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Max sat in the waiting room of the small clinic of Jackson Wyoming at just after seven AM, waiting on Eli to be discharged with the subsequent slap on the wrist both expected. The doctors were nice enough even with her being berated behind closed doors that Max could faintly pickup from where he sat. Explanations of temperature regulation, onset hypothermia and hibernation were words he could pick out from the numerous others. “Be careful, have a back up plan, and…" The words faded out as Max's mind drifted to other topics of getting her car unstuck and what to cook for dinner.

“Venison steaks sound good, Probably add a veggie mix as the side for that." The brown jacket that rested on his frame scratched his neck in a slightly pleasant way. The bag of Eli's items sat next to him in its own plastic chair to include a few items he had added to its contents. The door behind him opened with a noticeable clack and he turned to face the new arrivals besides him and the deer nurse that had replaced the mouse from last night.

"Ah, Mister Weniger! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule. Again we're so sorry for asking you to do this." The human doctor shook his hand as she greeted and apologized to the taller man. “If there was anyone else we could have called we would but there just wasn't and we can't really spare anyone to help her dig out her car."

Eli's head was facing away from the pair in clear embarrassment and shame. Max decided to alleviate the pressure from her shoulders by drawing attention away from her and onto his shortcomings. “If you didn't ask, I would have volunteered. I've gotten my car stuck more times than I can count and it's the least I can do for a new friend. Besides, she's better than me seeing how this is the only time she's gotten stuck."

“You've gotten stuck?" A raised eyebrow questioningly sat on her normally pouty face as the question hung in the air between the two before she continued. “Out of everyone I've met I would think that you would have never gotten stuck like that."

A half smile broke across Max's face as he let out a short huff of laughter. “Not just stuck but stranded. Way worse than what you were caught in. Part of the reason I've got plans and gear stashed all over the place." With a snap of his right hand he turns back to the doctor. “Which reminds me, would I be allowed to store some things on the property?"

“No."

“Understood." With that he turned back to Eli with a warm smile. “Got all your important items here minus one. Fully charged phone, car keys, purse…thing and a few other items I thought you might like." The plastic bag was handed over to the slightly taller woman and she let a small smile past her lips.

“Thank you again. Really I don't know what to say." Her tongue flicked out of her mouth in a sign of slight comfort before looking back up to the man in question expectantly.

Max turned to the doctor next to them. "Is there anything that needs to be signed or is she free to go?"

“She's free to be on her way but please make sure she stays warm. Been a while since we've had such a harsh winter and I still suggest that she travel south." Her face turns towards Eli before speaking again. “Just as your parents did but as we spoke last night and this morning you won't be doing that. All I can ask for is stay safe."

With a final firm nod Max addresses the taller woman. “I'll pull the car around so you won't have to be in the cold for as long. Then you can just hop in and we can start working on popping your car out of that ditch."

-

“Might not be my place to ask but what happened?" The red tracker rolled through the new levels of snow in the early morning sun. The temperature wasn't supposed to reach over zero fahrenheit in the monotonous terrain. The leafless trees appeared like skeletons of long dead beasts passing by as the two enjoyed the short drive back to her stranded car. Eli's eyes stayed focused on the moving landscape outside as her lips stayed still. An occasional tongue flick to taste the warm air around her. “Getting stuck I mean."

“I was making good time on the way back to town. Hit a patch of ice and spun out into the ditch. She still ran but no matter what I tried she was stuck so I just left the engine running waiting for someone to pass by." A heavy sigh passed her lips as she rested her chin on her hand. “No one came though, maybe the road was too isolated. I just don't know."

Max nodded as she recounted her short tail of her getting stranded on the side of the small road back to town. “What about your phone? When I went back for your belongings it still had a charge."

“Yeah but that only works when I have a signal." She rubbed the bridge of her snout as she recalled the moments before she fell asleep. “I was terrified. I thought…"

Her voice trailed off as her mind recalled the day prior and her body shook. “Hey, don't think like that. You're okay now and that's what matters." The vehicle slowed as he pulled over to the side and leveled his blue eyes with her ruby ones. “I've been there, a chunk of shrapnel half an inch lower and I wouldn't be here today. Way I see it is that it was your shrapnel and it lets you know how lucky you are to still be breathing oxygen. So don't dwell on it too much alright?"

“Yeah…you're right." Her posture softened as her tongue flicked out of her mouth to taste the air and visibly show she started to relax. “Guess you lived through that to save me, huh?"

