been dreaming. She sucked in great lungfuls of air and looked around. It was light. The clock on the wall read eleven. An inquisitive sound from her wolf had her reaching down to rub his broad head. She swore he looked like he was smiling.
While he checked all around her yard and took care of his needs, she programmed a cup of espresso with steady hands. Despite everything she’d endured the night before, she felt good today.
The doorbell caused her to flinch and spill a bit of her coffee. “Goddess, get a hold of yourself,” she muttered. She turned towards the door and a key slid into the lock. With the stress of the break-in, she’d forgotten her transfusion appointment. The wolf padded back inside as Lillian came in the front door. He looked up at Mara and growled softly, questioning her.
“It’s okay,” she told him, stroking his head. Lillian stopped in her tracks as she took in the proud animal next to Mara.
“Mar? Can you put the wolf outside?”
“Come on in, Aunt Lil. He won’t hurt you.” Mara looked at her wolf. He wouldn’t take his eyes off of Mara. “Will you?” The wolf lay down and tucked his nose under his paws.
“I’ll stay over here, thanks,” Lillian said warily. “I’m with Adam, hon. That’s a wild animal. Not a house pet.”
“Look at him. Does he look wild to you?” Mara knelt and scratched the wolf behind the ears. He pressed closer to her.
“He looks like he’d kill anyone who tried to hurt you.”
Mara laughed. “Well, you’ve got that right. But you’re not going to hurt me so you’re safe. You probably do want to sit down,” she said. “Let me make you some coffee. We need to talk before we go to the hospital.”
While the coffee beans ground and the water heated, she filled a bowl with a mix of beef and bison and set it on the ground for the wolf. He dug in greedily, slurping and chomping loudly. Mara set the steaming mug in front of her aunt and sat down at the table with her. “Someone broke into my house last night.”
“What?” Lillian slammed her coffee cup down. The wolf looked up and cocked his head, but when Mara smiled at him, he went back to eating. Mara laid her hand over Lillian’s. Pale, wrinkled, paper-thin skin covered bony, fragile hands. Lil had aged a decade since Mara had gotten sick. She was doing too much: shopping, driving her to appointments, even cleaning her house. Clasping her aunt’s hands tightly, Mara forced brightness into her voice.
“The wolf chased him away. He protected me. You see? He’s not going to hurt me. I can’t explain it, but he’s not normal. I think he understands me, and he’s definitely been domesticated somehow.” The wolf finished his breakfast and sat next to Mara. He watched Lillian keenly, but his body was relaxed and calm and he laid his head on Mara’s thigh.
Lillian glared at Mara. “You’re movin’ in with me. You’re not stayin’ here another night.”
“I’m fine here. Especially now. I feel better today than I have in months and I only got about four hours of sleep last night. I’m not even sure that I need a transfusion today. I’ll go, because it’s today or wait until Monday, but I really feel pretty good. And this is my home. I’m staying until I can’t take care of myself any longer. The wolf—he saved my life last night.”
“You do look better,” Lillian mused. “Look. I’m not happy about him,” she said, gesturing to the wolf. “But as long as you don’t expect me to take him in when . . .”
“When I die. You can say it, you know. I’ve accepted it. Despite my little outburst last night. Sometimes I think I’m the only one who has.”
Lillian looked uncomfortable. “You’re so your mama’s daughter. That was her way, you know. That directness. Fine. As long as I don’t have to take him in when you die, I can’t stop you. But if he ends up attackin’ you and killin’ you, I’m gonna come hunt you down in the afterlife and kick yer
While he checked all around her yard and took care of his needs, she programmed a cup of espresso with steady hands. Despite everything she’d endured the night before, she felt good today.
The doorbell caused her to flinch and spill a bit of her coffee. “Goddess, get a hold of yourself,” she muttered. She turned towards the door and a key slid into the lock. With the stress of the break-in, she’d forgotten her transfusion appointment. The wolf padded back inside as Lillian came in the front door. He looked up at Mara and growled softly, questioning her.
“It’s okay,” she told him, stroking his head. Lillian stopped in her tracks as she took in the proud animal next to Mara.
“Mar? Can you put the wolf outside?”
“Come on in, Aunt Lil. He won’t hurt you.” Mara looked at her wolf. He wouldn’t take his eyes off of Mara. “Will you?” The wolf lay down and tucked his nose under his paws.
“I’ll stay over here, thanks,” Lillian said warily. “I’m with Adam, hon. That’s a wild animal. Not a house pet.”
“Look at him. Does he look wild to you?” Mara knelt and scratched the wolf behind the ears. He pressed closer to her.
“He looks like he’d kill anyone who tried to hurt you.”
Mara laughed. “Well, you’ve got that right. But you’re not going to hurt me so you’re safe. You probably do want to sit down,” she said. “Let me make you some coffee. We need to talk before we go to the hospital.”
While the coffee beans ground and the water heated, she filled a bowl with a mix of beef and bison and set it on the ground for the wolf. He dug in greedily, slurping and chomping loudly. Mara set the steaming mug in front of her aunt and sat down at the table with her. “Someone broke into my house last night.”
“What?” Lillian slammed her coffee cup down. The wolf looked up and cocked his head, but when Mara smiled at him, he went back to eating. Mara laid her hand over Lillian’s. Pale, wrinkled, paper-thin skin covered bony, fragile hands. Lil had aged a decade since Mara had gotten sick. She was doing too much: shopping, driving her to appointments, even cleaning her house. Clasping her aunt’s hands tightly, Mara forced brightness into her voice.
“The wolf chased him away. He protected me. You see? He’s not going to hurt me. I can’t explain it, but he’s not normal. I think he understands me, and he’s definitely been domesticated somehow.” The wolf finished his breakfast and sat next to Mara. He watched Lillian keenly, but his body was relaxed and calm and he laid his head on Mara’s thigh.
Lillian glared at Mara. “You’re movin’ in with me. You’re not stayin’ here another night.”
“I’m fine here. Especially now. I feel better today than I have in months and I only got about four hours of sleep last night. I’m not even sure that I need a transfusion today. I’ll go, because it’s today or wait until Monday, but I really feel pretty good. And this is my home. I’m staying until I can’t take care of myself any longer. The wolf—he saved my life last night.”
“You do look better,” Lillian mused. “Look. I’m not happy about him,” she said, gesturing to the wolf. “But as long as you don’t expect me to take him in when . . .”
“When I die. You can say it, you know. I’ve accepted it. Despite my little outburst last night. Sometimes I think I’m the only one who has.”
Lillian looked uncomfortable. “You’re so your mama’s daughter. That was her way, you know. That directness. Fine. As long as I don’t have to take him in when you die, I can’t stop you. But if he ends up attackin’ you and killin’ you, I’m gonna come hunt you down in the afterlife and kick yer
Similar Books
