Chapter 277: The New Family Member

Vivian’s POV

She stepped out from behind the front counter and led us forward toward a large interior wall that separated the various display sections of the store. Some of the animals were outside in a sunny indoor play area, closely watched over by helpful staff members. Others were snoozing peacefully inside their glass enclosures or tucked safely behind clear plastic dividers. I could see shimmering fish tanks glowing across the room, and a few colorful birds perched on an artificial plastic tree that jutted out awkwardly from the wall. It was all very animated, lively, and full of energy.

"What kind of pet do you actually want?" I asked Zahliver, letting my eyes scan the room for something literally anything that felt right or called out to me.

Zahliver shrugged casually beside me, his hands tucked into his pockets. "It does not matter to me, love. As long as you like it... and it does not crap everywhere on the carpets."

I snorted at that. Typical. Amy the employee must have overheard us, because she let out a nervous little laugh and added politely, "Most of our small animals are already well-trained, unless they happen to be rescues dealing with past trauma or special medical conditions. Like Sabrina right over here."

The store employee gestured gracefully to a sleek, beautiful white cat with pale green eyes. The feline was lounging lazily in her comfortable enclosure, her sharp gaze tracking our movements with what I could only describe as bored feline royalty. Her long tail twitched slowly in deliberate, lazy sways.

Amy gave us the full grand tour cats, dogs, swimming fish, and even slow-moving turtles. I walked around and got to pet a few of them, and while they were all undeniably adorable in their own unique ways, something just did not click for me. No matter how cute, fluffy, or well-trained they were, I simply could not picture any of them coming home to live with us. It felt like none of them were the right fit.

Zahliver stayed close by my side the entire time, asking Amy thoughtful, practical questions especially whenever I paused a little longer in front of certain cages. He wanted to know how well they responded to new owners, whether they bonded quickly with their pack, and if there were any hidden signs of territorial aggression.

I could clearly tell that he was trying hard for my sake. And that simple effort made me smile warmly, even if we had not found our future pet yet.

It was not until we casually walked past a small, unassuming plastic enclosure that something small, twitchy, and unexpected caught my eye. The exact second I saw it, I swear on the moon goddess, it was love at first sight. Not that I was ever going to admit that out loud especially not with Zahliver hovering right beside me like an overprotective hawk. If he had any idea how fast I was falling for this tiny, weird creature, he probably would have tried to drag me in the opposite direction out of the building.

I let go of his hand without any warning, earning a confused look, and practically sprinted over to the display. Pressing my face right up against the clear plastic wall, I stared in absolute awe, a ridiculous, wide grin already spreading across my face.

The little guy inside peeked up at me with curiosity, sniffed the cool air with his rapidly twitching nose, and then immediately curled himself into a perfect, spiky little ball. His beady black eyes had this fierce, feisty little spark to them that instantly made my heart melt.

He is kind of cute, my inner voice whispered.

Even my usually grumpy wolf’s voice sounded soft and quietly intrigued for once. She was not growling, pacing, or judging anyone. She just tilted her head in my mind like she was meeting a newborn wolf pup for the first time.

Behind me, I heard Zahliver let out a heavy sigh of resignation. I turned my head to see him approaching slowly, a scowl firmly plastered in place across his face, his arms crossed over his chest like he was already bracing himself for whatever ridiculous nonsense I was about to pull.

But the second he caught sight of the ridiculously happy grin plastered across my face, his guarded expression shifted just enough to let genuine amusement sneak in around the edges.

"This one," I declared happily, pointing my finger directly at the fuzzy, prickly ball of adorableness.

Zahliver followed my finger with his eyes, then gave me a look that suggested I had just announced I wanted to adopt a fire-breathing dragon. "That one? Are you being completely serious right now?"

"Dead serious." I did not even blink an eye. "His name is Frank."

Zahliver blinked once, twice. "Frank?"

"Frank," I repeated firmly, my arms folding over my chest now as I stood tall like I was officially naming a royal pack heir.

"Frank the... hedgehog?"

There was so much raw disbelief and hidden humor mixed together in his deep voice that I had to bite down hard on the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. But I nodded solemnly. "Yes. Frank the hedgehog."

Inside the plastic box, Frank my fierce, spiky little soulmate uncurled just enough to glare up at the giant outside world. His fur underneath was soft and white, his little black nose was twitching again, and his dark eyes glinted with clear disapproval. The sharp spikes running along his back were smoothed down flat for the moment, but I could easily tell he was ready to bristle up at the slightest pack inconvenience.

Amy wandered over, looking a bit surprised when she realized we were, in fact, completely serious about the tiny hedgehog. "Would you like to try holding him in your hands?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, please!" I beamed at her.

"Is that even safe for you?" Zahliver muttered beside me, his blue eyes narrowing suspiciously down at the ball of lethal spikes.

Amy smiled kindly and said I needed to wash my hands thoroughly first. I dashed off toward the restroom to do it without a second thought, completely ignoring Zahliver’s ongoing muttering the entire way.

"Oh, come on, just look at him," I said the second I returned, giving Zahliver a light, playful smack on his muscular arm. "What is he realistically going to do? Stab me to death with pure adorableness?"

Amy carefully lifted Frank out of his enclosure. The second he was airborne, Frank immediately curled right back up into a tight, defensive ball of spikes, acting like a tiny, furious warrior. Amy did not even flinch at the prickly defense; she just set him gently down right into my open hands.

Zahliver, meanwhile, looked like he was standing roughly three seconds away from having a full heart attack. I decided not to acknowledge his dramatics.