Tylvinian Tales: The Wolf's Den
Chapter Four: Shift
Ferusian Law, Second Sequence, Article One: Wage Law
Ferusian Citizens are entitled to financial compensation equivalent to the value of service provided. Jobs are to be categorized in order from highest compensation to lowest as follows: Necessary, Priority, Luxury, Leisure. Financial compensation is equivalent among all employed individuals within a category, ensuring all are given wages equal in value to the service they provide.
An employer is only required to pay the minimum wage offered by the category, and is within rights to offer more pay as they see fit.
Failure of any employer to adhere to this law is punishable by up to, but not exceeding, a prison sentence of ten years with no parole.
My home was nothing particularly fancy. It was a middling house, three bedrooms, one of which I’d repurposed into my workroom, two bathrooms, and a small kitchen only split from the den by a counter. There was a basement, entirely empty since my parents had moved out and taken their things. David had fallen asleep on the way home. I parked the truck in the garage and carried David into the house, stopping to hang my keys by the door once inside. Upon laying him in my bed, I had intended to leave him there under the blankets, to walk away and spend some time watching television or maybe a movie before laying down by his side so he wouldn’t wake up alone.
My plans were disrupted by grasping hands, clinging to my arm like a vice and pulling me towards the bed. I looked at the caxy laying there under the blankets, only to see the dim glow of his eyes shining through mostly closed eyelids. With tears in his eyes, he looked up at me, his grip on my arm never relaxing.
“Please…Please don’t go…Don’t…” He choked out, his voice raspy and low, every syllable seeming to take all his strength. I looked into his eyes and felt my heart shatter. I hated seeing him like this, in so much pain. I couldn’t leave him like this, and I kicked myself for even thinking of watching anything instead of being there for him.
Without a word, I lay down beside him and pulled him close to me. He wept into my chest, and I held him in my arms for what felt like hours. His tail coiled tightly around me, his legs tangling with mine as his arms clung to one of my own. He was seeking every ounce of contact he could get. Normally I would keep it light, but something about the way he whimpered against me, the trembling of his body against mine, broke my resolve into pieces. I couldn’t deny him the comfort that he so desperately needed. I couldn't sleep knowing I'd done any less than everything I could.
When his sobs turned to quiet whimpers, and then into soft, hitched breathing, I looked down at him, smiling sadly and looking over his face. He was sleeping, the fur of his cheeks and eyes matted, stained with tears. My shirt fared no better, dark stains from tears left on the fabric were across the chest. I shifted gently, carefully, slipping my shirt off inch by inch to avoid waking him. He was sound asleep, no more tears and no more sniffling, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm, and I felt it best to try and join him, just not in my tear-stained shirt.
I wrapped my arms around him once again, pulling the blanket over us both as I closed my eyes. I wasn’t tired, but I felt content knowing he was finally able to rest, and I wanted to take the opportunity to try and get some rest of my own. I lay there for some time, arms around David, his breath warm against my chest. I could feel every twitch, every tremble, every shaky movement of his sleeping form. He was dreaming, no doubt. I hoped it was happy, at the very least. Letting myself relax a little more, I sighed, closing my eyes and giving in to the call of sleep.
I opened my eyes, surrounded on all sides by water. Panicking, I began swimming up, frantically trying to reach the top. I held my breath, lungs burning and head becoming lighter by the moment, until I couldn't anymore. I took in a deep breath, instinctive and against my will, only to find I was perfectly fine. I took in oxygen, and let my breath back out, as easily as on land. I spun, testing my surroundings. They were still water. I was submerged, and yet...I was okay. Looking up, I saw dark shapes, dozens of them, on the surface.
Swimming upward, I found myself reaching surface quickly, with ease. I climbed onto the nearest boat, pulling myself from the water and dripping onto the dark wood of the craft. The moment my paws touched the wood, my lungs flooded, and I found myself coughing, sputtering, water pouring from me freely. I couldn't breathe, my lungs burning, freezing, shrinking, expanding, desperate for air that wouldn't come. I turned, remembering the water below, the safety inside, and just before I could dive in, I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.
It was small, delicate, gentle in its grip. I was pulled, fighting desperately against the surprising strength of the hand. Forced to face the other way, I was suddenly face to face with a shadow, dark and featureless. It leaned forward, pressing unseen lips to my own. In an instant, the water evaporated from my lungs, and I found my breath once again. I blinked, and found myself underwater, dark shapes floating above me as my eyes widened, fear and panic taking over my entire body.
I held my breath, desperately clawing for the surface, swimming as quickly as I could towards the air that seemed only to get further away. I sunk further and further, and as my lungs gave out, I took in a deep breath, expecting water to fill my lungs. I was met instead with air, oxygen, safe and lifegiving. Deep breath after deep breath, I calmed myself before swimming upward towards the shapes above me. I had barely moved when I breached the water, finding myself near a small boat.
