The doctor gestured to the coffee table that sat in front of the couch. "Sit there, please." He himself strode to the back of the cabin and stopped in front of the torture devices.
I eased myself onto the table and Adam took a spot on the arm of the couch close at hand. My eyes flickered to him and I lowered my voice. "You sure he's okay?"
"I'm mostly trustworthy, and have very good hearing for a man my age," the doctor replied from across the room. He turned to me with a smile as I blushed. In his hands was a roll of bandage and scissors. "I'd recommend you to the hospital in Woodsville, but I'd be committing malpractice. Those doctors push through their patients like fast-food chains push through hamburgers."
I cringed. "I'll risk you."
He smiled and strode over to kneel in front of my injured leg. "Good, now hold still while I get this tight bandage off. Somebody knew their stuff when they wrapped it."
"That would be Adam," I told him.
The doctor smiled. "He does seem to be a jack-of-all-trades."
"But a master carpenter," Adam spoke up.
I raised an eyebrow. "What else can he do?" I asked the doc.
The doctor chuckled. "He once de-clogged my toilet. I've never seen anyone plunge as fast or as hard as he did."
"It was a bad clog," Adam teased.
The doctor coughed and unwrapped my bandage. "Well, let's take a look at your wound." He unwound the cloth and revealed the teethmarks. They sank into the skin and stopped just short of the bone. The area round the rounded punctures showed off violet-colored bruises, and dried blood was splashed across the entire wrecked area. The doctor frowned. "This is pretty bad. I'm surprised the bear let go."
"I distracted him and he went after me," Adam explained.
The doctor gave a cursory look over Adam. "You must have sprinted quickly to elude a bear. They're faster than they look."
Adam smiled and shrugged. "I somehow managed."
"Well, you got to her just in time. A little more squeezing and she might have lost some important nerves." The doctor set his supplies on the floor in front of my leg. "I guarantee this will hurt you more than it hurts me," he told me.
I frowned and my eyes flickered to Adam. "Got a hand to spare?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Two, why?"
"I need to bite down on something."
"I'm afraid they've just become unavailable."
The doctor snorted. "It won't hurt that bad, but I'm not guaranteeing you'll be able to join the Olympics in a day."
"Damn, there goes my dream of international fame," I quipped.
The doctor smiled and glanced up into my face. "I don't think I caught your name."
I held out my hand to him. "Christina Monet."
He shook it with a firm, steady grip. Otherwise, and I would have run out of there. "Doctor Samuel Darby, but you can call me Doc. Everybody who knows me does."
"Who's everybody?" I wondered.
Doc nodded at Adam. "Him, and all the locals. The other folks above me don't call me except when their pet is green around the gills. Then I'm just a bill. I'm guessing you're one of the folks up there."
I wrinkled my nose. "Well, I live up-THERE!" My voice came out as a yelp as this madman who called himself a doctor applied some acid to my wound.
"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Doc asked me.
I ground my teeth and hissed out my words. "No, that was worse!"
"You might want to bite down harder on your lower teeth," he advised. I thought I cracked my teeth when he applied another dose of the kerosene fluid and lit my leg on fire. That's how bad it felt.
"Are we done yet?" I pleaded.
He put away his cloth of evil and picked up a tube and the bandages. "Done with the cleansing fluids, now it's time for the goop and bandages."
"What's the goop for?" I asked him.
"To keep infection out and heal your wound faster. Now you said you lived above me, but wasn't one of the usual crowd. Are you the one Mrs. Vandersnoot is throwing a party for?" he wondered as he worked. I winced and cringed as he applied the goop and bandages.
"She is," Adam replied for me.
"Then I guess we'll see each other there. Everyone in the area has been 'invited,' or so I was told in no uncertain terms when Vandersnoot herself gave me a visit yesterday," he informed us.
Adam chuckled. "We wish we could bring you good tidings about a delay because of Chris' injury, but Mrs. Vandersnoot wouldn't give us a reprieve of even a day."
