#akarikei

Chapter 35:

Two weeks passed in relative peace and though those that had died in the siege were few; the living still mourned for them and for the unlucky ones they had taken their lives to follow their mate. They were not surprised by this but was saddened of losing more friends.

With Sakae and Namba working together the repairs finished before the second week ended and the remaining days were used to elucidate the alliance between Namba and Sakae. The Alphas had been busy working with their duties which left Miyuki and Kumi to their own devices. The two of them were currently soaking under the sun, having finished up the last of the food they bought for their picnic.

Kumi’s head rested on Miyuki’s lap, basking under the attention she was getting from the human. Despite missing her bondmate a lot, Kumi was glad that she was given time to spend with Miyuki. It would be a very long time until she’ll be able to see one of her surrogates again, even if she was only able to spend with one half of the pair. She understood that Sayaka was busy.

“I can’t believe we’re heading back.” Kumi spoke, breaking the comfortable silence between the two. She buried her face into Miyuki’s lap, trying to take in her scent, as if it was going to be the last time they would spend time with each other. “I’m going to miss you and Sayaka.”

Miyuki chuckled while she continued threading her fingers through one of Kumi’s tails. “We’ll see each other again soon enough. You, Yuka and the others are invited to the bonding ceremony. So, I expect all of you to be there.”

“I look forward to that.” Kumi grinned, her tail swishing behind her as a thought formed in her head. If the victory party we joined was rowdy, I bet the party for this one would be wilder. “I wonder what the bonding ceremony would be like, is it anything like Sakae’s?”

Miyuki shook head. “Sayaka has said many times that Namba likes their wild parties and I bet this one might be just like one too.”

They were quiet for a long time before Kumi slowly turned on to her back to look at the other woman. According to Yuka, she’ll need to continue learning about Namba’s culture and trade, along with some lessons in dealing with humans. If she wanted to govern Sakae by Yuka’s side, she’ll have to learn so many things. The human noticed the turmoil in the kitsune’s eyes and brows, so she smoothed a hand over Kumi’s brows, hoping to ease whatever was bothering Kumi.

“What’s wrong?”

“Before the siege, I realized that being bonded to Yuka meant more than just being her partner for life and making a family with her.” Kumi confessed.

Miyuki’s hand moved of Kumi’s brow and began to stroke the top of the kitsune’s head between Kumi’s ears. She’d learned that was a very soothing thing to do for Kumi which seemed to work for Sayaka too occasionally. “What do you mean?”

“They started considering me their Queen.” The kitsune started, huffing a bit. “A messenger came to us after the siege, told us that we’d won and we can travel to catch up with Yuka’s forces. Without Yuka around they turned to me to decide on what to do. I was lucky Dasu noticed my predicament, she stepped in and volunteered to facilitate the move.”

“That seemed to turn out just fine, you all arrived safely and you always seem to have someone to help you.”

“But I felt helpless!” Kumi sat up, her tails started to sway furiously behind her, a sign that showed her agitation. “I don’t know anything about leading people or governing a whole clan! I don’t even know most of the names of Yuka’s subbordinates, except for the Satos! And what if… what if there would be no one else to step in for me? I’m starting to realize that I have this responsibility to help my new family, just like Yuka, and I don’t know anything! I can’t rely on someone forever, can I?”

Miyuki hummed thoughtfully, finally understanding the kitsune’s problem. Before Kumi was forced into her human form, she was a powerful and immortal being. Due to her change from her original form she’d become powerless and helpless, a feeling that no one enjoys. And now that she was bonded with the most powerful shewolf in Sakae, the kitsune was confused on what to do with the power she has, having no prior experience to ruling a clan. Kumi must have felt truly overwhelmed and scared when she was forced to make a decision that she wasn’t ready to make.

“Oh little one, come here.” Miyuki held out her arms and Kumi laid her head down on Miyuki’s lap again. These stressfull thoughts weren’t good for the kitsune. She ran her fingers through the kitsune’s hair, thinking carefully on what to say. “I’m not sure what to tell you to be honest, I’m no ‘Queen’ like you and my skills are better for healing people but... whenever someone needs my help, I always think of what is best for them. If you’re really stumped, ask yourself, 'What would Yuka do?' ”

“What would Yuka do…” The kitsune murmured, closing her eyes and relaxing further into Miyuki’s lap as she thought about the advice given to her before her eyes shot open. She let out a squeak, her hand moving over her belly as she curled her tails around her protectively.

“Kumi! What’s wrong?” Miyuki started to fret over the kitsune, readying herself to practice her medical skills just in case. Her knowledge of midwifery was limited at best and she hoped that it will be enough.

Kumi was still for a few tense moments and Miyuki was ready to do an impromptu check up when the kitsune started to relax.

"I'm okay. They're just stretching." Kumi sighed, as she laid back down.

"You can feel them moving already?" Miyuki asked excitedly, her eyes shining at the idea Kumi's pups moving about. "Are they always lively?"

"Yes, and always hungry." Kumi smiled, taking one of Miyuki's hand and placing it on her stomach. A moment later, the human reeled back excitedly. Miyuki couldn’t feel anything pressing against her hand as it would during the later months of pregnancy but she could feel the flutters of the twins’ movements. The flutters would usually be felt during fourth month of pregnancy for humans but it seems for Kumi’s case or rather for the case of shewolves, the pregnancy progresses faster. “And they also do this when they think Yuka is near. So far, they’ve never been wrong.”

As soon as the words left the kitsune’s mouth, two four legged figures broke through the tree line that surrounded the clearing. Judging from the color of their coats it was Yuka and Sayaka. Kumi sat up, shuffling away from Miyuki just as Yuka reached the kitsune. Sakae’s Alpha happily nuzzled her mate, not caring if her cold nose was tickling her mate.

Yuka was genuinely happy to finally see Kumi after several hours of tediously looking over their contracts, she was so happy that she was practically hopping and twitching from joy. The shewolf finally settled down a few moments later, plopping down heavily next to Kumi with her head on the kitsune’s lap. Yuka’s ear was placed near the kitsune’s belly and she shuffled around a bit so she could press her ear against Kumi’s belly. She let out a satisfied rumble when she felt her bondmate’s hands stroke her fur.

A look of awe was on Miyuki's face, as Kumi have her an 'I told you' look, before scratching the top of Yuka's head. A satisfied huff that left her mouth a second later. Seeing that the two were busy with each other, Miyuki turned her attention to her own wolf, the one she hasn't seen since early this morning. She watched as Sayaka shifted to sit behind the human and immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing them closer.

"Everything go as planned?" Miyuki asked, as she grabbed the shewolf's hand and started playing with it.

"Yes, after a lot of talking and arguing. Contracts have been signed, a blood pact performed and we are now officially in an alliace with Sakae." Sayaka nodded, looking over at the basket near them. "Anything left in there?" Only to frown at the negative answer she received. Miyuki leaned forward to kiss the frown of her mate's face, smiling when the kiss was returned.

