Her Christmas Wolf

“Don’t even think about it.” Trina,
my new boss, glared at me. She’d been on my case all week. Trina hated my guts.
When we met, I was in the process of killing someone. Didn’t make the best
first impression.

Nothing a little hard work couldn’t
fix. I might be an asshole, but I was an asshole Trina needed desperately. As
soon as she announced plans to expand her animal shelter, Forever Home, to
include livestock, she had a line of animals needing good homes. She couldn’t
say no to the animals, and in turn, couldn’t say no when I asked for a job.

This had to work, for both of us.
And it would, as long as I kept my mouth shut. And she didn’t tell me what to
do.

“Think about what?” I knew exactly
what she was talking about, and I didn’t like it.

“Delaney.” Trina motioned to the
person on the couch. I’d never seen her before today. She hugged her knees to
her chest. Curly blonde hair shielded her face, and I didn’t need to see her
expression to know she was terrified. “She just got here and hasn’t settled in
yet.”

“No shit. So the best way to make
her feel welcome is to ignore her.” I’d been given heads up about the ladies
who worked at Forever Home from Shadow. He was the new pack alpha and Trina’s
mate--if wolves could actually mate with humans.

And I killed Shadow’s brother. As
far as Shadow was concerned, I was on a need-to-know basis. Good for me that I
knew something that no one else around here did—how to care for livestock.

I ignored Trina, approaching
Delaney. I knelt in front of her to introduce myself. Maybe she didn’t feel
welcome. Join the club. Trina had barked orders at me the minute I walked in.
Not exactly a ‘Welcome to Forever Home’ banner and red carpet.

Delaney put her head down on her
knees, trembling, hair falling over her legs like a veil.

Didn’t expect that.

She was fucking terrified. It went way beyond Trina not knowing how to
drive the welcome wagon, and it broke my heart. The only good thing about that
is it confirmed I still had one.

I looked to Trina for guidance. She
had to know something about this woman. She motioned for me to follow her. I
glanced back at Delaney, not ready to walk away from her. She stayed in the
knot she tied herself in, even after I left.

Trina leaned against the outside
wall of the shelter and took a deep breath.

“I have no idea what to do with
her.” She looked back to the door, but no one had followed us. Her eyes were
glassy. “It’s never been like this before. I’m not sure what you know about us
here—"

“Shadow told me a little bit.” I
made it easier on her. I couldn’t handle it when a woman cried.

Shadow and I’d never gotten along,
and I didn’t need new friends. Just a springboard to a paying job. He’d taken
me aside and warned me to be careful. Everyone who worked here had come as part
of their recovery process. I knew about being an outcast, so I’d fit right in.
As soon as my coworkers stopped looking at me like a pariah.

Trina relaxed, the corners of her
mouth turning up slightly. Thank God she didn’t cry.

“Okay. Good. We’re all here from a
place called CAST. It’s the Center for Anxiety and Stress Therapy. I wound up
there after a car accident that killed my fiancé. Before CAST, I was like
that,” she said, pointing at the door towards Delaney. Whimpering sounds came
from inside. “Completely catatonic. The animals were the only thing that helped
me. Anyway, all of us had some pretty serious shit happen. But Delaney… all I
know is that she was severely abused. She doesn’t talk. She came to my house
this weekend, and she was like that most of the time. Curled up in a ball.
Won’t even look at any of us.”

“Because she’s scared out of her
mind. I’d think you, of all people would understand that,” I said. Trina better
make her point quick because she was pissing me off.

“I do. I know what was going on in
my head when I was like that, and it wasn’t good. But no one could force me out
of it. I want to help her, and I plan on it. It’s horrifying, because sometimes
it would be really easy for me to go back to that place. When the other girls
came to me, they were further along in their recovery. None of us know what to
do for her. We want her to feel comfortable, without alienating her more.”
Trina rubbed her hands against her bare arms. She’d come outside without
putting on a jacket, and a sharp December breeze whipped through the parking
lot.

“What makes you qualified to help
her? That it happened to you?” I rolled my eyes.

“I volunteered because CAST didn’t
know what to do for her. What if they gave up and sent her back to where she
came from?” Trina shuddered. “I wanted to help. All I know about you, Shea, is
that you’re a loose cannon with a short temper. I don’t know Delaney yet, but I
protect my girls. This needs to be a safe place for everyone.”

I’d argue with her assessment of me,
but she nailed it.

 “I don’t like it when people make up their
minds about me before they’ve given me a chance. I’d be willing to bet you
don’t like it when it happens to you, Trina.” I paused, and she shook her head.
“Maybe I’m not such an asshole. You met me at the absolute lowest time of my
life. I did what I needed to do to survive. If it wasn’t Archer who died, it
would’ve been me. I’m not perfect and I don’t claim to be. But you know what? I
bet Delaney would agree with us. That looks pretty close to rock bottom to me.
She’s hanging on, trying to get through it.”

“I look at you and I can still feel
Archer take his last breath in my arms.” Trina shook her head, her voice
cracked. She’d rescued all of us from a dogfighting ring. My family and the
Channing pack had been imprisoned in our wolf form, and it was kill or be
killed. She’d been too late for Archer. “If we do the wrong thing with Delaney,
we might not be able to undo it. I’ve been through this before. I know you’re
trying to help but follow my lead. Please.”

Trina headed up the stairs, her hand
on the doorknob, waiting for my answer, or apology, or something. At one point
I would’ve told her to take her job and shove it up her ass, but the fights
changed all of us. For the first time in a long time, I cared about someone
besides myself.

Delaney.

She needed someone to fight for her.

“I’ll try.” It was the best I could
do. My brother Xavier waited for me in his truck, my ride for the barn. He
could wait a few more minutes. I went back into the shelter. I had to see
Delaney one more time, but I’d never tell Trina why.

Trina smiled. “Good. I’m actually
glad you’re here, Shea. The barn is in amazing shape already. I want this to
work. For all of us.”

I sat beside Delaney on the couch
but she didn’t notice, because she was trembling even harder now. It resonated
deep inside me. She was braver than me, letting her fear out. I kept mine
buried deep inside. I’d done so many shitty things to shield it, and I never
knew what was coming next. I was caught in a culture I’d helped create and
grown to hate. Fighting, blood, fear, uncertainty. Chaos. For now it sustained
my brothers and I, but at some point, it would be our downfall. We’d be the
weak, relying on someone to take care of us. Would they?

Delaney and I weren’t that
different.