Chapter 64 Chapter 64

Chapter 64 Chapter 64
 Tiana
 When I opened my eyes, the tent I had slept in felt empty. Coming into clearer consciousness, I realized it was because Zane had not slept there. 
 His bedroll lay untouched and his blanket was still folded nearly at one end exactly as it had been yesterday evening. 
 I sat up slowly, my body stiff from sleeping on the ground. The events of last night came back to me quickly. The execution to when Zane walked away from where we were all gathered. 
 Was he good? Had he slept at all? Or had he spent the entire night out there, doing… what? Patrolling?
 Avoiding me?
 I tried not to think about it. Instead, I focused on standing and testing my weight carefully on my injured ankle to see if I had made any progress in recovery.
 No pain.
 I froze, staring down at my foot in confusion.
 The pain was gone. Completely gone.
 I flexed my ankle experimentally. I felt no sharp stab or dull ache. Not even the slightest twinge of discomfort.
 How?
 I crouched down and carefully unwrapped the bandages from yesterday. The skin underneath was without any scar. No swelling too. Not even the faint discoloration that should have remained from such a severe dislocation.
 It was like the injury had never happened.
 “That’s impossible,” I whispered.
 We as werewolves healed quickly. I knew that. But this quickly? From a bone that had been completely out of alignment?
 My wolf stirred inside me, practically preening with satisfaction.
 But that didn’t make sense either. I was an Omega. Omegas didn’t heal this fast or bounce back from serious injuries overnight.
 Unless…
 Maybe it was the environment? Something about being this deep in the forest, this close to untamed nature? Or the herbal balm Zane had used—maybe it had properties I didn’t understand?
 Or the bond. The mate bond that tied me to an Alpha. Could that have somehow enhanced my healing?
 Too many theories ran through my mind with little answers.
 I stood fully, putting my complete weight on the ankle. It held perfectly, no weakness or instability.
 I was grateful yet utterly confused.
 But I wasn’t going to waste time questioning a blessing.
 I pulled on my boots and stepped outside into the morning light.
 The camp was already awake, with morning routines being carried out.
 And sitting on a log near the fire, perfectly still and staring into the flames, was Zane.
 So he had come back. Just not to the tent.
 I watched him for a moment, taking in the rigid set of his shoulders, the way his hands rested loosely on his knees. He looked tired. Completely exhausted and I could tell he had not had any sleep.
 Before I could decide whether to approach him or leave him alone, Gamma Rowan appeared at my side.
 “Luna,” he greeted warmly. “How’s the ankle?”
 “Fine, actually. Completely healed.”
 His eyebrows rose. “Already? That’s… remarkable.”
 “I know.”
 He studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Well, good. That’s good. Speaking of health matters—” He pulled a small leather pouch from his pocket. “The healers sent this with me before we left. They said you’d need to continue your treatments even while we’re away.”
 My stomach tightened. Right. The treatments.
 “It’s not as potent as the doses you receive back at the pack house,” Rowan continued “But it maintains continuity. You’ll need to take one more when we return, a stronger dose to compensate for this third round. But this should hold you over.”
 He handed me the pouch. Inside were three small vials filled with that familiar silver liquid.
 “One per day,” he said. “Same time each day if possible. The consistency matters.”
 “Thank you, Rowan.”
 He smiled slightly. “The healers were very insistent. Apparently, interrupting the treatment cycle can set the whole process back weeks.”
 Of course it could. Because nothing about this situation was simple.
 I tucked the pouch into my pocket, trying not to think about what these treatments were preparing my body for.
 “I should take this now,” I smiled. “To maintain the schedule.”
 “Good idea. Do you need any help?”
 “No, thank you. I can manage.”
 I retreated to the tent, grateful for the privacy. The injection was a sharp sting in my arm, then the familiar warmth spreading through my system as the treatment took effect.
 It was not as intense as the previous doses. But enough that I felt it working. 
 When I emerged again, Zane was gone from his spot by the fire.
 And I was not sure why, but I let out a soft sigh. Maybe because I was hoping I could summon the courage and ask him what was going through his mind. 
 The patrol groups had gone out as planned and for the first time since we arrived, I found myself with actual time. Time that wasn’t spent recovering from injury or hiding in a tent/watching executions.
