Counterback of the Despised Luna by Diana West

Counterback of the Despised Luna

Chapter 414 It Is Hughie

My mind raced with questions, and I pressed on. “Who exactly is Ms. Sal, lady?”

+8 Pearls

The elderly she–wolf lowered her gaze. After a long pause, she began to speak slowly. “That was over 20 years ago. I’ve always lived in the mountains, born and raised as a local werewolf. Life back then was tough. My husband was a hunter. Every morning, he’d leave to hunt while I stitched skins to sell in the village.”

She smiled gently, shaking her head. “Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? Young people today can’t really imagine what it was like. Life was hard, but we got by.”

Her face darkened. “One day, my husband’s two werewolf friends rushed him home. His legs had two deep punctures, blood pouring out. They said a venomous snake had bitten him while hunting. He was paralyzed, unable to move.”

“I was terrified. I rushed him to the hospital with some friends and relatives, but the doctor told us we were too late. He said we’d missed the best window for treatment and could only wait for the end.”

“What happened next?” I asked, a sinking feeling in my gut. I knew something important was coming.

The old she wolf smiled faintly, as though remembering a moment of relief. “On the way back, we met Ms. Sal and a young werewolf–probably her friend. I was so upset, I didn’t pay attention to much. Ms. Sal asked for directions, and seeing how distressed I was, she asked what had happened.”

“I felt so overwhelmed, I figured talking to a stranger wouldn’t hurt… Who would’ve guessed that Sal, after hearing my story, would offer to help? She said her friend was a doctor and might be able to cure my husband’s snakebite.”

Doctor? Poisoned? Could it be-

in the air, just out

there was nothing to be done. But my husband, even in his

husband’s leg, then went out and picked herbs I didn’t recognize. He sang a song while working. To my amazement, my husband’s leg … it just

“We were ecstatic. I didn’t know

coincidence. “The man who

name? I don’t really know. They stayed at our house for two days, but I only ever heard Ms. Sal call him Watts.”

Watts?

heart skipped a beat.

had to be Hughie.

the old woman exclaimed, suddenly struck by a thought. “I

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28 Mar

414 It Is Hughie

asked, “Can I see it?”

+8 Pearls

She rose and shuffled to a drawer, her hands searching for a

she said, carefully holding the photo, then handing it to me.

and curiosity surged through me

and woman, both werewolves, standing side by side. The man wore casual clothes, his

It was Hughie.

and with her hair tied back in a ponytail, stood tall and slender. Her features were soft, graceful, and