Chapter 28:
Miyuki grinned triumphantly as she made her way back to Sakae’s medic tent, hoping that she’d find Yui there this time. After she had badgered Kumi for information, even going as far as asking for Yuka’s size, the kitsune had in the end given her a vial. It was one that would last the longest and she was curious to know how long Sayaka would last or even find out the shewolve’s size. She was never really interested the piece of anatomy that would be brought along with the elixir, having seen them in most of her patients that consisted of wrinkly old men or overly excited young boys, Miyuki had become indifferent to the sight of them. But somehow thinking about it with Sayaka brought a thrill down her belly, it could be because it was her shewolf or their bond.
She patted her hand over the pouch that contained the vial, making sure once again that she didn’t place it the one where wolfsbane was. Either way, she didn’t care as long as she gets to enjoy this with Sayaka.
As she approached the medic tent she was in earlier, she noticed a crowd of shewolves lingering around the entrance. Thinking that something might have happened, Miyuki hurried her pace and elbowed passed the crowd of shewolves so she could enter the tent. The first thing she saw when she entered was Paru and another shewolf rushing about to gather supplies while Yui and Yukko were tending to someone further within the tent.
Miyuki’s entrance had brought in the noise from the curious crowd outside, causing Yui and Yukko to look up from their patient.
Yui frowned at being interrupted while working and not having her usual dose of tea. “Miyuki! Close the entrance! Don’t let them see our patient!”
Miyuki quickly turned around, pulling down a heavier and thicker curtain over the tent flaps to ensure no one can peek in. When she was done, she quickly made her way to where Yui and Yukko was. She was about to ask a quick brief about their patient’s condition when she saw who was on the cot.
“Jonishi-san!” Miyuki gasped out, the mentioned shewolf was sitting on the cot who looked up at Miyuki with a bloody smile. The shewolf’s broken nose still seemed to be leaking some blood and practically covered the front of her body.
The shewolf’s head was then pushed down by Yui, making Kei look down at the floor instead of Miyuki. “Keep your head down, don’t want you choking on your own blood!”
“Okay, doc!” Kei obliged, not minding at all that she was being ordered around by a human. She had heard a bit about Yui from Sayaka and from what she understood the doctor was was a capable woman, enough for Sayaka to let her fix her stitches when she was stuck in her shifted form. “It was nice meeting you and your mate doctor. Though I apologize for walking in on...something.”
Yui sighed loudly, as she looked down at the shewolf. “Please...just stop talking.”
The drunk shewolf simply nodded, before humming merrily, as if not realizing she’s horribly bruised, bloody, and possibly has a concussion.
“What happened?” Miyuki asked, taking in the damage done to the wolf.
“Apparently, she fell through a few holes while exiting one of the watchtowers. I think she might have passed out for a while probably due to a blow to her head, when she woke up she wandered around a bit.” Yui explained, pressing her hand on the shewolf’s ribs to check for anything broken or fractured. “Somehow she ended up in the tent Paru and I shared.”
“Nice tits on your shewolf.” Kei commented but the doctor didn’t respond to it.
Miyuki eyes widened, Sayaka’s hand was practically covered in splinters when she had treated her and Kei had fallen down a hole, ending up with her back covered in splinters. She thought how the hell did these two idiots became leaders of their clan, it baffled Miyuki.
Yui straightened up, having finished her check up on the shewolf. “Fortunately for you, the only injuries you have is a broken nose and a back covered in splinters.”
“That’s actually quite impressive after falling down from the tallest watchtower located here. We’ll have to fix your nose though, it’s a little crooked.” Yukko said, she looked at Yui and smiled gratefully at the doctor. “Thank you for assistance Yokoyama-san. I can handle things from here, our bones our much harder so it might be difficult for you to set Jonishi-san’s nose back.”
“I’m happy to help.” Yui replied, returning the smile. Paru approached them with a bowl of cool water along with a cloth in her hands and a shewolf following behind her with more supplies. She eyed Yukko suspiciously before placing the bowl on a table next to the cot.
With the people that Miyuki had been looking for finally in the same room as her, she quickly placed her hands on their shoulders to get their attention. “I’ve been looking for you two.”
“Didn’t think you'd miss us that much and where is Sayaka?” Paru said before Miyuki led them away to the other side of the tent.
“Miyuki-san! I heard you nearly all afternoon, I’ve never heard anyone scream so loud in my whole life. It’s good to know that moron is taking good care of you!” Kei called out, giving the human a bloody smile which Miyuki returned reluctantly.
“Sayaka’s sleeping the rest of the day off, she drank with Jonishi-san this morning which explains her... brazen behavior.” Miyuki explained, sitting on one of the unused cots while Yui and Paru occupied the one opposite her. “But that’s not important right now, I need your help on a task I’ve been given today.”
Miyuki carefully took out one of the vials of wolfsbane along with the notes she’d made. When Paru noticed what was in Miyuki’s hands, she had to stop herself from reeling back on instinct. Noticing her friend’s reaction, Miyuki curled her hands carefully over it and moved a little closer to Yui.
“It’s wolfsbane.” Miyuki supplied when Yui shot her mate a questioning look. “Jonishi-san visited me this morning and asked me to make an antidote for it. I’ve managed to find out what the ingredients are except for one and I need to know more about it.”
She handed the vial to Yui who carefully uncapped it to take a sniff of the poison and the list of ingredients to power. “I also need to know how exactly it affects shewolves, I need to know more than it just being deadly to them.”
“I can’t tell what the last ingredient is, the fumes from the other ingredients is overpowering it.” Yui replaced the cap, she let it lay on her palm and waited for Miyuki to take it back but Paru reached for it tentatively.
“That’s because your nose is not good enough.” Paru carefully uncapped it and took a quick sniff before handing it back to Miyuki, practically throwing it towards the human. “I can’t believe you can’t tell what the last ingredient is, it’s so obvious!”
“What is it then?” Miyuki inquired, watching Paru wipe her nose in an attempt to forget the smell.
“Bloodroot!” Paru crinkled her nose. “I’m not entirely sure why it’s added but I think its there to make the effects more painful and faster, bloodroot isn’t deadly but it amplifies the effects of any ingredient added with it.”
Miyuki unfurled her notes, reading through all the ingredients that she’d listed down and their properties, all of them work as catalysts and do little to no damage. It didn’t make sense to her as to why a simple ingredient needed so much have it’s effects hurt someone. For all her training and tutelage from her stepfather, she had not encountered something like this.
“Not much is known how wolfsbane affects us.” Paru continued. “Many were too afraid to try that’s why until now we don’t know how to cure it or survive from it. I’m sorry Miyuki, there’s not much information I could give to help you.”
Miyuki released a dejected sigh as she raised her hands to rub her eyes. She wanted to learn about the poison without having to test it, without harming herself or anyone. Testing a solution was the easiest way to find out how it works but her stepfather had warned against using it on other people. It was the reason why he became a fugitive and a sellsword, he didn’t want Miyuki to live that kind of life so he made sure that he taught her all the ways to cure any poison.
“Paru, remember the first time I found you?” Yui turned to look at her shewolf and placed her hand on her mate’s thigh.
Paru nodded, a bit confused on what her mate was going with this line of thinking. The day Yui had found an abnormally large wolf in the forest while searching for herbs had scared her. She had thought that would have been the last day of her life and the immediate thing that came to her mind was that she was unable to say goodbye to her mentor that used to run the hospice. The old lady had adopted her when her mother died at childbirth and had been her only family until she met Paru.
She would have run away, screaming for her life when she’d seen the wolf but something compelled her to approach the wolf. Something in her, urged her to see the wolf instead of running and when she saw the state of the wolf, all of her fears are gone.
“You were delirious from thirst and I found you chewing your way through a bush of wolfsbane. I was able to pull you away from it, you didn’t fight or try to bite me when I did. I was barely able to give you some water because you kept pushing it away with your paws.”
