Scorned by the Beastmen, Loved by their Healer Chapter 03

Scorned by the Beastmen, Loved by their Healer Chapter 03

Huer carried me out of the thatched hut.
His arms were steady, but he didn’t say a word.
I sagged against his chest, limp as a rag.
“Why… why did you save me?”
I asked.
He said nothing.
Just kept walking, holding me.
“Don’t you hate me too?”
I frowned. “Don’t you like Amy?”
Still nothing.
I closed my eyes.
Forget it.
I dropped it.
He took me to his place.
A neat little cabin, shelves packed with jars of herbs.
He laid me on the bed and started checking me over.
His frown only deepened.
“Your beast heart…”
He finally spoke, voice low.
“It’s damaged.”
I’d known that.
The day they kicked me out of the pack, my heart felt like it shattered.
“And your mind is a mess.”
His jaw tightened. “Keep this up and you’ll go completely insane.”
I let out a brittle laugh.
If it were just madness, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so damn much.
“I’ll mix you some meds,” he offered.
“Stay put.”
He said it and headed for the door.
I stared at his back.
“Huer.”
He stopped.
“Why did you save me?”
He didn’t look back.
Silence stretched.
“Don’t read into it. It’s nothing like that.”
He paused. “I just… don’t want our people dying.”
Then he left.
The door shut.
I was alone.
Not long after, the door opened again.
I thought Huer was back.
But a small, skinny figure slipped in.
Amy.
She wore a fancy dress, and around her neck hung the crystal necklace that should’ve been mine.
The Luna’s necklace.
She saw me and smiled.
“Well, well. Still breathing.”
Her voice was soft, just for the two of us.
“Sanna, you are hard to kill.”
I said nothing.
She came over, stood by the bed, looking down on me.
“You know what?”
She touched her neck. “This necklace was supposed to be yours.”
“Too bad. Elim chose me.”
Still nothing.
She crouched and leaned to my ear.
“Actually… I’m a player too.”
My stomach dropped.
“The World God gave me the same mission.”
Her eyes lit up with delight. “Four men—win over just one and you get to go home.”
“But I’m better at the game than you.”
She smiled sweet as sugar, eyes like a viper.
“Guess what? Every bit of work you did, I stole it.”
She started to tick off with her fingers. “When you saved Kasdan, I told him I was the one who did it.”
“The herbs you picked for Elim?” She laughed. “I delivered them—under my name.”
“When you played sweet and clever in front of Skalardon, I told him you were scheming against him,” she finished.
My fingers shook.
“And with Huer…”
She paused.
“Forget it. He’s too sharp. Haven’t found an opening yet.”
Amy shrugged. “But that’s fine.”
“Now that I’ve got you, I’ll make you suffer till you wish you were dead,” she murmured.
I was already at my limit, and she still wouldn’t let up.
She stood and suddenly raised her voice.
“Guards! Someone saw Sanna steal my crystal necklace!”
She was framing me.
The door swung open and a few pack guards rushed in.
“Luna, what’s wrong?”
Amy put on a wounded look.
“My necklace is gone. Someone saw Sanna take it. I want her searched.”
The guards hesitated.
“But Luna, look at the state she’s in…”
“I don’t care!” she snapped.
Amy turned on the waterworks, just like that.
“Lord Elim gave it to me. It’s the most precious thing I own!”
The guards traded looks, then nodded.
They came over and yanked my clothes open.
“Stop…”
I tried to fight back but had no strength.
They stripped me, piece by piece.
Cold air knifed into my skin.
Amy stood aside, the corners of her mouth lifting.
Her eyes said: “Serves you right.”
“Nothing on her, Lady Luna.”
“Then keep searching!”
“Take everything off!” she screeched.
I didn’t want to cry.
But tears still fell.
Not from pain.
From the humiliation.
I hadn’t done a damn thing wrong.
But they all believed her.
“Enough!”
The door slammed open.
Huer burst in.
He still had vials in his hand, fury written all over his face.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He charged over and shoved the two guards away.
He stripped off his coat and wrapped it around me.
“Huer, what are you doing?”
Amy feigned surprise.
“She stole my necklace—”
Huer cut her off.
“No, she didn’t!”
“She’s been locked in the hut these past few days,” he snapped. “How the hell would she steal your necklace?”
Amy’s face flickered.
But only for a second.
“Huer, are you questioning me? Questioning the Luna of this pack?”
Huer stood in front of me, steady and unafraid.
“I’m stating facts. Luna, take your people and leave.”
Amy glared, eyes dark.
“Huer, you’d better think this through.”
She squared her shoulders. “Stand with her now, and you’re standing against me.”
Huer’s voice was calm.
“I don’t care. I care about what’s fair.”
In the end, Amy left.
She didn’t want to go head-to-head with the pack’s star healer. Not yet.
She took the two guards and slammed the door on her way out.
Silence settled.
Huer turned and crouched in front of me.
His hands were shaking.
“Don’t you… hate me?”
He didn’t answer.
He just held me tighter.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
I leaned into him.
Smelled the tang of herbs on him.
For a moment, it didn’t hurt so much.
But I knew.
It was only temporary.
I’m still going to die.
I have to die.