Doc stepped back and admired his handy work of my bandaged leg. "So that Mrs. Vandersnoot wouldn't give you any mercy on account of your injury? Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he mused.
I flexed my leg and was glad it wasn't tightly mummified. Still mummified, but not tight. "Think I can get out of it with a doctor's note?" I inquired.
He smiled, but shook his head. "Nope. That woman's more stubborn than any animal I've ever treated, and twice as mean if you vex her."
"So you're telling me I have to go?" I guessed.
"Yep, or none of us will ever hear the end of it. Hell, it'd be a blessing not to hear her, but she'd make her displeasure known to the world," Doc told us.
"We'll be sure to attend," Adam promised.
Doc turned to him with both eyebrows raised. "You've been invited? I thought you made it your habit to avoid them, and they you."
"I invited myself as caretaker to Chris," Adam explained.
Doc closed his eyes and shook his head. "You're a brave man, Adam, but that'll make it we three against the whole lot, so I like those odds."
Adam smiled and bowed his head. "Then we'll see you there at five-thirty." He helped me up and I reached into my pocket for some cash and cards.
"How much do I owe you?" I asked the doctor.
"For a friend of Adam's, nothing. If you manage to civilize and tame him I'll give you a lifetime's worth of health care. My lifetime, of course. You're both a little younger than me," Doc told me. Oh, if he only knew.
My eyes flickered to Adam who smiled back at me with fake innocence. "I guess I'll say I'm a friend, but I still want to pay you." I pulled out a fifty and held it out to him.
Doc pushed it back to me. "If you want to pay me then buy some squirrel feed at Agnes' store for me. I'm just about out."
I frowned and pocketed my money. "I know a squirrel I can give you free of charge," I told him.
He chuckled. "I have enough of those furry devils, I just need the food."
Adam grasped my shoulders and turned me toward the door. "We'll be sure you get some," he assured Doc.
"Then I'll see you tonight, and God help us all," Doc called to us as we left.
We piled into the car and Adam pulled a u-turn and headed us back to home. I settled in the seat and sighed. "Well, you're right, he is a little eccentric."
"Why do you say that?" Adam wondered.
"Because he's fond of you."
Adam leaned toward me and his eyes flickered to me. "I am irresistible."
I snorted and pushed him away. "I already said we were friends, so don't push your luck."
He leaned away, but his smile didn't leave his lips. "Then I'll be grateful for that until our relationship status changes."
"You mean from the I-know-you're-a-werewolf to I'm-now-kibble?" I teased. My knew my joke fell flat when his lips did the same. I stared at the floor and hung my head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
His voice sounded as flat as my joke. "It's fine. I can understand your concern for your safety, but believe me when I say I've taken every precaution to keep you safe."
I raised my head and tilted it to one side. "What does that involve? I mean, do you eat more meat or something?"
"That, and remaining calm at all times, even under stress. I-well, you witnessed what I can do if I transform."
I laughed. "Yeah, Hulk smash bears."
He cracked a smile. "Yes, something like that."
"Well, you may be just as big, but you
're not green and I think you've done a pretty good job of controlling yourself. I'm not bit or scratched yet," I pointed out.
"No, and I will guarantee you remain that way."
I playfully sighed and shrugged. "Oh well, I was looking forward to keeping my naturally fit figure for an eternity." I looked down at myself. My stomach wasn't exactly flat, and neither were my-ahem, twin assets. "Or maybe it's better this way."
"I wouldn't think it would be better for the world if you passed on," Adam spoke up.
I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "You really do like me, don't you? As in not the menu-like, but the girlfriend-boyfriend like."
He chuckled. "Are you sure you're a reporter?"
"Content provider, but I like to pretend I'm a journalist when I have the biggest scoop of the last couple hundred years sitting right next to me in my car."
"We'll get to that book after I fix your house," he reminded me.
Chapter 4
We returned to my home and I limped out of the car. My leg hurt worse than I left, but the bandage was clean and hopefully the wound wold heal in a week or two. In the meantime I hopped my way to the side of the house and looked at the bent metal from Adam's fall. "You think that's where my nutty friend got into the house?" I asked Adam.
