The Wolf Came on Christmas (Johanna and Alexander) novel Chapter 9

completely forgot about the gas issue when I opened the door again and realized that in my house the smell of dirty dog was even more intense than I had believed.

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“For Heaven’s sake!” I exclaimed, and covered my nose well with the edge of my scarf. “But how

can it stink so much in here?”

Andre came running toward me as soon as he heard me speak.

His face was lit up with joy and his ears were stiff on top of his head; he was hopping in place…

“Mrs. Johana! You came back!”

“…Uh! Of course I came back, sweetheart, I live here.” I smiled at him, although on the other hand I was trying with all my strength not to breathe in the smell of filth and carrion that was in the living room. “Won’t you help me carry the bags to the kitchen? I have something to show you.”

That “sweetheart” slipped out of my lips the way someone wishes “good morning,” just that easily.

I didn’t let the boy go outside into full daylight, just in case; I took it upon myself to go to the jeep and come back with everything I had bought. As I became aware of the number of bundles I was carrying, I began to wonder how much I had spent on those things I didn’t have to buy…

And again, what was I doing? What was I going to gain from that?

Well, maybe I would have the satisfaction of knowing I had done a good deed and being able to tell a great story once he left. If they left. A current of cold wind hit my back and made me tremble from head to toe for an instant. It would snow again soon, and my head was buzzing with activity. For a moment an imperative need to write took over me, to channel at once everything that was surging in uncontrollable bursts. I ran through in my mind the next ideas to put down while I brought two or three packages at a time into the house, ironically, as if it were any ordinary day.

When I came in with the last grocery bags, my eyes went to the fireplace, looking for the giant bundle covered with the blanket.

The werewolf was no longer where I had left him!

I backed slowly toward the door, which I had closed behind me, and my hands began to tremble. The bags fell to the floor when I saw the blanket on the sofa. Luckily, the only things that got hit were the diaper packages for Sasha. And my heart and my jaw, which slammed terribly against the tile, because fear crawled under my skin immediately when I could not find Alexander’s shape anywhere. Andre came back to me and hurried to pick up the things I had dropped, watching me closely.

I noticed him for an instant. He was moving his nose, sniffing me.

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<Chapter 9

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“Why are you afraid, Mrs. Johanna?” he asked me, in an anguished tone.

“Andre, where…? Where is your dad?” I said, slowly.

It was the moment of truth, and I was so scared I could have screamed.

The wolf-boy straightened up with the bags pressed against his chest, sinking his small claws into the soft surface of the diaper packs, and looked at me again with shining eyes, as if everything were flowers and candy. He was beside himself with excitement, and I would have liked to be able

to share his joy, but no.

Chapter 9

“…Ah.” That was all I could say, pinned to the door.

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The gigantic werewolf looked at me with more interest and angled his ears in my direction. A hollow growl echoed inside him, but something worth noting is that he hadn’t even wrinkled his muzzle to show his teeth, those enormous fangs I knew he had. He wasn’t calm, though he didn’t

seem to be attacking either; perhaps there was no reason for me to feel so threatened in his majestic presence.

The only thing he did was raise his free paw and set it on Andre’s shoulder, cautiously, but it felt more like a protective gesture toward his son.

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