She sat down and positioned her legs on either side of his head. Wrapping the sheet around her hands, she dug in her heels and pulled.
She managed to move the wolf a few inches.
She backed up a step, sat, and pulled again.
Once again, she managed to move the animal a few inches.
Her back screamed in protest by the time she got the wolf onto the porch.
Under the soft glow of the porch light, snow was falling in sheets across the yard. She glanced at her wolf. Her heart tugged for the wounded creature.
“You’ll be okay out here, won’t you, boy?” Even as she said it, she didn’t believe her own words.
The only movement the wolf made was the struggle to breathe, its short, shallow pants coming harder and harder.
“I’ll get you some water.” Kate hurried back into the house and rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, looking for a suitable water bowl. The closest thing she could find to a dog bowl was a mixing bowl. It would just have to do.
She walked outside and set the bowl of water near the makeshift bed. “Hopefully Beau will get my message and be over here soon.” She ran her fingers through his fur and finally stood, some part of her not wanting to leave him. She walked over the porch railing and watched the fast falling snow. Before morning there would be more than a few inches on the ground.
“I guess you’ll be okay out here...” Her mouth dropped as the wolf stood and limped through the front door into her house.
“Wait! You can’t go inside.” He turned at her words, his eyes weak with fatigue and pain. Somehow she knew at that moment if she asked him to come outside, he’d do it.
Stepping through the door, she eyed the giant beast that was now standing in her house. He was even bigger on four legs.
“I guess you can spend the night right here by the door.” She went out and gathered up his makeshift bed. Walking inside, she closed the door. She glanced around, but he was nowhere in sight.
“Shit.” She dropped the linens and hurried through the house.
When she reached her bedroom, she froze. Lying on his side, with his head resting on her pillow, was the wolf.
“Look buddy, I don’t share my bed with just anybody.” She wagged her finger at him.
He lifted his head weakly and let it fall against the pillow.
Her heart melted. How could she stay mad at such a helpless creature?
“Okay, but no slobbering on my pillow.” She saw his lips curl slightly, and she couldn’t help but smile at how expressive he was.
What the hell had she gotten herself into? There was a freaking wolf. In her bed.
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She glanced at the wolf one last time before closing the bedroom door and heading into the living room. Grabbing a quilt from the closet, she headed for the sofa.
Just her luck. Not only was the wolf at the door, he was now in her bed.
***
Amidst the blizzard of pain raging through his body, Braxton burrowed deeper into the soft pillow that carried the heavenly scent of the female. It was her scent that had him fighting death with every molecule in his damaged body. It was for her he wanted to live, just to have another minute of her voice, her touch, her presence.
Another bolt of raw pain shot through his chest, reminding him of how short on time he really was. He had lived his life trying to protect the woman who’d given him birth, only to be accused by her of being a murderer.
How could his mother think he’d kill his father? Not that he hadn’t entertained the thought, but hell, if he wanted to do it, he would have done it years ago. Then he would have had a chance to live his life, to maybe fall in love and find a mate. Instead, he’d wasted his life in the shit hole strip club in Shreveport, protecting his mother, who didn’t even want to be protected.
How fucked up was that?
Braxton sucked in another shallow breath. The image of the blonde female filled his mind, taking the edge off his pain.
An ache of a different kind slapped him across his heart. He wouldn’t live long enough to see his female in his human form. He wouldn’t have the chance to touch her, to talk, to make love to her.
Braxton rubbed his nose in her pillow, wanting her scent all over him. If he were going to die tonight, he wanted to take her scent with him into the afterlife.
***
Kate jerked awake at the sharp pounding at her front door. Throwing off the quilt, she padded to the window and peeked out. She quickly unlocked and opened the door.
“I got over here as soon as I heard your message. What’s wrong? Did your pipes break?” Beau cast a furtive glance around the room and then back at her.
“There’s a hurt animal. I’m not sure what’s wrong with him. I think he got hit by a car.” Kate glanced over her shoulder and motioned with her hand for Beau to follow.
“So you put it in your room?” Beau lifted his eyebrow.
“Not exactly. He walked into my room when I turned my back.”
Beau snorted. “So what is it, a dog or cat?”