“Why was I eating wolfsbane?” Paru asked, more confused than ever.
Yui shrugged.
“I don’t why but I came back for you the next day, you were in a much worse condition. You had any illness that I could think of, and you were still eating wolfsbane. I pulled you off from them before getting rid of the plants. You nearly died that time but not from the wolfsbane but from the myriad of diseases you had on you.” Yui finished.
“It didn’t kill me…” Paru whispered, she felt Yui’s hand move from her thigh to her own hand and felt the doctor squeeze it comfortingly. The shewolf looked up towards her mate, wordlessly thanking the human for saving her life through her gaze.
When their little moment was over, the couple turned to look at Miyuki who had been quiet throughout the retelling. They waited for their friend to speak and when she did, Yui smiled proudly at the intelligent glint in Miyuki’s eyes. Something that her ditzy friend rarely showed.
“The wolfsbane doesn’t kill. It weakens the body, making the shewolf that takes it susceptible to sickness.” The human murmured, her gaze focused on her notes rather than her friends. “Mixed with the rest of ingredients and the wolfsbane’s effects makes it deadly. A small cut, can quickly turn into an infection, poison the blood, cause gangrene and a myriad of things…”
“Miyuki?” Yui called out but Miyuki was still talking to herself or perhaps, thinking out loud.
“...I can’t make an antidote. If I try to make it one, it won’t work. The ingredients for each one won’t mix, they’ll counter each other and will be useless but the poison can only work with…”
“Miyuki!” The herbalist was interrupted with Yui shaking her shoulder. “Can you tell us what you’re going on about?”
“I… I think I might have something, but I’m not sure if it would work.” Miyuki let her notes fall onto her lap, she still looked at them as if trying to absorb all the information she can. “I can’t make an antidote but I can make a potion to help counter the effects of wolfsbane. I just need to see how the wolfsbane works without the other ingredients working as catalysts for it.”
“That’s pretty clever of you.” They all turned to see where the voice came from and saw Sayaka’s Beta standing nearby looking sober already and as if she hadn’t broken her nose or sustained any other injury. “But I should expect that from you that dumbass needs someone smart to keep her alive.”
“Jonishi-san! Are you alri-” Miyuki exclaimed, moving to stand up from her seat to help the shewolf but Kei waved her off.
“Oh sit down and relax, That doctor you brought from Sakae is pretty but the way she pulled out those splinters were torturous, didn’t even have the decency to warn me and I’ll be fine in a few hours...I think. I thought Sayaka had taken care of all that tension.” Kei limped towards Miyuki and sat next to the human. “Aside my friend’s… slight dysfunction what you thought of was not what I expected Miyuki.”
Miyuki bowed her head she was about to apologize but Kei interrupted her again. “I said the solution you’ve come up with for the task I gave you is clever and if it helps us in the siege in two days. Then we will take what we can get, this is already an advantage for us.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ve actually made some good progress for just one day. Do you need any assistance?” The shewolf offered, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Probably due to the splinters that Yukko had pulled out of her butt.
“I do.” Miyuki answered and Kei nodded for the human to continue. “I need to know how this poison works... I need a test a subject.”
“You wish to see this tested on a shewolf?” Kei narrowed her eyes in confusion, wondering how seeing it affect a shewolf first hand will help but she wasn’t an expert on poisons, she was much better at bashing people’s heads and pleasing her mate.
Miyuki didn’t want to go through this method, it was despicable but she needed to know more. Her mind hungered for the knowledge but she abhorred the method in obtaining it. It not only goes against her principle but also her promise to her stepfather to only use her knowledge to help.
‘But some things have to be done for the greater good.’ Miyuki thought and gave her confirmation to Kei.
“We still have those prisoners we captured from the other day. We’ve been trying to pry information from them but they’re quite stubborn but maybe giving them wolfsbane can loosen their tongues. They’ll be ready for you tomorrow.” Kei spoke then slowly stood from her seat, giving the couple before her a sly wink. “Fucking splinters makes think like being skinned alive is much better. Anyway, it was nice talking to you ladies and nice tits Shimazaki-san.”
All three watched her limp away back to her cot. When she was a fair distance away, Miyuki glanced over to her friends, giving Paru and Yui an inquisitive look. “How exactly did you two find her?”
--
Sayaka slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the sleep that had gathered in them. The sun had woken her up as usual and it felt like she just had a tussle with a troll in the bush. She slowly sat up and tried to smooth down the locks of hair sticking out of her head. She frowned when she felt the fabric of bandages covering her hand, after a thorough inspection that her hand seemed functional she undid the bandages, tossing them towards the bedside table.
“Miyuki…” The shewolf managed to croak out, her mouth was as dry as turned dog shit. Yesterday’s events were a blur for her but she clearly remembered Miyuki in her arms.
She moved off the bed, nearly slipping on an empty bottle of ale before looking back at the bed. There were obvious signs of sex and the scent of her mate was overpowering. She would have laid back again and savor Miyuki’s scent but she hadn’t woken with her mate by her side and Sayaka wanted to know where she is. The shewolf followed her mate’s scent, brushing aside the heavy curtain that hadn’t been there before and was immediately assaulted by a myriad of smells.
The strongs fumes made her sneeze several times before her nose managed to adapt to it. She scratched her nose while trying see through the smoke from whatever her mate has made that had blanketed the room. This was their kitchen earlier but now it looked more like a madman’s laboratory, empty vials were scattered everywhere, baskets and baskets of herbs were lined up neatly by the wall too but what caught her attention was the baskets of wolfsbane. She hadn’t seen that many in her whole life and was mildly nervous being near them.
“Miyuki?” Sayaka called out to her mate again, Miyuki was standing over the table she was working at previously. She double backed when she finally saw the contraptions on the table, what had used to be filled with food and tableware was now replaced by glass containers of all shapes and sizes, and an odd glass structure that seemed to be slowly filling a vial drop by drop. Each glass container had substances of varying colour and a couple that Sayaka couldn’t make of but she guessed that those were the sources of the fumes assaulting her nose.
Her gaze returned to her mate, she saw the way her mate’s shoulders sagged and overall dishevelled appearance. It was proof that her mate hadn’t gotten any rest at all since their engagement, seeing that Miyuki still wore the same clothes she had yesterday. “Have you been up working all night?”
Turning her head, Miyuki smiled sheepishly at the shewolf. The worried look on Sayaka’s face was enough to tell her that the shewolf had already found out that she hadn’t slept since yesterday at all. But it couldn’t be helped, the siege will launch in less than two days and the potion will probably save many of their allies. There was also her need to find a cure or a counter for the poison, it was an itch that she always gets whenever she encounters a new deadly solution and what made her an eager student to her stepfather.
“Maybe, but I finally hit a break.” She said as she held up a vial containing an greenish mixture, hoping that it was enough to ease her mate’s worry for her.
Sayaka eyed the vial, a bit wary of what it was supposed to do. “And it’s the antidote?” She asked her mate, still a bit nervous being around all the wolfbane.
“Sorta, there were other things mixed in with it, but this at least counters the main effects. It still has to be tested.” Miyuki frowned, not too excited to test it on live people, but they tried to hurt Sayaka’s people, so she put the guilt behind her. Placing the mixture down next to a empty vial.
“That’s...fine. You need to rest first.”
“But-” Miyuki started to protest but a long yawn interrupted her halfway. Glancing back at the shewolf, she saw the smug look on her face. “Fine.” She gave in, as she moved lazily towards her mate, who immediately wrapping an arm around her. Sayaka buried her nose into Miyuki’s hair taking in her scent. Although mixed with the herbs she was working with, the smell still soothed her.
“Let’s get you to bed.” The shewolf muttered softly, as she noticed Miyuki slipping in between consciousness, her eyes getting heavy in the warm embrace. She bent down, hooking an arm behind Miyuki’s knees before straightening up and lifting her mate effortlessly. As expected the shewolf felt her mate’s hands on her arms, lightly massaging them and was clearly enjoying feeling them under her touch.
