Chapter 2

I wake up around 6 am without the need for any alarm. I really got some good sleep, and my mind and body feel ready for the day. Once out of bed, I head to the kitchen to see if there is anything to make tea with. Sadly, the only thing I see in the cupboards are plates, mugs and cups; nothing edible. With a disappointed sigh, I make my way back to the bedroom and change into something suitable for the day. A simple white dress, clothing I took from home. Nothing super pretty like the people here have, but decent and acceptable. It’s one of my favorites; easy and loose. As I’m doing the last button, there is a knock at my door, and I make my way to it.

“Hey there, sunshine,” Karin greets once I open it. “You’re up!”

“Oh, hi.” I say with a smile. “Come in.”

“Don’t mind if I do. So you like the place?”

“Of course.” I close the door behind me. “I am so grateful, thank you. I got a good night’s sleep.”

“Awesome! Well, that’s good to hear. Anyway, I’m here not just for your beautiful face, but also because you have to do your test. Yay!”

Shit! I had completely forgotten about it. Dammit! Normally, I stay up the night before going over species, look-alikes, recipes, etc., but yesterday I was just so done. Worry takes over, and Karin sees it too.

“Hey, hey, what’s up?” She takes hold of my shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. “You’re not nervous, are you? We can reschedule, it’s not too late.”

“I can’t do that, I already said yes. I’m not clueless, I just didn’t revise anything like I always do.” I grab my face and squeeze my eyes shut. “I didn’t go over my recipes…”

“Look, if you insist on doing your test today, the deadline isn’t until 8 pm. You still have time to take your notes and whatever with you down to the lab and revise. Plus, from what I’ve heard about you from Mom, a lo-Iweh like you don’t need no stinking book. You know your shit, it’s all up here.” Karin taps my temple. “I told Iweh Yun to give you at least a few days to get settled before you take the test, but she insists on picking your brain as soon as possible; your friend Talia really left a good impression of you. But like I said, if you don’t wanna do it today, I’ll put my foot down.” Karin wraps an arm around my shoulder. “And by ‘put my foot down’, I mean beg her on my knees until she caves to my adorable face.” I smile nervously up at her, half-tempted to give in. But I really can’t find it in me to back out. There’s this expectation of me, and I have to meet it. I have to look my best. 

Karin must notice that I’m deep in my head, because I feel her shift in front of me; she leans over, knocking my cranium like a visitor at a door, and I focus on her concerned face as she speaks once again. “You can take the test as many times as you want, whenever you want. Yun is just eager for another Iweh, and one from a different region excites her. But she will understand. Either way, you got this, Fang.”

I nod, saying, “I’ll be alright.” And take deep breaths as I make my way back to my room and fill a pack with a few notebooks and plant matter. Then I join Karin in the living room once more, grab my keys, and we leave. As we’re walking, my stomach begins to grumble, and it’s loud. One of those obnoxious ones that choose to happen during quiet moments.

“Shit, you haven’t eaten yet!” Karin exclaims. “Fuck, I forgot your home has nothing at all.”

“Yeah,” I flush with embarrassment. “I was looking for at least some tea.”

“Shoot, well, we gotta stop by the cafeteria to get some food for now. If you have time, later on, we’ll go to the pantry and get your ration for the month.”

“A ration? Back home, all meals were made in the community kitchen; that’s where treats and snacks were kept as well. We all ate together at the same time. They would rotate duties so that it wasn’t left up to just one person, unless they really enjoyed it, of course.”

“Oh, cool. Yeah, we ration here, very adequate and diverse amounts. People normally have plenty left over from the month before, and if so, tend not to take as much the next time. Our people tend to be very honest about things like that. But you get all sorts of snacks and drinks. And the basics like eggs, milk, spices, teas, rice, meat, toast, and nonperishables. The whole nine yards.”

“Whoa…wow.”

“Your pack life seemed so tight-knit knit though, I like that. Perks of being smaller. Well, we all may not do things at the same time, but most everyone knows everyone, and we get along well.”

We get to the cafeteria and grab sandwiches to go. No time to waste, I must get to the lab! At the entrance, we are greeted by the pack’s lead, Iweh, a short, plump woman who seems to be in her early seventies. Her smile stretches from ear to ear once she spots us, and pulls me into a hug once I’m close. These people sure are affectionate to strangers. Well, I guess I am officially a pack member now.

Speaking of that…

I look down at my tattoo and see that it is scabbed over, just part of the healing process. It looks pale in comparison to yesterday, but I know it’ll brighten up in time. I’ve seen it from the stick and pokes. We shifters heal quite quickly for minor cuts and wounds, so it won’t take long for it to be all set and ready to display. A small smile grows as permanence sets in… this is real.

“Welcome, Young Lo-Iweh,” greets the small woman as she walks us inside. “You may call me Iweh Yun or Elder Yun.” So she’s the one eager for my downfall. “I will be supervising your test today. Not sure how your pack did things, but I’m sure it will be similar enough. You will do a written test, just so we know you know your stuff. Then I will take you to the base infirmary, where you will soothe and cure at least five of our soldiers. Then, finally, I will give you a poison to which you will administer to a prisoner-“

“Pardon me?” I blurt out, unable to stop myself from interrupting her. “T-To who?”