Max smiled as a light chuckle passed his lips and pulled the car back onto the snow covered road. “Maybe, crazier things have happened." A few moments passed in silence before Eli turned to him and asked a very direct question.

“Are you prior service?" Max simply nodded as he continued to masterfully control the small vehicle through the bands of snow. “Is there anymore to that or is the nod enough?"

“There is but most people just leave it knowing I was in. The full story is I was in the army for ten years and did a couple tours. Injury forced me into a new job halfway through and got out. Besides the nitty gritty there really isn't much to talk about."

Eli thought for a moment with the low hum of the engine providing a soundscape for their shared time together. “What's the nitty gritty?"

Max's brow furrowed and his lips pressed together as unpleasant memories mixed with the past smiles, laughter and hangovers of his previous years. “Good mixed with bad, can't remember the good without reliving the bad so at this point I just go day by day." Eli remained quiet this time before Max decided to ask another question that was sitting in the back of his head. “Is your family not here?"

Eli normally looked like she was pouting, her bone structure held her eyebrows in a constant downward slope with the corner of her mouth angled down towards the bottom of her jaw. However when she dropped her eyebrows lower she looked incredibly upset. As if her form had shifted into a manifestation of rage. Her arms crossed her thickly padded chest of her winter clothing that slightly accentuated her hidden form. “No and there's a reason for that. I'll just say that this year we didn't see eye to eye on some things and I decided to spend the winter here instead of heading to Florida like they do every year."

“I'm familiar with family issues so I won't pry." Max pursed his lips and tapped the steering wheel in thought for a moment. “You still have my number right? Unless you tossed it at the first opportunity." The terrible joke did cause her to chuckle and roll her eyes. Lightening her mood significantly as she looked back to him from the window. “If you're ever in a tight spot call me. I'm doing this so that means we're already friends and I'll do what I can to help you unless that's overstepping."

Eli looked over to Max from her passenger seat with a confused smile on her face. “You're a bit of an asshole aren't you?"

Max let a big smile part his lips. “Maybe a bit, the army can leave a lasting impression on a guy. Being an asshole is the least of my concerns though since it's usually my language I have to hold back but don't try to change the subject."

Eli laughed as she took in his words and relaxed back into the seat a bit more. “Well as for the first thing I'll take you up on that if it's serious. I'm talking life or death kinda serious alright?" A firm thumbs up was given as a reply before she continued. “But Why do you hold back swearing? It can't be that bad."

Max simply tossed a skeptical look her way before he spoke. “Trust me it is that fuckin' bad. Every sentence has a fuck, shit or cunt in it and most of the time it's more than just one. It can get stupid bad so I hold back to shield everyone else around me."

The vehicle approached the stranded and beat up car but now she just looked more confused as she sat staring at him. Her attention was fully on him as he pulled to a stop and set the parking brake. “My dad and brothers curse way more than that. I don't see what's so bad about it."

Undoing his seat belt he leans back to grab a few items from the back of his car as he looks at her. “Well I'd assume so, Russian is a very colorful language."

“How do you know my family is Russian? I never told you that."

Picking out a set of jumper cables, a gallon gas can and a spare set of ice chains he turns back. “At the range yesterday you swore in russian before you left. I think it was…shit?"

Eli rubbed the back of her covered neck as she remembered their hurried closure to their first encounter and kicked herself for jumping to conclusions with him once again. "Ah right I forgot about that. God I need to stop judging you like that. I almost thought you were a stalker for a moment."

Max rolled his eyes as he cranked up the heat and looked at her. “No harm done. If someone just pulled out knowing that my lineage is German I'd assume the same thing." moving to open the door he handed the chains and cables to her. “Alright I'll most likely need the chains but it seemed like there was still enough charge in your battery to start it up. Gonna drop some gas in and see if she turns over." Then he bounded into the snow trying to keep as much heat inside the car as possible and got to work. “Alright let's see if this'll be easy."

-

It was in fact easy. So easy that her car started up with only a bit of coaxing and laying the chains close to her tires and popping the vehicle from the embankment. When he looked back to her from the open door of her car he saw her doing a little dance in his passenger seat. A warm smile crossed his face as he let her car warm up for her to be able to drive back on her own to town. He followed her slow drive back on his borrowed chains. The short drive led them both back to the center of town to a small cafe where Eli jumped out of her car and rushed inside attempting to avoid the cold.

