Page 10 of The Healer and the Wolf, Part One

10

VANESSA

S o, the wolf was really a man.

Insanity.

I woke up having to deal with the fact that my entire view of the world had been inverted overnight. Not only were werewolves real, but one was sleeping on my couch. Oh, and apparently there were other types of magical beasties that could just flick between human and animal at a whim, too.

Absolute insanity.

No way in hell would I ever have believed such a thing if it hadn’t happened right in front of my very eyes. But even though I’d literally witnessed it, a huge part of my brain still wanted to deny it.

Groaning, I slid out of bed, half-hoping my living room was empty and I’d only had the world’s most vivid dream. But Goober wasn’t in his normal spot on my bed, which was just about the last little blip of freakishness I needed.

My cats had a very specific system with how they slept. It was all part of our little colony’s hierarchy. Mudpie was always stretched out above my head, Fork slept half-off the foot of the bed or between my calves, and Goober always liked to cuddle in my arms or at the small of my back. They were all consistent, which helped me when my depression really made me want to rot in bed.

But Goober was missing.

With everything going on, it didn’t surprise me that concern rushed through me. After throwing on a robe, I hurried downstairs. To my absolute shock, my giant cat wasn’t just hanging out with the strange man crashing in my living room. He was sleeping on Leo’s chest.

I couldn’t believe it. While I hadn’t had many visitors to my home, I’d had enough to know that while my cats were relatively friendly when they had to be, they were stand-offish when they met new people. Yet Goober was right there, rumbling away on a stranger’s chest.

It was pretty damn sweet.

All my anxiety fizzled away, and I was struck in a very poignant, domestic way. I didn’t have anyone with whom I could share my cats and their amazing—and maybe a little dramatic—personalities. Leo had been a human for only a night, and he’d already made friends with my family.

My heart ached, but I didn’t know what to do with the sensation, so I just let my eyes drift.

And drift they did. Over Leo’s body and how it took up all the space on my thrifted couch. Over his muscled arms, his broad chest, his handsome face. And although he was incredibly attractive, I couldn’t help but notice just how worn he looked.

Poor guy.

Somehow, I had found myself caught up in the strangest version of The Princess and the Frog to ever exist, considering I certainly wasn’t royalty, and I very much doubted Leo was, either.

He was rather intense. Not in a bad way, just a… well, intense one. When he’d looked at me the night before, it felt like there were thousands of things going on behind those beautiful green eyes of his. Things even he didn’t understand. It was intimidating, in a way, but also incredibly intriguing. I wanted to know more about him and all the impossible paradoxes that came along with him.

Since I’d helped him as a wolf, I might as well help him as a human. Trying to walk softly, unsure of how sharp the man’s senses might be, I went to the kitchen and looked around. After feeding a wolf for several days, I didn’t have a ton of food left, but I had far more human fare to work with. He had to be ravenous. Magical transformations seemed to take an awful lot of energy.

After a bit of rooting around, I decided to make an entire multipack of ramen in the biggest pot I had. Once I had the noodles in, I spiced it up with hot sauce, extra greens from my garden, and a couple of eggs for extra protein. Normally, a single pack with some added greenery was enough for my lunch and dinner, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be nearly enough for Leo. Maybe I read too many fantasy books, but pretty much in every one of them, mythical beasts always had mythical appetites.

I added some garlic powder and onion powder, along with a splash of sesame oil, soy sauce, and a little bit of MSG for flair. Thankfully, I was pretty sure the wolf had missed out on the rather xenophobic hysteria about the harmless seasoning, so I didn’t have to worry about any pushback there.

Just when it began to smell quite good, Leo appeared in the door as if the aroma had summoned him. I flashed him an uncertain grin, still not sure what to make of him. He was devastatingly handsome, and when he spoke, there was such an intense gravitas to his voice that I wanted to lean in and hear more. But also, he was a fucking stranger who had just been a wolf and had probably been cursed? Wild.

Hopefully he’d been cursed by someone evil rather than him being the evil that needed to be cursed. I had assumed the former, but I really had no proof of that. We could have a real Knights of the Old Republic situation on our hands, with neither of us knowing it. Granted, I was certain Leo had never heard of KOTOR—most people hadn’t.

