We left the hill in silence. No words were needed—not right now. Not after what we had just witnessed. Sacra was gone. The children were taken. Amelia... I could hardly think of her empty gaze.

  But Sac was alive. And right now, that was all we had.

  Will carried him over his shoulders with a strength I didn't think was possible in his own condition. I walked beside him, brushing aside branches and snow. Every time Sac groaned in his sleep, I felt my stomach tighten. He was strong, but I didn't know how much longer that would last.

  "We need to get him to the cabin," Niva said quietly. "The old one by the stream. There's warmth. Shelter. And I... I think I can help him."

  "You?" I asked.

  She nodded. "Sacra taught me. Herbs, pressure points, what stops bleeding. It's not much, but it's something."

  The cabin was cold when we arrived. Will gently laid Sac down on the simple cot against the wall. I lit the fire with shaky hands. Soon, the room was filled with light and smoky warmth.

  Niva knelt beside Sac, carefully lifted his shirt, and examined his wounds. She sighed deeply, but her gaze remained calm.

  "He has a deep wound on his side, and something's wrong with one of his legs," she said quietly. "We need clean moss, fireweed, and preferably wolfroot. I need warming herbs for the fever. And a cloth."

  Will stood up immediately. "I'll run to the village. I know where Sacra kept most of it."

  "But it's dangerous," I said quickly.

  "I'm faster than them," he replied, looking at me with something burning in his eyes. "And I'm not going to let him die."

  He pulled his jacket tighter around him, grabbed his knife, and disappeared through the door before I could protest.

  Niva began working. She washed the wounds with melted snow, pressing gently but firmly. I fetched everything I could find in the cabin—scraps of fabric, warm water, a spoon, something to keep Sac still in case he woke.

  "He's got a fever," she said. "We need to bring it down. Soon."

  I sat down next to Sac and took his hand in mine. It was hot. Damp. But he was alive.

  "You have to hold on," I whispered. "Please, Sac. We need you."

  His fingers moved weakly against mine. Just a small movement, but enough to make me close my eyes and hold my breath.

  He heard me.

  Will was back almost immediately. He had found everything Niva needed to tend to Sac.

  "I need to go back to the village and try to find the others—Wics, Gus, Sate, Nick, and Luc. I haven't seen any trace of them," he said through clenched teeth and a tense gaze. I knew there was no point in saying anything—he was going anyway. And sure enough, he disappeared as quickly as he had come.

  I sat down next to Sac again, letting my thoughts wander. So much had happened in such a short time that it almost felt unreal. Sacra was gone. The one who was supposed to help me find myself, and show me the way to break the curse—the wise woman everyone looked up to.

  I remembered so clearly when she sat by the campfire and told how everything had once begun. How she became the first chosen werewolf.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "I received my powers from Vaelmark, the loyal wolf—he who watches over our choices and ensures we act right," she had said while the flames reflected in her eyes. "I was just a teenager when it happened."

  She had leaned against the fire, her voice steady but filled with something old—something sacred.

  "I lived near the forest and spent a lot of time there. One morning, I woke up with a strong feeling that I had to go out, that something was waiting for me. I got up at dawn and wandered deep into the forest. Halfway, I heard a shot. I knew the hunters were there—they shot wolves every year—but on that particular day, I couldn't accept it."

  She smiled quietly.

  "The wolf came running towards me. He was hit, bleeding. I remember looking into his eyes, and without saying a word, I understood what I needed to do. He ran, and I followed him. I lost track of him, but when I finally turned back, he was there. With his family."

  Her voice softened. Almost a whisper.

  "They came up, sniffed me, licked my hand. The wounded wolf collapsed in the snow. When I bent over him... I heard his voice. Not with my ears—but inside me."

  I shuddered as I remembered her words:

  "Protect my family. Lead them out of this forest alive—and you will receive a gift no human has ever received."

  "He took his last breath there in my arms," she had continued. "I thought I was crazy, that I had imagined everything. But when I heard the hunters approaching, there was no choice. I led the wolf family to another forest, where they could be safe. When I knew they were safe, I returned home."

  She had told how she felt feverish that evening, as if her whole body was burning. How she lay awake with the window open, breathing in the night air and watching the moon shine brightly. And how, when she rose and looked outside, she saw wolves in her garden.

  "There he stood," she had said. "The dead wolf. White as snow. His eyes—blue as crystal. He looked at me and said: You've kept your promise. Now it's my turn."

  I remembered how quiet it had been when she told it.

  "The wind was blowing hard. And in the next moment, I was no longer human. I was a wolf."

  Then, she had lowered her voice again, almost reverently:

  "Your name is no longer Senada. You are Sacra—the wolf goddess who restores life. You are the first. But others will come. It is your task to protect them, guide them, and teach them to live in peace with nature. If you ever need me, follow the right path and call upon Vaelmark. Then I will come to you."

  I remembered Sacra's expression that evening. It was sad, but there was something more there—something I couldn't quite put into words.

  "That something so beautiful could become a curse..." she had said, almost whispering. "The more we change, the more nature takes over. And in the end... we become more animal than human."

  She had looked at me then. Long, deep.

  "That's why you're here, Tracy. To stop it. To save us—before the inner animal takes over completely." Her words echoed in my head. How could I possibly help anyone now? I don't even know where to start.

  "Tracy, can you help me with this?" Niva interrupted my daydream. She handed me a bandage.

  "I need you to dress the wound on his arm—then I can look at the one on his chest. It doesn't look good."

  I nodded and did exactly as she asked.

  Sac's skin was cold and sticky with sweat. His eyes moved rapidly beneath his eyelids, as if he were dreaming nightmares, and his breathing was wheezy and slow. The wound on his arm was bad enough, but it was nothing compared to the one on his chest.

  It hurt to see him like this.

  "It's almost a blessing that you're unconscious," I whispered. "I don't think you'd be able to handle this pain."

  Sac lay still, but twitched now and then in his feverish dreams. I placed a cold cloth on his forehead while Niva continued with the bandaging. We were both silent, exchanging a meaningful glance, and returned to what we were doing.

  After a while, I broke the silence.

  "Niva," I said quietly, adjusting the cloth on Sac's forehead.

  "Mm?" she replied without stopping her work.

  "Do you think Will will find the others? Do you think he'll come back? They managed to take the others... what do we do if they get him too? What if he doesn't come back?"

  Niva paused for a moment before continuing.

  "Then we do what we always do—we survive." She sighed deeply and met my gaze.

  "Tracy, he'll come back."

  She sounded so sure. Why couldn't I just accept that?

  Everything inside me wanted to run. Run out into the night and look for him.

  But I stayed. For Will. For Sac. For all those who could no longer rise.