by Fel Fern
No matter. We had work to do and feeding the dogs might be the perfect distraction Rhys needed.
“A new volunteer? Great. We’re short on those. Nolan will show you around, Rhys,” Samuel said, beaming at Rhys.
Rhys didn’t return his smile. Samuel didn’t look insulted. The other Omega was happy-go-lucky as they came.
I showed Rhys the kennels first.
“Right now, the shelter’s housing ten dogs,” I told Rhys after bringing him around.
The more I explained, Rhys eventually released the mysterious chip on his shoulder. I could tell he listened to me with interest. Occasionally, he interrupted me to ask questions. After showing him the feeding station, I told him we should split up. He’d feed the dogs in one area and I’d feed the other half.
“Okay,” he said.
“If you run into any problems, you can find me at the other end of the room. You could also ask Samuel,” I told him.
“Sure thing.”
It surprised me Rhys followed all my instructions. He didn’t even bat an eye or complained when I gave him more tasks afterward. I’ve been in Rhys shoes before. I’ve been lost before. Adrift.
One day I was a policeman and the next, I was just a normal civilian again. Volunteering at the animal shelter was hard work at times. King was always severely understaffed. I knew this might be exactly what Rhys needed.
Rhys
When lunchtime rolled around, I was exhausted. I leaned against one of the empty cages and noticed Samuel skipping his way towards Nolan. I watched them, trying to make sense of their relationship.
Envy rammed into me. Samuel touched Nolan’s shoulder casually as he showed Nolan some paperwork. The two of them seemed familiar together. Nolan’s single, I reminded myself, he’s been single for years.
Besides, my jealousy puzzled me on so many levels. Nolan and I barely knew each other. I was nothing to him, just a charity case and yet, my chest and my entire body felt so warm when we were in close proximity.
I ran a hand through my short hair. I’ve never forgotten the words Nolan told me earlier. He didn’t offer me a bed, food, and a hair cut because he was trying to please me. He wasn’t expecting some form of payment.
The Alpha’s action still stumped me on some level. When I fell asleep last night, I told myself I couldn’t linger. I’d move on the next morning and yet here I was, mucking it up in a dog shelter. My parents loved to do charity work but I’ve never volunteered a single day in my life.
I glanced at a nearby cage. A miserable looking white Pitbull stared back at me. I swore he thumped his tail earlier after I fed and watered him. I always thought Pitbulls were scary, but this one just looked plain sad.
“You’re a sweetheart underneath, aren’t you?” I murmured.
“Hey,” interrupted a voice.
Nolan.
I jumped, relaxing a little as he handed me water bottle.
“Thanks,” I said.
Realizing my throat was parched, I downed the contents of the bottle in seconds.
“Slow down.” Nolan chided as I began to hack and cough.
I choked. I could feel my entire face turning red as the big Alpha wrapped his arms around me. One squeeze and I spat out the water on the floor.
“Went down the wrong pipe,” I said in a hoarse voice.
Just great. I bet Samuel wouldn’t act in such an embarrassing matter.
“I didn’t realize how thirsty you were,” Nolan said, looking thoughtful. “Samuel went on his lunch break. Do you mind if we stay here and keep an eye on the place? Let’s order in.”
“I don’t mind at all,” I replied far too quickly.
I wouldn’t waste an opportunity to spend more time with Nolan. Nolan ordered pizza as I wandered the cages again, looking at each dog. Half seemed happy to see someone paying attention to them. The other half looked dejected almost like they’ve lost the reason to live.
This, I realized, could be a depressing place to work in. I doubted Nolan was being paid. Why did he choose to volunteer in an animal shelter?
“Rhys? Pizza’s here,” Nolan called out, his voice echoing from the other end of the building.
I made my way towards him. We ended up eating at what Nolan called the break room. All the room contained was a scarred wooden table and a couple of plastic chairs.
Every inch of the shelter, from the walls and floors to the equipment and facilities, looked run down. Seeing the two large pizza boxes, I licked my lips. We chowed down.
