
third test?”

Moore huffed, making
a hurried gesture. “Just hurry up, pup. It’s not like we have a
lot of time, and nothing seems to delay the Event.”

I hesitated in the
doorway before following the wombat in. “Is it safe here? Why are
we up here for the test and not lower in the base?”

“Sit there
please,” Moore said, pointing to what looked almost like a dental
patient’s chair.

I sat, feeling
confused. My eyes darted around at the empty room. “Where is the
rest of the equipment?”

“It’s all deep
inside the base, where it’s more protected from the Event light,”
he said. The wombat gestured to Kedders who stepped close to me.

Kedders pressed my
paws to the arm rest of the chair.

“Wait! What are
you doing!?” I shouted, trying to pull my arm away and rise.

“Hold still and
don’t panic,” said Moore in a cool voice. “We’re just
securing you, so you don’t move around too much for the test.”

I struggled against
Kedders, but my one paw was already secured with a thick, padded
strap. “What kind of test is this!? The Curtain is coming.”

Moore tapped a
syringe, eyeing the little drops flung from the tip. “You know,
it’s strange how you insist on calling the Event the ‘Curtain.’
You’d think you’d adapt to the more widely accepted term when
presented with it.”

I didn’t respond,
struggling against the straps, now on both wrists from Kedders’
efforts.

“Perhaps you’re
just stubborn. I wonder if it’s caused by your upbringing or your
genes. Tell me, was your father very stubborn?”

“Let me go!” I
yelled. “Shadow! Help, anyone! They’re gonna kill me!”

Moore huffed,
shaking his head. “Quiet down now, pup. You won’t die from this.
We need you near the surface because this room is enhanced to provide
more exposure to the Event light without killing the individual.
Well, there have been a few mistakes….”

“What!?” I
screamed. It couldn’t be! It was ridiculous. Cruel! I cried out my
wordless frustration.

“It’s science,”
Moore insisted, pointing a finger in the air while Kedders secured my
footpaws against the chair too. “Now relax. Just a little pinch.”

Kedders steadied my
arm, and Moore poked me, injecting me with whatever was in the
syringe. It was like some kind of nightmare! It couldn’t be legal.

“You’re holding
me against my will!” I tried. “Let me go. It’s not legal; it’s
not right!”

“We have special,
emergency allowance for any and all necessary procedures to handle
the situation,” the wombat rattled off. “Well, at least by what’s
left of the Furdom government.”

The little marsupial
placed sensor node ends on my head. The wiring led into the wall,
disappearing into some safer place in the base.

“I want Shadow,”
I sobbed, unable to think of anything else.

Moore was saying
something about me calming down or I’d skew the results, but I
wouldn’t stop crying. I didn’t want to stop crying and yelling at
them.

Moore was still
speaking, explaining about the test in lots stupid jargon, seeming to
encourage an excitement in me. He seemed in disbelief at my reaction.

“You’ll be fine!
It’s perfectly safe in here!” he said.

How was I supposed
to believe that!?

The chair was
lowered into a recline, and the two furs cleared the room, leaving me
alone. I yelled and cried, but no one showed up. Several minutes
later, I quieted.

Were they getting
ready for this test somewhere in the base? This wasn’t a test, this
was risk. Pure torture. I might die!

They needed to come
back. Was the test over? I felt a little muffled, like I couldn’t
quite hear right in my ears.

“Hello?” I
called, hoping someone would come let me loose. Would Shadow come for
me? Would he free me from this torture chair?

I struggled against
each bind, but I felt slow and a bit numb. My paws! My footpaws!

I shook my head,
trying to dislodge the sensors glued onto my scalp. Someone might
come if something was wrong. No. I couldn’t shake them loose.

I paused. Did I hear
someone approach? My ears perked.

It took a moment of
trying to hear anything around my heartbeat. I blinked, then
struggled harder.

The Curtain was
coming!

My head spun, but I
couldn’t tell if was just me panicking or if it was whatever the
bastard injected me with.

