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After making sure that his dogs would be fine on their own for the hours he’d be gone, Max loaded up his car with a few extra items he might need. A blanket, a cooler full of drinks, and a hot cooler full of warm food items for not only himself, but for his girlfriend as well. “Are you sure you don’t need help with anything? Feeling kind of like a freeloader right now.” With a look over his shoulder he found Eli fully wrapped up in her actively heated clothing along with only her ruby eyes exposed to the world. Her body was outlined by the expanse of snow that covered his property, causing her to seemingly glow brighter than her surroundings. Or Max was just going insane, he couldn’t tell and didn’t care.

With a warm smile, he closed the back hatch of his little red tracker and moved to the passenger side. “Well everything is already done, so no, there really isn’t anything to help with. Besides, it would ruin the surprise I have planned.” The only emotion from her that he could glean was her head tilting slightly to the side before she gave a defeated sigh and shrug.

“Alright then. So what's first, the hardware store?” With a nod, Max held the passenger door open for her as she slid in and pulled him down by the collar to plant a kiss right on his lips. The scarf was pulled away from her smooth scales for just a moment to steal a morsel of his sinfully decadent heat in the bitter air. Everytime she pulled away from him she felt how he looked. Knees weak and short of breath as his eyes took on a look of adoration and deep longing.

With a loving smile, he stumbled the first few steps to his side of the car and struggled with the latch on the door. After he sat down, he took a few breaths before turning the car over and cranking the heat to max for his cold blooded partner. “Whew. First is the hardware store, but after that we’ll need to start preparations.”

Eli raised an eyebrow as the car began to traverse over the snow covered gravel that made up his driveway. “Everything alright? You seem a little out of it.”

Max reached out and removed the glove from her hand to meet his bare one. “Everything’s fine, you just take my breath away.” A sly smile crossed his lips as her free hand flailed in the air as her previous charisma was turned back on her. “Still have the list?”

She nodded shyly as her free hand dug into the hip pocket and procured the three sheets of lined notebook paper. Clearing her throat she flipped through the pages as she noted some items on the pages. “Iron oxide powder, aluminum powder, flour, styrofoam, fertilizer… Max I really don't get this list. It just seems like a random list of items. What are you making?”

Max pursed his lips as he entered the main road debating with himself if he should tell her the true use of the listed items. With a sigh, he relented telling her what the list entailed. “They're… items to make IEDs and other chemical based explosives that we’ll use in small amounts. I'm not trying to kill anyone more so just…scare them into reconsidering.”

Eli held the list a little more tenderly as the information dawned on her. “Are we allowed to do this? Like, is it legal? Furthermore, where did you learn to make explosives?” Her confused expression stared at his neutral expression before flipping through the list again.

“For legality sake, it's a gray area for me and by extension you. I have my FFL license which covers explosives, but what we’re making is strictly under the table.” Placing his phone onto the dashboard he hit a number off on speed dial where it only rang once before Noah’s familiar voice came over the speaker.

“Heyo bitch boy! What's up with the early call? I'm getting the kiddos ready for daycare.” Shouting and laughing came through in the background as the chaos of their home bled through the speakers. “Gotta be quick, we’re almost out the door!”

“Just keeping you in the loop. Eli and I are heading out to get supplies since yesterday we learned that Trevor might be stupid enough to attack my property.” The silence hung in the air as Noah took in the information.

“Are you serious? Like… he can’t be that stupid.” The words of disbelief hung in the air as the two rode in the car down the snow swept roads. The silence was all the answer he needed as nearly silent footsteps came across the speaker of his phone. “Look man, I know I was a little gungho back in the day, but I have a family now. Something I thought I'd never have.” With a heavy sigh and whispered words, he gave his consolation prize to his best friend. “I can help prepare, but I can’t help you fight, man. I can ask around to see if anyone else can step up, but…you’re on your own for this scuffle.”

“That's all I could ask from you man. I would never dream of asking to give up what you’ve earned.” Max’s eyebrows folded in a solemn look while a smile spread across his face. He knew this would be the answer, but a part of him wished they could relive those few glory days they shared. “Swing by tomorrow? You could help me and Eli out with plans and prep.”

“Yeah of course. Oh and Eli, watch his back for me since I can’t. He might be terrifying to watch work but he’ll fight tooth and nail for everything he’s earned.” A stone cold seriousness entered his voice as he spoke his last sentence. “That means he’ll give blood and bone for you.”

The call ended with Eli sitting in stunned silence. Noah’s words hung in the hot dry air of the small car that rolled slowly down the snow laden road. Minutes passed as Max braced for her to finally back down from helping him. Noah’s insinuation of him fighting to the literal death for her should have been her tipping point. The explosives manufacturing, the almost bloodlust that took over his gaze the day before and now this. She was in over her head but that sting of rejection never came to his ears. “So what do you think would be the most defensible…area? Sorry I don’t know what the terminology is. Still fairly new to all of this.”

The car slowed to a stop on the side of the small two lane road. His hand shook as his fingers carefully wrapped around her cool scaled digits as he held his composure, but only barely. “W-we can talk about it after the surprise. Just…thank you for trying, and again at any point this is too much, you can walk away.” Eli rolled her eyes as she gripped his hand tighter with her own resolve.

“I knew you had a few screws loose when we first met. I mean, who just runs through training drills and offers to help a complete stranger for hours?” Max chuckled softly as he took in her words. Their shared laugh warmed the cabin of his vehicle as the road wound through the mountain roads. “But that's what Caught my eye. My species didn’t matter because you just wanted to help. That's what I see in you, you’re strong enough to show compassion and know when to use violence.” Their fingers intertwined letting Eli feel more of his heat seep into her scales. “I trust you.”

