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The beast didn't like it, but I felt its reluctant agreement.

With that distraction gone, we turned our full attention back to Quinn, who was still talking and had somehow landed on the subject of his favorite childhood books.

"—could think of something else, if that doesn't work for you, but I don't know what else to call you and it feels wrong to keep thinking of you as 'the creature' in my head and…"

We leaned in and nudged his shoulder, cutting him off. Clearly, we'd missed something important while we argued with each other.

"Sorry," he whispered. It was a word he said far too often, always with that faint scent of embarrassment, tinged with a quiet anxiety that rarely seemed to leave him.

How to get him to repeat himself? We couldn't speak, not with the shape of our face and jaw. The best I could manage was nodding and shaking my head, as we'd been doing. With no other option, I nodded, nudging him again.

"It doesn't have to be that," he said sheepishly, finally glancing up at me. "I was just fascinated by Typhon in the books and did some research on my own afterward. He's actually pretty fascinating. But it's not my place to name you like you're my pet or something."

Our human wanted to give us a name.

I'd had a name, once. It, too, was lost in the time Before, locked away with any other memories of a different life. We'd been called other things, things we didn't want to think about, but once we were free, we became no one.

Typhon.

The name meant nothing to me, but it meant something to Quinn, and that's all that mattered. The beast was in complete agreement with me about that.

We nodded and dared to move our left front leg, the only one not injured, and rest one clawed foot on his shoe. The beast wanted more, to actually touch him, but that would scare him.

"Is that okay?" he asked quietly. "If I call you Typhon for now?"

I nodded. We nodded, and Quinn smiled, the first we'd seen from him and the only one we'd ever seen directed at us. The beast and I agreed that Quinn could do anything he wanted, call us whatever he liked, if he looked at us like that again.

With that settled, Quinn went back to work on our wounds while the beast and I sat quietly, never looking away from this utterly unique human.

We had a name.

Chapter 11

Quinn

My mind was still spinning long after I'd finished tending to the creature… to Typhon. An accidental glance when he'd come up to the house confirmed that it seemed to be a male, and my brain immediately latched on to a name I thought I'd forgotten over the years.

Now, Typhon lay on my back deck, his wounds cleaned and his belly full of pizza. I was taking his word, or rather, his nod, that he could safely eat it, and he'd finished the entire thing on his own. It appeared I'd been right about him being too injured to hunt.

He seemed content to stay put while I did another check of the animals in my care, since I'd been in such a rush earlier. Romulus refused to accompany me, instead lying between Typhon and the back door, guarding the entrance. He wasn't nearly as willing to trust the creature as I was, something I was trying not to question too hard. Deep down, I knew my actions were completely reckless and almost certain to end in disaster, but what other choice did I have but to help him?

Ignoring the dozen other suggestions that came to mind, I cleaned out litter boxes, fed the turtle, adjusted the heat lamp on the snake, and put down fresh food and water for the kittens. I saved Hash Brown for last, and when I opened the back door, Rom and Typhon both immediately turned to look at me. I had the impression they'd been in some sort of staring contest before I interrupted them.

"I need to check on Hash Brown, then we'll figure out what to do," I said to Typhon. Rom had already gotten to his paws and come to my side, ready to head to the carport with me. Typhon glanced over at the animal in question, barely visible in the growing darkness, but made no move to get up. Considering how badly he'd scared the mule last time, that was probably a wise choice.

Leaving Typhon to rest, Rom and I headed over to the carport where the mule waited. For the first time since he'd come to stay with me, it didn't look like he'd tried to escape at all.

"As much as I'd like to believe you've changed your ways, I bet you're just scared, huh?" I murmured to the animal. Cleaning up after him was never a pleasant chore, but I did it without complaint while my dog waited outside, keeping out of the way.

The mule tossed his head, shaking his short mane in complaint.

"I know, I know. Officer Lake hasn't called me back yet, but I get the feeling you're going to be staying," I said as I worked. "It's been over three weeks and no one has come looking. I guess that means I need to see about getting you an actual barn or something."

I had the room on my property for it, but buying a proper shelter for him hadn't been in my budget for the year. I'd also need to install some basic fencing around all two acres to keep him enclosed while still letting him roam. I could practically feel my credit card wincing in anticipation of the hit. There were rescues that might take him, of course, but no guarantee he'd be adopted, and I'd already somewhat accepted that he was mine for the long haul.

"At least Dr. Chapman already gave you a clean bill of health."

He ignored me, too busy munching on the fresh food trough I'd just laid out for him.