"We'll get some food in a bit." Miyuki promised, patting the shewolf's leg, before swallowing a gasp, when Sayaka began nibbling on her ear.

"Maybe you can be my lunch?" She whispered suggestively, only to have her hand pinched. "A simple no would've sufficed."

“Behave yourself.” Miyuki chided and Sayaka stopped her sulking to watch Kumi and Yuka. The bonded couple looked so content to in each other’s arms and the other two felt a sense of happiness within their hearts. "That'll be us one day."

Sayaka nodded in agreement, she couldn't wait until their own bonding ceremony, and after that just spending all her time with Miyuki, her hands slid lower to place them over Miyuki’s belly, and a family to make.

--

The following two days were spent packing for those from Sakae and even though the members of the two clans have spent little time with each other, some friendships were formed and a lucky few found their mates. Miyuki and Sayaka were giving their final farewells to Kumi, Paru and Yui.

“I’m going to miss both of you.” Kumi whined while smothered in the embrace of her surrogates. She felt a hand pat the top of her head fondly and she laid her head on Sayaka’s shoulder.

“You’ll be seeing us in a few months on our bonding ceremony.” Sayaka reassured and Kumi pulled away from the Alpha, giving the shewolf one of her best scowls.

“But I won’t be able to spend time with the two of you!” Kumi grouched, well aware that she was being childish and petulant but she was pregnant. That earned her some right to be childish and petulant.

Kumi was once again pulled into her surrogates’ embrace, this time mostly by Miyuki. “We’ll write to you. I’m sure we’ll make use of those hawks gifted to us by one of the members of Sakae or the messengers we’ll frequently have running back and forth.”

The kitsune considered Miyuki’s words. Miyuki made a good point with the alliance and connections between their clans it would be rare that they would not be able to keep up their correspondence. She nodded in understanding but still laid her head back on Sayaka’s shoulder.

“I’ll still miss you both.”

They stayed in their embrace for a bit until Yuka came over and collected her bondmate. The Sakae shewolf nodded to the two, as she lead Kumi away for a moment. While they left, Yui and Paru took their places.

"Are you sure wanna leave us too?" Miyuki asked for the nth time, it was nice having their company around. Especially Yui's, as she was the only other human around.

"It's safer if we leave the forest with Yuka’s group." Yui nodded, her hand squeezing Paru's own, as she answered for the both of them. This small trip has brought the two closer, and she was grateful for that. "We'll still visit when we can, you're not that far away from us."

Miyuki nodded, as she went to hug the both of them. She wanted them to stay, having them around reminded her of the familiarity she had long ago before she decided to live on her own. Sayaka opted to stay out of the hug. While she did appreciate their effort, she wasn't really big on hugs, unless it was her mate of course or Kumi begging for one.

"You're welcome here anytime, we'll even throw a party every time you do visit." Sayaka grinned. Any excuse was good enough to throw a party in Namba.

“We’d love to stay here also but I think it’s better that we’ll be your contact to the human villages.” Yui spoke up as she and Paru stepped out of Miyuki’s embrace. “After all that’s happened with the rogue wolves, the humans would either be fearful or angry. Paru and I will keep in contact and update you for any changes.”

Miyuki looked disappointed at Yui’s explanation, she had nothing to say to make them stay but she understood why they had to leave. The war is over but they were aware that there might be consequences to this event, consequences that were related to humans.

“At least come and visit. You’ll be coming to my bonding ceremony right?” Miyuki asked.

“Definitely.” Paru grinned, making Sayaka barely hold back at the surprised gasp at seeing Paru showing a different expression besides the sour one she always seem to wear all the damn time.

Sayaka looked on with mild interest as they hugged once again. Around them the Sakae caravan started to move, Yui and Paru extricated themselves from Miyuki’s embrace, finally saying their last goodbyes.

Sayaka and Miyuki waved as the caravan slowly walked passed them. They noticed Yuka and Kumi approaching them on their mount with the kitsune cradled safely in front of Yuka, the horse neighed softly once they were directly in front of Sayaka and Miyuki.

“We’ll be sending the first letter to you in a week.” Yuka said, grinning down on the two. “I’ll be looking forward to our alliance. I think this would be the first we had an actual partnership between two clans, our scribes would have a field day in recording this.”

Sayaka held her arm out for a warrior’s handshake and Yuka grasped it in return. “Have a safe trip back to Sakae!” Her gripped tightened on Yuka’s. “Take care of Kumi, if I hear that she isn’t happy… I’ll have your hide as my rug.”

Yuka suppressed the reflex to gulp hard and carefully pried her hand from Sayaka with Kumi’s help. She cleared her throat in an attempt to compose herself and prepare for the formality that she still has to do.

“My sisters!” She yelled for everyone to hear and the shewolves stopped their activities to witness the parting words of Sakae’s Alpha. “We depart for home with good news of our victory and alliance! May our ties still remain strong even with the vast distance! We shall send a hawk with the news of our safe arrival!”

The Namba shewolves cheered, witnessing Yuka’s words and remembering them. The parting words were only done to ensure that the departing party’s plan was known to all and that if bad anything happens, everyone would have a clue how to assist them.

With a final wave to Sayaka and Miyuki, Yuka kicked the horse off onto a trot to catch up to the front of the caravan. Many watched as the caravan faded in view and Sayaka and Miyuki were the last ones to leave.

--

On their first week, Miyuki realized that life in Namba was vastly different from that of Sakae. Usually each day in Sakae was busy, a group coming and going everyday to trade or to search for supplies. It reminded Miyuki of a thriving market, always bright and alive. Namba on the other hand, felt more peaceful and the pace calm. There was a routine when it came to living in Namba, one that Miyuki found to be quite comfortable and easy to get accustomed to.

The fact that after having to wake up to war strategies and figure out how to stop a dangerous poison from killing allies was over, Miyuki was able to sleep in on more days than ever before. With the added bonus of her ex-grumpy shewolf always cuddled to her form.

It was like how her life was when she was still living with her mother, easy and no fuss. Still sometimes she would miss the frantic days they’d had after meeting each other and that was probably because those times had brought them closer. Despite missing those days, she wouldn’t trade them for what she has now and she had other things to keep her busy.

Since she was new to Namba and had to learn many of its traditions, she had looking through the archives or joining in the meetings that pups have at the temple where the priestesses would teach them old traditions about Namba. The pups had arrived from Hakata a few days after Sakae’s departure, Kei had sent them there immediately to keep them safe after her defeat against the Rogue Alpha as if she knew that things would go bad. Though it was a bit awkward to be the oldest one in those meetings but she had taken a liking to the pups and in turn they see as a sort of older, tail-less sister.

