Crimson

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian looked at her and waited while she watched him. He was not going to give her any signs of what he was thinking. This was all up to her and she had to decide for herself how to respond.

Still it was hard for him to maintain his cool, disinterested appearance when she pulled the covers down to reveal her half naked body. Indeed he did swallow hard but remained seated and just stared at her. He did hope she did not notice the sudden hardening in a certain area though although he did manage to keep it under control.

Finally she spoke and he understood her word's. She was used to allowing her more aggressive side to take control, but she did not want to do that while she was with him for fear of what she might do if he was there. However because he was she was not fighting at 100%.

His voice softened as he looked at her and her wounds. "I know what you mean when you talk about fighting like that. Normally I would not have hesitated to release my other, but I was scared of what it would do to you. Now look at you," he said gently running his finger along her arm but stopping before he got close to her injury.

"We are both afraid of our other halves, but we both need them. I have been able to make peace with mine for now and you are going to have to do the same or we will have to go our separate ways or one or both of us will end up like this again," he said gesturing at her.

Then taking a risk he slowly moved towards her and spoke gently. "However I would prefer to stay together so we could continue to explore the more womanly side of you," he smiled as he gently kissed her lips and then moved back.

"Oh and for your information Red, I have no problems traveling with your Hunter side, as long as she does not try to kill me. In fact I think a combination of you both would be truly delectable," he grinned slyly. "What can I say, I have always liked dangerous women," he chuckled.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

"And I can't guarantee that I would have been able to stop my hunter self from killing the wolf." Red frowned as she replayed his words in her head. It was true that they needed their killer instincts not only because it was the only nature that they grew up in but it was the only way for survival.

Both of them were desperate to shed away their true instincts even for a moment if it meant that it would allow them to be human. But unlike the wolf who was able to adapt both personas, Red's attempts on assimilating in to a regular woman often came out clunky. Her whole life was centered on training to survive and learning of the creatures that were known to frequent the grounds. Deviating from that to dwell on trivial human gripes was a sure fire way to be killed.

The wolf leaned in to give her a brief kiss on the lips. Just as he was about to pull away, Red's free hand immediately grabbed his wrist that held on to the edge of the bed. Her grip on it was firm squeezing it for a brief moment. After a few minutes of holding him in his place, she began to move away, tugging him along to the free space on the other side of the bed that she made for him.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian thought he had pushed his luck with her as far as he could for now and after the kiss was going to move away and let her sleep in peace. Yet as he tried to move away Red grabbed his wrist and made it quite clear by her firm grip that he was not to go anywhere.

He looked down at her and was about to ask a question, but his mouth snapped shut at the look on it and he kept quiet. He waited for her to tell him what to do,and he did not have to wait long. After only a few minutes she began to move over on the bed and her hand guided him to the now vacant space.

Smiling he quickly got into the bed before she changed her mind. He was still fully clothed but that was not the point. She had invited him in and that was all that mattered.

He rearranged the blankets and furs until she was once again covered up nicely and then feeling bold he gently lifted her head and placed his arm under it and cuddled her into his chest.

Saying nothing but holding her gently, he smiled and then gently began to breathe in her scent as he began to doze off to sleep.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

It was almost tempting to grip on to the wolf's wrist tightly. Her hunter instincts was dying to come out, even urging Red to trade places just so she can have the privilege of snapping the wolf in half.

But Red was tired. That was all there is to it. Tired and in pain, she didn't have a lot of energy to make a snappy comeback. Out of natural reflex, she lifted her head enough for the wolf's arm to snake underneath. Gently, he pulled her close to him, being careful to not touch her wounds and not to squeeze her.

Red watched the wolf slowly doze off, enjoying the sounds of his slow breathing while she laid protected under his hold. When she was certain her was asleep, her good hand trailed its fingers up his neck, then to his ear, before stopping near the scar on his face. She knew how much he hated the scar and how that one night ruined the both of them.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen once she found the hunter. Or worse, if she were thrown in the middle of his own pack, knowing full well that they were still alive, somewhere.

She frowned, watching the wolf sleep, hearing his breath and chest rising while she rested her head near his heart.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

-----

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

He slept soundly, enjoying the warmth of her body next to his. The comforting weight of her head pillowed on his chest sending a warm glow through his body. He woke up several times through the night, but each time he looked down at her and smiled and quickly fell back into slumber.

By the time he woke up properly, he knew it was early in the morning. His animal instincts had always enabled him to know what time of day it was no matter where he was. Again he looked down at her and a small smile played across his face. She looked so different when she slept. Gone was the harshness of the hunter within her, revealing the vulnerable woman she was.

