Dave's POV:

I was the only one left in the dining hall, sitting with my head down and my hands clasped between my knees. My hands were crusted with dried blood and mud. I hadn't bothered to wash up or check in at the infirmary in the past few hours, with everything on my mind. Why did I insist on going with Dakota, especially since she was withholding so much information? We would be just like the Red River Pack, breaking ancient rules to drive our motives forward, whatever they were. Still, I wouldn't be able to stand the absence of Dakota. Before Chief David had even laid eyes on me, she'd found me and accepted me. Always the savior, and now she would make us all martyrs.

A sudden noise stopped my train of thought, and I caught the smell of fresh blood. It smelled metallic, like rust. A Red River wolf. It came from behind a pile of fallen wood beams. I bared my teeth as I approached it slowly, preparing myself for any threat that might pop out.

With tentative movements, a face came into view. She seemed about my age, with pale skin and shocking blue eyes. Her hair was strawberry blonde, as bright and animated as the sun. Her eyelashes were naturally long, and her lips were soft and pink. Immediately, I relaxed my stance. The girl looked straight at me, a terrified look in my eyes. "You-- you're still here?" she asked, stumbling on her words. "Don't kill me, please. I thought I was alone, I didn't come here on--" Her legs went out from under her as she tried to stand. I could almost feel my heart breaking. Without thinking, I moved to help her.

A smile formed on my face as I walked closer. The girl's eyes widened. "No! Stop, please, I'll tell you anything you want!" she squeaked. She fell back and edged behind the wood pile, trembling the entire time.

My smile faded as I realized what I'd done. "I'm not gonna hurt you," I assured her. "We aren't like that. Let me help you." I held out my hand.

She looked at it hesitantly. "You're not going to kill me?"

"Why would I do that?" I winked at her. "You seem like a nice girl."

The girl tried to take my hand, but she winced and fell back down. Instead, she allowed me to pick her up bridal style. She was surprisingly light.

"I'll take you to the nurse," I told her. "She won't know who you are, so she'll fix you right up." The girl nodded tiredly, and I hurried off to the infirmary.

The infirmary was not as large as it should have been. Whoever was chief at the time it was built seemed to think the Silver Hunters invulnerable. As a result, there was only room for three cots, two stretchers, and one nurse. The nurse was rushing back and forth, her frizzy black hair in a tight bun. She had changed into a small white dress, her scrubs on her desk, clearly too dirty to be used. She seemed too busy with another patient at the moment. I'd care for the girl myself.

"What's your name?" I asked quietly in her ear.

"I'm Rina."

"That's a beautiful name," I blurted out, and I felt my face turn red. "My name is Dave. Not short for anything."

Our conversation had drawn the nurses attention, and she walked toward us to take over. She gestured silently to a newly vacant cot. "She's going to need a new pair of clothes, and with this much blood, she's probably going to need some stitches. What size are you?" she asked Rina.

"In clothes?" Rina asked. The nurse nodded. "Size two."

The nurse nodded again. "There are spare clothes in the cabinet back there. Once I fix you up, your boyfriend can help you get dressed."

Rina and I blushed furiously. "No, no, she's not my girlfriend," I stammered.

"Absolutely. You should clean yourself up, too. Come back later and I'll dress your own wounds. Now give us space, it should only take an hour."

I realized I wouldn't have left a battle unscathed, and I nodded. Rina beamed at me one more time, and mouthed Thank you. I smiled back and practically danced out the door.

o0O0o

"Look at you. You're finally clean!"

Rina giggled. "Cleaner than you were. The bed's all yours, now."

The nurse reentered the room. "Yes," she agreed. "It's your turn now. Go get changed, Miss Rina." Rina sprang up with newfound energy and walked out the doorway. The nurse turned to me. "Now, let's see what's wrong with you."

"You make me sound like I belong in a mental asylum. When you were fixing Rina up, did you ever, well, notice anything different about her?"

The nurse shook her head. "I put all of my energy into healing all of you. I'm no detective. I did notice something about the bite marks. See, you have one, too." She gestured to my left forearm, where there was a small bite in the shape of an average werewolf jaw. The teeth marks were different, though. The canines were a little too thin and deep, as if needles had punctured the skin. The back teeth, which should also have been sharp, were flatter and broader, like molars.

"Not pretty."

"Damn right, it's not pretty. You should have come sooner. These bites are poisonous, and it's too late to cauterize the wound."

I wasn't sure I heard that right. "Poisonous? If these are only werewolf bites--"

"Did you not hear me say these are different from werewolf bites? You let me try this antidote on you, and I won't have to amputate it."

"You had to amputate arms?!" I asked incredulously.