She’d learned that the bonding ceremony was a lengthy process, unlike that of Sakae’s which took them a day or so to complete but for Namba it took nearly a week but sometimes it took just a few days. The length of the ceremony would wholly depend on the couple. She didn’t manage to learn about the specifics on the ceremony as it was a guarded secret by the priestesses. She even tried asking Akari who only gave her an enigmatic smile and said that she didn’t have to do anything but tell Sayaka the exact date she wanted her to have it done so the priestesses could start the preparations. She’d told Sayaka that she’d liked it on summer and after much discussion they both agreed that the ceremony would begin on the first day of autumn, which is only a month away.

It annoyed her that she couldn’t do much about the ceremony but Sayaka and her learning of Namba’s traditions kept her busy to forget about it often.

She was leaving the temple after finishing one of the meetings with the pups following after her faithfully. Miyuki would have ditched them and went straight to finding Sayaka or helping out at the hospice but they were so adorable, tailing after her and asking curious questions about humans. She could see the excitement in their eyes when she told them about other humans like herself.

Promising to continue their talk later, Miyuki waved them away and went on with her previous task of looking for her mate. Through the weeks of being in Namba, she's figured out shortcuts that lead to wherever she wants to go. She noted that she saw most of the Namba members preferred to be in their shifted form, as opposed to the human one. Sayaka would do the same when they would go on short walks and Miyuki couldn’t help but think that it was like walking Sayaka at a park, albeit one filled with ferocious wolves..

She was also the only human around it seems while she was in  Sakae she’d seen at least half a dozen humans like her, living with the other Sakae members as if it was the most natural thing to them.

She spotted the meeting house not too far ahead, compared to the other structures in Namba it was much larger than the rest, making it easier to spot and for Miyuki to follow. She wasn’t sure if Sayaka was there working on whatever problems the clan currently has, since the shewolf’s duties seem to be split between hunting or listening to the complaints and suggestions of her people. Recently Sayaka had been dealing with the fallout of the rogue packs’ attack on humans, the traps that the humans made were starting to move deeper and deeper into the forest when they traps didn’t catch any, and hunters roaming the forest.

If the humans stray too close to their home, Sayaka would need to act on it despite the fact that it would be impossible for humans to actually find their home because of the old magic that protected them. Having them prowling around near Namba territory would hamper their hunt for food.

She waved at the two guards keeping watch over the back entrance, they nodded to Miyuki, allowing her to pass through without question. Their Alpha's mate was always welcome.

"...still minor signs of traps nearby, but most of them were triggered by other animals or retreating rogues from weeks ago. From the looks of it, they were left to die by their former comrades."

Miyuki could see the back of the scout who has just returned from surveying Namba's hunting grounds. Just over her shoulder, the human could see her wolf hovering over a large table with Kei beside her. The Beta being the first one to notice her, and smiled welcomingly.

The frown on Sayaka's face deepened, as she digested the news. "Any luck on dismantling the traps?" She asked hoping for a bit of good news at least. Her clan was more in danger going to get food for themselves then having a small group of rogues ambush them. They're no longer organized, and to Sayaka, no longer a major threat.

"We've managed to get a few taken apart, but we don't know how long it will be to get the entire forest clear."

Sayaka waved her hand. "Worry about our hunting grounds first, can't have those hunters figuring out that something else is living out here, they'll start roaming and getting in our way. If a trap is triggered try to leave some small game on it. It’ll make them think that’s what triggered their flimsy traps."

The scout nodded, scribbling down her Alpha's words on a parchment. From what Miyuki could see, she had a ribbon tied to her arm. Maybe she was a high ranking scout?

While Miyuki waited for the scout to be dismissed, the human allowed her eyes to roam over the room. She had been here several times to either wait for Sayaka to finish her meetings or listen to some the discussions over the clan’s well being but despite her numerous she was still in awe of the room’s decors and architecture. The most remarkable parts of the room were the walls and the table at the center of it.

The first were the walls, they were decorated with carvings about Namba’s history, starting from the arrival of the ancestors to the plague that had ravaged Namba and, as of recent, their actions in retaking Namba from the rogues. She was extremely flattered when she found a likeness of herself carved into the wall and one of Sayaka. Miyuki had praised Mita Mao for her astounding craftsmanship, especially with how the shewolf carved Sayaka’s chin with dead-on accuracy. Then at the center of the room was the table she’d noticed earlier, illuminated by the natural light coming from the skylight. The map of the four clans carved on it, small carved pieces littered the surface – each piece representing different groups – and chairs surrounding it.

A few more directives were given out by Sayaka and Kei before the shewolf was dismissed, saluting her leaders before turning around. It was then that Miyuki recognized the shewolf to be Airi, one of the clan’s best scouts. Airi smiled politely at the human which Miyuki returned before bowing towards the human before leaving. The human still wasn’t used to receiving that kind of attention but welcomed it anyway, at least they weren’t treating like Sakae was referring to Kumi as their queen. She’d rather be her usual humble self that just happens to know twenty different ways to murder someone with poison as well as occasionally hook someone into doing her bidding.

Stepping up to where her mate was, Miyuki reached out for her wolf, sensing how stressed she was, she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Did I come at a bad time?" She asked gently.

"No. It's not you, it's these hunters." The shewolf started, but stopped, she didn't want to bad mouth the humans, even though they were being a major thorn in her paw. "Did the lessons end early today?" She asked, changing the subject.

Miyuki nodded. Out the corner of her eye, she could see Kei writing down notes as well, probably recording the important status of the debriefing. A quick peek at the scroll made Miyuki cringe at the mess of writings which means that the scribes would have a hell of a time making sense of it.

"Kei-san, how are your scars?" She knew it was a sensitive subject for the Beta, but she knew Kei trusted her to keep her known pains away from the rest of the clan.

"Could be better, they've been itchy again." She sighed, resisting the urge to rub her face. "Do you have any of that, uh-" Kei trailed off, forgetting the name the mixture that Miyuki recommended she use on her face.

Understanding the confused pause, Miyuki finished for her. "I'm still making a new batch, it's been highly requested by more than half of those still recovering. Especially this one here." She lightly teased, her wolf huffing.

“Fresh scars always itch. I don’t know why but they always do.” Sayaka grumbled, moving away from Miyuki to clear the table. “We’re done for today. I think?”

“For once yes we’re done. Much earlier than we had in the past few days.” Kei answered. “It just means that everything is starting to settle down and we’re finally getting the peace that we sought out for.”

“The rogue Alpha is dead.” Sayaka added once done with cleaning up the table. She smiled at Miyuki, her happiness evident in the glint in her eyes. “Only thing need to think about is our bonding ceremony and after that the rest of our peaceful lives.”

"I'll drink to that." Kei chirped.

--

“Yui.” Paru called out, her mate was dozing in and out of sleep as they traveled back home, well it was the young doctor’s home, and anywhere she was, so was Paru.

