SONG OF THE WOLF

A Guard

Elena pulled Julia's hand. She then closed the kitchen door.

"Who are they?" Julia clutched her chest. Her heart was beating fast. She was really scared. From the fight she saw, the four men didn't hesitate to kill each other.

Elena didn't answer. She locked the door and pushed the table. Once she felt safe, she moved away.

"We're safe," Elena said. "They won't come here. We don't have a problem with them. They'll be gone in a minute."

Elena tried to calm Julia even though she was not sure of her own words. They sat holding hands in the corner of the room.

The sound of punches and shouts could be heard one after another. Ten minutes passed, and the fight wasn't over yet.

"Duarr!" A brown-haired man slammed into the door. The man ended up lying on the floor in a lifeless condition.

Elena and Julia's eyes widened. They clung to each other and moved further into the corner.

Five minutes later, the fight was over. The man who came first stood in the kitchen doorway.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't intend to make a mess. But, I had no choice. These bastards managed to find me. By the way, my name is Hamish. Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Hamish smiled bitterly. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Wh-what? What can we do for you?" asked Elena.

"I'm injured. Please find some medicine." Hamish removed his hand from his stomach. There was a very bad wound on his stomach. Blood was flowing from it. "I'm asking for help."

Hamish fell on the floor. His breathing was labored.

Elena stood up. She removed Hamish's shirt. Seeing the man's wounds, she grimaced.

"What are you going to do?" Julia pulled Elena's hand away.

"He's hurt badly."

"Leave him alone, Elena. Let's see. He killed three people. What if he's going to kill us too. Let him die."

"But-"

"I take back what I said earlier. Don't even think about being with him. He's much more terrible than Tobi. He's handsome, but very scary. He's a killer."

Elena was silent for a moment. She looked at the dead man by the kitchen window, then at Hamish.

"I'll help him."

"Elena!"

"I live alone, Julia. If he kills me, there will be no one to grieve for. Maybe death is better for me. It doesn't matter if my life disappears, as long as it's not my humanity."

"Elena!" Julia called back.

Elena didn't listen to Julia. She carried Hamish to the cart in front of the restaurant. However, her strength was not enough to push the cart.

"If you die, I'll be the one grieving, you wicked woman!" said Julia. She helped Elena to push the cart.

Elena smiled. "Thank you, Julia. You're the best."

"Of course I am. I'm the best because I'm your only friend in the world."

Elena laughed.

The surroundings were quiet. Apparently, people were eager to hunt down the wolves spotted at the edge of the forest.

Elena and Julia worked together to push the cart. Arriving at Elena's house, they brought Hamish inside. Elena laid Hamish down in his room.

"This looks like a wolf's scratch," Julia said, looking at the wound on Hamish' stomach.

"Help me treat it. I have the ointment Mr. Colman bought me last month in the cupboard."

Julia nodded. "I'll get some water and a clean cloth first."

Elena took off Hamish's shirt. Not only the stomach wound, there were other wounds on the man's arms and shoulders.

"Here's the water. You clean the wound first." Julia gave him the water she had taken.

"Thank you. It's getting late. You should go home, Julia. I'm afraid your parents will be angry. They'll be worried if you get home late."

Julia looked out the window. The sky was already dark. What Elena had said was true. She could get scolded for coming home late. However, she couldn't bear to leave Elena alone with a man who had obviously killed her.

"I'm afraid to leave you alone here. What if he wakes up and kills you? You won't be able to fight him."

Elena laughed. "You saw his condition. I doubt he'll have the strength to wake up in this condition. Let's hope this guy can still survive. If his condition worsens, I'll take him to Mr. Oland."

"Okay. If he attacks you, scream and run away immediately."

"Yes. I know. I'm not a stupid woman."

Although still unsure about leaving Elena alone, Julia left. She prayed silently that Elena would be safe.

Elena treated Hamish's wound. As she was about to clean Hamish's hands, she noticed blood on the tips of the man's nails.

"Did he fight with the tips of his fingernails?" Elena sighed.

After treating Hamish, Elena slept on the living room chair. Outside, there was a wolf howl. She covered her ears with her index fingers and closed her eyes.

Exhausted, Elena fell asleep quickly. In her sleep she dreamed of beating Tobi to a pulp.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, Elena awoke. Her eyes opened wide when she saw Hamish behind her.

"What are you trying to do?" Elena stood up and moved away.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I startled you. I just wanted to borrow some clothes. The blanket in the room isn't enough. It's so cold tonight."

Elena looked at the window. No wonder the air was cold. It was snowing now.

"Can I borrow your shirt?" asked Hamish.

Elena nodded. "I took off your shirt because it was torn and bloodstained," he said, going into the room.

Elena opened the closet. She just remembered. There were no men's clothes in the closet. All of her father's clothes had been given to Julia's father.

"Are you okay with wearing women's clothes? I don't have any men's clothes here." Elena looked at Hamish.

Hamish scratched the back of his head. "Yes, what can I do."

Elena picked up one of the shirts. "Just put this on. It's the biggest one."

"Thank you." Hamis accepted the shirt and put it on.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" Elena swallowed.

"I won't. In fact, I thank you for helping me. Do you have any food? I'm hungry."

"I still have a few slices of bread in the kitchen if you want some."

"Yes."

Hamish followed Elena into the kitchen. He then sat at the dining table.

"Do you live here alone?"

Hamish's question made Elena freeze. She was afraid that if she answered the question, Hamish would immediately attack her.

"No, I don't. I live with my sister."

Hamish laughed. "So, where is your sister now?"

"She's staying at my grandmother's." Elena took some bread out of the cupboard. "She'll be home tomorrow morning."

Hamish smiled. He knew Elena was lying. "Do you need a guard?"

"A guard?"

"Yes. I can guard you from wild animals or anyone who wants to harm you. You don't have to pay me. Just let me stay in this house."

Elena furrowed her brow. She thought about the man's request. A guard? She didn't need anything like that. She had lived alone for years and everything was fine.

"What if I refuse your request?"