Chapter 4

As Elara walked back to the Healing house she hears the war horns blared across the pack lands, loud and urgent. 

Shouts erupted from every direction. “Shadowfang attack! They’re breaching the eastern border.”

Her heart lurched violently. The mate bond pulled sharply in her chest, a painful tug that urged her toward Kai even as fear flooded her veins. For a moment she froze, torn between the instinct to hide and the desperate need to prove she could be useful even if just a little.

“ I have to try,” she thought, wiping fresh tears from her swollen eyes. Maybe today I can show him I’m not completely worthless.

She grabbed her healing satchel with shaking hands and ran. Her soft, heavy body protested with every step. Her full breasts bounced painfully against the fabric of her dress, sending jolts of discomfort through her. Her rounded belly and thick thighs chafed together, the soft flesh rubbing raw as she struggled to keep up with the lean, athletic warriors streaming toward the fight. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breath came in short as she gasps. 

I’m too slow, they’re all going to see how pathetic I am. Maybe I should just walk to there than embarrassing my self that am running when am still very behind.

By the time she reached the eastern border clearing, the battle was already raging in full force. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, the snarls of wolves, and the clash of fangs and claws. 

Bodies shifted between human and wolf forms in a chaotic blur. Elara’s stomach twisted with nausea as she scanned the scene for the wounded.

She dropped to her knees beside the first fallen warrior she saw  a young male with a deep gash across his side. Her hands shook badly as she pulled out a moonroot poultice. “Hold on,” she whispered, pressing it to the wound. She tried to summon her healing gift, but the silvery glow was faint and flickering, barely stronger than a candle flame.

 The warrior groaned in agony, blood continuing to seep through her fingers. “It’s not working fast enough,” he gasped, his face pale with pain. “Please… it hurts…”

Panic rose sharply in Elara’s throat. Tears blurred her vision as shame crashed over her. I’m useless even here. Her belly pressed against her thighs as she leaned forward, trying desperately to make the glow brighter. But it only wavered more. 

Why did the Goddess give me this bond if I can’t even do the one thing I’m good at?

“Move aside, fatty!” Lila’s sharp, mocking voice cut through the noise like a whip. The she-wolf shoved Elara roughly out of the way with her shoulder. Elara stumbled backward, losing her balance and falling hard onto her soft butt in the dirt. She felt pain run through her, but it was nothing compared to the humiliation.

Lila’s lean, athletic body moved with deadly grace as she pressed a battle dressing to the wound with practiced efficiency. The warrior’s bleeding slowed almost immediately. Without wasting another second, Lila turned and dove back into the fray, taking down a Shadowfang attacker with swift, powerful strikes. Shouts of praise rose from the other warriors. “Lila! Well done!”

Elara sat in the dirt, her curves spread out beneath her, feeling every jiggle and roll of her body. She watched helplessly as Lila fought beside Kai in perfect sync, covering his flank, moving like a true warrior Luna should. 

Kai moved like a force of nature, tearing enemies with brutal strength, but she saw the frustration in every tense line of his body whenever his gaze flicked toward her. Through the bond, fragments of his emotions that hit her like punches.

“He regrets accepting me even more,” she thought as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’m only making things worse for him.”

She forced herself up and crawled toward another injured wolf, determined not to give up completely. But as she reached for her satchel, a rogue wolf broke through the defensive line and charged straight at her. Its eyes were wild with bloodlust. Elara froze, her satchel slipping from numb fingers. Her heart hammered in terror. She couldn’t shift fast enough or fight . She tried to run but with her heavy, soft body weighing her down she couldn't stand up.

A scream flew from in her throat.

Kai’s roar split the air. He intercepted the rogue at the last possible second, tearing it apart with savage force. Blood sprayed across the ground. 

When he turned back to her, his golden eyes burned with a mix of fury and pity that made Elara want to disappear.

“Get back!” he snarled, voice laced with barely contained rage. “You’re only making things worse out here. Stay out of the way!”

The words cut deep. Elara nodded brokenly, unable to hold back the sobs any longer. She crawled toward the edge of the battlefield on hands and knees, feeling every mocking glance from the warriors, every jiggle of her body as she moved.

 Lila continued fighting bravely nearby, earning cheers and admiration while Elara sat useless in the dirt, trying  and failing  to heal even one more wolf properly. 

Her silvery glow kept flickering out, leaving the injured groaning in pain.

By the time the Shadowfang attackers were finally driven back, the clearing was littered with the aftermath of battle. Elara was a complete mess, she was covered in dirt, tears and shame.

 Her dress was torn and stained, her curves feeling more exposed and burdensome than ever. The bond ached with Kai’s conflicted emotions of protectiveness tangling with growing resentment.

He approached her afterward, his jaw tight and shoulders rigid. His large hand hovered near her shoulder for a moment but didn’t quite touch her, as if he couldn’t bring himself to offer comfort. “Go back to the house,” he said coldly, his voice carrying the weight of his frustration. “You’re not ready for this. You’ll only get yourself killed next time.”

Elara nodded, unable to speak through the sobs choking her throat. She pushed herself to her feet on trembling legs and walked away alone, with the weight of being the pity Luna heavier than it had ever been.

 Each step she took while walking away from the mist of other capable wolves sent fresh waves of humiliation through her. 

The bond pulled painfully, but she didn’t look back she only whispered to herself lowly 

“How much more of this can I take