The Curtain
approached. Nothing would stop it. Was I even safe? My eyes darted
around the room, and I couldn’t see anything behind me. Was there
some crack in the room? Was there some intended opening to the
outside?

I tried to calm my
crazed breathing. I felt strange already, and the Curtain hadn’t
even hit. What did it mean? Would it all kill me? Was it safe for
others, but not for me?

“Help,” I
croaked out as the Curtain dropped over Furdom. Over me.

When did it fall?
Things were numbed. Maybe it was the surrounding mountain. Maybe it
was the injection. My brief wondering was soon lost in the humming,
vibrating build-up of the Curtain.

It struck, and I
tried to get my mind to dance along with the patterns, but the whole
thing shifted somehow. I could see something, like it was doubled in
my vision, like it was deeply imagined in my mind. I could see! But
it wasn’t seeing.

It was a landscape
of the Curtain, a landscape of easy waves and vibrations among the
waves. Through the doors of my mind, I drifted over the landscape of
the Curtain. Where was I again? Wasn’t I doing something? Someone
wasn’t with me?

Nothing was around
me but the landscape of my inner vision. A blurble of something rose
from the ripples around me. It happened again, forming a ‘something’.
It reformed in the same place and somehow, it was me. It felt like it
was me, it had the same feeling as my body.

But it wasn’t me.
It was Other.

The Other was there,
an almost me, but not me. It didn’t look like me, just felt like a
‘me’ in the landscape of the Curtain.

The landscape
rippled, and the Other dissolved. With a surge of the Curtain
landscape, it reformed. The Other hummed at me, seeming to direct my
attention elsewhere.

It felt like Kaylee?
I wanted to see her, needed so very badly to see her again, but I
couldn’t remember. Why did I need to see her?

She was there, then
she wasn’t. My mom was there, the feeling and sensation that mom
was right there. I tried to reach out to her somehow, but I had no
paws. I just existed.

What did it mean?
What-

It all dissolved
around me. I felt… I felt something. My body, but it was horrid, a
shock to my mind. I couldn’t take it all in and escaped into the
empty darkness.

***

Voices nearby. I
didn’t recognize them. I didn’t want any of them. None of them
were my Wulf. I wanted… I wanted Shadow. No one else would do.

The voices were
excited, enthused. Chatter went back and forth between several
voices, but I couldn’t follow the words. I groaned, and the voices
became more excited. I tried to swat them away, but my paws felt so
very, very heavy.

No. They were bound
down.

My eyes snapped
open, and I looked down to my paws. They weren’t bound anymore, but
the thick, padded straps were still there, ready to attach again. I
blinked, not comprehending. My paws… were in those straps. I had
been… upset. No, I had been angry.

But my mind was so
slow. I couldn’t piece together… I was…. Where was Shadow?

“Shadow?” I
husked in a ravaged voice.

Voices responded,
but I still couldn’t understand them.

I needed Shadow. Or
my mom…?

No. Mom was dead.
Kaylee was dead. Dad was alive and horrible. Shadow was the only one.
The one I wanted. We were mates, and we needed each other.

I’d let him out of
my sight. Would I die without him?

“What happened?”
I asked, trying to get my vision to stop spinning.

“Hold still,”
said someone in a very, very deep voice. “Your body is still
recovering from the Event.”

“What event?” I
asked, trying to focus on the large… someone leaning over me.

“Take a few deep
breaths, fox,” the deep, deep voice said. “They’re taking a
little blood now.”

“We’ll have to
get Kedders to carry him down,” a higher-pitched voice said.

“I’ll get him,”
said the bass voice to someone off to the side.

I blinked again,
trying to merge my disjointed vision. Where was I?

I was reclined in a
strange chair, centered in a gray room. Several furs were in the room
too, and a… bird? And a… whale?

It didn’t make any
sense, and I felt better with my eyes closed. I was picked up and
carried. It didn’t smell like Shadow, so I protested, ignoring the
soothing words.

It was Shadow’s
voice - Shadow’s voice concerned, his voice becoming angry. He was
yelling. Then it was quiet. It smelled like Shadow, and I snuggled
into that sense, that smell, letting myself slip into rest.