“A prisoner, my dear. Who or what else would you expect to use for trials?”

“Myself…We always test on ourselves back home with mild poisons. We didn’t have prisoners, and if so, very rarely. Testing on yourself is the best way to ensure success, because no one wants to get severely sick.”

“You would rather poison yourself than a person deserving of it? Not even on an animal? You won’t be killing them, you know; you have to administer your antidote afterwards. But do remember, you will be making poisons that will be used for just that once you officially become Iweh.”

“I-I know, it’s just I’ve never had to do that myself. I’ve never approached a prisoner; my pack rarely got into quarrels with others.”

“I will be right there with you…but fine, I will administer the poison for you. What really matters is that you are capable of curing them.” She gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and I smile nervously.

We enter a room with a few tables and desks at the front and a lab in the back.

“Here is where you will be taking the written test and also making your concoctions,” Iweh Yun says as she escorts us towards the back. “Everything and anything you need will be through that back door, which leads to the garden. There, you will forage based on your diagnoses of patients and for your antidote. I will be close by, outside, tending the gardens. When you are ready to take the written portion, come get me.”

“I can take that now,” I say quickly; “It’s the others I’m nervous about.”

“You don’t want to revise? I’ve rushed you to see how prepared you are, even after months of not needing to study… Are you sure you don’t want to take at least an hour to go through some of what you’ve learnt?”

“Earlier I would’ve said yes, but now I realize that really isn’t the area I need to worry about. Every day I spent in the wilderness on my own was revision. I made sure I had poisons and potions needed in case I was attacked. I didn’t have anyone to talk to, so I would read and forage when safe. I feel much more confident about this part than any other.”

Iweh Yun raises her brows as she stares back and forth between Karin and me.

“Hey,” Karin raises her hands as she backs away, “if she says she’s ready, then she’s ready, don’t look at me. I got a good feeling about this one. Catch you later, Moon!”

She disappears through the doors, and I’m left with the small woman who is now headed to a desk that faces all the others. She then pulls out a very thick stack of papers. I guess it’s a test that’s made in bulk and given to those who are ready. Don’t they need to revise it every year, though? That’s a lot of tests. Iweh Yun walks over to me, and instead of handing me a few papers, she gives me the entire stack! I think I’m about to lose my goddamn mind…

HOW LONG IS THIS TEST???

I begin flicking through the pages with wide eyes, overcome with disbelief. There are at least 50 pages with print on both sides.

“A-All of this?” I stutter.

“Why yes, I think it should be even more. There is a lot I need to ensure my students know. This right here, this is what you absolutely have to get at least 90 percent on. I will accept no less. If you do well on this, you certainly won’t fret over making an antidote or curing the patients. You will know what you need to know.”

I nod, my eyes still glued to the papers as she ushers me over to a desk to sit. Handing me a pencil, she smiles and nods before walking off and taking a seat at the front, facing me.

“Just notify me when you’re done,” she says before retrieving some papers from the desk.

Guess she’ll be doing some work of her own while I do this.

I take a deep breath…I got this; I know I do. Yes, there are more papers than I expected, a lot more, but so what? I’ve been preparing for this all my life! I will not mess up due to nerves! Just take a moment to skim through and get your thoughts together…yes…

Heeding my own advice, I do a quick browse and find that all the questions I’m seeing are ones I know the answer to. My heart thuds in excitement, and I quickly begin to breeze through the first half of the test, which is all multiple choice. The second half contains a mixture of fill-in-the-blanks and essay questions. These take a bit more thinking, and I have to be very detailed with my answers, but nevertheless, I get it done. With confidence, too! I feel good, like I should. You don’t faze me, giant stack!

After about two hours have passed, I review my answers and take the papers up to Iweh Yun.

“What is it, dear?” She asks.

“I’m finished,” I say, placing the papers in front of her.

“Already? It’s only been two hours. I gave you 55 leaves! Are you sure you don’t need to look them over? Can’t be too confident now.”

“I did look them over, and I think I’ve done well. I’m surprised I was familiar with most of the herbs and fungi you mentioned. There were a few hard ones, but if ninety is the minimum, I’m pretty sure I’m good.”

Iweh Yun grabs the stack of papers, looking up at me periodically as if waiting for me to change my mind, but I don’t. But like I said, it’s not this part I fear the most.

“Well, seeing as you’re confident, you can get started on your antidote. The glass chamber in the back has the poison I created. While you work, I’ll grade this.”

I nod and make my way to the back of the room, where a flask containing black sludge sits. She’s not giving me even the slightest of a hint. Of course, it has to be black; I can’t even narrow in on anything. No colors. I double-glove before removing the flask and placing it at the station close by. I can already tell this is going to be a very lengthy process.