Paru called for her mate again along with a gentle grip on the doctor’s shoulder. They were almost back to their village, a half day’s ride if the weather remained as it was or if they didn’t encounter any trouble along the way.

A distracted hum was the shewolf's answer, coaxing a sigh from her own mouth. Yui had been distant ever since they left Namba, the doctor would often stare off into space and whenever she’d try to coax a sound from her, Paru would usually get a distracted hum in return. It was starting to annoy her and clearly there was something bothering her mate when the doctor steered the horse off a cliff. After that close call with death, Paru decided to ride with Yui and take control of the reigns (she was too young to die).

“Why are you distracted?”

“Am I distracted?” Yui echoed back, finally giving full attention to her mate. She couldn't help but to think, if not daydream about something she wasn't ready to bring up with Paru. At least not without the shewolf bringing it up first.

Paru frowned slightly, but chose to avoid a possible argument with the human, she can be so odd at times.

“Should we take a break soon?” She instead changed the subject, a break would do them both good as they've been traveling practically nonstop since they separated from the Sakae caravan.

Such a rowdy brunch, nothing like Akiba. She was tempted to say home, but that place was no longer home. She hadn’t thought of it as her home since she left for her walkabout.

“A few minutes to stretch our legs would be good.” Yui answered, taking the reigns from Paru and directing their horse off the path. The doctor could faintly hear a creek bubbling nearby.

When they found a good spot to rest the shewolf slipped off the horse first, moving away from the animal as quickly as she could before sitting under a tree to escape the heat. After making herself comfortable, Paru set her gaze on her mate, observing the doctor’s movement with hawk like vision. Even the doctor’s movements seemed distracted; each action done by the human took a moment longer and would occasionally stop to stare off into nothing. It was so unlike Yui who was quick and precise with everything she did.

The doctor secured the horse on a nearby tree, giving the reins enough slack to let the horse graze or drink from the creek before taking a seat next to Paru. Yui took a few gulps from the waterskin before lazily handing it to Paru.

It was starting to annoy Paru how… unusual Yui was acting.

The shewolf’s gaze was unwavering and Yui was starting to feel holes being bored into the side of her face. Yui did her best to relax despite but Paru wasn’t helping and her mind couldn’t stop thinking of ways on how to bring up what’s bothering her without getting murdered by her wolf as a result. Although, she was sure Paru would do damndest raise her from dead with our without Kumi’s help. In other words, the doctor was having a mild life threatening crisis.

Paru continued to glare at her mate, at this she’d given up side eyeing her mate and was now facing Yui to give her the full force of her glare. The shewolf’s glare was so that the corners of her eyes seem to sharpen, something that Bisu would do whenever the cat would give Paru the evil eye.

A twig snapped not too far from them and Paru’s ear flicked towards the source of the sound and other noises seemed to cease immediately, bringing a deathly silence. A few tense moments passed before the sounds resumed but Paru ear was still trained where the sound originated from. Something will happen and the shewolf could practically smell it in the air.

She slowly turned to face the direction where it came from and hesitant muffled steps began to move towards them. Whoever it was that was coming, probably didn’t know that Paru had heard or simply didn’t care.

Picking up on the fact that Paru was no longer glaring at her, Yui turned to look at her mate and frowned when she saw how tense her wolf was. She looked for the source of her wolf’s ire, even following Paru’s gaze didn’t help. Yui observed the way her mate seemed ready for a fight, her eyes focused intently, back stiff from tension and hands curled into tight fists. She hadn’t seen Paru like this for a long time.

The doctor was about to ask what was wrong Paru but a growl from the shewolf made her stop. Sounds of leaves rustling caught her attention and Yui followed the direction of Paru’s gaze again.

A wolf ambled into her line of site, emerging behind tree. The beast was about the same size as Paru in her shifted form but it’s body seemed more rounded and toned as if it was used to running and hunting on a daily basis. Its fur was a dark brown that faded into a much lighter shade when reaching the belly. The wolf was staring intently at Paru who returned it with the same intensity.

Yui scooted closer to Paru, eyes never leaving the wolf who was still looking at wolf. She slipped a hand into Paru’s top, hands reaching for the hunting knife sheathed securely on the shewolf’s belt. The doctor didn’t know who this wolf was but since Paru hasn’t shifted forms to fight, she guessed this might be someone that Paru knew. Still, it was better for her to be cautious.

Their horse nickered, stomping the ground nervously and thus breaking the tension.

“What are you doing here?” Paru growled, subtly moving in front of Yui.

An action that the beast noticed since it shifted its focus on Yui. The doctor barely suppressed a shudder. There was something about the wolf’s gaze that made her uncomfortable. Yui would’ve liked to pretend to have been surprised at the fact that Paru knew who this was, but she wasn’t, not the slightest. Somehow she knew her mate’s past would one day catch up to her.

The staredown continued for a moment longer, neither wolf willing to back down, as if having a silent argument that Yui just couldn't hear.

“Are they friendly?” Yui whispered, still holding onto the blade behind Paru’s back, hoping she won't have to hurt anyone today, not with how exhausted she was. She wasn’t even sure how she’d hold up against one of Paru’s kind.

Paru didn’t answer instead she repeated the question with an accompanied command to shift forms. She knows this wolf, would recognize that scent and shade of fur anywhere. The only thing she wasn’t sure about this wolf was if they finished their walkabout or had gone rogue.

“Don’t try to challenge me.” Paru spoke, her voice changing to a commanding tone that Yui hadn’t heard before. It was wasn’t firm like Yuka’s or powerful like Sayaka’s but it was calm and steady. It reminded her a bit of the ocean that can be as still as ice but rampageous when it rages during a storm.

The doctor cast those thoughts out of her head and focused on what was happening before her. Her latest habit of getting distracted by her thoughts was dangerous.

“Shift your form and answer my question.” Paru repeated, subtlely shifting in her seat and Yui’s trained eye noticed that it would make shifting and lunging at the beast much easier.

The beast folded it’s ears and after a moment of hesitation shifted forms. Paru released a relieved sigh, she didn’t have to beat some sense into an old friend, at least not today.

The doctor slowly loosened her grip on the knife’s handle but kept her hand pressed against the hollow of her shewolf’s back. She took note of her appearance, the shewolf’s build wore a thick pelt that made her body look bigger than it should and dyed white with light grey patches, something that was probably done for camouflage. Her hands and feet were also covered with leather and dyed the same way as her pelt but the most distinguishing feature was the bear’s head acting as a hood for the shewolf..

“Haruu.” Paru spoke in greeting, slowly raising to her feet with Yui following after her wolf.

“It’s been a long time.” Haruu replied, slipping the hood off her head to reveal a head full of blonde hair. Paru held back a gasp but her eyes widened nonetheless, a reaction that Yui and Haruu noticed. “A lot has changed since you ran away.”

