She leans over you and gets to work. It's not comfortable. Hell, it stings like a motherfucker. But she's quick. Less than a minute later she's tying it off in a simple knot.
"There. Cut the stitches out in a day or two. By this time next week, it should be gone."
You mutter your thanks.
"You did well tonight," Minjo tells you as you stand back up. "I know it can't have been easy, but you were confronted by a dangerous, unexpected situation and you didn't lose your cool. Heck, by the sounds of it, you took charge."
"I'm not sure I'd say that," you mutter.
She tilts her head to the side. "What would you say?"
You shrug. "I just did what I thought was best."
"Well, you kept everyone safe, and you didn't break cover."
"Break cover?"
"Oh, you know what I mean. You didn't accidentally grow a tail in front of a church group or anything like that."
You arch an eyebrow. "That's... an oddly specific example. Did someone do that?"
Minjo gives you a look that says yes, someone very much did do that, but for politeness' sake she won't tell you who.
"It was Marco wasn—"
"What I meant to say is, you did well," Minjo says. "Ale—My husband noticed. He may not have said anything. He isn't the type. But he was impressed, I can tell." She smiles at you. It's a small smile, reserved, perhaps even a bit careful, but still wide enough to crinkle the skin around her eyes. "You've only been in this pack a short time, Gideon Mercer, and already you're a leader. One day you might even be an Alpha."
She lifts an eyebrow. "You sound like a politician. Most wolves either say 'Yeah, I'm Alpha material' or 'I'd rather die'. There's not a lot of ambivalence on the subject."
"So, you've spoken to others about this?"
"From time to time," she admits, "when I witness scenes like I did tonight. You walking into that kitchen, all the others looking at you. Marco, that's not a surprise. He's creative, but not a leader. Vicky on the other hand? She's no follower. The fact that she followed you — that's impressive."
She packs away the medical supplies and balances the box on her hip. "Goodnight, Gideon Mercer. Get some sleep. I have a feeling you're going to need it."
You watch her go. You like Minjo. It was a little weird at first, having a human in the pack. But she's cool. Calm, caring, and kind. The unofficial mum of the pack.
When she's around the corner you stretch and turn back towards your room.
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