***

I woke to a familiar
sensation, being held in wolfy arms, pressed all along my back by a
wolfy warmth. Arms held me, my Wulf behind me. I opened my eyes to a
familiar gray room, under a gray blanket, lying on a gray bed. I
stared at my black paws, trying to put my mind together.

My thoughts were
sluggish, and my mind felt so… off. My tingling hide felt like it
did right after the Curtain. I looked around.

Room. In the
research base. With furs and a feather and a fin?

I blinked, twitched.
Those bastards! I growled, and it turned into a snarl. I was mad, so
mad I was crying. I didn’t care if I showed my teeth. What they’d
done-

Shadow groaned
behind me, his arms tightening. “I’ll kill them,” snarled my
Wulf. “I’ll slaughter them and rip them apart. Every single one
of them.”

I stilled, sucking
at my breaths. “What happened?”

My memories wouldn’t
line up with any sense. I scowled through my snarl, trying to make
sense of the scattered bits. Kaylee and Mom? I’d just seen them?
But they were gone from the world. They were dead, dead weeks ago.

But their voices
echoed, like I’d just heard them. I’d… seen them? That wasn’t
possible.

I shook my head away
from my clenching paws and looked around the room. The door was
barricaded with a leaning, gray dresser, but it didn’t show any
sign of forced entry.

“Kill them,”
Shadow snarled in my nape. “Rip them apart.”

I sucked in a sob,
and tears stung my eyes. I shouldn’t feel this; the incident was
over. I felt so upset, so scared, shivering in Shadow’s arms and
clutching my paws to my chest.

“I’ll kill
them,” Shadow sobbed into my shoulder. “I felt so helpless when
they carried you back. I didn’t know what they’d done or what to
do. I thought you’d died, you were so still.”

“Wulf,” I
mumbled, clutching his paws to my chest.

“And you wouldn’t
wake up. I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t know what to do!”

“I’m okay,” I
managed, trying to steady my breathing. The upset was making me feel
worse. I wanted to hold onto the anger, the sense of justified fury.
I didn’t want to feel hurt, feel the terror.

“We gotta get out
of here,” Shadow said.

I nodded. I had
wanted to help, but I didn’t feel willing any more. Why would I
help those who had played with my life and sanity?

“Can you stand?
Are you able to go? We have to get out of here,” he growled.

“I- I don’t
know.” My body still felt strange and a little sick. “Let me try
to sit up.”

He sat up on the bed
against the wall, helping me up against him.

“Ugh. Nope.” I
slumped back to the bed. My head was spinning. My head thudded.
Thudded again. No….

There came knocking
at the door. It echoed in my skull, making me clutch at it. A voice
called from outside, and Shadow stood, yelling at the door.

A voice full of
emotion was on the other side, trying to talk with Shadow, but I just
felt nauseous. The noise. It rattled around. It hurt. My middle hurt.
And I was vomiting onto to floor, next to Shadow’s backpack.
Dammit.

Shadow’s voice
grew angrier towards the door. I’d never heard him be so vocal. I
wanted to be proud, as before he’d held himself back. But I should
be angry too.

Oh yeah.

They’d bound me to
a chair and let the Curtain at me. I could have died. What had
happened to… who was it? Someone had been lost, a Listener. Was
that lost in death, or lost in the mind? Had it nearly happened to
me?

Memories were
scattered after they bound me to the chair. I’d seen Mom? Had I met
with Kaylee?

But it wasn’t
them. It was some sort of hallucination. They were dead. I’d seen
them die. Eric and others too, I’d seen their bodies.

But I’d seen them
in the Curtain. Did they live somehow? No, it couldn’t be. But what
else could it mean? I’d seen them; it felt like the furs, the
family I knew. It was a reflection. But why?

Shadow was still
yelling. It hurt, and I held my throbbing skull. The voices quieted,
and only Shadow’s growling remained. He paced back and forth in the
tiny space. It wasn’t a room of sanctuary. It was a prison. We were
surrounded, buried deep underground.