Sayaka carefully maneuvered them away from the makeshift laboratory while making sure that none of the fumes from inside followed them as she lifted the curtain. With every step she made, Sayaka could feel Miyuki’s touches weaken and by the time she reached their bed, her mate was already dozing lightly.
Tucking her mate into the bed of furs, Sayaka was tempted to climb back into bed with her mate, but she had a few things to check on. Maybe if she finished with her tasks fast enough, then maybe she might have time, but until she was done, the idea was put off to the side.
Placing a chaste kiss on her mate’s forehead, she backed away, smiling softly, before stretching out her limbs. With a few pops following the action, she groaned softly, before heading out the door. She wanted to finish her tasks as soon as possible.
--
The shewolf walked out of the hut she shared with Miyuki, she looked around hoping to find a familiar face amongst the shewolves walking about. She needed to know where the dungeons are, so she could take her mate there later and try her own hand on squeezing out information from them. Her stomach growled, reminding her that the last thing she had consumed was the ale that Kei had brought along.
‘Food first, then info.’ Sayaka nodded to herself, as she started wandering around. She’s still adjusting to where everything is, using her nose she tried to track down where any cooking was getting done. Occasionally passing by huts that were occupied by whomever lived in them, the scent of grilling meat floating out their homes, only making the shewolf more aware of her hunger.
‘Damn it, I’m never drinking without eating again.’ She huffed, as she found a source of food, She was in Sakae’s camp, but she didn’t care, she was hungry and she was going to get some food. Stepping in, she ignored the surprised faces, and made an immediate bee line for the food.
She gathered as much as she can in her plate, asking the server to pack some food for her to take to Miyuki later before turning around, her eyes landing on a familiar pair not to far from where she was standing, and she seemed to noticed by them as well.
“Why don’t you join us?” Yuka invited her fellow Alpha, she was drinking quietly while Kumi rested on her arm. Watching the shewolf sit down, she noticed that her mate was missing. “Where’s Miyuki-san?”
“Resting.” Sayaka grunted, before lifting a particularly large piece of meat into her mouth. “She managed to make a lot of progress, but in exchange, she didn’t sleep last night.” She sighed.
Kumi caught the last part, and frowned a bit. “She didn’t sleep at all? Not even a small break when she returned?”
“She went out yesterday? I didn’t even know. But no, I had to put her to bed, else she would of eventually passed out.” Sayaka explained, while shoveling more food into her mouth. Kumi’s expression change prompted the shewolf raise her eyebrow. “Something wrong?”
“N-no!” Kumi shook her head, a noticeable blush on her face.
Seeing the kitsune all flushed only confused the Namba shewolf more. “Am I missing something?” Sayaka narrowed her eyes on her surrogate daughter, who in turn avoided eye contact, her tails flicking nervously behind her. “...Is that another tail?”
“Yea, she woke up with another one.” Yuka interrupted, breaking the awkward tension. She didn’t like where the conversation was going, and seeing her mate uncomfortable made her want to shift it somewhere else.
“How do they pop out?” The shewolf asked, watching the tails swish back and forth just as Miyuki had yesterday. Realizing that her question might sound a bit strange, the shewolf quickly reworded it. “I mean, what makes them show? They can’t just show up randomly.”
The bondmates blushed, Kumi was still avoiding eye contact while Yuka tried to think of a way to change the topic and avoid embarrassment. “Um… We ran into Miyuki yesterday!”
Sayaka raised brow at Yuka, signalling for the shewolf to continue. Her ears twitched in curiosity at the bit of information the other shewolf just shared, wondering if them meeting Miyuki yesterday had something to do with the breakthrough that she had with her task.
“We were at the medic, Kumi was getting a check up from Yukko when she came by.” Yuka added, a bit relieved that they were saved from having the same kind of embarrassment like yesterday. If Sayaka was there she would have been mauled to death and Sakae will once again be leaderless.
“Did you talk about anything?”
“Nothing much but she did listen to the advice the medic gave us.” Kumi replied, finally getting over her shyness. It seemed to come and go recently, especially around her surrogate parents. She hoped that her pups won’t inherit her shy disposition and want them to have her bondmate’s charm. She had been so shy when she young that she even had trouble talking to siblings.
“You mentioned that Miyuki made a lot of progress, what exactly did you mean by that?” Yuka inquired, she’d finished her meal already and was drinking some tea.
“Kei visited her yesterday, asked her to make a cure for the wolfsbane and made quick progress on making one I think.” The shewolf explained through a mouthful of food, it was a miracle that not a single one came flying out of her mouth as she spoke. “I was asleep for most of the day, so I didn’t know anything that happened yesterday, specifically for the project that Miyuki’s working on.”
Sakae’s Alpha shrugged. “I wouldn’t know anything since I had to leave right after Yukko finished. We have an update on our preparations and I’ll present it later on our meeting.”
“Good. We’re making good progress, I just hope the scouts we sent will come back soon. We need the information that they’ve gathered on my home with that information we can plan the siege accordingly.” Sayaka stated, nodding in approval.
Yuka snorted. “Thought you didn’t like making plans and bashing heads is preferable.”
“Oh no… the planning is all on you that’s why I came to Sakae first.” Sayaka chuckled. “We’re still the brawns for this war and all the brain goes to you.”
“Good to know that we’re useful then...” The other shewolf commented. “...but an antidote for wolfsbane. It’s about time.”
“None of you started doing research on it?”
“No.” Yuka shook her head. “We’re good with money and war, the ones with the weird experiments and unusual inventions is Akiba.”
Sayaka snorted. “Tell me about it. I’ve heard rumors of the things they do there but what caught my attention was an elixir they made, I saw it being sold during the feast after your bonding ceremony.”
“I think I know what you’re talking about. We’ve taken an interest in using it too!” Yuka stated and by the time she head realized what she said, Kumi was giving her tail a painful death grip. She noticed Sayaka looking at her and she swore she could see herself being skinned alive in Sayaka’s eyes.
“I mean! Akiba makes the best stamina potions! Those helped a lot when we were still fighting against each other, especially on unusually long skirmishes.” The shewolf blurted out, hoping that Sayaka would believe that, she wasn’t sure if Sayaka actually knew about the elixir she and Kumi had been using but she prayed to all gods that the shewolf didn’t.
“I see…” Sayaka narrowed her eyes at Yuka, waiting for the shewolf to say something else. There was an odd way that Yuka seem to tense up, her right eye was twitching as if she was holding back something. After a moment of observing her fellow Alpha, Sayaka chalked it up to the other shewolf feeling constipated. All that tea drinking can cause trouble in the crapper. “Do you have a stock of those stamina potions? It would come in handy if our siege ends up with us waiting them out.”
The bondmates barely held back their relieved sighs, they were glad that Sayaka was pretty dense or else the kitsune’s surrogate parent would murder Yuka for doing unspeakable things to her and Kumi would be a widow. Even if they are bonded, Sayaka’s protective streak over Kumi was still there.
“I’ll request my people to work on that.” Yuka proposed
The conversation steered to a more pleasant topic, until someone approached their table and tapped Sayaka on the shoulder.
“Yamamoto-san, I apologize for interrupting but Jonishi-san wants to see you at the medic tent.” Yukko reported, using the same professional voice when she gave Kumi and Yuka her advice.
“Medic tent? Did something happen to her?” Sayaka asked, a myriad of ideas on what might have happened to her friend crossing her mind.
“She’s fine, lazing about in the medic tent and making her mate worry. She has taken a liking to the cots there for some reason and she would like to see you.” Yukko explained and at Sayaka’s confirmation that she’d visit Kei, the other shewolf made her way towards the table where her mate was.
“I should go see her then.” Sayaka quickly finished the rest of her breakfast, practically inhaling all of the food on her plate. When she stood up the shewolf felt a tug on her hand, she looked down and saw her little girl, looking up at her expectantly. The shewolf chuckled and leaned down to place a tender kiss on the kitsune’s forehead. “I’ll try to find time for you, little one.”