--

The harsh winter air bit into her skin despite the fur that kept her warm. She could never get used to the cold no matter how much time she spent here as a welp. She never understood how anyone could survive here, the ground was frozen, all forms of vegetation are dead due to the never ending winter and any living thing that wanted to live here were mad.

But the funny thing was, the ones that do survive here were the ones that raised her. A long time ago she would have called them her family, they groomed her to lead them into greatness and in return she had dedicated her life to helping them with the best of her abilities. In return, she had asked for one thing but they denied her, even going as far as banishing her.

They punished her just for asking one thing that would have uplifted her race.

Her thoughts wandered to recent events and the rogues around her looked about nervously as she growled, afraid that she might suddenly turn her ire on them. They think they’ve won, taking back their home and slaughtering the mongrels she’d left behind for cannon fodder. In truth she’d hope to use Namba’s numbers to help her with her plan but they were more stubborn that she’d anticipated.

She trudged through the snow, her pack following her hesitantly with her eyes scanning the horizon for any clues for what she’s searching. They shivering and looked far too weak to be out in such a dire climate but not following their Alpha would mean betrayal which would lead to their own death. Their numbers had dwindled considerably already, having left most of their numbers back in Namba but their numbers will increase soon. There are rogues out there, more whelps lost on their walkabout and her messengers will welcome them to their new family.

Chapter 34:

Sayaka’s ears twitched as she slowly woke up, listening for any other sound other than her and Miyuki’s breathing, and the wildlife outside her home. Instead of getting up or opening her eyes, the shewolf took her time taking stock of her current state. Her whole body ached but the kind of ache that would be brought upon by a day of training but by making sure that her mate wouldn’t be able to walk for a week. She didn’t have to check to know that Miyuki was on top of her, mostly having fallen asleep after their last bout of lovemaking.

‘Last night...’ The shewolf’s eyes shot open as memories of what happened the night before came rushing back. The memories hit her like a charging grizzly bear, the things she did to her mate caused her face to darken as she blushed. It was then she felt the wet patch beneath her, it spread out from her hips and all the way to her knees. A stark evidence of how… eager she and Miyuki were last night.

She couldn’t believe she’d done all of things to her mate last night or even know what compelled her to do such… base things. Was it the mead or the damn elixir she’d stupidly taken? Did Miyuki plan to give that elixir to her or she just had one so she could study it? So many questions came into mind, making her confused and giving her a hangover that she wasn’t supposed to get. Still, despite these thoughts, there wasn’t an ounce of regret about last night. She had enjoyed it a lot, judging from the wet patch she was laying on and wouldn’t mind doing a repeat.

As long as Miyuki told her before hand and when she was sober, of course.

The shewolf was disturbed from her musings when she felt her mate shift on top of her, making certain parts of the human’s body brush against her in delightful ways. No, she wouldn’t mind doing it again. She raised her head to watch her mate slowly rouse from slumber, brushing away any stray lock of hair that would disrupt her view.

“Good morning.” Sayaka greeted when Miyuki finally opened her eyes.

Miyuki returned the greeting, rubbing away the sleep from her eyes before shifting around so she  could snuggle against the shewolf’s side instead of laying on top of Sayaka. Her movements were slow and cautious, most likely because her whole body ached from being fucked so good.

A grimace formed on her face once she got comfortable. “It’s wet.”

“I’m surprised it still is…” The shewolf waited for Miyuki to say anything else for a moment. When no further complaints came from her mate she continued. “Are you alright? I think I may have gotten too rough on you last night.”

Miyuki remained quiet, causing the shewolf to think she's was right about being too rough, until she felt a nip right under her collarbone. "You worry too much. I enjoyed every moment, and apparently so did you."

Sayaka blinked before laughing. She couldn't argue with the fact, wrapping her arms around Miyuki, she turned on her side, no longer wanting to rest on the stain they made last night. Burying her nose in the human's hair, she took comfort in her scent. "I just wanna lay here forever."

Miyuki returned the embrace, a hand resting on the tail wrapped around her, gently running her fingers through the fur. While not as soft as Kumi's, it had it's own charm point. Like the fact that it was attached to her favorite shewolf. Her stomach rumbled angrily, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Sayaka tried to hold back another laugh before she felt her mate weakly slapping her shoulder. The human didn’t look embarrassed about the noise but instead she looked indignant. “It’s your fault. You wore me out last night.”

“Who’s fault was it to leave that pouch with me last night then?” The shewolf retorted, grabbing Miyuki’s hand to stop the assault. “Did you plan to leave it there or did you forget about it?”

Sayaka’s tone was merely curious not accusing and Miyuki felt somewhat relieved about it. She had expected that the shewolf might be angry with her for taking advantage of Sayaka in an inebriated state but from the looks of it, the shewolf was fine.

“I didn’t, I left the pouch there so that the vials won’t break just in case I walk into a table or something. I was going to try and talk you into it but when I came back outside well… you were just… you just made huge mess down there last night.”

Sayaka couldn’t stop a smirk form on her lips. “Do you want me to clean you up then? It won’t take long then we can get breakfast.”

“No!” Miyuki wriggled her hands away from Sayaka’s grasp to give the shewolf a weak girly punch. “I’m sore already. I don’t think I could take anymore than just a soft touch, I’m still having trouble trying to move my legs.”

“I should get some food then. I doubt our house has anything edible here since I haven’t been here for months.”

“Our house?” Miyuki repeated the phrase, surprised that Sayaka is giving her claim of the place.

The shewolf gave her mate a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re my mate and we’ll be bondmates soon. What’s mine is yours and what’s yours will be mine as well.” Sayaka beamed happily at the blush that spread across Miyuki’s face, glad that she can still coax a shy reaction from her mate. “Do you have a taste for anything specific or should I just go hunt something?” The shewolf asked a moment later, her fingers lightly gliding down Miyuki’s arm. She’s been dying for the chance to re-explore her hunting grounds, the home was always surrounded with rich game, that she’d occasionally drag back to her pack when she felt like sharing.

Sensing what her wolf wanted her to say, she rested a hand on Sayaka’s teasing touch. “Go hunt something, I’ll prepare whatever you catch...and bring me some clothes. Because someone tore my robes in half again.” Miyuki huffed, remembering to punch the shewolf for ruining, yet another good pair of clothes.

Chuckling lightly, the shewolf rolled out of bed, locating her abandoned leathers on the ground. Sniffing them, she deemed them still wearable, before heading to her closet. “They’re a bit old, but they should fit you.” She trailed off, pulling out a pair of leathers, similar to what she wears everyday, except it covers up a bit more of the body. She stopped wearing this pair after she became Alpha. Testing to see that they were still good, she turned around and presented them to Miyuki. “After everything gets settled, I’ll have a better pair made for you.”

“You better. Though I think still have my things back at Sakae camp.” Miyuki sat up slowly to lean against the headboard to watch the shewolf place leathers at the foot of the bed. It will take a while for her to completely recover and be able to walk.

