Little Wolf

First night - Maisie

A pretty young woman with vibrant red hair, falling in waves to her waist, and emerald, green eyes that sparkled with warmth and compassion, was waiting inside. She gave me a warm smile, reaching for the child. I tightened my arms around the baby, issuing a low warning growl. His breath was warm against my ear as he spoke. “Hush now, give her the baby. She’s safe. You’re safe.” The young woman waited patiently, smiling softly with her arms extended. I held the child tighter for a moment longer before reluctantly handing her to the young woman, my body rigid with tension and unease. I leaned my head against the firm, masculine chest, shivering violently now the child was no longer in my arms.

“Get her something to eat, and prepare some sandwiches for our guest” His deep voice made the command seem stern. He motioned to the three small wolf pups growling softly at them. “Feed those brats as well”. The three pups issued their own growls and chuffed at him before prancing off to follow the woman and child.

“Come,” His voice soft against my ear. He carried me to a dark brown leather chair near the fireplace. The fireplace took up most of the wall. It was large enough to hold 10 of him, side by side. My teeth started chattering as warmth started to spread through me. He grabbed a soft light blue blanket that surprisingly had Celtic runes embroidered along the border. He wrapped it around my shoulders before sitting me in a chair. “Stay here, little one.”

I watched him walk away, and I could see the tension in his shoulders. He was so angry, and I had no idea why. Maybe he was mad that I had his daughter, maybe he was mad because he was forced to rescue us. I had no idea, but whatever the reason, I knew it wasn’t good.

His eyes flashed silver, and his jaw tightened, then his voice boomed, and everyone froze. “Wake the doctor NOW!” I saw a man run off in a panic. I had never seen anyone act this way around an Alpha, and it made me uneasy, but I really wasn’t afraid of him, though I winced at the tone and the command, which echoed throughout the house. A few minutes later, the front door burst open, and a man walked in. His clothes were wrinkled and askew, and his dark hair was mussed from sleep. He was apparently a doctor, but he didn’t look like one, he looked more like a commander of armies than a doctor.

I looked up at the Alpha as he returned. His eyes were warm, and he was smiling gently, holding out a bottle of water. I timidly took the bottle, but my hands shook so badly that I struggled with twisting the cap. He moved his hands slowly, one large hand covering mine, and with the other, he twisted the cap, breaking the seal. I finally raised it with badly trembling hands I took a long drink of it. His gaze darkened seeing how badly I was shaking. I whispered softly, “Th-thank y-you”

The doctor took one look at me and cursed under his breath. “What the f**k happened to her?”

“She was assaulted,” Nikolai growled.

“Assaulted? By whom? “The doctor asked.

Nikolai’s face was furious. “Now that is the question of the hour.”

The doctor looked at him in confusion, “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Did you find her or did she find you?”

“Both, “Nikolai replied tersely.

Boris stared at him, not understanding, then shook his head and walked towards me. I flinched back, a sharp cry of fear echoed in the room. I was no longer trembling from the cold, my entire body shook from terror.

“Do not f*****g touch her,” Nikolai snarled, his eyes flashing silver. Boris froze and slowly held up his hands. “Okay, okay, I won’t touch her.” his eyes, a dark brown, were full of concern as he looked at me. “What’s your name, little bit?”

“I…I…” My throat was too tight and raw to form the words.

“She is Malen’kiy Volk,” the Alpha rumbled.

Boris looked at him “Do you really want me to call her a pet name?” he asked incredulously.

“No, I don’t want you to call her a f*****g thing, look at her or touch her. Now do your f*****g job”, Nikolai replied. His control was in tatters. He stepped closer to me, his hip resting against my shoulder.

Boris stared at him for a moment, and then slowly nodded his head. He slowly walked towards me, I pressed myself against his leg, whimpering softly. Boris had a bag in one hand, but he held the other up, showing he meant no harm. I jerked when I heard my favorite song. You are my Sunshine. I could feel the vibration from his leg that he was humming along with the words, and I felt tears spill down my cheeks.

His voice was calm and soothing as he spoke “Little one, I need to help you. I’m going to slide the bag over to you. Look inside to see if it will make you feel better. Then I will use what’s in that bag to clean and bandage your wounds alright?” I was frozen in place, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to do anything but sit there, pressed up against a man I didn’t know but who made me feel safe, shaking like a leaf.

The doctor slowly slid the bag over to me, and I looked inside. I saw cotton swabs, bandages, alcohol wipes, a blood pressure cuff, a thermometer, a pulse oximeter, a stethoscope, nitrile gloves, a diagnostic set (otoscope at least), and many other things. I looked up at him, and he smiled, “See, nothing to be scared of.” My body started to relax, and I could feel my muscles slowly relax. I nodded slowly, and the doctor continued “I’m going to clean the wounds on your face, and then I will work on your other wounds, okay?” I nodded again, and the doctor slowly reached out and took my hand. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and some cotton balls. He opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid onto the cotton ball, and then he gently began to dab at the cuts and scrapes on my face and arms. He looked down at my feet and growled at the bloody mess of them.

Nikolai looked down at my feet. His voice was strained and angry, but I couldn’t tell if his anger was directed toward me or at what had happened to me. The Doctor kept his voice low and steady as he worked, the warmth in his voice seemed to calm me. I didn’t move or make a sound. I sat very still, my eyes fixed on Boris’ face, watching for any sign of trouble. The doctor did the same, careful not to touch my body any more than necessary. After he was done, he took a step back. “You’re all set for now, Little one. The rest will need stitches. I will numb it and then start once we get a look at you”

When I remained silent, Boris glanced at Nikolai before clearing his throat and continuing in a low voice, “Do you want me to continue, or would you like to have the Alpha look at you? It’s your choice.” His eyes were patient, but his tone was firm. “I… I…” My voice was barely a whisper.

