Chapter 1

The lingering scent of disinfectant still clung to Susan Hammond's nose when she snapped her eyes open. Instead of the familiar vet clinic, she found herself staring up at intricately carved golden silk curtains. The air was thick with the heavy fragrance of flowers, and beneath her lay a soft cushion of velvet.

Something was wrong.

She remembered working late at the vet clinic, falling asleep on the exam table after pulling an all-nighter. So how did she end up in a place like this?

A surge of memories that didn't belong to her washed over her. She was now Suzanna Hammond, the most pampered princess of the Peacock clan. She was gorgeous beyond compare, but notorious for her twisted temper.

In the beastfolk world, she was infamous for tormenting her five beast mates. Females were rare, and beastfolk took pride in being chosen as a mate.

But Suzanna went against the grain, constantly berating and abusing her mates, making them, the strongest warriors, miserable.

Just half an hour ago, Suzanna had lashed Wolfe Gibbs's already injured right leg with a whip, simply because the prey he brought back didn't please her.

The pain made the wolf clan's top fighter turn pale. But in the beastfolk world, respect for females meant he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

"Tsk. What new stunt are you pulling now?" Wolfe's cold voice sliced through the air.

Suzanna stiffened, turning her head to see a tall man standing beside the bed.

He wore black beast hide gear, a jagged scar slashing from his brow to his jaw, making his icy blue eyes even more chilling. His right pant leg hung empty, wrapped in a rough bandage. This was Wolfe.

Behind him stood four men, each strikingly different from the other.

Adam Yates was a fox beastfolk with red hair and golden eyes. He leaned against the doorframe, a small flame dancing at his fingertips, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.

Leonard Stokes, a lion beastfolk who was blond and blue-eyed, sat on a bench not far away with a book in hand. His profile was elegant, brows faintly furrowed, his gaze never once landing on her.

Simon Briggs, a snake beastfolk with black hair and green eyes, stood in the shadows. He was thin and his pale face looked nearly translucent, his gaze dark and venomous.

And then there was Paul Saunders, a silver-haired, violet-eyed young leopard beastfolk who had simply transformed to his beast form and curled up on the windowsill. His golden eyes locked onto her and a low, threatening growl rumbled in his throat.

Five beast mates in all.

And at this moment, every single one of them looked at her the same way: cold, distant, and filled with undisguised disgust.

*****

Susan's scalp tingled with anxiety. She was just an intern healer who couldn't even bring herself to put down a chicken. She'd never been in such a situation before.

Just then, a mechanical prompt sounded in her mind.

It announced, [Host soul compatibility detected. Healer Growth System successfully bound.

[Host: Susan Hammond (Suzanna Hammond).

[Level: Zero. Points: 0.

[Current Task: Heal Wolfe Gibbs's old right leg injury. Task Reward: 100 points, Tier 1 Healer Skill, Basic Healer Kit x1.

[Warning: If you fail to complete the task within 72 hours, the system will kill you.]

Susan's heart stopped cold. Kill me?

Susan barely registered her shock, her eyes locked onto Wolfe's right leg.

From Suzanna's memories, she knew that leg had been mauled by a beast when his clan was wiped out. He'd taken the hit protecting his people. The bone was fractured, but without proper care, it healed wrong, leaving him with a limp that never went away.

"Your leg..." Susan blurted, and as soon as she spoke, the five beast mates' looks turned colder.

Adam snorted, a mocking grin on his lips. "So, princess, what's your new trick? Are you planning to whip us again, or is this some fresh torture?"

Wolfe's fists clenched so hard his knuckles went white. "Don't bother pretending. I can handle it."

Susan grew anxious, tossing aside the covers and about to get out of bed. "Who's pretending? Your leg's bone fracture healed incorrectly. If you don't fix it, you'll never walk normally again."

Her words dropped like a stone, and the room went dead silent.

Medical care in the beastfolk world was seriously backward. Injuries had to be healed on their own, and for something like a bone fracture, they'd simply put some herbs on to numb the pain. They'd never even heard of bones healing the wrong way.

Wolfe's icy blue eyes flashed with surprise, but it quickly turned into mockery. "If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. What do you know about healing?"

Susan didn't bother explaining. She rushed over, barefoot, crouched down, and went to pull up his pant leg. Wolfe instinctively recoiled, but the movement tugged at his injury, making him grunt in pain.

"Don't move," Susan snapped, her voice sharp with the unmistakable authority of a healer. "I'm a healer, the one who can actually fix you. Do you really want to spend your whole life limping, watching your clan's enemies go unpunished?"

That last line hit Wolfe right where it hurt. He stiffened, and for once, he didn't fight back.

Susan gently peeled back the bandage, exposing a swollen, darkened wound with the bone sticking out at an unnatural angle. She drew in a deep breath, forcing herself to steady her nerves as the system's basic medical knowledge zipped through her mind.

"Wendy," Susan shouted, and a maid, Wendy Sparks, rushed in from outside. "Bring me splints, clean bandages, and herbs to help with swelling and bruising. Hurry."

Wendy paused, shooting a look at Susan and then at Wolfe's dark glare. She didn't dare linger and rushed out.

For the next few hours, Susan barely had time to breathe. She crushed up the herbs, carefully smeared them onto Wolfe's leg, used splints to keep the bone in place, and wrapped everything up with clean bandages. Her touch was gentle, her eyes focused.

She was nothing like the arrogant princess they were used to.

The five beast mates were left speechless. Adam almost burned his own hair with his flame. Leonard actually put his book aside. Simon took a step out of the shadows. Paul jumped off the windowsill, shifting back to human form, his silver hair falling over his shoulders, violet eyes full of curiosity.

When Susan finally finished, she collapsed to the floor, sweat beading on her forehead.

The system announced, [Task progress: 30%. Wolfe Gibbs's leg injury has been initially treated. You have earned 30 points. Trust level with beast mates: -50.]

Susan wanted to cry her eyes out. Minus fifty trust points? Wow, they must really despise me.

*****

As night deepened, Susan slipped into the herb room, hoping to find more herbs to strengthen Wolfe's healing. She pushed open the door and spotted a shadowy figure standing by the shelves.

It was Wolfe.

He stood with his back to her, moonlight casting a soft glow over his tall frame, making him seem almost lonely. When he heard her footsteps, he turned, and under the moonlight, his icy blue eyes looked softer than usual.

"You..." Wolfe started, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just said, "Be careful. The steps in the herb room are slippery."

Susan was taken aback.

The system chimed again. [Wolfe Gibbs's trust level +5. Current total trust level: -45.]