The Imprinted Maiden (18+)

Chapter Twenty

I gnawed on my lip a little, watching the males as they handled the girl with care.

She was decently small in frame compared to the boys. Black hair, a face with some kind of Asian, at least five foot five. She looked adorable.

And in pain.

"I have some medicine in the back, if that settles well with ya," I said, taking a step back once Connor carried the girl to my bed. He simply stared at me before laying her down. The other male said, "That would help a lot, thanks."

I nodded a little before turning my back to them, walking down the hall and opening a door that led to a storage room. There were bottles and cans everywhere, seemingly filled with herbs, roots, and medicine of many types. To the left was meat I had salted to keep fresh, added to the vegetables I needed to eventually cook.

It doesn't help when you're a single man who doesn't eat much.

My fingers grazed a few bottles on a shelf ahead of me before I picked up a white bottle with liquid in it. I then picked up a brown bottle with my other hand before walking back out, shutting the door behind me.

I heard a faint moan as I walked back, turning my head to glance around the corner in my room. The men were still there, watching her with worry so clearly seen on their faces.

The girl was sweating, whimpering a little in her sleep. Although the seasons were changing normally and fall was rolling in, I didn't understand why she had suddenly caught something.

I cleared my throat, disrupting their trance. The male with the somewhat long black hair turned to look at me. He then smiled a little and asked, "What is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

I held up the white bottle and said, "This is for pain. It's bitter, she should only take a spoonful, and this is for the fever." I held up the black bottle. "She needs to take at least two spoonfuls of this. Here."

I handed the darker man the bottles, then left to get a spoon. As I started to come back, I stopped to listen to their conversation.

"We shouldn't trust him. He's a stranger; he could be giving her poison."

My eyebrow twitched in irritation. If I was planning on killing her, there were other ways. Did the wolves scare me? No, they didn't. They probably didn't even know I knew what they were. I smiled to myself before revealing myself to them.

"You don't need to worry if I'm going to hurt her or not. I have no ill intention, unless you wanna put me in that category." I scowled a little. Like hell is anyone going to accuse me of anything in my own home, and only in a quarter of an hour too?

The male nodded and took the spoon from me, saying, "I don't believe you have ill will. I'm sorry; it's just been a long few days. We didn't think she'd get so sick."

"It's 'aight. I'm not suspicious of you wolves."

They both paused before tilting their heads to me. I was more than sure that they knew what I said didn't sound right. I grinned sheepishly and said, "Hey, we still cool. The pack down the way? We came across each other a few times, if ya know what I mean."