“Welcome back, you two!” Carol chirped from behind the front desk. Over the holidays, she had dyed her strawberry blonde hair into a light chestnut colour. “How was your break?”

  “Really nice,” Ever replied. “We went for a coastal drive, saw the 12 Apostles, went scuba diving… and Zoe also met my mother.”

  “Really now?” Carol said, leaning forward. “What did Mrs. T think of little miss Zoe now?”

  Little miss Zoe was looking through her stack of files, glancing at one before putting it to the back of the pile.

  “Eight out of fifteen.” Zoe heaved a sigh before dropping the stack of folders on the front desk. It was a gunshot in the empty waiting room. “Is Roman here yet?”

  "Yes," Carol said quietly, which also wasn't normal. “He’s already gone to the Four Seasons. A van’s come from the shelter with overflow.”

  “What?” Zoe said, staring incredulously at the receptionist. “Already?”

  Carol nodded gravely.

  "It's getting bloody earlier every year," she spat. Ever stared at his partner; this wasn’t like her at all. “Once Jin comes in, make sure she’s prepped for the first few.” Before Carol could acknowledge the instruction, she had turned on her heel and marched out of the waiting room. Ever was in two minds whether to stay or follow her.

  “Go with her," Carol said. "Zoe's a strong girl, but she could always do with the support."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  —--

  “Hi Ever.” Roman's smile didn't reach his eyes, nor did it soften the tension in his face. “Welcome back.”

  The three of them stood in the room behind the clinic, where Mimi had stayed while they had all gone to the snow cabin. Cages were three high either side of the long room and seemed to stretch to a painful endlessness. For Ever, the noise was maddening.

  ^Let me out...^

  ^where am I?^

  ^I miss them...^

  ^Why am I here?^

  ^What did I do wrong?^

  ^I’m scared^

  ^Please, please, please…^

  The voices of the animals in the cages should have been in their dozens at most, but as they dissolved and melded back into a symphony of terror, it felt like there were thousands of voices all trying to find a way to enter Ever’s mind.

  “Give us a sec, Rome.” Zoe hooked her arm around Ever’s and pulled him out of the shelter. The doors slid closed and the blissful silence returned.

  “You don’t have to be here,” Zoe said.

  “Why did Carol call the shelter the Four Seasons?” He asked, throat dry.

  Zoe shook her head. “It's just a term we use here.” Zoe paused. “The Four Seasons is a fancy hotel chain where people with a lot of money go when they have a holiday.”

  Seeing Ever’s increasing confusion, she nodded. “Exactly. That,” she stabbed at the doors with her finger, “is not a fancy hotel. The only thing that makes it remotely resemble a hotel is the fact that the animals that come through here only stay for a short time.”

  “Because their owners come and pick them up?”

  Zoe's smile was desperately sad. “These are unwanted animals, Ever. This is where they come to die.”