Chapter 10: Pack Doctor

After that ugly mess in my room with Keeran, I've been doing everything humanly possible to avoid him like the freaking plague. And thank the goddess or fate or whatever for small miracles, he hasn't bothered me since. I heard he went on a week-long business trip and that made me able to breathe freely. 

He left a couple of days ago, and for once, the air didn't feel like it was made of glass, ready to shatter the second I spoke or moved wrong. Cora told me he'd be gone for a week, and I almost hugged her when she said he gave me permission to roam as long as I stayed on pack grounds.

Big freaking deal, I know. But after feeling like a locked-up doll for weeks, that little bit of freedom felt like oxygen.

So, I've been keeping to myself, well, mostly. If I wasn't hiding out in my room, pretending I didn't exist, I was in the clinic with Cora and Lisa. I didn't say much at first, just helped clean wounds and fetch supplies. It was familiar work. Soothing, in a weird way. It reminded me of when I was training back home before everything went to shit.

Lisa's been sweet, too. She's quiet, but kind. She doesn't pry and doesn't look at me like I'm broken or dirty or some tragic story. She just treats me like a person. 

Honestly, I forgot what that felt like.

And Cora, I can see it in her eyes when she doesn't ask certain questions. When she lets the silence settle instead of trying to fill it with empty words.

We talk sometimes. Not about that. Just… light things. Dumb things. She told me about her dog, a fluffy golden retriever that apparently hates rain and loves toast. I told her I always wanted a black cat with green eyes. We laughed about something stupid Lisa said the other day. And for a few minutes, I almost forgot where I was.Almost.

But the second I'm alone again, it creeps back in. The memory of Keeran's hand in my hair. His spit in my face. The way he said "mine" like I was nothing more than property. Suddenly, River came into my mind. That damn bastard. 

I hate that his name still burns when it crosses my mind. Even now, after everything, I still think of how he looked at me that day. How he didn't stop what happened.

My wolf's been silent for days. She doesn't even growl anymore. Just… howls sometimes. Low and painful. Mostly when I sleep. I asked her once, out loud, "Are you mad at me?"

She didn't answer.

Maybe she's mad. Maybe she's heartbroken. Or maybe she's just done just like me.

The clinic was quiet that afternoon.

Cora and I were just chatting, nothing serious. She was rambling about how she caught one of the nurses sneaking snacks from the emergency supply shelf again, and I was half-listening, half-organizing the meds we were low on when the door suddenly slammed open.

A woman came rushing in, face soaked in tears, holding a limp little boy in her arms.

"Help! Please! Someone help him!" she cried, voice breaking.

Cora and I both snapped into motion. The calm, chill mood vanished in an instant.

I rushed toward her, already reaching for the kid. 

"What happened?" I asked, steadying my voice even though my heart started racing.

"He was swimming," she sobbed, barely able to breathe. "In the river. And something bit him, I saw it, it was a snake, a big one. A taipan, I think."

I froze.

My blood ran cold. "A taipan?"

Cora's head jerked up. "Yeah," she said grimly. "They sometimes invade the riverbanks during the heat season. We've had incidents before... not like this though."

Holy hell. A taipan. Most venomous snake in existence. Even a werewolf's accelerated healing couldn't keep up with the kind of neurotoxin this monster pumped into its prey. That venom didn't just bite, it shut you down. Muscles. Nerves. Breathing. Everything.

I looked at the kid,.his lips were turning blue.

"We need anti-venom. Now. Monovalent. Taipan-specific," I barked at the nurse closest to me. "Move!"

Cora was already at the fridge. "We've got one vial left," she called out.

"Bring it!" I snapped. There was no hesitation and no second-guessing.

I swabbed the injection site, prepped the syringe, and got the anti-venom into that kid's bloodstream like my hands were on autopilot. My brain was on fire. I was tracking every breath, every heartbeat, every goddamn twitch of his fingers.

Please work. Please work.

Minutes passed. It felt like years.

I stayed right by his side, hand hovering over his tiny chest, counting every shallow rise and fall. Come on, little man. Don't you dare give up.

And finally, finally, he coughed. Just a little one, but it was enough to make the mother collapse in tears all over again, this time with relief.

He was gonna be okay.

I let out a shaky breath and slowly sat back, realizing I hadn't moved from my spot for probably thirty minutes.

Cora gave me a look. No pity. Not surprising. It was… curiosity.

"How'd you know so much about snakes?" she asked.

I shrugged, trying to downplay it even though my chest was still heaving. 

"Studied it."

"In school?"

"Yeah. Ministry of Medicine. Got a scholarship."

Cora's brows shot up. "Wait, the king's scholarship? The one that costs a fortune if you don't make the top cut?"

I gave a dry laugh. 

"That one."

"Damn." She shook her head, impressed. "And here you are, patching up kids in a borrowed clinic."

"Yeah, well." I looked down at the little boy, now breathing steady. "I didn't become a doctor for the paycheck."

She didn't say anything, just nodded like she got it. For the first time in a long while, I felt… useful, like me again. Not a breeder. Not a slave. Just Raven, the girl who studied venomous snakes, though it was out of my specialty, though I had a hunch that I will need to use it in the future.

The kid finally woke up. That's a good sign. His wolf healing probably started.

After three days of barely breathing, that little boy blinked his eyes open like nothing happened, like he didn't just scare the living hell out of everyone around him.

I don't know what it was, relief or adrenaline wearing off, but the second he whispered "Mama?" and reached for his mother's hand, my knees almost gave out.

I didn't cry. I wanted to, but I didn't.

I just stood there for a minute while Cora hugged the mom and the nurses fussed over him, and then quietly stepped back like my body finally realized it was allowed to shut down.

I hadn't really left the clinic since they brought him in. Slept on a bench the first night. Didn't even bother changing clothes. I just stayed. Monitored him. Checked his vitals. Watched every damn breath like it was gold.

It was just one kid, you know? But something about him… I don't know. He reminded me that I still had something left to give. That I could still do this. This was what I'm good at before, to heal and to help before I became a prisoner and a breeder and a forgotten ex-mate.

I'm Raven and a doctor.

When everything was stable, Cora gently nudged me. 

"Come on," she said. "You need to rest before you become my next patient."

I didn't argue. I just nodded and followed her out like some half-dead zombie.

The walk back to the house was a blur. I vaguely remember the sky turning pink, or maybe it was orange. I couldn't tell. I just remember thinking, I made it. That kid made it.

The second I stepped foot into my room, I kicked off my shoes, collapsed on the bed fully clothed, and knocked out cold.

I didn't shower or change. Didn't even pull the blanket up. I didn't care.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I let sleep take me without a fight. I wasn't haunted anymore but because for once, I was too tired to feel anything.

And honestly? That kind of peace felt like a luxury I hadn't earned, but damn, I took it anyway.