I have two options. One is to use a microscope and safely observe the similarities between the sludge and deadly plant samples from the garden. Or two, use the power of smell, which comes with its pros and cons. I really hate microscopes, and if I turn into a wolf, I can give this sludge a good sniff and go out into the garden to find its components. However, some poisons can cause a great deal of harm when their fumes are inhaled; the wolf method is only used when I know I won’t be harmed or if absolutely necessary.

Poo…Microscope it is.

After yet another two hours, I have successfully figured out what components make up the sludge; the work was tedious but fruitful. Now I just have to create an antidote…one that has a waiting period of an hour or so to be able to break down and react with the poisonous matter. Only then can it be used to cure someone.

I have to be smart about my time, though. It may seem like I have ample time left, but what if the patients take longer to aid than expected? What if, for some reason, I cannot help them? I can’t just sit here and stare at my work! I must head to the infirmary and get started on healing!

Without hesitation, I cover the flask with a sealing film and head out to the garden where Iweh Yun currently is, sitting on a bench reviewing my test.

“I would like to start checking on those patients!” I yell as I approach her.

“Is your antidote ready?” She asks. Now her face really looks baffled.

“No, no, it needs another hour, but I want to see patients while it does its thing. I don’t wanna waste time.”

“Ahh, I see…smart girl.” She gets to her feet and hands me my paper.

“It’s already marked?” I stare down at it, the front is faced down, concealing my grade.

“I know the answer to every question, dear. It took me an hour to grade, and for the rest of the time, I simply looked it over to make sure my grading was accurate. Go ahead, flip it over.”

I nod and slowly reveal a number that brings a Cheshire grin to my face.

“100%!!! What?!” I squeal as I do a little spin. “Are you serious?”

“Well, as I was grading your paper, I realized that it would be quite unfair to grade you based on things you were not required to learn. In your region, a few of these plants wouldn’t have been familiar to you. Surprisingly, though, you got most of the odd ones correct; that is very impressive. Without my adjustments, your grade would have been 96%. Either way, you’ve done exceptionally well.”

“I have read many books about many plants outside of my region, but of course, I can’t know them all, and I’ve never actually seen or worked with them. I’m just happy the ones I did know I remembered! Oh my gosh, this is freaking excellent!”

Iweh Yun laughs and places a hand on my back. “You’re off to a great start. Now let’s head down to the infirmary.”

At the infirmary, I’m presented with all sorts of gore and unbearable groans of pain. Of course, what I saw the day my pack was brutally murdered was far worse, but this is still pretty bad. Limbs partially attached, some not attached at all! Shredded skin, hanging flesh, protruding organs. Not pretty. And oh god, the smell! God, the smell is absolutely terrible! A Raw, rotten, metallic mixture. Oof! What a field I’ve chosen…

It’s not a job for the weak of heart…and weak of stomach. I’m pretty strong, though, so I power through. My drive to help people is far more superior than the urge to puke and allows me to focus on the matter at hand. My job is not to repair or reattach parts, it’s to treat infections and cure. So my five patients consist of a burn victim, two victims of rapidly spreading common poisons, one full body infestation of flesh-eating maggots, and finally, a minor fang extraction.

At the end of all this, I am pooped. My antidote has been ready and waiting for me to test it. What a wild day. My coat is covered in all sorts of bodily fluids, and the amount of gloves, cotton, and gauze I’ve gone through could fill the ocean. The main thing is that all my patients were successfully aided and will be okay. The other important part is that I have aced yet another portion of this exam. Only one remains before I can officially call myself Iweh.

And I am not ready for it.

After grabbing my antidote from the lab, we head to the dungeons, where we are further escorted by two guards. My whole body is shaking, and I’m gripping the flask for dear life. Giving poison to a prisoner. First of all, I don’t want to be anywhere near the prisoner, and second, to touch them is even worse…wait, Iweh said she’d do that part…But also, what crime did they commit? That’s something I gotta know first. It better be something really bad and irredeemable for them to be risking his or her life, because if I’m correct, the poison they’ll be receiving is some lethal stuff. The Cloud pack does not joke around.

“Um… Iweh Yun?” I ask nervously as we approach the first door of this underground hellhole.

“Yes, dear?” She replies, keeping her head straight.

“So, um…what exactly has this prisoner done, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Probably a lot of bad things.”

Did she just answer in a speculative manner? Is she not sure of this person’s crimes? What kind of answer is that!

“What exactly do you mean by probably?” This woman is making me nervous and anxious. “They have to have an actual reason for being subject to a poison that could potentially kill them.”

“And they do, they certainly do. Raventhorns have no heart; they’ll kill their own kind without a bat of an eye. That’s how we captured this one.”

I blink a few times, bewilderment is the general theme. “Who and what is a Raventhorn?”

“A breed of wolf-shifter unlike no other; the worst there is. They are some mutant evil, lacking a conscience and morals. They simply exist to wreak havoc… havoc…no reason necessary. Our warriors were far out helping a smaller pack who was ambushed by Crimsons, another terrifying wolf-shifter breed. They barely survived them, and just when things seemingly could not get worse, the Raventhorns showed up. I promise you the only reason anyone survived was the fact that the Crimsons gave their full attention to the Thorns, allowing us time to escape. Most of our soldiers returned with survivors of the smaller pack, but some stayed at a safe distance, scents shielded, to observe the two in battle.”

