Chapter 1: Chapter 1

VALERY

Finally finished with my homework, I close my book and stretch. It took longer than I thought, and glancing out the window, I can see it’s already getting dark.

I get up from my desk and put on my coat, ready to take my evening walk. It’s getting chilly. Autumn is approaching, and I don’t want to risk catching a cold. Not when I’m so close to graduating.

I head out, lock the door behind me, and stride to the nearby forest. The evening breeze is so refreshing, and I find myself smiling.

The farther I walk into the forest, the more my ears pick up on a distant, faint sound.

At first, I’m not sure what it is, but the closer I get, the more it sounds like whining. Is that an animal?

I’m worried that whatever it is might be hurt and run toward the source.

Closing in on whatever it is making the noise, it becomes clearer. It sounds like a wolf. I’m surprised because although I know they roam around here, they usually don’t come so close.

Not caring that I might be in danger, I run faster. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals, wolves especially, and the potentially deadly consequences of my actions don’t even fully form in my mind as I dodge tree branches and roots.

Finally, I spot a young wolf lying on the ground.

I stop to catch my breath. I don’t want to scare him, and I’ve done enough studying to know how dangerous a hurt animal can be. Slowly, I walk toward the wolf, trying to show him I mean no harm. He raises his head and looks at me with bared teeth.

I quickly lower my head and freeze. ~Calm down, Valery. Don’t show him fear. You learned how to approach animals.~

With a soft, soothing voice, and only trembling slightly from my trepidation, I start to talk. “Please don’t be scared. I want to help you.”

My heart is furiously beating inside my chest. ~This is so dangerous, Valery!~ But I don’t care! I can’t stand to see an animal suffer.

“Please. You must be in pain. Let me help you.”

I look him in the eyes and smile gently. After a while, he stops growling and lowers his head, but his watchful eyes stay locked on me. I sigh in relief and continue slowly walking toward him.

As soon as I reach him, I kneel and look at him. His silver fur is speckled with crimson-red spots. He must have an injury somewhere.

I look into his eyes shimmering golden under the moonlight. They’re mesmerizing…

Shaking my head to clear it, I gently reach out my hand to touch his paw, checking his pulse. I glance back into his eyes and hold my breath. If he lunged now, there would be nothing I could do, and I wonder how long it would take for someone to find my body.

But although he remains watchful, he doesn’t move. He seems to trust me.

“Your pulse is weak. What happened? You got into a fight? Where are you hurt?”

I keep a running dialogue, making sure my voice remains calm and soft as I look over his body, trying to find the injury. He moves slightly and I jump, my eyes squeezing shut as I wait to feel his sharp teeth sink into some part of my body. When nothing happens, I open my eyes and see he has exposed his stomach. I gasp at the wound on it.

Quickly, I take off my coat and my shirt, shivering from the frosty air, and use my shirt to stop the bleeding. He whines, pushing his snout into my side.

Stunned by his behavior, I rub his paw before getting back to work. “I’m sorry if it hurts. Just bear with it for a little while longer, okay?”

I feel his breath on my skin, warming me a little as I continue applying pressure to his stomach.

After a few minutes, I lean back, letting out a relieved sigh.

“It stopped bleeding, but it would be better if I cleaned it.” Biting my lower lip, I look in the direction of the house. Chances are, if I went back to get supplies, by the time I returned, he’d be gone. But maybe I could get him to go with me. “Can you walk?”

I pet his head, and his eyes flicker. He attempts to get up, and although I want to help him, I let him do this on his own. I don’t know if he’s hurt anywhere else, and I don’t want him to think I’m being too aggressive.

Once he stands, I pick up my bloody shirt and put my coat over his back with unhurried movements.

“Come on. I live not so far away from here. There are supplies I can treat you with.”

I smile when he seems to understand what I want and starts walking, and together, we slowly amble toward home—the wolf, gingerly placing one paw in front of the other, and me, shivering from the cold air. He whines next to me.

“I know it hurts. I’m sorry. We’re almost there. Hold on just a little longer.”

I sneeze, feeling a chill run through my body, and stop for a second. The wolf whines again and rubs his head into my side. Even though he’s hurt, his fur feels so warm to my chilled skin. I pat his head and chuckle.

“Are you worried about me? Don’t be. I’m okay. Really.”

He continues rubbing his head against my skin for a while longer, and then we continue walking.

It doesn’t take long for us to reach home. I’m thankful he collapsed so close by. Had he been farther, I might not have found him, and I wince as I think of him out there all alone and hurt.

I unlock the door, enter, and then hold the door open for him. He doesn’t even hesitate before entering behind me and walking into the main room.

“Wait here. I’m going to grab some stuff.”

I lock the door, then move around the wolf carefully and head to the bathroom to fetch the medic kit, some warm water, and a cloth.

When I return to my patient, he has laid down on the carpet in the living room. Once he notices me, he turns on his side so I have access to his stomach.

“Thanks. Now please don’t move. I have to clean and disinfect it. This is gonna hurt, but I’m gonna try to make it as quick as possible, all right?”

I smile, and he lowers his head to the ground, closing his eyes. I nod to myself and dip the cloth in the warm water before cleaning the dirt around the wound. His pretty silver fur… It’s ruined. I try to clean the area as well as possible and frown.

“This is as good as I can clean you up for now. Your fur is so pretty. As soon as you’ve recovered, I’m gonna give you a bath, big boy.”

As I pet his head, he lets out a pleasant growl, and I giggle. It makes my body tingle weirdly.

“All right. Now to the hard part. This is gonna sting. Are you ready?”

I look into his golden eyes, worried, and he closes his eyes again. “All right, here goes.” I pour some disinfectant on a new cloth and clean his wound.

He growls loudly and twitches, but he doesn’t try to hurt me.

“You’re doing great,” I say. “Just hold still for a while longer.”

I continue to praise him calmly while cleaning his wound and finally finish. I grab some bandage material and tie them together so it’s big enough for him.

“There we go! It’s not perfect, but it will do for now. Tomorrow I’m gonna get some bandages for your size. I never expected to have such a big guest, so I apologize.”

I chuckle and let myself fall back onto the carpet, finally allowing myself to breathe easier again. The fact that this wolf is so tame makes me wonder if he has been around humans before. He has made no move against me, and I’m amazed at how comfortable I am in his presence.

I sigh and move so I am lying down in front of him, looking into his pretty golden eyes. I smile as I stroke the fur on his head.

“You were very brave. I hope you’re going to stay around for a few days. I know you belong out there, but please, stay until your wound is recovered, okay?”

Closing my eyes, I shake my head. I’m pleading with a wild animal! He doesn’t even understand me. Tears form in the corner of my eyes and he whimpers. I glance at him to make sure he’s okay, and I swear I see his eyes flicker blue for a second. I prop myself up on an elbow and gaze into his eyes once more. They’re the same golden hue I’ve seen all along. I must have imagined it.

He inches closer to me and pushes his snout into my chest.

“Ah! What are you doing!?”

His warm breath tickles me, and he licks my skin.

I giggle and pet his head again while feeling his breath warming my skin and calming my nerves. “Is that a yes that you’ll stay?”

Damn, I must be insane to keep a wolf in my home. Cuddling with him even. But for some reason, I’m not afraid.