Page 98 of Talk About… Dramay
Not Oriana. She was determined now.
I shot Lane a look who just gave a shrug.
“No point in arguing, she’s stubborn as hell,” Cam joked. Hudson shook his head but stepped up next to our girl as we followed the worker right past the puppies and families to the back corner. A few dogs were still inside their kennels, every one but the last had an ‘Adopted’ sign pinned to their doors.
When we stopped in front of the final kennel I knew it was over. This pup was leaving with us.
“He can be slow to warm, has terrible gas, and is an older man, but he’s worth it.”
Henry was laying dejectedly on his bed. His ears twitched as we talked but he wouldn’t even look our way. Our guide unlocked the kennel and stepped back.
“I’ll let you get acquainted.”
He walked away as Ori took my hand and led me in with her and Hudson.
“He’s adorable,” Hudson admitted, walking over and sitting right on the concrete pad next to his cot. “Hey, big guy.”
“He’s treat motivated, I snuck you a few,” I heard the worker say before Cam walked in with a small tub in hand.
We sat in a circle around the long haired dachshund who was currently snubbing us.
For a moment, we just sat there, giving him time to grow curious. Well, all of us but Cameron who crossed to the other side of his cot and sat, giving the bin a shake.
Henry raised his head and glanced over before looking around at us with a cautious look in his old eyes. His face was graying around the eyes, giving him the illusion of wearing a mask.
The rest of his fur was a dark brown and could use a good wash and brushing.
“Hey, old man. We’d like to bring you home, how do you feel about that?” Cameron said, voice a low, soothing rumble. Oriana let out a sappy sigh, looking at her alpha like he hung the moon.
“We’ve got plenty of land for you to run and just wait for that forest. It will be full of smells,” Hudson added on in the same sort of tone.
“We can go shopping and get you all the things. Comfy beds for by the fireplace, one in each of our rooms so you have a little place everywhere in our house,” Ori said, continuing on. “Please say you’ll let us keep you. I’m already in love, Mr. Henry.”
Whispers outside had me glancing back to see the bubbly woman and our guide talking and looking hopeful. I had a feeling he’d won them over, too.
When their jaws dropped, I turned back around to see him bypassing both alphas to sniff at Ori. She was so cautious as she spoke to him, voice a sweet whisper as she reached out for him. He sniffed her once before butting his head into her palm.
Ori let out a shaky breath before scratching his ears. When he melted into her lap she put double the effort in, giving this old pup the scratching of his life.
When he rolled to his belly, stunted legs in the air, we all collectively fell for them both all over again.
Cohen was a genius for suggesting this. Not only did I feel better about my place in the pack, this had made our omega incredibly happy.
Though, all of us looked just as content with our new baby.
“He’s coming home with us,” Ori announced, voice firm. “This pup is meant to be ours.”
Oriana
Dragging me away from my favorite little puppy was the hardest thing to do, but when Hudson asked me on a date, how could I say no?
Plus, he did promise a pet store trip as well.
Henry settled in pretty well. We fed him and gave him treats when we got home, which they promised would make him happy. It was me laying down on the rug in front of the fireplace that really did him in, though. He curled right up with me under the blanket and I was a goner.
He snored, was a bit smelly, but was absolutely precious.
The shelter gave us a bit of his backstory, saying his family returned him when they became a pack, saying he was a troublemaker. I couldn’t imagine our sweet old man doing much to cause trouble, but I hoped we got to see that playful side of him.