She turned her attention to Yuka. “I’ll see you later at the meeting.”
Yuka tipped her cup to the shewolf in reply and Sayaka bid both of them farewell, noticing that their tails were now entwined. She chuckled quietly, the new bondmates were so adorable and lovey dovey together that Sayaka was surprised that no one started to throw rainbows at the couple.
As she started to make her way to Sakae’s medic tent, she wondered on what kind of trouble her best friend had gotten into her now and no doubt Akari would be there to rip the shewolf’s ear off. When she entered the tent, the first thing her senses noticed was the unmistakable scent of sex in the air. She growled, lifting her hands up to slap her face. Of course, this might be the reason why the medic came to see her, to put a leash on the damn mongrel but that should be Akari’s job not hers.
Her ears twitched upon hearing a familiar voice, Akari could have dealt with Kei but she seems preoccupied.
“I swear to the gods, Kei!” Sayaka shouted, slowly approaching the curtain where the sounds were coming from. “If you’re not decent by the time I reach your cot, I’m going to tear down this tent and leave your ass hanging in the air for everyone else to see!”
There was a moment of rapid whispering before she heard Kei’s voice behind the curtain. “Good, you’re finally here! I needed to talk to you.”
“Are you two decent?”
There was another round of whispering followed by a pained cry, most likely from Sayaka’s best friend before Akari confirmed that they were fully clothed. Sayaka lifted the curtain and was relieved that they really were wearing clothes, Kei was laying comfortably on the cot while Akari was sitting on the edge of it, shifting slightly. She took a seat on a nearby chair after checking there wasn’t anything unusual on it.
“It’s either Kinoshita-san called me to come here to put a leash on the two of you or you really did ask me to come here.” Sayaka started, earning herself an indignant huff from Akari and a grin from her best friend.
“I really did ask that pretty medic to get you and after she left we started.” The Beta waggled her brows, earning herself a strong slap from her mate.
“I’m off to the bath house.” The white tailed shewolf stated, she stood up and as she passed by Sayaka her nose crinkled in disgust. “Sayaka, you should going to the bath house too. You reek of your mate and alcohol.”
The shewolf took a quick sniff of herself as Akari left, she heard Kei laugh at her and kicked her friend’s foot. “That was rude of her.”
“She has a thing for hygiene which I don’t mind. She always smells like flowers to me.”
“Uh huh, you and your strange smelling fetish…” Sayaka made herself comfortable on the chair which was a feat because it seemed the one she was using was most rickety of rickety chairs. “So what’d you call me here for?”
“I want to know the progress on Miyuki’s task. I heard her talk with the human doctor and her mate yesterday, it was boring for the most part but I think she made a breakthrough with it?”
“She did!” Sayaka exclaimed, a proud look coming over her face but it quickly disappeared when she remembered Miyuki barely had any rest and her mate’s request earlier. “She asked me to have whatever she made tested and she wanted to see it.”
“I know. She was the one that asked that it should be tested.”
“I’m guessing you’ve already have someone prep the prisoners?” Sayaka inquired, resting her elbows on her knees.
“Momoka will come pick you and Miyuki up when they’re ready. I’ll come along too, I’d like to try to get some information from them too. The pain from the poison will make them talk.” The shewolf hissed out the last part, Sayaka noticed the veins throbbing on her neck in anger.
“So do I.” Sayaka mumbled. She knew what Kei really wanted, her friend wants to exact a bit of revenge of them, even a little bit. They were quiet for a long time, they minds preoccupied on other things; Kei on her failure at protecting her people and Sayaka for the promise she made for Nana.
The silence between them was interrupted when Kei cursed under her breath, she was fidgeting slightly trying to find a comfortable spot on the cot to lay on.
“So…” Sayaka began as a grin formed on lips. “...how did you end up here anyway?”
Kei laughed, sighing humorously at the end of it. “Remember when you fisted the tower and made holes on it?”
“Oh, by the gods…” Sayaka exclaimed, readying herself for the story her best friend had to share.
--
Sayaka felt as if she had a headache just from talking to her best friend, but she couldn't help but smile. It was always good to talk with her, even if she was an idiot. Kei was the only one that doesn’t expect her to be the stoic and cool Alpha all the time. Looking up at the sky, she could see how high the sun was, she’s probably been out for a few hours. Remembering the food she was supposed to bring to her mate, the shewolf started jogging a bit, wanting to return back to her mate as soon as possible.
Ducking back into the food tent, she found the shewolf she requested food from waving her over, not a moment later Sayaka was leaving the tent, fresh, warm food with her in a small basket. Sayaka remembered that she walked quite a distance to get here due to her stomach leading her here, and she didn't want the food to get cold, so she opted to shift forms. Taking the handle of the basket in her mouth, she broke into a sprint, rushing past other shewolfs on her trek back to her temporary home.
As soon as Sayaka spotted her hut, she slowed down and shifted back to get two legged form. She listened for any movement inside but heard none, she smiled as she went in, her mate was still sleeping peacefully. She guessed that Momoka will arrive soon and Sayaka began to set up her mate’s meal before waking her up.
After bravely searching their former kitchen for a tray and utensils, Sayaka brought the food to where her mate was, placing it on a chair that she pulled up. She watched her mate sleep for a little bit, taking in the changes that Miyuki had gone through since their first meeting. Her mate used to look like a fragile porcelain doll in her eyes but after knowing more of her human, she learned that Miyuki was far from helpless. She’s not as strong as a shewolf but she’d bet her tail and hide that she can be crafty if she wanted to. There seem to be a cunning but innocent aura that Miyuki gave off and that made anyone near her made be susceptible to her suggestions. There may have been several occasions that she did fall for her mate’s cunning ways or it could just be her wanting to spoil Miyuki.
She smiled to herself, Sayaka would do anything for her mate even going as far beating down a smelly troll. She shifted forms and carefully laid herself beside Miyuki, nuzzling her nose against the human’s neck, deciding to wake her mate the way she used to before she was discovered.
Miyuki shifted in her sleep, her hand moving up to brush away Sayaka’s nose, it felt cold and wet. The familiar touch, followed by something warm and furry caused the human to wake up. Miyuki's eyes adjusted just to see her mate's playful brown eyes looking down at her, Sayaka's ears were alert, and her tail could be heard behind her. Miyuki find the sight adorable, and pressed a kiss to the shewolf's nose.
Sayaka fell back, before shifting back and giving Miyuki a proper kiss. "How are you?" She asked allowing her hand to play with the human's messy hair. Enjoying how it was everywhere, but still made her mate look breathtaking.
"I feel..." Miyuki yawned, before grinning lazily. "..a bit better. I'm starving though."
"It's a good thing I brought back food then." Sayaka got off the bed and quickly lifted the tray off the chair. Though she wasn’t the one that cooked the meal, she was still excited to show her mate what she prepared. She placed the tray on the bed, right next to Miyuki and the human’s face brightened when she saw some of her favorites.
The human whispered a thank you and reached over the tray place a kiss on the shewolf’s cheek, holding back a laugh when she heard Sayaka’s tail thump loudly on the bed. As she started to eat the meal that Sayaka had brought for her, she couldn’t help notice Sayaka looking at her curiously instead of the food.
“What is it?” Miyuki inquired while lathering a slice of bread with some marmalade. She purposely moving the food a little closer to the shewolf so she was sure that Sayaka was looking at her.
“I’m curious.”
“I could tell.” Miyuki teased.
Sayaka playfully snapped her teeth at Miyuki, just as she she would if she was in her wolf form. “I wanted to know what exactly did you make for the wolfsbane? I haven’t known anyway to cure or fight it off other than completely avoiding it.”