Unsurprisingly, Leo devoured the food with gusto, making smacking sounds and—uh, was that a growl ? It was kind of flattering, but also a little gross. Now that he was human again, I’d have to refresh him on his table manners. Not a big deal, but it would certainly make life a little easier for him.

He finished the giant bowl in record time and sat back with a satisfied sigh.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his eyes closed as he rubbed his stomach. Underneath all that dirt, tangled hair, and impressively thick beard, he looked quite content. “That was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.” He frowned, his lips pulling to the side. “Well, that I remember eating.”

Yeah, I was definitely flattered. “If you liked that, you should see what I can cook once I get paid. This was just all emergency stash kinda stuff.”

He gave me a confused look. If he’d forgotten who he was, then he probably wasn’t all that familiar with getting a paycheck, either.

“I’m a little short on money, and money is what we use to buy things, so I need to wait until my job gives me money to get more food.”

“Ah.” He looked troubled, and I wondered if I’d done something wrong. “I think I remember money.”

“Don’t stress too much on that one. Money is complicated.”

“I think I remember that, too.”

Was that a hint of humor I detected? I chuckled softly and wanted to dive right back into asking more questions, when one of my alarms on my phone went off.

Leo was on his feet in an instant, eyes wide. “What’s that?”

“Sorry. That’s my alarm. I only have ten minutes before I need to leave to make it to work on time. It’s okay. Nothing dangerous.”

“Oh.” He sat back down, and I couldn’t read his face again. “So, you’re leaving?”

“I have to, but I’ll be back tonight. You can stick around the house if you like, but do not, under any circumstances, let my cats out. They are indoor pets and indoor pets only.”

“I understand.”

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay alone?” It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, but also, he was still a stranger. Yet he also wasn’t. It was one of the many strange things about discovering the random wolf I’d helped was less wild animal and more of a magical man trapped within a beastie shell.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. Thank you for asking.”

I nodded, wanting to say more, but I couldn’t. I hurriedly got dressed, splashed some water on my face, and rushed out the door. Sadly, I wouldn’t have a packed lunch, but oh, well.

Hopefully, work would be chill for once, and I wouldn’t come back to my house on fire.

Work was nicer than usual because Tiffany wasn’t on the schedule. I made it through the day without much drama, then cycled home as fast as my legs would allow, wondering if I was going to find a horror scene from leaving Leo alone in my home. I hoped he had the good sense not to turn the gas stove on or flood the bathroom.

Oh, God, did he even know where the bathroom was? Or would he simply take a dump in the middle of my living room?

As awful as that would be, it was also kind of hilarious. Gross, yes, but hilarious.

However, when I entered, there was no mess and no smell of gas or excrement. That was certainly a relief. Hanging my keys by the door, I went to the living room. Leo was sitting on the floor with several books around him. He wasn’t alone. All the cats were either lying around him or in his lap.

Now, that I hadn’t expected. Goober seemed to already have an understanding with the man, but Mudpie? She was the most discerning of my felines. While she would accept people, she only cuddled with me.

Well, apparently not just me anymore.

My gaze flicked back to Leo’s face as he studiously stared at the book, his dirty finger slowly moving across the page while his lips moved. He looked so locked in—a keen mind behind those bright green eyes of his.

Unbidden, my mind filled with images of those same calloused digits sliding down my spine, sinking into the soft skin on my hips. His grip would be so firm, maybe even leaving lovely little bruises instead of my kitchen counters taking that responsibility every time I ran into them. He could hold me in place just right while?—

Whoa. Slow down there, girlie.

It took a great force of will not to blush vermillion, and I forced my thoughts in a different direction. It wasn’t very kind for me to lust after the man like he was a piece of meat when he was injured and trying to recover.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly, not wanting to startle him. He was concentrating so intensely.

When he looked up, his eyes were wide with wonder, and he had such a broad, dopey grin on his face that tugged at my heartstrings. “I remembered how to read,” he said, his voice clogged with emotion. I didn’t blame him one bit. If someone had suddenly made me illiterate, I’d be pissed about it and also booking it to the nearest library once I could read again. “You have an amazing collection.”

