Rise Of The Beast Queen: Elizabeth

Ch 54 Debatable

"Take her back." Tairen ordered with a low deep growly hiss that sent a shiver up Liz's spine, after he had passed her into Eryk's arms he then turned around and marched back into the dusty darkness.

Liz was momentarily stunned, wondering what she'd done to set him off, 'Am I asking too much of him? But actually I didn't ask him for anything... Though I was going too... Doesn't that mean I'm using him? But it was his choice to stick around... and he hasn't exactly announced his intentions, like Jin told Beau too... But really that's just a cheap excuse, when I can probably guess what he really wants... What all beastmen seem to want...'

Liz was suddenly pulled from her thoughts as she felt Eryk's arm tighten around her waist, one of his hands fondled her thigh, while his other arm was cradling her legs, with his hand groping her butt. She looked up at him with a reprimanding glare, ready to scold him for molesting her but the surprised, hot, hungry, yet confused look on his face caught her off guard and made hers flush with embarrassment.

"S... Stop it... Knock it off and put me down." Liz said as she quickly looked away and tried to collect herself, but his grip just tightened.

"No. He said to take you out. I'll keep you safe." Eryk replied resolutely as he turned and started walking out.

"Wait. I don't want to leave him. This isn't Tairen's responsibility. He shouldn't have too..."

"You should have more confidence in your males. He will handle it." Eryk said taking Liz by surprise.

"I... He..." Liz stuttered as her face flushed again but for a completely different reason, because what could she say, he isn't... but is that strictly true after everything he's done for her...

Eryk was absolutely thrilled, life had never been more entertaining than it had become in just a few short days, since this strange female showed up. And now holding her soft supple body in his arms, pressed up against him, her intoxicating scent filling his nose... No wonder Beau was enticed. She's perfect.

They were both lost in their thoughts as they got close to exiting the cave, definitely not paying as much attention as they should have, being in what should be considered the 'enemy tribe'. Eryk was instantly ashamed and embarrassed that he failed to immediately notice the several dozen beastmen and three females who had come to investigate. Not only that but Beau was there with a group of males from the Rivers bend tribe.

Liz could feel the tension in the air, the battered Kephyr was between them all attempting to mediate, though everyone went silent the moment she and Eryk stepped out. Liz could see the hostility radiating off the males from the standoff positions they were standing in, Beau was the first to withdraw to Liz's side.

"Liz! It's really you!" Olivia yelled from behind her wall of mates.

"See, she's with the Rivers Bend Tribe! Chief Leon was right!" Harper exclaimed

"Ya! They did take her! But why are they here now?" Tanya asked with her nose scrunched up in distaste.

"What do they want?" Harper gasped dramatically.

"They're probably here to steal more females." Tanya accused and was instantly followed up by threatening growls from the Fierce Claw tribesmen, which were returned in kind by Beau and the rest of the Rivers Bend tribesmen.

"Wait! Wait! I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding." Liz announced in the loudest most authoritative tone she could manage, trying to stop this before it got out of hand. "The Rivers Bend tribesmen aren't here to hurt anyone or steal females."

"How can we believe that when they stole you!" Tanya scoffed in an incredulous tone.

"They didn't steal me." Liz tried to refute.

"How can you deny it, when you're here now with them!" Harper agreed smugly supporting Tanya's assumption, before addressing the crowd. "We all saw her mate and the destruction he caused after she was taken!"

"That's wrong!" Liz snapped before her tone dropped so low it was nearly a growl. "It was Tabby's son... her cub that stole me. With the help of one of her mates and some rootless beastmen..." with every word her throat threatened to close, her jaw clenched and her fists tightened, Beau stroked her arm in an attempt to calm her, Kephyr rushed to Eryk's other side, but hesitated to touch her unsure if he was allowed to. Liz saw his hand hover over her foot as Eryk held her in a half sitting almost bridal style type carry, she looked up, meeting Kephyr's unsure yet sympathetic gaze, she breathed in deep and let out a long exhale, forcing away the anxiety and memory of pain, before reaching out to hold his hand. "Kephyr saved me and helped me get away." She explained and smiled as the poor male's face turned red all the way to his hairline, unfortunately his expression fell after her next statement. "From there I was rescued again and taken to the Rivers Bend Tribe to find a healer."

"How do we know that's true? Chief Leon said..." Tanya insisted but was interrupted.

"It... It's true! Everything she says is true." Kephyr announced as he adjusted his grip to hold her little hand more firmly but carefully so he wouldn't hurt her, then turned his attention on the crowd. "Kinkade tried to stop us and Zephyr nearly killed me. But luckily Liz was able to get away." He explained but Tanya and Harper looked like they were still unconvinced.

"Why are you so eager to believe Chief Leon?" Olivia asked in a condescending tone. "You don't think he would lie if Tabby told him too or if he thought it would serve his mate best?"

"Ok. Sure he'd lie, but snatching another female and causing her terra marked mate to go on a rampage through the tribe." Tanya scoffed, still disbelieving. "It's true, Tabby and her mates will only do what's best for them, but how is any of this best for them?" She said while gesturing around the nearly abandoned tribe.

"Jin didn't become terra marked until after Liz was taken." Olivia defended.

"She wanted a female cub. A pure female cub." Kephyr explained with a remorseful frown.

"Like that's a good enough reason to endanger the tribe." Harper snapped. "Several of her cubs are already mated to the tribes pure females. If she wanted a pure female cub all she has to do is wait."

"Ya but female cubs are rare. And her two favored cubs finally showed interest in a female, not just any female but an extremely beautiful pure female with only one mate to contend with. If they were able to capture her and keep her for themselves it would only increase their odds of impregnating her when she goes into heat." Olivia reasoned. "I think that's more than enough reason for a greedy and crazy female like Tabby to put the entire tribe in danger." Everyone stared with wide eyed shock and before either female could come up with a response to refute her words their thought were interrupted by an all too familiar shrieking voice.

"Noooo! Let me goooo! Let go! Let g... Aaawwwww! Wh... Wait! Ah! Aw! Stop! Wait!" Tabby's screams echoed out of the cave drawing everyone's attention to the entrance, where Tairen's stout figure was soon seen stalking out, carrying a female under one arm and dragging a flailing/shrieking lump behind him.