A tiny room.
Surrounded. I’d never been claustrophobic, but I might start. How
was Shadow? He did have claustrophobia, was justifiably terrified of
being trapped in small places.

His paws clenched
and re-clenched. He paused in front of the barricaded door, staring
it down, listening. I only heard distant activity from outside.

“How long?” I
said with a cough. “How long was I out?”

“Not long,” said
Shadow, glancing back before turning to me. “What the hell
happened? They carry you back, and you felt so cold and still. I
thought you were dead.”

I groaned. Telling
him would make him madder. We needed to figure out what to do, how to
get out.

“Those three
‘Listeners’ just ignored my questions. That porcupine had the
gall to laugh. Laugh!” he shouted at the door.

Someone grumbled
from beyond the door’s muffling barrier. It didn’t matter who it
was, it was more of the same treatment ahead. I knew then; I should
tell Shadow. He needed to know why we must leave immediately.

“They strapped me
to a chair, and the Curtain came. I don’t think it was the full
exposure, because I lived. It- It touched me,” I groaned, weeping
on my final words, scratching at my arms. I felt like me, but also
like… Other.

It was disgusting. I
had become disgusting.

I tried to sit up
again, forcing myself to remain up through an episode of nausea and
dizziness. We had to get out of there, but how to get past so many
furs and security?

Shadow sat next to
me, rubbing my back and staring at the blockaded door. “I thought
you might die,” he whispered into the quiet air.

I nodded my
floating, dizzy head. “I thought I would die. The Curtain was
coming, and I didn’t know if that room was safe. I couldn’t go
anywhere. I was tied down….” My tense throat would allow no more
words.

Shadow seized my
paw, clutching it and growling at the door. His other arm circled me
where I sat, leaning against him, feeling weak and dizzy. His warmth
seeped into my tired body, and I had a hard time keeping my eyes
open.

“So what now?”
Shadow said, staring at the door.

I looked up at the
plain bulb cover in the gray room with all the gray furnishings. We
needed to leave. I was reminded of our first nights in the
FurShopper, when we’d been targeted by hate. Now we were targeted
by those who would use us, without a care to our personal wellbeing.

My head felt more
stable, and my gut stopped churning. I felt better leaning into my
Wulf, feeling accepted and loved for who I was, not for what I might
offer. The scientists valued my body, my system, but not me.

A soft knock came
from the door. Shadow snarled without remorse, looking like a vicious
feral. I might have been startled in other circumstances, but I
understood. He was defending his mate.

“Pups?” came the
voice at the door.

We both stilled at
the familiar voice. I looked to Shadow in disbelief.

His glance at me
matched my own confusion. “Cade!?” he called out, his head
pulling back in his shock.

“Funny story, you
know,” the bison chuckled on the other side. “So I was trying to
get entry into here anyway, after today’s Event. I mentioned I was
a friend of you guys, and they gave me a special pass on the
condition I could get you both to calm.”

“What?” I asked,
but my voice squeaked. I tried again. “What?” I called out more
coherently.

Shadow closed his
eyes and shook his head. “Cade what the hell is going on?”

The deep voice on
the other side called, “I used to do some sub-contracting for the
military. I told you stories; you remember?”

“I guess,”
shouted Shadow. “Why are you here!?”

“Well,” the
voice hesitated. “I’m supposed to calm you down. The scientists
are frantic thinking you both won’t cooperate. They need your
mate.”

“They can all go
to the deepest furry hells!” yelled my Wulf, his arm around me
tightening. “Did they tell you what they did!?”

“Well, no. But
they did say his help is imperative. They say they might be able to
stop the Events entirely.”

“They almost
killed him!” Shadow’s words were emphasized with snapped teeth.

There was a long
silence on the far side of the door.

Cade’s voice was
subdued when he continued. “I’m sure they didn’t mean to,
Shadow. With something so devastating to so many, they’re desperate
for any solution.”

“And what if he
ends up dead next time!” Shadow snapped at the door. “If you’re
a part of this, I don’t want to see you either, Cade.”