“Do you know how the poison works exactly?” Miyuki asked and the shewolf shook her head reply. “The poison contains ingredients that works as a catalyst which makes the effects of anything mixed with it stronger and the wolfsbane, as a single substance, it barely does anything other than weaken your bodies a little bit if a small amount is consumed. But the wolfsbane is mixed with the catalysts, making the effects of wolfsbane stronger and deadlier to your people.”
“I think I get it…” Sayaka nodded slowly, she had lost most of the things her mate said but she understood the part where it was deadly. “So, what does the thing you made do?”
“I would have called it an antidote but rather its an… elixir.” Miyuki explained while trying not to think of the vial that Kumi had given her yesterday. “What it does, is that it makes your body stronger against the effects of the wolfsbane but ignores the catalysts in the poison. The catalyst will cause minimal damage to any of you, probably just a bout of nausea but other than that the main ingredient, the wolfsbane will be useless. If my theory is right.”
Sayaka frowned, everything her mate said sounded like a completely different language. There were so many words that confused her and she didn’t want to know what they meant. “I’m getting a headache.”
“It’s okay.” Miyuki said, patting Sayaka’s head. “Don’t worry your pretty little head and leave the thinking to us erudites.”
Sayaka was about to ask what the last word that her mate said meant but stopped herself, she’d rather mount other people’s heads on walls rather than learn words. The shewolf simply nodded, and accepted her mate’s words. “Even though I don’t know what half the words you just said means, I like hearing you speak like that. Let’s me know my mate’s not an airhead.” She said teasingly.
Miyuki frowned, and tried to punch the smirking shewolf but failed as her fist was caught. “Well someone has to counter how dumb you are.” She huffed, yanking her hand back, before going back to eating.
“I wouldn’t be Alpha if I was dumb.” Sayaka replied, puffing out her chest.
The human simply hummed, ignoring the shewolf, wordlessly hurting her pride. Sayaka was about to reply but a knock on the door halted her, she growled at Miyuki and in return the human just shoved a piece of bread into Sayaka’s mouth. The knocking continued and became incessant, forcing Sayaka to move.
“I’ll get the door.” The shewolf mumbled through the bread in her mouth.
“By the gods, hold on to your damn fur!” Sayaka shouted at the door, the incessant knocking had become annoying rather than urgent.
She was about to open the door when window next to it burst open and on instinct, Sayaka punched the face that the window revealed. The shewolf heard a pained cry as her fist hit the intruder’s face, it could have been a second or two later that Sayaka realized that she had punched a fellow shewolf and may have broken their nose.
“You still punch like an orc, Sayaka!”
The shewolf heard outside, she looked out the window and growled at the intruder. “Momoka! How many times do we have to tell you not to try using the windows to get in our houses!”
Momoka shrugged, grinning stupidly at Sayaka. “I don’t know, maybe a dozen more?”
Sayaka cursed and backed away from the window before opening the door to let Momoka in. She gave the other shewolf a quick once over, knowing that the eccentric shewolf might have done something to her appearance.
“What did you do this time?” The Alpha asked, when she didn’t see anything different with the way Momoka looked, her was still the same shade of blue from the last time Sayaka had seen her.
“Hm? Oh, wait!” Momoka let her tail wave in front of her, showing Sayaka what had changed since the last time they spoke. “I changed my tails color, it’s purple now!”
“Do you still remember what your fur used to look like?”
“As if I care.” Momoka dismissed, waving a hand lazily to show how many fucks she was throwing away. “Anyway, I’m here to take you and your mate to the dungeons. I hear that you’re going to try something that will help squeeze out the information from them.”
“In a way we are but my mate wants to test an elixir she made to counter the effects of wolfsbane and the prisoners we captured will be her test subjects.”
“A counter for wolfsbane… that would be good our enemy has been using them against us that’s why we couldn’t do any direct assault and got stuck using guerilla tactics. Then we need to do this quickly, we’re wasting time chatting and standing around like idiots!”
Sayaka nodded her agreement, she was about to turn around to get her mate but Miyuki came out of their room. The shewolf felt her mouth dry up at the site before her, her mate’s messy bed hair was now in a neat bun with a few lose tendrils here and there, the bun fully exposed her mate’s neck to the shewolf. And seeing that made her want to put her lips on Miyuki’s neck and cover it with her marks. She was too distracted gazing at her mate that she hadn’t noticed Momoka approach Miyuki.
“So cute...” Momoka cooed, slowly reaching out to touch the stray locks of hair that didn’t get caught by the bun. She was about to take a sniff of the human’s hair when she felt a tug on her tail.
“Hold on there you mutt.” Sayaka growled, pulling Momoka back that the other shewolf nearly fell on her ass. “That my mate you're touching!”
Momoka’s eyes widened in surprise. “She’s your mate?! She’s really your mate? She’s perfect!”
“What the fuck did I just say?” Sayaka muttered and Miyuki quickly walked towards Sayaka with the shewolf wrapping a possessive arm and tail around Miyuki. “Aren’t you supposed to take us to the dungeons? We need to get this over and done with.”
Miyuki placed a hand on the shewolf’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze to catch Sayaka’s attention. “I need to get the elixirs. Can you wait for me?”
Sayaka nodded, letting her mate slip away from her grasp. She noticed Momoka trying to follow after Miyuki but she grabbed the shewolf’s tail and pulled her back again.
“I told you she’s my mate!”
“But she’s perfect!”
--
After Sayaka had convinced Momoka not to touch her mate ever again, Momoka led them to where the dungeons are. Miyuki had brought several samples of the elixir she’d made and there was a brief argument between the shewolves on who would carry the crate with the elixirs but a whispered suggestion form Miyuki made Sayaka agree that the blue haired shewolf should carry it.
Now, Momoka was doing her best not to fall over from the cargo she was carrying while Sayaka was having a grand time, walking with Miyuki with an arm and tail wrapped around the human. The Alpha might not be able to impress her mate and show off her strength but it stopped Momoka from staring at Miyuki too long. It was a fine compromise for her.
Momoka led them inside the fort where Sayaka and Miyuki hadn't been in since their arrival, and from the looks of it no one else seems to come in this area. Each step they made echoed against the stone walls, making it feel more empty. There was a lot of broken furniture along the way, rotting from the disuse and natural dampness of the fort and the deeper the colder it became. The only source of heat they had was the torch that Momoka had given to Sayaka.
“How much longer until we get there?” Sayaka asked, moving the torch a bit closer to Miyuki to keep her mate warm.
“We’re soon there.” Momoka replied, trying to steal a look at Miyuki without tripping.
The trek to the dungeons felt like hours, the only thing they saw were the stone walls and remnants of the previous inhabitants, and when they think that they've reached their destination Momoka would turn on another corner or push open a door. They stopped in front of a large ominous metal door, Miyuki was shivering a bit from the cold and Sayaka did her best to keep her mate warm. Two shewolves were standing on either side of it, stiff as a rock with their gaze looking straight ahead and the only sign of acknowledgement was a nod towards Sayaka.
Momoka carefully placed the crate on the ground, she noticed Miyuki shivering next to Sayaka and thought this would be a good chance to be close to such a perfect human but a glare from her leader stopped her.
“Eheh…” Momoka scratched her cheek nervously, giving Sayaka the stupidest grin she could muster. It couldn’t be helped, Miyuki was so cute, the cutest thing Momoka had ever seen and she was a sucker for cute things, specifically girls. If she had her way, she would have kidnapped every cute girl she’d seen so she could bask in their presence and spoil them. “Well we’re here. Let me just unlock this, Kei should be there waiting for us.”
The door protested as it was pushed by Momoka, giving out a high pitched screech that made Sayaka and Miyuki cringe. Momoka seems unaffected by it though, probably because the eccentric shewolf was used to it by now or she might be half deaf in one ear. The shewolf picked up the crate again and gestured for Miyuki and Sayaka to get inside.
The door led them through a long corridor with cells lining up on either side, all of which were empty for some reason and another pair guards. Behind them. Momoka locked the door, ensuring that no one would escape if there were any attempts.
