The Wolf Came on Christmas (Johanna and Alexander) novel Chapter 36

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“Hello, Hans. Thank you for coming so quickly,” Alexander replied, more focused on me. “Do you have needle and suture thread? Skin patches and all that? I need them. And bandages, disinfectants, wound ointment…”

He turned just for a moment to give his fellow kind that particular greeting that consisted of gripping each other firmly by the wrist.

“I have everything. The idea was to operate on you,” the newcomer said, then looked at me. Ma’am, my name is Hans Schneider, I’m a doctor,” he added, and I looked at him for a moment as well before returning the greeting with a slight nod of my head-something that, to my paranoid self, would have set off alarms. “Alexander, let me treat her and you go rest a bit. I need you strong for the procedure.”

The one in question was busy with something else.

“No, I’m fine,” Alexander cut him off quickly. “I’ll take care of her myself. I need you to go to the other room and stand guard there until Richie and Chris get back. My children are there and it would be good if you stayed with them-I don’t trust the security of the windows.”

Hans looked at him with some doubt, and I thought I was about to witness another moment in which Alexander would exert his leader’s influence over him, but that didn’t happen. The doctor nodded, crouched beside the bed, and took a couple of things out of the portable medical kit. He set several packets, plastic jars, and bottles on the nightstand, then decided to leave without a word. That, too, was quite impressive. I realized that even in his maturity and evident superiority through experience, Hans was very respectful of his “alpha’s” orders- perhaps more so than any other young member of his species.

When we were alone again, I barely opened my mouth to say:

“He’s a doctor, right?”

Alexander had already picked up a small surgical scissors. He froze and looked at me with

concern.

“… Would you prefer Hans to handle this?” he asked, hesitating.

“I don’t know him,” I ended up saying, in the same tone he’d used.

“…All right,” he agreed, and looked at me for a moment before returning to his task.

I don’t really know what happened there. I don’t know. I think it was my way of asking him not to leave me alone-I’d just been attacked by an unknown creature and wounded by its claws,

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Chapter 36-1

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and my trust was a very fragile thing that I didn’t want to place in just anyone. Alexander had earned it quite thoroughly over the past twenty-four hours.

“… You got your clothes dirty with my blood,” I pointed out.

“They can be washed,” he sighed, then looked at me again. “This might hurt.”

Yes, he had earned all my trust. Because what can a weak person do, except entrust themselves to the protection of someone stronger? Alexander was clearly capable of being that person, and at that moment I wasn’t in any condition to think clearly. I couldn’t defend myself with my bare hands, no matter how much I wanted to. Ah-but once I managed to get a rifle… I should have gotten one earlier.

I tried to smile to show that I agreed with his help.

“…All right. I’m going to cut the clothing to remove it,” he said, clearing his throat. Carefully, he stretched my injured arm and rested it on his thigh, then slid the scissors under the edge of my sweater sleeve. He began cutting toward my shoulder. “It looks like there’s a lot of blood, but I don’t think it’s a very deep wound. Feline claws are designed to puncture and tear grooves, unlike ours, which only scratch. Canines don’t have sharp claws-cats need them because they’re very adept climbers.”

He explained all that as if I cared. What it actually did was give me chills.

But then I realized he needed to distract himself too-he wasn’t as calm as he seemed on the outside. Looking at his face more closely, I noticed his beard was growing in a bit (and it was as blond as his hair), and his skin looked somewhat pale, even under the weak light of a 60-watt lamp. Not only did he look worse for wear-his eyes seemed clouded, and a bead of sweat was sliding slowly down his temple.

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Chapter 36-2

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Chapter 36-2

I frowned and shifted so I could move my good arm. I placed my palm on his forehead, completely trusting.

Just as I suspected, he was burning with fever.

“You have a fever, Alexander,” I told him sharply.

“I know. Since last night.”

“It’s the infection, right?” I asked, and he nodded slowly. “Then why don’t you go to your doctor and let him remove those bullets once and for all?” I scolded him, angry. “Do you want to die and leave your children alone? What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Enduring it. I’ve endured fifteen days-quite a record for anyone of my kind.”

He helped me take the pill and the water, and I watched his face grow paler and more sweaty.

“You’re done with me-now go to your doctor, please,” I begged him anxiously.

Alexander nodded, his eyes falling on my uninjured hand.

“What is that you have there?” he asked.

I opened my hand and remembered the piece of cloth.

“…I don’t know. I saw it on the porch-I think that beast had it,” I replied.

Chapter 36-2

“Is it a handkerchief?”

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His words alerted me, and as I connected the dots unconsciously, a cold wave ran down my spine. I looked more closely at the crumpled piece of fabric in my hand. It had serged edges and a little blue flower embroidered by hand in one corner. I would recognize it anywhere-it was one of mine, from a batch I’d made some time ago, when crafts helped keep me busy and out of post-traumatic depressions. Later, I started writing and ended up with a whole bunch of identical handkerchiefs.

I spread the dirty cloth over the bedspread, my throat dry.

It had motor grease stains.

“Alexander, I… I think I lured the monster here,” I confessed, feeling very stupid.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, alarmed.

I held the handkerchief up in front of him, my hand shaking again.

“Yesterday, when I went into town, I gave a ride to a boy whose motorcycle had broken down on the road. His hands were dirty with grease, and I gave him this very handkerchief to clean them,” I explained, my voice trembling now. “It’s my fault. All of this. My God, Alexander, I brought him here! It’s my fault he found you!”

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