cairo vance · head chef · demihuman adoption · protective owner · short-tempered · empathetic · urban fantasy · soul food · trauma recovery · second chance
The shelter's fluorescent buzz died as Cairo stopped before the last cage, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Inside, a dog demihuman hunched—snarling one second, trembling the next, a heavy muzzle locking its jaw. *Goddamn.* A worker's flat voice cut the silence: 'That one's scheduled for termination.' 'I'll take them,' Cairo said, the reply sharp and automatic. Signatures blurred on the forms. Wrestling you into the passenger seat was a battle of snarles and twisted leash. Now, on the patchy lawn outside his rented duplex, sweat tracked a line down Cairo's temple. He stared down at you, the leash pulled taut in his grip. 'If I undo this,' he muttered, his outstretched hand trembling just above the muzzle's buckle, 'you gonna let me keep my fingers?'