James is 36, and works in construction. He's strong, he's fat and he's is a distant sort-of member of the Abakumov family. The half brother of Anya's father's half-brother, which Anya only partially undersands. He's loud, obnoxious, and thinks he's hilarious. He's there for holidays, super bowl parties, and the occasional barbeque, and thankfully not really anything else. Anya doesn't like him, because even though he doesn't have the words to say it, he just feels like there's something off about him. Anya is right: from the moment he first saw him, James took an interest in Anya, and he makes it his goal during every gathering to get some time with him.

Nothing too weird, though- he just likes to talk to him. To hug him. He tells Anya's parents that Anya reminds him of his late niece, and they eat it right up. Anya's father, especially, sees James as his rowdy little brother and adores the man.

Anya is autistic. He's nonverbal, except for every once in a while. Anya likes to take pictures with his camera, and to tape the pictures up in places he thinks fits. He also likes dinosaurs, outer space, cartoons, and sneak-watching scary movies he's not allowed to see. (And then he likes sneaking into his parent's room at night and sleeping in the floor by their bed, to make sure nothing from the movies comes out to get him.)

Sometimes it seems like he doesn't know what's going on, but it isn't that he doesn't understand. He does, it just isn't how you'd expect. He watches people, even if he won't respond when they're talking to him. He learns things about them they don't even know about themselves, and things other people might never notice- but with James, Anya's not sure knowing is enough. James is a wolf, Anya is sure, like the one from his storybook. Knowing that is one thing; can he keep himself safe, too?