Nuan’s eyes fluttered open, her head spinning like a malfunctioning compass.

She was back on Kael’s stone slab bed, the sand beneath her feeling surprisingly cool against her skin.

She sat up slowly, wincing as her equilibrium fought to catch up. She looked down to find her logistics had been thoroughly managed.

Her ankle was expertly re-wrapped in fresh herb paste and leaves, and similar cooling poultices had been applied to the bruises on her arms and back.

She realized then that she was no longer in her torn clothes or her bra. Instead, she was wrapped in clean, soft loincloths that covered her modesty. Beside the bed, her gear—the knife, the pepper spray, cloths, her slightly charred elbow crutches—was all neatly organized.

Nuan scanned the dim light of the den. It was empty. Not even Kael was there. Her heart skipped a beat.

’Did that idiot go back to the forest to finish the fight?’

Driven by a surge of adrenaline, she slid off the bed. She grabbed her elbow crutches, noting the slightly melted rubber tip on one from her makeshift torch, and hobbled toward the mouth of the den.

The moment she stepped into the light, the entire pack froze. A murmur rippled through the clearing like wind through wheat.

"Alpha’s mate has woken up..."

"The savior has awakened."

"The witch has opened her eyes!"

Nuan ignored the titles, her eyes darting through the crowd until a silver blur dropped from the cliff above. Kael landed beside her with a heavy thud, shifting instantly into his human form.

"Meek savior! You are alive!" Before she could process the movement, he had lunged forward and pulled her into a crushing hug.

"Crap!!! I’m actually dying now!" Nuan squeaked, her ribs groaning under the pressure. She let go of one crutch and began frantically tapping his back. "Let me go! Suffocation is not a valid medical treatment!"

Kael didn’t care; his tail was thumping against his legs with enough force to generate electricity. He buried his face in her hair, refusing to budge.

SMACK!

A resounding slap hit Kael’s back, courtesy of his mother. "What are you doing, you idiot? You’ll break her in half like a dry twig!"

Kael winced and finally loosened his grip. Nuan gasped for air and finally got a good look at his face.

Three jagged, red scars from the tiger’s claws ran across his cheek, now treated with the same green herb paste as her ankle.

Nuan looked at Kael’s mother and gave a slight, respectful bow. "Thank you for the save back there. The timing was... excellent."

The older woman looked Nuan up and down with a sharp, calculating gaze. "You are part of this pack now. No need for thanks. Now, get yourself that lamb leg. You’ve been running on fumes for too long."

Nuan nodded aggressively. "Yes! Please! Calories immediately!"

Kael scrambled into the den and emerged seconds later with the roasted lamb leg.

Nuan stared at the cold, slightly dusty meat. ’I’ve eaten worse on the show. At least this isn’t a live beetle.’

She didn’t wait. She grabbed the leg with both hands and began munching on it with the ferocity of a wild beast, tearing into the protein as if her life depended on it—which, frankly, it did. The pack stared in silence as the "fragile human" demolished the meal.

One of the younger wolves slowly lowered the rabbit he’d been eating.

Kael’s mother let out a dry chuckle. "There. Now you truly suit this pack!"

Nuan just nodded, her jaw working overtime as she ripped into the meat. "Cough—water!" she managed between bites.

Kael scrambled toward a hollowed-out stone basin where water was stored. He scooped up a large double-handful and rushed back.

Nuan, past the point of caring about etiquette or hygiene, leaned down and drank straight from his clawed hands like a thirsty animal.

After five minutes of frantic consumption, the whirlwind stopped. Nuan sat perfectly still, staring blankly at the stripped lamb bone in her hand.

She suddenly looked down at her loincloth skirt and the unrefined way she was sprawled on the sand. Red-faced, she scrambled to stand up.

Kael’s mother reached out a hand. Nuan looked at her in surprise, then took it, steadying herself as she rose.

"Now, can we have a talk? Alpha female of our pack?" the mother said, her voice resonant.

Nuan looked behind her to the left, then the right, then back at Kael’s mother. She pointed a finger at her own chest. "Me? Alpha... female?"

Kael’s mother nodded firmly. "You are Kael’s mate. He is the Alpha of this pack. That makes you the Alpha pair."

Nuan gulped, looking from the towering silver wolf-man to her own scrawny, battered self. "No... I know that, but... I can’t be an Alpha Female! And I have no plan for being in a pack... I mean, I’m sorry, I know you all saved me and everything, but I just want to survive on my own! I haven’t planned on settling down at all... I’m a nomad! Logistics don’t support a permanent residence!" she murmured frantically.

Kael stepped closer, his shadow looming over her. "What are you talking about, meek savior?!" he growled, his hand gripping her shoulder. But he stopped mid-sentence, his brow furrowing. He began touching her face with the backs of his fingers.

"Mphh—what... what are you doing, Kael?" Nuan muffled, trying to swat him away.

Kael leaned closer and licked her cheek, sniffing her forehead with sudden intensity. "Kael, it’s not funny!" She pushed him lightly, but he stood straight, his expression turning grave.

"Did the Red Evil finally get you?" he asked, his voice low. "You are burning hot."

"Hm?" Nuan put her own hand on her forehead. It felt like she’d stepped into an oven; the heat was radiating off her skin in waves.

’Oi, Blue Buddy! Am I having a fever?!’

[ Yes, Host. I was waiting for a gap in the conversation to tell you. You are currently at 39.5°C (103.1°F). ]

[ Your body is running on extremely low energy reserves. ]

’But I just ate!’

[ Yes, and that raw-ish meat will take a massive amount of metabolic energy to digest before it actually gives you any. ]

[ Host condition worsening. ]

[ Probability of collapse increasing. ]

’Welp. I guess my immunity isn’t as legendary as my show’s intro claimed. Scripted survival strikes again.’

"Meek savior!" Kael shook her gently.

"Ah, no, silly... I’m not possessed by the Red Evil. I’m just having a fever. I need... rest," Nuan said, her voice trailing off as the edges of her vision began to blur.

Kael spun her to face him, his eyes desperate. "No! Let’s talk first about you ’not staying’! You are my mate! You cannot—"

"Kael!" his mother snapped, her voice cutting through his panic like a knife. "Get up on the cliff and keep watch on the territory. We have to be cautious after what happened today. We don’t know if those tigers have friends nearby."

She paused, looking at the swaying human, and corrected herself. "Let... Nuan... have her rest. The talk can wait until her blood isn’t boiling."