In a tone heavy with apology, Ronan took the initiative to explain, "Nyra, it's not easy for Jasmine to raise her pup alone. She doesn't know anyone else here. She only has me."
His words struck like a blow, sharp and unrelenting. How easily he seemed to forget that I, too, sometimes only had him.
"Of course, I understand. She must've been through a lot," I replied evenly, keeping my voice calm.
But my calmness must have sounded biting to his ears because his temper flared almost instantly.
"Nyra, what's that supposed to mean? What's with your attitude?"
"I said I understand," I repeated, my voice losing its earlier lightness. "Is that a problem?"
"Do you have to talk to me like that?" he snapped.
Frustration seeped into my tone as I countered, "Then what do you want me to say?"
His retort came sharp and defensive. "Stop being so jealous! We're just friends. Can't you understand that?"
I let out a bitter scoff, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Sure. Friends you'd rather accompany than your own mate to the healer."
The silence that followed was thick and suffocating, like the air before a storm. Finally, he mumbled, defeated, "Just finish this task quickly, and we'll leave."
The irony was not lost on me. He once called me annoying for questioning his visits to Jasmine. When I reached out, asking when he'd be back from her den, I was also the annoying one. Now, even trying to understand him seemed to be grounds for his frustration.
With a heavy sigh, I tossed aside the herbal poultice I had been working on. There was no point dwelling on it, nothing I said or did would change anything.
Instead, I focused on my tasks, sorting and grinding the herbs on the desk in front of me. When the night shift ended, I deliberately lingered, taking my time to clean up the workspace. The thought of returning home held no appeal.
But I knew I had to. Asking the village healer for a place to stay would be shameless. Gathering my belongings, I started the trek back, deliberately ignoring Ronan.
He was furious—and hungry, no less—which only added to his temper. As his frustration boiled over, he kicked at a nearby tree to vent his anger. Unluckily for him, the disturbance roused a snake coiled in the branches. Without hesitation, it struck, sinking its fangs into his calf.
Ronan let out a strangled yell, grabbing the snake and flinging it into the bushes, where it quickly slithered away.
"Nyra," he called, his voice tight with pain, "I've been bitten by a snake! It's bleeding. Come check it out!"
I halted my steps, casting a disinterested glance over my shoulder.
"It's not venomous," I said flatly.
He limped closer, his disbelief evident. "How can you tell just by looking at it?"
Sighing, I crouched down to examine the bite more closely. I recognized the snake, it was a harmless species I'd seen many times before. Rising to my feet, I dusted off my knees.
"It's just a bite," I said. "Let it bleed out and it'll be fine. There's no need to waste medicine."
His expression twisted, a mix of frustration and hurt. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Nyra, why don't you care anymore? You used to fuss over me when I was sick, making porridge, giving me medicine."
That was the old me. I remembered it all too well. But those days felt like a distant memory now, belonging to someone else entirely.
Once, Ronan had a stomachache, so I requested leave from my duties to bring him medicine to the pack hall. Unfortunately, rain caught me on the way, leaving my fur and clothes drenched, a dripping mess by the time I arrived.
But the day only worsened. His packmates chuckled at my soaked appearance, their laughter echoing through the hall. Ronan didn't so much as defend me amd instead, he joined in their amusement. To add insult to injury, he scolded me after, saying, "Don't ever come here again. You're an embarrassment."
Now, as Ronan stood before me, his irritation clear, I couldn't help but remember that moment.
"You look perfectly fine," I said, my tone clipped. "And you don't seem to be in any pain. We might be out of medicine, though, so you'll probably have to fetch some yourself."
I turned away, rolling my eyes out of his sight.
Ronan's jaw tightened, his frustration bubbling over. He grabbed my arm, his voice a harsh growl. "Nyra, how long are you going to punish me over Jasmine? I told you, there's nothing between us!"
"Oh, okay," I replied. My voice is steady, almost bored, a sharp contrast to his escalating anger.
My indifference only stoked the fire further. He let out a frustrated snarl, releasing my arm before storming off. I didn't need to ask where he was going. I already knew.
