Scorned by the Beastmen, Loved by their Healer Chapter 10

Scorned by the Beastmen, Loved by their Healer Chapter 10

I jolted awake.

White ceiling.

White lights.

The sharp stink of disinfectant.

A hospital.

I was in a hospital.

“She’s awake-she’s awake!”

A nurse rushed over and leaned over me.

“How do you feel? Dizzy?”

I opened my mouth to say something.

My throat felt plugged.

No sound came out.

“You were in a car crash. You’ve been out for three days.”

She tucked my blanket.

“Lucky you made it.”

Car crash.

Unconscious.

Three days.

My mind went blank.

What about those twelve years in that beastfolk world?

What about the memories?

Where’s Huer?

“Nurse…”

My voice was so hoarse it didn’t sound like me.

I gave a bitter little laugh.

“I… had a really long dream.”

She smiled.

“Maybe. Lots of people dream when they’re out.”

“But you lucked out-the one who hit you died on the spot,” she said.

My heart skipped.

“The one who hit me?”

“Yeah. A woman. Name was Amy.”

“About your age.” Her voice dipped. “Gone instantly.”

Amy.

The name was a knife, stabbing into my skull.

Memories flooded back.

It wasn’t a dream.

It was all real.

That world played in my head, frame by frame.

Elim kneeling in front of me, saying he was sorry.

Kasdan squeezing my hand and kissing it.

Skarlarton crying like a little kid.

And Huer.

He was lying beside me, blood at the corner of his mouth.

“I’m here to keep you company.”

“If I ever get another chance, I won’t push you away again.”

I shut my eyes.

Tears slid from the corners.

“By the way, there’s a weirdo next door,” the nurse said while changing the sheets.

“Came in last night, beat to hell.”

“No clue where he wandered in from,” she said with a laugh. “Keeps saying weird stuff.”

“Something about a wolf clan and herbs.”

“Our doctors think he’s got a screw loose, she muttered.

I shot upright.

“What did you say?”

She flinched at my reaction.

“Just… a guy. Super handsome, but his brain’s not great…”

She motioned vaguely. “Keeps muttering about being a healer of the wolf clan or something/

“Says he’s a doctor and wants to show us herbs…”

I didn’t even bother with shoes.

I bolted out of the room.

The door to the next room was half open.

I pushed it wider.

It was dim inside, curtains drawn.

Someone laid on the bed.

He had his back to me, curled up.

Hospital gown on, bandages on his arm.

I walked over, one step at a time.

With every step, my heart shook.

I reached the bedside.

I saw his profile.

A straight, high nose.

Lips pressed tight.

Lashes so long they cast a little shadow.

Huer.

It was Huer.

Tears rushed up all at once.

“Huer…”

My voice trembled.

His eyes flew open.

Those eyes were exactly the same as in that other world.

Gentle. Quiet.

Like they hid a whole starry sky.

He turned his head and looked at me.

Stunned.

“Sanna?”

His voice was so hoarse it was barely there.

“Is that you?”

I couldn’t speak.

I just nodded hard.

A tear fell onto the back of his hand.

He slowly sat up.

Reached out and touched my face.

His fingers were warm.

Not like in that world, when he held my corpse-so cold.

“You’re alive…”

His eyes went red.

“You’re really alive…”

I threw myself into his arms.

Held him tight.

He smelled like disinfectant.

But under that, I caught the scent of herbs.

The exact same smell from that world.

“Huer…”

“How did you end up here too?” I stammered.

“Didn’t you drink poison?”

His arms tightened.

He caged me against him like he was afraid I’d vanish.

“I don’t know…”

His voice rumbled above my head.

“I just remember… lying next to you… then everything went dark…”

His voice dipped. “I woke up here.”

“I thought I was dreaming.”

“But I couldn’t smell the wolf clan,” he said. “Couldn’t find any

His eyebrows furrowed. “I thought… I’d never see you again.”

I tipped my head back to look at him.

He’d gotten so thin.

Hollows under his eyes. Cracked lips.

But his eyes were still so gentle.

“You came to find me, didn’t you?”

I asked.

He smiled.

The curve of his mouth was exactly the same as in that world.

He cupped my face.

His thumb wiped away my tears.

“This time, I’m not letting go.”

“I don’t care who you are, or where you are,” he promised.

“I’ll find you.”

He smiled softly. “I’ll stay with you.”

I rose on my toes and kissed him.

His lips were dry.

Warm.

With a faint bitter taste.

Like herbs.

herbs.”

Like the medicine he used to feed me in that world.

Bitter as hell.

But I didn’t want to let go.

The nurse pushed the door open and saw us clinging to each other.

“Oh wow, you two know each other?”

We loosened a little, but I stayed in his arms.

“Yeah,” Huer said.

“We’ve known each other a long time.”

The nurse smiled and left.

The door clicked shut.

The room fell quiet again.

Huer lowered his head and looked at me.

“In that world, I didn’t protect you.”

“This time, I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he swore.

I leaned against his chest.

Listened to his heartbeat.

Thump. Thump.

Steady.

Strong.

“Huer.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t need you to protect me.”

“I just need you alive.”

“Here with me.”

He didn’t answer.

He just held me tighter.

Sunlight spilled through the window and pooled on the floor.

Warm.

Quiet.

Like a spring that finally showed up late.