“How did you find the work?” Nolan asked me.
“It was okay,” I told him. “Do you always volunteer here?”
“Yeah. I have the time,” Nolan said. “After I retired from the force, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do next. King, the guy who owns and runs this shelter, always needs an extra pair of hands.”
I opened my mouth, about to ask him why he retired but I decided not to. I realized it might be a sensitive topic and we weren’t that close to each other.
Yet.
God knew I wanted to know more about Nolan. What made him tick. Why he was so generous.
“Is tomorrow going to be like this again?”I asked.
“If you like,” Nolan answered.
I mulled over the current state of my situation for a couple of moments. It wasn’t like I had places to be. I had a couch to crash on. I wasn’t starving. I still needed cash so I could start traveling again.
That meant getting a stable job, not charity work. Still, I might’ve worn myself out today but I enjoyed working side-by-side with Nolan. These dogs needed us. I was was useful to them.
“I don’t mind,” I replied.
I’ve decided. I’d stay with Nolan for a little while. Surely it wouldn’t be so terrible, wanting to find out where this particular path would lead.
5
Nolan
“Cute Omega. How do you know him?” Kingston asked.
The other Alpha seemed mightily curious. We weren’t quite friends but we were on good terms. A few weeks after leaving the police force, I found myself walking past the animal shelter a couple of times.
Kingston noticed me and invited me inside. After seeing how much King and the dogs needed help, I’ve been volunteering here ever since. If I had a bigger place, I’d offer to shelter some dogs but my apartment was too small.
We both looked at Rhys. Rhys knelt in front of his favorite kennel. He’d been spending time with Tiny for the past three days. Rhys looked like a completely different person.
There was more meat on his bones, now that he was eating three meals a day. Rhys mentioned he wasn’t an animal person. But he wasn’t just getting along with Tiny, but the other dogs as well.
It was hard to believe he’d been staying with me for over 72-hours. I knew I shouldn’t be counting the days but it didn’t escape my notice that the two of us easily fell into a nice routine.
“He’s the son of a friend,” I answered carefully.
“Here, you can give him this. Tell him he can take Tiny to the yard,” Kingston said.
He handed me a leash. I blinked. Despite his name, Tiny was a 60-pound Pitbull. He was usually aggressive around most people but he acted like an eager puppy with Rhys.
I walked over to my Omega. My Omega. I couldn’t call Rhys that yet. He wasn’t a permanent addition to my home. From the bits and pieces of information he let slip out, I could tell Rhys was still a drifter.
The only reason he was back in Clyde Hill was because he fell on hard times. With no cash and no car, Rhys couldn’t return to traveling on the road.
“King says you can take him to the yard,” I told Rhys, holding out the leash.
Rhys widened his eyes and accepted it. He stepped to one side as I opened the cage a fraction of an inch.
“Go slowly,” I told him.
Rhys nodded. I opened the door a little wider. Rhys slipped inside. For a moment, I was worried that Tiny’s good behavior was just for show.
The Pi
tbull eyed me warily. Tiny wasn’t looking at Rhys at all and I finally understood. Tiny probably viewed me as a threat, so I took several steps backward to give them both space.
According to King, Tiny’s previous owner was an Alpha. That Alpha surrendered Tiny to the animal shelter a few weeks ago. He decided couldn’t take the dog because he was moving. Tiny arrived here in a bad state. He had patches of fur falling out. It looked like he’d been tied outdoors most of the time.
Now, the Pitbull looked a lot better. Tiny didn’t complain when Rhys attached the leash to his collar. Tiny leaped at Rhys a few times. My heart was in my throat. It took me a few moments to realize that Tiny wasn’t attacking Rhys. The Pitbull was just being playful.
Rhys turned to me for further directions.
“You can bring him out now,” I told him. “You know the way to the yard. I can’t come any closer. Tiny doesn’t like Alphas.”
