Those both sounded like good possibilities to Ross.That might mean setting up more modern security on the cemetery for the next few years, but that was alright.Ross was more comfortable with tech and could oversee that.The nine-year-old dog, Zen, was likely a better possibility.“Are they both in good health?”
“The peak of health,” Maggie assured him brightly.“Well, Zen’s hips are stiffening up a bit with old age, but we have him on a hemp complex that keeps him mobile and pain free.He plays like a puppy most days.”
That was not actually what Ross hoped to hear.But this wasn’t the only place to check, so if these dogs weren’t suitable, they could try the others.It might mean he had to drag Dunham and Chloe out of here by the ears, but that was what he was here for.To wrangle them.
Ross heard a sound suspiciously like kissy noises coming from behind him.Turning, he looked sharply for—oh dammit.Chloe was still all the way back near the door.She hadn’t gotten past the first kennel and was leaning down with her nose practically pressed through the chain link, exchanging kisses with a cream-colored dog.From what Ross could see, the dog was on the verge of vibrating out of its skin, it was so happy.
“Chloe,” Ross called.When that garnered precisely zero response, he sharpened his tone.“Chloe!”
“Ross, look at her.”Chloe still didn’t budge.If she’d been in her other form, her own grey tail would have been wagging frantically.“She’s so pretty and sweet and she wants to run with us so bad—”
He retreated back to the werewolf and chivvied her up onto her feet, herding her firmly forward.“Focus, Chloe.You can’t have all the dogs.”
“But I can have three, right?She said three.”
In retrospect, Ross had made a serious strategic error in bringing Chloe in here.He should have adopted a senior dog himself without these two.Why had he thought it would be easier to make the selection with their input?Was he injured?In the head?
Chloe kept herself half-turned, looking back with longing.“I haven’t had a dog in the longest time.I can take her home with me.We can run together, it’ll be so much fun.”
A sense of inevitability came crashing through on adopting that dog.“Chloe, focus on senior dog first, okay?We’ll talk about the pretty dog later.Now, Maggie, you said this is Zen?”
Maggie eyed Chloe in a particularly mercenary way, clearly planning to bank on Chloe’s obvious weakness for dogs.But she kept her smile professional as she gestured toward the dog in the kennel.“Right, this is Zen.He’s—oh.Ha.”
Dunham was already pressed up against the chain link, exchanging greetings with the dog.Zen was a warm grey color with a white chest and russet-colored eyes.Someone had clipped back his ears, but his tail was still long and curved.Said tail currently wagged with whip-like speed as he touched noses with Dunham.The dog made yipping, high-pitched whines in the back of his throat, so excited he couldn’t contain himself.
To be fair, the massive Scotsman wasn’t much better.
Chloe pressed in at Dunham’s side, also exchanging greetings.Zen wasn’t at all zen with two werewolves making cooing noises at him.
“Wow, he really likes you guys.”Maggie watched this play out with her eyebrows lost in her hairline.“I’ve never seen him react like that.He’s friendly to people, but he’s clearly gone on you two.Um, you want me to take him out into the yard, let you guys interact?”
Dunham’s head came up and he gave her a look that suggested she had lost her mind.“What?No, we be takin’ him.Himself be awesome.No need at all, at all to draw this out, just give me the paperwork to sign.”
Nonplussed, Maggie stared at him for a second, blinking.“Uh.Okay?Sure, we can do that.Just him?I know you really liked Savvy, too.”
Chloe was typing frantically on her phone, but she spared a look up.“Yes, her too.And who’s this little guy over here?Oh, aren’t you the sweetest, yes, you’re the goodest boy, come here and give me kisses.”
The little terrier mix was glad to do so, all twenty pounds of him pressed up against the chain link so he could reach this nice werewolf making kissy noises at him.Ross caught her shoulder and pulled Chloe back with a stern look.
“That’s three dogs.You’re at your limit.”
“That’s two dogs,” she corrected him immediately.“Dunham has Zen, right?Dunham?Dunham!”
It was at that point Ross realized that while trying to corral Chloe, he’d lost control of Dunham, who was on the opposite side of the aisle and already giving scratches to a massive dog with white fur.The dog leaned into the chain link hard enough to bend it out of shape, head tilted back as Dunham scratched at his chin, a look of ecstasy on his face.
Growling, Ross stalked for the other werewolf.“Dunham.Focus, man.”
“He be such a good lad,” Dunham said, still scratching with a concerned look on his face.“And he’s been here for almost a year, which just be wrong.I need to take him out of here, Ross.And what about this wee bairn over here?Ye be a good lad too, ain’t ye?”
Gripping his shoulder firmly, Ross leaned in to remind him in a low tone, “We need a church grim.A, as in singular.And the two of you can’t rescue every dog in here.You’re limited to six in between you.”
Clearly having heard him, Chloe assured him in a carrying voice, “Oh, don’t worry about that.”
Ross shot her an exasperated look.He really should have known better than to bring these two in here.Werewolves couldn’t seem to help themselves where dogs were concerned.They went a little dog crazy every time they saw one.He hissed to Dunham again, “A cemetery doesn’t need six church grims!”
It was Dunham’s turn to give him an exasperated look, as if Ross was the slow one.“What ye be sayin’, man?Dogs be pack animals!The more the merrier.Ye canna leave ’em by ’emselves.Maggie, who be this wee, loveable lad?”
“Oh, that’s Fred.He’s two years old and full size.He won’t get any bigger than that.He’s great with other dogs.We think he’s a lab mix?”
