Rhys was bound and determined to make his Monday a productive one. Despite the chaos that happened on their trip into town, the men were able to get their tasks done and returned right around nightfall, which made unloading the truck and trailer a much easier task for the sun-sensitive folks.

With a fridge and cabinet full of foodstuff, plenty of new plants to deal with, and a handy carrier stocked with cleaning supplies, Rhys made a plan to tackle as much as he could before the sun rose again in the early AM hours of Tuesday. He was less than enthused about having to switch to an overnight schedule and his anxious brain refused to let him sleep much during the day, but he needed to handle the outdoor tasks when the moon was out so this was how it needed to be. Life on his new night farm was shaping up to be an interesting one indeed.

Cane suggested he try and clean out the greenhouse before he got into the weeds—literally—and tackled the farmland in case the temperature started to rise. It would offer a safe haven for the plants to survive the summer swelter while he took his time de-weeding and plowing the fields, especially since the full moon phase was upon them and Cane was down for the count for a few days. He made Rhys swear to not handle too much on his own and pace himself, to manage the greenhouse and get the plants inside, and wait until he could help him with the rest.

Rhys set his hands on his hips and looked at the greenhouse, “This is kind of neat, I wonder what it looks like on the inside,” he mused as he opened the door.

The old door squeaked but opened without much resistance. The interior was in need of a cleaning, the shelves were covered in dust and tall weeds had broken through the dry soil. The walls on either side held several rows of shelves that would be beneficial to house the potted plants he bought to make teas with, and the area in the middle would be perfect to set some of the larger plants that would eventually be moved outside. It needed swept and dusted, so he returned to his house to grab his new broom and get to work.

With his sleeves rolled to his elbows and a bandana over his wavy blonde hair, Rhys began sweeping out the dust and debris from the greenhouse. He was excited to hang some glass artwork from the ceiling to catch the sunlight that would break through once he removed the excess of overgrowth from the exterior. Perhaps set up a small table and drink tea on a rainy afternoon with Vic—

“Nope! Nope! Stop it, Rhys! Don’t fantasize about the vampire!” Rhys chided himself with a growl as he aggressively swept, kicking up a cloud of dust around him that did the exact opposite of what he intended.

“Are you having ill thoughts about someone?”

Rhys yelped, he clutched the broom tight and turned to look back at the doorway. The owner of the voice stood in the greenhouse entrance with a cocked eyebrow and an unreadable expression. Rhys looked at his broom then back to the stranger. It took him a moment to realize that the man who stood before him was Carliel Thornwell, the reclusive vampire who lived on the edge of town. He did not seem as gaunt as he had a few nights prior, his slender face was framed by his thin, wispy hair and his silver eyes glistened in the moonlight.

“Can I… help you?” Rhys inquired.

“I came to apologize about my words, I did not mean to offend and I felt horrid about how I acted. I was… hungry and your blood is fragrant. It is not an excuse, but I realize I made a wretched first impression and I wanted to rectify it,” Carliel explained.

“Oh… thank you? Um… I’m Rhys, Rhys Anderson.”

Carliel looked at the young man with a cocky smile on his face as he sized up the newcomer to the quiet, sleepy little town he had called home for a long while. Rhys was interesting, and he found himself intrigued.

“Carliel Thornwell, it’s a pleasure… I’m glad someone is fixing up this old place. It’s a... special place that deserves a special soul, I hope you’ll treat this old land with the respect and care it needs. Do take care, Mr. Anderson. May our paths cross again soon.”

And, like a whisper, Carliel Thornwell vanished into thin air. Rhys let out his held breath, emptying his lungs as he leaned on his broom. He didn’t know why, but the old vampire’s presence felt heavy. Vic’s warnings of Carliel’s immense power lingered in the back of his mind and he wondered how powerful he truly was. The way he spoke gave one the impression that he was indeed quite old and not from the area.

Rhys shook the odd occurrence from his thoughts and went back to his task of cleaning out the greenhouse. Once he was sure the floor and baseboards were as free of excess dust and cobwebs as he could manage. He started wiping off the shelves and making plans for where to place his florals based on his understanding of the sun’s trajectory. He wanted to make sure they were properly laid out to best suit each genus.

As he ran his duster over one of the shelves, it gave way slightly. Squatting to look at the brackets that held them in place, he discovered quite a few of the screws were coming loose.

I need a screwdriver, Rhys thought as he turned his eyes toward the direction of the funeral home. Guess I should go for a walk. I don’t really have the gas to spare for little trips like that.

He set his duster atop the shelf and started the long walk through the forest toward Cas and Cane’s place with a bit of hesitation. He wasn’t quite sure he understood the energy in the trees yet. Though his sleep had indeed been restful, he couldn’t help but shake the feeling he was being watched whenever the sun went down. He slid his hands into his pockets and pulled his shoulders in taut. As he walked, he kept his eyes on the trees and the wispy figures he saw moving between the trunks.

