![[Image: tumblr-7f82976b6f0737e4858fc1d3e6600064-...f-540.webp]](https://i.postimg.cc/QtHHdJNF/tumblr-7f82976b6f0737e4858fc1d3e6600064-40de92af-540.webp)
Fearless, shameless, she slid to her belly as if offering up such vulnerability didn't cross her mind as a threat.
A spike of jealously stabbed through Silver, nailing his stomach to his spine with an envious and brief fit of hate within his soul. How dare she live so free of the burdens he carried?
The sensation, vile and overwhelming, was gone as quickly as it had formed. Silvercreek brought his muzzle closer to the nape of the woman's neck, shifting his attention across her wounds. Not so serious to kill her - serious enough to slow her so something else could, though. The man lowered his jaws close to her fur, close enough for an exhale to ruffle through the silver fur not yet matted by her own blood...
When was the last time he'd touched anyone?
Silvercreek knew the answer too quickly. The last time he'd killed someone.
He blinked amidst his pausing, once, then twice. Do it. Do it, you coward. What are you waiting for? If your mother could see what you are, she'd cry until her heart split itself in twain. He shuddered in a breath, small but grounding.
Silvercreek parted his jaws, rasping his tongue across the injuries to clear any debris and excess blood so the herbs would stick where they were intended. He ignored any flinches his attentions brought, drawing away once he was satisfied but pausing before he began to chew the herb cocktail he'd gathered.
Would you even know if I did lie? Silvercreek chuckled once; a cold hnph and nothing more. He liked this one.
I wouldn't know; but I might suspect. Are you a bold enough gambler to chance I buy your bluff instead of taking what I am owed?Silvercreek dipped his head gracefully, pulling the herbs apart with his teeth and paws until he could chew them into a suitable paste. They would help prevent infection, speed healing, and keep the wounds less open to the elements. There were no guarantees, not without a skilled healer with a vast cache and many days to devote to their craft. But it would do.