I climbed aboard, smiling at the safety of the craft until my paws touched the floor. I doubled over, water gushing from my mouth, my lungs full of scorching, yet freezing liquid. My eyes bugged, water pouring from my nose as well, as if I were being filled with it from nowhere. I turned for the edge, only to be whirled around forcefully, face to face with a being of pure darkness. It placed a hand on my heart, leaning in close, and kissed me. With that, the water filling my body disappeared, replaced by breathable air, and soothing my panic. I smiled wide, reveling in my restored breath.
With a blink, I found myself underwater. I clawed for the surface, sinking further down as my lungs burned, holding my breath as long as I could to stave off the inevitable. I fought as long as I could, until my body gave out. I exhaled, instinctively inhaling after. As I did, oxygen filled my lungs instead of the liquid I had expected. I looked to the surface, seeing dark shapes above me, most likely boats, ships. I began swimming upward, hoping to find someone else. I moved quickly, breaching the water with a gasp and-
I awoke to the smell of sizzling bacon filling the house. I felt uneasy, foggy thoughts of an endless sea in my mind. I thought hard, trying to recall the dream, but found myself unable to recall anything besides the ocean. I sniffed the air, the scent of bacon calling to me. David must have started breakfast. I sat up at the edge of the bed, still in my jeans from the night before. I stretched my legs and my paws a little, growling contentedly.
Standing, I slipped my jeans off, tossing my underwear aside with them and padding over to the door leading from my bedroom to the master bathroom. A quick shower later, and after a few minutes of mulling over the options in my closet, I chose a pair of black denim jeans, my favorite pair, and a soft, sandy brown tee shirt. I dressed quickly, stopping to check myself in the mirror to be sure I hadn't put my shirt on backwards, or inside out. It wouldn't be the first time, after all.
When I left the bedroom, I shut my door audibly, not wanting to sneak up on anyone. David's head poked around the corner an instant later, eyes landing on me immediately. Seeing me, he smiled. "Morning, lazybones." he called before returning to his task out of sight. I reached the corner and kept going, stopping at the edge of the counter and leaning against it to watch him cook. I eventually decided to sit down at one of the stools by the counter, resting my head on my arms to catch a few minutes of extra dozing while David worked.
When he got my attention, it was by placing a plate piled high with bacon, eggs, and sausage in front of me. He always made plenty, but this looked like he had cooked the last of what I had. I looked at him in concern, only for him to giggle.
“I took a cab to Mallard’s and got some more, don’t worry. I wanted to thank you for making last night so great, and I figured…Well, what better way than a breakfast fit for the king you are? Go on, enjoy!” His voice was almost lilting. I guess he didn’t remember much of last night. At least, I assumed he didn't. He placed another plate beside mine, not nearly as loaded. While he’d cooked me what looked like an entire pack of bacon, at least half a carton of eggs, maybe more if there were any covered up, and a pack of sausage links, his own plate was little more than a pair of eggs, a few slices of bacon, and a couple of sausage links.
“You got enough there, Davey? I mean, you really piled it high on my plate. You’re welcome to as much as you want, don’t go hungry on my account, man.” I said, pushing my plate towards him a little to offer him a chance to take from it. He shook his head, his hair shaking with him, soft and fluffy from the morning's shower.
“Nope, I have plenty for me. You eat up, and enjoy it, mister! This is your thanks for being so good to me, so don’t you dare leave a single scrap on that plate!” He commanded. I chuckled, nodding as I began to eat the breakfast he had prepared for me. It was, as always, delicious. I’d told David before he could have a career as a chef if he ever got tired of working for Kaleb at the café, but he’d always told me he was fine right where he was.
I couldn’t help myself; I made it three bites in and started devouring my food. Greatwolves were built to eat big, and eat fast, and when David’s cooking was involved I struggled to hold back. I tore into my food, reveling in the taste with happy, satisfied growls as my instincts kicked in, hard. David was purring beside me, likely enjoying his own food as much as I was. The bacon was incredible, juicy, and tender, but chewy and crisp in all of the right places. The eggs were made to perfection, too. I loved mine over easy, and the yolks in my eggs were runny, warm, and perfect for dipping my bacon and sausage into. While the bacon and eggs were good, the sausage was the real treat. He’d seasoned it well, and every bite was an explosion of flavors that blended perfectly together.
When my plate was empty, I swiveled on my seat and leaned back against the counter with a comfortable sigh. “That was delicious, man. I wish I could cook like you, it’s incredible what you do with something as simple as bacon and eggs, heh.” I rubbed my stomach, looking over at him.
“Well, I guess I’m just really good with meat!” He replied, giggling. I nodded, laughing with him.
“I bet you are, huh? Had lots of practice handling meat there, Davey?” I chided, earning a look from him that quickly turned from annoyance to flirtatious in nature.
“Oh, you’d love to know just how experienced I am with meat, wouldn’t you, big guy?” He purred, and I felt my face heat up a little. He and I did this at times, with one of us usually backing down and giving in. I could tell this time it would be me.
“Yeah, yeah, okay, you win. I got nothing for that.” I surrendered, with David pumping his fist excitedly. He didn’t win often, but once in a while he’d say or do something that I just didn’t have the energy or the dedication to the joke to play off of. David stood, stretching out as much as he could. His tail reached past the couch, and I heard his back pop a couple of times as he stretched. I thought for a moment, then let out a sigh. I hated to, but I wasn't the type to let sleeping dogs lie.