I am fully captivated by this story, forgetting every now and then that the wolf I am about to meet is of the pack in this thrilling recall. Raventhorns and Crimsons. Never heard of them in my life, never even read of them in books.

Iweh Yun Continues. “They watched until the battle between the two was over; the Thorns were the victors as was expected. Once the surviving Crimsons fled, they observed the Thorns post-battle. The stronger wolves approached the weaker ones that were of no help in battle; the ones that were hurt. They began to maul them to death; the wolf we captured was one that tried to flee, but eventually got caught closer to us. Once the Thorns left, our soldiers cautiously checked what they assumed would be a lifeless body, only to find out its breathing was just very shallow.”

“This is the wolf you chose for me to work with. The bringer of potential death?”

She looks back at me, and I widen my eyes, baffled by her nonchalance.

“Don’t worry, he is restrained with our strongest metals and declawed.”

I wince at that last word; it puts awful imagery in my mind. 

We are now very deep in this dungeon and go through a second set of heavy metal doors. On the other side are guards as far as the eye can see. Some by the entry bars, others walking up and down corridors, checking on prisoners. We pass all of them and head to the end, where a guard is leaning against a wall. He isn’t dressed like the others, though…quite casual. The door beside him is made of a thick block of metal, different from all the others. I can’t tell how it opens; there are no handles. As we get closer, the guard by the door looks up at us, and he and Iweh Yun exchange nods.

He looks pretty familiar even though I really don’t know anyone h-

Fu…kahara.

NO. NO. NO. There is absolutely no way this is possible! I come to a sudden halt; my eyes glued to the man who is now staring back at me with a knowing expression. He recognizes me, too, probably by my scent. I can now smell his as well; guess he was masking it at the station. Slightly sweet and warm, but even so, I feel cold. Like my blood has been drained, and I’m nothing but a lifeless corpse. How is he here? Why is he here? What are the odds…

“Moon…Moon?” I feel my body shaking, and as I’m pulled back to the present, I look down and see Iweh Yun holding on to my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah,” I breathe.

“Don’t be afraid, dear, you’re safe.”

Oh, trust me, Iweh, that prisoner has long left my mind. I’m far too busy worrying about the coffee guy. Come on! Really? Of all the people, he has to be the one? Life really is some big game, and the twisted orchestrators have it out for me.

I continue walking, but very slowly, keeping my head down and eyes on the ground. I’m going to pretend I don’t recognize who he is. Yes, I know I’ve already given myself away! I don’t care, I’m gonna fake it! I cannot look at this guy. His stare is intimidating and piercing.

“Genesis, I presume,” Iweh Yun greets once we stop beside him. “The young man Alpha sent?”

“And you must be Iweh Yun. I was instructed to be present during a test,” he says in a flat tone. “The prisoner has been quite active today, I hear.”

Oh, just what I need, an active Raventhorn.

“He won’t be for much longer.” Iweh says that in a terrifying way; is she counting on my antidote not to work?

In my opinion, I think it best if you keep them alive and uncomfortable. What help is he to us dead?

She walks over to the door and slides her finger on its surface, from right to left. Suddenly, the metallic appearance fades away, and I can see into the room, but I don’t stare for too much longer as I receive the scare of my life. The prisoner jumps out in front of the open space before us, and I scream, ready to flee. I did not survive all this time just to die here!

“It’s okay!” Iweh Yun yells, “he can’t get past the door, stop!”

Coming to a halt, I swiftly turn to see that indeed this demented man is pressed against an invisible screen. A “door,” as Iweh Yun calls it. He’s running his tongue all over it, quite unsanitary, as he bangs his metal-covered fists. Every time he does, a thin wave of silver crosses the screen, and I flinch a little.

“W-What’s happening? Why can’t he leave?” I ask. “Also, what happened to him not being able to harm me because he’s chained up? This is not what I envisioned. One swing of those giant metal mittens on his hands and I’m dead!”

“It’s new technology, dear; come here. I’m standing right in front of him, and I’m safe. Come stand beside me so I can show you what I’m talking about.”

I hesitate, but eventually inch my way over to her, my eyes focused on the threat before me. I come to a stop a few inches behind her as I observe the creepy man with razor-sharp teeth and a tongue like a snake. Never met a shifter with a human form like this…if I can even call it a human form.

“Look very closely,” Iweh instructs. ” You see the sheeny texture before you.”

There is a glossy coat to whatever this man is leaning against. I nod slowly; the barrier may be there, but my instincts are telling me no sudden movements, regardless. Move as little as possible. I’m trying so hard to get this thing wrapped around my head…

“How is this holding him back?” I whisper.

“He can’t hear us, sweetheart, speak normally. It’s made of a very strong field of energy and metals. You saw that when the door was opaque.”

“So he can’t force his way through?”

“Nope, it’s an unbreakable wall.”

