A Wolf's Kiss

Chapter : 2

“Come on, sit on the table. I’m going to clean that for you.”

The man looks at Cole warily, but he listens to him and moves to sit at the table. Cole can treat the wound with no problem. “What’s your name?” Cole asks while he cleans his hands in the sink.

“Mark,” the man says.

They are quiet while Cole searches for a new washcloth and dampens it under the water from the sink. Cole only speaks when he presses the washcloth to the man’s wound.

“I’m Park Cole.” The man winces slightly at the touch, but Cole only notices it because they're looking into each other's eyes. His body remains stiff. It’s just his eyes flinching. Not

in pain, but discomfort. "I'm going to numb this area with anesthesia before suturing, okay?" Mark clenches his jaw and frowns; he doesn't seem to like the idea. Cole is about to argue, but then the shifter nods. "You'll feel a pinch," Cole speaks with his veterinarian’s voice while preparing the anesthesia shot. Mark makes a grunting sound from the back of his throat. Cole looks at him over his shoulder; Mark seems upset, but he doesn't explain why. He avoids looking at Cole.

“This is my veterinary clinic,” Cole starts explaining when he gets close. He wants them to keep talking so the man doesn’t focus on the pain. Cole wants to help because he's wounded, but he's also interested in knowing more about the shifter. He's interested in the animal side.

“It’s a clinic.” Mark points out. Cole looks at him. It seems the shifter knows what a clinic is, but not what a veterinary is.

“A clinic for animals,” Cole supplies.

Mark squints his eyes when Cole applies the shot. "I see." He doesn't seem to be a man of many words.

“And how old are you?” Cole keeps asking as he gets everything ready to suture the cuts. “Thirty."

Cole nods while fixing his glasses. “I’m twenty-seven.” Mark stares at him with a strange look. "What?"

"You look younger." Cole guesses he'll take it as a compliment.

“Are you going to tell me about your pack fight and how you got wounded? And also why you broke into my small animal clinic at this hour?” Cole murmurs while he starts stitching him. Mark is clenching his jaw; he remains quiet. "Tell me about it," Cole rephrases. Mark nods.

“I fought with my pack alpha.” Cole hums as he works on the cuts. "Shifters can regenerate, unlike humans, unless the pack alpha harms you. I needed to tend the wound somehow, but alpha told me not to return to the pack. I followed the scent and ended up here. In your clinic." The woods surround the small town, but Cole wonders from which part of the woods Mark comes from and how far away his home is. "I sniffed safety," the shifter explains. "Because it's a clinic and because there are dogs close-by." Cole chuckles. So that's what attracted the shifter here. "I didn't want to disturb you, but I needed to find something to stop the bleeding."

"You were loud," Cole scolds. "And you could have told me that from the start instead of ignoring me when I found you."

"You didn't seem dangerous; that’s why I ignored you."

Cole frowns. He guesses that makes sense; a wolf can sense fear, and Cole was scared until he threatened to call the police, and that is why Mark finally paid attention to him. "You're

a hunter?" Cole wonders.

"All pack hunts," Mark grunts when Cole starts stitching the next wound.

"Why did you fight with your alpha?" Cole asks, genuinely interested in everything this stranger is telling him.

The question seems to anger the shifter. Mark looks away from Cole and presses his tongue to his cheek. "Alpha heard I was going to challenge him. It wasn’t true, only a rumor between pups, but alpha thought it was an offense."

"Isn't that how a pack decides their alphas? Through challenges? And whoever wins becomes the alpha?" Cole asks. He knows only some basics about wolf packs, and he wonders if shifters packs are like that too.

"Only the beta or delta can challenge the alpha. Not a common wolf."

Judging by the titles, Cole figures those are the second and third in command. It makes sense only a dominant wolf can challenge the alpha.

"Your alpha told you not to return?" Cole doesn't stop with the questions. "He might accept me after a few days if I take a punishment."

"And what are you going to do until then?" Mark’s pack sounds less like a community and more like an actual wolf pack. It sounds closer to how animals behave than humans. Cole doesn't want to imagine what a wolf pack punishment is.

"Recover from the stitches." He looks at Cole. "And then return."

"Where are you going to make your recovery?"

"There are shifters with no pack nearby. I can smell them." Mark's voice is rough. "Shifters with no pack live among humans." Cole gulps, remembering his grandfather's stories. "Shifters help other shifters," the werewolf decides.

