Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Sixty

When we returned from the Ape King's castle, my mates, my cubs and Shuu had been waiting. Lance took me from Winston's arms and sat me comfortably on his tail as all six of us sat in a circle, shoulder to shoulder in the main room of the clinic.

Lance was the first to speak. "So the wolf's words were true then? You went to the enemy's den but instead of being eaten, you ran them off with their tails between their legs." He snuggled his cheek against the top of my head. "I knew foxes were cunning but you always manage to surprise me."

"You aren't upset?" I stroked a finger over his black and green scales, letting their smooth texture sooth my nerves.

He stopped rubbing and set his chin on my head. "Upset about what? Putting yourself in danger? I was, but you made it out just fine, didn't you? What is there to be upset about?"

I stared at a predominantly green scale. "The emerald. I promised the Ape King one. It was the only thing I could think of to bribe him. I didn't think the plan would work if all I had were threats."

The end of his tail waved away the thought, "Oh that. I don't mind at all. I'll just consider it a loner and have him pay be back." He thought about how hard it would be for the Ape King to do such a thing and then added, "...if he lives that long."

"There's something else." I looked at each of my males afraid of their reaction despite knowing they would never hurt or despise me. They each looked at me with curiosity and I let my eyes land on Shuu. "I proposed to take Shuu as my mate if the Wolf King hesitated to agree to the plan."

Tails stopped their lazy tapping and all eyes turned on Shuu. The boy was dumbstruck. He looked like I had just pulled a rabbit out of a hat, with eyes wide and mouth agape.

"I'm sorry Shuu. I should have discussed it with you first." It was part of the plan I hadn't discussed with anyone until I mentioned it to the Ape King. Winston's poker face had nearly cracked when I dropped that bomb. I knew Shuu probably had feelings for Bai but I also knew that if she ever did except him, it wouldn't be for a very long time and the poor thing would be dragged along on a leash until then. "Are you unwilling? If that's the case, I can talk to the Ape King. I'll figure-"

"No!" He jumped to his knees, one hand reaching for me as though to physically stop my words. "No. Not unwilling. I know I'm not good enough for you, but I promise I will work hard."

Halfway through his plea, tears started falling like crystals from his eyes and I couldn't help but reach out to touch them and feel what state of matter they were, "I don't know why you think you aren't good enough. I wouldn't have made such a deal if I didn't find you desirable."

The soldier was gone and in its place was a puppy. His tears increased but his tail began to flail in excitement. His body tensed as though to fly into my arms but a large hand on the back of his neck pulled him back to his seat on the floor. While Winston could understand the wolf's emotions, he was not in the mood to watch as he tried to scent mark HIS mate. Not now.

Kit, sensing big brother Shuu needed a hug, crawled into his lap and tapped his fluffy tail against thigh. Shuu, honored to have been accepted by my cub, immediately took him up on his offer and held him like a kid holds their favorite plushy.

Surprisingly it was Oliver that asked the next question. "Then what happens next?"

Winston's deep voice answered. "Next, if things go as planned, the kings will call for the city residents to gather and he will publicly announce Rosa's crimes. The Tiger King, complacent in her schemes will also be tried as a criminal. I know my brother. He will not go quietly. He will demand trial by combat. If he wins, he will be allowed to remain as king." Winston's features grew dark and his hands clenched into fists. "But he will not win."

"And after that?" Oliver prodded.

Harvey answered this time. "Winston will be made Tiger King and the castle with all of its resources, including it's beasts, will be his."

Oliver looked down, depressed. "Does that mean you'll be moving?"

Ah. Now I understood his concerns. Oliver was scared he was going to be left behind. I hid my smile and rushed to reassure him, "We. We will be moving. The castle is big enough for all of us and Harvey will be able to set up a clinic there. He'll need his apprentice so don't think you are getting out of work Olly."

The boy kept his face down but nodded and his waving tail exposed his happiness at being included.

Shuu, drying his eyes with the back of one hand had remembered something I'd said before. "You said you wanted me to tell my brother something. He will follow Rosa wherever she goes so if she's to be exiled, I won't have a lot of time to get him any messages. Is it something I can't tell him beforehand?"

I shook my head. "Thank you for reminding me. I would appreciate it if you could tell him just before the public gathers. There is a village I want to recommend to him. I don't know exactly how to get there and it borders the desert of Flame City, but minus a few ferals, it would be a good place for them to start over. Your brother is strong so I don't think he'll have any issues making the small village prosper."

Shuu looked at me like I'd just turned purple. "Why would you want to help them after all this?"

I smiled weakly at him. Someday I would tell him the dichotomy between my soul and my experiences that made me soft, even to the people who hated me. But not now. "Your brother helped me today. I am simply returning the favor."

I proceeded to tell him what I knew of the village and its general location. Since I'd never seen a map of the continent, it was near impossible to give the exact location but I knew that in the novel Bai had traveled from the eagle cliffs to the beach and then followed a river inland due to the mer, Bluepool's hesitancy to walk. From my descriptions, Winston and Shuu were able to get a more specific location and Shuu promised to convey the information to his brother. I also told him to advise his brother to build the village for at least three times the amount of people already there and how to preserve meat by smoking it. He gave me both an awed and questioning look but I didn't elaborate.

Bart and Winston's brother would need to work hard, but that village would become a safe haven for many of the city's evacuees later. If they didn't have to rebuild from scratch, then it would be easier for all of them to survive the next cold season. Not only that, but the larger the village, the lower the threat of ferals kidnapping females.

My mates asked a few more questions here and there but nothing thought of or discussed changed the plan. We would be relying on Lance if the kings had something up their sleeves in store for us and we had an escape route for Olly and Kit if things went sour, just in case.

As we talked, night crept up on us. Kit had fallen asleep in Shuu's arms and Olly's head was bobbing up and down like a woodpecker toothpick dispenser. We decided to call it a night. I curled up with a leopard, tiger, snake and fox and thanked my lucky stars that allergies were not a thing for this body, before falling into a dreamless sleep, safe in their paws.