Moonlit vow

2.Gold Finger

Leiand lifted his head proudly, standing tall as the small female in front of him gently stroked his fur. The wounds from the fight didn’t bother him in the slightest.

In the entire Sirius Tribe, Leiand was a symbol of justice and honor—a warrior unlike any other. Even Kahal, the wolf king’s second son, couldn’t compare to him. Many females in the tribe longed to be his mate, but Leiand had never shown interest. He was waiting for someone special.

If this little female wasn’t from another tribe or if she didn’t want to return to her own, Leiand could take her back to the Sirius Tribe. After all, it wasn’t often that he felt such a strong instinct to protect someone.

Her delicate skin, the strange animal hide she wore—unlike anything he’d ever seen—only highlighted her graceful, curvy figure. She was stunning, her large, expressive eyes captivating in a way that set her apart from the females in his tribe. She fascinated him, and for a brief moment, possessiveness flickered in his gaze.

Whoever finds the little female, she belongs to them!

The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately decided: since he had found her, this female was his.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Leiand gently lifted Iris down from the tree and prepared to leave. The forest was filled with dangerous beasts, and Iris, injured as she was, wouldn’t stand a chance. He had to keep her safe.

Iris clung tightly to Leiand’s powerful shoulders as he carried her on his back. Her fear of him had faded significantly, though her mind was still a storm of confusion. Could she ever return to her own world? Everything felt like a dream.

But Leiand had no way of understanding the turmoil in Iris’s heart. He sped through the forest with ease, moving like a shadow between the trees.

After traveling for a while, Iris grew tired and thirsty. She was covered in dirt and the smell of the forest clung to her skin.

Then, she spotted a tall tree laden with bright red fruit. Her stomach growled loudly. The sight of the fruit made her swallow hard, but the tree was so massive that its top disappeared into the canopy above. Desperate, Iris tapped Leiand’s shoulder, hoping he could help her. She was too weak and inexperienced to survive here on her own. Even finding food was a challenge, and she couldn’t possibly defend herself against the beasts in this strange world.

Leiand stopped and glanced at the tree, understanding her need instantly. He watched her for a moment, curious, thinking she might climb the tree herself. But she just stood there, staring at the fruit.

“Do you need me to pick some for you?” he asked.

Embarrassed, Iris nodded. “The tree’s too tall. I can’t climb it.”

Leiand blinked in surprise. This little female couldn’t even climb a tree? How had she managed to survive in the forest at all?

Without questioning further, he quickly retrieved the fruit and handed it to her.

Iris’s stomach was already growling in protest. She eagerly grabbed one of the red fruits. But as she raised it to her lips, a strange voice echoed in her mind: “Red fruit, non-toxic, safe to eat.”

She froze, stunned. To confirm her suspicion, she approached a green plant nearby and touched it. The voice returned: “Hemostatic grass, non-toxic, used for stopping bleeding.”

She tested several more plants and realized she had gained an incredible ability—a “golden finger” that let her instantly identify the properties of plants. These weren’t plants she had ever seen or heard of before.

It dawned on Iris that this strange power must also be why she could understand Leiand’s language so easily. Accepting this new reality, she took a bite of the red fruit. The familiar sweet-and-tart flavor filled her mouth.

“An apple? So, that’s what this is?” she muttered to herself. She chuckled quietly. The people here seemed to name things so simply.

Stealing a glance at Leiand, she saw him watching her as she ate. Curious, he picked up a red fruit and took a bite. His face scrunched up instantly at the sour taste. Shaking his head, he set the fruit aside. Clearly, he didn’t enjoy it.

Seeing his reaction, Iris couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.

Thinking of the white wolf and her own injuries, Iris deliberately feigned weakness and said, "I’m hurt. I need a clean place to rest."

"Then let me take you to rest," Leiand replied, assuming Iris’s wounds were serious. Without hesitation, he carried her on his back and sprinted swiftly through the forest.

On Leiand's back, Iris let out a sigh of relief. She was grateful for Leiand's care—he was such a gentleman and genuinely kind-hearted.

What Iris didn’t realize was the rule of the Beast Continent: once a woman is accepted by a tribe, she belongs to whoever finds her. Leiand, having already considered her his future mate, would never bear to see her suffer.

As Leiand ran, his own wounds continued to bleed from the strain, which alarmed Iris. These injuries needed immediate attention. Suddenly, she recalled the herbs she had collected earlier—they were supposed to stop bleeding, but she wasn’t sure if they would work.

Before long, Leiand brought Iris to a hidden cave.

Iris observed that the lighting in the cave wasn’t great, but there was a water source nearby. A small stream trickled gently behind the cave, with some burnt ash scattered by its side.

On the other side of the cave were neatly arranged animal hides, along with scattered wood, dry grass, and stones. It was clear that this was Leiand’s usual residence.

After scanning her surroundings, Iris turned back to see Leiand shifting into his human form—a man wrapped in animal hide around his waist, with a perfectly sculpted set of abs. She couldn’t help but admit he had an impressive physique.

Caught in a daze, Iris instinctively swallowed.

Leiand noticed her expression and felt deeply satisfied.

See? he thought. There isn’t a single woman in the entire tribe who wouldn’t admire me.

Sure enough, he believed he had succeeded in making this woman reluctant to leave. Otherwise, why would Iris agree to follow him to the cave? Leiand’s heart swelled with pride.

Meanwhile, Iris, her gaze avoiding Leiand’s, stared at the ground and her toes instead, her heart pounding wildly like a rabbit. Thankfully, the dim lighting masked her expression. She quickly composed herself, masking her emotions with indifference.

“Come over to the stream. Let me take a look at your wounds,” she said.

Leiand obediently walked over to her. Iris tore a strip of fabric from her clothing and gently wiped the blood off Leiand’s wounds. She was about to crush the green hemostatic herb and apply it to the wounds.

To her astonishment, the injuries, which had been bleeding moments ago, were already healed. How could his recovery be so fast?

Just as she thought the herbs might be useless, she noticed one stubborn wound still oozing blood. Relieved to finally have something to treat, she crushed the hemostatic herb on a stone and applied it to the wound.

The bleeding stopped almost instantly, and the wound began to scab over.

Seeing this miraculous result, Leiand's voice trembled with astonishment. “Iris, are you a shaman?”

A shaman? Iris guessed it was probably equivalent to a doctor in this world.

Although she wasn’t sure if the herbs here resembled those she knew, her special ability to identify them gave her confidence. Being a shaman didn’t seem like a difficult role to fulfill.

“I’m not sure if I count as one, but I can treat your injuries,” Iris replied with a raised brow and a slight smile.

Leiand smiled back. To him, Iris was undoubtedly a powerful shaman.

If Iris is a shaman, Leiand thought, the children and elders of the tribe won’t suffer as much this winter. Surely the Wolf King wouldn’t object to me taking her as my mate.

Leiand began to quietly plan his next steps.