Cole sighs while closing the third cut on Mark's ribs. "You're going to walk naked around town in search of these shifters?"

Mark turns to see him. "I'll find clothes somewhere."

"You were trying to steal from my dog medicine stash; please don't try to steal clothes." Cole doesn’t know what compels him to decide, “I’ll give you clothes. You have to return here in ten days, and I'll remove the stitches, and you can go to your pack.” Mark stares at him. “But before you wear my clothes, you have to clean up all that dirt.”

Mark is quiet.

When Cole finishes all the stitches, he cleans them again before covering them with gauze. He takes off his cardigan and wraps the shifter in it. Mark is tense when Cole covers him

in his clothes, and Cole thinks he looks kind of funny in the fluffy, beige piece of clothing, but he doesn’t say anything.

When Mark stands up while wearing Cole’s oversized cardigan, Cole notices they are the same height. They would have similar frames if not for his shoulders. Mark is broader, making him look bigger than him. Cole continues to avoid glancing down.

"Thank you," Mark murmurs while trailing a hand over the bandages.

“I live upstairs," Cole says. "You can clean up there, and I'll give you something to wear. Don’t do anything funny while we're there, okay? I’ll kick you if you do.” The shifter raises an eyebrow, but he nods.

As they start going up the stairs, Cole realizes he is taking a stranger into his apartment. He should be more scared or more alert, but there’s something Cole can’t explain about Mark. He feels like he can trust him. Somehow, Cole feels safe around him. Mark doesn’t look around the house; he only follows Cole silently, so Cole hopes he has no intention of stealing. “The gauze needs to be dry. I’m going to bring you a wet cloth, and you can clean yourself with that, okay?” Cole starts as they walk inside the bathroom.

Cole is telling Mark he'll teach him how to change gauze before searching for those shifters that might help him when he yawns. It's already past one in the morning. Cole's been up all night and working during the day. Mark is staring, a cardigan wrapped tightly around him. “There’s no way the shifters you’re looking for are awake at this hour. You could stay over and then leave tomorrow morning.” Mark continues staring at Cole for a long moment until he offers Cole a curt nod. "I'll bring you pajamas. You can sleep on the couch.”

“Thank you,” Mark whispers.

Cole nods quickly. He gives Mark the cloth and then goes to his room in search of pajamas. He sees his reflection in the mirror inside the closet door; he's wearing red shorts and an oversized white shirt with a faded university logo. His blonde hair is still sticking in different directions because he never got to tame it down after leaving his bed; he looks sleepy, with swollen eyes. Cole fixes his glasses one more time before opening the first drawer. Of course, Mark thought he wasn't dangerous.

He knocks on the door and lets Mark cover himself before walking inside the bathroom. "Here," he leaves the folded pajamas next to the sink. "I have to be up in five hours, so I'll just leave some clothes for you at the coffee table, and you can find me at the clinic tomorrow."

Mark touches the pajamas while he nods at everything Cole says. "Thank you." "It's fine," Cole murmurs. "See you tomorrow."

Surprisingly, Cole falls asleep quickly. Cole thought he would be more alert after the madness he just went through, and because there’s a stranger outside his room, but he instantly drifted off to sleep.

❦

Mark wakes up disoriented. He sits on the couch, catching his breath, and he frantically looks around the unknown place; it’s not his pack, and he doesn’t feel safe if he’s not with his pack. But the warm scent surrounding him relaxes him before he tries to escape. It takes him a second to register that the room is Park Cole’s shelter. The animal healer who looked after him yesterday and petted him in his wolf form as if he was a dog instead of jumping in fear.

At first, he was visibly scared, but in the end, neither Mark nor Cole feared the other. All shifters know they need to be careful of humans, and they’re advised not to come close to human communities, but Mark felt compelled to trust in this ‘Park Cole’ since something about him smells safe. Maybe because he’s an animal healer or because he has delicate features and a soothing voice that calms Mark. It’s hard to explain.

Mark’s gaze settles on the decorations of the room before standing up. Cole’s small house is fascinating, filled with objects Mark has never seen before, and some items he recognizes because they have them in the pack too. Mark got lucky when his path crossed Park Cole’s. He’s glad about his broken window because if not, maybe Mark would still be bleeding out in the woods.