I grimaced as I said those words. Rhys nodded. He took Tiny out from his cage. The Pitbull seemed happy to go with him. I decided to busy myself for a little while. There were always chores to do around the shelter and Samuel called in sick this morning.
It was usually just the three of us here. There were four of us now, including Rhys. I wasn’t arrogant enough to think Rhys would be a permanent addition here.
I helped King feed the other dogs. By the time we finished our task, I decided to check on Rhys. He was probably still outside. I headed to the yard.
It wasn’t much. There wasn’t a single tree or bush in the fenced-up backyard of the shelter but there were grass and a few scattered toys. There was enough space for a dog to stretch and run.
Not announcing my presence yet, I watched Rhys and Tiny. Rhys went on his knees and began giving Tiny a rubdown. The Pitbull loved that because he rolled on his belly so Rhys could also put his hands there. Rhys’ laughter, carefree and unexpected, caught me off-guard.
It was a good sound.
“You’re a good boy, aren’t you? Yes, you are,” Rhys exclaimed.
Tiny whined at him. The Pitbull finally spotted me. He returned to all fours and started barking. Rhys looked over my shoulder. He smiled and waved at me.
Animals could truly change people. I believed that. I knew taking Rhys here would have a profound effect on him.
I waved back, feeling foolish a little later. I dropped my hand as Rhys led Tiny out the yard. I followed them at a distance. Rhys returned Tiny to his cage.
“I wish he’ll find a good home soon,” Rhys told me as he closed Tiny’s cage.
The dog looked sadly at Rhys as if he knew playtime was over.
I didn’t have the heart to tell Rhys that the chances were unlikely. Most folks adopted the smaller and more popular breeds first. Pitbulls were villains in some people’s eyes but they weren’t dangerous dogs at all.
“Nolan, there you are,” King exclaimed. I recognized that concerned look on the other Alpha’s face.
“What’s up, man?”
“I got a call about a stray German Shepard by the train tracks. A couple of kids set his tail on fire.”
King was usually a calm individual most of the time, but his face contorted at those words. The other Alpha was passionate about saving animals.
“I have a potential investor coming by. I’d go if I can—” he began.
“No problem. I’ll pick him up.” I assured the other Alpha.
“I’ll come with you,” Rhys blurted. Rhys glanced at King. “Or I can stay if you need me here.”
King also probably heard the longing in Rhys's voice. I knew the Omega was itching for a little action.
“Go with Nolan. He might need some help. Samuel said he’s feeling better so he’ll be here soon,” King said.
“Two hands are better than one.” I agreed.
Relief washed over King’s face. “Thank you. I owe you one, Nolan.”
“It’s no problem at all.”
“Here are the keys to the van. Catching equipment’s in there,” he said, passing the keys to me.
After he rattled off an address, I inputted it on my phone. I gave him a curt nod. Rhys and I headed to the shelter’s only rescue van. I started the engine and we were off.
“You can turn the music on if you like,” I told Rhys.
“I’m good.” He assured me.
When the traffic light turned red, I snuck a look at Rhys. The Omega looked relaxed. The Rhys sitting next to me was a sharp contrast to the jittery and defensive guy I met days ago.
“How did you meet Kingston?” He asked. “It's just, some Alphas don’t usually work well together.”
“I always passed by his shelter after I retired from the force. King noticed. He asked me if I wanted to take a look inside. I told him I had no intention of adopting a dog. I can’t because my apartment was too small. He said it didn’t matter.”
Rhys mulled on that for a few moments and asked me another question. “Why did you retire? You’re still young and you’re fit.”
I didn’t need to look at Rhys to know the Omega gave my body a once-over.
“My partner of ten years died in a shooting,” I told him truthfully.
After that incident, I’ve been encouraged numerous times to see a precinct psychologist. I waited out every session. The last thing I was interested in was sharing my thoughts and feelings with a random stranger. It didn’t feel like that with Rhys. Despite the differences in our ages, I felt comfortable opening up to him.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry to hear that, Nolan.” Rhys paused. “Were you guys close?”