“But what if something were to happen that would disrupt the energy? What backup do you have?”

“Oh, the metal would simply fall into place, and he would remain contained as usual. You see, the particles are always there, but their ability to reflect light is being disrupted, so hence it’s transparent. Anywho, let’s not waste any more time. It’s after six, and your deadline will be here soon. Just in case your antidote does not work, you may want some time to be able to fix it.”

If my antidote doesn’t work, there will be no prisoner to test it on…

Iweh reaches for a small panel of buttons by the door. She taps one, causing the man inside to begin to back away from us, but not by his own will. That’s when I notice it’s because the thick chains attached to his restraints are getting shorter and shorter. Soon, he is backed into a corner and the barrier before us drops.

“Come on, let’s go.”

I groan inwardly as I reluctantly follow behind; coffee guy, who I now know is named Genesis, enters as well. We stop a few feet from the Thorn, and Iweh Yun proceeds to unveil a vial with some of the poison inside.

The way this man is eyeing me is making me very uncomfortable…like I’m food. I wish I could emit a stench like a bombardier beetle; don’t eat me, I’m disgusting!

Iweh takes a step closer to the man. He growls and hisses and snaps his jaw at her, trying to seem threatening despite his current state.

“Be careful!” I clasp my hands together, squeezing them as if attempting to cut off my own circulation. “Don’t let him bite you, he still has some mobility.”

Iweh nods and proceeds to remove the cap, allowing the liquid within to drip onto his skin. It doesn’t seem to hurt him, but his writhing slowly intensifies; naturally, when being poisoned, one would fear the outcome. Suddenly, he begins to groan as the poison begins to rapidly course through his veins. This is a good sign, not because I enjoy watching this man’s torture, but because it makes me more certain I made the correct antidote. There are quite a few plants I know of that act this quickly. Tiny pustules begin to form, spreading from the areas the poison was administered, and I grab Iweh and Genesis by their arms, forcing them to back away.

“You know the fluid in the pustules can harm us. Excellent.” Iweh smiles up at me. “Are you sure of your antidote then?”

“I think so…” I reply. “I just need to see one more thing.”

Once all his skin is covered, they begin to burst as if someone is playing rapid fire with bubble wrap. The scream he lets out is bone-chilling, and I cannot help but cover my ears until the process is complete. The aftermath leaves him groaning and crying; I don’t care about what evil this man has done right now, it’s still very hard for me to watch. Please just show me the symptom I need so I can fix you and get out.

Suddenly, his dermis begins festering in small sections, sludging away very slowly, and I know it’s time for me to act. I grab the gloves I have sitting atop my flask and quickly put them on. As I’m about to walk over, a strong hand grabs me and pulls me back. I turn my head to see Genesis holding on to me and staring over at Iweh.

“Her antidote only has to work, correct?” He asks. “Iwehs are responsible for making serums, not necessarily applying them unless they want to, right?”

“That is true,” Iweh Yun replies as she places her hands behind her.

“Then I’ll do it.”

I widen my eyes at Genesis, who still refrains from looking at me.

“I think it would be good for her to do it herself. I assume she would want to be an active Iweh, personally helping those who need it.”

“Yes, but this isn’t a regular wolf. This Raventhorn, like many others, is an Adalu. To put it lightly, they are known to breed with other shifter species. He is obviously part snake-shifter; I assume you knew there was a possibility he could spew venom at you while you were close to him.”

“I know what they are, Genesis. We’ve been studying them for a while now. His glands have been removed.”

“All three, as well as backup fangs?”

“Pardon me?” Iweh finally turns to look at him with creased brows.

“Do you even know the type of snake breed he is?” Iweh Yun stays quiet. “Can you tell by the type of tongue, its shape, the sound of his hiss, the faint coloration on his skin before it corroded?”

“Can we please hurry this up?” I beg as the guy before me deteriorates. “He’s gonna lose his hand at this rate.”

“Why do you know so much about this?” Iweh raises a brow at him. Guess they’re just gonna ignore me.

“I’ve met more than my fair share of Thorns, that’s why I’m here. Anyway, why are we even saving him?”

“Wow, you’re quite forgiving of their kind.” Iweh chuckles sarcastically to herself. “We won’t kill him because we have to do research despite your knowledge.”

“Oh, for the love of God!” I cry out in frustration.

I yank my arm from Genesis and rush over to the man, popping open my flask to pour the liquid.

“No!” Genesis shouts as he rushes over. “Back away!”

I jump away, falling back just in time to see two elongated fangs emerge from small openings on the sides of his neck. As the realization that I could’ve met my end sinks in, I am frozen and unable to move. Not to worry, though, Genesis is right there to lift me from the ground and take me to stand by Iweh Yun once more.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he curses beneath his breath as he lets me go. “I need you to listen when I speak. Just do as I say, I always have a good reason.”

His voice grows soft as he pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. All I can do is lower my head and obsess over my near-death experience. I feel a comforting hand wrap around my shoulder, and soon Iweh Yun is standing beside me, hugging me close.

