Bleeding Heart-(mxm)

Chapter 2

He wasn't sure what to do. Not once in his life had he ever been entrusted to another person, even for a minute. Honestly, he wasn't sure how he should react, so he decided against doing anything as he was carried from the room. When they didn't turn toward the hall his master had gone down, he felt his heartbeat, which was already uncomfortably-fast, kick up another notch. 

"I'm sorry, Ruoka. This has to be quite stressful on a pup who isn't used to being in a strange place," the vampire carrying him said as he leaned down after a moment and gently set him on the floor. 

While his paws wanted to dart from the room and find his master, Ruoka forced himself to sit down next to a lower cabinet and wait, keeping his attention on the man's legs. He didn't dare look higher. He knew his place. 

"You will see that things are quite different here, little one," the man said as he walked about the small kitchen area they had stopped inside of for a few moments, then returned to kneel down in front of him, startling Ruoka enough to make him lift his gaze. 

The man smiled the moment their eyes met, but Ruoka quickly looked down again, only for his nostrils to flare slightly as they picked up a delicious scent. A moment later a hand came into view, holding a piece of dried beef jerky. He began to salivate immediately, surprised by the appearance of one of his favorite treats. Unfortunately, he had to avert his eyes and clamp his mouth shut. He was not allowed to take food from anyone besides his master. 

Hearing a sigh from the man before him, Ruoka slowly lied down, silently trying to apologize for not accepting what he was being offered. It wasn't that he didn't want it, he definitely did, and he knew that his master had said that this man could feed him... but his training was very well ingrained. He'd also been offered treats a few times by people back in the town he lived in with his master, and while he'd thought that they were rare olive branches of peace from normally hostile people, at first, his master had refused to allow him a single one... and for good reason. All of those delicious treats had been laced with poisons strong enough to kill a werewolf, or ten. 

"Do not fret, I will make you up a plate, and when your master has finished his meal, he will come feed you," the man said with so much warmth to his words that Ruoka couldn't help but lift his eyes back to his. 

"My name is Pretennon, but please just call me Preto. I've been around for quite a while, so the name needed a little change," he said, making Ruoka tilt his head one way, then the other. 

He was about to get back up, feeling a little more comfortable, when he heard familiar footsteps behind him. His tail immediately started fidgeting against the floor as he eagerly watched the entryway. 

"Are you already trying to spoil him?" came his master's voice right before he walked into view. He was licking the last tiny bit of blood from the tip of his thumb as he looked down at his wolf.

Preto's chuckle drew Ruoka's attention back to him for a split second before he returned it to his master. He noticed Seba tap the side of his leg the slightest bit at that moment. Understanding the signal, Ruoka immediately ran forward and circled the man once, then settled right at his side. 

He watched silently as Preto slowly stood from his crouch afterward, his smile, while slightly less bright, was still in place on his lips. 

"You have him very well trained. He wouldn't even take food from me, even though you allowed me to feed him," he said, drawing a slight grin from Seba as he walked farther into the room and began looking about at what was stored there. Ruoka stayed where he was, knowing not to get beneath his master's feet while he was in such a space.