Page 9 of A Kiss From a Wolfman

A loud growl tears through the night, swallowing up the audible groan of the metal trap. Moving quickly, I pick up my glass of whiskey and promptly douse his leg before he can pull itback. I’ll have to find a way to clean it thoroughly. Blood gushes from the wound, but luckily, the bone does not appear broken.

The wolfman lets out a harsh snarl as I reach into my bag and pull out a few rolls of clean cloths I took from the tavern. Dabbing at his wound, the first towel is quickly saturated with crimson. Gently, I tie the next one above his wound to slow the blood flow. I learned how to do this during my travels—knowing the skills of a healer would come in handy one day.

I never would’ve imagined using them to treat a wolfman.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “You have to be in a lot of pain. This will have to do until I can tend to your wound properly.”

His ears lower as he pushes up on his forearms. The muscles bulge beneath his fur as those golden eyes find mine again. Despite the fur, the ears, and, of course, the snout, he seems incredibly human. My stomach flutters under his intense gaze, but I can’t look away.

“Can you understand me?”

He blinks once before lowering his head.

“Good, I’m going to unchain you now.”

Again, he merely blinks at me, but I take that as agreement. Rising on my feet, I circle behind him. Tethered to the post is a snarl of chains. Timson and his hunters took their time to ensure the wolfman would not escape. Iron chains wrap around his ankles and wrists. They are secured with a heavy metal lock at the back of the post. The chain around his neck is bound in the same way.

Sighing, I look around for anything useful. I should’ve tried to snag Timson's keys, but that would’ve required getting closer to him than I could stomach. Instead, my eyes land on a large rock. Wrinkling my nose, I bend down to retrieve it. It is not the best, but it is better than nothing.

Raising the rock, I quickly bring it down on the old iron locks. The bang echoes around us, and I pause, listening forthe footsteps of anyone who may have heard the noise. When everything remains still, I repeat the process: Bang. Pause. Bang. Pause.

The first lock to give way is the one securing his ankles. Once they fall loose, he growls, flexes his muscles, and whimpers as he tries to put any weight on his injured leg.

Sparks fly as I hammer away on the next lock. After what feels like hours, it is dented enough to fall loose, and the chains around his wrists sag. With a snarl, he claws at the iron binding his neck and yanks, the metal turning to shreds in his hands as he removes his final restraint.

Rising swiftly and favoring his uninjured leg, the creature towers over me. He blocks out the moon as he rises to his full height. I take him in, my heart pounding against my ribs. His powerful chest and abdomen give way to thick thighs. Dark fur that I know feels incredibly soft is matted with blood in certain places. The bullet holes Timson put through him are leaking blood in a steady stream.

I don’t let my eyes drift any lower than his waist, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my cheeks.

He is handsome. The revelation shocks me like falling into a pool of cold water. He is a beast—yet his eyes tell a different story. They reveal the hidden depths of his soul, and it calls to me. The rock slides from my hand and hits the ground with a thud. His eyes drift towards it before returning to my face.

I fight to hide my shiver as they slide over every inch of my body. When Timson did it early, I felt nothing but disgust, but with this wolfman, all I feel is warmth. Perhaps I have genuinely lost all semblance of sense after all this time.

The wolfman inhales deeply, his nostrils flaring. I lick over my dry lips before opening my mouth. Before I can say anything, a sound echoes from down the road. In the silence of the night, it becomes clear in a moment. My stomach drops.

It’s Timson and his hunters. Their voices slurred from drink as they stumble up the path towards us. The wolfman turns towards the sound, his lips peeling back from his teeth in a snarl. His body is tense as he lowers to a crouching potion.

“Go human,” he snarls without looking at me.

His voice sends shivers down my spine. It is rough and inviting at the same time. I wish to drink the sound down. Again, I must question if I have truly gone mad.

The voices get closer as another breeze picks up. My hair flies in front of my face. I watch the wolfman scent the air again, his muscles softening, if only for a moment.

“Wait,” I urge, watching him coil for the attack again. “You are in no shape to take them on—even as drunk as they are, especially not with those bullets still in you. I need to remove them and clean the wounds. Come with me, or you risk getting an infection.”

The wolfman snaps his head towards me as his ears flatten. Lowering himself to all fours, he stalks towards me with a noticeable limp. He stops, his nose pressing against my stomach before rising once more. His claws gently trace my sides. A gasp slips from my lips.

I’ve never felt like this before. The fluttering in my stomach has moved lower—a dull ache beginning to intensify.

“How do I know you aren’t planning to kill me?” he purrs softly. His head lowers as he skims his velvety nose up my neck. “What if this is all some trick—those hunters sending me someone as delicious as you to lower my guard? It’d make killing me easier.”

My eyes fall shut as he nuzzles against my collarbone. His fur skims over my exposed skin, causing goosebumps to rise. Somehow, I manage to find my voice.

“It’s no trick,” I sigh. “I just want to help you.”

I feel his body shift away from me. Blinking my heavy-lidded eyes, I watch as he tries to put more weight on his leg. He whimpers as the voices of the hunters get closer. Luckily, their drunken stupor has slowed their ability to travel. Still, they’ll be here soon if we don’t hurry.

“Come with me,” I say, touching his arm. Soft fur kisses my fingertips.

---