“The prisoners are further into the dungeon. They’ve been moved them out of these cells.” Momoka explained, leading Sayaka and Miyuki with the crate of elixirs safely in her arms. “Kei had made sure they would be ready for your tests.”
Miyuki cringed at the last word and Sayaka gave her mate’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. She could tell that her mate wasn’t comfortable with this and she guessed that this was something that went against the human’s principles. She felt a small pang of guilt for this, using her mate’s abilities just to win this war they were on but both of them had known that this won’t be as easy as they want it to be. There will always be casualties and scars in a war.
The shewolf let her hand fall to her side, allowing Miyuki to take it into her on while the other still held on to the torch. “How many prisoners do we have? Aside from the one’s that were captured a few days ago.”
“We have a total of twelve prisoners but only seven are fit enough to be interrogated. The others are in critical condition but are watched carefully.” Momoka explained, she stopped in front of another door. Unlike the first one this one only had metal bars, leading down to a torch lit staircase and four guards standing vigil this time. “Kei is downstairs with the prisoners along with some of our own to keep an eye out..”
“We have injured prisoners... why are we keeping them alive?” Sayaka asked. They were at war, they needed to ration their supplies and having those prisoners around were a waste of resources.
“To be honest, keeping them alive is a waste of valuable resources…” Momoka stated, echoing the shewolf’s thoughts and Sayaka nodded her approval at Momoka. “...but I think our Beta wants to extract as much information from them as we can. I’ve never really seen Kei to be this thorough before.”
“She can be when she wants to.” Namba’s Alpha added before letting the silence and the sound of their footsteps replace their conversation.
A small flickering light towards the end of the hallway gained both Sayaka and Miyuki’s attention, as they couldn't see anything else, just the torch against the wall. A few more steps, and Momoka stopped once again. “We’re actually here.”
Sayaka looked around. There was nothing around them, and just as she was about to reply, she noticed the jail guard moved so that her back was against the wall, a grunt left her mouth as she pressed against it, and a moment later the wall shifted to the left, opening another part of the dungeons, this one was better lit than the cold corridors that they walked through.
Immediately Miyuki noticed Kei standing with her back to them, all around her she was shewolves tied, and shackled to the wall, most of them looked as if they haven’t gotten any sleep, much less anything to eat. The human swallowed nervously, as she locked eyes with one of them, their face scrunched up into a growl, but was blocked by Sayaka who in turn returned one twice as fierce.
“You’re finally here. “ Kei nodded at them, as she noticed their arrival.
Sayaka nodded, she placed the torch on an empty sconce before turning to address her Beta. “Are they ready? They seem ready to talk if you ask me.” She said, glaring at each and every one of them, daring them to speak up. The first one to retort was going to be the first test dummy.
Right on cue, the shewolf from before who was baring her fangs at Miyuki muttered something under her breath, but the shewolves, especially Namba Alpha heard it perfectly. “Looks like we have a volunteer.”
Momoka placed the crate on a table placed directly in front of the prisoners and backed away just in time for Sayaka to open it. The shewolf was about to grab one of the vials, unheeding to what each one was supposed to do before Miyuki stopped her.
“Be patient.” Miyuki chided, resting her hand on the shewolf’s arm. “I need to set up first and whatever they said doesn’t matter as long I don’t hear it.”
“But they insulted you! I can’t just let anyone say those things about you!” The shewolf whispered vehemently.
Miyuki moved Sayaka’s hand away from the crate, placing herself between Sayaka and the table. “I know but we need to handle this situation delicately. They’re lives are in my hands now so let me handle this.”
Sayaka backed away reluctantly, letting her mate set up for the tests. She heard the same shewolf snicker and Sayaka was on her in less than a heartbeat, delivering a few kicks to the shewolf’s chest that would have surely cracked a few ribs. Miyuki didn’t seem to mind Sayaka’s violent outburst, knowing that her mate might need a bit of venting. Kei, Momoka and the guards standing by didn’t seem to flinch either.
Sayaka stepped away from the wheezing shewolf, moving away to lean against the wall furthest from the prisoners but had a clear path to reach any of the bound shewolves should they do something that would earn her ire. Kei started to pace in front of the prisoners, hands neatly crossed behind her back as she glared down on them. They returned the glare as much they could and the Beta was impressed by their loyalty for their leader and bravery.
“This would be easy for you if you cooperate with us.” Kei stopped pacing and faced the prisoners, trying her best to catch their eyes. “Tell us who your leaders is and your plans. If you cooperate, I will ensure that no one will know about your betrayal other than the one’s in this room and that we will protect you.
It was a lie, of course. Whether or not they spill their guts, they will still be used as Miyuki’s test subjects or at least it will be delayed for a few minutes. Her people’s lives were more important than theirs. She waited for a few minutes for their captives answer as well as listening in to Miyuki prepare. When deemed she’d waited enough, Kei glanced at Miyuki and a small nod from the human signalled Kei that they should begin.
With a wave of her hand the two guards posted by the door moved, they walked up to the rogue shewolf Sayaka had beaten, removed her shackles from the hook and pulled her to the center of the room. She stumbled onto her knees, the legcuffs made it difficult for her to walk and she would have fought but she was still winded from Sayaka’s assault. When she reached the center of the room, the shewolves on either side of her pushed her towards the pillory, roughly pushing her hands and head on the grooves, they secured her chains on more hooks around the pillory before the guards locked her in place by closing the top and securing it with a lock.
The rogue was unable to move, it wasn’t the most painful set up that she had been put in but didn’t mean it was uncomfortable. The holes where her neck and wrists locked in were tight, chafing her wrists a little more and suffocating her a little bit. Her head was being held up by a piece of curved metal on the pillory that cupped her chin, it made her look up at her captors and in an act of defiance, she tried to spit on Miyuki, knowing full well that it will give her the ire of Namba’s Alpha. She didn’t care, she had been captured, her life was forfeit and her last act of serving her leader will be to keep her mouth shut.
She noticed the human flinch away and she took great satisfaction at the uncomfortable look she had on her face. The rogue glanced at Namba’s Alpha and noted that Sayaka was barely able to contain her anger, the shewolf was giving her a glare that would probably enough to skin her alive. She resisted the instinctual urge to fold her ears and bow down to the shewolf despite her current position.
“As I said, once you cooperate none of you will have to go through this.” Kei repeated calmly, it made Miyuki uncomfortable at how Kei seemed to treat this situation as if it was a normal routine but then due to the current events this might have become a norm for them. “What you’ve experienced in the past few days since your capture is nothing to what we plan to do to all of you.”
The rogues still didn’t say anything and Kei nodded at Miyuki once again, signalling to begin her tests. Miyuki turned, giving the materials on the table a quick check to make sure that everything she needed was there. Kei had provided her more than enough samples of wolfsbane, fifteen vials in total and she was only able to brew seven different variations of the counter that she hypothetically though would work against the poison with two samples of each.
The vials were lined up neatly, each one with a hastily written label. Next to the vials were several rolls of parchment, ready to be filled with her notes with a quill and inkwell for her to use. The crate that Momoka had carried for her was also on the the table, it contained the ingredients that she used to make the elixirs and a kit that will let her make more just in case they need it.
She separated the first three vials from the rest, quickly checking their labels and writing them down on a parchment. When she was done she uncapped the elixir before handing it to one of the guards standing by and one of the elixirs to Kei. The plan was to simply make the prisoners take the elixir, followed by the poison, if Miyuki saw the effects of the other ingredients of the poison which are only minor problems—the worse thing that they’ll be able to notice is vomiting and nausea—for shewolves then maybe she can deem her theory a success. If it progresses to more than that, there will be nothing they could do for the shewolf then they’ll have to move on the the next prisoner and use the next set of elixirs.
