For now, I’d be going home alone.
Or, at the very least, to the wolf in my bed.
He was still sleeping as I entered my bedroom, pulling off the clothes that smelled like stale coffee. I tried not to wear any of my favorite outfits to work, as even with an apron on, I ended up spilling on myself.
Sure, I didn’thaveto work the front counter any more as manager, but I still loved the energy of the shop. I wasn’t a witch who was skilled in auras, but there was something about the general cheeriness at the Witches’ Brew that always seemed to energize me.
After quickly changing and pulling on a comfy crewneck plus a pair of leggings, I sat on the edge of my bed to check on the wolf.
He’d clearly changed positions since I left this morning, which was a relief. Though he didn’t seem too apt to walk yet, at least if he could move, the worst of it was over. At least, I hoped. I wasn’t a doctor, nor was I a vet, but his injuries were healing well and seemed less red than before.
Now that I had the potion from Willow—she’d dropped it off before I’d left for the day—I hoped it would help with generating new, healthy tissue and helping him feel less lethargic. Though the brew was definitely formulated more for a human than a wolf. I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to get him to drink it, but that was a different problem.
I smiled, watching him sleep. His russet fur was growing back in from where I’d had to shave it, thank the goddess. It was soft—and I was honestly obsessed with how cuddly he was. I’d gotten used to sleeping next to him. Originally, it had been because I was worried about leaving him alone. The first few days, it felt like I’d woken up every few hours to heal him. Now, it was that I liked his body heat—even if his giant form took up most of my queen-sized bed.
One eye blinked open, looking at me as I ran my fingers through his pelt. “Hi,” I said, wishing I could read his mind. It would be nice to understand animals and to know what my wolf was thinking. “I’m home,” I said. “Obviously.”
He perked his ears up, tilting his head to the side as he looked at me.
I ran my finger down his spine. “My friend Willow—she’s my boss, actually—she made you a potion to drink. It should help aid your healing. I know you might not trust me, but I hate seeing you hurting.” I continued petting him, because it seemed like it helped.
And okay, maybe it just helped me.
Here was this big, giant animal that I’d always been told to be afraid of, and he was simply laying on my bed, letting me pet him. Every day, I felt like I was letting down my guard a little bit more.
He wasn’t going to hurt me. Honestly, he felt more like a dog than a wolf right now.
“Will you drink it?” I grabbed the to-go cup. It just looked like soup, honestly. It didn’t even smell bad. Witches all over town came to Willow for her potions—for everything from memory potions to sleeping draughts.“Please?” The wolf’s eyes dragged from the cup up to mine, like he was trying to parse out whatever was inside of it. “I promise, I wouldn’t have gone through all this work to keep you alive just to poison you.”
The wolf snorted. Again, I had the distinct feeling that if he’d have been human, he would have just rolled his eyes.
“Please?” He brought his head closer to me, finally, and I set the cup underneath his maw, watching him as he opened his mouth and began to lap up the liquid, that giant tongue sucking it down. He scrunched up his nose at the taste, but didn’t stop drinking.
“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” I asked, scratching between his ears when he finished.
He gave me a look that said,you’ve got to be kidding me.
I giggled. “I’m sorry. But if it helps, then it’s worth it, right?” Tomorrow, I’d have to see if I could get him outside. He’d been cooped up in my bed for days, and that couldn’t be good for his joints.
His only answer was to lay his head on his paws, curling up next to me.
I yawned. There were a few things I had left to do around the house before bed, but all I wanted was to cuddle with this giant animal and sleep.
All of those things would be a problem for tomorrow.
For now, I just laid my head down on my pillow, content with this giant, wild animal to serve as my cozy blanket.
CHAPTER FOUR
barrett
There was something wrong. I couldn’t shift back to my human body.
And my wolf was too damn comfortable letting our mate pet him to care.
Dammit, I needed to get back out there. At this point, the trail was probably cold.
I’d spent too many days lazying away in her house, sleeping as my body stitched itself back together. Licking at my wounds, I hoped my saliva would help. I was almost fully healed—I knew it. And yet, there was a tightness to my body that hadn’t existed before. Each step I took still felt like needles in my side.