Gently he traced a finger down her cheek and along her jaw before laying back and looking at the ceiling. Sighing a little he asked himself what he was doing. He was supposed to be killing her and taking her head back to his pack to regain his honor, not accompanying her to rescue her mentor, and certainly not falling in love with her.

His eyes widened as he thought about that. Had he done that? Had he fallen in love with his prey? If he had what was he going to do? It was not as if anything was going to end happily. If he helped her rescue her Master, he would kill him or Stygian would have to fight and kill him and then Red would have to join in and fight him.

And if he did not help her and instead tried to kill her, he knew he would not be able to do it. He was already to far gone. She would have to attack him and even then he was not sure if he could bring himself to kill her.

Sighing he continued to lay in the dark and began to absently stroke her hair as the sun rose and the room began to lighten.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Still deep in her sleep, a small smile played Red's lips as the wolf briefly stroked her cheek. Her mind couldn't tell if it was a dream or if the wolf really was running his finger rather lovingly.

As the wolf laid on his back, her body naturally rolled along and draped on top of his body. Her head still nuzzled on him, hidden by her hair. While outward appearances made her look peaceful in her sleep, her subconscious frowned at the dilemma she was in. Her human side herself wanting...needing the comfort and closeness that the wolf provided for her. Red constantly convinced herself that it was merely hunger, having been deprived of such relaxation all her life when her purpose was to kill and ensure the safety of her fellow man.

The wolf's nature was the exact opposite.

It had to be deprivation. Her whole life was only set to kill those who weren't human. The wolf was no damn exception and there he was living so freely gorging on desires that others could have, scar or not.

Sunlight found its way inside of their room, hitting her back. Red couldn't help but groan when it shone on her wounded shoulder, sending burning sensations throughout her back.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian was still lost in his thoughts as the sun crawled into the room through the window, but as Rd began to groan he was shaken out of them and he looked down to see what her problem was.

He immediately noticed the sun on her wound and quickly covered it with a blanket, but that only irritated it in a different way. Frowning he wondered what he could do. She needed her rest, but if he moved to close the shutters she would awaken immediately, but if he did nothing the result would be the same.

Thinking fast he moved the fur from her body and positioned it delicately over her scythe and then moving carefully he gently eased it between her and the window until she was once again in shade. He was able to hold it upright with his hand and it would give her several more hours of sleep, but it meant he would no longer be able to stroke her.

Yet as he watched her settle back down and a smile appear on her face once again he was glad. He would put up with the stiff shoulder he knew was coming to see her like this. He had come to a decision. He would do everything in his power to give her the freedom to be a regular woman until they saved her Mentor. Then they would fight it out between themselves to see which one of them survived.

Until that day, he would protect this woman with every fiber in his being.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Whatever it was that was thrown on top of her shoulder irritated Red all the same. Her hunter conscience stirred, hissing to Red that indeed, the wolf was deliberately trying to kill them both. How convenient to be left lying on her stomach without much of a choice, but to be positioned where the sun was going to hit her the hardest.

Red did her best to brush the nagging voice to the side. Now wasn't the time or place to get too crazy.

Barely awake, Red gently pushed him, a sign to let him know that she was aware of what was going on.

"For God's sake," she sleepily said. "Just close the shutters and come back. I'm still going to be here."

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian chuckled deep in his throat as Red sleepily pushed him out of bed, while at the same time both ordering him to close the shutters to make her feel better, and reassuring him that she was not pushing him away.

He was amazed that she could be so thoughtful even when she was so sleepy and in pain. Then, as he carefully got out of bed and walked to the window to close the shutters he chuckled again. Was it thoughtfulness or just plain survival.

As the room was plunged back into semi darkness he sighed. Turning to look at her he smiled a small twisted little smile. It didn't really matter to him if she was only going to use him. He was finally ready to admit to himself that he was hooked on her and could no longer give her up.

Crawling back into bed, he positioned himself beside her and again cradled her head on his chest. "Get some more rest Red. I will wake you when it is time to eat and change your dressing. Today you get to take it easy while I have to do all the work."

As he started to drift off again he smiled. This was beginning to be habit forming. If he didn't fear for his life so much he might tease her about that.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

To her relief, Red's wounds stopped burning under the sun's rays. She was lazy to offer the wolf a witty response. Had it been her hunter conscience being dominant, wound or not, they would never be in this position of what everyone else considered normal or cute. Mornings would revel in a lot of sarcastic yelling matches followed by intentional pushes off of the bed.

