For the first time, the dog’s ears perked up. He might not trust humans in general, but he did seem to enjoy the time he spent outside in the run. The last time Larem had coaxed him into accepting a leash, he’d taken the dog for a long walk as a reward.
Judging by the slow tail thumping going on, it was time to try it again. That pleased him every bit as much as it did the dog.
“Son, I don’t know where you got your magical touch with skittish animals, but it’s been a real godsend around here. I wouldn’t have given that fellow any chance of ever making his peace with people, not after the way he’d been abused. He still doesn’t like the rest of us much, but at least he’s willing to take a chance on you. That’s something. By the way, that’s the name we’ve been using for him—Chance.”
Larem didn’t know what to say to that, but the vet’s validation of his worth meant a lot to him. It had been a long time since he’d felt appreciated for more than just his strong sword arm.
“We’ll be back in a while. Once he’s had a good run, I’ll try to convince him to let you give his injuries a quick check.”
“Sounds good.” The vet turned his attention back to the small dog he’d been examining when Larem walked in.
Larem tried out the dog’s new name. “All right, Chance, let’s get you out of there for a while.”
Chance lurched to his feet, favoring his right back leg. The bones were healing up fine, but it was clear that it still hurt. Larem opened the cage door and set more treats down within easy reach. Eventually, he hoped the dog would accept the offerings directly from his hand, but there was no need to rush things.
The two pieces of freeze-dried liver quickly disappeared, and then the dog walked right up to Larem and rubbed against his legs. Larem reached down to pat Chance on the head and got his fingers snapped at for his efforts. Still, the attempt had been only halfhearted, a reminder that they weren’t yet BFF.
He smiled at the dog. “All right, then, I’ll watch my step. Let’s go.”
Outside in the run, he let Chance off his leash and sat down on a bench to watch the dog explore his surroundings. That in itself was a huge improvement. The first time Larem had lured Chance outdoors to one of the runs, the dog had huddled in one corner and growled anytime Larem made a move in his direction.
Larem took it as a compliment that right now Chance was totally ignoring him, meaning the dog sensed Larem posed no threat. After sniffing his way around the pen, Chance slowly walked toward Larem. He stopped a few feet away, his head cocked to one side as he considered his next action. Finally, having made his decision, Chance closed that last bit of distance and rested his head on Larem’s knee.
This time when Larem raised his hand to pet Chance’s head, the dog sighed softly and accepted the offer of friendship. Larem lifted his face to the sun, offering himself up as a conduit of its healing warmth. Slowly, the bright, healing light poured through him to soothe the dog’s pain and encourage his leg bones to knit. After a minute or two, Larem eased back on the flow.
His gift was still too new for him to know how much was enough without overwhelming an animal’s ability to cope with the accelerated healing, especially in Chance’s weakened condition. Most of the time Larem settled for easing pain and soothing traumatized spirits. Convincing an injured animal to accept care was half the battle.
He still wasn’t sure what it was about this particular dog that was so special. It certainly wasn’t his appearance, although the dog looked a whole lot better now than when he’d first arrived at the shelter. That first day, the dog had been all bones and dried blood. He’d already put on considerable weight but needed to gain a few more pounds. Standing about thirty inches high at the shoulder with an intelligent face, Chance bore a striking resemblance to a white wolf.
When Larem had asked Dr. Isaac what breed Chance was, the old vet just laughed. “All I can say is that his ancestors weren’t very particular who they mated with. From his build and size, I suspect he’s got some Great Pyrenees in him and maybe some shepherd, but there’s no telling for sure. He’s his own man and a loner by nature, I would say.”
Now that Larem thought about it, that assessment might just account for why he and Chance had hit it off. Both of them had been hurt by those who mattered to them the most and were struggling to find some peace in their lives.
“How about we take that walk now?”
Chance agreed, whining softly as Larem snapped the lead back on his collar. Larem often walked the streets of Seattle, trying to outdistance the restlessness that plagued him more and more lately. At least with Chance trotting along at his side, he didn’t feel quite so alone.
Sasha was about half a second from going stir-crazy. What the heck had happened here in Seattle? She’d spent the past few days reviewing the budget and meeting with various department heads, and so far, it was unanimous: no one was happy. Everyone had their hands out wanting more money, more staff, and more supplies. God, if she granted even half the requests, the Regents would fire her for incompetence.
However, even at first glance it was obvious that some of the complaints were legitimate. Right off the bat, she’d ordered all departments to inventory their supplies, figuring there was no way to tell what was needed until she knew what they had.
But it was definitely worrisome that she’d heard the same complaints from all corners. Promises had been made but not kept. Less important items had been stockpiled while orders for others, especially those crucial to the well-being of the Paladins, had been either delayed or out-and-out denied. From what she could tell, jealousy and competition had been encouraged between the various factions. No wonder the resulting work atmosphere had become so toxic.
It was as if someone had set out to torment the entire Seattle contingent, making it all but impossible for the group to function. Only the dedication and loyalty of the support personnel, not to mention the Paladins themselves, had kept the organization performing at all and the city from being overrun with crazies.
Throwing a temper tantrum would do little to alleviate the situation, no matter how appealing the thought might be. The real problem was that she had no idea if this had all been part of Kincade’s determined efforts to screw with the Paladins or just a series of unrelated events that had come together to make a total mess of things. Clearly the entire sector had suffered from the lack of a responsible Regent overseeing the day-to-day management.