Chapter 5 #2
He’s still in the same position I left him come the end of the day. But the sandwich is gone at least, so I’m counting today as a win.
“Feeling any better?” I crouch down, staying out of swiping distance. Claws like those? He’d tear me to ribbons with barely any effort, even if he didn’t mean to. “Sorry I don’t have any more food, but if you let me close enough to help, I can get you back into hunting shape in no time.”
I tentatively inch forward, and he reacts like I expected, with an inhuman snarl tearing from his throat and a swipe of his paw.
He doesn’t lunge for me, though, he shrinks back.
I suck in a deep breath through my nose, exhaling slowly, but it does nothing to curb my fury.
Someone did this to him. If it was an animal, he wouldn’t be reacting this severely to me.
A man, maybe, but there’s no way I’d register as a threat when he could knock me over with a sneeze.
“Right, we’re not there yet. That’s okay.
” I set down the bowl of warm water I brought and use a piece of cardboard to slide it within his reach.
“Figured you might want to drink something other than dumpster snow. I’d hurry up though, it’ll be a block of ice in no time, and the last thing you want is to get your tongue stuck. ”
I glance up at the dark clouds rolling in with the fierce wind and my palms start sweating despite the cold.
“Looks like a nasty storm’s going to hit tonight.
You sure I can’t convince you to come inside?
You can sleep in one of the exam rooms for the night.
Warm up and dry off. Nobody will bother you until I come back in the morning to open up. ”
Amber eyes narrow on my face, watching me like he’s expecting me to pull a knife on him at any second.
But he slowly lowers his head to the rim of the bowl, lifting it between his teeth and tipping it back, drinking it in record time.
As soon as he drops the bowl, he leans his weight against the wooden fence, shifting his bad wing with a grimace.
But the message is clear; he’s not going anywhere.
Heart racing, I anxiously glance at the sky again and dart inside to grab a few supplies. Taking a deep breath, I dry my hands on my thighs to hide the slight tremor in them and pray I’m not about to break my neck, then get to work.
Tossing a stack of flattened cardboard boxes on the ground, I hold the roll of duct tape between my teeth and haul myself up the side of the dumpster.
The plastic lids are flipped open already, propped against the fence to make a sort of lean-to shelter that keeps the worst of the weather at bay, but there’s no way it’ll stand up to the fierce wind of a storm.
Stretching out on my tiptoes and balancing precariously on the edge of the dumpster, I lose track of how long it takes to tape down the lid well enough that I’m fairly certain it’ll stay in place.
Even though it takes longer and I’m worried about falling in, I inch my way back to the side I climbed up before I jump down so I’m in his line of sight.
I may be reckless, but not ‘jump-scare a feral shifter,’ stupid.
Next, I grab the stack of cardboard boxes, holding them up to show him. “I’m going to go to the other side and make a wall behind you, okay? That way nothing can sneak up on you, and it’ll keep some of the cold out. Don’t maul my face off, please; I don’t have much else going for me these days.”
Obviously he doesn’t answer, craning his neck to keep an eye on me while I’m behind him, but either he begrudgingly acknowledges that he isn’t up for constructing a better shelter for himself, or he doesn’t have the energy to chase me off.
A low rumble starts up in his chest when I rip off another strip of duct tape, but he calms down after the cardboard divides us with me on the outside.
When it’s all said and done, I grab a tarp and secure it over the cardboard wall, doing my best to make it as waterproof as possible, but really, there’s only so much I can do without better supplies.
After putting another tarp over the front, I leave a stack of old towels at the entrance to the world’s worst cave, using a stick to push them inside.
“I know it’s not much, but figured you could use them like blankets.” Shit, no thumbs. “Um, want me to help you cover up?”
I take a small step in, and his hackles go up, so I immediately retreat.
“Got it, you’d rather freeze than ask for help.
Gotta love male egos. Suit yourself. I really wish you’d let me get you set up inside where it’s safe, though.
” My hands are turning red from the cold, so I pull up my hood and stuff them firmly in my pockets.
“See you in the morning, I guess. I’ll try to find some food to bring with me, but don’t hold me to that. ”
I look back no less than ten times before his trash cave is out of sight, a sinking feeling of dread filling my stomach with every step I take.