Shadewood there is a bear in the wound

She couldn’t help but think of the lives taken on the borders of Redtail Rise. The pack’s Fengtoth had always defended their territory without hesitation and often without mercy. Masquerade could not think of a single incident where any of them had struggled after the fact. In this wild moment, she realized she truly was cut from a different cloth than her kin.

Masque said nothing of this. She said nothing else at all. Biting back a whimper, she pushed against Riley, borrowing his strength and his warmth as she tried to settle. It took time, but with every crook tucked into one of his corners, the shaking began to subside.

It was tempting to drift off into an exhausted sleep, though Masquerade drew in a big breath and sat up instead. The wounds would need a second pass, perhaps several more over the course of the next few hours, if she wanted to fight off infection and jump start the healing process.

I’m okay, she said, catching Riley’s eye as she squared her shoulders. Let’s get this done, shall we?

She reached out to nuzzle him, then sat back to let him work again. It was hardly a pleasant process and neither one of them was a medic, though Masquerade knew the importance of cleaning a wound. That was an early lesson from the deceased Haelend she would never forget.