As he parked she waved him in energetically, still in her bundles of clothes. Leaving his car and passing the threshold he was greeted by brick walls and the strong scent of freshly ground and brewed coffee mixed in with simple breakfast items. “I've always wanted to come here but it was always too warm outside for me to take in a hot meal and coffee. Reptile problems you know?"

“I can't imagine, coffee is a little too important to my diet to cut it out completely." Looking around there were only cervidae and canine anthros enjoying soft conversations. He turned his attention back to Eli as she dropped layer after layer of her heavy clothes finally giving Max a view of her unobscured form. She was gorgeous. Her face was only the tip of the iceberg as her curvy figure came into view. She was fit, slender and had the body most plastic surgeons would kill to be able to sculpt. Moving his eyes from her distracting body and cute flicking tongue he drove his mind back to the thought he was having earlier. “Can't do iced coffee either, just…I don't know, it feels like cheating the system I guess."

“That's a weird way to put it. I see where you're coming from I guess but I love iced coffee. Shame they don't serve it here. Only hot stuff." She began walking to the counter giving Max a generous eyeful of her wide tail that swung side to side of her tight jeans exposing her taut ass. Again he averted his eyes as he followed her. “Choose whatever, it's the least I could do for my 'guardian angel'."

Her thousand watt smile warmed his heart even as her sarcastic tone tried to cut down the half joking remark. “Just a black coffee and the most basic breakfast this place can muster." Her smile turned to confusion as she processed his request and was clearly expecting a different answer. “I'm really easy to please. Just eggs bacon and toast and if it comes in sandwich form even better."

She held the confused look as she reaffirmed his request. “Are you sure? I did say you could order anything. I've heard the cappuccinos are to die for!"

With a raise of his hand he simply reaffirmed his order. “I've heard that too but I know what I like and I'm happily accepting your generosity, not taking advantage of you for a free meal." With a shrug she turned towards the counter leaving Max to find an open seat. A pair of isolated chairs across from each other sat against the far brick wall and knew that would be perfect. As he was walking he felt a shift in atmosphere around him making sure that the seats were far enough away from other patrons to observe them and this shift he felt.

“Alright order's in!" She dropped herself into the chair across from him allowing full appreciation of the form fitting clothing she wore. Tight black jeans with a form fitting green sweater graced her body as she relaxed into the wooden chair. “What's wrong?"

Max looked back to her from his scanning of the small cafe. “Yeah I'm good but something seems off here." He noticed that the conversations died down as they entered and further as she dropped her layers at the coat rack next to the door. “No one is talking to each other and everyone keeps looking over with side eyes."

“I'm sure that you're just overthinking things. Why would we be the center of attention?" She looked around to the other patrons that to her seemed to be just enjoying their meals.

“A beautiful hognose in western Wyoming when there's several feet of snow on the ground could draw a few eyes. Not to mention she's with a guy." The side eyes were focused on her as looked at him but when she turned they all refocused on their meals or drinks. “Both of us kind of stick out like sore thumbs here."

“Paranoia isn't really a good look on you. Have you ever thought about relaxing a little?" Max rolled his eyes as she leaned into the table with a smug smile on her face.

“Now you're sounding more like my boss. 'Six years without taking vacation? That's unacceptable!' then just hit me with four months vacation time and 'if I come back early they wont let me touch a plane.' Seriously, what do I do with four months off?" His eyes snapped back to the front door as another patron entered before looking back to Eli with her still smug smile. “I'm not paranoid."

“Well you could've fooled me. Checking out every noise and patron of an establishment is completely normal." A pair of steaming mugs were set down on their table by a short doe that quickly moved to drop off more drinks to other tables allowing El to wrap her hands around the warm cup. “Sooo waaarm."

“Just keeping situational awareness, better to be prepared then have someone catch you with your pants down." The coffee smelled divine as its aroma blanketed their small corner of the cafe. “Just like how keeping your back to an entrance is a bad idea."

Eli's eyes looked to the door again. “That's…actually fair. I can see the reasoning behind th- ??????! Not him! Anyone but him!" A large gray wolf stepped into the cafe before obviously flirting with the female barista on the other side of the counter. He was well over six foot and wore light clothing due to his fur protecting him from the frigid elements. Max raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two, curious as to what he could have done to elicit that kind of response from the scaled woman.

“I don't know what's going on but if you need to duck away go for it, he's distracted." She took him up on the offer and slipped silently away into the bathroom with her phone. A moment later his phone vibrated showing a message from her requesting he let her know when he's gone. Shooting a quick confirmation back the shadow of the wolf loomed over him.

