Chapter 3

I turned on my heels to bolt once more.

Yet after taking a couple of steps, a strange realization struck me. The white lion merely roared, refusing to even stand up, acting as though his only goal was to frighten me.

It wasn't until a foul stench hit my nose that I noticed the rotting flesh on the white lion's leg. Only then did I realize that this giant beast was severely injured.

Steadying my stance, I proactively called out, "Hello, are you hurt? I know how to heal you. Can you let me stay here?"

The white lion understood my words. He analyzed me briefly before actually extending both of his hind legs toward me.

His wound was critical, completely swarming with a dense mass of white maggots. Suppressing a wave of intense nausea, I thoroughly cleaned out the maggots before retrieving medicinal powder from my bag.

Before transmigrating to this world, I had studied traditional medicine. After arriving here, I relied on this particular skill to serve as the healer in the tribe.

I had treated the wounds of countless shifters in the past, yet when the time came, not a single one of them was willing to speak a word in my defense. Thinking back to that reality filled my chest with a freezing bitterness.

The moment I finished treating the white lion's injury, the lingering killing intent vanished from his frame entirely. He extended his massive head to nudge against my clothes, expressing his deep gratitude.

Right then, a low rumble vibrated from his stomach. He was likely unable to move due to his injury, leaving him without a single bite to eat.

"I'll go find something to eat. Wait for me," I said before turning to leave.

He used his heavy paw to hook me back, his thick, fleshy tongue swiping across my body to lick me.

I understood that he was marking me; carrying his scent would generally prevent other wild beasts from attacking me. Recalling the leopard that had fled earlier, I figured this white lion's ranking was likely exceptionally high, which explained his massive aura of deterrence.

After exiting the cavern, I didn't dare venture too far, merely gathering some wild fruits nearby. By the time I returned, darkness had already enveloped the land, so I pulled out a fire starter from my tunic and lit a bonfire.

The white lion's eyes lit up, shifting his bulk closer to the warmth of the fire. From that day on, I officially settled down inside this cavern.

During the daytime, I changed the white lion's dressing and ventured out to look for water sources and food. At night, he served as both my mattress and blanket as we slept nestled together.

We lived like this for nearly half a month.

When I returned from another routine excursion outside, the sight before my eyes left me entirely rooted to the spot.

A man lay stretched out there, possessing a head of snow-white hair and a pair of piercing golden eyes. Catching sight of me, a pair of distinct lion ears twitched gently atop his head.

"You're back," he murmured, his voice extraordinarily pleasant to the ears.

Excitement surged through me. "Are you the white lion?"

The man nodded. "My name is Silas."

I offered a warm smile. "Hello, I am Hazel."

Under my consistent treatment, Silas was already capable of walking, though he still couldn't engage in high-intensity physical exertion. Despite his limitations, during our very first hunting trip together, he gave me a firsthand demonstration of what true ferocity meant.

He tore straight through the neck of a wild boar in less than a single minute.

That evening, I finally tasted meat for the first time in ages. The pork belly sizzled over the open flame, releasing an incredibly enticing aroma.

With my mouth covered in grease from eating, I asked Silas if he was an A-rank shifter since he was so remarkably powerful.

Silas's eyes dimmed slightly. "No. I don't possess a rank."

I froze. Every single male shifter in this world was assigned a rank at birth; how could he possibly lack one? Judging by his sheer physical strength, even the rare werewolf back in my tribe wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Silas shook his head, reiterating that he simply didn't have one. It was precisely because of this anomaly that the people of his original tribe viewed him as a monster, driving him out when he was still a child.

The topic clearly triggered painful memories; as he spoke, his eyes saturated with a profound sadness. Leaving his tribe during childhood meant surviving without family or friends; I couldn't begin to fathom how much suffering he had endured to become this powerful.

I gently patted the crown of his head. "It doesn't matter. You have me now, and we will be friends from this moment on."

Silas's face flushed a deep crimson all at once.

Another month slipped by, and Silas achieved a state of complete, thorough recovery. By this time, the freezing winter was rapidly approaching.

To ensure we could survive the harsh winter comfortably, Silas and I left early and returned late every single day. He focused on hunting while I dedicated myself to gathering wild fruits and medicinal herbs, returning with an abundant harvest each evening.

Just as I assumed our lives would continue progressing in this peaceful manner, Silas's mating heat arrived.

On that particular day, I woke up a little later than usual. The moment I opened my eyes, I discovered that Silas's body was scorching hot.

His eyes were entirely bloodshot as he panted heavily, ordering me to stay inside the cavern for the next couple of days while he left to take care of something. However, before he could take more than two steps, his legs buckled, causing him to collapse heavily onto the ground.

With his fall, my gaze inadvertently landed on his prominent, rigid arousal. I understood exactly what was happening in a single fraction of a second.

Every shifter experienced a regular mating heat. During this period, their raw, primal animalistic instincts completely overpowered their human rationale.

Despite pushing his endurance to its absolute limit, he noticed my bewildered expression and tried to reassure me. "Don't be afraid... I won't lay a finger on you. I will take care of it myself."

Forcing himself to endure was entirely equivalent to waging a brutal war against his own biology. Thick veins pulsed across Silas's forehead as low, gravelly growls tore from his throat.

Staring at his agonizing struggle, a profound ache twisted through my heart.

Taking a step forward, I knelt down directly before him. "Silas, do you find me undesirable?"

"H-How could I possibly?"

I reached out to cradle his handsome face in my palms, before leaning in and pressing my lips firmly against his.