The Wolf Came on Christmas (Johanna and Alexander) novel Chapter 58

In fact. I was taking it far too well. Why?

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“You have no idea how much,” I growled under my breath. I was freezing out there; my racing pulse was calming quickly, and I was becoming more and more aware that I was only wearing a shirt and a hoodie. Jeans aren’t exactly warm either. I chose to focus on him instead-there was something about that wolf that didn’t sit right with me. “Why didn’t you change to fight? Isn’t it better? Or is it because of your swords?”

He looked at me for less than a second, then went back to scanning the surroundings before kindly answering:

“That has nothing to do with my martial skill. It’s just that I don’t change forms, like they do.”

I may or may not-have blinked very fast several times, incredulous. Not only because of the nature of his answer, but because he had answered me honestly. He didn’t seem like the talkative type, much less someone who liked discussing personal matters. I still remembered the first time I spoke with Ishida and how reluctant he’d been when he realized how much Alexander had told me.

“What do you mean, you don’t change? You’re a werewolf like the others, right?”

“Yes and no,” he said with a growl. He definitely didn’t like talking about it much, but if he hadn’t wanted to explain, he could’ve just left it there and ignored me. “I don’t change like the others. I have this… defect, I guess you’d call it. I can’t shift. It never happened when I was younger, and it never will. But that hasn’t taken away my strength or endurance.”

“So you don’t have a… proper form, like Alexander or Richie or Christian?”

“I believe that’s what I just said.”

“Why? I mean-how is that possible?” I insisted, intrigued.

It was ironic how earlier I’d been worried (and, somewhat frightened) by a human who could turn into a giant half-canine creature, and now I was much more concerned about one who had this rare genetic condition and couldn’t transform at all. I didn’t know whether to feel pity or relief for Ishida.

“…I have no idea,” he told me patiently. “It’s very rare, but it happens. I’m not the only one; apparently about zero point five percent of the male population of our race has this problem. Whatever it is, my defective gene is even more defective and rare. That’s why I trained in swordsmanship-because I don’t have any other way to defend myself except my strength and agility.”

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<Chapter 58-1

“And your son? You said you had a son.”

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“Keitaro-chan will turn two in January,” he sighed, then continued. “There’s a good chance he’ll be a healthy, strong boy of our race, with all the faculties and abilities. From what I understand, my particular condition isn’t necessarily hereditary.”

“Oh. I see,” I replied, nodding. It left me amazed.

Because, well-every day I was learning something new about these people, and if I didn’t take advantage of these moments of cordiality, how was I supposed to satisfy my curiosity? I think that, by then, after my performance as an “active” member of the group, I’d earned a bit of trust. We stayed quiet for a moment longer, and I started wondering whether Alexander was tending to Andre before coming back for me. And honestly, I wasn’t feeling as bad anymore; maybe I could walk and-

“…I wonder how that creature managed to get into the house,” I heard myself say, almost without thinking.

Ishida gave a deep, very animal growl.

“I wonder the same thing, and I’m going to find out no matter what,” he said, his voice tinged with helpless rage. He’dragged certain consonants more when he was angry, I noticed-like Alexander emphasizing his Russian accent under stress. “It makes me furious that some flea-ridden cat got past my security. It’s so humiliating. I feel so ashamed right now. If anyone in the group had been hurt-or the children, or you…”

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› Chapter 58-2

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Chapter 58-2

The intensity of his words and the anger with which he spoke sent a chill through me, so I immediately said:

“Hey-what are you talking about? You saved us! You’re amazing with those swords!”

He gave a respectful half-bow, then smiled a little, more encouraged.

“Thank you. I appreciate the courtesy.”

What was the point of complaining and telling him to put me down? None.

If there was one thing I already understood about Alexander, it was that he was extremely stubborn. So I tried to relax and enjoy the ride. I already saw a long, soapy bath in my future- I felt like I’d never get the smell of his dirty fur off my skin unless I scrubbed hard.

Ishida didn’t hesitate to follow us either, after locking the truck properly. I looked at him over Alexander’s furry shoulder, uneasy about that last warning his leader had given him.

“What happened with Toshi? Why did you tell him that?”

Alexander flattened his ears and wrinkled his muzzle slightly.

“The Hattai are raised like samurai. That’s just how things are done in his family-I have nothing against it; their discipline is unmatched. But in feudal Japan, if a samurai failed his lord, he committed ritual suicide to wash away his shame and that of his entire family. And I made Toshi swear that if he ever failed me, he’d make amends in an honorable way that had nothing to do with killing himself. It was a huge shock to his code-and apparently it still is,” he explained quietly. When we reached the porch, Alexander lifted me higher against his chest. “By the way-thank you for protecting my children. Again,” he whispered in my ear. You’ve got a lot of wolf in you. No doubt about it.”

I couldn’t stop my cheeks from burning with embarrassment.

I distracted myself by looking down over my shoulder and spotted a purple smear half-buried in the snow. It looked torn to shreds.

Well-I don’t know what was more uncomfortable: knowing how casual I was letting myself

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Chapter 58-2

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be carried against his warm body, covered in that incredibly soft (though smelly) fur; or the pleasant shivers that ran down my spine when I heard his voice so close and felt his breath on my skin. Either way, it was different from how I’d felt around him before-maybe because we were closer than we’d ever been (with me fully conscious, that is).

That was the beginning of another problem for me.

One that had nothing to do with cats.

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