“Shadow!” came
the upset voice, muffled by the door. “You’re like a son to
me.”


“And Tyler is my mate,” Shadow sobbed. “I
don’t want to lose either of you.”

Shadow clung to me
even more. He seemed unable to continue, sobbing into my shoulder.

“What do you want
us to do, Cade?” I called.

“Oh, Tyler! Thank
the furry heavens you’re safe!” The muffled voice came closer to
the join of the door. “Could you let me in? I hate speaking to you
both like this from the hall.”

Shadow continued to
sob into my shoulder, clinging to my arm. He was in no shape to
respond.

“Come back in
fifteen minutes will you, Cade?” I called to the door. After a
moment of no response, I reiterated, “Please?”

The deep voice was
disappointed. “Alright, I understand. See what you can do for him,
Tyler. Just know they’re all sorry for scaring you so much. I’ll
be back.”

Hoofsteps clipped
away from the door. A conversation was held outside, and furs shooed
each other away from the vicinity of the little room.

At last I could
breathe. I lay my muzzle over Shadow’s head while he continued to
cry. My shoulder was wet from tears of upset, anger, and hurt.

When the sobs
cleared, and I had a world-weary, exhausted wolf under my chin, I
said, “We’re okay, Shadow. We’re together. That’s the
important part.”

He nodded, his voice
faint, not quite forming words.

I kept my pets slow,
feeling through his deep fur to his relaxing neck muscles. He
slumped, eyes staying closed as I began to lick, slowly grooming his
face. I took more time over his stressed brow and around his teary
eyes.

I loved that I could
calm him, loved the wat I was so appreciated by him, he’d go into
feral behavior to defend me. I had never had that. Even Mom had held
back from confronting Mr. Evans because she loved us both. But that
moment was clarity itself.

I loved and was
loved.

“Shadow,” I
breathed.

I paused in my
licking, and he opened his eyes, gazing up at me. He was so damn
adorable. Strong and protective, showing his vulnerabilities only to
me. I loved the duality of his existence.

I was so in love.

I smiled at him, and
he managed a calm smile back at me. He loved me too, I could see it
in his eyes when he licked my nose. How had I ever doubted that depth
of love?

A soft knock sounded
at the door. A voice called our names. Cade?

We both hesitated.
To respond would be to invite more than the two of us into our
universe. It was okay to have others, but sometimes I wanted Shadow
to be my universe.

After a firmer
knock, I called out. “We’re okay, Cade. What do you want?”

Cade started with,
“The scientists are sorry they scared you and-”

“Don’t apologize
for them!” I yelled at the door. “They didn’t tell me what they
were doing and tied me up for the Curtain.”

Cade mumbled
something to someone nearby, outside the door. A huffed, “Really!”
was audible. The bison’s voice directed to the door again. “What
do you want? What do you two want to do now?”

“I want to leave!”
I yelled. “I’m not here to be killed in experiments. I’m not
here to be tied down and tested!”

“And Shadow will
go with you, of course,” the bison said with an audible sigh
through the thin barrier. “Could you at least open the door? I’d
like to talk to you two face-to-face and make sure you’re okay.”

“No!” shouted
Shadow with a snarl. “Not taking Tyler.”

“No one will take
him away,” said Cade. “Please, Pups. Let’s figure something
out. I will guarantee your safety and togetherness while I’m here.”

I looked at Shadow,
who looked right back at me.

“Pups?” Cade
called to us.

“...Okay,” I
said, loud enough for Cade to hear.

Shadow trusted Cade.
I wanted to trust Cade for Shadow. Would our joint hope be dashed
into painful pieces?

Shadow stood,
propping my back against the wall behind the bed. He hesitated in
front of the door, looking back at me, looking torn. I pulled out of
my doubts for him and nodded, firmly acknowledging Cade’s entry.

Shadow growled to
himself, staring at the door. Once he gathered himself, he moved the
narrow dresser and opened the door. A few curious and concerned faces
tried to peek.

“By all that’s
furry, give some space,” Cade griped over his shoulder. “Damn
gawkers.”