“We were good friends and partners.” Even now, there was a fist-sized hole left in my heart left by John’s passing. “He was a loner. John didn’t leave behind any husband or kids. He was a devoted cop. To him dying in the line of duty was probably a good way to go.”
“You miss him,” Rhys observed.
When the topic of John arose, I usually go on the defensive. I shut down. I decided what I was doing was unhealthy. I couldn’t ignore my grief forever. A year had passed since John died in that awful shooting.
“I do,” I admitted. “For a little while, I was also pissed at him.”
“How come?”
“For leaving me behind. I know. Sounds like a selfish thing to say but it seems unfair John died so suddenly.” Retired was a nice word on paper but the truth was, I was honorably discharged. “I got shot in the arm. My dominant shooting arm. The bullet destroyed some of my nerves.”
“So the station let you go?” Rhys sounded angry for my sake.
“It was the best move. Besides, I didn’t think I could stomach working with a new partner.”
The old train tracks loomed up ahead of us. Trains no longer passed through here anymore, so the place was mostly abandoned. That didn’t mean it was safe.
This area used to be part of my patrol when I was a cop. The hobos staying here were harmless. It was the drug dealers you had to watch out for once it turned dark. Right now, it was still mid-afternoon. There was no need to worry about them.
Rhys and I got out of the van.
“What next?” He asked me.
“We look for him. See what kind of state he’s in. Let’s split up.”
Rhys went left and I went right. Immediately, I heard a pitiful bark from somewhere close by. I followed the source of the sound. It was coming from under a rusty pick-up truck. The vehicle’s tires and other valuable parts had been stripped away by looters.
I had a feeling I was getting close. I looked under the truck but found nothing. The barking turned into a whine. I spotted the abandoned German Shepard in the back of the truck. He was lying on a dirty blanket.
I cautiously approached him. I knew he was the one King mentioned because the end of his tail was singed. He was covered in matted fur. He was also emaciated.
An old leather collar circled his neck but there were no visible tags. His ribs were showing and I could count each one. Anger took root inside of me. I got pissed whenever I saw a so
re sight like this.
People shouldn’t become pet owners if they couldn’t take responsibility for their animals. Rhys joined me soon enough.
“He’s in a horrible state,” Rhys whispered. “He hasn’t attacked you or anything like that?”
I shook my head. “He hasn’t moved an inch. I think he’s too weak to move.”
I reached out towards the German Shepard. The dog bared his teeth at me. A warning. I touched his fur with the tips of my fingers. Seconds passed.
I waited patiently until he allowed me to stroke him. He let out a piteous whine. It was then I noticed his back legs. White bone peeked from torn skin and fur.
I breathed in and out. Whoever hurt this poor animal deserved to burn in hell for what they did.
“It’s okay, boy. We’re here to take you to safety,” I told the dog in a coaxing voice. “We’re not here to hurt you.”
By some miracle, he pushed his head to my hands. My heart broke in two. I gathered him in my arms and lifted him. He barely weighed a thing.
He started licking my face enthusiastically. Next to me, Rhys let out a delighted laugh. Rhys reached out and rubbed the dog’s ears.
“He likes that,” I told Rhys. “Open the van for me. Grab the keys. They’re in the back pocket of my jeans.”
Rhys blushed for a moment. Then he fished the keys out. We retreated to the van. Rhys opened the door and he spread a blanket over the backseat.
Thank God, King always kept extra blankets, food, and supplies in the van. Rhys stepped away and I gently placed the dog down.
“You’ll be just fine,” I promised the broken German Shepard.
I fed him a couple of treats, which he gobbled up quickly. I got behind the wheel again. It was time to bring him back to the shelter.
6
Rhys
While King, Nolan, and I waited for the vet to arrive, Nolan and I gave Sparky the first shower he probably had in days, weeks even.
I didn’t know what would happen when I tagged along with Nolan during this rescue mission. Seeing Nolan working his magic on Sparky allowed me to see an unexpectedly tender side of the Alpha.
