Page 107 of A Thousand Cuts

“I can take him for a few hours. Let him blow off some steam in the woods,” Wren offered immediately, and Liam felt a stab of utter guilt for taking advantage of his kindness, but he couldn’t back out now.

“Really?”

He almost wished Wren would say no, but Wren nodded eagerly. “He’s a precious love muffin and I’d love to get to know him better. Fix said you rescued him?”

“Yeah, he’s from a dog fighting ring. That’s where his injury happened,” Liam explained. “You were right about the statistics for domesticated animal curses. They were cursing them to make more money.”

Wren set his jaw and Liam could have sworn the cursemark around his eye pulsed a deeper green. He approached King slowly and then crouched on his haunches, looking him over with a compassionate gaze. King didn’t bark at him once, like he instinctively sensed that Wren was a safe space.

“Did they say anything about the tattoo on the inside of his ear?” Wren asked.

“It was his number. It was how the assholes differentiated between them before they were rescued. He was one of thirty dogs brought in. Some of them stayed in Arcstead and some of them got shipped to the shelters over here in Slatehollow.”

Wren nodded slowly, turning his gaze back to King to stare soulfully at him. He seemed completely lost in his own head.

“What is it?” Liam asked, suddenly getting nervous. “Is there something wrong with him?”

“He’s perfect. The breaker did a good job…” Wren reached out to give King a pet under his chin. King didn’t even flinch, which was surreal to see from any hand but his own. “I’ve just seen this mark before, that’s all.”

“You have?”

“Would you mind if I took a look at his papers?” Wren asked.

“Sure. I can dig them out. Well…if I can go back to my apartment and if…if everything works out…” Liam trailed off, losing steam halfway through as he came back to his own reality. He took a deep breath before blurting out impulsively, “Would you take him?”

Wren’s doll-like mouth parted slightly as he tried to keep up. “King?”

Liam nodded shakily. “If anything ever happens to me. He can’t go back to a shelter, and I know Fix would try to keep him, but they haven’t bonded that much yet and King already seems to trust you and I’d feel better knowing he was in good hands—”

“Of course I’d take him.” Wren cut him off. “But nothing is going to happen to you.”

Liam gave a shaky smile, hoping that was true. “Thank you. It eases my mind, just in case, you know? I know we don’t know each other and it’s weird as hell to suddenly ask you to take my dog.”

Wren laughed. “He’s cute, so I don’t mind.”

“He is,” Liam whispered, stroking King’s soft ears.

“Do you want me to walk him now? Or do you want a minute?” Wren asked kindly.

“Now is good,” Liam said, but he was having a hard time letting go of the leash. Once he did, he was really going. He was really committing to this…

He took a deep breath and then transferred his hold.

King went, but he kept looking back at Liam in confusion. Liam felt like crying for some reason, but instead he smiled. “Be a good boy, King. I’ll see you soon.”

Wren stroked his head. “Come on, pretty boy. Let’s go run, huh? Stretch those legs.”

He started walking, building up into a jog and then taking off with King matching his stride easily.

Liam watched them until he couldn’t anymore.

He turned and headed inside, swiping a set of keys from the front door before hurrying out.

It had beenyearssince he’d sat in the driver’s seat of a car, and even then it was under shady and questionable instructions, but Liam had no other option. The risk of someone coming home by the time he’d walked to the nearest station was too high.

He managed to get the car started and in gear, pulling away and down the driveway. It was mildly terrifying with no real control or experience, but he managed to merge onto the main road. He followed the signs and his own mental directions, thanking his lucky stars that cars were so uncommon there was hardly anyone to avoid.

After one stop at an electronics store, he pulled up outside his destination, the sagging metal fencing cordoning off the abandoned structure. It was a small mall that had gone out of business and fallen into disrepair when a huge multiplex opened in the inner city. Now it was a home to squatters and rats.