Shadow stepped
aside, letting the big fur in and closing the door behind them. With
the three of us and the backpack, the room was very crowded. Cade
picked up the dresser and moved it to the wall, sitting on it and
relieving some of the spatial pressure.

I remained lying on
the bed. If I was feeling crowded in the small space, Shadow must be
struggling. My Wulf sat on the bed and licked his lips, glancing up
at the bison before dropping his gaze.

“Where do we
start?” Cade said in a low voice. “First, why don’t you tell me
what happened? I know a bit from them, but I’d like to know your
view on what happened. Then we’ll go over what’s next.”

Straightening my
back against the wall, I shook my head. I asked, “Why do they even
pretend? They obviously had no consideration for my well-being and
safety.”

Cade said, “I’m
sure they didn’t realize-”

“No!” I snapped,
interrupting. “They knew. How else do these other Listeners know
the third test was terrible? The first one I understand. The second
one, I thought I might drown in some stupid tank. The third one, they
tied me down and let the Curtain at me. Of course I’m a bit pissed
off!”

Cade rubbed at his
brow, and Shadow’s growls had risen in volume. I shook my head
against the wall, feeling dizzy and numb. I wasn’t sure if it was
my temper getting to me or the continued side effects of what I’d
been through.

I stared at a spot
on the gray wall, gaining some sense of balance and control. “They
knew. They put me in danger. No one can help if they’re dead. I
don’t want to die; I just want to leave. Now.”

Shadow agreed with a
sharp nod. “’Soon as you can walk.”

Cade sighed, tilting
his head up to stare at the ceiling. “The science guys are all
excited about your results. They haven’t been able to find someone
else with as much affinity with the Event. I think they need you.”

“Well, we don’t
need them,” I snapped, feeling a growing headache.

Cade’s thick
muzzle dropped down, catching my eyes with his own. When he spoke, he
sounded thoughtful. “Have you thought they might really need you
though? To my knowledge, this is the only installment in the whole
world with any real chance of stopping these Events. You might be
needed more than you know.”

“What good is he
dead?” Shadow growled.

“None,” I agreed
aloud.

Cade rubbed at his
muzzle. “In theory, you could be kept here against your will.” He
held up a thick hoof when I opened my muzzle to protest. “And I
suspect you won’t be a lick of help in any unwilling state.”

“Of course,” I
snapped.

“So let’s figure
this out. You’re not going to be any good forced, but they can’t
afford to just let you leave.” Cade nodded to me. “What would you
need to guarantee your willingness?”

“I don’t know. I
haven’t thought about it,” I gritted between my teeth.

Cade let the silence
stretch.

I muttered to
myself. “I want to go. I need to go. I must stay….” I sighed,
shaking my head.

Cade looked at me
with a sneaky grin. “Would you accept a bribe?”

“Like what?” I
asked. “I don’t trust them. Even with a bribe.”

“Then what would
make you feel safe?” Cade asked.

“Like…” I said
aloud, “ I don’t know. A guarantee of safety here, which I doubt
will happen. Maybe some valuable information… key to the base or
something…? Maybe a guard?”

Shadow tensed, and I
knew he immediately thought of the military wolf from before.

“Not one of
theirs,” I said with firm resolve, noticing Shadow’s gust of
relief.

“How about me?”
asked Cade.

My lips twitched.
“Cade, I like you. You seem like a good fur, but I don’t know
you. I know you’d help Shadow before anyone.”

Cade nodded to that.
“Your father then? Shadow said-”

“No!” I snapped
with a fierce gesture, which seemed to make my headache worse.
“Definitely not him.”

“Who then? What
fur would make you both feel safer?”

I was strong, but
even the strong needed allies. Shadow and I just weren’t safe
enough here. Strength. Trust.

I knew who to
request. I couldn’t ask for everyone; that was too much to their
precious ‘secrecy’. But I knew someone. Of course.

Trying to gather my
diminishing strength, through my clouding vision, I said, “I want
Burt here. And his family. Brynn too. Get them a place here. Then
I’ll help.”