There won’t be an interrogation unlike what they had originally planned, the elixirs will only be tested but if any of the prisoners survived they will try to take as much information as they can before killing the rogue. If the rogue gives them all the information they need before drinking the poison, her death will only be delayed. In the end no matter what they do, the captive rogues will still die and Miyuki wasn’t sure which outcome would be better for them.
The rogues recognized what was in Miyuki’s hand and they started to make a fuss, a few even tried to pull on their shackles as subtly as they could but they were too tired, too beaten to try anything to escape. They were quieted when Kei demanded to shut their mouths and a guard punching one of the rogues for sending an insult to the Beta.
Kei was the one leading this operation, unlike Sayaka and Miyuki she had no qualms in taking a life. Her best friend needed a good and valid reason to kill someone, like the promise she had made for Nana or for self-defense but for Kei she would kill anyone who threatens her clan, mate and anything she holds dear. Without her mate to keep her in line Kei might have become a tyrant or the enemy that they were trying to stop now. Despite her jovial and amoral attitude for sex, she was more strict compared to Sayaka and a little less forgiving for transgressions.
Try as they may to mask their fear with their bravado and hate, Miyuki could still see it in their eyes, hear it in their rapidly beating hearts and hitching breaths. It’s as if her senses were heightened just for this moment and she knew that this moment will forever be engraved in her mind, the very first time she had used her skills for harm that will haunt her for the rest of her life. The very first time that she had somehow elicited fear.
The guard that held the elixir approached the pilloried rogue, she squeezed the shewolf’s cheeks, forcing her to open her mouth and immediately force fed her the contents of the vial. The shewolf struggled, trying her best to turn her head away or close her mouth but was impossible to do so due to her restraints. She would have spat it out but the guard placed over mouth, firmly keeping it shut and forcing her to swallow the liquid.
The guard returned the vial to Miyuki and exchanged it for the poison. This time the rogue struggled to get out of the pillory, the device that held her down shook from her struggles but it still held her down.
“Get that thing away from me!” The rogue shouted, the chafing on her neck and wrists were getting worse, enough to draw some blood. “I said, get it away from me!” The shewolf’s cries were simply ignored, as the process from before was repeated, audible gagging sounds could be heard, as the rogue tried in vain to spit out the wolf’s bane.
Miyuki wasn’t sure how long the effects would take, she nervously moved towards the parchment that was once under the vial, and started jotting down some notes, before glancing back at the bound shewolf. She was extremely quiet for someone who was crying out a moment before.
“That wasn’t so bad now was it? Look, you’re still breathing...for now.” Kei sneared down at the wolf, as she paced by, taking in the fearful looks on the other bound wolves all around. It seemed that everyone was unable to believe what they just saw. “This could've been avoided, if one or more of you was to speak up.” She clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
The rogue tried to reply with a menacing retort but her gagging had changed into a round of coughs. Her throat itched from within and with each cough she shade, the itch became worse to the point that it hurt to cough or swallow. Her eyes widened when she tasted blood in her mouth and from that point she feel her body becoming weak, as if something was sucking out all of the strength she had with every drop of blood that fell from her mouth. Panic started to overcome her when she realized what was happening to her body, she struggled against her bonds but her weakened body could barely even make the pillory shake.
Everyone else watched in the room watched in silence, the only sound that could be heard were the cries of agony from the prisoner and sound of Miyuki’s quill scratching the parchment with her notes. She was doing her best to focus on what was happening and not run off somewhere to vomit the breakfast she had earlier.
More and more blood poured out of the shewolf’s mouth, it’s as if the poison was melting her insides and forcing them out. As every minutes passed, the burning within her became more painful and her life ebbing away. Ten minutes passed when the rogue stopped breathing, skin pale as snow and a pool of blood beneath her.
Miyuki added a final note to the parchment before giving Kei the permission to remove the dead rogue from the pillory, they threw the body in a corner not caring at all on how it landed in an awkward heap. She wrote down ‘failure’ on the label of the second elixir that had the same components as the one they just used before returning it to the crate. She tried not to show how shaken she was from what she had just seen but the site of the shewolf convulsing as blood poured from her mouth before dying was too fresh.
Sayaka moved away from her perch to stand next to Kei. “That should be something for you to think about, if none of will talk then you’ll suffer the same fate as your comrade there or something much worse.” Sayaka then leaned a little closer to her Beta and in turn Kei turned her back from rogues to face her best friend, giving them some semblance of privacy. “Let’s take a break, to give you time to think about what you’ve just seen.”
Kei gave her friend a curious look and Sayaka made a subtle gesture to look behind her. She looked over Sayaka’s shoulder to gaze at Miyuki, the human had her back towards but she could tell that Miyuki was gripping the edge of the table and her shoulders were shaking from effort. She nodded, knowing that right now Miyuki needed her best friend.
Sayaka walked up to her mate, placing a hand on Miyuki’s shoulder to get her attention. She felt her mate tense under her touch then she quietly urged Miyuki to go with her, leading them to the exit with her hand sliding down her mate’s shoulder to grasp hands with Miyuki. They exited the cell that held the prisoners, leading them out of the corridor the Momoka guided them through when they reached the wall they came in through, the shewolf let go of Miyuki’s hand and mimicked what the guard earlier did.
The wall opened up with ease and they were greeted by a surprised guard who seemed ready to pummel whoever came through it.
“At ease.” Sayaka reassured. “The operation is on recess. So expect Kei to come through here again, just in case you might accidentally break Kei’s nose. She loves that damn fixture on her face!”
“Yes, Alpha.” The guard relaxed and bowed politely at her leader before returning to her post.
Sayaka took Miyuki’s hand again and guided her mate a little further into the corridor. It was dark and Miyuki can only make out the faint outline of her shewolf’s back but knew that Sayaka can see clearly. She didn’t wonder where they were going, trusting Sayaka enough not to lose them in this place.
The shewolf looked behind her, seeing that the light from the torch was barely visible she deemed that they were far enough already. She turned her attention to her mate who had been strangely quiet the whole time.
“Is everything okay?” Sayaka asked, hooking a finger under Miyuki’s chin to make her mate look up at her. The look in her mates eyes only confirming how uncomfortable she was with the whole testing situation, and as much as she’d like to escort her mate somewhere else, she was the only one qualified to document it.
Miyuki inhaled, before a shuddering exhale left her mouth. “There was….so much blood. I didnt expect it to be so bad.” She confessed, closing her eyes.
The shewolf dropped her hand from Miyuki’s face, and instead wrapped an arm around her, bringing her closer to her body. “I’m sorry, but you said it yourself. Tests needed to done, I rather it be on them, than my own people.” Sayaka sighed, rubbing her mate’s back.
Miyuki tucked herself in to the shewolf’s embrace, letting Sayaka’s presence give her some comfort and it helped for a little bit, listening to her shewolf’s heart beat made her forget on what she had just witnessed.
“I’m sorry I had to make you do this.” The shewolf stated, breaking the comfortable silence between them. She heard her mate sigh and pull slightly away from her.
“Don’t blame yourself. I wanted to help and… we’re at war; we do things that we know will change us and I’m doing this for a good reason.”
“All for the greater good.” Sayaka added. She leaned forward to give her mate a chaste kiss before pulling Miyuki back for another embrace. “The bright side of this, you’ll be written in Namba’s history as the one who helped us win this war.”
“I should get something out of that, a statute in my honor maybe?”
“A well endowed one maybe.”
Miyuki smacked the shewolf’s shoulder. “I thought you liked mine just fine!”
“I love them just fine but I want to make other shewolves jealous when they see it.”
Miyuki immediately placed a hand on the shewolf’s face and pushed Sayaka away. “Let’s go back, we still have much to do.”
“But don’t you want to discuss on how big your breasts will be when we make the statue?” Sayaka asked, following after her mate.
--
Sayaka and Miyuki returned in a much better mood, they weren’t exactly happy to be here but their exchange had somehow strengthened Miyuki’s resolve. Her actions earlier had been slow and hesitant, this she seemed more clinical and detached as if what they were doing didn’t bother her at all.