He strolled up and tilted his head back to gaze at the roof. "Most likely. I didn't fall through anywhere else so the rest of the roof is probably fine."
"Do we need to wait for those supplies from that lumber store?" I wondered.
He shook his head. "We can do a patch job to keep the rain out of your attic, but a better job can be done after the order is in."
"All right. You climb up there and try to kill yourself, and I'll watch down here. If you fall don't expect me to catch you, but I will rate your landing," I warned him.
Adam grinned. "What would you rate a face-plant?"
"Depends on your form. If your flailing a lot on the downhill then I'd say about a six," I admitted.
"Well, I'll be sure to give you a good show if I fall," he promised. He retrieved his tools and climbed onto the roof.
I hate to admit it, but I was a little worried about him. Maybe it was my natural feminine concern for this young-old man, or maybe it was a budding feeling for-nah, scratch that last one. There was no way I could be falling for that scruffy werewolf who was intent on driving me bats with his company. Whatever the reason for this strange new concern, I dragged out a folding chair left by Johnson and plopped it on the ground far enough from the roof where I wouldn't become a participant in the sport of falling if something did go wrong. He was way too heavy for me to catch, and poor little tiny me would be squished as flat as his delicious pancakes.
Fortunately, he didn't give me a show and after a half hour he came down with hammer in hand and a triumphant smile on his face. "That should keep your squirrels at bay."
"What about if there's any in the attic?" I wondered.
He shook his head. "I smelled for them before I closed up the hole. They're avoiding me like the other animals."
"I've been meaning to ask you about that. Is that a werewolf thing or do the animals just not like you?" I asked him.
"A werewolf thing. Wolves tolerate me, but not much else," he admitted.
I held up my hand. "Well, before we go so far as your eating habits let's have some lunch. I'm starved." I led him inside and brought out all the supplies I'd need for the cooking. "You're in for a treat. I've got everything I need to make my mom's Special Spaghetti."
Adam took a seat at the small table and smiled. "How's it special?"
"Because we Monet girls know how to make it," I told him.
He chuckled. "And you're as special as it comes," he agreed.
I blushed, but I furiously wiped at my cheeks to hide the red color. "Something like that, but let me whip it up before I go all wolfy on you and decide to invite some rabbits in for some stew."
"I've had that. It's delicious," he told me.
I snorted. "If you can get past eating Bugs it probably is."
I cooked all the ingredients, spaghetti, meat and all, and at noon we wolfed down the food. Adam slurped up the meal noodles, sauce and all, and I noticed he paid particular attention to scraping up every last bit of meat. He set his fork down, leaned back and patted his stomach. "Now I know why that's called Special Spaghetti. I particularly liked the softness of the noodles and the meat."
I raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I thought you'd be a lover of only rare meat."
"Yes, but I'm still mostly human," he defended himself.
I lay my elbow on the table and leaned my chin in my hand. "How do you handle having a wolf inside of you? I mean, is it like in the movies where it constantly claws at you to get out, or is it just a night thing or what?"
He shrugged. "It's not quite that complicated. The wolf is more like having a short temper. You just need to learn to control it so that it rarely comes out except when I need it against danger."
"Like on the roof when you were trapped?" I suggested.
He pursed his lips and gave a nod. "Yes, like that. The survival instinct takes over and I can't help myself. You're lucky you weren't bitten or scratched by me."
"Are those the only ways to get the curse?" I asked him.
"Yes. A transfer of blood or saliva through the claws and teeth are the only ways to spread the curse. You noticed how I reacted when you tried to touch the dried blood on my leg," he reminded me.
"Speaking of your leg, I'm guessing your healing abilities are from being a werewolf and not some magical trick you can teach me?" I mused.
He chuckled. "I'm afraid it's from the curse. It's probably the only thing that kept me alive after the attack by the loup garou. Otherwise the injury and fever would have killed me."
I leaned back and stretched my arms over my head. "Speaking of nightmares, I think I could do with a nap. Living through your driving just about scared the soul out of me."
