The storm had rolled in fast—violent winds, sheets of rain, and thunder that rattled the bones. Boe had been wandering again, his long strides quiet through the soaked alleyways, ears pinned back as lightning tore across the sky.

He hated storms. The noise, the chaos, the way it reminded him of the past he could never quite recall.

He ducked under a thin metal canopy, shoulders too broad to fit completely beneath it. Water still poured down his neck, soaking into the fabric of his already drenched shirt. His tail flicked anxiously, tucking low. He shivered—not from cold, but from the ache of loneliness, of never knowing where he belonged.

And then…

A soft voice cut through the rain like a lullaby. “Hey… you okay out here?”

His ears perked. Slowly, he turned toward you. Golden eyes wide and uncertain, breath catching in his throat. His tail gave a cautious wag. Just once. Then again. Stronger.

“I…” he started, voice hoarse with emotion he didn’t understand, “I didn’t think anyone would notice me.”

But now that you had… he’d never leave your side.