 Time to… what? Sit uselessly by the fire?
 No.
 I looked around the camp, taking inventory. We had supplies, yes. Dried meat and flatbread. Functional food that would keep us alive but wasn’t particularly enjoyable.
 I called out to Rowan who had stayed with me. “Is there nothing else that I can prepare? I’m getting sick eating the same flat bread and dried meat.”
 He looked up from where he had been sharpening his blade. “Luna, you want to cook?” There was this undeniable surprise in his face and I almost reminded him that I had in fact worked as a servant in that pack. 
 “Yes.” I only said.
 A slow smile spread across his face. “Luna, if you’re offering to prepare actual cooked food instead of the rations we’ve been eating, I will catch you a dozen rabbits.”
 “Two should be enough.”
 He was already moving toward the tree line. “I’ll be back within the hour.”
 He returned in some minutes with two fat rabbits and a handful of wild herbs. From his explanation, he had found them near the stream.
 “I wasn’t sure what you would need,” he said, “but I figured herbs couldn’t hurt.”
 “They’re perfect. Thank you.”
 I set to work immediately, grateful for the years I had spent in the pack house kitchen as a servant. Preparing food had been one of my primary duties, and I had learned from the best cooks in Fangstain.
 Skinning and cleaning the rabbits took time, but I had done it before. Rowan offered to help, but I waved him off as he was quite busy on some other pack assignment.
 I built up the fire, arranged flat stones to create a makeshift cooking surface. Found a pot in our supplies that would work for soup.
 The meat roasted slowly over the fire while I prepared a simple stew with the herbs and some root vegetables I had found in our supplies. 
 By the time everything was ready, my arms ached and my clothes smelled of smoke diluted in herbs. But there was satisfaction in it. 
 The physical exertion combined with the treatment I had taken earlier was catching up to me. My limbs felt heavy, my eyelids drooping despite it only being midday.
 I covered the pot to keep the food warm and retreated to the tent, intending to rest for just a few minutes.
 Sleep claimed me almost immediately and I opened my eyes to voices outside the tent.
 Disoriented, I sat up slowly, trying to gauge how long I’d been asleep. 
 “—smells incredible,” a voice was saying. Zane’s voice.
 My heart did a stupid little flutter at the sound of it.
 “Rowan, thank you for cooking,” Zane continued, and I could hear genuine warmth in his tone, something I so rarely heard directed at anyone. “That’s considerate of you. I know the patrol has been taxing on everyone.”
 There was a pause, then the sound of movement.
 “The men will appreciate this when they return from patrol,” Zane added. 
 I heard the distinct sound of a bowl being filled, then a moment of silence.
 “This is…” Zane’s voice held an unmistakable surprise. “This is excellent. Where did you learn to cook like this?”
 “Alpha, I—”
 “The seasoning is perfect. And the meat is so tender. Rowan, this is top quality.”
 There was an uncomfortable pause. I could practically feel Rowan’s awkwardness from inside the tent.
 “When we return to the pack house,” Zane said, his voice taking on that authoritative Alpha tone that brooked no argument, “remind me. I’ll have something sent to you. A gift. You’ve earned it.”
 “Alpha, that’s generous but—”
 “It’s decided,” Zane cut him off. “Anyone who can cook like this in the middle of the forest with limited supplies deserves recognition.”
 I realized I should probably stay in the tent. Should let Zane believe Rowan had prepared the meal. But my body had other ideas.
 My bladder, full from sleeping for hours, made the decision for me. I couldn’t hide in here forever.
 I pushed aside the tent flap and stepped out, blinking in the afternoon light.
 The scene before me was almost comical: Zane stood by the fire with a bowl in his hands, mid-bite. Rowan stood a few feet away, looking profoundly uncomfortable. And both of them froze when they saw me.
 “Luna,” Rowan said quickly, relief flooding his features. “You’re awake.”
 Zane’s eyes locked on mine, his expression indescribably confusion. 
 “But Alpha,” Rowan continued, his voice almost apologetic, “I didn’t make the meal. The Luna did.”
 “The Luna made this?”
 I watched Zane’s throat work as he swallowed the bite he’d taken, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.
 The bowl in his hands might as well have been a live grenade for how carefully still he had gone.
 “Yes, Alpha. She is the one who deserved the gifts you promised me.”