"I'll be sure to wake you when we need to go," he assured me.
I hit the hay on the couch and was out as soon as my head hit the musty pillow there. The afternoon passed without my knowing, and at sundown I felt someone shake my shoulder. I rolled over and swatted at the hand. "Just five more hours, Mom," I groaned.
"I would rather not face the wrath of Mrs. Vandersnoot, or leave Doc alone in that company," Adam's voice broke through my sleepy darkness.
I creaked open my eyes and saw I faced the fire. Someone stood in front of me, but I didn't recognize them. It was a clean-shaven young man with a black turtleneck and slacks. His short dark hair was slicked back from a recent shower, and the rest of him was just as impeccably clean. He smiled down at me. "I'm not sure how long you need to get ready so I woke you at five."
I sat up on my elbow and blinked at him. The voice was Adam, but not the look. Then I noticed the sparkling, teasing eyes. "When did you get so handsome?" I asked him.
"About thirty minutes ago, but do I really look that different without my beard?" he wondered.
I finished the sitting up onto my rear and got a good look at him. Gone was the scraggly fuzz mess on his chin and sideburns, and his hair behind and atop his head was trimmed to an inch in length. "You look. . .civilized."
He snorted. "I could return to my scraggly look if it shocks you this much." As he finished the hair on his head and his chin sprouted and grew like weeds on fertilizer steroids. In two seconds it was back to the same scraggly length as before.
My jaw dropped to the floor. "You can control your hair?"
He shrugged. "It's a gift with the curse." His hair retreated back into his face and head. "I prefer the long look because it keeps me warm, but for this occasion I'll make an exception."
I ran my hand through my hair and winced when my fingers became entangled in the matted mess of my nap. "Speaking of uncivilized," I muttered.
"You have half an hour. That should be plenty of time-"
"Half an hour? Why didn't you wake me sooner?
" I didn't give him a chance to answer before I jumped to my feet and limped past him to my bedroom.
"Isn't that plenty?" he asked me.
I slammed the door shut and tore through my clothes. "I don't even know what I'm going to wear!"
"Wear something warm, but light. It's going to be a heavy dew tonight," he advised.
I slipped into some jeans that didn't make my butt look to big and a shirt like the turtleneck Adam wore. Then there was the trip to the bathroom and midway through applying lipstick I looked in the mirror and frowned. "What the heck am I doing this for? I don't even like the hostess." I wiped the lipstick off, combed my hair so it wouldn't stick out at odd angles, and presented myself to Adam.
He scrutinized me with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "No makeup or lipstick?" he mused.
"Nope, got a problem with that?"
He chuckled. "On the contrary, I prefer your natural look."
I turned my eyes away from his thorough, penetrating gaze and fidgeted with my collar. "Well, now that we're both civilized-ish we should go. Doc's probably wishing we were there ten minutes ago."
Chapter 5
I left the staff in the house so I wouldn't be tempted to use it on some of my rude neighbors. We strode to the car at a leisurely pace and drove the same speed to the party. It was exactly five-thirty when we arrived. The autumn night fell over the forest and a dozen cars descended over the Vandersnoot residence. We got a parking spot in the nose-bleed section of the driveway and walked up to the front door. On the way we passed a large collection of used cars that cost more than my property. The only exception was Doc's old station wagon. We reached the stairs and climbed up to the door. The doorbell was pressed, and inside we could hear laughter and talking, both of which sounded slightly inebriated. They had started the fun without us.
The door swung open and we were presented with Mrs. Vandersnoot in a slick red dress that clung to her body in all the right places and made me feel pity for her internal organs. The main room of the house extended all the way to the rear and was an open floor like my cabin, but four times larger. There was the kitchen and dining to the right, and the living room in the center and left. A huge fireplace had a warm, friendly fire burning in its hearth, and there was a row of refreshments on the island in the kitchen. The dozen cars held three dozen people. They stood in groups chatting, drinking, and eating to their hearts' content. Everyone was dressed a notch above me, but I was the more comfortable.