06

Cadmus was a short, stocky man, with broad shoulders and calloused hands that seemed out of place for someone who was supposed to be a healer. He stared at me with a calculating gaze as I tried to stay still on the makeshift bench.

"Let me see that," he said, pointing to the tight bandage on my thigh.

Reluctantly, I lifted the cloth covering the wound. He frowned, inspecting my skin with sharp eyes.

"How did you get this?" he asked.

"I tripped on a branch," I lied, trying to sound casual. It wasn’t like he needed to know about the real mess that led me here.

Cadmus made a low sound of disdain, pulling an amber glass bottle from his leather bag. "A branch, huh? I hope that 'branch' didn’t bite you."

Before I could ask what he meant, he poured the liquid directly onto the wound.

"Ah, damn!" I let out an involuntary cry, clenching my fists to avoid hitting him. The burning liquid felt like fire, and I was sure he did it on purpose.

"Was that necessary?" I complained, trying to keep my composure.

"Yes," he replied dryly. "You don’t understand what’s at stake here. Your scent is changing, girl. This could attract bigger problems than you can imagine."

My body stiffened, and I stared at him. "Problems? What do you mean by that?"

Cadmus raised his gaze for the first time, his dark eyes locking with mine. "Something inside you is waking up. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?"

I shook my head, pretending ignorance, but the discomfort I felt wasn’t easy to hide. I knew there was something different about me. Chop and Canary had mentioned it more than once, and now even the healer seemed convinced that I was more than I appeared.

"I didn’t ask for this," I murmured, looking away.

"Few ask for it," he replied, pulling a clean strip of cloth to wrap around my thigh. He worked in silence for a few minutes, but the weight of his words still hung between us.

The flap of the tent opened suddenly, and Chop entered. His presence dominated the space, as always. He gave me a quick look before addressing Cadmus.

"Is she ready?" he asked, his voice firm and authoritative.

Cadmus wiped his hands on his apron and stood up. "Yes, but be careful with her."

Chop furrowed his brows in a look of distrust. "What does that mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Cadmus replied, his voice deep. "If she doesn’t learn to control herself, she’ll be a risk to all of us."

"I’m right here, you know?" I interrupted, my patience running thin. "If you have something to say about me, say it to my face."

Chop ignored my intervention and kept staring at Cadmus. Finally, he gave a low grunt and turned to me.

"Get dressed," he ordered. "We leave now."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the kindness, but I can decide for myself when I’m ready to leave."

Chop crossed his arms, his muscles tensing under his fitted shirt. He didn’t respond, but his gaze said everything. I sighed and grabbed the pile of clothes they had left beside the makeshift bed.

The clothes were simple, clearly belonging to a young shifter. I dressed quickly, aware of the eyes that might be peeking from outside the tent.

As I adjusted the hem of my shirt, I remembered the conversation between Cadmus and Chop. Something inside me was "waking up"? They feared it, but what did that mean? Was I a prisoner? A threat? Or something completely different?

I stepped out of the tent, where Chop and Canary were waiting for me. Canary, as always, wore his confident smile, while Chop looked impatient.

"Ready to come with us?" Canary asked, as if we were going on a casual outing.

"I don’t have much choice, do I?" I replied, folding my arms.

Canary shrugged. "There are always choices, Catnip. Some are just less pleasant than others."

"Stop flirting with her," Chop growled, stepping between us. "Let’s go before it gets dark."

"To where are we going?" I asked, trying to sound uninterested, but the truth was I needed information. Anything that could help me understand the territory around me.

"A human city," Chop replied. "We’ll camp on the neutral ground."

"What human city?" I pressed.

"Now she wants answers," Canary commented with a smile. "I’ll tell you if you tell me your real name."

"Shade, stop flirting with the girl," Chop growled, his voice filled with irritation.

"You’re asking a dog not to bark," Gray, one of the soldiers walking behind us, muttered.

I ignored the comment and focused on Chop. He seemed worried, despite his rigid exterior. Maybe Cadmus had said something that bothered him.

As we walked along the dirt path, I couldn’t shake the feeling of the trees surrounding us. The wind passed through the leaves, whispering secrets I couldn’t understand. Something inside me seemed to react to it, a primal impulse I still didn’t know how to control.

Canary walked beside me, keeping up a light, casual conversation, but I was too distracted to pay attention. Chop led the group, his posture rigid, making it clear he wasn’t in a good mood.

"Catnip," Canary called, breaking my daydreaming. "Have you ever been to a human city before?"

"Maybe," I replied, reluctant to reveal too much about myself.

"She’s full of mysteries," he said with a smile, but Chop shot him a look that silenced him.

Finally, after hours of walking, we reached a hill that offered a view of the city ahead. Lights twinkled in the distance, and I could faintly hear the sound of engines and voices.

"Welcome to the border between our world and theirs," Canary said, gesturing dramatically.

Chop turned to me, his eyes firm. "Stay close. Humans can be more treacherous than wolves."

"Great advice," I muttered, adjusting my coat. "Because I’m exactly in the group I trust blindly."

Chop ignored my sarcasm, leading the way toward the city.

As we descended the hill, one persistent thought wouldn’t leave my mind: something was changing inside me, and I didn’t know if it made me stronger or more vulnerable.