Just Like That | Chapter 1

The smell of smoky meat roused the dog the next morning; she parted her jaws in a wide yawn before blinking the sleep from her eyes. The sight of the man perked her up. She watched him intently as he prepared breakfast. He turned to retrieve more eggs from the fridge, noticing the dog watching him with bright emerald eyes. "Hi doggie. Are you hungry?" He asked. The dog picked up a hint of shakiness in his voice, a little disappointed that he was still afraid. Whining softly, she rested her head on her good paw. In a few short minutes a bowl with a few bacon strips and some scrambled eggs was placed in front of her nose along with a bowl of clean water. Her stomach growled, and despite the pain she stood immediately and gulped down the food. It was delicious; this human obviously had a knack for cooking.
  While she was eating, more people filed sleepily into the kitchen,stopping short of her space. "Wookie-ah, what is this?" One with long black hair questioned. He smelled of cat, and it wasn't long before a grey cat padded softly into the kitchen. The man with long black hair picked it up, kissing it and stroking it protectively while warily eyeing the dog. "I found her outside last night. I don't think she has an owner, and one of her paws is injured." Another man entered the room, this one with messy dark silver hair that fell around his face wildly. His eyes lit up when he saw the dog; she had finished eating by then and was watching the people interact. "Awww! Its a cute doggie! Ryeowook, why didn't you tell me you had a cute doggie here?" He crouched next to the dog and reached a hand out for her to sniff. She eyed him watchfully; his eyes were bright with child-like interest. It was obvious he was a dog-lover. He made kissy noises at her before she responded, first licking his hand and then his face. He stroked her head with a gentle hand before helping himself to his meal. More people entered, more questioning the man that was cooking; the dog picked up a few names while they came in. The one that had helped her was called Ryeowook, the one with the cat was Heechul. The man that had petted her was Donghae, and another man with shaggy almond hair that took a similar interest in her was called Eunhyuk. Throughout the morning the dog would pay attention to the conversations until she recognized the people by scent and name. It was a tiring process, and before long the dog fell asleep again, not waking up when she heard people leaving.
   Ryeowook stepped through the door of the dorm, tired after a long day of recording with the directors of Super Junior K.R.Y. The other members had stayed home, and welcomed them when they returned. "Someone else missed you, too!" Eeteuk called. Ryeowook put his bag down as the dog hoped eagerly into the kitchen from the living room. Her leg was bandaged neatly and her fur had been groomed. What had been a muddy, rain soaked mutt was now a beautiful husky-like animal, her fur a creamy white with patches of brown and lemon yellow. She stopped and nuzzled Ryeowook's hand affectionately. Ryeowook carefully knelt down, fingering the black leather collar around her neck. "We had her examined by a vet today. Shes perfectly healthy and clean; her paw should heal within a week. It wasn't broken, just sprained." Sungmin explained. Ryeowook couldn't help but smile at the dog. She was kind of cute now that she was clean. He breathed deeply and placed a shaky hand on her head, ruffling the patch of stray long brown hairs on her head. She wagged, happy that the man accepted her.
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"I sacrificed everything for you! How could you betray m-" the girls scream of agonized sadness was cut short as her throat clenched, her screams turning into high pitched barks and howls. She watched, horrified, as her hands shrunk to blunt paws, fur sprouting everywhere on her body. Her nose grew into an elongated muzzle. Her size diminished, and she huddled on the frozen ground as an unrecognizable breed of dog. All traces of her human beauty had vanished save her eyes, which burned intense green hatred into her lovers'. He stared, slightly horrified but still clutching his other beloved woman tightly. She fled on all fours, an ominous voice ringing in her head.

You have traded your will and fate for your lover;the next decision in your life is mine. You have mistakenly sacrificed for a false lover, and shall serve the remainder of your life as a mutt until you find one worthy of your heart...

The dog growled and whimpered in her sleep, waking with a start. She waited for her heart to slow before settling again. She didn't close her eyes for hours after, and didn't fall back asleep until much later than that.