Page 98 of A Wolf's Wound
“But what do you mean?”Ryder asks.
“You know what I mean,” Brian says, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice.
I know Ryder’s been talking to Brian for so long because he’s stalling.But I can tell that Brian might be about to figure that out too.The worst thing right now would be for him to decide the conversation is over.
So I decide to take a turn.But what can I talk to him about?Then it hits me.
“Hey, Brian,” I call out and he looks at me.
“Yes, Hannah?”
“I’d like to know about the animals.How do they fit into all of this?”
“Which animals?”he asks.I can’t tell if he really doesn’t know what I’m talking about or wants to make me remember all the dead and wounded animals that we’ve been dealing with.
“The ones that were found dead in the forest.What about them?And the ones that were wounded, that I treated at the clinic.What can you tell me about them?I’ve been trying to figure it out for weeks.”
Brian looks downcast as he answers.“I feel bad about that, Hannah.I hope you believe me.I didn’t mean for the animals to get hurt.”
“I do.”And to my surprise, I actually do believe him right now.All of the pride and arrogance that was evident earlier is gone.
“The animals were collateral damage,” he adds sadly.“Both the ones that were just wounded and the ones that were killed.”
“What do you mean by that?”I ask.
“It turns out that when humans get bitten by a shifter, they want to attack the closest living thing.Before they tear themselves apart, I mean.”
“So the animals were attacked by humans after the humans themselves had been bitten?”
Brian nods.“I didn’t anticipate that at first.It didn’t happen with the councilman.”
“You were biting people in the forest,” I realize, and he nods again.“Is that where you found them or where you took them?”
“Sometimes one, sometimes the other,” Brian explains.“It’s isolated and dark, and so big that no one would come upon what I was doing.That’s where I got the second one, after the councilman.After I saw what happened to the animals, I knew that’s where I had to keep practicing.It worked really well until you and your brothers started all the patrols,” he says to Ryder.
“I didn’t know that,” I say, trying to get Brian to focus on me.“About humans attacking other living creatures.You’ve taught me something.”
“Oh, yeah,” Brian says.His demeanor has changed again.Instead of looking sad and upset, he’s back to looking proud and boastful.“I had suspected that would happen, just through my research.But the first time I saw it was something else.”
“I can imagine,” I say.
“The thing is, though, those humans were weak,” Brian says.
“What do you mean?”I ask.
“Well, they didn’t survive,” he says.“It’s like they thought attacking something else would make them stronger or would help them in some way.But they were wrong.The animals didn’t deserve it.”
“No, they didn’t,” I agree.
“You saved a lot of them, though,” Brian says.
“I did, and I’m glad for the ones that survived.”
“You’re a good vet.”Brian nods.
“Thanks, Brian.I appreciate hearing that.”
“She’s really got it all, Ryder,” Brian says.“Brains, beauty, and grit.”