After about fifteen minutes, he broke through the tree line and found himself standing on the long gravel road that led to the funeral home. It looked a bit ominous with the flickering gaslight lamps set against the starry sky. The grave markers seemed lonely in the open expanse and Rhys had to stop and appreciate the shadowy mountains in the distance. It was beautiful.

His peaceful moment of reflection was interrupted by the sound of Cas shouting their husband’s name. He shifted his eyes from the sky and gasped as a massive dog barreled down the road toward him. He briefly saw Cas scramble to the railing with a look of shock on their face.

“Cane, sit!”

The large, golden-hued dog came to a stop mere inches away from Rhys. It sat as commanded, a large tongue hung out of its panting mouth and Rhys quickly realized he recognized those bright, happy blue eyes.

“C-Cane?” Rhys stammered.

Cane barked in response. He was massive; even when sitting he towered over Rhys by nearly half a foot. He was similar in build to an Irish Wolfhound and his tail kicked up a massive cloud of dust as he waited for Rhys to pet him.

“Cane, heel!” Cas shouted.

Cane’s ears perked up. He scrambled back toward the funeral home. Rhys followed with his mouth agape in shock, watching as the monstrous beast scampered around the funeral home lawn with an overwhelming amount of energy.

“Rhys, are you alright? He didn’t hurt you, did he? He has one brain cell when he’s like this,” Cas noted from the porch.

Their long hair blew around in the soft breeze, covering their fuzzy sweater like a mourning veil. The bell-sleeved garment was tucked into high-waisted, black pleather jeans and Rhys couldn’t help but compare them to a JRPG villain. They looked a bit exhausted.

“No, I’m fine. He’s massive! I didn’t realize he’d get so big! Or… stay so cognizant,” Rhys said with shock.

Cas groaned, “Cognizant is being generous. He’s definitely more wolf than man, and he sheds and drools and he has so much energy. Did you need something… did you walk here?”

“Oh! Yes, sorry to bother you so late but I need a screwdriver, one of the shelves in the greenhouse is loose and I don’t want the plants to fall.”

Cas set their hand against their chin, “I don’t know what he did with his toolkit. After he unloaded the trailer last night he fell asleep and didn’t wake up until the moon came out and transformed. Now he’s wired and I can’t get a moment of peace.”

“Does he stay like this the entire moon phase?” Rhys inquired as he watched Cane rush back into the funeral home.

“No, thankfully. The moment the sun comes up he turns back into a human… a very hairy, naked and hungry human,” Cas replied as they shifted their body out of the way to let their rampaging husband race by.

Cane dropped a ball by Rhys’ feet and sat down with an expectant look.

“Cane, he’s not here to play,” Cas said with a bit of exasperation.

Rhys picked up the ball. He wound up and pitched the ball with more strength than Cas expected. Cane barked happily and gave chase as the ball flew out into the open section of the cemetery that had yet to be used. Rhys noticed Cas looked a bit shocked.

“I used to play baseball, I was actually on a league when I lived in Japan… do you need me to wear him out for you?” Rhys asked.

“Would you? For just a bit, I have some paperwork. I’ll see if I can find his toolkit in the meantime,” Cas replied, almost embarrassed that they even needed to ask.

“Sure, I don’t mind. I’m trying to get back on an overnight schedule so I need to stay awake, anyway. I’m struggling so this will keep me going for a while.”

“Thank you, if he misbehaves just bop him on the nose. He follows normal dog commands a lot quicker than anything else but he’s still Cane, he’ll comprehend what you’re telling him if you need to take a break. You may need to be a bit forceful, but he’ll listen.”

Rhys nodded in understanding and watched as Cane raced back toward him, tearing up the field as he went with the drool-covered ball in his mouth. Cas walked back into the funeral home to try and finish their paperwork as quickly as possible so Rhys wouldn’t have to deal with their energetic husband for long.

Smiling, Rhys simply pitched the ball again and laughed as Cane raced after the toy. Though he tried to pull his eyes away from the forest, he couldn’t help but watch with worry as the ghostly figures reappeared. He felt as if he wasn’t welcome in the Wood, and he hated how they looked at him so intensely.

Cane seemed to know, so he turned his frantic running into a slow walk. He dropped the ball and pressed his head into Rhys’ shoulder gently. Rhys scratched him behind the ear and smiled. He was growing fond of Cane and his friendship.

Rhys picked the ball back up, “You ready?”

Cane barked and ran in circles around him. Rhys couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled back his arm and launched the slobber-covered ball into the air. He decided to make the most of the night and help out his new friends in the small ways he could. The greenhouse could wait.