“Hey! Get back here!”

I tuck the loaf of bread under my arm and dash away as fast as I can. The baker’s voice booms behind me, and his footsteps get louder and louder.

A dull thud on my head makes me stumble into the dirt onto my hands and knees. I cough out dust, quickly wiping off Mother’s scarf before any other clothing. As my coughing fades, I hear the mumbles of others and their footsteps stopping as they watch us. The loaf of bread sits just out of my reach, as dusty as my shirt, its warm smell drifting in the air.

I choke again as the baker grabs my shoulders from behind and forces me to stand and face him. I’m shaking, but I still manage to look him just below the eyes. He looks angry, but not as angry as Master could be. The baker is silent as he crosses his arms and his mouth stretches into a line, not yet a frown.

“Well, boy?” His voice sounds like a blackbird’s, a gruff cawing. “Who said you could steal from me? You don’t know the rules around here, do ya?”

I swallow. Betraying my master is the worst a servant could do. I look down at the ground, my ears and tail drooping, my hands folded in front of me. “I am sorry, Baker. It was a terrible, foolish thing to do.” It comes out a little shaky, even though I am not as scared as I look. “I will do what I can to repay this crime.”

“Hey, Kai!”

I turn my head, and so does the baker and the rest of the crowd. Master walks confidently towards us, frowning. Without thinking, my tail lifts a little.

He stands in front of me, his hands on his hips. “What the hell were you doing? Don’t you know stealing is wrong?”

“Forgive me, Master.” It comes out as a hush, and I feel myself grow smaller, my tail drooping again. “I shall not do it again.”

“You better not,” he mutters. He looks at the bread on the ground. I feel his anger grow a little more. “And wasting this food. That’s even worse.”

But I know he is not angry about the dust on the bread.

He turns to the baker. “Sorry for the trouble, Baker,” he says. “I’ll be watching him way better from now on.”

“I hope ya do,” he grunts. “He ain’t allowed around my store again, got that, Alair? That bread there, it’s the last one he’ll be getting from me.” He turns and stomps back to the bakery. The crowd watches him leave before breaking up, leaving whispers behind and throwing looks at us.

Master shoves me against my chest, and I fall onto the ground again, my legs scraping the tiny rocks and dirt. He picks the bread up and throws it at me. “Carry it, dog. And follow me.”

I am dragged along the ground as he pulls my leash, smelling the bloody scratches from the gravel. I scramble to gather the loaf and stand up as he stalks towards an empty area between stores. He sits on a wooden crate, and I stand against the wall, watching as he takes a small box from his pocket, pulls out a thin brown tube, and uses another small tube to light it. I stare at the orange light before the bitter smell makes me cough and cover my mouth and nose with Mother’s scarf.

He looks at me and rolls his eyes. “Sit down, dog.”

I obey, holding the dusty loaf on my lap. Are we going to eat it when it is like this?

“Wipe it off.”

“Yes, Master.” Most of my shirt is so dusty that I unwrap Mother’s scarf and pick out the cleanest areas. But I stop. It is Mother’s scarf. “Master, maybe we should find something else to clean it with. Maybe some water would clean it better.”

He sighs loudly and puts the small brown tube in his mouth. When he takes it out, he blows smoke in my face. I try not to retch as I cough and wave the smoke away. “Fine.” His voice is a little rough, the smell still stuck in the air. I cannot imagine those things being good for him, but what could I say? “You know, if you were faster, or quieter, then that wouldn’t have happened.”

“Forgive me, Master. I did what I could.”

“And we can’t even try again. It shouldn’t be that hard, dog. I’ve done it so many times before. I thought you would do better.”

“I am sorry, Master.”

“Don’t try to ‘sorry’ your way out of this. Now he’s gonna see you and associate you with me. Or the other way around. And I already have a bad reputation here. Now a ton of them aren’t gonna trust you.” He breathes in and out with the tube again. “And a lot of them already didn’t trust you. ‘Cause you’re not human.”

“Lecturing your new dog, huh?”

We turn at the voice and it is the same girl from the day at the market. Merle. Her arms are crossed, and she is frowning. She enters the alley and sits on a box.

“Oh, it’s you.” Master rolls his eyes. “Come to save the day again? Think I’m in trouble?”

“What’s with this guy?” She moves a hand towards me. “Still your pet or something? Or did he graduate to become your brother?”

“He’s still my slave. Not my brother.” He blows more smoke into the air, and I cough again. “Calm down, dog. Nothing to be scared about.”

“It’s the smoke that’s making him cough, dummy.” She holds out her hand and wiggles her fingers. “Gimme one.”

“No way.”

“You’re gonna keep all that for yourself?”

“Yeah. Unless you pay me. Or get me another bread.”

She pushes air through her teeth. “Don’t you think you’re a little old to steal, Alair? Don’t you know how stores work? Or are you too poor? With all the money you guys have?”

Master stands up so fast the box moves backwards. “Say that again?”

The girl is not afraid. She rolls her eyes and tilts her head at the sky. “I thought your parents taught you better. They’re good people. You’re a disgrace to them, you know.”

“Shut. Up.”

“You are an embarrassment. You are worse than Jacob!”

“Don’t say anything about him!”

This girl. I growl and stand in front of my master, staring her in the eyes. Her own eyes widen with surprise, but she recovers and folds her arms, staring me down. “What are you, his bodyguard? He doesn’t need anyone to protect him.” Her voice is strong, clear. She is not afraid at all.

But I cannot let her win. “Do not speak that way to my master.”

“Or what?” She rolls her eyes again.

My tail thrashes out of frustration. “Or I will kill you.”

He shoves me aside, and my legs hit a box before I stumble against the wall. “Shut up, Kai. You can’t do anything to her. She’ll rip your tail off.” Then, quieter, “And you’re not allowed to kill anyone unless I say so.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Leave us alone.” Merle turns back to look at Master, the same frown still on her face.

