Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Seventy-seven

It was only after the second full day of fucking that my heat cooled down enough for me to eat, wash and get some sleep. Passing out between sessions was not restful. The lack of exercise from the first week of estrus was all made up within forty-eight hours. I had faint bruises all over and felt more sore than the worst leg day. 

Harvey was allowed to come in after I woke long enough to apply a salve and ease the swelling of microtears. Winston was still a bit possessive of my bubble but he knew when to see reason. Winston was stronger, more dominant during my estrus than Ryan had ever been but I didn't hate letting him take control. All I had to do was sit back and take in all the immense pleasure with the little bit of pain. In a couple more days at most, with the heat dying down, I would be able to leave the loving prison of Winston's arms and resume the normalcy of everyday life. Until then, it was salves, massages and more sex.

I was laying face up as Harvey was running his hands through my hair, massaging my scalp. It felt heavenly and I was slowly drifting off to sleep. Winston was in the room in tiger form sleeping off his own exhaustion. In all honesty, he had been doing most of the work so I didn't blame him one bit for needing his own shut eye time. I was feeling so good, I started to dreamily hum a song from my old world. The two feline's ears perked up and Winston opened one eye to watch me. But then both of their ears turned toward the door and Winston's other eye popped open. A moment later, Shuu barged in.

"We're being attacked." He said without panic or hurry in his voice.

"Who?" Winston asked as he shifted and put on a skirt.

Shuu came fully into the room and searched my wardrobe from something more practical than the slip I was wearing. "Scorpions and a few rootless beasts. They're attacking the whole west side including the Leopard King's territory." He answered as he pulled out a skort, a halter top, and a light leather jacket.

All three of us looked at each other in surprise. Apes or wolves I would expect, but scorpions? This far from Flame City?

Winston asked for details, "Numbers and overall strength?"

"Not even half our number and the highest marked we've seen were a handful of tri-marked beasts." Shuu said as he handed me the clothes.

Tri-marked ferals could be as strong as tetra-marked villagers. Even if their numbers were low, if they were just aiming to steal females and then run away, it would be enough.

I sat up and took the clothes from him. "And Kit? Where is he?" I dressed as he answered.

"He's with Tristan in their tunnels. They've created a maze down there and it will be the best place for you to hide until the fighting is over. They have a few rootless eagles on their side. The castle is the first place they'll come if they breach our defensive line. Harvey and Oliver will remain here as diversions and assist any injured."

He spoke as though they had made these plans long before today. I finished getting dressed. "Oliver's too young. He should come with me." I argued.

Winston who rarely openly disagreed with me spoke up, "He has a name, Bailey. I know you care for him like your own, but he can't remain a cub forever. I'll leave a few of the guards here as well."

He didn't tell me it was all going to be ok. He wasn't good at lying and I wouldn't have believed it anyway. But he was also right. Oliver had reached maturity and given himself a name. It was inevitable that he would see battle someday. At least he wasn't alone in today's fight.

And then there was Harvey. My gentle healer. Even if he had gotten his first stripe, it hadn't been that long ago and I couldn't help but worry for him.

He saw me look at him uncertainly and gave me a pitiful smile. "We'll be alright. Follow Shuu and when the fighting is over, we'll come for you."

My leopard was a very good liar but his expression had told me he did not want to be pitied or worried over. So, I simply nodded my head. I then kissed Winston and Harvey once as Shuu shifted into his wolf form.

"Don't take too long." I told them. I would be waiting but that didn't mean anxiety wouldn't eat me up from the inside while doing so.

Then I mounted my wolf and we sped through the lesser travelled hallways towards the eastern part of the castle and the orchard. A pair of orange tigers followed. Carl and the other tri-marked castle guard, Patrick.

Though beasts moved quickly to the orders of their superiors, everyone seemed calm. It wasn't a full out war. More like a skirmish and everyone was confident that we would win with our strength in numbers and the Tiger King on our side. I too was not overly worried. It seemed extremely odd that such foes had come to our doorstep but who was I to fathom the thoughts of rootless beasts and Flame City's ferals? Every feral I had met had been hard to read and that includes my own absent mate.

Thinking of Lance and his ability to fly in like a superhero if things got serious made me feel more confident about the whole thing. I did wish I didn't have to fear for my life before it worked though. If only I could summon him like a Patronus. How nice that would be.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice that we were already outside the castle and crossing the short open space between granite structure and the cover of trees. The sharp, high-pitched cry of eagles brought me back to the present and I saw two eagles attack each other. Their sharp talons reached for eyes and spines as their wings beat frantically to stay aloft.

Another eagle spotted us and descended like a bullet. With a bark from Shuu, Patrick slowed down to intercept the eagle while Carl and Shuu kept going. With no time to look back, we made it into the copse of trees when, from our left, the massive black form of a scorpion shot out from behind a thick trunk and straight into Shuu's side. The impact forced Shuu to the ground and I rolled off his back. I instinctively used the momentum to roll back onto my feet with minimal injury. Shuu had reacted even quicker. With one of the scorpion's pincers being crushed by my wolf's jaws, Shuu expertly dodged the stinger as it tried to both dislodge and poison him.

While my wolf was otherwise occupied with an opponent much weaker but more annoying than him, Carl picked me up like an Olympic torch. He threw me onto his back and I clung to his scruff as he headed past wide trees and then underneath the great roots of one ancient giant. The roots held one of the entrances to the tunnel system. Carl must have spent a lot of time with Tristan and Kit down here, because despite the hundreds of offshoots, he was confident of his path.

The tunnels, while dark, did not give rise to my claustrophobia. Knowing Kit had helped to make such a maze, I was too awed and proud to be scared. Then the tunnel opened up to a small cavern that was tall enough to stand in and lit with a small oil lantern. It had six different branching tunnels and just inside waiting for us was Tristan and my Kit.