Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Forty

 Like a madwoman, I grinned and cried at the same time as I watched the tree burst into flame. Winston was kneeling in front of me trying to get my attention. Shuu had run to get help and soon all of the castle's occupants would be here. But I didn't pay attention to any of that. 

Though this type of tree had already gone nearly extinct in my past life, it was still wreaking havoc on this one. On mine. Was the reason my mate and I hadn't gotten sick because we lived uphill on the outskirts? Or did we just have better natural resistance to it? What about Kit? He seemed healthy but could some of the poison affect him in the future? I felt as though I would need to burn every one of these trees before I would feel satisfied.

"What have you done!" The Ape King's distressed cry brought me back to the present. "Capture them!" The twenty wolves the fire had attracted moved to do his bidding, but Winston abruptly shifted and growled, placing himself in front of me. His tetra marked beast pressure was too much for any of them to handle. They all ended up on their bellies with their ears pinned back in submission.

I tilted my head awkwardly to look at the Ape King with the tears and soot mixing on my face. "Ohhhh I am soooo glad you are here." I said with mock happiness. "Can you believe it? You had such a horrible thing growing right here in your garden!"

The Ape King looked nervous that I might know what kind of tree it was. "W-what do you mean?" He looked around for the Wolf King that should also be arriving soon.

I pointed high. "This tree is poisonous!" I screamed so all could hear. "One touch of the sap to an open wound can kill a beast in minutes! I am saving your lives by burning it! If you don't believe me, go ask my home village." I put on a confused mask. "Oh wait. You can't. Because they're all dead!"

Winston looked at me then. Even in his tiger form the look of horror was clear. Shuu's and some of the other wolves mirrored the expression.

The Ape King looked constipated. He was sweating profusely, and his face was deeply creased in anxiety.

He knew that if he negated my words, the words of a popular healer's mate, and someone later discovered them to be true, his rule may be short lived. "I-i-if what you say is t-true, then..." He bit his lip.

I finished for him. "Then I should be rewarded for my bravery... Unless you think I'm lying. Did you want to hold me in your dungeon until an investigation is conducted?" I asked with obvious sarcasm.

Winston's didn't like that idea. His beast pressure increased and even the Ape King fell to one knee. The Wolf King finally made his appearance, entering through the open archway. But things had progressed too far and even he would struggle against an enraged Winston.

The Ape King glared at the Wolf King before turning back to me. "N-no. No. I believe you. We must still investigate, but we will not hold you here. When your words have been proven, you will be rewarded."

I clapped my hands together in mock admiration, "You are a true leader Ape King. You always put the safety of your citizens first. Things that endanger us are always dealt with so swiftly. I am glad I could help such a great beast." I put as much sincerity as I could muster into those words. It was a veiled threat that if he didn't live up to expectations, he could expect the same thing that happened to the tree, to happen to him.

"Please make sure it all burns to ash. I wouldn't want anyone to die from any remaining pieces." I said seriously to Shuu before mounting Winston. "I'll be going home now. You know where to find me if you need me." I held my chin high despite looking like a god of vengeance with the blaze outlining my form. They ALL made way for me and Winston walked us slowly through the cold back home. Both of us lost in our thoughts.

When we got home, both Harvey and Lance were shocked at my appearance. Lance's immediate reaction was to coil Winston up in a suffocating embrace. "What the hell happened." he snarled.

I felt dead inside and I turned my soulless eyes to him. "Put him down."

Lance didn't even hesitate. He knew I wasn't going to take any shit.

"I'm going to lay down. Winston. You tell them please. Kit come here cub. Mama needs you." I swept Kit into my arms and went into the bedroom.

For the next hour as Winston relayed the information to Lance and Harvey, I told Kit stories about his dad and our parents. I held him facing away from me so my silent tears wouldn't be noticed. I needed to talk about Ryan and my village. Needed to mourn them. But without pushing the added weight of my sadness onto him.

At some point Winston came in to take Kit who had fallen asleep. Harvey and Lance came in with hot water and wiped the soot from my skin. No one said anything for a long time. When I was clean, I laid with my back to my leopard and my front cradled in Lances strong arms. The heat from Harvey and the cool from Lance grounding me in the present and slowly pulling me out of my pain.