“My dear, I am sorry.” She says in a remorseful tone. “I may be seasoned, but I do not know everything about everything. Raventhorns are fairly new to us, and I should’ve been more cautious. I’m sorry for putting you in danger like that.”

“His third pair of glands and fangs are irregular and easily missed on X-rays,” Genesis sighs. “They blend in with bone and tissue. You have to know exactly what you are looking for.”

Iweh leaves me and stands before Genesis, humility in her stance. “Your knowledge of Thorns will be most helpful to us. I will make sure to heed your warnings and advice, as it almost cost me. My apologies, Newbie.”

He acknowledges her apology with a nod before returning his eyes to the suffering being before us. Suddenly, my flask is taken from my grip, and I watch as he confidently strides over to the man.

“Wait! No, don’t-” I warn, attempting to stop him, but it’s too late.

He grabs the neck of the prisoner, and I hear him suck in a sharp breath as he hastily pours the liquid into the man’s mouth.

“G-Ah!” He groans, shaking his hand to ease the pain, then wiping it on his shirt.

“I was trying to tell you not to touch him,” I say softly as he nears us. “The poison can no longer be transferred to you, but the pus is corrosive to all skin, that’s why his began to sludge away.”

I look down at his hand and see that it is red and bruised.

“I’ve felt worse pain, I’ll live.”

“No, I mean it’ll continue to eat away at your skin. Simply wiping it away or washing won’t solve the issue. Necronibida is a dangerous fungus, one my pack would have never dreamt of using. It’s also not easy to find or cultivate. Your pain matters little compared to the possible outcome if you don’t get it neutralized.”

“Why don’t you head down to the lab with him and get it cleaned up?” Iweh Yun advises. “It seems Ms. Moon is now officially an Iweh, so she’s more than capable of aiding you. I’ll be up here tending to this thing.”

My eyes immediately shoot over to the prisoner, and indeed, his skin seems to have refrained from further rapid necrosis. Of course, he is still in pain and will need to be bandaged, but he will survive. I didn’t like this process one bit. The moment I began to make this antidote, I knew exactly why they don’t test on themselves. They make hardcore poisons. Fast acting. It seems a bit extreme for an exam, but oh well, at least it’s over now. I wish to never watch someone suffer again. No matter who. I look away and push the nauseating imagery out of my head. The only thing I need to focus on is that I’ve passed my test. No longer am I just Moon, I’m Iweh Moon…Dammit! I want to smile and squeal, but the mood doesn’t quite allow for that. I’ll just have to save the celebration for tomorrow.

Genesis shakes his head. “Again, he’s tricky. You don’t know all he has up his sl-“

“Yes, yes, I know. He’ll be tranquilized before I do so. Calm down. Now you two get going. As she said, the chemical from the pus needs to be neutralized. The more time you waste, the more irritation you get, so chop chop!”

Genesis sighs and rakes his hair back as he turns to look down at me. I immediately flush hot and turn towards the door.

“I guess we leave now,” I quickly say as I head towards the exit. “Bye, Iweh!”

Genesis doesn’t fail to show me how reluctant he is. This guy is tall; one of his strides should at least be two of mine. So please explain why he’s trailing so far behind me. What part of “need to neutralize corrosive substance ” does he not understand? Unless this guy is a doctor or a scientist, I’m not sure how he expects to fix this situation on his own.

Wait…maybe he’s just mad it’s me.

Oh my gosh, that makes so much more sense! I spilled coffee on him yesterday, and he probably despises me. Okay, I have to backtrack to my panic attack when we first got to the dungeon, and I saw him. WHY IS HE HERE? He wasn’t at the ceremony yesterday either! Is he already a part of this pack? No, he can’t be. Iweh Yun didn’t even know him. Is he visiting the pack, maybe? His arms are covered by the black, long-sleeved Tee he’s wearing, so I can’t tell if he has a cloud tattoo or not. Whatever position he holds, it’s clear that he has knowledge very valuable to this pack. He saved my life…all I’ve ever done for him is burn him with hot liquid. God…

We make it back to the lab, and he takes a seat on a nearby desk. I search and rummage around for a few items before heading over to Genesis. I’m not in the slightest bit familiar with this place; I don’t know where things are. I bet I look clueless to him.

Won’t lie, super nervous. I know this is for professional medical reasons, but the idea of touching this man terrifies me. He’s attractive and intimidating, mysterious and quiet. I also get the feeling that he doesn’t want to be touched. Why would you ask me to do this, Iweh Yun? Especially alone! Oh, I know it’s the best option, but I’m nervous! Right now, I’m just arguing internally for the heck of it.

Taking a deep breath in, I push these thoughts to the back of my brain and begin dampening a piece of cotton with disinfectant.

Then, in my best mature and professional voice, I say, “I need your hand.” It came out a little harsh, not what I planned. I cough and try again. “If that’s alright with you.” Much better this time.