"And legs. I actually ran out of anesthetics, if you'll believe it. I'll warn you ahead of time, this treatment is meant to be excruciatingly painful, even more so than an amputation. Are you willing to go through with this?

"I have to do something important in a couple of days," I explained. "I kinda need my arm for that. I'll go through with that treatment. How'd you even figure it out if you don't know much about the bite?"

The nurse smirked. "The perks of magic, boy." She filled a syringe with a translucent purple liquid. "You'll have lived after this. It's said that burning alive is the most painful thing the human body can experience."

o0O0o

I opened the door to see Rina's concerned face. "I heard it in there. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I said, "It was fast."

In all honesty, I felt cold. The absence of fire in my veins felt almost foreign.

"The nurse said that the compound would do more than expel harmful substances."

"Yup. I'm a superhero and I'm gonna save you," I said, flexing my infected arm playfully.

Rina raised an eyebrow. "You didn't understand anything I said, did you?"

"It was easy to guess, but no, I don't." She looked at me, a genuine smile on her face. They were like crystals in the sunlight, trusting and warm. I looked at her apologetically. "I need to talk to you."

Just like that, her face fell and the light left her eyes. "I figured you'd say that at some point. Even you're not stupid."

My expression turned into one of mock offense, then I caught myself, and I turned serious. "I know you're from the Red River pack. I don't recognize you, but I recognize the smell. Follow me to the forest. I need you to tell me everything, even from before the battle."

Rina nodded meekly. "Lead the way."

I led her beyond the pack's territory, just out of earshot of the tent closest to the boundary-- probably Dakota's or Savannah's.

"We should be fine here," I said. "Start--"

"I don't remember anything," she began, hurriedly. "I hardly know who anyone in my own pack is. I've been bitten twice: once as a nine-year-old, and the other when I turned sixteen. Since the second, I've felt different. Hungrier. Nonproductive. It's all been sort of hazy."

"Bitten by who?" I asked, glad she was so willing to answer my questions.

"The first time was by a girl named Maddie. She's the pack leader's daughter."

"What does she look like?"

"She's got messy brown hair, but intentionally messy. She has blue eyes and wears too much makeup."

Sounds like the girl that magicked Blake. "Who bit you the second time?"

"Ashley, the pack leader. She called me in for a meeting on my sixteenth birthday, which was weird, since she'd hardly ever spoken to me. I guess she looks like Maddie, just with darker features."

"Tell me how you joined."

"Before I got mixed up in all this supernatural stuff, I lived on a farm. There was a house fire, and my brother and I only escaped because we stayed out past curfew. We ran straight into a pack of windigos. Maddie and Ashley showed up out of nowhere and saved me after they ate my brother alive. They welcomed me to their pack, but they never looked at me again until I turned sixteen."

"Thanks. That's all I need to know. But I'm curious, why were you left behind?"

Rina shrugged. "They must have thought I was weak. I'm sure it might've been a crushing blow if I'd gotten to know any of them. Have I convinced you I'm not a spy?"

"I trust you. But I don't think the others will, so I can't leave you here."

"And the others will kill me if I go back."

Without thinking, I blurted out, "Come with us."

Rina peered at me, confused. I figured I might as well continue. After all, she had told me everything she could.

"In two days," I started, "we're infiltrating the Red River pack. I don't know why, exactly, but I'll take you to Dakota and see if you can come."

"That'd be great, actually," she said brightly. "But don't you think I'd slow you down? I'm less helpful than I look."

"You wouldn't slow us down," I assured her. "You were brought along here."

"I was controlled."

"It doesn't matter. It means you're perfectly capable. Besides, you're one of those people I can't live without." Wait, what was I saying?

"We only met a few hours ago," she reminded me.

"We're open books. I want you with me."

Rina nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, I'll come if this Dakota girl gives permission. Is it just you and her?"

"No. Blake's coming. He was the chief's son, but he'll be the official chief in a few weeks when he turns eighteen. He's bringing the girl that's supposed to be his mate, Alyssa. She's a lot like you, but with brown hair. She's got blue eyes, blushes a lot, she's super hot-- I just can't shut up, can I?" I turned my head, my face heating up.

A wide smile grew on Rina's face. "I think it's cute," she said confidently, and I blushed even more. "What was that about me blushing easily?"

I chuckled. "You're okay with sharing a bed, right?"

"Of course."

"Great. I'll have Alyssa steal some clothes from Dakota tomorrow. She's okay with you girls taking her extras, and you're all the same size. Any requests? She's got everything."

She considered for a moment. "An aqua tank top, practical jeans and denim jacket, riding boots, and as many bracelets as you can manage."

"I was hoping you'd choose something harder, but okay." I stood up straight and held out my arm. "Shall we?"

Rina linked her arm with mine. "Lead the way, Superman."