Instead her hunter self laid dormant wanting so badly to get out but controlled by her human conscience eased, assuring that they would still, in a way, get to trap the wolf.

"Get some more rest Red. I will wake you when it is time to eat and change your dressing. Today you get to take it easy while I have to do all the work." She heard the wolf say.

"You know..." she said in her still tired state, burrowing her head in her arms. "You know I can't do that. I get bored very easily. Pretty sure your wolf persona doesn't like it that you have to deal with this for the second..."

Tired of lying on her stomach and desperate for comfort to her body, she rolled on to her back. An unwise decision, she will quickly learn. The moment her shoulder touched the mattress, she seethed and drew in a sharp breath. Immediately, she flopped back on her stomach.

Her head still buried underneath her arms, she couldn't help but frown. Her body was just healing from the snake attack not long ago and now she had the dog creature's work on her shoulder and neck to deal with.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

As soon as Red began to answer, he knew what she was going to say. Just by the way her body was reacting he knew she would never be able to sit still and relax for the whole day, just like he would be unable to. They were both creatures of action and they needed to be doing something. Sitting still and letting their bodies recover was just not their thing.

Still as she rolled over he did try to stop her, but she rolled onto her shoulder before he could. Her immediate sharp intake of breath and the fact that she rolled back to her stomach immediately told him she had worked out it was safer to stay on her stomach.

He felt sorry for her. She had already been carrying an injury from the snake and now this. Maybe he would try to find a herb shop or look in the woods to see if he could brew up a potion to help relieve the pain.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red's hunter conscience was pissed to the point of being embarrassed in front of her adversary. If the damned wolf didn't take some mercy on to her human nature, their vulnerability would have been exposed for the wolf's taking. It wasn't hard to imagine the damn creature salivating at the opportunity for Red to be broken before he delivered his own final blow. Growing up as a hunter, they were forced to be set apart, to have a higher standard than a regular commoner. If fear or weakness were exposed, it would set a chain reaction where the creatures might as well kill them all.

Red raised her head a little, enough where her eyes looking up at him were the only ones visible. Her gaze went back and forth between his face and the scar line that ran down one side of his face from what little light crept through the shutters. A small part of her felt sorry that the wolf had to bear scar for years compared to the injuries she had attained mere days ago.

That's because he had it coming the minute he tried to kill you! said the hunter, reminding her that her murderer laid before her.

With her good arm, she dragged herself forward. Her body rubbed up against his own bare one, stopping until her face was mere inches from his lips. After the long minutes of silence and reflecting, her lips barely grazed his when she spoke.

"I guess I could eat a little breakfast." A small smile played her lips.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian watched the pain and embarrassment play out in her eyes and he wanted to reach out and comfort her, yet he dared not. He still did not know how she would feel about that and it could only make matters worse and he had no wish to do that.

She looked up at him and he saw her eyes examining his scared face but he did not look away. He was used to such looks yet he felt a difference in her gaze. Here was the one he had received the scar because of, yet she did not seem to be judging him harshly.

Under her gaze he felt ashamed. He had not wanted to kill her as a child, indeed he had argued long and hard against it, yet he could only obey his pack leader. He had been angry and resentful for the scar, but secretly he had also been glad the child had lived.

As she dragged herself towards him his breathing had almost stopped and small shivers ran down his body as hers rubbed up against his. As her lips touched his it was as if a lightning bolt had erupted inside of him but he showed no signs of this.

As she requested breakfast he smiled and nodded then carefully got out of bed, making sure not to disturb her. Dressing quickly he headed for the door then looked back at her. "I will not be long. Try to rest more while I am gone."

Smiling he left and mad his way down to the common room. He ordered two breakfasts, a simple meal of fresh bread, porridge, watered ale and luckily for him some leftover meat. Thanking the maid he made his way back up the stairs.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red waited until the footsteps got softer and the door closed before she reached for her scythe. Her hunter conscience savored the touch of the handle. She stood the scythe up, using her weight to pull herself up on to a seated position at the edge of the bed. With her weapon in her hands, the mixed feeling of anger and embarrassment continued to linger. The injuries she had gotten were inevitable with or without the wolf hanging around but not to this level of degree that she had gotten recently.

Why do you let him still hang around? her hunter self asked Red. More importantly, why do you continue to be with him even after he set you up?

