Nathan snickered. "At this rate, he's going to think his name is 'No! No!' since that's all we seem to say to him."
The hellhound's ears perked up at the repeated phrase, his tail wagging harder as he bounded over to Nathan.
"Oh my god." Harper's eyes went wide as she set the plant safely on a higher shelf. "Did you see that? He actually responded to it!"
Beth couldn't help giggling as the puppy sat at Nathan's feet, gazing up at him adoringly. "I think he likes it."
"Nono." Kayja tested the name, the smoky tones of her voice carrying clear amusement. She addressed the hellhound. The puppy's tail thumped harder against the floor as he turned to look at her.
"It's perfect!" Tyr said, snickering. "I mean, look at him - he's basically a walking disaster area. Everything he does makes you want to yell 'No! No!'"
As if to prove Tyr's point, the newly-named Nono attempted to climb into Nathan's lap, nearly knocking him over in the process.
"Nono!" Harper laughed, the name already feeling natural. "Down boy!"
The hellhound immediately flopped onto his belly, though his tail continued wagging enthusiastically. His head tilted as he looked between them all, clearly pleased with the attention.
"Well," Tyr chuckled, "I guess that settles it. Nono it is."
Remi's expression suddenly shifted, his dark eyes lighting up with remembrance. He patted his pockets, finally pulling out a sleek black debit card.
"Oh! Almost forgot." He held the card out to Nathan. "Jacinth asked me to give you this. It's preloaded with enough to cover meat from the butcher for a couple weeks."
Nathan accepted the card, eyes widening as he stared at it. "That's... really generous."
Harper peered over his shoulder at the card. "We can't possibly-"
"Of course you can." Kayja cut through Harper's protest. The demoness's eyes swirled between green and blue as she stroked Nono's thick black fur. "I'm quite certain I can locate his mother within that time frame."
Harper narrowed her eyes playfully as she crossed her arms. "I dunno, I feel like I should be kind of offended that they thinkNathan and I can't afford to feed the pup, even if it is a roast-eating hellhound."
"Oh please." Kayja's honeyed laughter filled the room as her black-veined wings rustled. "This has nothing to do with your financial situation." The demoness's eyes swirled between green and blue with amusement. "My brother simply believes in taking responsibility when supernatural creatures end up in the human realm."
"Besides," Remi added, his dark eyes dancing with mischief, "you're basically providing a supernatural foster home here. Between Jill, Sage, and now Nono?" He gestured at the hellhound, who perked up at his new name. "You're running a magical menagerie."
Beth couldn't help giggling as Nono's tail thumped harder against the floor. The hellhound gazed up at them all adoringly, tongue hanging out as he panted happily, completely oblivious to the discussion about his dietary needs.
"Think of it as hazard pay," Tyr suggested, his blue eyes twinkling. "For all the furniture he's probably going to destroy."
As if on cue, Nono's wagging tail knocked over a side table, sending a lamp crashing to the floor.
"No! No!" Nathan and Harper shouted in unison, making everyone burst out laughing.
The hellhound's tail wagged harder at hearing his new name, creating more wisps of red smoke as he bounded over to shower them with enthusiastic kisses.
"Besides," Remi added, scratching behind Nono's floppy ears, "you're doing us all a huge favor by keeping him safe. The least we can do is cover his food costs."
Beth couldn't help smiling as she watched Nathan and Harper exchange a long look. Finally, Harper's shoulders relaxed and she nodded.
"Thank you," Nathan said, carefully tucking the card into his wallet. "We really appreciate it."
Chapter 15
Tobi circled the pack house grounds in a wide arc, his boots crunching softly in the snow. The winter moon cast sharp shadows across the pristine snow, making it easy to spot any disturbances. Nothing seemed out of place - no unusual tracks, no unfamiliar scents. Yet something nagged at his instincts, drawing him closer to the house.
His instincts rarely lied to him. Tobi altered his path, moving in tighter circles around the building. The feeling grew stronger as he approached the east wing where most of the guest rooms were located.
He heard the usual nighttime sounds with preternatural clarity - the quiet hum of the heating system, someone's television playing softly upstairs where Joe, the alpha wolf, resided with his wife, the rustle of sheets as sleepers turned over. But there - underneath it all - a racing heartbeat that didn't match the peaceful rhythm of sleep.
