The Hollow Moon (Downworlder Series, #2)

Chapter Eight: Little Lily

I had my legs kicked up on the table of my stall, doing my best to hide in the shade of the overhang. Stinky had wandered off like he usually did after he dropped me off, which meant I had no real means of real entertainment other than the broken watch in my hand. Today was a slow day. It probably had something to do with the smothering heat wave that had moved in overnight. It was the one of the things that I hated about the city. The dampness of the earth and the shade of the trees had been removed. In their place stood tall building made of steel and ground made of black hardened tar. The sun beat down on the city with no mercy and it soaked in the heat until we were all boiling like frogs in a pot of water.

I missed the mountains. The high altitude helped to provide fresh air to keep us all cool during the humid summer nights. While the tall spruce trees helped to provide us with some shade from unrelenting rays during the the day. If I closed my eyes I could almost feel the fresh air dancing across my skin and smell the fresh spruce and evergreen needles that used to get stuck in my hair.

Smoky snorted loudly before plopping his head into my lap. I smiled to myself as I reached out and scratched at the mangy fur behind his ears, before massaging them gently between my fingertips, "I feel ya, buddy. It's too hot today." He opened up his law jaw in a big yawn, panting slightly to try and cool himself down. I slipped the broken watching into the front pocket of my button up shirt.

"I brought something for you." I fished the extra water bottle I had grabbed this morning from my satchel, unscrewing the cap and emptying it into the almost empty bowl. Smoky perked up at the sound, removing his head from my lap and quickly lapping at the fresh water. His exaggerated lapping was causing half of it to slosh and waste away on the heated asphalt. I pressed my other hand to his forehead, pushing him back a little, "Calm down. You're going to waste it all like that." I tsked at him.

He shoved against my hand, dragging his slobbery tongue over my wrist as he looked up at me with pleading eyes. I let out an exaggerated sigh before I poured the rest of the bottle of water into his dish. He yipped at me and proceeded to shove nearly his entire face into the shallow bowl. I laughed loudly at the move as he sputtered and snorted as he inhaled the water.

I let my hand fall to where I tangled it in his fur. He snuffled as he licked at his bowl, unconcerned with my touch. I lazily scratched his broad head. I truly loved him. There was nothing in this city that I coveted more than my wild. There was no one in this city I would protect more fiercely. Smoky and I were a team. He protected me and I protected him. He was my family. He was my security blanket in a world that used to terrify me. Even my own beast would react when we were curled up with him. Her nose lifting, her trembling stopping as she gave a huge sigh of what sounded like relief.

He was the best thing in this stupid shitty city. I could hear him finish with his snuffling and lapping of water and he lifted his head, plunking it down in my lap once more. I weaved my fingers into his hair and massaged his scalp as he gave a heavy groan of enjoyment. "Does my care-bear like that?" I hummed the words low to him and he huffed out his agreement. I rubbed at his dirty skin and fur right before I scratched vigorously behind his ear, his leg started thumping as his eyes went half lidded with pleasure. I chortled at the reaction I got before I rubbed his cheeks and kissed the end of his snout.

He licked my chin rapidly in excitement and his foul saliva made me wrinkle my nose and shove his away as he continued to try and slobber on me. I laughed as I fended him off. "Down! Down!" I shoved at his head and he huffed at me before he sat down beside me, leaning his large head against me. I continued to chuckle as I used my sleeves to wipe away his slobber from my face. I opened my bottle of water and quickly wiped my face, cleaning off the stink of his slobber. He huffed at me again and I splashed a little bit of water on his head in retaliation. he gave a low growl that sounded more playful than anything as he shook his head.