Mark is glad, and he’s curious too because if Cole hadn’t believed him, Mark would have had to attack him. But Cole knows about werewolves more than a human should know, and it makes Mark curious; it could mean there are shifters close as Mark believed. He needs to find a shifter that can shelter him until he recovers because he needs to return to his pack. But for now, he lets himself rest in the comfort of Park Cole’s home.

❦

Cole walks out of his room early, and he’s surprised to find Mark already awake. “Good morning,” Mark says when he sees Cole. He’s sitting on the couch, and Cole thinks he looks like an alert dog. If he were a wolf right now, his ears would be standing straight.

“Good morning.” It's around six in the morning, and Cole will go for a run and then open the veterinary. He expected Mark to be asleep after their chaotic night yesterday, but the werewolf is staring at him as Cole walks to the kitchen. He's already wearing Cole's clothes.

Just as expected, they fit Mark just right. The white shirt is a little too tight, and the black sweatpants a little too loose, though, but he looks good. "You're going to search for the shifters?" Cole asks, looking over his shoulder as he pours a glass of water. Mark nods. Cole feels the werewolf's eyes on him, but he's not sure what Mark wants. "Uh- do you want breakfast?" he wonders while gesturing at the counter.

"I don't have shoes," the shifter answers instead. "You said not to go in the street naked."

"Oh." Cole blinks and then giggles at Mark’s words. He didn’t consider Mark didn’t have shoes; yesterday, he had too much on his mind to properly check the clothes he gave him. Cole looks up to catch Mark staring at him with wide eyes like he’s surprised at something, but Cole pays it no mind. "I forgot,” Cole mumbles. “I'll lend you something." Cole returns to his room, grabs a pair of black sandals, and then tells Mark to try them out. Cole's feet are too small compared to Mark’s, and just as Cole expected, Mark’s ankles are out of the slipper's sole when he puts them on, but it's better than nothing. Mark is frowning, but he doesn’t complain.

“You look nice!” Cole tries after Mark stands up. Mark grunts while avoiding Cole's gaze, still frowning at the shoes. He doesn't like them at all, but Cole finds his attitude a little endearing even then. “Well... good luck today with your shifters! Just umh- come back to return my clothes." Mark nods. "And also return so I can check those stitches. Maybe in six days? I will take them out in ten or fourteen days, though. You can find me in the clinic downstairs." The werewolf looks up to see Cole, and Cole has to glance away from his intense gaze. "Before you go, I can give you pills to subdue the pain."

"No," Mark replies quickly. He's clenching his jaw. "It was enough with the shot yesterday," he murmurs. Cole remembers his reaction when he got the anesthesia shot last night, and it takes a second for it to click.

"You don't want to subdue the pain?" Cole asks.

"Shifters should bear the pain after a fight," Mark grumbles.

Cole lifts an eyebrow, amused. He tries to control his scoff because those are Mark's beliefs. Those shifter packs sound interesting, with all their rules and traditions. "Well, if it hurts, I'll give you painkillers when you return." The werewolf glares at Cole, but then he nods. Cole smiles at him before grabbing an apple from the kitchen counter and leaving it in Mark's palm. "Eat that. I'm going to go for a run. Come on; I’ll walk you downstairs". Mark stares at the apple, and he follows after Cole.

❦

A dog is staring at Mark’s face.

Mark glares back, and the animal starts barking. Before the human next to the dog looks up, Mark continues walking. This town is unfamiliar, but the scent of a shifter is prominent, so Mark can only follow it in the hopes of finding some shifters that can shelter him. He catches the smell again, but somehow he ends up following a dog one more time. It has happened all morning, and Mark is growing upset.

He follows the scent of the dogs for the rest of the day and returns to Cole’s clinic because Cole must treat all dogs there. Mark is a canine, too, so he guesses he has nowhere better to go.

❦

Since Cole lives in such a small town, Cole's days at the veterinary clinic aren't exactly busy, but he likes them a lot. A client had left her two dogs with Cole during the weekend because she was out on a trip, but she's returning today to pick them up, so Cole is bathing them.

He keeps thinking of everything that happened yesterday, and he tells the dogs about Mark even if they can't understand him. "He's strange." One of the dog's barks. There are bubbles from the shampoo in the smaller dog's snout. "But I'm weirder for deciding to help him." The dog who is waiting for his turn curls itself around Cole's feet. Cole hikes up his rolled sleeves before grabbing the showerhead. "I guess I empathize with him because he's half a wolf," he tries to understand his actions. The dog he's bathing wags its tail. Cole sighs.

