Chapter 14
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His tone was playful and charming. There was no Alpha arrogance or coldness in his voice.
Elder Wright shook her head with a fond smile. This is Harper Brooks. She just transferred here from Headquarters to be our new
Healer.”
She turned to me. “Harper, this is the young man I mentioned, Lucas Sterling. He’s a warrior from the West.”
Lucas immediately stepped forward and held out his large hand. His gaze was clear and intense. “Harper? Hi! I’m Lucas.”
I heard Headquarters was sending an expert to fix our medical logs, but I didn’t expect someone so young and pretty. he Badlands!”
hesitated for a second before reaching out.
His palm was huge, warm, and dry. His grip was firm but gentle. As his large hand closed over my cold, scarred fingers, a sudden jolt of electricity shot up my arm.
Deep inside my mind, my wolf-the wolf that had been dead and silent for ten long years-gave a tiny, weak flutter.
gasped softly. I wasn’t used to this kind of instant warmth. I quickly pulled my hand back. “Hello. You can just call me Harper.”
face. Alright, Harper. That’s a beautiful name,” Lucas said, his eyes never leaving my
He didn’t care that I didn’t smell like a strong, shifting wolf. He looked at me like I was the most important person in the room.
Lucas was extremely talkative. “What a coincidence, we’re both ‘outsiders.’ This place might seem a bit rough and freezing at first. But once you stay here a while, you’ll realize the sky is endless and the wolves here are simple. There are no complicated pack >olitics.”
He spoke quickly, jumping from the weather to the local hunting grounds, and then to a funny story about a bear he chased on >atrol. I didn’t even need to respond; he kept the conversation flowing effortlessly.
Anyway, if you need someone to show you the safe paths in the forest, or help you pick herbs, just ask me! I’ve been here a month;
know these woods like the back of my hand.”
simply nodded, my gaze sweeping over his bright, handsome face.
couldn’t help but compare him to Silas Vance. They were complete opposites.
Silas was like a frozen glacier-cold, strict, and always pushing people away. But the man in front of me was like a blazing fire in the niddle of winter: intense, direct, and completely open.
You’re from the Western Wilds?” I finally found a chance to ask. The West was known for having the largest, most untamed wolves
n the continent.
Lucas grinned and shrugged his broad shoulders. “Yeah! I like traveling. I heard the rogue fights here were intense and the forest was wild, so I decided to stay for a while. Isn’t life about experiencing everything?”
He waved his hand playfully. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your books. I don’t want to distract you on your first day. If you need a guide, just mind-link me… actually, just yell my name. I’ll hear you!”
With that, he waved to Elder Wright and walked out of the archive room, leaving a trail of warm amber scent behind him.
Elder Wright shook her head, smiling. That boy never runs out of energy.”
I didn’t say anything. I just turned toward the shelves to look for the medical files I needed. But my hand was still tingling from his touch.
By the time I returned to my cabin, night had fallen. The winter night came early at the border, and the temperature dropped sharply.
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I didn’t turn on the light. I walked to the window. Outside, there were no tall buildings blocking the view. Above me was an infinite, dark sky, sprinkled with millions of stars shining like crushed diamonds.
I remembered the small window in Silas’s office. From there, you could only see a tiny piece of the sky.
I used to think that being in his office, looking at his small piece of the sky, was my whole world.
But now, I was standing here in the wild, facing a vast, endless sea of stars. And for the first time in ten years, I felt like I could finally breathe.
Mena
< Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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On a Saturday morning, I took a supply wagon to the small border village near the outpost.
The village was rough and simple. There was only one main dirt road and a few wooden shops. I pushed open the heavy door of the local apothecary. The smell of dried herbs filled the air.
Inside, the shop owner and an older female wolf were talking in low, worried voices.
…Elder Clark is too sick to teach the pups’ survival class today. Those little wolves are just waiting in the training ring…”
My fingers stopped tracing the dried leaves in a basket. I felt a small pull in my heart.
There’s no one in the village who knows enough about herbs to teach them. Sigh…”
I turned around. Both the owner and the female wolf looked at me, realizing I was a new face.
Excuse me,” I said, my voice sounding a bit dry. “Does the pup training class need a substitute teacher?”
They both froze. The older female looked at me with hope. “You are…?”
I’m Harper Brooks. I am the new Healer at the Bloodmoon Outpost.”
I paused for a moment. “If the pups don’t mind, I could give it a try.”
The female’s eyes lit up instantly. She rushed over and grabbed my hand with genuine warmth. “Oh! Healer Brooks! That’s wonderful! Truly, thank you so much. Let me take you to the ring!”
The pup training ring was just a fenced area of hard dirt and snow. A group of young wolves, mostly in their human forms, were hasing each other around. Their skin was tanned from the wind, and their eyes were bright and wild.
When I stepped into the ring, over twenty pairs of curious eyes stared at me. I took a deep breath and picked up a bundle of herbs. Today, we’re going to talk about the difference between Wolfsbane and healing Moon-flowers,” I said loudly.
used the simplest words possible to explain the smells and shapes of the plants. Looking at their excited little faces, a long-lost ense of joy filled my heart. It felt like it had been a long time since I was this focused on something. I wasn’t doing it to please an Alpha; I was just doing it for me.
When the class ended, the pups swarmed around me, calling out “Healer Harper! Healer Harper!” Their questions never ended.
answered them patiently, a real, natural smile curving my lips.
When I finally stepped out of the ring, the winter sun was bright. I looked up and saw Lucas Sterling leaning against the wooden ence. He had his arms crossed, watching me with a wide grin.
Healer Brooks, that was a great lesson!” he called out. His tone was teasing, but his eyes were shining with admiration.
was surprised. “What are you doing here?”
Me?” Lucas pushed off the fence and walked over with easy, confident steps. “I come here every weekend to teach these little ascals how to track and fight.”
He pointed to a few boys who were play-wrestling in the snow. “Compared to their endless energy, my stamina is barely holding ip.”
He naturally fell into step with me as we walked toward the village gate.
We sat side-by-side in the back of the supply wagon heading back to the outpost. Lucas pointed to the snowy mountains flashing
past.
‘Over there, see that dark ridge? They say there are old silver mines underneath. And over there, if you look closely, you can see
wild snow-deer…”
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