Page 19 of Coiled Tight

I swallowed.

One thing about me?

I was good in an emergency, but I crashed right afterward. Or I froze.

There was no time to figure out how to let my roommate know that because Saúl was pushing me down to one of the padded stools. It wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t as if we had a lot more to choose from here.

I tried to protest regardless. Only two out of the four pups had survived, and I needed to be on my feet in case they needed something. Or if Golden did. I’d taken off her muzzle, and she was getting IV fluids; the pups were calming her and getting all the body heat they needed from her plus the heating pads I’d wrapped around the three, but I would be remiss in not keeping an eye out for early signs of… anything.

“Cam.” Saúl shook my shoulders. Had I been mumbling something? Shit. I did that sometimes. “You’ve done all you could.”

A whimper fell out. I was going to blame the exhaustion of staying awake and upright for hours after I’d gone through a full shift of doing exactly that already.

That day off was looking better than ever.

“But the milk…”

Wolf powder milk was made out of dog milk replacer, but I couldn’t actually remember if it was altered somehow or if that alteration made it suitable for dogs. But Golden didn’t have milk coming in, and the pups needed it, obviously, so thank fuck there had been some in a cabinetthat hadn’t expired. Maybe they’d been expecting a wolf puppy that ended up not making it or going somewhere else?

I didn’t know, and I was too exhausted to fish for the story.

“I texted Sofía, and she’s going to grab some on her way here tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

They could survive twelve more hours with wolf milk, right?

Right?

Fuck, I was going to end up delirious.

“I don’t want to leave them alone.”

Did I know they weren’t my children? Well, yeah. I hadn’t reached that point yet.

But I’d be damned if they didn’t feel like something I’d had a part in creating. I was invested in their well-being now.

“Anyone ever told you you’re stubborn as fuck?” Saúl shook his head—I saw the gesture, but it was kind of blurry. “Wait here.”

“Um. Okay?”

He would’ve had to drag me away if he wanted me to move.

I didn’t say that.

I also didn’t feel tears prickling up the corners of my eyes when he came back after who knew how long with one of those fancy sleeping bags that were super padded inside.

“Just so we’re clear, I’m not happy about this.”

“Okay.”Daddy.

Kudos to me for not saying that out loud.

eight

cam

Cam, you’ve earned this.