Omund's P.O.V

The following morning, I woke up first; the rain had stopped falling, the wind had calmed, and finally, the sun had come out, drying everything and making the forest glow. This time of year, it was orange, golden, and bronze. I yawned loudly, feeling the need to stretch, but as soon as I tried to get up, I remembered that Allison was still peacefully sleeping, curled up beside me.
I watched her in silence, observing the details of her face and noticing how soft her fur seemed both to the eyes and the touch. But just as I was getting lost in looking at her, her eyes slowly opened, and I quickly looked away, knowing it would be embarrassing if she caught me watching her sleep.
Allison looked at me, surprised to see me so close, and as soon as she noticed how close we were, she quickly got up and looked at me, mortified, as if it were her fault or as if she had done something wrong.

"You were freezing," I reassured her. "It stopped raining now..."

Her expression softened, but soon her eyes filled with sadness again, and she turned to look outside, gazing at the sky and the forest paths with melancholy.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked. "Is everything okay?"

There was a minute of silence before the wolf sighed loudly, finding the words to explain how she felt in that moment.

"I'm thinking about my home," she replied, in a defeated tone. "The hunter from yesterday wasn't just anyone... he was my grandfather."

I was shocked by her statement. I never would have expected that her grandfather had come looking for her or to reclaim her. On one hand, I was glad I hadn't killed him when I had the chance, but on the other, I was overwhelmed with deep guilt, knowing that the bite I gave him might leave him limping for the rest of his life.

"The people I care about the most are either dead or suffering right now," she added, beginning to sob. "If I could just go back to him, I could reassure him, tell him I'm okay, and that I would never leave him. But instead, I'm stuck in this form; I can't talk to him, can't hug him, can't do anything. Not to mention that my only two best friends are dead—all because of me."

I moved closer to her, trying to comfort her and keep her company as best as I could. I didn’t fully understand how she felt. I had been born this way, and my life had never changed suddenly like hers. My friends were still alive, and the only loss I might feel in my heart was that my mother had been gone for a long time. But surely what Allison was experiencing at that moment was incomparable. I realized I actually knew so little about her, despite the few weeks that had passed since she arrived here.

"You'll see him again," I affirmed. "I promise."

Allison turned to me, taking a deep breath, wiping her tears, and trying to muster some strength. Surely the encounter with her grandfather and the fact that he had shot her had shaken her, but she had to stay strong. I knew she had the strength; I had seen it with my own eyes.

"You already have people here who care about you; you're not alone," I added at some point, only to immediately regret it. She would think I was referring only to myself. "I-I mean Sheila and Kira, for example. And Lunaris."

I wanted to bury myself. What on earth was I saying?

"Lunaris?" she replied, incredulous. We both knew Lunaris wanted her dead, preferably. "She absolutely hates me. If she could, she'd kill me."

"Not if I'm here," I said without thinking twice. We both looked at each other intensely, our chests almost touching and our muzzles nearly grazing. Allison looked at me, surprised by my response, but as soon as she noticed the position we were in, she blushed and looked away, hiding her face.

"We should go home," she remarked, remembering that we both had responsibilities.

Nice move, Omund... I thought, annoyed at my impulsive behavior. I had surely made her uncomfortable with that scene.

"You're right," I replied, standing up and ready to walk back home with her, but Allison went ahead of me, and I found myself catching up to her to keep pace. We had strayed too far from the pack, and perhaps we weren't even on our territory. But luckily, no one had discovered our presence, so we had stayed out of trouble.

We walked for a couple of kilometers until I noticed that Allison started slowing down more and more, likely because of the pain from her still-not-fully-healed wound.

"Omund... the wound..." I heard her, exhausted and clearly in pain. I quickly turned around and ran to her, making sure it hadn't reopened entirely, because I would have had to use all my Uum to fix her up again, leaving me without the necessary energy to keep walking. She could use her natural healing, as werewolves were capable of mending wounds faster than humans, but it wasn't quick enough to heal her on the spot.

Once again, I found myself facing the difficult choice of having to use my vital powers to heal her. This time, however, I would use much less since the wound wasn't as severe as the first time.

I placed my paw on her side, but she quickly pulled away, looking at me disapprovingly.

"No," she said. "I can't let you use the Uum on me."

I looked at her, surprised by this reaction and by her firm words.