My legs ache. What are they trying to do? Were they on the same side? Or were they against each other? Unsure of what to do, I sit on the box and notice others coming into the alley.

“Ohh, it’s him. With the dog boy.”

“Couldn’t settle for a real dog?”

“Yeah, it’s like he’s trying to relive having a brother.” Again, with the brother taunts. I watch to ensure they do not harm Master, but they only stand with large smiles on their faces.

Master just screams. Then: “Shut up, all of you! He is not my fucking brother! He’s a fucking dog, can’t you see?! He’s a slave, and I own him. He doesn’t mean anything to any of you!”

There is laughter, but it is unkind. I am reminded of the time in the woods. A growl rises in my throat.

“So… what?” asks a boy. “What are you gonna do with him, since he’s your slave? Fuck him? Marry him? What?”

“He just uses him to steal and play in the woods. What kind of person does that?”

“Do you pay him, Alair? Like half a coin per day? Maybe a bite of dirty bread?” The girl giggles.

“Shut the fuck up!” Merle screams. “I was already giving him a hard time! Leave us alone!”

“Maybe he…” another boy stifles his laughter. “Maybe…”

“They sleep in the same bed!”

“Brothers sleeping together?”

“Shut up!” Master yells. I growl, my tail lashing, staring at the boy who said that. He spreads his fingers and sticks his tongue through them.

“Merle, why do you even talk to him? Do you like him or something?” a boy asks. “And why are you always so mad? Is it because Alair’s the only one you can talk to? Too good for us?”

“I am too good for all of you,” Merle scoffs. “Get out of here. This isn’t your fight.”

“But it’s fun picking on you and little Alli,” another boy coos. How could I attack him? “Thinks he so-o-o tough, but look at him squirm. Like a little worm.” They laugh again, sounding more like wolves. Master grows even more tense, his anger rising.

I jump up, knocking the box against the wall. “Fuck off!” I growl, baring my teeth.

They lean back, their hands flying up in front of them. They leave the alleyway, staring back at me and whispering things I do not hear. I sit back down and sigh, staring at my lap and my dirty shirt. I feel Master’s and Merle’s eyes on me.

“Holy fuck,” says Merle.

Master says nothing. He just stares out the alley, then looks at me.

Merle nudges him. “Is he your bodyguard or your babysitter?”

“Neither.” Master’s voice is level, but he stares wide-eyed at me. “He’s just a dog.”

“Whatever you say.” She leaves the alley, leaving Master and me alone.

The brown tube still smokes between his fingers, and he holds it between his lips for a long time before breathing the smoke in my face again. I hold my breath, but the scent of burning plants still hangs in the air when I breathe in again.

He drops the tube on the ground and twists the end with his shoe like he is squishing a bug. “Damn. I hate them.”

I look at his frowning, twisted face. I try to find the words to comfort him.

“Nothing to say, huh?”

“…No, Master.”

“They suck, right?”

“They were all rather cruel to you.”

“It’s always about the same things.”

“I have noticed.”

“Oh, really? And it’s only just now that you try to defend me?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Should’ve done it sooner, then. Scare them off like you just did.”

“I could have.”

He sits back down on his box, sighing. “Whatever. They better leave me alone now.”

My fur and hair are lying flat again, my body relaxed now. “Why do they do that to you, Master?”

“Why? Because they think it’s fun.”

“But it is never fun for you.”

“Yeah. You know how I feel. You’re the omega.”

“Yes.”

He sighs again, angrily. “Stupid kids.”

“Has it always been like this, Master?” I wish I could find a way to comfort him through touch, like wolves do.

He brings his knees up to his chest and glares at the ground. “It got worse when you came.”

I close my eyes. Do not allow his blame to affect me. Retreat. Like the seer taught me. The run through the forest I picture in my mind flies by in an instant, and I open my eyes. My voice is still normal. “There is always the option to end the contract, Master. And then we will not be together anymore. If it means this treatment of you will get better.”

He continues staring at the ground, his knees curled up to his chest tightly. His breaths are deep, like he is trying to calm himself. His face is very red. He sniffs and wipes his eyes and relaxes against the wall.

“Master?” Would he cry? Would I need to use Mother’s scarf to wipe them away?

I see the softness of his face, now. After all the anger is gone, all the effort to defend himself, he is young. His eyes are tired. He stares across at the wall.

“No,” he says.

“What do you mean, Master?”

“I mean, these people started treating me worse when I got you, but… you’re… not bad.” He tries to smile. He breathes deeply.

“Oh.” I am relieved. My ears straighten. “But they continue to speak to you like that. They may try to hurt you more.”

He huffs. “They already did, in the forest. When you weren’t there.”

I feel sorrow at his words. Regret. I wished I was there to protect him, instead of far away, trying to protect myself. “That will be the last time, Master. I will not let that happen to you again. I will not run away when you are in danger.”

He laughs, but without humor. “Yeah, whatever. Why don’t you make me try and believe it?” He gets off the box and walks past me. The smoky smell clings to him and hangs in the air as he walks. “Come on. We have to go home.” He tugs the leash gently. “And bring the bread with you.”

“Yes, Master.” I tuck the loaf under my arm, leaving more dust on my shirt. Laundry day is coming again, I suppose.

As we leave, I catch the group of children in another corner of the village, smoking and staring at us. Master ignores them, as if he already knew they were there. We turn away from them and continue walking. I hear them snicker and murmur something before Master tugs the leash. “Ignore them. They’re shits.”

“Yes, Master. I agree.”

The smiles of the adults are small and sad when they look at us, their eyes guarded. I stare at the ground, at Master’s shoes as they pace across the village and onto the path to lead us home.