Chapter 4 Wolf in Dog’s Clothing
Wolf in Dog’s Clothing
“I’m going to call animal control,” Dr. Danvers said, pulling out her phone once she put a safe distance between her and the wolf.
Heart screeching to a stop, I grabbed her wrist, tensing. “Please don’t,” I said when she gave me a confused look. “Let me take care of this.”
She frowned. “It is my duty to report the presence of a wild animal, Miss Colter,” she said calmly, gently taking my hand off her. “He’s a danger to you.”
I shook my head. “But he hasn’t hurt me—”
A knock on the door cut me off. Grimacing, I pleaded with her to wait and strode to the door, pulling it open.
Chase stood at the entrance with a smile that immediately disappeared when he saw my face. “What’s wrong?”
I let him come in and closed the door behind him before I introduced him to Dr. Danvers.
“She wants to call animal control,” I said, a tad too accusingly.
Logically, I knew the good doctor was simply doing her job.
But the thought of having the wolf taken away from me was enough to bring me to a panic.
“He might be a wolf, but you saw for yourself he was harmless!”
Chase looked at me, then at the wolf, before he finally landed his gaze on Dr. Danvers, who was clutching her phone hard, as if it was a lifeline.
“Dr. Danvers,” he said calmly, his voice surprisingly authoritative.
“My name is Chase Kerrigan, and I work for a wildlife preservation nonprofit called the Foundation for Apex Restoration I barked out a humorless laugh.
“I thought we were over it by now, but it seems you can’t let it go,” I said, feeling bitter.
“Let me make some things clear: The magazine is not a sham, and my column is not deranged. I have a platform to share the truth about this world, and that’s exactly what I’m doing! ”
“This is what I’m talking about!” Dad sniped. “There is no ‘truth’ about this world, Drew! It’s all in your head, and you refuse to snap out of it!”
My body started shaking with fury. “Oh, so I imagined the shadow monster who kidnapped Willow and Julianna, then,” I spat, so angry I wanted to hit something.
“And as we tell you over and over again, your trauma made you see something that’s not there, Drew!” Dad yelled. “So snap out of your stupid delusions and start working as a legit writer at a legit company!”
We both knew this wasn’t what it really was about. My parents only cared about their reputation in high society. I was like a thorn in their side. They were always asked about me, and they were ashamed to tell everyone what I was up to.
Once upon a time, it used to hurt, thinking that my parents thought me a kook and were embarrassed by me. Now, I just wanted them to stop caring altogether.
Seething, I said, “If you ever offer me a job again, I’m going to block your numbers, so don’t call me unless you have something to say worth listening to.”
And like with Mom, I hung up, only this time, I was far angrier, and sadder too.
Because this fight with my parents repeated itself every few months. And it seemed they still weren’t willing to respect my decisions or my occupation. They never actually said it, but they, too, believed I was a madwoman for my beliefs—or rather, my convictions.
And they poisoned Thayer, my older brother, against me too.
A wet nose nudged at my hand, and I whipped my head to the side. The wolf stood next to me, so big he reached the counter, and butted at my fisted hand, his bright eyes somewhat soft. Sympathetic, even.
Him trying to cheer me up made my lips wobble and tears rise to my eyes. I reached for his head and hugged his soft, warm neck. “Thank you,” I whispered, tightening my hold on him.
The wolf, of course, didn’t reply. But he leaned deeper against me, as if he was hugging me back.
And while I stubbornly refused to let my tears fall, because my parents were not worth such sentiment from me, his warmth comforted me nonetheless.