Little Red Robin Hood

XXI - End of the Beginning

A few minutes after Amelia went back inside, Cloud appeared. His large wolf form appeared from the edge of the woods with little warning, almost making me jump when I saw him. He calmly walked across the street and through the parking lot, clearly uncaring of who saw him.

"Hey," I breathed, putting my hand on his head. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in his warm grey fur.

Get on my back. I'll get us there quickly.

I nodded, struggling to get onto his back. I clung to his fur as he slowly walked through the parking lot and down the street. His pace quickened until he was running. I tightly clung to him, breath fogging up in front of my face.

Before long, we were at the shop. I slowly got off his back and walked in, Cloud following me closely.

"Raine!" It was Mika. "Oh my gods, are you alright? We've been so worried about you!" She took my face in her hands and kissed both my cheeks. Mika pulled away, staring at the huge grey wolf behind me, "Blue eyes, torn ear.... Is that...?"

"Yep," I quickly said, nodding. "W-we just came here to pick up my truck. Killian's done fixing it, right?"

"Y-yeah," she took a step back.

Cloud was quick to walk to the back of the store. He looked back, beckoning for me to follow with a tilt of his head. He practically bounded into the shop, and I quickly followed.

"Why the fuck is there a wolf in my garage?!"

"He's with me," I said, stepping into the cold garage. "Killian, Cloud. Cloud, Killian." I quickly introduced them. "I, uh, just stopped by to get my truck. I'm.... I'm gonna go live with... him," I motioned to Cloud.

"...That's not just a wolf, is it?" Killian breathed. "Holy fucking shit." He looked at me, "In other news that isn't related to the giant wolf god in my garage, how you been, kid? I heard what happened to Amber."

"...I don't know," I sighed. "I came here to move on, put my past behind me. And now I'm back in the middle of... it...." I stared at my truck, which was off to the side. Cloud had seen it too, and beckoned for me to walk up to it.

"Yeah, I, uh, detailed it and everything," Killian said.

The exterior was cleaner than when I had first found it in the junkyard. The tires were brand new. The bumper had been replaced, as had the windshield and windows. I opened the door to smell cinnamon. The carpets and seats had been washed. The dashboard, vents, and steering wheel had been wiped down.

"Wow," I breathed. I looked down at Cloud, "You are not getting in here in that form. Human form only."

Watch me. Cloud jumped up and scrambled past me to lay on the seats.

"Well, that worked well," Killian snorted.

"Stupid god," I mumbled, crossing my arms.

Adorable blushing human.

My face turned warm. I spun around, facing Killian. "I can't tell you how much this means to me. Y-you barely know me and you redid my entire truck. I practically begged for a job here then completely ditched."

"Things were wild, to say the least," Killian scoffed. "With Anna trying to blackmail you and all that, then the stuff with the hunter...," he shook his head. "Let's just be glad it's over." He looked at Cloud, who was laying in the truck. "Never thought I would see an actual god, and certainly not like this." He looked at me. "...I'm not firing you. I expect to see you on Monday, nine sharp, okay?"

My head snapped to face him.

I was speechless for a moment, "O-okay, yeah, yeah, I'll be here."

"And, if you ever need to get wolf fur out of your seats...," he looked at the truck, lightly chuckling. He patted my shoulder, then handed me the keys, "I'll see you on Monday."

"Monday at nine," I nodded, breathless. "I'll be here. Thank you. Thank you so much!" I threw my arms around him, much to his obvious discontent.

Killian slowly and awkwardly hugged me back.

I pulled back, wiping the happy tears away from my eyes. I took a deep breath, turning back to Cloud. The sight of his large form on the freshly cleaned seats made me die a bit more inside.

I slowly exhaled, "Okay, Cloud, let's go. Just gotta pick up my bags from Amelia's and then we can go to your place."

I'll be driving then, thank you very much.

"Fine, at least you'll be in your human form," I sighed, getting into the truck.

I closed the door, buckling up and starting the truck. It started quickly, and the heat was already blasting.

My cheeks hurt from smiling.

I carefully pulled out of the garage, eager and excited to be in my own truck again. Cloud sat in the passenger seat, wolf form obnoxiously and awkwardly large against the black seats. At least he didn't smell like so many other canines I had encountered.

Agreed, dogs reek. They don't even know how to bathe themselves.

I glanced at him, "Would you stop with the mind-reading thing?"

Force of habit, apologies.

I sighed, then asked, "So, your house, does it run on solar like the rest of Ivory Tower? And do you guys grow your own food or buy it?"

Solar and water power, like Ivory Tower, plus a little generator. We mostly grow and hunt our own food but will sneak into town if we're craving treats.

We were both quiet for a bit. He got comfortable on the seat.

"Cloud?" I hesitantly began. "What happened with the Hell Royals? If they were a cruel wolf pack that ruled over this town, why didn't you stop them? Everyone here says you're Ivory Tower's guardian."

He was silent for a moment, laying his head on his paws.

Us gods are supposed to remain neutral. We're not supposed to reveal ourselves to others unless there's no other choice. When the Hell Royals ruled, my brothers and I disguised ourselves as humans--or at least creatures that weren't gods--and did what we could. But using our powers against mortals isn't exactly allowed anymore. I would've gladly torn them to shreds.