Troy slumped against the counter, looking like he might need to sit down. "Thirty to forty years to reach full size," he muttered. "A hellhound the size of a bison. Why is this my life?"
"Still new to all this supernatural stuff?" Mandy's forest-green eyes regarded Troy with sympathy.
Troy ran his hands through his hair, making it stand on end. "Been a couple years now." He gestured at the massive puppy sprawled across his exam table. "Every time I think I've got a handle on things - shapeshifters, Djinn, whatever - something new crops up." He waved helplessly at their current patient. "Case in point."
The hellhound's tail hammered rhythmically against the table, sending another shower of sparks through his thick blackcoat. His enormous pink tongue lolled out in a happy grin as he basked in Mandy's continued attention.
Mandy's delighted laugh filled the exam room. "Oh honey, I've only been at this a couple months." She buried her fingers deeper in the puppy's shaggy fur, completely unfazed by the tiny red embers dancing around her hands. "And I am totally loving every minute of it."
Nathan ran his fingers through his sandy brown hair, his expression a mix of concern and bewilderment. "Um, so a hellhound showed up at our door. But what are we supposed to do with him?"
"Well, first you should feed him," Kieran said, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Kieran!" Mandy regarded her Chosen in exasperation. She planted her hands on her hips, glaring up at the much taller Djinn prince. "That's not helpful. They need actual guidance here."
The prince shrugged, seemingly unperturbed. "The more pressing concern is determining where his mother is and how they became separated. A hellhound pup this young shouldn't be wandering alone. He doesn't belong in this dimension." His nordic blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Jacinth, contact Kayja. As Lord Damien's demoness half-sister, she may have insights into this situation."
Kieran held out his hand to Mandy, his stern features softening as he gazed down at his new wife. "Shall we get back to our honeymoon, my love?"
Mandy's forest-green eyes lit up as she took his offered hand. "Yes, please!" She gave the puppy one final scratch behind his ears. "Be good, you adorable thing. Bye, everyone!"
The couple vanished with another soft pop, leaving behind only the lingering scent of jasmine and sandalwood.
In the sudden silence, the weight of their situation seemed to settle over the room like a blanket. They were alone. With a hellhound. A hellhoundpuppy, who would grow to the size of a bison.
Harper was the first to react. She shoved her fingers through her foxy-red hair, her amber eyes wide with dawning panic. "But what are we supposed to do with him in the meantime? We can't keep a hellhound! We've already got Jill and her mother living in the backyard!"
"We can't just abandon him either," Nathan said, steadying Harper. His normally calm expression was pinched with worry. "He's just a baby. Even if he is... well, a hellhound."
Troy sighed, rubbing his temples. "Look, take a bag of dog food to get you through tonight. At least that will keep him fed until we figure something out."
"I'll have Alyssa send Kayja to your house," Jacinth assured them, her dark eyes twinkling with amusement as she watched the puppy's antics. "She'll know what to do with this little one."
With a soft pop of displaced air, Jacinth vanished, presumably off to find her friend.
Beth couldn't help smiling as Nathan's face scrunched up in confusion.
"Wait, who's Kayja?" He glanced between them, his sandy brown hair falling into his eyes.
Harper nudged him with her elbow. "Keep up, honey. She's the vampire head honcho's demoness half-sister."
Nathan's face went three shades paler as the full implications hit him. "The vampire lord has a demon for a sister?" His voice cracked. "And she's coming to our house?"
Beth pressed her lips together, trying to maintain her composure, but Harper's snort of laughter broke her resolve. They dissolved into giggles as Nathan stared at them, his expression a perfect mix of confusion and dismay.
"Welcome to my world," Troy grumbled.
Beth slipped past Harper and Nathan as they wrangled with the uncoordinated puppy—no, hellhound—and headed for the supply closet. They kept emergency supplies for all kinds of animals, just in case clients needed something to tide them over. Beth spotted the ten-pound bag of premium kibble on the bottom shelf and hefted it into her arms.
Beth nudged the closet door closed with her hip and headed to the reception area. Tyr stood just inside the entrance, his fair hair gleaming under the fluorescent lights. The sight of him sent a flutter through her chest. Even after several weeks of working together, her reaction to him hadn't diminished.
"Tyr!" She hurried toward him, nearly dropping the bag of dog food in her excitement. "You will not BELIEVE this!"
He looked up from his phone, blue eyes lighting with interest as he took in her flushed face and the unusual burden in her arms. His lips quirked into that half-smile that never failed to make her heart skip.
"What's happened?" he asked, pocketing his phone and moving to take the bag from her.
Beth surrendered the dog food, bouncing on her toes as laughter bubbled up through her chest. "We have a hellhound puppy in Exam Room 2!"
