“Five!” comes the tiny reply.
“FIVE?” I laugh at her again, really get in a good belly laugh, because she’s insane. “Five dogs?”
“Yeah, but they are super well-behaved. They know all their cues, they listen well, and they’re all pretty old, so they mostly just sleep during the day.”
There is a long, deep silence. We both know I’m going to say yes. She knows I will give her whatever she wants. Money, clothes, my undivided attention. Our friendship is toxic, but she’s all I have.
“If they get out, I can’t guarantee they’ll survive.”
“Oh, no, they won’t. Please…” Liz whines.
I think it through. Five dogs for one day. Could I do this? It would help Liz, and I want her to be happy.
“One day, and you better be here to pick them up,” I warn.
“Oh, thank you. So, you’ll take the five of them? You will take my dogs?”
There is something odd in the way she phrases that question. It’s like there is something hidden, like I’ve missed the punch line.
“Yes,” I groan.
I feel the hot slither of magic wrap around me. Something cold and hard snaps up around my wrist. I stare at the silver cuff with five stones on it. Ruby, silver, bronze, onyx, and white.
Fear cascades through me. You don’t fuck with curses.
“Liz, what the fuck?”
She sobs on the phone. “I tried everything, but it won’t work. They are ruining my life. I can’t do it anymore. I’m sorry. Honestly, Casey, I’m sorry.”
“Liz!” I shout, but the phone cuts off. I dial her back, but it goes straight to voicemail. “Liz, what the hell did you do to me?”
I pull at the cuff, but I know it’s no use. Magical binding contracts are impossible to remove unless the terms of the contract are met.
The scraping of claws on wood has my head jerking up. I’d know that sound anywhere. Fear has me frozen.
A brown wolf stares at me from the other side of the island.
“That’s not a dog!” I mutter. “That’s not a fucking dog, Liz!” I scream.
I slam my fist onto the island, trying to break the cuff. The monster just stares at me, judgement dripping off him in waves of hostile derision.
And then another one appears behind his brother, slinking out of the shadows of the house like it’s been there all along. Black as coal. With golden eyes that regard me with too much intelligence.
“Not a dog and not a wolf,” I mutter, backing up and reaching blindly for my knife.
A deep, vicious bark has me freezing. I slowly lift my hands up to show I mean no harm.
A flash of white, and I look down to find another one sniffing my clothes. He lifts his muzzle and snarls. I whip around just as a red one, his coat like flames, lands on my island. He shakes himself, sending half my groceries to the floor.
No. No, this is bullshit.
I whirl towards the red wolf, ignoring all the others.
“Do you want to starve or eat?” I shout at him. “Get. Down.”
He jerks his head in my direction, red fur flying. I’ve never seen a wolf this colour. Mind you, I’ve never seen any of the colours these wolves are. They are vibrant and pure, unlike the Foster pack, which are muted down.
I round the bench and start picking up the groceries, putting them back on the island. I’m on my hands and knees when the silver appears.