Collection? Was he really calling my ramshackle assortment of books a collection? All my books were secondhand or gifts.

Blushing, I shrugged. “It’s all right,” I murmured, wondering why my cheeks were burning so hard. “Oh, I stopped at the thrift shop across from my work on my lunch break. I think I found some stuff that’ll fit you. Nothing fashionable, of course, but I doubt you’ll be walking the runway anytime soon.”

He gave me another odd look, like he was trying to puzzle together what I meant, and I reminded myself he probably didn’t understand pop-culture references. I mean, the man had only just remembered that he could read. Supermodels and high fashion weren’t exactly on his docket.

“Thank you,” he said after a beat, once again sounding so serious and genuine that it made me blush. Carefully extricating himself from the cat, he stood and started pulling the rotted rags from his muscled frame.

“Whoa, hey there!” I cried, whirling around and slapping my hands over my eyes.

Right. I didn’t know how I kept forgetting that the guy had literally been a wild animal for who knew how long. Naturally, things like modesty and nudity didn’t even register for him. Whew, we were going to need to sit down and discuss social norms if I didn’t want to burst out of my own skin with embarrassment.

And maybe a little bit of interest.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, sounding so sheepish that I wanted to turn around and comfort him. But I also didn’t want to take advantage of his na?veté. It would be easy to, but the thought made my stomach churn violently.

“Hey, before you put on the clean clothes, how about you take a shower?”

There was, yet again, no answer for an extended time. With anyone else, I would think they were offended. But with Leo, I was willing to guess that he had no idea what I was talking about.

“Do you remember what a shower is?”

“I… no.”

Drat. He’d gone from sounding happy and full of wonder to bewildered again. Guilt roiled in my belly for ruining his mood.

“It’s where you wash yourself. With water that can be heated or cold.” I kept my voice as gentle as I could. “Would you like me to show you to my upstairs bathroom?”

“Uh, yes. I would like that.”

“Are you decent?”

“Decent?”

I took a deep breath, willing myself to be patient. I wasn’t upset with him, but I was getting flustered with myself and all my missteps. “I mean, are you still clothed?”

“As much as I was before.”

“Good.”

I turned around slowly, just in case Leo was a bit misinformed by exactly how dressed he was. Both relief and the tiniest sliver of disappointment slithered through me when I saw he was as covered as he’d been since his transformation. Thank goodness for small mercies. Although, there wasn’t a lot about the man that was actually small.

“Here,” I said, offering my hand and pushing my thoughts decidedly out of that direction. “Let me show you. It’ll be good for you, I swear.”

Leo took a long look at my palm, then my face, before slowly putting his hand in mine. His skin was rough and surprisingly hot. Did shifters run at a different temperature than humans? Perhaps. I’d certainly learned of stranger things in the past twenty-four hours.

Together, we went upstairs, and I pulled him into my small bathroom. “So, this here is the tub and the shower. You can take a bath in this if you want by stopping the plug down there.” I pointed while I explained, trying my best to go slowly. “But I recommend showering really thoroughly before you do, otherwise you’re kind of just soaking in filth.

“You control the shower with these knobs here, that can affect the temperature. This one is hot. This one is cold. If you use the toilet and flush, that could make it…”

I trailed off when Leo looked so utterly overwhelmed. It truly did make me feel bad for him, especially when he looked down at his own filthy body.

“I’m still stuck as more of an animal than a man, aren’t I?”

Fucking heartbreaking.

My throat tightened at the sorrow in his voice. I didn’t know what to say because the whole situation was completely outside of my depth, but I felt so sorry for him. He was essentially getting a crash course in humanity after it had been stolen from him for far too long. He was almost like a POW in a way, locked away from society and desperately trying to reintegrate.

His vulnerability touched me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Despite his intimidating appearance and the fact that he could shift into a wolf, Leo was clearly very much out of his depth.

I made my voice as soothing as I could. “Would you like a little help?”

Leo’s posture visibly relaxed, and relief flooded his handsome features. “Would you?”

I nodded, swallowing hard, trying to square my shoulders like I knew what I was doing. “Of course. Whatever you need.”