by Jodi Vaugn
She had glanced outside the window, but the only thing she saw moving was the steady stream of falling flakes blanketing the ground.
The door creaked. She winced and wondered why she’d never noticed the door making such a loud sound before. She mentally made a note to get some oil next time she was in town.
She flipped on the porch light and hoisted her wooden weapon in the air, ready to swing at anything that attacked.
Nothing leaped from the bushes, nothing barreled out from the woods, nothing snatched her from the porch.
She heaved out a relieved breath. “That was anti-climactic. Pretty much like my ex.” She lowered the bat, an idiotic giggle slipping past her lips.
Another soft whine sliced through the winter night, sending chills sprinting up her back. She gripped the bat in both hands, glancing from one end of the porch to the other. Still, she saw nothing.
Another whimper drifted out into the night. She stood still, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. She took a step and froze.
“Who am I kidding? I know how this shit turns out in the movies. The blonde girl, who is all alone in the house, always gets killed first.” She turned, ran into the house, and locked the door. Bat in hand, she went from room to room, making sure her windows and doors were all locked. After making sure the house was secured and no one could get in, she eased toward the living room window and peered out.
She heard the pitiful whimper again. It sounded very much like a dog.
It wasn’t unusual for dogs to get hit by cars in this area. Irresponsible people tended to let their animals have free run, and sometimes the unthinkable happened.
She shook her head and headed to the door. She grabbed the bat, just in case Fido decided to snap at her.
She walked out on the porch and edged closer to the steps. She stopped in her tracks and gasped. Her muscles iced over, refusing to move.
Sprawled on the steps was the largest gray wolf she had ever seen.
“Holy sh…”
The wolf let out a pitiful whimper and opened its eyes.
Its eyes were the color of gathering storm clouds, gray and dangerous, and the fur along its upper legs had varied colors of blue and gray, unlike the rest of its body that was a solid grey.
The wolf blinked and closed its eyes, panting out each labored breath.
Sadness stung her heart. There was something familiar, something almost human-like in the animal’s expression before he shut his eyes. She set the bat on the nearest wicker rocker and eased closer.
“Come on, buddy. Don’t die.” Kate reached a tentative hand out and waited for the wolf to open his eyes, sniff her, and growl.
He didn’t move.
“I’m going to touch you, okay?” She shook her head and groaned. She wasn’t sure why she was talking to the wolf. It wasn’t like he could understand her.
Her fingertips dipped into the thickness of his fur. She expected it to be coarse like horse hair, but instead it was silky and soft.
She kept her eyes on his face while her fingers explored his strong body, feeling for broken bones and wounds. She had seen wolves in the mountains, but she’d never seen any this large.
Her fingertips dipped into something warm and sticky. Her gut tightened when she pulled back blood-tinged fingers.
“I’ll be right back.” She hurried into the house and retrieved some towels and her cell phone. Kneeling down by the wolf, she pressed a white towel against the wound.
The wolf whimpered and opened his eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to stop the bleeding.” She firmly pressed the towel against the wound. This time he didn’t budge, but his gaze never left her face.
She held out her hand for him to sniff. He strained forward and nuzzled her fingertips.
“You’re very loving, aren’t you? I bet you’ve got all the female wolves after you.”
The wolf opened its mouth. Its tongue lolled out to the side, its lips curling over its teeth as if it were smiling.
She snorted. That was impossible. Wolves didn’t smile.
***
Braxton didn’t remember the walk to the house. With his blood loss and the silver slowly poisoning his body, he was surprised he’d made it to the house at all. He heard the door open and expected to see some farmer hovering above him with a shotgun aimed at his head. At least then he would be put out of his misery.
Instead, he felt the touch of gentle fingers stroking his fur. Confused, he opened his eyes. To his shock, it was the woman he’d met in the alley.
His female.
Through the blinding pain racking his body, he nuzzled her hand and inhaled her haunting scent.
He even managed a smile, as best a wolf could, when she suggested how loving he was. If only he wasn’t hurt, he’d show her just how loving he could be. With her underneath him.
Braxton watched his beautiful woman lift the cell phone to her ear.
He stiffened, lifting his head. Every instinct told him to bolt. She was probably calling the game warden right now, who would probably want to put him out of his misery. A regular bullet wouldn’t kill him; it would just hurt like hell. His main concern was the Assassins.
“Easy, boy.” She reached out and stroked his head. He leaned into her hand, not wanting her to stop. Her touch was the only thing keeping him conscious and keeping the pain bearable. “I’m calling someone who will help us. He’s a vet.”
Braxton snarled at the mention of another male.
She snatched her hand away.
He could smell her fear for the first time since she’d found him on her steps.
Lowering his head, he whimpered, hoping she’d understand that he meant her no harm. He waited an eternity until finally she reached out and touched his wound. He knew she was keeping a safe distance from his mouth. Damn, he didn’t want her to be afraid. Not of him. Never of him.
