Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 22: A Wounded Tiger (I)

Once Sisi finished cleaning the hare and refilling the flask, she stood up quickly, ready to return to Jojo’s side.

She turned around to leave. But froze when she noticed a figure lumbering through the fog toward her.

The figure was tall. Enormously tall. At least seven feet.

Its looming presence made Sisi feel small in comparison, and she immediately went on guard.

She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the silhouette. But the fog thickened again, making it hard to distinguish anything beyond its two-legged shape—either human or beastman.

Sisi’s first instinct was to run back to Jojo and grab him before escaping together, but the imposing figure stood directly in her path. If she tried to take another route, she risked losing her way instead.

’Then I guess I have to fight,’ Sisi told herself. She tightened her grip on her dagger and focused on the plants around her. She wasn’t a strong fighter, but she could at least pull off a trick or two to incapacitate her enemy.

As the figure drew closer, an overwhelming stench of blood hit her. The odor was so strong that it made her dizzy for a moment.

She gritted her teeth. "Who’s there?"

The figure paused at the sound of her voice. Sisi added, "I don’t want to fight. If you stay where you are, or leave, then we don’t have to fight."

The figure halted briefly... then continued walking toward her.

Sisi held her breath. She guided a few underground vines toward the figure’s feet, ready for a surprise strike the moment it got close.

But when the figure finally emerged from the fog, Sisi froze.

A massive, seven-foot-tall tiger beastman stepped into view. Fierce amber eyes glared at her from beneath a pair of striped tiger ears. A long tail swayed unsteadily behind him.

But what struck her most were his wounds.

Countless dried injuries covered nearly every inch of his body, except for the groin area, which was covered by a simple loincloth.

The worst was the large, gaping wound slashed diagonally across his chest from shoulder to waist. Fresh blood still oozed from it.

It looked like the desperate attack of a fellow predator; probably a wolf or another tiger, aiming to kill him. Judging by how deep it was, it was a miracle the beastman was still alive. His other wounds had already dried, meaning he must have been wandering in this condition for at least three days or more.

The tiger beastman growled at her, baring sharp teeth, yet his knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

Sisi watched him for a moment, then slowly lowered her dagger.

He didn’t pose a threat anymore. She could leave him here to die. A crocodile would likely feast on his corpse before long.

So Sisi turned to leave.

But the tiger beastman’s hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her ankle. He looked up at her with desperate, pained eyes.

"Please... save me..." he rasped.

Sisi stiffened. She stared at the dying beastman but did nothing.

Naturally, she couldn’t trust a tiger. If he recovered, she might become his next meal. It was safer to walk away.

But right now, he clung to her ankle like it was his last lifeline, like she was the only thing holding him back from death.

Sisi’s heart softened.

She wasn’t inherently saintly, but years of caring for infants in the orphanage, and helping the nurses tend to wounded children, had shaped her instincts. Those injured children always looked at her with reverence, as if her simple care made her an angel.

Sisi liked that feeling of being depended on. She couldn’t just turn away from someone dying at her feet.

The tiger beastman seemed to notice the change in her expression. He managed to choke out, "I... I promise to follow you... if you save me. Please... I... I have to... protect them..."

The last sentence finally pushed Sisi’s decision.

She didn’t know who, or what, he was trying so desperately to protect, but something in his voice made her believe he had a purpose worth fighting for.

Sisi nodded. "I’ll help you. But you have to let me go first. I need to find some leaves to stop the bleeding. So just stay put, alright?"

The beastman hesitated, then released her ankle.

Sisi helped roll him onto his back, then placed her hand on the ground to search for the plant she needed: the leaves and fruit of the Acate tree.

Acate trees grew near rivers, so it didn’t take long for her to gather everything required to treat him.

When she returned, she washed the leaves and shoved a foul-smelling Acate fruit into his mouth. He grimaced in disgust, but Sisi forced him to swallow.

"Swallow it. It’ll numb your body for a while, so you won’t feel too much pain when I clean your wound."

The tiger beastman finally obeyed.

He watched her intently as she washed his wounds with river water, then pressed the Acate leaves over the gaping cuts.

The leaves turned red almost instantly and adhered to his skin like glue, acting as a makeshift bandage as they absorbed blood and pus.

When she finished, Sisi placed a stack of Acate leaves and several fruits beside him.

"You’ll need to peel the old leaves off and reapply fresh ones every six hours," Sisi instructed. "Acate leaves are good for healing open wounds, but you must eat the fruit before applying them, or you’ll be screaming in pain and have to endure six hours of itching on your wounds."

The tiger beastman’s expression eased. Indeed, the leaves stopped the bleeding, but his body felt numb all over. He couldn’t even feel his leg right now.

The tiger’s eyes hadn’t left Sisi for a long time. He kept staring at her unblinkingly, but Sisi didn’t care much. She got up after treating the wounded tiger. She patted her butt and said, "Alright, I’ll have to leave. Make sure to listen to my advice, or your wounds might reopen."