The Wolf Came on Christmas (Johanna and Alexander) novel Chapter 14

Claim

It hadn’t escaped my notice that he had said precaution… Was someone following them? I suppose

he wouldn’t have needed to hide his scent otherwise; besides, there was still the matter of his

injuries, and I wasn’t very sure I felt like plunging so deeply into whatever mess that werewolf was dragging behind him.

That, at first, prevented a bout of verbal diarrhea, and then Sasha’s crying pulled me away from

asking the question altogether. Alexander pricked up his ears and gave an almost imperceptible start when he heard his daughter cry. He set the other bag of trash down on the table and hurried

out toward the living room. Andre finished adjusting his clothes, and Alexander returned to his

position again, blocking the doorway, with his daughter in his arms.

Seeing him holding the baby somehow made the idea I was forming of him increasingly more ”

friendly.” He might look like a beast, but he was capable of being careful with the little one, jealous

and protective of his son.

That was definitely good for my nerves.

“Well, the house smells much better now. Could you explain to me what it was that I took out in the

trash bag? You’re… well, you’re still covered in fur,” I commented, with no other way to ease the awkwardness. Andre handed me the smaller trash bag from the table, and I held it away from my

body so as not to smell it. “Both of you are, I mean.

Andre laughed and looked at his outfit-the blue sweater and the track pants with vertical stripes

fit him well. I was glad about that; I’d gotten his size right on the first try. But his father wasn’t

dressed, and that made me wonder whether the clothes I’d bought weren’t his size or to his liking,

or what. A part of me felt a little offended. Didn’t he like the clothes? They were probably too small, I figured. Well, two out of three wasn’t bad.

Alexander bared his fangs slightly, perhaps in a smile, and placed his hand between his son’s ears.

The boy lifted his muzzle and celebrated with some yips that sounded more like laughter. I was already getting used to their very canine cadences Andre was truly adorable. At that moment it

seemed to me that I could no longer be afraid of the little one.

What would he be like in his human form?

“Well, it’s easier to change shirts than to try to remove the stain while you’re wearing it. Changing fur was faster and simpler than trying to clean it,” Alexander explained, and I liked his tone because it was casual and he seemed no longer to feel helpless or threatened-or perhaps he was simply in a better mood because he wasn’t in pain anymore, don’t know. He adjusted the baby more comfortably in his arms and went on. “Besides, as long as we stay clean enough, your house won’t smell bad; we’ve been in this form for quite some time and dirt builds up a lot-it’s a bit of a hassle. But we didn’t have another option.”

III

1/4

Chapter 14

I felt that might be a good opportunity.

Claim

“Well, if it’s very uncomfortable for you, don’t worry about me-you can… change, to your human form, I mean. It would be… well, more comfortable for me too, I suppose,” I ventured. “Uh, how are your wounds? Do you need me to change the bandages, or anything? Are you bleeding?”

Alexander looked at me with narrowed eyes, until he said,

“My wounds are better; I’ve already put on another dressing myself. Thank you for asking. And I thank you for the clothes as well. Andre, what do we say?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Johanna!”

It was impossible not to smile at him a little-that child…

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. They suit you very well.”

“Right? I can’t wear shoes like this because my nails bother me, but it’s very comfortable, and I don’t feel naked anymore. Before it was like… strange. Not uncomfortable, but strange. These clothes are very good, it’s like my mom bought them for me.”

I noticed the father tense when the little one mentioned his mother. That put me on alert, but I tried not to lose my composure, to see if I could get Alexander to soften and have them both change into their human forms. I suspected it would be easier for me to deal with them if they didn’t look like fur-covered beings, and at the same time it would be easier for them too, since both of them also spent time as ordinary people, right? No. The truth was that Alexander’s appearance, although imposing and inspiring respect, prompted me to always keep more than three steps away from him and triggered my prey instinct, even though part of me was already at peace with ” what was wrong” about his unreal appearance. His claws, his teeth, his strength-I felt him to be fearsome; I couldn’t help it. As long as we kept a generous distance, I could accept it and even handle it with resolve.

Perhaps, as a man, he would be just as large, but…

But I could look him in the face without hesitation, and I would be completely reassured. It was curious-this didn’t happen with the child.

“I’m glad you like them,” I commented, speaking to Andre, and then addressed his father, gathering the courage to look into his eyes, pretending that seeing that human gaze on that inhuman face didn’t affect me. “And you? You haven’t dressed. Don’t the clothes fit, is it the wrong size?”

“No, actually, they’re the correct size. Just not for… this version of me.”

His thin, black lips pulled into a grimace that looked like an ironic smile. I took my time returning the gesture, faintly, with a touch of cunning.

“Eight? That’s your number?” the werewolf asked me.

“Doesn’t it seem like a good number to you?”

A quick movement on his lupine brow indicated he was raising his eyebrows, and his entire expression shifted to one of disbelief, but no less determination.

O

3/4

< Chapter 14

Claim

“No. It seems very good to me. I was expecting something higher, but… all right. I’ll take care of it right now. May I use your computer-the one in the living room-for a moment? I won’t take long.

And I’ll need an account number as well.”

“An account number?”

“…to transfer the money.”

Of course. Because he was going to make a transfer, naturally.

“…Sure, do whatever you want,” I replied at last, exhausted, and turned my back to look in my wallet

for a card the bank had given me. I then left it on the round table and retreated to my “safe distance” again. “There you go. My number is on that card.”

“Thank you. This will make many things easier for both of us, believe me.”

M

106

Comments

LUCK DRAW >