Page 13 of Bread by the Grim (Ghostlight Falls #4)

Phil

D ays pass and Grim remains in his shifted form.

I really don’t know what to do for him. You’d think a town like Ghostlight Falls would have more medical resources for cryptids and shifters, but the only cryptid specialist is out of town for the week, and regular doctors don’t know much about conditions surrounding shifting.

They refer him to a local witch, thinking a curse might be involved, but Grim’s adamant.

This is not a curse. This is just the way he was born.

He refuses to leave his apartment to go to the hospital, afraid he’ll hurt someone. The one doctor I do manage to convince to come by the shop agrees to visit only because he’s a regular and knows Grim personally.

After a thorough examination of Grim, all he can tell us is that Grim is healthy .

“Keep him hydrated until the specialist returns,” is all the instructions he leaves us with.

I consider shutting down the bakery completely until we can figure something out, but it would give me nothing to do during the day when Grim’s avoiding me, so I work and worry and work some more.

After a week of Grim not being around to place grocery orders, I realize I’m running out of things. Some I can get by without, but other things like kitty litter and Fancy Feast will get me shanked in my sleep. Doux is not a fan of being late for a meal, let alone skipping one altogether.

Because I’ve chosen to be a hermit, I have two options: I could take Grim’s truck and drive around until I find the grocery store, or I could shop small.

There’s that little pet store called Ruff ‘N Tumble just a block away.

All day, people come into the shop, but rarely do I get outside and explore the town around me.

I could totally use the short walk. After I close up for the day, I cross the street and head down the block to get some fresh air and hopefully see some adorable animals.

A cute guy with horns smiles at me from the counter as I walk in.

“Let me know if you need anything!” he calls as I grab a basket.

The place is full of the cutest little animals I’ve never seen.

I spend way too much time reading name tags and making noises at fuzzy little creatures in tanks and cages as I make my way around the store to the cat section.

In an aisle full of bird feed and wire cages, I come across an adorable free-roaming turtle.

Well, I think it’s a turtle. He has horns on each side of his head, and someone has tied a balloon to his body with the word “Arlo” written on it.

When he doesn’t hiss or growl, I take a chance and bend down to scratch his head.

“Are you Arlo or is Arlo the type of animal you are?” I ask him.

He ignores my questions and presses his head into my hand, insisting I scratch harder.

After another few moments of this, he ducks his head and starts to move away from me.

“Well goodbye to you too, Arlo.”

Despite all the unique little fuzzballs they seem to sell, the store has a surprisingly decent selection of supplies for my standard-issue tabby.

I grab several cans of Fancy Feast, a box of litter, and head to the register.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around. You must be new in town,” the man at the counter says as he rings me up.

“Yes, I came in to replace Bernice at Grim’s. My name is Phil.”

He smiles brightly. “It’s so nice to meet you, Phil. I’m Kaz. I own the place. Who’s your kitty friend?”

I can’t help but smile back. “His name is Doux. I found him in a dumpster. ”

He laughs. “What an awesome name. Honestly, the best cats are the ones you find in sketchy places.” He bags up everything and hands me my receipt just as something starts to make a noise at his side.

“You’ve got good timing, guys,” he says, looking down at something I can’t see.

I can’t help but be nosey. “What do you have back there?”

“Do you like guinea pigs?” he asks.

I nod as he pulls out a beautiful gray guinea pig with the biggest ears I’ve ever seen.

They’re pointy and high, like a dog’s. It has the beautiful long shiny hair of a regular guinea pig, but instead of the usual hidden nub of a tail, it has the longer tail of a dog.

This little gray guy’s tail starts thumping happily as he holds it up to me. “Wanna hold one?”

“Sure.” I laugh. I take the guinea pig from him and hold it close to my chest. Its tail thumps against my body as I cradle it close. “He’s so adorable. I’ve never seen one with features like this one…what is he?”

“I can’t pronounce his scientific name, but locals where he comes from call him a lupig. I guess they thought they looked a little wolf-like.”

I huff a laugh. “Well, it is definitely fitting.” The little gray guy starts to crawl up my shirt until he’s perched on my shoulder.

Kaz laughs. “I’ve never had one take to a stranger that quickly. Are you in the market for a new pet?”

“I’d have to ask Grim first–” I start, remembering what’s waiting for me at home.

Something at Kaz’s side starts to growl, and he looks down with a sigh. He picks one of the lupigs up and holds it up to the light. “You are far too young, young man,” he admonishes.

“Far too young? What’s happening to it?”

He holds it out for me to see with a sigh.

“Do you see how it’s shedding and all patchy?

It’s starting its shift. Basically, it’s going into heat.

It’s going to get bald and ugly here pretty soon, and I’ll have to let it mate, or it will lose its mind and stay bald and ugly forever.

” He turns it so it’s looking at him. “I thought I had more time to get you fixed, friend,” he says to the lupig.

I grab the gray lupig off my shoulder and hold it close to my chest. “So they all would go through that?”

He nods. “In nature they would. They reach maturity, and their sense of smell develops to the point where they can detect potential mates nearby. Then they shift until they’ve mated.

They use the hair they shed to build a nest. If I get them fixed before it happens, then they never have to shift, but it seems I’m a little late for this guy. ”

“So it happens quickly?” My brain is running a mile a minute. We aren’t much different from animals. Heck some animals share most of their chromosomes with us. What if Grim’s species is like the lupigs?

“Yeah,” Kaz says as my brain keeps running through all the possibilities. “It can be over and done in 24 hours if the conditions are right.”

I look down at the little lupig in my arms. “I’d like this little guy, but I need a few days. Can I pay you now and come back for him?”

Kaz examines me for a moment. “Sure. Is it anything I can help with? We have payment plans if you can’t afford a cage–”

I shake my head. “Grim’s sick with the flu, and I’m running the place on my own. I just want to wait until I have some spare time to get the little guy acclimated to his new home.”

He nods. “Gotcha.”

I hand him my debit card to pay for my little lupig. “I’ll be back!” I promise him as I hand the little guy back to him. “Thank you for all your help!” I call as I hurry out.

“You’re welcome!” he calls, a confused expression on his face.

I have an idea.

Grim is going to hate it.