Ouroboros Spine And yet the menace of the years

Still angry. And why wouldn't she be? He noted her mood and took caution, approaching slowly as he neared her while still maintaining a bit of distance. He regarded her face, the way her grizzled appearance was further marred by the matting of fur and drying blood. In some areas, the sanguine rivers still dripped. That ear wasn't closing. Not yet.

It didn't take a genius to figure out why. She'd tried closing it with dirt when it hadn't clotted on its own. He mentally sighed. Healing 101 was enough to know dirt in a wound only created additional risks for infection. She'd won today's battle. She didn't need to lose herself to illness as a result when there were simple ways to clean the wound and avoid that fate.

"Even if she later yields?" he asked, already knowing the answer to that question. It didn't hurt to ask. If the order remained, he'd follow it. Wolves could choose their own fate in that way. It was none of his business otherwise. One did not challenge an alpha and get off so easily.