“I’ll find your things for you and bring it here.” Sayaka stated as she put on her leathers, not waiting for Miyuki to tell her to look for it. When she finished dressing up, she sat on the bed next to her mate and leaned in for a kiss. Miyuki was a bit surprised at the shewolf’s sudden forwardness but accepted the kiss nonetheless. “I’ll come back as fast I can.”

Miyuki nodded. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Sayaka gave her mate one more kiss before leaving.

Miyuki let out a contented sigh when she heard the front door slam. She was now able to see what the shewolf’s room looked like. The door to the room was right across the bed, to the left of it was the closet and on the left wall was a window that provided her a glimpse of the river that flowed nearby and Namba’s settlement. The other things that occupied the room were two bedside tables, flanking the bed, a desk that she hadn’t noticed the night before and a few lamps scattered about on any furniture they can stand on.

There wasn't anything special about, nothing extravagant or flashy but it was quaint and homely. She stretched her legs, wincing a bit when the spot between her legs gave off a small ache of pain. With how rough the shewolf was on her last night, she’ll be tender for several days and would have trouble walking for the rest of the day. She’ll take care of the soreness later, once she got a hold of her herbal kit but right now she’ll just have to figure on what to do while the shewolf was gone.

--

The shewolf started to make her way back to the settlement, moving on a slow jog to make her reach it faster and give her time to take in the sites of her home. Casting aside the memories of the siege, Sayaka felt truly happy to be back home and excited to show her mate more of Namba. When she reached the settlement and looked at the carnage left by the festivities. A good number of shewolves were simply passed out on the tables or on the ground. The kegs that had been filled with mead were empty and a few broken ones that flooded the ground with mead.

All in all, it was the usual mess that would come after a party that they’d have.

She was searching for a couple of shewolves that would hunt with her, it’ll make hunting down food faster. She sighted a shewolf standing by the kegs, trying to fill a mug with whatever mead was left in there. It was too early to drink anything other than water but that didn’t stop a few shewolves to try and get drunk, again. Their mead just somehow makes everything feel nice and perfect so it wasn’t a surprise that many shewolves would drink at a daily basis.

Approaching the shewolf, she noted it was a familiar face. "Didn't you have enough last night, Airi?" Sayaka spoke, causing the shewolf to jump, her mug slipping from her grasp.

"Fuck- Don't do that! You made me drop my mug."

"Good, now you can come hunt with me." The Namba Alpha laughed wrapping an arm around her companion. She looked around, trying to find any other able bodied shewolves, but spotted no one.

“Just the two of us?” Airi exclaimed, a panicked look crossing her face. Fortunately, Sayaka didn’t seem to notice it.

“Well nobody seems to be around.” The Alpha shrugged. “I think the two of us should be enough to bring down a buck or a couple of elks.”

Airi swallowed nervously. Being chosen to hunt with the Alpha should be considered an honor but the way Sayaka coordinated a hunt showed how much of a sadist the Alpha can be. Their hunts with the Alpha can be a bit long with Sayaka preferring to stalk her prey for hours and hours just to scare the wits out of the poor soul while some shewolves just wants to get it over and done with, because their stomachs demanded it.

But then she can’t say no to her Alpha. “How about I look for some more people to join us? I think that would make the hunt more faster.”

“A sound idea.” Sayaka agreed. “I’ll wait for you near the entrance for the eastern hunting grounds. I’ll be scouting ahead for some prey.”

Airi ducked away from the Alpha’s grasp and walked away in a brisk pace, hoping that she’ll be able to find someone to go with her.

--

Sayaka looked up when she heard footsteps approaching where she was sniffing the ground, following the scent of a buck and possibly a stag. As soon as she reached the hunting grounds she had shifted into her wolf form and started searching for prey. She’d found the tracks of the deer she was currently following.

Three wolves broke through the treeline. She recognized Akari’s pure white fur, Airi’s dark brown and Mayu’s patchy white and grays. She snapped her jaws at them, a bit annoyed that they took a while to get here. The other wolves bowed their heads meekly and straightened up when Sayaka led the way. They were able to find the tracks with ease, Akari’s trained eye was able to find more obvious trails left by their prey.

Mayu shot Airi a dirty look as they readied themselves for a long arduous session of needlessly stalking their food. Akari didn’t mind this task though, she enjoys toying with their prey as much as Sayaka does that’s why she came along willingly while Mayu took a bit of persuading from Airi.

Akari took over in leading their small group in tracking their prey. As a scout she was much better at this role while Sayaka was better at leading them on how to take down their prey. Compared to the other three Sayaka was the biggest wolf, she towered over them by an inch or two which is one of the reasons she was the Alpha of Namba. Her lumbering size was a testament of the underlying strength under her soft fur. It did help that she looked quite intimidating in this form.

The tracks led them to a bubbling stream and not too far away from them was the deer that they’ve been tracking. It was a young buck, drinking off the cool waters. The poor thing would be no match against them but they still need to be cautious in approaching it, a kick to the head would mean death to any wolf. With their prey found, Akari let Sayaka take the lead this time, allowing the Alpha to lead them closer to the buck without it noticing them. Her part was done and she’ll be doing her best to assist in taking down the buck without getting blood on her fur.

They readied themselves for several hours of stalking and scaring their prey but was surprised when Sayaka surged forward, rushing towards the buck with the intent to clamp her jaws around it’s neck. The buck noticed a moment too late, as it let out a pained cry, just before its neck was broken from the sheer force of Sayaka's jaw strength.

Mouth covered in blood, the Namba Alpha dropped the dead animal to the ground, she flicked her tail motioning for someone else to carry on their back, adrenaline was still coursing through her body, along with the taste of blood in her mouth. She was sure the rest of her clan wouldn't mind fresh meat today. Once sure the buck was secured on Airi's back the small hunting group continued on.

Akari was having fun sniffing out and following hidden tracks that no one else could really see, finding the small pack strong and healthy animals with lots of meat on their bones. Much to her dismay, Sayaka insisted that the white shewolf kill something, to bring back to Kei, else she'd had to put up with whining over stealing her mate for a few hours.

Sayaka nudged Akari who was busy trying to wash blood from her fur in a nearby stream. Another flick of her tail signaled they were heading back. This morning's hunt was definitely a blessing of luck for the shewolves. They acquired two adult bucks, a deer along with her newborn fawn, and small family of rabbits. All four of them were carrying something back, some lighter than others.

The other three had expected a hunt that would last half day with the Alpha and were surprised by change in the shewolf’s habit but they were still happy that they finished it quickly and still have time for breakfast.

Sayaka lagged a bit behind as they walked back to the settlement, picking off berries that she’ll take back to her mate. Mayu took this chance to talk to her friend, since they hadn’t had the chance. They’ve been understandably busy for the past week but now things were starting to calm down, Mayu slowed her pace so she could walk beside the Alpha.

