Free Web NovelChapter 41: The Witch Who Saved the Alpha
"That’s a real adult bull moose’s head!"
"Look at the size of those antlers!"
The whole pack started murmuring and whispering, circling around the massive bloody head.
Selka stepped out from the dark mouth of her den. The crowd immediately parted for her as she walked up to the hunters who had just returned from the lake. She looked at the heavy meat and the giant antlers on the ground.
"What did you find out there?" Selka asked, her voice calm but demanding.
The two muscular young wolves who were carrying the heavy head dropped it onto the dirt with a thud. A few loose flies were already buzzing around it.
One of them wiped his brow and spoke up. "It is exactly like what the witch told us, Mother. We found this dead moose right by the water."
The other hunter added, "There was a broken wooden weapon jammed deep into the base of its skull. It’s the same spear the witch was carving this morning."
One of the older wolves stepped forward, nodding. "We tracked the ground too. Alpha’s paw prints were all over the mud, and there was blood everywhere. It was a massive struggle."
"Yeah," the younger one said, looking at the meat. "It looks like there was a huge, violent fight out there."
Selka lifted her head, her sharp eyes cutting through the crowd until they landed straight on Lyra and Tala. "You two! The truth is sitting right here on the dirt. Do not hide behind the others now. Step forward."
Both of the young beastwomen looked at each other, hesitating, before they slowly dragged their feet to the front of the crowd.
Selka then turned her head toward Nuan, who was still standing by her small campfire. She gave a short, firm nod, gesturing for her to come over.
Koda quickly held onto Nuan’s hand to steady her. Nuan limped forward on her good leg, careful not to put too much pressure on her swollen ankle. Her other hand stayed hidden behind her back, still firmly gripping her hunting knife.
Selka looked at her in front of the whole pack. "Now, tell everyone exactly what happened."
Nuan let out a heavy sigh, looking at the staring wolves. "Kael wanted to hunt a bull moose completely on his own. He told me strictly not to interfere. When he launched his attack, the moose fought back hard. There was a brutal struggle."
She gestured toward the broken meat. "The moose scooped Kael up with its antlers and threw him hard against a tree trunk, which severely damaged his shoulder. Instead of retreating after that, that fool—I mean, Kael—charged right back in and attacked its back. He took a direct kick to that same injured shoulder."
Nuan took a breath, her voice steady. "I found a structural opening at the base of the skull, threw my weapon, and took the monster down before it could trample him. The snake leader, Eryx, happened to be nearby and offered to help. He gave Kael some medicine and carried him back safely so his lungs wouldn’t get punctured on the trail. That’s the whole story."
The entire clearing went completely silent. Not a single wolf growled.
"Did you all hear her?" Selka said, her stern voice ringing across the camp. "Now, Lyra, Tala... do not throw dirt or accuse anyone again without knowing the actual truth."
The two girls lowered their heads, looking at the ground in shame and frustration.
Selka turned back to Nuan, the tension completely leaving her face. "Come with me."
She offered her broad shoulder for support. Nuan nodded, letting go of Koda’s small hand, and wrapped her arm over Selka’s shoulder to take the weight off her bad leg.
With the pack quietly watching them, Selka led Nuan away from the fire and straight into the dark den where Kael lay unconscious.
Nuan looked inside the dark den. Koda quickly ran in from behind with a burning torch, holding it high so she could finally see Kael clearly in the flickering light.
He was laying flat on the dirt floor. His chest had a long, sharp cut that was sealed shut with a thick, sticky yellowish-brown paste.
His left arm was pulled tight against his ribs, held in place by a rough arm sling made from thick sheepskin. His legs and arms were covered in deep bruises and ugly scrapes from when the moose had dragged him ruthlessly through the mud and roots.
His breathing was incredibly slow, his chest barely moving up and down. But he was alive.
Blue Buddy! Nuan called out in her mind, her eyes scanning his pale skin. Won’t he need a blood transfusion? He lost way too much internally, right?
[ He might have needed it if he stayed a wolf, Host. But he transformed back into his human form immediately after the hunt, which requires a much smaller blood volume to function. ]
[ This beastworld is dangerous, but these beastmen are highly efficient. They automatically switch to this form to save their remaining energy when severely injured. ]
So is he going to wake up or not? Is he in a coma? Nuan asked, her brow furrowing.
[ It is a physical trauma response, to be fair, not a coma. That blunt-force kick to his ribs caused massive shock to his system. Let us just hope Mate Kael wakes up soon. ]
Selka sat down heavily on the ground right next to Kael’s head. In her rough hand, she held a hollowed-out leaf bowl filled with a thick, dark blue liquid.
"Hold his mouth open," Selka commanded quietly.
"Hm? Right." Nuan nodded. She carefully slid down into the dirt, using her fingers to gently part Kael’s cold lips so Selka could pour the medicine in.
"What is that, if I may ask?" Nuan murmured, watching the blue fluid disappear down his throat.
"It is a mixture of whiteclaw herb to keep his strength up," Selka explained, tilting the leaf carefully. "Since he is unconscious, we cannot make him chew or eat any solid meat right now."
"Oh... I see." Nuan rubbed her chin, a cooking idea popping into her head. "Ah, is it okay if I make a meat soup for him? Since you all are carnivores, it might help."
"Carnivores? Soup?" Selka repeated the strange words, her eyebrows knitting together as she finished emptying the leaf bowl. freewёbnoνel.com
"Yes, it’s meat boiled down in water with herbs. It tastes good and provides a lot of easy-to-digest energy," Nuan explained simply.
"...Sure," Selka said, wiping Kael’s chin with her thumb. "You can try."
Nuan let go of Kael’s mouth and rested her hands on her knees. She glanced back toward the cave entrance, her voice dropping. "But... will the pack actually let me do what I want now? You shut Lyra and Tala down out there, but you didn’t really let anyone else speak either. What if they still have deep doubts about me?"
