Her Wolf Mate

Thea “I know you like chocolate, Mr. Barnes, but Janie is a cat. Chocolate is poison for her,” I frown at the elderly man standing across me, his eyes swollen and red. My voice gentles, “There’s a reason why I gave you a list of acceptable food for her.” “But she likes it!” The old man tries to argue. “And I like fish,” The girl standing next to me pipes in, her arms crossed against her chest, “but they make me break out into hives, so my parents never let me have it. See how that works?” “Vee,” I frown at my friend, who just scowls. “This is the third time this month he’s brought her in, Thea,” Universe sounds furious. “He should have the sense-“ “Vee!” My voice is cold, and I can feel the panther come into my eyes, and my friend shuts up. She mumbles something nasty under her breath but stops scolding the old man, who looks like he’s on the verge of tears. “Mr. Barnes,” I keep my voice calm. “Universe has a point, you know. Janie is ten years old. She’s a senior cat. If you keep feeding her chocolate, she’ll die. Even if she likes it, if it’s bad for her, you can’t give it to her.” Mr. Barnes is in his eighties now, and I know how much he cares for his deceased wife’s cat. “I’ll be careful from now on,” he mumbles as I put Janie back in her cage. As he leaves, I turn my attention towards my closest friend, hissing, “What was that?!”Universe looks equally angry, “He’s going to kill that cat one day, and you know it!” “He just lost his wife two months ago,” I take off my gloves, tossing them in the trash bin. “He’s grieving and bound to make mistakes. And I’ll keep checking up on him, so it’s fine.” As I head over to the animal cages, Universe follows after me, “You know what your problem is?” “Why don’t you enlighten me?” I suggest dryly as I open one of the cages and bring out the small puppy that someone dropped off last week. He has a bad eye infection, and his left eye is swollen and shut. His whimpers die down as soon as I touch him. “You’re too soft,” Universe says irritably. “You’re so determined to see the good in everyone that you just-” I look over my shoulder at her, “Hand me the gauze while you give me this life lesson.” Begrudgingly, she complies, complaining all the while, “Also, don’t think I don’t notice how you’re nice to everyone except me.” I clean the puppy’s eye carefully, “You can only show your true self to someone you know won’t leave you or hurt you. Isn’t that right, Floofoo? Vee is my best friend in the whole world!” “First of all,” Universe gives me an annoyed look, “Floofoo is a weird name. And you’re damn right I am. So, you should cherish me.” “I do,” I smile while applying the medicine to the puppy’s eye. “I let you cheat on the final veterinarian exam, didn’t I? Last semester? At the risk of getting caught?” “You’re just not going to let that one go, are you?” She scowls at me, and I give her a bright smile. “No.” My eyes move toward the wall clock as I put the sleepy puppy back in his cage after giving him a few kisses. I start covering the cages, feeling angsty now. I’m getting late. “Hey,” Universe stops me, her brows furrowed. “What’s the rush?” I glance outside at the sun, which has already begun its descent. Gone is my cheerful mood, replaced by a heavy pressure on my chest. “I have to get back. Chris told me that I can’t be late again.” I see her expression change, “Thea-” “Let’s just hurry it up,” I mutter. My back still hurts from how I was hurled into the wall yesterday. To her credit, Universe moves quickly as we lock down the veterinary clinic we’ve been working at for the past year. The one good thing about summer vacations is that I can work more hours at the clinic and start saving some money. I make my way to the bathroom to wash up and check out my complexion. I’ve lost more weight. My cheeks are sunken. But then my appetite hasn’t been good for a few years now. I’m weaker without my animal. My eyes are light green, and my brown hair is in a pigtail, reaching my hips. My mother had loved my hair, and hence I’ve never cut it. But I can see the tiredness in my eyes, an exhaustion that never seems to leave me. Splashing water over my face, I grip the edge of the basin, taking a deep breath, before turning around and leaving. With her short blonde hair and brown eyes, Universe is much prettier than me, and I watch her fix her makeup, “Date, tonight?” “You betcha,” she smacks her lips, spreading the lipstick evenly. “He’s the sweetest thing. I met him at the ATM this morning.” “That reminds me,” I quickly say, reaching into my locker and handing her an envelope stuffed with cash. “This is five hundred. Can you hold on to it this time as well?” Universe hesitates, “You know my Dad can always help you open another bank account. I swear he won’t tell Ricky again.” I shaky my head, “No.” My tone is a little desperate, “Don’t tell anyone, please.” Her eyes are helpless as she looks at me, taking the envelope, “Thea. How long is this going to go on? You have twenty-five hundred saved so far with me. What are you planning to do?” My hand trembles, and I give her a weak smile, “I don’t know. Run away some day? Maybe?” That had been the plan till Alan, Universe’s father, had let slip about my secret bank account. Some people have memories that traumatize them. A few memories. Every day, for me, is a living trauma. My brothers had marched me over to the bank and had me withdraw my eleven thousand dollars of savings, the money I had put together over years and years. Then they had taken me home and broken my legs. They had beaten me for three days straight till I had been foaming at the mouth, unable to breathe or think or even process the pain. Universe doesn’t know that. All she knows is that I was severely punished. It’s convenient to have a human friend be aware of my identity, but if she ever finds out about the dark nature of Panther shifters, I’m scared she will abandon me. So, I smile, “Just keep it safe, will you? Maybe one day, you and I will travel the world.” She lets out a bark of laughter as we close up, “Tell my bank account that.”