Rise Of The Beast Queen: Elizabeth

Ch 41 New Plan

"What happened? Where is she?" Hank questioned.

"I couldn't find her." Umar admitted solemnly. Hanks brows scrunched with anger and disappointment that his plan didn't work, though he didn't think it was the plan that was faulty but the male who enacted it. "On my way out I captured one of her favored cub. Maybe we can trade him for Serena?"

"That wouldn't..." Hank began but paused in thought, considering the idea, Tabby doesn't much care for females but is attached to her strongest cubs... But then he looked over Kephyr's sorry state and second guessed that thought. If he was so important to her why wouldn't Tabby have made Hank treat his wounds? Maybe he fell out of favor?

Hank knew it was pointless to speculate why that wicked female would or wouldn't do something, so in the mean time they fled and hid Kephyr in a cave just outside the tribes boundary, with Umar acting as a guard until Hank could come up with a new plan to rescue Serena. Just in case Kephyr could somehow prove useful, Hank did treat his injuries, during which Kephyr slightly roused from his comatose state enough to mutter nearly incoherent fraises. "Don't...hurt...her..." "Won't...let...you." "Run... Get away... Liz..."

When Hank heard Liz's name pieces started coming together in his mind, he already knew Kephyr and Zephyr were pursuing Liz. During the stampede Hank thought them targeting Liz was just a diversion and that Soren's real target was Serena, but when only Liz was taken Hank dropped that thought until a couple days later when Chief Leon came and took Serena "for her own protection" or so he said.

It wasn't a far stretch for him to figure out that they somehow used the rootless beastmen to kidnap Liz, but she apparently managed to escape. If Jin rescued her then maybe he beat up Kephyr, but then Tabby would have called for Hank to treat his injuries. That drew him to the conclusion that Kephyr likely was the one who helped Liz escape, which is why he was being punished and left alone to heal without treatment.

With these speculations a plan began forming in Hanks mind, if Liz is the one Tabby's really after, if he can locate her first he'd have leverage. Not that Hank wished Ill for Liz, in fact he liked the sheltered female, liked that she's one of the most intelligent females he's ever met, liked that she was kind to Serena and made his mate happy. But none of that matters, when faced with a choice between Liz's safety and getting Serena back safely, his mate wins hands down every time and he won't hesitate to do whatever he has to do to ensure her safe return.

Hanks assumptions were verified once Kephyr regained temporary consciousness a few hours later. He panicked slightly before groggally explaining how he tried to help Liz escape but got separated from her when he fought Kinkade. In his half delirious state Kephyr tried to force his body into action in an attempt to find her afraid she was still in danger, but Hank assured him that Liz did get away and Jin had left the tribe to find her.

No one noticed the male hiding in the underbrush just outside the cave until the terra marked tiger decided to make his presence known. Since he got word from his scouts Soren had been keeping an eye on them, he overheard their conversation and headed off Hank as he was getting ready to return to the tribe.

"Where is my female cub?" Soren questioned with an aggressive rumble in his chest.

"She's... Being cared for by Tabby and Chief Leon..." Hank explained with his disdain barely concealed by his fear. "They seemed to think it best in case the rootless beasts attacked again." He explained with a weak glare, before nearly collapsing when Soren released a burst of best pressure in his anger.

Sweat beaded on Hank's forehead as the pressure intensified, he hadn't personally had many run-ins with Soren since he came to the tribe and his clansmen were slaughtered in front of him. Being a weaker male and the tribes only healer Hank didn't risk himself by going hunting and rarely left the tribe unless he was gathering medicine but he knew Soren had stayed in the area all these years, that's why he was so worried that the rootless beasts attack was just a ploy to get Serena. Hank wasn't sure if Soren posed a threat to Serena or not since she's his cub not his mate, though he didn't trust the male for the simple fact that he's a rootless beastman, but that didn't mean Hank wouldn't try to use the male to his advantage.

"Th... They're keeping her in... In Tabby's den..." Hank choked out. "We... We tried to get her back bu... But couldn't reach her..." He was cut off by another fierce growl and his fingers dug into the ground as he fought to keep himself upright. "Sh... She wants the f... Female.... The female who escaped!" He yelled tasting blood in his mouth from the strain, then suddenly the pressure released and Hank looked up to see Soren's stony expression. "You know where she is." Hank said as a statement rather than a question and saw the answer flash in the other males eyes before a small smirk twisted his pencil thin lips. "I have a plan..."