Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-three

It took a couple of weeks, but the rescued females started coming out of their shells. Little by little they told me their names and where their homes were and even how they had come to be kidnapped. Becky had been sold by one of her mother's mates. The male was jealous of the time and attention her mother spent on her. Becky resented them both. The male for selling her and the mother who was blind to her mate's schemes. I didn't blame her.

I had also been blind to Ryan's schemes and I had allowed him to hurt my self-esteem. I considered it a failing on my part but the only one who was hurt by that was me. Had Ryan not sacrificed himself for me and had lived letting his selfishness consume him to the point of hurting our cub... It twisted my stomach to even imagine. The guilt would have killed me, and I would've deserved it. It was yet another reason why, despite remembering the tragedies of my past life, I was grateful for recovering them. They taught me to be more cautious, more aware and to respect myself more. They also helped me to recognize the genuine love Winston and Harvey were capable of. Both of those males worked night and day to make my dreams a reality. They cared for me and they cared for those I cared for. While Winston worked as full-time dad and king, Harvey continued to ensure injury and death stayed at a minimum.

Under my leopard's, and his apprentice's skillful hands, the injured made swift recoveries. The rescued females would still cower away from full grown males, but they eventually became comfortable enough to allow Oliver up to the courthouse's second floor to treat their injuries and malnutrition. Becky especially seemed to light up when Oliver would come bearing honeyed sweets to distract the females while he administered his salves. He was the only male they didn't feel threatened around and Olly took the job seriously. His contributions helped Harvey focus on the critically injured males.

Carl was the first to recover and placidly returned to work. Shuu and Muir stayed unconscious for a few days more. During that time, I hovered around the clinic in ball of anxiety as they hadn't woken despite their skin knitting itself together. When they finally woke, both males had an additional stripe to show for the vicious battle they'd survived. While I was proud of them levelling up, I was more proud of them waking up and hugged them both fiercely as tears of relief wet my cheeks. Shuu hugged me back, tail wagging ecstatically, while Muir froze and awkwardly patted my back.

With Muir now King of Eagles, the Eagle Cliffs became yet another trade partner. They could fly further and faster than peacocks and soon became our eyes, watching the valley borders for newcomers and danger. With their whole village helping, we would never be caught so unawares again. And with how quickly beasts fall in love, the walls between Bailey's Burrow, Peacock Village, Eagle Cliffs and Mer Cove, would likely become nonexistent at best in the near future.

As the weather started to cool, and the maple leaves became tinged in red, the rescued females became restless, wanting to return to their homes before the cold season set in. So, instead of waiting for an escort to come retrieve them, it was decided a group from our village, a caravan of sorts, would be put together and see them safely home. The group consisted of volunteers from each village and with so many females to show off for, unsurprisingly there was no lack of willing males. The two things that did surprise me was that the herbivore males did not volunteer to leave, but Olly did.

The night before the caravan was set to leave, just after he had gotten back to the clinic from his rounds at the courthouse, Oliver told me.

"What are you saying?" I looked at the scruffy haired, golden-eyed wolf I considered my little brother with shock. "Are you being serious?"

He nodded his shaggy head. "They'll need a healer for the journey, and they trust me."

"But that doesn't mean in has to be you." I argued.