I can see him in my peripheral vision just staring at me, but I cannot read him. React, goddammit! Nothing about him changes, but he does eventually reach his hand out for me to take. I nod and begin to clean his bruises gently; it’s bleeding a little, but not too bad. He takes a deep breath in and looks away. Not sure if it’s because of pain or because he just wants this to be over and done with. Once the area dries, I apply a bit of the antidote to act as a neutralizer. Now I can see a slight positive change. It’s very subtle, but the muscles in his face and torso seem to relax. Clearly, he’s been hiding his discomfort all this time, but for what reason? If you need help, accept it with a smile and go about the rest of your day…or night.

“You know, if you went home without me cleaning this, you’d probably see bone by morning,” I say, trying to get him to see the flaw in his ways. “You shouldn’t pretend to be okay when you’re not, especially when it’s so obvious.”

“Are you a therapist as well?” He asks sardonically, which offends me a little.

“I don’t have to be a therapist to point out toxic traits. It’s not something one needs to try hard to see. I can feed you the same energy you feed me; do you have some biology degree that I don’t know of? If we left it to you, would you know the specific compounds needed to treat yourself? Or would you just rot away with pride?”

For a short moment, I’m bold enough to look up at him, but his intense gaze is enough to snuff it out, and I return to my former timid self. I begin to bandage his hand, wrapping the gauze in a manner where he will still be able to use it, covering each finger like a glove instead of a mitten. As I’m doing this, something catches the corner of my eye. The neck of his shirt is loose, and beneath I can see material peeking out ever so slightly…similar to this gauze. No…it is gauze. Does he have more bruises? Has anyone here looked at it? It’s obviously dressed but seeing as his personality is so standoffish, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did it himself and called it a day. Hold up…is that why he flinched and grunted when I poured the coffee on him? Oh, for fucks sake! I’m lucky he didn’t rip my face off, because that feeling was certainly far from pleasant.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I quickly wrap things up, no pun intended. “It’s bad enough I poured coffee on you, but I did more than I even realized. I can see you have bandages beneath your shirt, which means I poured hot liquids on open wounds, which is why you flinched.”

I release his hand and begin to clean up the area. “I know our first encounter was less than ideal, and you probably have some sort of dislike for me, so I don’t know why I’m even offering this…if you’d be willing, I could look at your wounds for you if no one else has. It’s the least I can do to make up for hurting you. As you could tell, I’m a country wolf, so modern technology is mostly foreign to me, and sometimes I get spooked.”

“When did I ever say I disliked you?” Genesis asks, getting to his feet. “I don’t know you well enough to have any valid feelings towards you. Yes, you spilled coffee on me, but it was not intentional. Yes, you ignored my warnings earlier and almost harmed yourself, but you have sympathy for even the vilest beings, I guess. You might be an idiot though…”

I crease my brows at him. Um…okay?

“That was a joke,” he says with a face as straight as a spear.

“You may need to work on facial expressions…and inflections in your tone,” I say, looking up at him.

“As much as that was said to be a smartass, what you did was stupid. Don’t do it again.”

I bite the inside of my lip and nod. “Sorry.” Flushing red, I turn away and head over to the sink to wash my hands. “It’s just that you guys were ignoring me while I watched a man sludge away. It’s kinda hard to ignore.”

“Not for someone who has been hurt by them.”

Silence falls over the room as there is no response after that. I assume that the wounds he wears were caused by those like the man from the dungeon. If so, hatred is sure to be planted deep within him, its roots coursing through every fiber of his being, impossible to uproot…but who would expect him to? I, for one, am constantly wishing for the downfall of the wolves that massacred my pack, even if I can’t bear to watch. I know that not all beings who do wicked things have an actual choice, but for those that do and choose to continue down the path of evil, they are irredeemable.

I turn around once more to ask him a question; my mouth opens, but the sight before me inhibits my ability to form words. He is shirtless, placing his top on the bench beside him. His torso is wrapped from pecs to hips in blood-stained gauze, a clear indicator that his wounds need redressing. Despite that shocking factor, my hormone-driven mind cannot help but observe how toned and muscular he is. Every detail of his biceps is like carved stone, and I’m certain what’s hidden under the gauze is the same. Chiseled to perfection. A God-like man. Black, intricate tattoos adorn his arms, chest and back. It would probably be a good idea to see if he, too, has a pack tattoo, but I’m far too mesmerized. How is he even real? How can someone be this beautiful, like a painting that took a lifetime to finish? Is Michelangelo your maker? My mind is going to places it really shouldn’t be, and it’s freaking me out!

I’m staring for far too long; he’s sure to think I’m some creep. So, I clear my throat and look to the ground as I slowly approach him.

“Your bandages need to be changed,” I say softly. “It seems they’re quite old.”

“They were changed last night,” he replies, which is enough to draw my mind away from his appeal and to the seriousness of the matter.

“Last night?” I am now looking him directly in the eyes. “How fresh are these wounds?”

“Two weeks.”

My eyes only grow wider. “Two weeks! You’re a wolf, they should be well on their way to scarring.”

“They won’t heal.”