"Davey, can we talk about last night? It's important." I asked, watching David's mood visibly shift. His tail, quickly curling around his waist and tightening there, his ears dropping, his eyes widening ever so slightly. I'd scared him.
"W-What about...What about last night?" His voice was shaky, nervous. I looked at him, furrowing my brow. I couldn't just let him chase something that was going to hurt him. Something needed to be said.
"This guy you're into...The one you've been telling Merissa about. You need to quit putting so much energy into chasing him. I was watching you all night til my set was done. Nobody stayed by you for long on that dance floor. And nobody came back to the bar with you. He wasn't there, on your damn birthday of all days. You deserve a hell of a lot better than that, man. You know you do." I growled, the anger from last night welling up in my chest once again. David blinked a couple times, and I could see his emotions mixing behind his eyes.
After a moment, he seemed to settle. "Rye...You don't..." He sighed, sitting on the stool beside me again. "You don't get it. So please don't tell me to give up on him, because I've tried to and I can't. I can't just give up on-..." He cut himself off, tensing a little before looking at the floor. His eyes closed, and his breathing slowed. His tail tightened a little more, and he began to hug himself nervously. The topic was a hard one, but it couldn't be ignored anymore. It needed to be addressed, and I wasn't about to let David run from it.
I was about to speak when we both heard the tell-tale blip sound of a notification coming from his pocket. I watched as David pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. His fingers danced across the surface of the phone, dexterous and precise, typing something up in response to the notification. He finished what he was typing and groaned, putting the phone away before letting out another sigh, standing up and looking towards the front door hallway.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, concern growing inside me. I cocked my head to side, curious, and he looked at me, his eyes half-lidded and bored, his head tilted in a way that oozed irritation.
“It’s like, barely past ten thirty in the morning, you brought up a really sore subject, and now Kaleb’s texting me to tell me he’s got a no-call, no-show at the café. Jason’s done it six times in the last month and this time it’s my turn to pick up the shift. I’m pretty sure Kaleb’s gonna fire the guy if he doesn’t have a good excuse for this one.” He replied, half-growling.
“Can I get a ride to my place so I can change into work clothes? Pretty please?” He asked plainly, his mood clearly shot. I nodded, standing up and stretching a little.
“Yeah, I can drive you. I’ll even throw in a free trip to work since I know you’re so excited for it.” I said playfully, knowing full well he would rather me turn him down so he would have an excuse to turn Kaleb down. I would have given him one, too, but he told me not too long ago that Kaleb was on his case for lateness. I didn’t want to give his boss any reason to fire him, so the best thing I could do for David was help him stay in the man’s good books.
I made for the front door, grabbing the keys to my truck from where I’d hung them up the night before. “Ready to go?” I asked, calling out to David.
“Yeah, I’m good to go.” He replied, following me into the garage. Climbing into the truck, he buckled in and looked at me as I did the same. “So, uh…Ryder?” He asked tentatively. I looked over, starting the truck.
“Yeah? What’s up?” I responded calmly. He fidgeted in his seat, anxious and uneasy.
“I’m sorry about last night.” He said solemnly. I sat back in the seat and thought about how to respond for a second before turning in my seat to look at him again.
“Nothing to be sorry for. I can tell whoever Merissa was talking about, he’s important to you. But he wasn’t there, y’know? And that hurt you. So, if it makes you feel better, I’ll give him one for you if I ever meet the guy, cause nobody makes you cry like that and gets away with it.”
He stared at me in disbelief. I guess he hadn’t expected me to be so defensive of him. He dug his fingers into his knees a little bit, and I could see his lips trembling a little. But to his credit, he put on a brave face and nodded. “Yeah, you…You do that, Rye…” He muttered. I smiled softly, reaching over to pinch the tip of his ear. He let out a yip and swatted at my hand. “What was that for!?” He asked, glaring at me. I laughed a little and looked him over.
“You seemed like you were gonna fall down some kind of spiral, so I thought I’d cheer you up.” I said, reaching up to grab the remote for the garage door.
As I hit the button to open the garage door, David glowered at me. “Pinching my ear isn’t gonna cheer me up, you ass. But you know what might?” He said, grinning at me. I was about to reply, only for him to lunge my way and pinch the tip of my ear, earning a yip from me as well. “Pinching yours!” He yelled, laughing as he sat back in his seat. I rubbed my ear for a moment and laughed. He never let anything get him down. He was as resilient as I was, in all the ways I wasn’t. It was one of my favorite things about him, and I couldn’t help but admire him for it.
I was about to pull out of the garage when I realized I should probably make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, so I hit the brakes and glanced his way. “You got everything you need? Anything left in the house?” I asked. He shook his head.
“Nah, I’ve got everything I need from here. Everything I need for work is at my place.” He replied, patting his phone in his pocket. With a nod, I backed out of the garage, heading for David's apartment.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before y'all wonder, yes, the dream is supposed to repeat like that. I did not revise it twice and forget to erase the old versions XD
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