Later that day, Cole walks outside of the veterinary to help the client carry her dogs inside her car. He is surprised when he sees the shifter waiting outside the clinic. Mark is standing with his hands in his pockets across the street. Cole wonders if he has been outside for long. Cole finishes helping the woman, and then he says goodbye to the lady and the dogs. He waits for her to drive off to then jog towards Mark. “Hi!” Cole stops close to him.

Mark doesn’t look at Cole. He only nods. “Hey.” He's a quiet guy.

"So... how did it go with the shifters?"

“Umh-" He keeps avoiding Cole's gaze. "I can't trace any,” Mark explains after an excruciatingly long second. “I thought I was tracking their scent, but I keep getting confused with dogs." He's sulking, and Cole tries to suppress his smile. The dog comment was cute.

They are quiet for a moment. Even if it was cute, the lousy resolution gets Mark in trouble. “Do you have somewhere to stay?” Cole asks.

Mark shakes his head. The silence stretches between them. Before Cole can even suggest anything, Mark faces him. Dark eyes set on him. "I can hunt and collect fruits and herbs, I can also work with wood, and I can build furniture for your house in trade for shelter until I recover from my wounds." He speaks fast, and Cole takes a step back, startled by his

proposition.

"Uh-” Cole is registering everything Mark just offered, but nothing comes to his mind, so he settles for a question. “Have you eaten something aside from the apple I gave you?" Mark shakes his head. Cole turns towards the clinic. "Why don’t we-? Let's go- let's go

grab something to eat first, and we can talk about your offer." Mark nods vigorously. Cole can't believe himself; he’s considering Mark’s offer. "I'll order pizza. Do you like pizza?"

"What's a pizza?" Mark asks while following him. It’ll be a long night today as well.

Cole thinks there's no harm in closing the veterinary earlier than usual, considering he had no appointments today. Plus, if there's an emergency, his clients know they will find him home. Now, he's sitting on the floor of his small living room, eating pizza with a werewolf.

"Is it good?" There’s only one restaurant that prepares pizza in this town, and Cole thinks it’s the best. Just as he expected, Cole watches Mark nod; he wonders what kind of stuff they eat back with his pack. "Well, Mark..." He guesses he doesn't need to call him Mr. because he doesn't use honorifics, but Cole still feels awkward. "You want to stay here until you get better?"

"I will continue to look for shelter not to disturb you more than I already have. But I'm in pain, so for the moment, I would like to stay here. I can-" Before he starts listing his manual abilities again, Cole nods with a gentle smile. Mark falls quiet.

"Can I ask you something?" Cole asks, and Mark nods. "Why do you want to return if your alpha hurt you like that?" Mark looks away; he was probably expecting a different question from Cole.

Cole also doesn't know why he asked; he guesses he's just curious. "Because it's pack." Once again, an answer leaves Cole confused. "They are my family. If I don't return, I'll become a lone wolf, and I can't see myself doing that. Being only by myself." Mark seems pained just at the thought. "I like being alone sometimes, but I know I can always return to the pack. Even if I have to take a punishment, I want to return."

Cole guesses he understands. He might have moved alone across the country, but he knows that his father would be waiting for him if he wants to return. "Can’t you join another pack?"

Mark frowns. "I can. But I'm loyal to my pack." That makes sense; wolves are loyal creatures. "Humans... you can live alone," he gestures at Cole with a slice of pizza. "But shifters aren't like that. We move with our pack."

"Wait, how do you know I live alone?"

"It only smells like you in here." Cole gulps. It makes sense for a shifter to have more perceptive senses.

Cole picks on his food, thinking of Mark's words. "Well, I guess I'm different from you. I moved here to be myself; I guess I wanted to be like a lone wolf." Mark stares at him. "But lucky for you, because I don't have a roommate, I can give you shelter until you recover."

He knows his friends from vet school, and his father would go crazy if they heard Cole is going to live for two weeks with a stranger who barged in his clinic naked and bleeding. But Cole knows he's lonely, and he wouldn't mind the company only for some days.

Since Mark is sleeping at Cole's, Cole orders him to rest on the couch. Mark argues he wants to pay Cole back for his hospitality and for being 'his healer,' but Cole tells him he can pay back when he recovers. So Mark stays in the apartment while Cole works.