"What do you mean? You can't possibly walk like this all the way home. You won't make it, Ally."

"I wonder why you're so willing to waste yourself on me," she suddenly growled. "In the end, I know what you think, and I know what everyone thinks. I'm a disgusting half-Omega, an unnatural hybrid."

"That's not true," I retorted. "Sheila and I don't see you that way. I thought that was clear."

"Don't lie. You know perfectly well that since you were stuck with me, you've found me a nuisance. It's obvious in your eyes."

"If that's what I thought, I would never have gotten close to you the other night," I replied firmly. Silence fell, and Allison avoided my gaze, perhaps a little embarrassed about the other night and perhaps because she didn't know how to respond to me. It was true, though. At first, I was annoyed at having to take care of her, and I honestly saw her as I had always been taught to see an Omega. But as I got to know her better and spent time with her, I couldn't help but take back those thoughts.

"Please, teach me how to become human again..." she murmured.

"I can't. You're not ready yet."

Her gaze turned combative again, and she looked at me angrily.

"Why not? I just brought you a deer! What more do you want from me?"

"You're not physically ready, Ally. You wouldn't survive another transformation. You need to train physically and learn the formula first," I replied, but even I wasn't convinced by my answer. The reality was probably something else, and I couldn't admit it to myself, not even at that moment; part of me, for some reason, didn't want her to leave...

Allison said nothing more. She seemed resigned to my answer and headed toward the pack, ignoring the fact that her wound still hurt. She didn’t want to spend another second with me—I could feel it.

We walked in silence until we finally arrived home. The first person who spotted us was Sheila, who ran toward us, hugging Allison tightly.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" she exclaimed, sounding worried. "It’s been two days! We thought you were dead! Heron and I were about to organize a search party."

"A hunter stopped us in the downpour," Allison replied as Sheila carefully examined her, making sure she wasn't hurt.

"Well, at least you’re okay..." the red wolf replied, relieved.

"She has a gunshot wound on her right side. Take her to Kira to get treated," I said curtly, almost as if I were ordering her to do it. I didn’t want to stay there any longer. After saying my last sentence, I left them and went on my way, disappointed by the last conversation I had with Allison before we got home.

I heard Sheila call out behind me, and soon the two headed toward Kira, who would undoubtedly patch her up. But I had other things on my mind—like the fact that Allison had asked me not to use my Uum on her. Who the hell had explained to her what it was and why I shouldn't use it?

Allison's P.O.V

Sheila dragged me to Kira, who was happy to help and treat what was left of my wound. She used her herbs and muttered some sort of spell, fully closing the wound and leaving barely a scar. It was unlikely to reopen, even with more strain than I’d exerted earlier.
I had to explain to her that the reason the wound was already healing was because Omund had used his Uum in an emergency. I also told her I had refused to let him use it again afterward. At that, Kira sighed in stress and thanked me, knowing that both of us could have risked our lives because of it.

"Omund might seem composed, but he doesn’t control his emotions well," she said. "And I have to admit, your arrival has caused some turbulence in him. I can see it."

"Yeah, because he’s smitten," Sheila added bluntly. "He’ll never admit it, though, because he’s an idiot."

Kira rolled her eyes, chuckling at her friend’s lack of tact, but she didn’t deny it.
We continued chatting, gossiping as usual. Kira always had the juiciest news since she treated so many people daily. She technically wasn’t supposed to tell us anything for confidentiality, but by the end of the day, the three of us were like nosy crows, and anything someone said would inevitably spread through us.

Once the session was over, Kira returned to work while Sheila and I headed to the lake to clean off the mud and grime I had accumulated from falling into the muck repeatedly over the past two days.

"You know, you really need to relax more," Sheila said, lying by the lake’s edge and playing with the water with one paw.

"And when am I supposed to find the time?" I sighed. "Ever since I got here, I haven’t had a moment to breathe."

"Exactly. So today, you’re staying in your den, and I’ll make sure no one bothers you," Sheila replied, smiling warmly. I adored her—she was a true friend.

"Alright, but—"

"No ‘buts’! Now go rest. I’ll bring you a boar leg! Oh, my poor darling, lost in the woods with a grumpy man!" Sheila said, pretending to wipe away a tear. "Don’t let it happen again!"

We both burst into laughter, doubling over before continuing the conversation. Sheila, however, had shifted gears and wanted to steer the discussion elsewhere.

