(Previously: When I get back to the house I launch over the gate to the garden, Drac has finally cleaned everything up and it looks almost as good as new. I run inside, closing the door, panting. Drac is sitting on the couch with a book, legs crossed. I watch as he looks up startled at my urgency. "Something weird happened." I say, "Do I look like a stray animal to you?" 

"Yes." Drac laughs.)

I full stop, and then exasperatedly say, “Don’t tease me, I was just offered food like I was a stray cat or something. 

Drac points at my outfit, “well it’s not exactly pristine anymore and we are seen as pets, so?” 

I touch my chest, “But I’m obviously a wolf, and they work for them.” 

I gawk as Drac is already shaking his head, “you’re a little too short to be one naturally and you don’t act anything like one, remember these guys are always experimenting on how many things they can make look like them. Plus your fur color, They’re always dying pets colors like yours.” I open and close my mouth but I can’t fight those points.  

“How many strays are running around for them to just assume a dirty Omega like me is a run-away pet.” 

“That’s the thing,” Drac says, “Omegas, and pets don’t run around, ever, they stay in their homes and only ever leave with their Masters.” 

I sit down, “Oh.” 

“Also where were you?” 

“I was just outside the park.” 

“That’s not very far.” He muses.

“Very far from what?” I ask, aware of Drac’s tail twitching, which is weird he always kept it perfectly still, to the point I never really noticed it before. I subconsciously try to move the tip of my tail, it’s like learning to move your nose or eyebrows for the first time. 

“With how close you were from the town, they probably thought you were one of the pets for entertainment that escaped.” 

I look at the way his face is scrunched up to look angrier than normal, he’s hiding the fact he’s in pain. I piece together what little I know about his life before he got here. “Like you.” I say stupidly. Realizing that he was an entertainment pet, how he knew so much about things, the flash back of the pound, and honestly my first meeting with him how he was so promiscuous and shameless, it made sense. 

He straightens his back and gives me a look that could kill, “What do you mean?”

I can’t take it back now but I can apologize, I cover my mouth muttering an apology, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, tell me what you mean right now!” he stands up, lashing his whip-like tail aggressively, “What do you know about my past?!” 

I’ve only seen his calm, simmering anger so I’m frozen for a little bit just trying to give an explanation that was believable. Then all the anger seems to be sucked out of him and he just caves in on himself, “Or am I that obvious?” 

‘What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?’ I think standing and cautiously reaching out for him. He lets me get close enough to touch his shoulder then flinches away with an angry sneer. Pain radiates off of him, “So, what? Do you want me to open up to you? It’s the same story as every other pet. Kidnapped from their home planet. Forced into slavery, they wait until you go into heat and utilize it for entertainment.” He goes between anger and depression, “What will you do? Pity me? Look down on me?!” He snarls, “or are you going to pretend to care about me just so that you can-” he grabs his hair and doubles over a few times. “Just! Get out.” He says suddenly becoming very calm, “I need to be alone.”  

I step back and go into the kitchen. Looking down into the sink.‘Come on mind reading abilities, tell me what to do? What is he thinking? How can I help him?’ I look back to see him just standing there, tail perfectly still and flat against his leg.  

I start rummaging through the cupboards. Maybe five minutes later I hear a sigh, “What are you looking for, and when I said get out I meant use the front door.” I shiver, “I was looking for something hot to drink and I can’t go back to that empty house, I’m too scared.” 

“Then sleep outside.” He growls cruelly. 

I look at him, ‘he needs to have complete and utter control of his life right now, though I think a hug might help more.’ I smile painfully, “Fine.” His eyes widened with shock as I brush gently past him, “Hopefully this fur will keep me warm.” I laugh nervously. When I look over to the couch and wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t spoken my realization out loud. This fight was inevitable anyway. I lower my head and tail going over to my favorite spot by the shed.  