He looked up, struck by her beauty and humbled by her kindness. He didn’t know many humans who would risk their safety to try to help a wild animal. Yet, here she was, his female, sitting out here in the freezing cold, trying to comfort him.
Pain exploded through his chest, reminding him of the bullet and the reality that he was slowly being poisoned by the silver. He didn’t have much longer. The only thing that had kept him alive this long was the fact he was in wolf form.
The second he shifted back to human, he would be dead within minutes.
***
Kate gritted her teeth, irritated that she had to leave Beau a message when he didn’t answer her call. She shivered against another blast of wind, the winter air cutting through her thin cotton pajamas. She should have dressed warmer, but hadn’t planned on being outside so long.
She glanced at the wolf and frowned. She couldn’t leave him outside like this for the night; he wouldn’t make it through the night. But then again, she couldn’t exactly bring a wild animal in the house either.
“I’ll be right back.” She raced through the house, gathering blankets and old linens. Stepping out on the front porch, she spread out the old blankets and sheets into a cozy bed in a corner. “At least this will keep the wind off you.” She glanced at the wolf still lying on the steps. Her smile faded.
How was she going to get him up the steps? He didn’t look like he had the energy to walk. Even though the blood flow had slowed, he panted with every painful breath.
Taking one of the sheets, she folded it in half and spread it beside him on the stairs.
“I’m going to roll you over on to this so I can move you. Okay? It’s going to hurt, but I’ll try to be as gentle as I can.”
The wolf opened his eyes and blinked but didn’t move.
Biting her lip, she lifted his head and shoulders onto the sheet. Kate sat back and secured the towel around his wound before sliding her arms underneath his chest and lifting.
The wolf didn’t budge.
She straddled him and wrapped her arms around his torso, her cheek pressing into hi
s fur. She pulled, using every muscle in her body. It took three lifts, but she finally managed to move his massive body onto the sheet. She tied the ends together to keep him from rolling out the bottom.
“Good grief, you weigh a ton. I imagine you crush your female partners.” She stood and arched her back.
The wolf lifted his lips over his massive teeth once again in a semblance of a smile.
Her face heated. “I didn’t mean that. I mean it’s inappropriate...you know, for me to say...well, I don’t really know you that well and...”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “So it’s come to this. I’m talking to a wolf about sex.”
She grabbed the top of the sheet and wrapped the ends around her hands. “This may hurt a little.”
Digging in her heels, she pulled.
He didn’t budge.
“Let’s try this again.” She bent her legs and pulled, yet he still didn’t budge.
Kate sat down and looked at the animal. There was no way she was going to be able to move him on her own.
“This is like moving an elephant.” It was impossible.
She frowned, remembering her mother’s words when she was a little girl and she thought something wasn’t possible. A slow smile spread across her face.
The only way to eat an elephant was one inch at a time.
She sat down and positioned her legs on either side of his head. Wrapping the sheet around her hands, she dug in her heels and pulled.
She managed to move the wolf a few inches.
She backed up a step, sat, and pulled again.
Once again, she managed to move the animal a few inches.
Her back screamed in protest by the time she got the wolf onto the porch.
Under the soft glow of the porch light, snow was falling in sheets across the yard. She glanced at her wolf. Her heart tugged for the wounded creature.
“You’ll be okay out here, won’t you, boy?” Even as she said it, she didn’t believe her own words.
The only movement the wolf made was the struggle to breathe, its short, shallow pants coming harder and harder.
“I’ll get you some water.” Kate hurried back into the house and rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, looking for a suitable water bowl. The closest thing she could find to a dog bowl was a mixing bowl. It would just have to do.
She walked outside and set the bowl of water near the makeshift bed. “Hopefully Beau will get my message and be over here soon.” She ran her fingers through his fur and finally stood, some part of her not wanting to leave him. She walked over the porch railing and watched the fast falling snow. Before morning there would be more than a few inches on the ground.
“I guess you’ll be okay out here...” Her mouth dropped as the wolf stood and limped through the front door into her house.
“Wait! You can’t go inside.” He turned at her words, his eyes weak with fatigue and pain. Somehow she knew at that moment if she asked him to come outside, he’d do it.
Stepping through the door, she eyed the giant beast that was now standing in her house. He was even bigger on four legs.
“I guess you can spend the night right here by the door.” She went out and gathered up his makeshift bed. Walking inside, she closed the door. She glanced around, but he was nowhere in sight.
“Shit.” She dropped the linens and hurried through the house.
When she reached her bedroom, she froze. Lying on his side, with his head resting on her pillow, was the wolf.
“Look buddy, I don’t share my bed with just anybody.” She wagged her finger at him.
He lifted his head weakly and let it fall against the pillow.
Her heart melted. How could she stay mad at such a helpless creature?
“Okay, but no slobbering on my pillow.” She saw his lips curl slightly, and she couldn’t help but smile at how expressive he was.
What the hell had she gotten herself into? There was a freaking wolf. In her bed.
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She glanced at the wolf one last time before closing the bedroom door and heading into the living room. Grabbing a quilt from the closet, she headed for the sofa.