“I’m surprised.” She started, making Sayaka pause from her berry gathering.

The Alpha carefully dropped the berries on the pouch she had, making sure that she didn’t pick anything poisonous by accident. “Surprised about what?”

“We didn’t spend the whole day stalking our food in the forest.”

“Miyuki’s hungry so I didn’t want to waste time.” Sayaka explained, gesturing to the pouch and the buck leg she’d torn off. “I’ll bring this to her as soon as we get back to the settlement.”

Mayu didn’t comment about the change in the Alpha’s habit or about how whipped the formidable Alpha was now instead her thoughts went back to last nights events, particularly the shewolf’s announcement. “Before I forget, congratulations! It’s about time something else occupied your time besides ruling Namba and loosen that stick up your ass.”

“I do not have a stick up my ass.” Sayaka grumped, half tempted to slap her friend with the buck leg. “Why do you all say that?”

“You’re a prude. That’s why.” Mayu felt the Alpha’s tail slap her but didn’t say anything else in reply. They let the sound of their footsteps fill the silence between them, their thoughts wandering to more somber things. “The funeral pyre for Aina and the others will be ready tonight. We’ll hold it under one of the Sylvan trees, so the gods will welcome them in the afterlife.”

“How did you find…” Sayaka swallowed hard, unable to finish her question but the other shewolf understood where it led to.

“Not in the prettiest way and not something I would share with anyone.” Mayu shook her head when the Alpha was about to say something. The shewolf recalled the gruesome image of Aina’s dead body, she felt rage bubble within her but she squashed it down. There was nothing they could do now, they’ve avenged Aina and the rogues defeated. “I’d rather that the rest of us remember her before all this mess.”

Ogasawara Mayu was a Diener for Namba, a job that counters the shewolf’s jovial and humorous personality. It wasn’t the worst job to have in Namba but it was still difficult to be the one to prepare the bodies of their fallen friends, to be the last one to see them before being burned at the pyre. Sayaka couldn’t fathom how Mayu still managed to smile and make jokes, if it were she would have fallen into depression with thoughts of death and lost friends. There were other shewolves with that role too but her friend seemed to be the only one who smiles while the rest seem to always have this darkness about them.

“I forgot to ask…” Mayu’s voice interrupted Sayaka from her musings. “I haven’t seen Nana for the past few days. Even from the refugees that just arrived, she wasn’t with them.”

“Ah…” Sayaka uttered, unsure how to answer Mayu’s unspoken question. She had all but forgotten about Nana and her vow with Kei not to mention what had transpired after killing the Rogue Alpha. Still she should have known that this was coming. Nana had been an integral part in making Namba as strong as they are now, being a priestess for the gods and caretaker of the Sylvan’s made her quite influential. So, her absence will be noticed by everyone.

She glanced at Mayu and saw that her friend was patiently waiting for an answer. Sayaka wanted to tell the truth but didn’t want to break her vow. The Alpha was spared from making up a lie when Airi announced that they were near the gates.

“I should go.” Sayaka spoke as the gates opened for them. The mess that she’d seen earlier had been cleaned up somewhat. “I need to take all of these to Miyuki.”

The other three spoke their farewells as Sayaka walked away, avoiding eye contact with Mayu. She felt guilty not being able to tell the truth but she didn’t know exactly what to say. Hopefully, her friend would have forgotten all about it.

--

Miyuki had managed to stand up, a few minutes after Sayaka left. As much as she wanted to lounge around all day and recover, she was curious about her new home. She also needed to clean up the kitchen when Sayaka comes back. The bedroom was in a poor state when she found it and guessed that the rest of the house might be too.

Miyuki had managed to make the kitchen more or less usable when Sayaka returned. Just like the rest of the house, the kitchen was homely. It had the furnishings needed to make it functional but had a little bit of extra touches to make it more useful than just a cooking area. With a little bit of sorting, Miyuki can store many of her herbs here and maybe make a humble stock of medical supplies.

She heard the front door open and close, and Miyuki wiped the counter one last time before moving to greet Sayaka. The smile she had on seeing the shewolf come back left her face when she noted the somber mood Sayaka was in.

“How was the hunt?” Miyuki inquired, watching the shewolf carefully.

“Fruitfull.” The shewolf answered, she showed the human the bag of berries that she’d collected. “Thought you might be hungry, these berries should sate you until I’m done skinning the buck leg I’ve brought.”

“Thank you.” She took the bag and checked to make sure Sayaka didn’t pick any poisonous berries before picking one. Sayaka wasn’t that dumb or careless but there are still certain berries that can be harmful if consumed in large amounts. They were delicious and will sate her until the buck leg was ready to be cooked. “Did anything happen while you were hunting?”

“Not much.” Sayaka started the process of skinning the buckleg while Miyuki leaned against the counter placed in the middle of the kitchen, idly munching on the berries that her shewolf brought. “Mayu, a friend of mine, told me that we’ll have a funeral pyre for Aina tonight and for the others that died during the siege… will you be willing to come with me?”

“Of course.” Miyuki smiled, the gesture made Sayaka’s mood lift a little bit. “I’ll be there if you need me.”

“Thank you.”

Silence took over the kitchen, as the shewolf worked idly, using the her knife to skin the buck's leg. The skin could be used later for something, she didn't quite know yet. Once the meat was to eating standards, she glanced towards the hearth in the kitchen. "Let me start the fire, you can season this. Spices are in the cabinet beside you."

Miyuki nodded, walking slowly towards the table to spice the meat up, she already knew where the spices were from her exploration prior the wolf's return. Pulling out  basic salt and pepper from a cupboard, she noticed few a few unlabeled things as well. She'll ask Sayaka about them later. "Sayaka, did you forget something?"

The shewolf looked back at her mate, a lost look on her face until she remembered. "Your stuff! I can get it right-"

"After breakfast. I'm just glad you managed to remember, but I'll be needing my herbal set as soon as possible." The human spoke, as she finished rubbing the spices into the meat. Just in time to, as Sayaka got the fire started. She’ll need her herbal set to make a salve to ease the soreness between her legs. Miyuki let Sayaka take over once again, as she put the meat carefully on a grill placed over the fire. Making sure it was secured, she backed away with a satisfied smile on her face.

Miyuki approached her with a wet cloth to wipe her hands off with, before tossing it back on the counter. Snaking an arm around her mate, the shewolf pressed a kiss to her forehead. Ever since waking up this morning, Sayaka has felt extra affectionate today. Maybe it was being home, or maybe it was knowing her clan was safe, she didn't really know. But she figured as long as Miyuki was in her arms, everything was good with the world. "You know I love you right? Everything about you "

Miyuki couldn't help herself but to blush, any word of compliment from Sayaka would never fail to make her blush. "I don't know where my usually grumpy wolf has gone, but I certainly don't mind." The smile on her face only widened as Sayaka gazed fondly at her. For once, the human could see positive emotions dancing in the shewolf's eyes, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was how she was before everything happened.

