#2

[MARIANNE]

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I looked at the wolves surrounding us one by one. I was afraid this pack might suddenly attack. Of course, there was no way I could fight them. I didn’t have a weapon, and I was alone here.

My heart was pounding. Honestly, I was scared. At first, I intended to take Bolt back inside the clinic and lock the door tightly, maybe even call the police and the fire department? Who knew if this pack of wolves became aggressive and attacked the clinic?

But the injured wolf let out a deep, low growl. Slowly, one by one, the wolves backed away until my mouth fell half open.

“What the hell…?”

I was stunned to see the wolves simply run away. Meanwhile, the wolf lying on the ground let out a soft, pitiful sound. I immediately rolled up my sleeves.

“You’ve lost a lot of blood. If you promise not to bite me, I’ll help you, okay?”

The wolf slowly blinked its eyes as if it understood what I was saying, as if it were promising me. I let out a heavy breath and prepared to drag it into the clinic.

“Okay, be a good boy, yeah?”

I put all my strength into dragging it inside, its blood leaving a trail across the floor. It was difficult to move the wolf. Luckily, I regularly went to the gym and trained my muscles by lifting weights, so I managed to get the wolf inside even though I was practically about to pass out from exhaustion myself.

“You’re a fat wolf. You’re so huge. You eat a lot, huh? Hopefully that wound got rid of some of your fat. Let’s just hope your vital tissues aren’t injured.”

I grumbled, but my body was already moving to prepare for treatment.

I examined its body and checked its vital signs. It had a deep laceration that required treatment. I had to stitch the wound, otherwise the bleeding would continue and its condition would get worse.

“Hang in there, little champ. I’m going to save you. Bear with the pain. It’s only temporary.”

That night, I spent two hours treating him. I stitched all his lacerations, cleaned them, and treated them. I injected him with pain medication and constantly monitored his vital signs. I also took an X-ray and found that a bone in his front leg was fractured. It seemed he had hit something hard, or perhaps he had been fighting?

Exactly at midnight, I sat down on the floor and removed my mask. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Luckily, the other animals in the clinic were cooperative. They had all stayed quiet and calm when the wolf first came in.

“No, we’re out of blankets.” I scratched my head, thinking.

“We’ve never had a patient as big as you before. But I can’t let you freeze, so…”

I took off my coat and covered him with it. I knew my coat couldn’t cover his entire body, but at least it would keep the wolf warmer.

I went back to the administration desk.

“Looks like I have to register you under my name as your guardian. And this is going to cut quite a bit into my savings. Damn, I’ve already pissed Dad off. I hope I have enough money to last until next month.”

Pouting, I finished the administrative process. I entered everything I had used, including all the medications I had given him.

Sleepiness slowly crept over me. I yawned.

The clinic lights were turned off, leaving only the glow of the computer screen illuminating my face.

I turned my head toward the wolf lying on the bed. I nodded and let out a sigh of relief.

Hugging a baseball bat, I leaned back in my chair and slowly closed my eyes. Even though the wolf wasn’t dangerous anymore, I still had to stay alert, so my hand remained tightly wrapped around the bat.

Whether it was because of exhaustion or something else, I felt like I had only just fallen asleep when the sound of shattering glass startled me awake. My eyes flew open, and I stood up from my chair, raising the bat.

“I’ve got a bat!” I shouted.

But then I saw the wolf that had been lying on the bed running away by smashing through the clinic window. With my coat draped across its back, the wolf fled toward the higher ground.

“Hey!” I shouted after it and stood at the broken window frame. The dawn wind hit me, making me

shiver.

“You ungrateful animal! You damn annoying fat wolf!”

I cursed as I looked at the broken glass scattered across the floor. The clinic was a mess. “Oh, shit… I already paid for the operation, and now that wolf broke the clinic window?!”

I screamed so loudly that birds flew out of their hiding places in the branches of the trees.

Three hours later, I was still at the clinic, contemplating my fate. Even when Dr. Greyson

arrived and brought me coffee, I remained motionless.

“Hey, it’s not your fault, okay? You were just helping a wild animal. Look, you can pay for it in installments. I won’t pressure you.”

I was still pouting, even though Dr. Greyson understood my situation.

Just then, my phone rang. My mother was calling this early in the morning. Was she going to lecture me?

Reluctantly, I answered the phone.

“Maria, where are you? Come home quickly and get ready. Your father just got a call. Mr. Vance wants to meet you!”

One of my eyebrows rose.

“Mr. Vance?”

Who was that? Was he the thirteenth man my mother had arranged for me to meet?