ι'м ησт qυιтє нυмαη, вυт ι'м ησт qυιтє α мα¢нιηє {Rue}

[assassinrue]

Valerie nodded as subtly as she could, bumping her nose against his forearm. Please understand she pleaded silently.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Why? Aron thought. Whoever this dog was, why would they come here? Clearly the owner didn't know his dog wasn't just a dog, so why risk exposure? Furthermore, what on earth did the dog want from him? He couldn't very well ask. People would think he was crazy.

[assassinrue]

Valerie huffed in frustration. She glanced behind him through the door, stepping one paw forward to add to the hint.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aron's eyes dropped down, noticing the wound and the stitches on her leg. His eyes widened in disbelief. No way... "Valerie?" he whispered, his voice too low for anyone but her to hear.

[assassinrue]

Valerie felt herself do a doggy grinned and wagged. She nosed his arm again and cocked her head, hopeful that he wouldn't completely freak out.

"Is she... behaving?" Isaiah didn't seem to know what to do with himself.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aron took a moment to register the man's word. "Ah... yes. She is." He patted her head for show and leaned his face closer to hers. "What the hell are you doing here?" he whispered.

[assassinrue]

Valerie gave him an embarrassed little look, shrugged a little. I needed you to know. She never realized how hard it was to communicate as a dog.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aron wiped his face blank and straightened up. "Sir, you might want to keep your dog on the leash," he said, nodding to the leash in the man's hand. "You never know what might happen. She could get hurt, running up to strangers like that." He paused, giving Valerie one last look, before disappearing into the apartment complex.

[assassinrue]

Valerie whimpered, letting her head hang and dejectedly turned toward Isaiah. He kneeled down to pet her and she nuzzled into him for a moment before they continued their walk. So be it, she thought, and she wondered how long she could remain in this form without changing.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aron returned upstairs and peered out the window, watching her walk away. She'd be better off without him, especially now that he knew she was a shifter. Damn, it was a good thing Kenneth hadn't known. It could have made things worse for her.

[assassinrue]

Valerie sat by Isaiah's side for days as he wrote, talked with his publisher, and celebrated. It took her a week before she realized she had been moping, and she hated moping, she needed to find Aron. She nudged Isaiah who hesitantly let her out, making a remark about not getting herself hurt again. As soon as she was out of sight, she began to run, changing as she did, and finally reached the bar. Peaking through the window, Aron was right where she had expected him to be. She snuck up behind him, "You know, I think your needle work did as much damage as the blade." She was smiling a little.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aron jumped and twisted around in his seat to stare at her. "Valerie? You really shouldn't be here. In fact, you should stay away from me." He hadn't realized until then how bad of an idea coming here was. He should have avoided all his regular places. He'd have to find new restaurants and bars to frequent once he found a new apartment.

[assassinrue]

Valerie rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. "Do you know how many times I've heard that? It's really a ridiculous thing to say. You're not going to get rid of me that easy. And if you try to run, I've got a good nose." She winked at him, still smiling at him.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Me too," Aron muttered. "Why do you even want to stick around? I got you tortured. I think most people would run from that."

[assassinrue]

Valerie shrugged awkwardly. "You're really the only person I talk to now that I spend most of my time as Isaiah's..." She stopped and looked around. "Besides, you didn't get me tortured. That idiotic brute did."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"It wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me," he said. "Why do you live your life as a pet, anyway? Don't you have family?"

[assassinrue]

Valerie glared bitterly at the counter. "Isaiah is all I have. My father was pure human and my mother died when I was little. I left my clan to find him, to ask questions, and they never let me return. It wasn't even worth it, I never have found him." She shrugged. "Isaiah found me and I've been with him ever since."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aron looked away and tapped his glass. "It must be nice. Having someone who cares about you."

[assassinrue]

"It is, but at the same time it's the most painful thing, because he can never know. Things would never be the same. If Isaiah ever decided he didn't want me, I'd have nowhere to go." Valerie ordered a piece of pizza and sighed. "At least you have a home that's actually your own."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"I've been alone my whole life," Aron said. "Having a home to call my own? It doesn't really make up for it."