Red tried to move her left arm but raising it a few inches was enough to cause a strain with her injuries. Her grip on the scythe tightened, wanting something or someone to take her anger out on. Maybe her hunter instincts were right when it kept assuring her that being with the wolf was all a giant set up. Maybe she allowed herself to keep staying with him because her curiosity on what it was like to be a woman was opening up, something that as a hunter, she didn't have much time for.

Maybe she started to develop something for the wolf.

Maybe.

Frustrated, she struck down her scythe as hard as she could. The blade wedged itself in a crack on the floor. Her head hung low, gazing at the weapon on the wooden surface. The hunter fantasized that it was the wolf's corpse lying there with her blade penetrated deep in him. If she knew where the rest of the wolf's pack was hidden, she would gladly chuck his head as a present and have them figure out where the rest of his corpse lay hidden.

It was the most merciful justice she could serve him for all the nightmares and terror that plagued her in her sleep throughout those years.

Red, on the other hand, found herself shaken by all the thoughts that festered inside of her. Her whole life was centered around being one of the few brave souls that destroyed creatures who terrorized her fellow man. With the wolf having opened up the humanistic side of her, it left her confused and occasionally frustrated: she needed to focus on her duty to avoid these injuries again but the side of what she wasn't allowed to have growing up left her all the more curious. And maybe...maybe she was starting to see there was more to the wolf than what she blindly believed all her life.

The innkeeper's words back at Grimsby whispered in her head again, questioning if she may in fact be simply hanging on to whatever shreds of humanity she claims to have without coming off as a cold assassin with only a single purpose.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian opened the door after making sure he walked loudly from halfway down the corridor and coughed a little outside the door. He didn't want to make the mistake of walking silently like he normally did and suddenly opening the door on the hunter.

He balanced the tray that held their meals and then closed the door, turning to move towards the bed. He noticed she was up and he shrugged. That was her choice and he was not going to stop her, however he would if she tried to use her arm too much or tried to leave the room.

He placed the tray down on the small bedside desk, where it barely fit and offered her, her share of the bread. "Here try to eat this with your porridge. It is actually very fresh. I think they baked it this morning instead of using leftovers from last night," he grinned having already tasted his own. "The porridge is good as well. The maid added a preserve to it and it is delicious. I think your Hunter's reputation has served us well."

Stygian sat on the floor and looked up at her. "Once you are finished eating you should get some more rest. I will go and scout out the enemy while looking for herbs to treat your wounds. I am sure I saw some growing when we were traveling here. By tomorrow you should be well enough to walk around town and question the locals." He smiled openly. "A better task for a pretty lady than a scarred man I would say anyway. I daresay you will get far more information from them than I will," he chuckled as he began to eat.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red looked up at the tray that the wolf set aside on the nightstand. She had not much of an appetite ever since they found the inn yesterday and even then, she barely managed to eat the morsels of food that they scraped together without her feeling nauseated. The smell of the porridge, on the other hand, was quite welcoming along with the fresh baked bread. For a town that appeared to be under duress from the creatures, it was unusual that they can still go about trying to make what they could to get their minds off of it.

Maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Still, shouldn't they be a little more cautious at least?

She dipped the bread in the porridge and took a bite out of it. Not bad.

"I don't know," she took another bite off of the dipped bread. "Even as a hunter, it takes twice as much effort when you're a woman. Sometimes I have to drive the point before I get an answer."

She noticed the wolf gave her an odd look before adding, "As a last resort."

Red smiled at him before she took the bowl of porridge, stirring up its contents.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian was surprised at her comment. Did she not realize that with her status as a Hunter and her beauty, she could easily have most tongues wagging if she but talked easily to people? He wondered just how her mentor had instructed her to gather information. Was she really kidding when she mentioned extracting it at the end of a sharp pointed object.

Still who was he to talk. The packs methods were just as brutal, maybe even more so at times. Having three or four members gang up on someone and beat out the information was the standard method when they needed information fast. Sending in two or three females or handsome males when they had time was another.

He had only developed other methods because the usual ones did not work. No one wanted to work with him except under direct orders, and he was definitely not handsome. He had learned to keep his head down and his ears open.

Still it was good to see her eating. Hopefully that meant her insides were okay. "Well just don't poke anyone too hard," he chuckled. As he ate he looked at her and smiled. "I will ask the maid to check on you at lunch time if I am not back and maybe bring you whatever they are serving. Do not be too worried if I am not back by then. I wish to scout the camp our friends are in thoroughly and my Other will be able to do that better. I will be back before dinner though."

