It was already 3pm when I dumped the last of the dirty linen down the laundry chute, swiping away the sweat that was dripping from my brow. Wasting no time, I began to make my way to the kitchen, knowing I needed to be there right away.
Rushing down the hallway, I made it to the stairs, seeing no one else around. Unfortunately, one of the last people I want to see is walking up the stairs. Embry is the Alpha’s mate, making her the pack’s Luna, and she is the sister of the pack’s current Beta. She was a gorgeous she-wolf, but too many years of being doted on as a high-ranking wolf had turned her into a nightmare that was impossible to please.
Irritatingly, she noticed me at the same time I noticed her, making it impossible for me to slip back down the hall and out of sight. Embry narrowed her eyes at me, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder and narrowing her eyes as she stormed over to me. “What do we have here?” She sneers, propping a hand on her hip.
With a deep breath to keep myself calm, I bowed my head and stared at the floor. I know that with Embry, silence is usually better than answering her. But looking down like that also meant that I didn’t see her move until her backhand knocked me off my feet.
“I asked you a question!” She growls, just loud enough to be heard over the ringing in my ears. I tried to blink away the blurriness from my vision, focusing on making the room stop spinning. It has been too many days since I’ve eaten, and it’s been all I could do to stay on my feet up to this point.
“Sorry, Luna.” I choked out, eyes glued to the floor. I still had to make dinner, and if I planned on eating this week, I couldn’t allow my strength to falter now. She pouted for a moment, and I knew she’d been hoping for a little more resistance from me. Sighing as though disappointed, she turned to leave. I didn’t move a muscle, trying not to give her any reason to turn back toward me.
“Pathetic.” She chuckled as she crushed my fingers under her heel on her way past. A pained hiss flew from my lips as I clutched my hand to my chest, assessing the damage. Her high-heeled boot had broken at least one of my fingers!
While we werewolves heal more quickly than normal humans, several factors play a key role in the speed of a wolf’s healing. First being that an unshifted werewolf does not heal as quickly as a werewolf who can shift, as their wolf isn’t as strong before their first shift. The second factor is a wolf’s general health both prior to their injury and during the healing process.
That is where my problem lies, in both my status as an unshifted werewolf and in my poor physical condition. If I were to put it bluntly, I have simply suffered too many injuries and missed too many meals to rely on my werewolf genes to heal me sufficiently right now.
With a sigh, I pull myself to my feet, swaying as I try to regain my balance. I knew I needed to keep moving, so I took several steadying breaks before I headed down the stairs, rubbing the bruise that was already forming on my cheekbone.
Once I reached the ground floor, I glanced across the dining room before darting from the bottom of the stairs to the kitchen door once I was sure it was empty. I stop only to peer through the doorway and make sure the kitchen is clear of wolves before making my way into the room.
Thankful that no one was around to bother me, I swiftly moved to my personal med kit and pulled my well-worn finger splint from the top. I tuck the little kit into my back pocket for safekeeping, as within it are the only first-aid supplies I may use.
Carefully inspecting my broken finger, I note the odd angle of it before I grab and pull it straight with a grunt. Then I splint it with an efficiency learned over many years of treating my own broken fingers and toes.