Drac watches. Then he paces silently torn. ‘Maybe I should just give up and become his pet, that’s obviously what he wants and then I’ll kill him if he tries to get rid of me.” He laughs, clawing the wallpaper in the living room, ‘but I’ll never let him touch my body.’ Drac grabs a chair for support as flashes of memories threaten to overwhelm him. Picking up the chair he throws it against the wall screaming in rage. 

I listen to Drac wrecking the house and hug my knees to my chest feeling his pain, I understood some of the pain and frustration he was feeling, but I didn’t know how to fix it or make him better, I’m powerless as his sobs and smashing furniture get more and more spaced in-between. If I try to force him into a hug I’ll probably make him feel worse and also get clawed. I flash back to my own moments of pain and rage, but I craved comfort, what did Drac crave? ‘Freedom.’ I think suddenly sitting up straight, maybe I could even get him back to his home planet. I couldn’t take away what happened in the past but at least I could return his life to normal. 

I lay down with plans to help him and then look for the pillow I brought, wait! I sit up straight. I look back at the now silent house. Where did I put my Master's pillow? I try to retrace my memory but the last place I remember having it was the park. I’m positive I left with it but that meant… I jump up in a panic and hurry out the gate, racing back to the dragon-fly’s house. Now that I knew they had a very light almost indistinguishable scent I had to be careful. 

Drac didn’t know how long he’d been crying but he couldn’t anymore and now he felt bad, hollow, and with new resolve deciding to just twist the manipulatable Omega to give him the best pet life possible. He was pretty good at it before. But when he opens the door to find the gate swinging open the last drop of hope plummets and he just collapses to his knees in the open doorway. He chased him away, which probably meant he’d be left, forgotten, here forever.   

“What’s this?” A wolf’s voice chuckles, sending a chill of dread through Drac. “We haven’t even done anything yet.” Drac lifts his face, teeth grit, but he doesn’t have any fight left. 

The other wolf jabs his companion with his elbow, “Look at his face, I didn’t think it could get any uglier.” Drac looks away and wipes his face. 

 “We heard that the Admiral’s angry with you for turning back food that was meant for his Omega.” The first one growls looking around the cleaned up garden.  

“Well that shouldn’t be a problem anymore.” Drac says quietly. 

“What did you say?” The first wolf asks moving through the open gate to crouch near the gargoyle who flinches away from him.

“The Omega is gone, he ran away.” Drac whispers. 

The second wolf gasps, “Imagine if we caught him.” He moves in front of the first wolf, “The admiral would be so thankful to us for keeping his Omega safe.” 

“Unless he doesn’t care, but from what I heard he’s angry at his Omega too. Apparently he’s a slut.” The first wolf kicks the gargoyle who grunts. “Throwing himself at creatures even as desperate as this.” The wolf crouches forcing Drac’s face up. Drac bares his teeth. “I don’t see it.”

“Still,” the second wolf says, “we can at least bring him back here, especially if he’s being punished.”

“Hmm,” the first wolf thinks, “Where did he go?” He asks Drac who doesn’t answer, “Don’t make us hurt you.” 

“You’ll hurt me even if I tell you the truth,” Drac hisses carefully.

“Which is?”

“I don’t know.” Drac sighs dejectedly. 

The wolves consider trying to beat a better answer out of him but then decide to just use their sense of smell without making it more difficult by filling their noses with blood first. 

Drac flops down with relief as they leave and then thinks, ‘there’s no way they’d be stupid enough to try to hurt an Admiral’s Omega right?’ He holds his stomach and thinks, ‘Why am I worried about him anyway?’ Going inside slowly he looks back at the door and flops down on the couch, ‘Please come back safe and sound.’

I look up at the silent and dark house then deciding to just throw caution to the wind I jump up onto the balcony and look around. I sniff, ears swiveling, eyes alert. The food is still there and after having nothing since this morning and that only being gross, oat soup, it is now tempting. I lean down sniffing it, and see that it’s a dried out version of the black meat. I decide to nibble on a piece of the jerky. It tastes really, really good, my ears flatten and I flick my tail happily. After a moment of being shamelessly distracted I turn around continuing my search. I peer into the dark house as I realize the pillow is not out here. 