Just her luck. Not only was the wolf at the door, he was now in her bed.
***
Amidst the blizzard of pain raging through his body, Braxton burrowed deeper into the soft pillow that carried the heavenly scent of the female. It was her scent that had him fighting death with every molecule in his damaged body. It was for her he wanted to live, just to have another minute of her voice, her touch, her presence.
Another bolt of raw pain shot through his chest, reminding him of how short on time he really was. He had lived his life trying to protect the woman who’d given him birth, only to be accused by her of being a murderer.
How could his mother think he’d kill his father? Not that he hadn’t entertained the thought, but hell, if he wanted to do it, he would have done it years ago. Then he would have had a chance to live his life, to maybe fall in love and find a mate. Instead, he’d wasted his life in the shit hole strip club in Shreveport, protecting his mother, who didn’t even want to be protected.
How fucked up was that?
Braxton sucked in another shallow breath. The image of the blonde female filled his mind, taking the edge off his pain.
An ache of a different kind slapped him across his heart. He wouldn’t live long enough to see his female in his human form. He wouldn’t have the chance to touch her, to talk, to make love to her.
Braxton rubbed his nose in her pillow, wanting her scent all over him. If he were going to die tonight, he wanted to take her scent with him into the afterlife.
***
Kate jerked awake at the sharp pounding at her front door. Throwing off the quilt, she padded to the window and peeked out. She quickly unlocked and opened the door.
“I got over here as soon as I heard your message. What’s wrong? Did your pipes break?” Beau cast a furtive glance around the room and then back at her.
“There’s a hurt animal. I’m not sure what’s wrong with him. I think he got hit by a car.” Kate glanced over her shoulder and motioned with her hand for Beau to follow.
“So you put it in your room?” Beau lifted his eyebrow.
“Not exactly. He walked into my room when I turned my back.”
Beau snorted. “So what is it, a dog or cat?”
“Neither.” Kate paused in front of her bedroom, her hand on the doorknob, and looked up at her oldest friend. “It’s a wolf.”
She opened the door to find her patient laying unnaturally still. Her heart slammed into her chest, and she took a step to see if he was even breathing. Beau grabbed her elbow and jerked her back.
“Are you crazy? That’s a wild animal, Kate.”
She wiggled free of his grasp and shot him a glare. “I know that.”
“Have you forgotten what happened when you were little?” Beau’s gaze bore into her making her feel like a ten-year-old.
“No, I haven’t.” She gritted her teeth. “He hasn’t hurt me or even growled at me once.” She glanced at the wolf lying in her bed like a very large pet. She sighed when she saw his chest rise and fall. “If he was going to hurt me, he would have done so by now.”
“It’s a wolf.” Beau ran his hand through his hair.
“It’s still an animal.” She cut her eyes at him. “I don’t know how to help him; that’s why I called you. You’re the vet, can’t you do something?”
Beau narrowed his gaze and shook his head. For a second she thought he was going to turn around and leave. Instead, he walked over to her bathroom and pulled out some towels.
“Do you have a leash?”
“For what? I don’t have a dog.”
“And yet you bring a wolf inside your house,” he muttered. “Look, I’m going to have to muzzle him before I start working.”
Kate walked up to the wolf and held out her hand under his nose. She let out a breath
when his hot breath tickled her skin.
Beau grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the bed. “Are you crazy?”
“He won’t hurt you.”
“Either find something I can use as a muzzle or I’m not touching him.” Beau glared long enough at her that she knew there was no way she was winning this conversation.
“Fine.” She came back a few minutes later with some rope she’d found under the kitchen sink.
Beau took a step toward the wolf with the rope in hand.
The wolf opened his eyes, lifted his head, and let out a growl between his teeth. Beau froze.
“You need to let him muzzle you so he can look at your wound. He’s only trying to help.” She propped her hands on her hips and gave the animal a stern look to know she wasn’t kidding.
The wolf fell back against the pillow and closed his eyes.
“What are you, the wolf whisperer?” Beau murmured as he slipped on the muzzle. Even with the muzzle secure, the wolf gave a low belly growl. “Easy, boy.” Beau stepped back.
“Stop. He’s the doctor,” she jerked her thumb at Beau, “and you’re just going to have to let him look at you if you want to get better.”
“I don’t think he understands you.” Beau slid her a look.
“Stop growling and let him help.” Ignoring Beau, she narrowed her gaze at the wolf.
The wolf whimpered and laid his head back down.
Beau’s mouth dropped open.
“He’ll be good,” she said.
Beau’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he cautiously eased onto the bed.
She held her breath and said a silent prayer as Beau ran his hands across the wolf’s chest, assessing the wound.
“He doesn’t look like he’s been run over. He looks like he’s been shot.”
The blood in Kate’s face pooled in her stomach. “What makes you think he’s been shot?”
“There’s a bullet-size hole in his fur.” Beau frowned. “Maybe someone caught him in their garbage or around their livestock?” He leaned closer. “I think I can see the bullet.” He glanced at her. “Do you have any forceps?”