“Don't see too many skinheads here, what tree did you fall out of?" Max ignored the harsh insults and started to scroll through a random app to pass the time and hope he just got bored and left. That wasn't in the cards today as he grabbed the collar of his flannel shirt and lifted the shorter human off the ground. “I expect an answer when asking a question so how about-"

His voice was cut off by the cold barrel of Max's pistol pressing into the bottom of his jaw. The shock apparent on his face as the human's quick draw with his left hand and firearm surprised him. “Christ almighty, have some manners and put me down." Slowly Max was lowered back down to the floor as the shocked expression never left his canine face. Max sat back down with the pistol still aimed at his chest. “Now what do you want?"

“Fucking pussy pulling a gun." The surprise was quickly replaced with rage as he looked down at the human. “Yeah, act tough but I can tell you're scared. Your heart rate is through the roof."

“Maybe, but you won't do anything. Not with the risk of this popping a few holes in you." Max leaned back in his seat as he gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit, I insist." The wolf did as he was asked, clearly being backed into a corner he didn't expect to find himself in. “Now let's be civilized about this. I asked you a question, 'what do you want'?"

“Nothing now." His tone was of rage and frustration as he spat the words out with as much venom as his snout and vocal chords could muster.

“Come on now be honest. Clearly it was important enough to warrant assaulting me so you must've really wanted that answer." Max kept a cool tone as his heart hammered in his ears, knowing full well that if he decided to make a move he'd more than likely lose his throat.

His brow furrowed further and his teeth bared as he shoved his next words through those white and yellow fangs. “What are you doing in the anthro part of town?"

Max raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I wasn't aware there was such a thing. Been living in Jackson for six years and never noticed anything like that. As for why I'm here, a friend invited me."

“Might want to get your eyes checked." A vicious smile crept across his muzzle as he whispered the next words. “Gonna need to watch your back from now on."

“Sure. So will you." His mask of rage slipped for just a moment into one of surprise clearly thinking he wouldn't have heard that. “I have fairly good hearing. So you better be very quiet if you want to dance." Scratching his neck he decides that this conversation is well and truly over. “If your blatant hate and lackluster threat is everything you may go." The wolf snarled as he stood from the seat across from him and made sure that the clearly disinterested human was in his sight before exiting the small cafe.

The rest of the patrons had their eyes locked on the human for the entirety of the altercation before Max scanned the room again and they went back to their idle conversations. No doubt gossiping about the human that just pissed off a very large wolf. With a few taps of his phone he ensured that Eli knew that the coast was clear and she slipped back to their shared table. “That was pretty quick, do you know what he- oh my god! You're bleeding!"

Max looked down to where her eyes were focused and indeed right where he had been grabbed were four long and jagged claw marks. “I'll be alright so don't worry. He got a little handsy so I just let him know I carry. Dudes a dick by the way, what's his damage?"

Eli sunk into her seat as she looked to her now cooler coffee. “Trevor Gray, I know him from college. Local frat boy living off daddy's ranch money. Thinks he owns the town, y'know real piece of work that guy."

Max rubbed and applied pressure to his shoulder trying to stanch the light blood flow with his black shirt. Taking a sip from his mug he gave a sarcastic supply. “Yeah he seems like it."

Her hands wrapped around her slightly cooler mug as she continued. “Bastard. If he didn't have his posse he wouldn't have so much sway here but with his dad protecting him." She rolled her eyes as she took a small sip of her sweetened beverage. “If he does get violent that's the reason I got a gun, right?"

Max shrugged as he reclined in his seat. “Yeah that's a good reason but for that guy I would go with a ten mil round. Dudes almost as big as a bear."

Her smile lit up the mood as she chuckled. “About as smart as a rock too!" They both laughed as their respective meals were placed in front of them and Eli's merriment died down. “This is the best date I've been on and to think I just had to get myself stranded in the snow for a few hours."

The pain in Max's shoulder ebbed for a moment as his face warmed in a noticeable blush on his pale skin. “W-wait...a date?"

Eli swallowed a portion of her breakfast whole, what seemed to be half of a chicken, before she looked at him with a warm smile. “Wasn't it obvious? I was being pretty open about it."

“I…" He stopped himself before he said something without thinking. Anything that might burn this positive development to the ground. “I didn't want to assume anything but if it is I hope you're enjoying yourself and if I'm lucky enough the next one's on me."