To my dismay I see something strategically placed on the floor. I breathe heavier, looking around. My nose is straining so hard only to have my own and Drac’s scent cover up what little scent the dragonfly alien might have left. I growl quietly under my breath and open the suspiciously unlocked screen door. The pillow is right there. I reach for it and then hesitate, I’d have to sleep outside in the cold if I left. Maybe I should..? I lay down scooping the pillow into my arms and a false sense of calm and safety envelopes me. I relax laying with my arms crossed under and face on the pillow. I sniff it occasionally and snuggle it happily. 

Then hear a soft almost concealed gasp. My ears perk and all the fur on my back stands up. The dragonfly alien is frozen half in, half out of his hallway, he’s wearing pajamas which I didn’t know we had since Master was always either naked or fully dressed in the ugly jumpsuits. Though he made it look fine. I see something similar to a toothbrush sticking out of the aliens mouth. He lifts his hands slowly and crouches on the ground, taking the toothbrush out. I immediately notice that there’s no toothpaste on it, or in his mouth. “Hey there.” He says soothingly as you would to an animal. “Came back for something of yours, I guess?” I’m tense and breathing heavily, my eyes flick around the room, ‘I can’t talk can I? If I’m pretending to be a feral pet or whatever.’

When I don’t respond he looks even more interested in me. “Can you understand me?” He asks. I hold my pillow closer to myself and just look at him. “Where did you come from?” He asks softly, “For someone so untrusting of us you haven’t moved. I expected you to bolt again, don’t tell me…are you hurt, do you need help?” He’s honestly concerned, or at least good at acting like it. He stands slowly and makes stay-right-there movements as he goes into the kitchen. I hear water running and sit up, he takes that as eagerness. He edges closer and I look at his wings, tightly tucked against his back, yet the light from behind him still reflects colors onto the white walls. 

I see him place the water down and scoot backward. Slowly I reach out and pull the water closer. It’s in a pet bowl, like the other, I drink a little from it but when he tries to move closer I jerk back narrowing my eyes at him. I should just leave. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” He whispers.

I get transfixed when he spreads a wing as he sits, to keep his balance. He notices where I was looking and then mischievously gets an idea. “You like the colors?” He asks and slowly spreads his wings. I sit up slowly, eyes sparkling as I look at the large, beautiful wings. I keep the pillow tucked against my chest with one arm but the other reaches tentatively. The dragonflies' eyes calculate the risk and then on a whim he turns around and keeps them spread, they flutter a little casting light all over the living room.

“You’re not vicious,” He says surprisingly, “And you’re obviously intelligent.” I edge forward and sniff him, curious to see if his scent was stronger. He manages not to flinch but his wings flutter a little faster with his heart beat. “You’re obviously one of the made, or created wolves, I wonder what you were before.” I look at his delicate little neck, which his icy hair cascaded down then gently boop it with my snoot. He can’t help but jump this time which I smirk about.

Breathing a little heavier he glances back nervously, “You scared me,” he says hoarsely, touching his neck then freezes since we’re now eye to eye. His eyes are wide and sparkling with curiosity. Mine are darker with caution but still interested in this alien species I hadn’t been able to get close to before. “Wow,” he says, “Who would abandon a beautiful creature like you.” My ears go back and I flinch away at the comment. ‘I wasn’t abandoned was I? No, my Master will come back for me.’ I wince a little as I snuggle the pillow closer to breathe in the scent. I’d go to him myself if I had to. 

“Who’s pillow is that, just something you’ve had for a while, or someone’s that you loved?” The dragonfly alien asks half turning to look at me. I turned away from him but not before he saw my watery eyes. Curling up on the floor I hide my face. He tries to soothe me but I stay curled up. “Poor creature.” He sighs, finally giving up. Standing he walks around me going outside. “Oh! You ate some! Fantastic.” I feel sleepy. “You should be able to rest easy now, especially when I put a sleeping agent in it.” I might have given myself away at that moment but all I manage to do is sleepily think, ‘what?!’ Before everything goes dark.