His jaw clenched as those words struck a chord in the back of his mind. That singular phrase forced a well of emotion to swell up as Dominic’s words reverberated in his ears. Then against his better judgment repeated his response from that fateful day. “I won’t let you down.”

-

“Christ almighty Max, are you sure you’re not a domestic terrorist?” The young buck of a blacktail deer said as he began to scan the items Max and Eli had procured. James was a good kid, still in highschool, but the amount of ribbing Max gave him whenever he stopped by had thickened his skin by several magnitudes. At least towards Max.

Rolling his eyes, the older human scoffed. “Kid, if I was you and the whole town would know. I’m not the best at being subtle like Ted Kaczynski. I'm pretty sure everyone around town knows about what happened in the cafe. Actually, what have you heard about that?”

The young buck stopped scanning and tapped his narrow chin. “Just the normal stuff. Trevor came in and started acting a fool before snapping at some human. That's where the details start getting kind of fuzzy, but knowing you I’ll just guess the part saying you pulled out your piece is true.” More items passed over the small scanning table with sharp beeps slowly racking up the total price. “They're all crazy though. Some of the rumors said you whipped out a desert eagle then threatened him by screaming you’d, and I quote, ‘reduce you to a puddle!’”

Max rolled his eyes at the high schooler’s theatrics pouring off of him along with the outlandish rumors. “I hope most people aren’t stupid enough to believe all that nonsense. Desert eagle, do they just see a gun and think that it's always an eagle?” Max pinched the bridge of his nose before looking over to Eli. “Seriously sweetheart, can you believe- What are you looking at?”

Eli’s eyes were locked onto the snack display where an assortment of anthro and human snacks sat. Human snacks were fairly standard with different candies and chocolates adorning the clearly labeled stands. The other stands marked for canines, felines and a number of miscellaneous species. Eli had taken up residence in front of the smallest stand labeled for reptiles and her eyes had locked onto a specific snack. “I really shouldn’t.”

Max’s eyebrow raised as he followed her gaze down to what could only be described as candied toads. The bright packaging caught his eyes immediately with the cartoon toad covering himself in honey. “Candied toads, all natural honey over jerkied toads. Fan favorite of all species?” Max looked back to Eli where her crimson eyes were still locked onto the bright packaging. Her tongue was going wild as she absentmindedly attempted to taste the confection through the thick packaging. Without even asking her he pulled one of the items from the display and tossed it in with the rest of the items. Turning back he gave her a warm smile as she looked at him confused.

“Wait, what are you doing?” She moved to pull the snack from the stack before being pulled into a spin like he was simply dancing with her. Wrapped up in his arms her back was held tightly to his chest as she wiggled trying to get out of his grasp. “I can buy them myself!”

“Not a chance.” Max’s lips pressed against her cheek but she expected a kiss, not his rough stubble scratching against her scales as he chuckled. To his surprise she leaned into the abrasive surface, letting her smooth scales be scratched and massaged at the same time.

“Well then, at least get me the original and not the honey ones.” Max looked over at the display again and noticed her clothed tail attempting to grab the packaging she really desired. With another scratch to her cheek with his short beard he shuffles over with her and grabs the jerkied toads she wanted. Swapping out the bag before the young buck could scan the last items. Eli rubbed her cheek against his stubble willing and lovingly. “You’re too good for me.”

“Yeah well I just like being sweet to my girl. I’m not too good for you though.” The last of the items were scanned and bagged as the couple continued to hold each other close.

“Uhm…are you gonna pay big man?” Tossing his wallet over to the teenage buck behind the counter the total was quickly paid and tossed back in a smooth motion. Max took a look at his wallet with everything in place and pulled away from his scaled girlfriend.

“Take your sweetheart to the movies or dinner. On me.” Passing a small bundle of bills to the teenager behind the counter, he quickly pockets it with a two fingered salute. Learning from him in the past that counting a gift in front of him was extremely rude.

The car was still warm as the couple loaded up their haul with Max pausing halfway through. “Ian, if you’re going to stalk us you gotta get better at it.” The large wolf anthro stepped out from behind the corner of the alley with a confused look covering his muzzle. “Before you ask, I can see your car from here and you left footprints in the snow.”

His thin black lips pressed together as he was called out on his rookie mistake. Taking a step closer he pulls out a few sheets of looseleaf paper with a few notes written on them, with a polaroid stapled to the corner. “I know I should have waited until you contacted me, but this couldn’t wait.” With a flip through the papers, Max’s eyes narrowed before showing Eli where her’s went wide. “Yeah, a little sooner than I thought. Sorry about the bad intel earlier.”

“Three days.” The words passed Max’s lips before that same smile from yesterday crossed his lips. “Oh yeah, that's more than enough time. They’re still planning on a night raid, correct?” A sharp nod greeted his blue eyes letting the shorter human continue. “I think this’ll be fun. Do you want to join us?”

Ian Gray blinked a few times as he processed the question asked of him. “Wait with you two? I don't think that's such a good idea.” Max raised an eyebrow just as the wolf in front of him clarified. “If Trevor finds out I’m likely to be crucified. Personally, I’m not too fond of what he will do to me if he finds out I’m a snitch.”

Max just looked back at Eli confused. “So giving me this information while being the only person close enough to disclose it, isn't enough to tip him off?” Ian opened his mouth to retort until Max continued. “Besides, do you really think you were the only one told to tail us?” Motioning with his thumb to the far side of the street there was a small diner where a human sat in the window taking short glances at them. “Case and point he probably already knows.”

Ian’s shoulders slumped as what Max pointed out made far more sense than it should have. Everyone has been more hushed around him recently. David sitting in the cafe across from them and how much more physical Trevor had been over the last few days. Scratching his covered left arm he felt the swelling of his arm as that pushed him over the edge into a decision. “When and where?”