He finished his meal and then sat waiting for her. He would return the bowls on his way out and make his request of the maid.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red watched the wolf take her bowl as she handed it to him, listening to him explain that he was going to go out and scout the village for any more of the hybrid dog creatures that have been terrorizing the town. Just as he was about to get up, almost as if it were out of instinct, she leaned towards him and planted a kiss on the wolf's forehead.

Immediately she pulled away and hung her head low, embarrassed by that impulsive act. For the first time, she couldn't help herself and allowed her human curiosities to get to her. She uttered an apology and lied down on her stomach once again.

"Don't take long," she tried to sound non-chalant.

She waited until he left before she closed his eyes.

---

The maid was the only one in the common room, busying herself with cleaning the tables and chairs with soap and water from a bucket. The innkeeper had told her that he had a few errands to tend to and that he should be returning after lunch. She noticed the male guest approaching her and requested to check on his female companion in a few hours.

"If it helps, sir, I know of a nurse who can help your friend."

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian looked at the girl and thought long and hard. On one hand Red did need her wounds tended to, and probably by someone better than him. On the other she was a Hunter and liked her privacy. Would him agreeing for her be overstepping his boundaries again?

"Perhaps for now if you would just take a lunch to her,but while there you can ask her if she would like the doctor to have a look at her. She is a bit of a private person so I think she should be the one to make the decision," he smiled.

Then making sure his weapon was strapped on he left and mad his way through town.

That was achieved very swiftly, for although the place was bigger than the one they had come through, it was not vast. With his sense of smell he was able to walk the major roads and paths and assure himself that no beasts had made it inside.

Of course that just left the outside. It was a simple matter for him to get outside the walls and then close to his destination without being spotted. Then he found a secluded spot,undressed and changed.

His other relished in being free for the first time in days and bounded and cavorted like a puppy before remembering why it was here got to work.

It's nose was 100x more powerful than his was and it easily picked up the beasts scent. It was a simple matter to track and find them, still camped where the dying beast had said they would be. His other could pick out 6 scents, not an easy task but not impossible. It watched and waited for awhile longer and then checked the road. There were 2 scents here but they matched 2 from the camp.

Again his other moved, flowing over the ground as it ran off to hunt, eat and then finally return to his clothes and change. Stygian groaned as he stood up and got dressed again. He would not have to eat for a week.

As he walked back he gathered the herbs and other things for Red's wounds he had promised he would get her and he gathered a few things he thought might prove useful.

By the time he made it back it was almost night and he waved to the maid as he made his way upstairs. He would pack his things away and tell Red what had happened before he got their meal.

This time he made sure to knock on the door and cough before he entered and even as he did he was already talking. "Just me Red. I'm back and I have those medicines I promised," he said peering around the door. "Is it safe to come in," he chuckled.

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

It will be hours later when the maid entered the room, pushing a cart with two covered dishes, a pitcher of ice water and an empty glass. As she opened the window to let some light in, Red spoke up.

"Please keep the windows closed."

Startled, the maid quickly returned the shutters to its original place. "Why, miss, the weather is quite lovely."

She set the cart at her bedside, glancing at the wound on the young woman's shoulder.

"I know of a nurse who will be coming in to town morning. If you want, I can ask her to tend to your wounds. Mind you that she is quite shy and doesn't say much but she is quite good with what she does."

There was a long silence between the two. The maid wondered if it was rude after all. She was warned that the young lady was a private person.

As she headed for the door, Red once again called out to her.

"The nurse will be fine."

-----

Night was slowly settling in and the wolf had yet to return. Her hunter instincts insisted that the wolf was searching for new blood and will likely not be coming back, urging Red to leave immediately as soon as her wounds were taken care of. Red chastised the hunter for being too hasty, adding that he is useful to seek out the other half dog hybrids that were known to be roaming around.

She heard the knock on the door and, to her relief, the wolf's voice. She had managed to get a candle lit just as the wolf entered and was about to work on the fireplace when she heard his footsteps near and his silhouette on the wall.

"What kind of medicines?" She asked. With the various wild plants and patches of herbs that were around, Red couldn't help feeling a bit cautious. She wanted to make sure the ones he picked weren't booby traps that would make the situation worse.

She felt the weight of the bed shift when the wolf sat beside her lying form.

"How many more do you think are out there?"

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

He smiled down at her as he slowly pulled the fresh herbs out of his pouch and set them before her so that she could see and examine them for herself. He knew she probably didn't trust him and more than likely thought he was going to poison her. Why he did not know. After all if he wanted her dead i would be a simple matter to kill her now, she was hardly in any shape to stop him despite what she thought.

