After cleaning up my mess, I went and checked on my new wolf friend. He was still clocked out on the tarp. But he looked superb. I checked his gums, like the after surgery instructions I found online for dogs had said to do.
It was well after dark before he woke up again.
He was very unhappy when he woke up and I had to assume it was from the wound. I had pain pills, but none that I could actually give to the wolf. I felt terrible about it. He growled at me when I entered the kitchen but made no move to hurt me, or my four dog-shaped shadows.
"Mr Wolf, This is Blair, King, Herbie and Rudy. They are harmless, mostly. I would appreciate it well you stay here you don't eat my friends."
He growled again, this time showing me teeth, and I sighed. He was probably starving. Walking past him towards the fridge, he growled some more but less pronounced. Checking in the fridge, the only thing I had that I could think about feeding him was a few chunks of steak I had bought the day before. It would have to work.
I took it and a kitchen knife I pulled from the block and cut open the package. I watched the wolf from the side of my eye as I cut the steaks into bite-sized chunks.
"You're lucky I knew somewhat of what I was doing when I stitched up your wound."
The wolf just looked at me, as if debating to growl again.
"I was a paramedic before I came here. I used my skills for human's helping you. I didn't want to see you die."
Tossing a few bite-sized chunks at him, I continued.
"My grandfather taught me to never hunt the wolves of this part unless they were feral or coming after me."
He looked at me for more meat and I tossed some more at him. I cut all the steaks down into chunks, moving them to a plate. Which I brought over and set down a little bit back from him. I didn't want him to accidentally attack me because of the presence of food.
My four dogs growled when I got that close to him. They clearly weren't trusting the wolf at all. I didn't blame them either. This really wasn't smart. But I couldn't just leave it to die. He couldn't sleep on the hard floor of the kitchen all night long, either.
"Don't you go anywhere. I'm getting something softer for you to sleep on."
The wolf did nothing, just watched me as I watched it. Before I turned to go grab some of the extra blankets and pillows I had. It wasn't hard to find all extras because I kept them in a closet just off my bedroom on the second floor. Grabbing all that I could, I went back down the stairs and dropped in on the floor, a short distance away from the wolf. I couldn't help but feel so fucking stupid to have brought this wild animal into my home and around my dogs. This thing was so going to eat us all in the middle of the fucking night. I just knew it.
Making the wolf a soft place to lie on the floor with the blankets and pillows, I pointed at it as I spoke.
"This is a nice, soft place for you to sleep tonight. It will be way more comfortable than the tarp you are currently on."
It was hard not to feel like the wolf was judging me with the way he looked at me. Flashing his teeth again as he slowly made his way over to the blankets. I backed up to give him space, unsure if he was going to lash out at me. I didn't need to be going to the hospital over a wolf bite I could prevent before it even happens. I would not lie though. I still like a fucking idiot for bringing it inside the house and not the garage. But at least I could check on it easier if I got worried about it.
The wolf laid down again, and I felt better. He was slightly less worrisome when he was laying down. He must have realised that too because he smiled that wolfish grin at me again and I finally decided that was enough for the night. Taking the dogs upstairs with me, I put them in the spare room and closed the baby gate so they couldn't get out and get near the wolf. It made me feel a lot better that way. I wasn't really worried about the wolf getting up the stairs. After all, he was pretty injured and there was next to no way he would get up here. Not without wounding himself further.
Settling in bed, I listened to the sounds in the house to see if the wolf was moving around or getting into things. But I heard nothing. So I rolled over and closed my eyes. There was no point staying up all night if he was just going to sleep.
Feeling something jump up on the bed really did little other than wake me slightly, but in my sleep-filled mind I thought it might have been one of the dogs, it wasn't the first time one of them got over the gate, so I wasn't worried about it. I only rolled back over and went to sleep again.
Waking up again this time, my normal time I woke up, I met eyes with the wolf. Shock filled me, but I didn't make any quick movements. He was lying on the end of the bed between my feet, his head resting on my calf. He was using it as a pillow. The fear I was feeling had my heart thundering in my chest. He really didn't seem phased by me at all. He was looking the most relaxed out of the both of us.
He growled when I tried to move my feet away from him.
"I'm sorry. I know you must be comfortable, But honestly, I'm scared. You are a wild wolf. I don't think you can understand me, but still."
The dogs freaked out in the next room and the wolf became clearly annoyed by them. He let out a low growl that had my dogs shutting up and racing away from the gate. That reminded me of the neighbour. He hated my dogs because they barked and chased after the wildlife, sometimes killing things. To be fair, my dogs weren't fond of him either. They were terrified of him. He only had to look at them with the hate he harboured for them and they went running right back in the house.
"Oh boy, The neighbour is going to fucking love you."
The wolf looked up at me with an odd look, as if he wanted to know why. What the hell did it matter if I gossiped with a wild animal about my asshole animal, not as if he would know?
"He hates my dogs. He gives them this hateful look that makes even me want to hide. It's horrible. The dogs are not fond of him either, though, to be honest. I swear that man has hated me from day one, not really sure why. I don't remember doing anything to him. Hell, I don't even speak to the man. I go out of my way to avoid him. It's a waste of his good looks."
The wolf huffed out as he settled against my calf again. I took a chance and sat up in the bed. The wolf's ears twitched, but he didn't move. I almost wondered if I could touch him in this state, but made the choice to keep all my fingers if he didn't like the idea.
Looking at the alarm on the bedside table, it was only six am, and the dogs would have to pee now. Looking back at the wolf, I tried to pull my right foot from under him, but he wrapped his jaws around my ankle in a soft warning bite. I froze in complete terror.
"Please. Let go. I - I have to take the dogs out to pee. They are going to whine a lot more than before."
He glared at me with a look that made me feel like this wolf was the soul animal of the asshole neighbour next door. He rolled off my legs and huffed as he settled on the bed again.
I took the dogs out to pee quickly and kept them quiet the best I could so that the neighbour wouldn't complain. Like always. Once we came back inside, I fed the dogs and left them to wander around the main floor. I was going the hell back to bed.
The only problem was the wolf in my bed.
How the hell was I going to go back to sleep with that thing in my bed?