Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 185

Chapter 185 Don’t Meddle

TESSA

I helped with the organization of the items, carefully placing each small bottle into the wooden crate while keeping my mind focused on the labels. The medicine we had gathered wasn’t much compared to what bigger packs must’ve had access to, but to us, it was already a treasure.

Our pack was small, only around forty to fifty members, so everyone here knew one another by name, by voice, even by scent. Living with them felt like living with an extended family, and in some ways, that was exactly what it was.

We lived in what you would call a community for humans. Our cottages, though built with sturdy stone and patched wood, lined the same winding dirt roads where human farmers and merchants lived. Their children ran past our yards, laughing in the same air as ours, without realizing how different we were. We coincided with them, blending into their lives without drawing attention. Sometimes, they provided the goods we lacked, and we protected them in ways they never truly understood.

Despite that, our medical system has always been fragile. For years, we managed with a single pack doctor, along with one Jassistant. Back then, it was Dr. Saylor who carried most of the burden, while I tried to keep up at her side, learning as much as

I could.

I used to complain silently, wondering how one doctor could possibly take care of an entire pack, but Dr. Saylor had been tireless, patient, and sometimes even sharp with me when my hands trembled too much to stitch properly. Now, though, the mantle had fallen to me.

Noelle was my assistant, and though she still had much to learn, she was quick, attentive, and driven. She was getting closer to her certification, something that filled me with relief. Once she passed and officially earned that title, there would finally be two of us to bear the weight instead of me alone.

As I tucked another vial neatly into place, my thoughts wandered. Ylarc, as much as I loved it, was a small country. Along with that, it couldn’t truly cater to a werewolf’s needs.

Food and supplies ran scarce from time to time. Medicines like these were rare. When it came to hunts, we had no choice but to send our hunters beyond the borders. They often crossed into nearby territories, including Fenra, to chase game and come back with what we needed. Sometimes they ventured to the adjacent islands we believed were uninhabited, though I never liked those trips. They were risky, and I didn’t like how long they kept our hunters away.

Lately, though, the risks had grown sharper. Our hunters had been encountering mishaps–ambushes in the night, strange tracks leading nowhere, and wounds that smelled of something more violent than ordinary fights. They were being attacked, not by the inhabitants of those countries, but by rogues.

It was strange. I remembered all too well the rogue problem that had plagued Fenra before I left.

Owen came here from time to time, visiting our pack whenever he could, and he would tell me stories about Fenra. He spoke of how Elite Academy had thrived under Miss Loveson’s leadership. He also spoke of how Cade had suppressed the usual threats and that the rogue situation was getting better.

Still, knowing how much safer Fenra had grown made this reality all the more confusing. If rogues were diminishing there, why were cases of attacks rising here? Why were our hunters paying the price?

Those thoughts lingered with me as I brushed dust from my palms and turned toward the crates. Edith had taken the matter seriously. She knew our pack’s limits, and she knew we couldn’t fight this alone. That was why she had reached out to a doctor from Fenra, someone who would donate some of their medicine for werewolf healing. Not only that, they had also agreed to help us conduct a medical screening test and even visit the hunters who had been injured by these encounters.

“They’re here!” Noelle exclaimed.

I turned my head and saw Winston and Edith walking side by side. Another couple matched their pace, and right away, my eyes caught on something–both of them wore pristine white coats. They must be a doctor couple!

I was excited at the thought; however, my attention was fixed on their familiarity instead. Specifically, the man. His gait, his jawline, and his eccentric gaze were far too familiar.

I narrowed my eyes, as though pulling memories out of the shadows of my mind.

They arrived right in front of us.

Before I could think about it, small arms wrapped around my thighs, slightly breaking the tension.

“Mommy!” Calla’s little voice rang out. I looked down to find her staring up at me with sparkling eyes, cheeks flushed from running.

“Yes, baby?” I asked softly, brushing a curl away from her face.

“Can I eat cake with my fwends?” she asked, hope dancing in her smile.

A laugh escaped me. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Of course. I bought it for everyone.”

Her eyes lit up, and she dashed away, her tiny footsteps swallowed by the hum of the gathering

I straightened, my smile lingering–until I caught the Gomez doctors‘ expressions.

Benjamin’s gaze followed Calla, as though he were staring at something he feared. Ingrid, on the other hand, pursed her lips into a thin line.

And then, I heard it. Barely audible, but enough.

“Don’t,” Ingrid whispered to Benjamin. “Don’t meddle.”