"I have Marigolds here that I will brew into a tea to help speed your healing. I have Goldenrod and Gotu Kola which I will make into a paste and apply to your wound. It will fight off any of the germs from the beasts bite and help it to close up. I was hoping to find some Yarrow as well but there does not seem to be any growing in these parts," he smiled at her.

He left her to examine the plants while he moved to the fireplace and soon had a fire lit and then a nice healthy blaze going. He placed a kettle on the hook provided and walked back over to her while he waited for it to boil.

"As for your question, there are six of them left and they are not making any plans to leave. They are still camped right where we were told they would be and they are still sending two of their number to watch the main road. It seems like they send the same two every time though and they always travel the same path. Ambushing them would be easy and that would just leave four to deal with at the main camp."

Hearing the steam from the kettle he moved and using the metal poker, removed it from the hook. Letting it sit by the fire for a bit, he searched for a cup, then using one of his shirts around the handle he poured hot water into it and then grabbed some of the Marigolds and added them to the hot water.

"They will need to soak for a good five minutes or so. By the time it is ready it should be cool enough to drink."

Pulling out his knife he grabbed a small bowel and looking at the other herbs he winked at her. "Now if you are satisfied I am not trying to poison you I better get to crushing them up so I can put it on your wound when I change your bandages."

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

As the wolf introduced each of the herbs, she looked them over. Each of them were familiar enough to her to know that at least it wasn't poisonous or that it wouldn't surprise her with any nasty effects. Red hushed her hunter instincts from getting snippy with the wolf. She could apply the herbal treatment to herself but would not have been able to apply the pressure effectively with her other hand.

Red flashed a quick smile, though a slightly tired one after not doing much for the whole day. She let out a soft, painful moan as the wolf removed the bandage from her shoulder.

"Any chance that they might have spotted you?"

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Stygian had been carefully cutting then crushing the roots with the back of his knife, adding a little of the hot water to help break them down. He saw her watching him carefully but he didn't mind. Let her be reassured and maybe it would become easier over time.

Once he had a decent paste he unwrapped her bandages and examined her wound. It was still red and inflamed but looked clean. He hoped with these herbs it would heal faster and they would take some of the swelling and redness away.

As he gingerly applied it around the wound he answered her question. "They would not have spotted me for I did not do the scouting. My other found out the information and the likes of them will never spot him. However that is why I can only give you a rough guide. Tomorrow I will scout their locations myself and see how their camps look precisely."

He finished with the herbs and wrapped up her shoulder and then brought over thee tea after straining out the marigold leaves. "Now drink this. It may taste a little bitter but drink everything. If it is too bitter, maybe I will try to find some honey for it."

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Red’s fingers clutched tightly to the bedsheets as the wolf applied them around and on her wound. As she listened on to the wolf updating her on their situation regarding the unwanted creatures, her hunter instincts were already thinking of ways to toss her humanistic ways to the side and concentrate on eradicating seven of these creatures. Oh the wolf had to be in cahoots with them. The hunter had not forgotten the ambush attack back in the woods.

She pressed her face on the sheets, hoping to calm down her hunter half from doing something they’ll both regret.

Red looked up just in time to see the wolf strain the tea. Maybe trusting her life in his hands until she locates her mentor isn’t a bad idea. So far, the two haven’t killed each other, he hadn’t killed her in her sleep, and truth be told, his caresses and him teaching her what could have been on the other side if she wasn’t tied down with her duty allowed her chance to breathe a little.

It was quite nice.

Oh no you don’t! the conscience of the hunter nagged at Red. You both need something from one another but one of us will have to kill the other. He tried to kill you, his pack nearly wiped out everyone you knew and loved, and look at him getting to live his life so damn freely. All he’s doing now is prolonging your life.

The wolf handed her the cup of tea and instructed her to drink it. She took a small sip simply for the taste and nearly spat it out. The bitterness was noticeable and barely edible. Still, medicinal drinks were never meant to be easy. She remembered the mentor’s words when she was a child in this sort of predicament: drink it down in one gulp. The faster you get over it, the faster the drink will be gone.

She tilted her head back and forced herself to drink the rest of the tea down. Red quickly placed the cup on the night stand and heaved at the lingering bitter taste.

Red looked up at the wolf’s stature towering over hers. She couldn’t help but begrudge him a little for living a life that wasn’t as tied down as hers. With her hand, she patted at the empty spot beside her, a silent way to gesture him to sit beside her.