They resumed their tests, the blood under the pillory had been cleaned somewhat there was still a large splotch of dried blood under it. The second attempt had also been a failure but it took much longer for the shewolf to die than the previous one and from how the rogue reacted she seemed to have experienced less pain than the previous one. They yielded the same results with the third rogue but it seemed the elixir Miyuki had made was starting to show it’s effects.
The rogues still refused to talk but many of them were starting to show her fear, begging pitifully to be spared. One talked, earning herself looks of hate from her comrades but it also gave her a little bit of time to live. She will still be tested later but for now, they will let her believe that she’ll be spared. The information she’d given was not enough and everytime they would give the poison after administering the elixir, she would ask the captives to give them what they need when they still refused to cooperate they were given the elixir and the poison.
They were on their fifth shewolf, also counting the one that talked and repeated the same steps as before. Their prisoners had given up struggling, probably realizing that they were being used as test subjects or will still end up dead. The taste of the poison and whatever it is that they were being fed first was bitter and thick, leaving their mouths dry and feeling as if their tongue was completely swollen. Their latest test subjects closed her eyes after being forced to take the poison, she refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her begging for her life.
They waited for any of the usual effects to show, with each attempt they made the effects would take a bit of time to show and a few minutes passed when nothing happened. Everyone besides the captives turned their attention to Miyuki who was still paying close attention to their subject. Ten minutes passed and Miyuki approached the rogue, kneeling in front of their captive.
“How are you feeling?” Miyuki asked, surprising the shewolf of her inquiry. She growled and snapped her fangs at the human but Miyuki didn’t seem to be fazed.
“Answer her, mongrel!” Kei grabbed the back of the shewolf’s neck, squeezing it threateningly as if to break it. There was a deadly look in her eyes and something that was akin to… anticipation, as if she was hoping for the shewolf to say something that she wanted. When the rogue still refused to talk Kei strengthened her grip and the shewolf winced at the amount of pressure. “Talk.”
“Itchy. My throat feels itchy… and dry.” The rogue felt Kei’s grip on her neck loosen and thinking that she might get away with a little more with the human around she requested if she could have some water.
“That’s enough from you!” Kei released the shewolf’s neck but not without raking her nails on it, leaving red angry marks that nearly started to bleed. The Beta looked at the guards posted on either side of the pillory. “Shackle her on the walls again and move in the next prisoner.”
The rogue protested and as she was dragged back to be bound to the wall again, Miyuki continued her observation, trying to find any changes to the shewolf’s physical well being. When she thought she’d found enough information, she stood up then gestured for Kei and Sayaka to follow her, leading them as far away as she can from the prisoners.
“From what you’ve seen it might be possible that one of my elixirs had worked…”
“That’s good news then!” Sayaka said eagerly, barely holding herself back from saying it too loudly. She knew that their captives could still hear them but from this distance they would probably be able to make out mumbles and whispers. “Should we have our own medics make a batch for the elixir you’ve made already? We’ll only need the list of ingredients and the process-”
“I wish it was that simple but I’m not done yet.” Miyuki interrupted. She really wanted that that elixir was really the solution to her task but she needs to be meticulous when it comes to this matter because it very well save her mate’s life in battle. “I still need to make more tests and I still need to observe a little longer. The elixir might just be delaying the effect of the poison not stopping it from working.”
“If you need more tests we have more prisoners.” Kei added, she sounded much gentler than the way she spoke to their prisoners. “We still have those wounded mutts, they're disabled but we can still use them.”
Miyuki took a deep breathe at the thought of using more subjects for her tests, she felt Sayaka’s hand rest at the small of her back, rubbing in small circles to comfort the human. “That would be… helpful for my tests.”
“I’m surprised at how you’re able to accomplish this quickly.” Kei commented, eyeing Miyuki curiously. Yesterday, when the pretty nurse was busy pulling out the splinters from her butt cheeks Kei had a good look on Miyuki. From the way she spoke and the words she said, the girl had a hidden talent and she guessed one that she hid behind a ditzy attitude. In any case, she’d rather not be on the human’s bad side lest she’d eating her last meal.
“I had the best teacher that’s all.” Miyuki smiled before walking back to the table where her materials were placed. Her smile sent a fearful shudder down Kei’s spine, as if the human meant something more behind and it might just be true. The elixir they just used might really just what they needed to counter wolfsbane and she needs to test it again to be sure that it worked.
“Is there anything I can do?” Sayaka offered, oblivious to the exchanged that happened between her Beta and mate.
“How about not mistaking those poisons for spirits.” Kei suggested, lightening the mood a bit and walking towards the guards to order them to prep the next prisoner.
Behind them Sayaka grumbled that it happened once and will never happen again. The Alpha shewolf was surprised with how smooth the tests were going now, well once the extremely stubborn ones were dead, the others didn’t take much effort to get small pieces of info out of them. “Miyuki, don't get too close to her-” She called out to her mate, as she brought a mug of water to the bound shewolf, the one from before.
Sayaka watched carefully as her mate gave the deathbound shewolf a long drink of water, watching as she drank from it gratefully, as if she just got back from Sakae’s deserts without any gear. “Do you want more?” Miyuki asked, a noticeable change in her tone, one that was often used on Sayaka when she wanted something in return.
The rogue nodded, before whimpering out a ‘Please’ “I would, but you see, I need something from you.”
Kei noticed how tense Sayaka was from watching her mate talk to the rogue, and since Miyuki lowered her voice, the two couldn't hear anything. “Relax. We’ve got to trust her, and if anything happens, we have guards all around ready to end her life. I think your mate knows what she’s doing.”
Miyuki pulled away from the shewolf, and smiled. “Do we have a deal?” She asked a bit louder for her mate to hear.
The shewolf bit her lip, before nodding.
“Jonishi-san, can we move her somewhere else. She’s just volunteered herself to be tested once again.” Miyuki requested, as she let the shewolf drain the rest of the liquid in the mug she brought over. She didn’t feel a shred of remorse for the shewolf whatsoever, having hardened herself after her talk with Sayaka but if her theory was right, then she wouldn’t really need half as many tests after this.
Kei looked over at Sayaka, waiting for approval. Once she got a nod, she relayed the message to a trio of guards to move the rogue to another, more private room. While the transfer was happening, the two wolves in command moved over to Miyuki.
“Don’t do that again.” Sayaka growled, glaring at the remaining rogues in here. “They can’t be trusted, and what you did was extremely risky.”
“I’m not some damsel in distress always needing to be rescued!” Miyuki snapped, causing Sayaka to move back a bit. “I’ve survived on my own before I even met you and I know what I’m doing. I thought we’ve talked about this.”
“Miyuki…” Sayaka called out, she was about to explain herself to her mate but Kei interrupted her.
“This is isn’t the right time to have a lover’s spat!” In a lower voice she whispered to Miyuki and Sayaka. “Our prisoners are still our enemies, they are still watching us, spying on us and if they are able to escape which I don’t think is very likely then everything we’ve done will be for nothing.”
The other two nodded the expression on their faces were completely different from the other, Miyuki looked far too serious than Kei was used to even though she’d known the human for a short time only and her best friend looked like a kicked puppy, literally.
Without a word, Miyuki turned around and returned to her task, leaving Sayaka to berate herself from doubting her mate again. She rested a comforting hand on her best friend’s shoulder, this issue must be something that still bothered the couple even now despite their mentioned ‘talk’ about it.
“I know it’s not my place to say, but you should really trust her more.” Kei whispered, before offering another squeeze. Pulling away she backed up, and gave her Alpha space.
“Yea…” Sayaka murmured, before raising her hand to squeeze the bridge of her nose. She hated disagreeing with Miyuki, but she can’t help but feel so protective of her. It was in her nature to be like that and was a bit frightened at the thought of becoming a jealous, overbearing mate for Miyuki.
Topic: Outcast and the Exiled Announcement 12/25 (Read 99012 times)