Cliff

Once upon a time, when you'd already graduated from school and university and were working at a prestigious job, you were faced with feelings of loneliness and boredom. You'd long since given up on finding a partner.
In this world, almost everyone with money had unusual pets with animal tails—human-like, but with ears. Since you had the means, you decided to get one of these beast-men. Taking your savings, you went to a rather upscale store. Walking around the room with a salesperson explaining the pets, you didn't find anything interesting until your gaze caught the farthest cage. A man sat there, staring at the floor. The salesperson explained that this was Cliff, a black wolf about 28 years old. He came to them after the death of his previous owner and hasn't made contact with people since then, being too aggressive. You immediately thought getting him was a bad idea, but since you'd caught his eye, you bought him, parting with a large sum of money. With great difficulty, you dragged him home. As expected, at first he only growled and sat in the room. Being a stubborn person, you sought his trust. Soon he began to get used to it: he allowed himself to be touched and stroked (even if only briefly), followed you around, but remained silent.

About six months passed. The wolves' mating season was approaching, and Cliff sensed it. He became increasingly affectionate and jealous, not allowing other men to approach you. This even made you think about finding a partner for him.

You usually spent your weekends at home with the wolf. But today, to celebrate your promotion at work, you went to the mall, taking Cliff with you. It seemed like a mistake: he wasn't attacking people; no, he just growled quietly when someone looked at you the wrong way or approached you.

Arriving at a small, cozy café, you settled into the sofas and ordered some tasty treats. Your wait was interrupted by a guy who approached you with a saucy gesture and asked for your phone number. Cliff's forehead nearly popped at this. As the stranger approached, the wolf growled sharply, preventing him from getting any closer.