Nuan sat down by the big rock where her clay pots and washed clothes were drying.

She stared across the camp at Selka’s den. A thick crowd of wolves still stood around it in a tight circle, their ears pinned back in worry. Every few seconds, a few of them would look back over their shoulders, throwing dark, heavy glares right at her.

Nuan didn’t say anything. She just kept stabbing her hunting knife into the dirt, over and over, her mind racing.

Goddammit, I don’t know what to do, she thought, the panic gnawing at her gut. Is it even safe to stay here? If Kael dies, these wolves will probably rip me apart and eat me alive! Survival logic says I should bolt right now. Running is the smartest move... but damn it, I don’t want to leave like a criminal. And besides... I just have a feeling their pack medicine can help him better than I can.

Time crawled by. As the sky turned a deep, bruised purple and evening crept into the jungle, Nuan looked down at her dried clay bowls. I’ll have to build a fire pit and bake them tomorrow, she thought. She touched the smooth, dry clay and stored the bowls safely inside her system inventory, along with her clean clothes.

A sudden movement by the main den caught her eye. The crowd of anxious wolves finally parted, moving out of the way. Selka stepped out into the fading light, followed by a few of the older, grey-furred wolves.

Nuan forced herself to stand up on her good leg. She kept her grip tight on the knife handle, hiding it slightly behind her skirt. Pheww... I don’t want to hurt any of them, but I’ll do whatever it takes to survive if they push me.

Slowly, she limped toward the center of the camp. Selka walked over to a hollowed-out stone where the pack kept rainwater and began scrubbing the thick, dark blood stains off her claw-like hands.

"...Miss Selka..." Nuan started, her voice low and steady. "Is... is Kael going to make it?"

"He is still breathing," Selka said, not looking up as she splashed water over her bloody fingers. "But his eyes are still shut."

"Is he still in danger? Can I... can I go in and see him?" Nuan murmured, stepping a bit closer.

Selka finished washing her hands and turned around, her sharp eyes locking onto Nuan. "He needs constant care and support until his bones mend. Right now, we just have to wait for him to wake up and speak."

Selka’s gaze drifted down, noticing how Nuan was leaning heavily on one side, her injured ankle looking twice as swollen and angry as it did this morning. The old wolf let out a deep, heavy sigh. "You! Come over here."

Selka didn’t wait. She stepped up and offered her broad shoulder, letting Nuan lean on her as they walked over to a nearby flat rock to sit down.

From the edges of the camp, the rest of the pack watched them like hawks. A few of the younger hunters looked ready to spring forward and attack the moment Selka gave the word.

Nuan scanned the crowd and spotted the two young beastwomen—the ones who kept calling her an evil witch—whispering fiercely into the ears of a bunch of older, aggressive-looking wolves.

Selka sat down on the dirt right at Nuan’s feet. Without asking, she started peeling away the old, dried leaves from Nuan’s messed-up ankle.

"How is it that every time you go out into the woods, you come back with a worse injury?" Selka scolded, her voice c8arrying a sharp, heavy flash of motherly anger.

"Uh... sorry about that," Nuan muttered, rubbing the back of her neck.

Selka ignored the apology. She pulled out a handful of fresh whiteclaw herbs, crushing the tough leaves between her rough palms until the thick juices oozed out. Then, she pressed them straight onto the swollen skin.

"Ouch! Ow, ow, ow!" Nuan squealed, her teeth clenching as a fierce, fiery sting shot up her leg.

"If you bring this leg back to me in this condition one more time, I am done wasting my herbs and my time on you! You hear me?" Selka warned sharply, her rough hands expertly wrapping fresh, cool leaves around the joint.

"Yes! I’ll be careful, I promise," Nuan said, a massive wave of relief washing over her chest. Sigh... she said ’next time.’ That means she isn’t planning to kick me out or execute me yet.

Nuan looked down at the top of Selka’s head as the older wolf finished the knot.

"Actually... about what happened out there with Kael. We went to the lake for a hunt, and—"

"Save your breath," Selka interrupted, cutting her off cleanly as she stood up and wiped her hands on her skirt. "I don’t need an explanation. I know my son. That reckless fool went after something way too big for him. A dislocated shoulder and shattered ribs don’t come from a fragile creature like you."

Ugh, was that an insult to my human build? Nuan thought, her eye twitching slightly.

Selka leaned in a bit closer, her nostrils flaring slightly. "That snake leader... Eryx of the Silent Coil. Did he provide the medicine to stop the bleeding? When I cut into Kael’s chest hide to check his ribs, his blood smelled strange. Like a rotting swamp."

Wait, she cut into his chest hide?! Nuan screamed in absolute medical horror inside her mind. Outwardly, she just nodded quickly. "Yes, he gave Kael some kind of liquid and made him inhale crushed leaves. He also carried him back so the movement wouldn’t puncture his lung."

"...I see," Selka murmured, her face unreadable.

Before they could say anything else, a harsh, angry growl erupted from behind them. The bunch of older wolves marched forward, led by the two young beastwomen. Within seconds, they formed a tight, aggressive circle around Nuan, cutting off her exit.

But before anyone could reach the rock, Selka stepped forward, her tall, fierce frame completely shielding Nuan from the crowd.

"Mother! Why are you treating this witch’s leg?!" the first young beastwoman snapped, her eyes wild with rage. "She tried to kill our Alpha! We need to rip her head off right now!"

"Yes! Tear the skin off her bones!" the second one chimed in, baring her fangs. "She isn’t a good witch! She is Nyxara, the evil one, disguised as a healer to destroy our pack from the inside!"

"Yeah! Rip her apart! Kill the witch!" the older wolves behind them started roaring, their heavy paws stomping the dirt as they snarled at Nuan.

"The Alpha went hunting with her and returned broken."

"She came back without a scratch."

"The snake clan helped her."

Nuan didn’t blink. Behind her back, her fingers locked tightly around the hilt of her knife, ready to drive it into the first throat that leaped at her.