Abel came up behind me, running his hands over my shoulders and down my chest. I smiled up at him and leaned against him.

"What're you working on?" he murmured and kissed the side of my throat.

"Another landscape in the wolf's vision," I said, trying to press down a sigh.

"It's looking beautiful already."

My boyfriend knew fuckall about art and I loved him for that. He thought a painting of trees was just as good as a painting of a bowl of fruit. I could do the biggest and best art piece of my life, set it next to a simple water colour and he'd love both.

"Can we save one for the living room at some point? I know they're all going for your exhibition, but I want one." He rested his chin on the top of my head.

"When the exhibition is done, I'll likely have all of them still so you can have your pick," I said and snorted. Abel always thought I'd sell out at every exhibition, but so far, I had sold one painting. To Creek's mum. So, I wasn't a bestseller whatsoever.

"I don't think you'll have all of them. Some, maybe. But not all. These are nothing I've ever seen before. And I don't think I'm alone there either."

I grunted something incomprehensible in response. I hadn't seen painting like these before either. But it felt like cheating, in some way? I wasn't supposed to see the world like this. If it hadn't been for the wolf, I wouldn't be able to see the world like this. I wouldn't be able to make painting like these. Maybe the whole reason I even got into art school was because of the wolf, and maybe if my imposter syndrome went any harder, I'd become a real-life human burrito. Just balled up in blankets, never to see the sun or any person again.

I was being dramatic, and I knew it. In reality, I got in on merit. I had done the interviews, the portfolio showings, the personal statements. One doesn't just get into art school. Shit was hard.

"I'm taking Dave out. Wanna come?" Abel asked then, kissing the side of my head this time.

"Yeah, I think I need a break anyway. My back is killing me." I rose and turned around, facing my cute boyfriend as he leaned down and kissed me.

I went to fetch the leash then and off we went with my senior dog acting like a complete puppy who had never been on a walk in his life. I laughed at him and tossed him a treat. He didn't catch it but went almost mad, trying to get to it, pulling hard on the leash.

"I swear he never acts like that when I walk him," Abel said.

"I'm telling you, it's because he knows he can get away with being lazy with you. He can't with me, so he doesn't even bother," I said, grinning up at him.

We continued into the town, waving at Cal's brothers in the autoshop, Creek's sister in the bakery, finally stopping in the smallest park in the world. It was basically the size of an apartment block, but the building had been removed and now there was a tiny park with a set of swings, a tiny lake and a fence surrounding it so you could let your dog run free. It had been one of the newer initiatives to make the whole town a little more appetising beyond being a university town. My exhibition would also coincide with the newly established town fair. A night where all the shops would keep open, the one bar would put on some concerts with local musicians, and there'd be exhibitions and art fairs at the uni. I was looking forward to it a lot.

Abel and I sat down on the bench in the tiny park and watched Dave run around, playing with a stick we had picked up on the road.

"Abel," I said then.
"Yep."

"Do you think River is right? That I'm being stupid about how I'm handling the other wolves?"

"I never think River is right," he said toxically, making me snort.

"Let's pretend Tasha said it then."

"No, I don't think either would've been right. River wasn't here last year. River didn't have to fight monsters here last year. River has one perspective and it's that of the wolves. He doesn't see the rest of the community. He has to be reminded we exist constantly, and not only co-exist here, but actually are all in one big community. Which is ironic because griffins got him his job. If it hadn't been for the mixing, he'd be shit out of luck." Abel shrugged a little and took out his phone, snapping some pictures of Dave. He smiled at the display and sent the pictures to our group chat with our friends. I snorted and shook my head at him. If we ever had kids, he'd be insufferable. But I also loved that about him. Dave was my dog, but Abel had fallen for him immediately.

Abel was right about his observation of River. River never seemed particularly interested in any of the other people who weren't wolves. My group wasn't just Meera, Samuel, Tasha and him. It was everyone who was a supe. Every single one. And I felt extremely protective of them all – hell even the humans who lived here. Maybe it was the whole town and not so much who was a supe or not, but who had chosen to either study here and/or live here permanently. Everyone was a part of the community, contributing to it in their own ways.

We went back the way we came, but when we came back it wasn't the lovely sight of the roses Fred and I had planted last winter that greeted us. It was Frank.

"Hey, Frank," I said and handed Abel the leash. "Thought I said I hated uninvited visitors?"

"Yeah yeah, kid, I know. But I hate cell phones. And I've got news."

"I'll take Dave inside," Abel said and kissed my cheek. "Coffee? Tea?" he asked, aimed at the older wolf.

"Coffee, thanks," Frank said.

We all followed my boyfriend inside and I offered Frank a seat by the dinner table in the kitchen, while I helped Abel finding mugs as he prepared the coffee machine.

"One of mine has died," he said when the coffee was finished, and I was sitting across from him.

"I'm sorry," I said, nervously twirling the mug around in my hands. "Another wolf trap?"

"Yes." He was just staring down at the table, the coffee left untouched.

I nodded a little, struggling to find the right words. "Would... It help if you and yours were shown how a wolf trap looks? How it feels?"

"Possibly. But my youngings are unaware during the shift."

"Yeah, same. But I shift with them. The unaware help the aware."

"It'd be easier if we could locate and determine what's a wolf trap."

I nodded again. "Yeah, let us help you. I'll set up something with my friend. Here at my house."

"I thought you didn't like guests." He smiled a little, tearing his eyes off the table and meeting my gaze.

"I don't like uninvited guests. You're now officially invited." I smiled back.