Teylie, Levi, Kairos, and Nyneve. Four devoted, wolfish canines were bound for the unknown. The youngsters Teylie, Kairos, and Nyneve huddled together in the corner of the kennel. Levi lay almost dead center completely disinterested in the happenings of the kennel. His eyes barely flicked up when a person came to stand in front of the kennel. That is until a small group of people stopped in front of the kennel. Three were young men. One was a young woman and the fifth was an older man. Both the girl and the older man were in wheelchairs. It was the man that had Levi’s head lifting in interest. Nyneve had already ventured toward one of the young men but stayed just out of reach. Teylie sat beside Levi and watched the older man. Her eyes kept flicking to the young woman. Levi’s eyes flicked to the woman. She sat stiffly as if she was in a great deal of pain. She sneezed violently and her fists clenched for a long moment. Kairos, who hadn’t moved since the group had arrived, went straight to her and stuck his nose into her clenched fist. Her fist unclenched and burried itself in the fur of his scruff. Of all the youngsters, Kairos resembled a wolf the most. This frightened many, so he kept to himself. But this girl, she wasn’t afraid of his wolfish appearance. In fact, she seemed to like it. Levi’s eyes flicked back to the man. Only moments ago, his eyes had been clouded, like he hadn’t been there. Now, they were bright and alert, if somewhat confused.

“Kira?” the man asked looking around.

“I’m here, father,” the girl still had her hand clenched in the fur of Kairos’ scruff but her free hand reached for the man.

“Oh Kira, what have you done?” he asked her.

The girl’s face closed off almost instantly. Levi cocked his head at this new development.

“Oh, Your Highnesses!” the man exclaimed catching sight of two of the young men behind them. “Askel, are you ok?”

The third young man did look rather pale. Suddenly, Nyneve lunged at the fence. She began barking rapidly, her gaze trained on the third boy.

“Ehren!” the girl’s voice was barely discernable over Nyneve’s barking but the boy with darker hair moved almost instantly. He eased the boy to the ground and turned him on his side just before the tremors started. Nyneve whined plantitively and scratched at the fence. Several minutes went by before the tremors stopped and the boy began to stir.

Levi stood and made his way forward slowly. The man watched him with open curiosity.

“Kira, what are we doing here? Where is here? And why aren’t you in the archive room?”

“Askel needs something to help him predict his seizures,” the boy with dark hair said without looking up. “That dog, just alerted us to a seziure a full minute before it happened. Given time she may be able to alert him even sooner.”

“So, only he’s getting a dog?” the man sounded like a petulant child.

“Father, we’re all getting one,” the girl said. “You and I need one for companionship. Perhaps that big one there can help you with your rehab.”

The man’s eyes lit like a child’s for a moment before beginning to cloud over again. Levi sat in front of the man and studied him. He was thin and somewhat spindly. The more Levi studied him, the more he realized that the man in front of him was trapped. They were both trapped, albeit in different ways. This struck Levi as nothing had or ever could before.

Levi’s gaze slid to the girl beside him. Her eyes were clear chips of ice but deep within lurked a profound sadness. When she looked at the man she’d called father, her eyes seemed to sparkle, part with happy memories and part with unshed tears. When she caught Levi watching her, she motioned him over. Curious, Levi went to her. She stuck her hand through the bars of the kennel and touched his head gently, lovingly.

“Can I trust you you watch over him?” she asked him. “He needs you, both of you.”

She glanced to Teylie.

If I could speak you would know he will be safe with Teylie and me, Levi thought. Of all the people we have seen over the last several weeks, only you have shown no fear. Only you have drawn Kairos’ attention. If he has chosen you and Nyneve has chosen the boy whom you seem so concerned about, how could I not choose your father? We are wolfdogs and we are yours, all of us.

From that day on, Levi never left the old man’s side. Nyneve stuck to the young man closer than Levi had ever seen her stick to a person. And the young man with dark hair had been right about her. As time went by, she got better at predicting his seizures. Kairos never left the girl’s side. It was true he frightened people but they were beginning to get used to him. As for himself, Levi watched over the old man. He began to learn when the fog over his mind would clear and sent Teylie to the girl. He’d seen they way she looked at the man. He was clearly far more than just her father.