“I’ll visit you later, okay?” Lucia continued, her voice sugary sweet. “But I need to borrow Bryce now. You don’t mind, right?”
I bit down the bile rising in my throat. “No, I don’t mind.”
Before they went, Bryce repeated his offer, "I know the food here isn't that good. I’ll bring you some food later, alright? Rest up. Gotta go now."
But as the hours passed and my hunger grew, it became clear he’d forgotten.
Later that evening, I overheard the healers chatting outside my room.
"Lucia's really lucky. She has Bryce to cook for her. I'm so envious!"
"True! And it's not just some random wolf, huh, it's Bryce!"
The tears came without warning, burning my eyes as I stared at the ceiling. Bryce, who’d always prided himself on using his hands only for healing, had refused my simple requests in the past. He’d said cooking was beneath him. But now, he was cooking for Lucia.
It was then I realized something painful: I’d always been second to her.
Isla's POV
Tired of waiting for the food Bryce promised, I endured the infirmary food. Waiting for him felt like a waste of time, and I wasn’t going to let myself starve.
Soon after, my group leader, Millie Hansley, arrived with herbal medicines. "Isla, I know Evergreen Mountain is dangerous, but you're still coming on this mission, right?" she asked, hopeful. Millie knew about my bond with Bryce, unlike most, and I considered her a sister.
Bryce had always tried to keep me from dangerous missions, but I wasn’t giving up this time. My dream was to explore and protect the wilderness, but I had pushed that aside for Bryce. Over the years, I centered my life around him, while he placed Lucia above me, always with some excuse about honoring his late master’s wishes.
"Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you guys," I replied firmly.
Millie's face lit up. “That’s the spirit! There’s still so much we haven’t discovered on Evergreen Mountain. I heard there are rare herbal plants in the untouched areas. We’ll make sure to find them.”
She knew exactly how to fire me up. My passion for gathering herbs had always been a driving force, a reason I became a hunter in the first place. This mission was my chance to reclaim a piece of myself I had long set aside.
Millie was about to continue when Bryce entered the room, empty-handed. I knew he had forgotten his promise of bringing me food.
Noticing him, Millie quickly excused herself.