Page 13

THIRTEEN

Multiple days passed and I used all my free time to keep Obie company. It wasn't particularly interesting to sit with a hellhound who barely moved but I knew this was the only way.

Gradually, he got used to my presence. He still set off the fire alarm when he heard a loud noise or refused to eat with anyone present.

It took almost two weeks before he stopped growling when I entered the room and sometimes, he even closed his eyes when he was resting.

Not for very long, and he never dozed off, but I counted it as a massive win.

He was also slowly putting on weight now that his diet contained chicken and root vegetables which was wonderful to see. His coat was becoming shinier and he didn't look like he would shatter if he fell.

One thing that was less ideal was that his nails had almost grown back to their old size but there was no way to trim them without putting him under.

I'd have to find a way to manage that without anaesthetic because it just wasn't a feasible solution.

We had to be able to manage his welfare without sedating him regularly.

And that meant getting him used to my presence and pushing his boundaries, even if it might destroy all the progress I made so far.

It was late when I entered his bay and Quarantine was relatively quiet which was as good a time as any.

Obie looked up from his spot in the corner, his ears rising in what I'd come to understand was curiosity.

"Just me," I announced, pausing in front of him. I set my bag down so I could grab the assortment of treats I brought with me today.

I was sure some people would hate the idea of training a wild and mythical animal like Obie, and under different circumstances, I wouldn't risk him getting too attached to humans and developing behaviours that were only useful in captivity.

But considering that he would likely never be able to return to the wild, this was his best option. If he was going to stay in captivity, he needed to adapt to survive.

"I've brought more treats for you," I said, reaching for the bag of the latest goodies I was trying out. I was doing it more systematically this time and bringing one treat every day instead of throwing all sorts at him.

Obie gave me what felt like a judgemental look.

"So for today's snack, I've got some freeze dried chicken." I held up the little cube between my fingers and gave it a squish. "Look, they're soft in texture. Isn't that fun?"

Obie's nose wobbled.

"Oh, oh, I sense interest."

I tossed the cube in and it bounced towards him, eventually bumping against his front paw. His ears went up ever so slightly and he gave it a sniff which was more interest than he'd ever shown for any food I offered him before.

He didn't eat it though. Instead, he crossed his paws, gave me a look that was definitely judgemental, and closed his eyes.

"So now you're ignoring me? That's a bit rude."

Obie let out a deep troubled sigh. It really felt like he was communicating with me in some way. Or maybe I was putting too much meaning on his silence. In any way, I considered this massive progress.

I sat down in my corner and got my phone out to message Felicity. She'd been very understanding about me spending a lot of time with Obie but I knew she was missing me and running out of patience.

If only I didn't have to choose between my love life and the animals I cared for far too much. If only I could combine the two...

I looked up at Obie. "Do you think you'd be up for another visitor? Or would two people in here be too much? Then again, it's probably good practice for you."

He opened one eye, closed it, and went right back to ignoring me.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," I said, typing out an invite to Felicity.

Maybe date night in Quarantine wasn't exactly the height of romance but this was the reality of our life. Not everything was all sunshine and roses, sometimes it was unicorn poop and sick animals.

It didn't take long for Felicity to arrive with a box of pizza and a smile that took some of my tiredness away. Obie sat up when she came in and pulled his lips up but didn't resort to a full growl.

That was so much better than him bursting into flames at the lightest of sounds.

She chuckled and waved at Obie which he didn't seem too pleased about. "Hi, Obie. Are you bored of Charlotte yet?"

I scoffed. "Oi!"

Obie growled at the sudden sound but Felicity didn't seem fazed in the slightest. She was like that with the unicorns too, never flustered, never overwhelmed, always in control. I admired that about her.

"So this is where you've been hanging out all the time," Felicity said with that teasing grin of hers.

"Yeah, yeah, welcome to my humble abode," I said, gesturing around. "There are no windows, no bathrooms, and we'll have to sit on the floor. But the rent is pretty cheap and there's an adorable hellhound here."

Felicity chuckled as she leaned in to kiss me. "Wow, beautiful. When can I move in?"

"You? Anytime." I took the pizza box from her so she could sit down and flipped the lid before I handed it back. "Yum, pepperoni."

"You know I love a good pepperoni," she said, shuffling so she could lean against the wall. "Oh, and it looks like your hellhound might want some as well."

"Ha ha," I snarked before looking at Obie and realising his ears were up and his nose was wobbling. "Wait, stop, pause. He actually looks interested."

"I know, that's why I said it," Felicity remarked. "What?"

"I've been trying to find a treat he likes for the last two weeks and this is the biggest reaction I've seen from him," I explained, my gaze going to the rounds of pepperoni.

There were little pools of oil in them and they were so processed, they weren't exactly a healthy thing to eat.

I couldn't feed that to one of our animals.

Could I?

I grabbed one of the rounds and tossed it into his enclosure, deciding that one piece wasn't going to harm him. He gobbled it off the floor like it had never been there. Then gave me the most expressive look I'd seen from him since, the one every dog owner knew was irresistible. The begging eyes.

"Really? I bought you so many types of treats and you like pepperoni ?" I asked, shaking my head at the realisation. How did a hellhound even acquire a taste for that? It wasn't like pepperoni grew in the wild.

Someone had to have given them to him when he was younger and maybe it was one of the only things he associated with good times.

Felicity grabbed a piece of pizza. "You can do with your side what you want but you're not feeding him my pepperoni."

She knew me so well.

My stomach grumbled and I got myself a slice. I took a big bite out of it and threw another piece towards Obie which he ate instantly. Finally, I found something that he enjoyed.

This piece of pepperoni was going to be the gateway to getting him adjusted to life at the Griffin Sanctuary.