Way of the Wolf: Redemption

Chapter 2 - Feral

 *EDITED*

Chapter 2: Feral

I pretended not to notice the Beta smelling the furs I'd thrown at his back before he'd stirred that morning. And, for whatever reason, he pretended not to smell my scent all over it before he carefully rolled it up to pack away.

Chewing on a piece of sweet bread, which I was sure had been given to keep me occupied while the Healer worked on my leg, I tried to put up with his touch. Paste was smeared over my breast where the bite was still weeping in places, and every twang of pain made me bite harder into my breakfast. I briefly imagined it was the Healer's damned fingers I was biting off, and felt my lips twitch in satisfaction.

Wary blue eyes lifted from their work as if he could sense what I was thinking. I peeled my lips back to show him teeth. Was he thinking about the last time he'd let me fangs get too close? My gaze dropped to the faint pink imprints of my teeth on his hand, but instead of smug, I felt an odd twinge of guilt. That had been days ago but they still hadn't healed. I must have caused more damage than I thought.

The healer at least worked quickly while I brooded. He seemed to respect my dislike of his touch, or maybe he just wanted to get away from me as quickly as possible. From the glare I was getting from a short blonde female standing not too far away, she didn't like him touching me either.

"How does your leg feel today?" he asked in that odd shifting accent.

I chewed a little more aggressively on my bread, tensing as his hand cupped my calf. Pain flared, and I lashed out, but my claws never met their mark; the Beta sitting quietly beside me was ready. He quickly yanked on the rope, causing my hands to fly above my head and my food to drop into my lap. I turned to snarl, only to grow in fury when I realised he wasn't even looking at me. Munching happily on an apple, his eyes were on the pack.

Slumping, I stared longingly at my dropped food.

Why couldn't they just kill me? In death, I might be able to finally find some peace.

"It's healing nicely. I might have you try and move it about a bit when we stop tonight. You could be walking soon, with a bit of a limp but that'll soon go too."

Good. That meant I could leave them all behind soon. I just needed the right opportunity.

The smile slowly fell from the healer's face when I only continued to stare at him blankly. Lips pursing, he packed up his things and stood.

"Don't take it to heart, Madden," the Beta said, offering me a scathing look. "She's a cold bitch to everyone."

He was in a bad mood today. He'd never spoken harshly of me in such a way before. Not once. But more concerning was the internal flinch and hurt that blossomed because of it.

The healer frowned and shook his head. "You shouldn't speak about her like that. She has every right to how she feels. We don't know what she's been through, but I'll bet she has reason enough to be this way. We need to keep our patience."

Why did they always talk as if I'd been through something awful? It was just life. Life was a constant struggle in the wilds for wanderers and nomadic packs. Territory was shrinking and clashes were more and more common; as proven by my current predicament.