"Still," she said, "are you sure you don’t like him even a little bit?"

"No," I replied without hesitation. He had made me angry that day, and I didn’t want anything to do with him or his "Allison this" and "Allison that." If he didn’t want to teach me how to go home, fine. Nick would do it for me.
Sheila still looked skeptical, as if she saw beyond the tension between us when we returned, but I decided to change the subject.

"Alright, go take a nap, Ally," she finally said after we talked some more. Once I was clean, she escorted me back to my den, where I slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

---

Omund's P.O.V

I figured it out that evening. After thinking about who could have taught Allison about the Uum and warned her not to let me use it, I realized the only person who could have explained it to her was Kira. Who else could it have been? Sheila didn’t practice magic, Lunaris certainly wouldn’t have, and while Nick was an option, I rarely saw them talking.
I stormed toward the healers' den, knowing I would likely get angry with her.

"Kira," I called. She immediately perked up and came toward me. No patients were present at the moment, so it was just the two of us.

"Yes, Omund?"

"I’ve been thinking all day about who could have taught Allison about the Uum and told her not to let me use it on her. After pondering it all day, I’ve realized the only person capable of explaining it was you. You owe me an explanation," I said, holding back a growl.
Kira’s expression immediately changed, signaling discomfort. My suspicions were confirmed.

"I-I just did what I thought was right," she stammered.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I growled, stepping toward her threateningly. "You think stopping me from helping Allison was the right thing to do?"

Kira backed away until her back hit the wall, leaving her cornered. Her gaze, however, sharpened defensively.

"Do you really think I haven’t noticed that you like her?" she hissed. "It’s my job to care for everyone, and I’ve known you since we were pups. You, of all people, should know that the Uum, used with intense and uncontrollable emotions, can lead to death!"

"I don’t like Allison that way," I countered.

"Oh, stop it! Even Lunaris knows it, though she stubbornly believes she’ll be the one you choose as your mate," Kira snarled. "If you use the Uum on Allison again, there’s no guarantee either of you will survive. And I don’t think you’d like the thought of being the one to kill her after all the effort you’ve put into keeping her alive. Besides, you should really take a hard look at yourself before coming to me with complaints when you can’t even read your own feelings."

Kira’s words stung like a blade. I couldn’t argue; everything she said matched the feelings I couldn’t understand within myself. She was right… and what struck me most was that I, of all people, should have known how dangerous the spell was, as my mother had died from it at my father’s hand.

"You’re right," I admitted.

Kira’s expression softened in surprise before becoming kind again, realizing her words had struck a chord.

"You’ve been my friend forever. I do what’s best for you and the pack. I’ll always be here for you—you know where to find me."

I let her go and took a deep breath, her words echoing in my mind. It was clear what I needed to do to keep Allison safe, even if that meant protecting her from myself.
I had to distance myself.

---

Allison's P.O.V

I woke as the sun was setting. Not many hours had passed, so I was sure I’d fall asleep again later. I stepped out of my den and took a breath of fresh air. Sheila, sprawled on the ground, snoring loudly and muttering incomprehensible things in her sleep, immediately caught my attention, making me burst out laughing. She had tried so hard to stand guard so no one would wake me, only to fall asleep outside my home.

I glanced at the sky, noticing the various shades: a dark blue fading into vivid yellow and bright orange near the horizon. The colors lit the clouds, giving the forest one last glow before the sun disappeared.

At this hour yesterday, you were asleep next to Omund... a voice in my head said, and the vivid memory of being warm and safe in Omund’s embrace returned, making me blush and smile without realizing it. I shook my head, snapping back to reality. The memory of our brief argument and the harsh words I had spoken before leaving him came flooding back.
Maybe it was true that Omund initially saw me as a disgusting Omega, but his attitude toward me had clearly changed. He had consistently taken care of me. Even if I had to ask Nick for help, I owed my life to Omund.
A pang of guilt filled me, and I quickly decided that it was my turn to apologize for my accusations and ingratitude.

We needed to make peace.

I headed toward his den, hoping to find him there. To my surprise, he wasn’t home. Where could he have gone? Should I wait for him? That was probably the best option.

"You’re looking for Omund, aren’t you?" a voice said behind me.

I turned quickly, startled, but to my pleasant surprise, it was Nick. He seemed happy to see me and relieved to know I was alright.