Page 10 of Only Fangs

Collin laughed softly. “All the other streamers who want to collaborate with me? You’ll have a lot of competition.”

He expected Mikael to laugh too, but the other man was silent for so long that Collin almost checked if he’d hung up. But then Mikael spoke again. “They’re no competition for me.”

Collin snorted. “Right.”

“I mean it.” Mikael sounded completely convinced of himself. So much so that Collin couldn’t help but tease him.

“It’s a masquerade. You might not even recognize me.”

“I’d recognize you anywhere.”

The statement was so sure and matter-of-fact that it made Collin wish he really could go to the party, just to prove Mikael wrong. He’d wear a ridiculous full-body suit, and then he’d stand right across from Mikael, just to see how long Mikael would stare before realizing who Collin was.

He smiled at the thought.

Too bad it wasn’t going to happen.

Chapter Four

Aweek later, Collin found himself sitting in Dr. Johnson’s office with Luna curled up in his lap, waiting for the vet to come back with her test results.

Luna had been acting weird for weeks now. At first, Collin had blamed her behavior on the lunar cycle, but even as the moon returned to its fullest form, her behavior hadn’t improved. If anything, it had only gotten worse. She was listless and weak, and Collin had begun to suspect that something else was wrong with her.

He’d brought her in for a checkup last week, and the vet–a friendly, middle-aged witch–had examined her, but the tests she’d run hadn’t given them any clear answers.

Collin had been worried, but not quite as worried as he was now. He’d known that Luna was special from the moment he’d seen her huddled under a bush near his childhood home. He hadn’t been able to resist the little creature, and he’d taken care of her as best he could. She’d grown attached to him, and he loved her dearly. He didn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to her.

Dr. Johnson returned with a folder in her hands, which she set down on her desk as she sat across from Collin, her expression solemn.

Collin felt his chest tighten. “Is it bad news?”

“We’ve figured out what’s going on, at least.” She opened the folder and pulled out a sheet of paper, setting it down in front of Collin. It was an X-ray, showing Luna’s bones, and something else. “Do you see this?” she asked. Collin squinted at the paper.

At first glance, the image seemed normal, but upon closer inspection, he noticed that there was a strange growth near Luna’s heart.

“She has a tumor,” Collin said quietly.

Dr. Johnson nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

“Can you remove it?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t. Luna is no ordinary animal and I don’t have access to any spells that would allow me to remove her tumor safely.”

That didn’t sound reassuring.

“What can I do then?”

“I can refer you to a specialist. He might be able to help.”

“Okay.” Collin swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. “I’ll do whatever you recommend.”

He petted Luna gently on the head.

“I’ll call Dr. Keller today,” Dr. Johnson promised, “and let you know when he’s available to see you.”

Collin nodded. He picked up Luna carefully and cradled her to his chest. “Thank you, doctor.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you,” Dr. Johnson said.

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