“Aren’t they gorgeous?” Sel asked, as soon as they returned home. Cteno had been in the middle of eating her lunch when the knock at the door came, and just slowly munched on her sandwich as she looked over their shoulder at the creature in tow. The creature at their heels looked almost like a starved dog, long and scrawny and limbs crouching as it walked, wreathed with thick black fur that glistened the blue-green of magpie wings. Except, where even the largest of their dogs only came up to their waist, this one was nearly as tall as Sel was. She couldn’t see any eyes on the creature’s head under its thick fur, only a muzzle full of sharp teeth that flashed before it closed its mouth again.

Sel, the absolute animal-loving fool, reached a gloved hand beside those dangerous teeth and scratched the creature’s thick ruff. Long, thin ears flicked upright attentively, and Cteno reached for a knife incase it lunged. Then the creature leaned against their hand with a low sound that could have been a growl or a grumble.

“Um.” Cteno tried to think of a polite way to say ‘you brought a monster home’. “What is it?”

“A dire wolf of some sort, I think.” came the cheerful reply. Sel reached up to scratch between the creatures ears, having to stand on their tiptoes, and in return the wolf turned its head and licked their mask, getting a laugh. ‘Okay,’ Cteno thought incredulously, ‘Basically a big dog then.’

“What does it eat?” She asked, now leaning against the doorframe with a little less concern. At least it wasn’t some eldritch and unknowable being.

“Chickens, mostly. I’ll leave them out here until I can get a pen set up. Do make sure she doesn’t go after the cats while I’m gone.”

“Right.”

Cteno was left to watch the creature as Sel scurried off, no doubt already dreaming up designs for a play area for their new companion. She eyed the wolf as it let out a very dog-like huff and sat down in the dirt, somehow becoming even taller. It didn’t seem all too interested in making trouble, at least yet, although it did seem to be looking at her from the way it tilted its head. After a while of watching, Cteno took another bite of her sandwich, and the creature perked up with a throaty warble. She looked at it. Looked at her chicken sandwich. Then she threw her lunch at the creature, seeing it snapped up in black jaws before it could even hit the ground. It was gone in a single bite, and Cteno vaguely thought that they’d need more chickens. The wolf’s tail flicked in a thin, whiplike motion that Cteno could only hope meant it was pleased, then it stood and padded towards her. Cteno held her ground, keeping a firm grip on her knife, but the wolf stopped in front of her and only bumped its snout against her shoulder.

“Ugh, your breath stinks.” She informed it, as she reached up to scratch the side of its jaw. The wolf huffed at her.

“Aww, you’re bonding!” A voice chirped from the side of the house, as Sel reappeared. “See, I knew you’d get along!”

The wolf perked up as they approached, and happily snatched the chicken leg that Sel offered it. Once that was swallowed down with a crunch of bone, the wolf pressed its nose into Sel’s hands, searching for more food. Sel laughed. “Oh, you’re going to eat us out of house and home, aren’t you Sweetie?”

“Did you seriously call it Sweetie?”

“Because they’re a sweetheart!”