Rise Of The Beast Queen: Elizabeth

Ch 39 Bath Time

The days passed by rather quickly, Jin was acting as the sole provider; cleaning, hunting, crafting and cooking. He really didn't mind doing it all for Liz, especially since she was being overly appreciative, affectionate and cuddly, but tending to the males was a different story.

Tairen was just too lazy in Jin's opinion, he had no concept of pride or shame and was unwilling to do much of anything, since he really didn't need anything to begin with. Tairen never even ask for food but Liz wouldn't let him starve and made sure all three males ate everyday, though Tairen honestly didn't need to eat that often since he has a slow metabolism and prefers to be non-active. But he found he liked the taste of Liz's cooking, especially when she cooked any dish with fish in it, to everyone's surprise he also liked all the vegetables as well. Who knew that most turtles are omnivores too?

Beau on the other hand was embarrassed and ashamed that he couldn't fend for himself, but he was also reveling in the attention Liz was showering him with. She scolded him every time he tried to move and fussed over him, making sure his leg stayed elevated, he was comfortable and that his wounds were treated. Beau was healing rapidly, after just a few days most of his superficial injuries and bruising was healed, Liz was once again jealous of the beastmens super healing abilities, despite that Liz refused to stay in bed for longer than a few days. She couldn't stand to lay there any longer, her body was beginning to ache from lack of movement, not to mention she was begining to suffocate from her own body odor.

"Wait and I'll make a tub for you to bathe in." Jin said in a rush.

"No, there's no need. I need to move around some, my body's stiff from laying down so much. Besides you've been working so hard, you should rest. I can bathe at the river..."

"I'll take you." Liz was surprised to hear Tairen actually showing an interest in something besides her cooking.

"No!" Jin said more fiercely than he intended and Liz's eyes snapped up to his, he scrunched his brows in regret and his tone softened. "The river is to open, you'd have no privacy and there are to many males who'd have their eyes on you." He explained.

"Ok... Then you can just bring me a big bowl of water and I'll take a bird bath." Liz conceded easily, feeling like more of a burden than she meant to be, Tairen sat back disappointed and Jin stroked her head affectionately.

"Just be patient, my love." Jin said gently then kissed her forehead and headed out of the hut. A couple hours later he returned with a stone tub so big he couldn't get it inside the hut, so instead he built a room around the large tub, then knocked out part of the wall to make a doorway to their brand new bathroom.

Unfortunately Jin overestimated the sturdiness and architecture of the old hut. One powerful hit shifted the entire structure, causing dust to fall and cloud the air inside the hut. When it all settled Jin was irritated to see quite a compromising sight, Tairen had his hand on Beau's chest, pinning him down and was half laying on top of him, with Liz no where in sight. And that would be because she was securely hidden beneath Tairen and wedged against Beau's side, even the dust was barely able to reach her. When Tairen finally pulled away Liz gasped for air after nearly being crushed and smothered to death.

"Geeze you guys. Overreact much!?!?" Liz scoffed as she covered her nose and mouth before the dust could make her cough.

"Are you injured?" Tairen asked and Liz met his dark gaze.

"No. I'm good." She answered.

"Good. Don't move." He said then slowly lifted her bridal style, letting the dust and debris fall off his plate covered back while he carried her into the fairly clear bathroom. Jin cleaned up his mess, stabilized the house and hung a large fur to act as a door at Liz's request.

Tairen acted completely out of character and hauled water from the river to fill the tub, he was rewarded with her smile and words of appreciation, "Thank you." Was all she said and it amazed him how her simple words warmed his heart. Beau was absolutely jealous that there was nothing he could do for her without getting yelled at. Jin heated up a lot of water and before long Liz was sinking into one of the most relaxing baths she's had since coming to this world... Or at least it would have been if she hadn't have looked down to see the angry orange tiger tattoo clawing into her foot.

The longer Liz stared at the forced mating mark the more erratic her emotions became, until it was like a storm raging inside her, twisting her guts into a knot that sat just high enough above her stomach she could barely suppress the nausea and tears silently began to pour from her eyes. Jin felt the strange serge of emotions but really couldn't make heads or tales of it accept the feeling was bad, very bad and he quickly rushed past the curtain to find Liz hunched in a corner of the tub looking small scared and sad. He didn't stand on ceremony and wordlessly sunk down in the tub, then pulled her into his lap. Liz flinched slightly only for the fact that she was so lost in her thoughts and memories that she hadn't even noticed Jin come into the room, but as soon as she realized it was him she clung to him and buried her face in his neck.

"How do I get rid of it?" Liz sniffled as she indicated the mark and Jin's whole body tensed up. He didn't know why he wasn't expecting this question when he knew he should have been, he knew that Liz wasn't like normal females, she didn't have a beast mother to raise her and teach her all the things that were common knowledge for females. Unfortunately Jin didn't know the exact process to remove a mate mark, he's heard females threaten to do it but he'd never actually seen it done.

"Beau." Jin called, gladly handing off the responsibility of that explanation... But actually Beau was kind of at a loss himself. First off it's not a very pleasant discussion and second he wasn't 100% sure of the process himself so he hesitated, fearful of encouraging her to do something that could injure herself... Liz heard him shuffling around as he sat up while he was thinking.

"You better not be trying to walk!" Liz snapped as her maternal/wifey/doctor like instincts kicked in.

"I'm not. I'm not. I promise." Beau quickly reassured with a little smile on his face, actually enjoying how she scolded and fussed over him, it made him feel loved and while he floated in that little bubble of happiness he answered her question. "All I was told is that a female simply had to cut the mark... I think there might be more to it but I'm not sure..." He tried to explain but Liz already stopped listening.

"Will it work if you scratch it with your claw? Let's try it." Liz asked Jin, all too eager to remove the mark, but Jin hesitated unsure and fearful of hurting her at all, let alone doing it with his own claws. Liz saw his hesitation and felt a little bad for putting him on the spot, but was determined to get this reminder of what happened to her off her skin. "It's ok if you don't want too... I can do it myself or ask someone else..."

"No." Jin said as a soft growl built in his chest. "I'll do it, just... Let's finish cleaning you up first, then we'll do it where Beau can easily treat your wound." Liz agreed to his terms and Jin took his sweet time washing her body and hair with some herbs Beau recommended a while back for bathing. Once finished he helped her dry off and dress in new hide clothes he'd made for her, then Jin carried her back out to the now cleaned and partially rebuilt main part of the hut, where he sat on the bed with Liz still on his lap and her feet pointing towards Beau.

Beau rubbed her toes, ankle and calf, purposefully avoiding the tiger mark, but also held her foot up so it was completely exposed. Jin looked down and met Liz's nervous gaze, but she nod her head and held onto his wrist, giving her permission and support for this attempted mate mark removal.

The males all listened to Liz's heart race faster and faster, the closer Jin's claw came to her delicate skin and the angry looking tiger. With a single flick, Liz hissed at the sharp paper cut type feeling, before blood began to bead up along the shallow cut... As the blood pebbled and dripped, the tiger tattoo began to fade and an intense pain pulsed up her leg making her wince. Once. Twice... She waited for a third time but it was gone, the mark and the pain.

Liz released a deep exhale and instantly felt so much lighter.