This is very, very serious. Shifters have the ability to regenerate new cells quite quickly, some quicker than others, especially if they are fueling up on proteins. The basis I’m giving is for an average wolf, which I’m sure he surpasses. After two weeks, depending on the depth of the wound, he would either need ointment applied to open wounds or it would be tender but sealed. He is still bleeding!

“We need to take these off, and you need to tell me how you got these.”

“I got into a fight.”

“Yeah, no shit! I need more details, please. This is no joke, and I’m sure you’re aware of that.” I fill a pail with warm water and grab a rag. Then I place them on a tray and roll the table over to him, immediately dampening the bandages. “Did you encounter Raventhorns? You know a lot about them, so I’m assuming yes?”

He sighs and hesitates, but eventually speaks. “I don’t know what they did to me, but all I know is that after I escaped an attack from their Alpha, my wounds wouldn’t heal and kept bleeding despite attempts to fix them.”

“You were their hostage?”

“Something like that…”

I look up at his face, and he seems so lost and distant, like my words have sent him deep into a painful memory. I focus my attention on his wounds again, gently peeling the loose parts of the gauze.

“I can see this is hard to think back on, but I need you to keep answering questions. How did he attack you?”

“He slashed me with his claws, that’s all.”

“Were you there long enough to know whether or not he has an ability that would cause this?”

“Yeah….and he doesn’t. He’s Alpha because he’s the strongest of them all, but his gift is in his speed and bite.”

Genesis must be quite fast then if he managed to escape. But if the Alpha doesn’t have this ability, then what would cause his wounds to stay open? Maybe something is wrong with his body…or-

“He laced his claws…” I think out loud.

“Pardon me?” Genesis asks.

“He laced his claws!” I repeat, running to grab a pair of scissors, then cutting a piece of his gauze free. “Does an Iweh know about this?”

“No, but the Clouds do.”

“Why would they know but not an Iweh, we’re the ones that can help you.”

“I asked them not to disclose anything about me.”

I give him an incredulous glare. You know what, I could scold this man, but I have bigger fish to fry. Ignoring him is the best option right now. Refusing to get help when people are willing to give it to him. And I’m the one doing stupid things…

“Where are you going?” He asks as I rush towards the back door.

“To figure out what’s in your blood,” I reply. “Wolf form is the only way to do it.”

“What about the microscope?”

“I don’t like them.”

As I’m about to exit, I stop in my tracks, realizing that this may not be the best time to do this. In order to morph, I’ll need to get naked, and I don’t feel comfortable undressing with him in the area. Yes, we are both wolves, and nudity normally doesn’t bother me, but he’s attractive… It’s making me shy and nervous. What if he accidentally sees me in the nude? Plus, who knows how long I’ll be searching around out here? I should send him home first. “On second thought,” I say as I head back to him. “Let’s get you dressed first.”

“What about my situation?”

“I’ll do that once you leave.”

“Not that I care to stay, but why the sudden decision?”

“My search could take some time, time you don’t wanna waste.”

He nods, satisfied with my answer. Good.

Once his bandages are fully off, I can see just how severe the gashes are, and I wince. That Alpha really did a number on him; I’m surprised he’s able to keep his composure as though he’s absolutely fine. I quickly and carefully clean and apply ointment to the wounds before dressing them. Once I’m done, I step back and allow him to put his shirt on; goodbye for now, precious view, we’ll meet again.

He really needs to leave. What is wrong with me?

“I’m not sure what’s going on tomorrow for either of us,” I say, twiddling my fingers as he gets up, “but if I’m to help heal you, we’ll need to meet up again and soon. Hopefully I’ll have an idea of what’s going on by tomorrow evening.”

“I’ll be spending a lot of time at the dungeon, then hopefully training grounds.”

“Training grounds with your wounds? You ca-“

“Save your scolding, I won’t be training anyone in my condition. I’ll be observing. Alpha says only once I’m healed will I be able to assume the lead position, so if you are able to figure this out, I’d be grateful.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Genesis nods and turns to leave. “Goodnight. Oh, and by the way, don’t mention this to anyone.”

” I really think you should-“

“Am I going to regret trusting you?”

I fall silent for a brief moment before sighing. This man really is something.

“Fine. Goodnight…” I watch as he walks away, a lingering thought just itching to get out. “Wait!” Stopping in his tracks, he turns to look at me, and I swallow hard, fighting off the nerves. “W-Why did you show me your wounds if you don’t want anyone butting into your business?”

He smirks, and I swear I can feel my ovaries erupting. “You scolded me about my pride… figured I’d rather avoid another one, I guess.”

“But, you could have lied…”

He nods, taking a moment to think before answering. “I don’t think I would’ve gotten away with it.”

He turns his back to me once more, and this time I let him leave, no more answers needed. I smile to myself, finding it funny that that’s the answer he gave. I’m sure it’s not the truth, but I’ll take it. Anyway, I can’t just stand here thinking about him and his stupid face. If I don’t figure out why he’s not healing, his stupid face may not be around much longer.

I turn and head towards the back door, ridding myself of clothing and allowing my skin to bathe in the moonlight once I’m outside.

Give me fuel, gods, for this is about to be a long night.