“Take your time,” the Doctor encouraged me, his voice quiet and steady.

“I would r-rather n-not…anyone please”

Boris nodded, “I understand little one, but please, let me help you. Can I see those lacerations and welts?”

I was shaking and didn’t realize that I was leaning against his leg, while tears poured from my swollen and bruised face. The Alpha picked me up again, taking the blanket from me. The Doctor growled, and his eyes flashed at the Alpha. I felt the vibrations as the man grumbled, then sat down on the couch, then he gently placed me on the couch, so I leaned against him.

Boris’ movements were slow and cautious as he examined my wounds. Boris looked at me, taking in the ripped dress, and catching glimpses of bruises on my legs. His eyes darkened, and he asked “Little one, can you lift your dress, so I can see the rest of the wounds? “I froze and shook my head violently. I couldn’t breathe. “I n-no, p-please, d-don’t… I can’t!” I pleaded, panic written on my face.

“It’s alright, we won’t hurt you. We’re trying to help you,” he explained calmly. “Just keep your eyes closed if you’d like, or look at me if you feel more comfortable.” Boris, being a medic for the military and seeing many years of injuries, was prepared for the horrors I would display. I buried my hands in my face, sobbing softly. But even with all that preparation and the resolve, he had to stay calm for my sake, what was hidden beneath that thin stained dress, broke his resolve.

Boris lifted my skirt. His mouth gaped open in disbelief at the damage done. Every part of me was either bruised or bleeding. He sucked a breath between his clenched teeth and murmured, “Jesus f*****g Christ…” He cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion. “dragotsennaya malen’kaya devochka, try not to tense up, alright? I’ll be as gentle as possible.” He washed my injuries with antiseptic and taped strips of sterile bandages over my open wounds. He lightly brushed my arm with his hand, “This will sting a bit, little one. Tell me if it’s too much.” His tone was gentle, and his touch was soft and careful as he injected a numbing agent into my skin. Once the pain was gone, he began the painful process of suturing my torn flesh. It took over an hour. I didn’t utter a single sound or move throughout the entire ordeal, remaining still like death while the Alpha stroked my hair. He had my hair braided down my back in two French braids to keep his hands busy and add the comfort of a tender touch.

Nikolai had held and cradled my entire body against him throughout the entire procedure. Even when he wasn’t moving, he was leaning back on the couch so that my weight was braced against him.

The dark-haired giant took two steps towards me holding his hands up in a nonthreatening way. “Little sun, I’m going to have Boris show you the bathroom. I had some clothes placed in there. How about you take a shower and check yourself over, when you are finished, you can tell Boris if any more wounds need his care. Hmm? How about that?”

Boris stood and reached out his hand. I hesitantly took his hand long enough to stand before pulling my hand away. “Come on, little one, let’s get you cleaned up. Do you think you can walk on your feet? I can carry you”

“Net, Boris, I will carry her,” Nikolai interrupted, stepping forward. He carefully lifted me up. My heart raced. He held me gently and slowly. The warmth of his body felt good.

“Spasibo,” Nikolai growled, “I appreciate your help.”

Nikolai carried across the room to a door off the side. Boris walked with us. He turned to me, and his face softened. “Little one, can you tell me your name?

“My name is Maisie Drummond,” I whispered.

He nodded, “It is nice to meet you, Maisie. I am sorry about what happened to you, but you are safe now. I promise, little one, everything is going to be okay.” Boris soothed. “I’m going to have Mikhail get you some food. You are going to need your strength. He is the Alpha’s Beta,” A luxurious bathroom was beyond the doorway. “I will come check on you after you’ve cleaned up.”

“T-thank you,” I stammered.

Nikolai gently set me down right inside the bathroom. Boris gave me a sad smile and then walked out, closing the door behind him. I stood there for a few moments, staring at the bathroom. I could hear their voices. I clutched the blanket Nikolai had given me and shook it out, placing it on the counter. I removed the tattered dress I had been wearing and examined my battered body. Shaking my head, I observed the various bruises in different stages of healing, some fresh and others several days, even weeks old. Stepping into the shower, I marveled at the luxurious bathroom. It had multiple jets, a rain shower head, a built-in bench, and a spacious walk-in closet, all adorned with beautiful marble and tile.

The water cascaded down, hot and soothing, relieving the tension in my body. I remained under the spray, allowing it to wash away the pain and fear. I carefully washed my hair and body, careful of the sutures, but most were inside me, tending to every cut and scrape. My feet were swollen and sore, my legs ached, and my throat felt raw and bruised. I could sense the tenderness of my broken ribs. But none of that mattered as the relentless downpour of water cascaded over me, I finally allowed the tears to flow freely. I curled up in the bottom of the shower, sobbing softly. I was finally free, and quite possibly in the safest place in the world to be. Stepping out of the shower, I meticulously dried myself off. Glancing at the counter where the clothes were placed, Mikhail had already left. A man’s t-shirt and yoga pants lay before me, and as I lifted the shirt to my nose, a tantalizing aroma of chocolate and honey filled my senses. My inner wolf Sif whimpered, calling softly “Mate!” as I recognized Nikolai’s unmistakable scent.

Slipping into the clothes, I felt a semblance of my humanity returning, the shirt draping down to mid-thigh. I wrapped my blanket around me once more, cautiously opening the door to peek outside. The hallway stood deserted, bathed in dimmed lights. The soft glow of the fireplace and the hushed murmurs of voices reached my ears. Not spotting anyone, I cautiously made my way back to the living room. Yet, the moment I stepped through the doorway, all conversation abruptly ceased, and every gaze in the room fixated on me.