"A dinar for your thoughts?" Sayaka asked, bringing a hand up to move a lock of hair out of her mate's face. She could see the question on Miyuki's face, and to her, she looked adorable.

"It's nothing, I was just wondering," Miyuki trailed off, only to be encouraged to keep going. "Was everything this peaceful before, were you happy before me?"

Before answering, Sayaka simply stole a kiss, it was long and effectively made Miyuki lost for breath. "In a way yes, everything was peaceful before, but I feel like as a clan, Namba has gotten stronger. But as for me, I've never been more happier than before I met you."

Miyuki smiled and returned to watching the meat slowly cooking over the fire, turning it occasionally to make sure that the juices don’t completely fall off. At the peripheral of her vision, she saw Sayaka fidget a bit before moving to sit on the counter. She returned her attention to the meat, turning it again before any of it’s juices could drop off.

“So where did you get this house?” Miyuki asked, breaking the silence between them.

“My parents left it for me. Despite being orphaned, I think they somehow knew that I’ll eventually come back here and wanted to make sure I have a home.” Sayaka explained. “When I arrived with Kei and the others, the former Alpha welcomed us. She showed me this place, told me that it was for me if I ever come back. It used to just be a small cottage but I added more to it, making it more livable and useful. To be honest, I don’t really know why I made this much bigger than it used to, it’s not like I have any other use for it.”

"Maybe you knew one day you'd want to start a family. So without really thinking about it, you made it bigger." Miyuki suggested, noting the smile on shewolf's face at her answer. “How much did you add to this place?”

Sayaka hummed, while glancing around. “It used to be only two rooms. Not counting the room where you come in. Anything past our room was added on later. It took weeks of long work, I remember one day it was snowing really badly, but Kei and I kept at it while everyone else opted out. I didn’t blame them, it was in the middle of winter.”

“Hmm… a clan Alpha, a hunter and now a carpenter. What else can you do?” Miyuki teased, moving to stand between the shewolf’s legs and wrap her arms around Sayaka’s neck.

“Let’s just say…” Sayaka embraced her mate, boldly moving her hands down the human’s butt. “...I have many skills.” The shewolf finished by leaning down for a kiss, her hands happily yet carefully groping her mate.

Before Sayaka could go any further, the sound of the fire hissing made Miyuki pull away. She held back a growl of frustration and grasped the edge of the counter. She had to remind herself that Miyuki hadn’t fully recovered from last night, judging from the way the human was limping. Sayaka will have to hold herself back from doing anything else until her mate gave her permission.

A knock from the front door gave her a reason to do something else other than stare. She muttered about answering it before hopping off the counter. Sayaka didn’t know who would want to visit her home at this time, other than Kei who would probably try to annoy her just because Akari went hunting with her. She won’t be needed by her clan unless something came up with the repairs or some other urgent problem needed her attention.

When she opened the door she was quite surprised to see Kumi and Yuka, the latter one carrying Miyuki’s pack and basket which she guessed was full of food.

“Sayaka!” Kumi cried out happily, falling into the Namba Alpha’s open arms. The excited kitsune buried her face into the shewolf, taking a moment just to absorb her warmth. While she did see her surrogate father last night, they didn’t have a chance to really exchange words, as the wolf was already halfway to being drunk.

“We didn’t see you at the food tent this morning.” Yuka spoke up, after Sayaka let them inside. The kitsune went in ahead and started to explore the house but eventually made her way towards the kitchen. Shouts of joy and excited chatter emanated from the kitchen towards the Alphas. “I figured that we should bring some food along to have lunch with you and Miyuki.”

“And Kumi really misses you both.” Yuka added after a moment.

Sayaka chuckled, Yuka wouldn’t willingly come visit her and Miyuki, not because the Sakae shewolf disliked them but Sayaka is technically Yuka’s in-law and the Namba shewolf felt like it was her duty to make Yuka’s life a nightmare. She was also aware that Yuka had only come here just because Kumi requested it.

“Any plans after we finish up the rebuilding?” Sayaka inquired, opting not to comment how whipped Yuka was. Her gaze shifted down to the bag of Miyuki’s things, and motioned to take it from her. “Not that you’re not welcomed to stay around, but I’m sure the Sato’s are eagerly awaiting your return.”

"Sounds like you wanna kick us out." Yuka joked, before clearing her throat. "We'll be staying for another two weeks, just to make sure there's no regrouping of the rogues around here. Then we'll be out of your hair."

"I see no problem with that. If you need supplies for the journey back, just ask. Least I can do for your help after all." The Namba shewolf shrugged, before heading to her bedroom to drop off Miyuki's things. She was grateful she didn't have any other reason to leave her mate's side for the rest of the day. Making her way back to the kitchen, the shewolf couldn't help but wonder what she walked in on as both Miyuki and Kumi had blushing faces, while Yuka was helping herself to the basket of food.

"Is everything alright?" She finally asked, as the two kept looking at her.

“Nothing’s wrong!” Kumi blurted out. “Congratulations on your bonding! When will you have the ceremony?”

Sayaka notice the swift change of subject and though she was curious on why the two were blushing so hard but decided not ask what shenanigans those two were up to. She wanted to have a stress free day, at least until tonight, so she thought that not pressing for any unwanted answers was the best way to start it. “We haven’t gotten around to talking about it yet but I take it you and Yuka will come when it’s held?”

“Of course we will!” Kumi nodded excitedly, her tails swaying back and forth as if emphasize her excitement. “Maybe we could bring the Sato sisters too and the Matsuis! Miyuki, when would you like to have your bonding ceremony?”

“Hmm…” Miyuki hummed thoughtfully, resting her elbows on the counter while keeping an eye on the roast. Wouldn’t want it to burn while she was daydreaming about her wedding… or rather bonding ceremony. “I think I would like to have it on summer, I want to see what the Sylvan trees look like at that season.”

Sayaka couldn’t help but nod in agreement. The Sylvan’s always looked great around that time of the year, that and early spring when most wake up from their temporary resting stasis from when they hibernate. She leaned forward and listen to the ideas that Miyuki wanted for the bonding ceremony, doing her best to take note of the ones that Miyuki seemed to be really eager about.

--

The morning and afternoon passed by so quickly after Yuka and Kumi left, Miyuki went back to resting, as her legs still felt a bit weak from last night. Sayaka on the other hand was busy checking over their home, and making a mental list of things to repair later on in the week. There were a few rotted pieces of wood from neglect over the past few months. She would occasionally pop her head into the bedroom to check on her mate, only to see that she was still resting.

Glancing outside, she could see it was almost time for the pyre. The thought of it happening caused the shewolf’s mood to drop, but she knew it had to happen. She could only hope every shewolf made it to the eternal hunting grounds with how delayed they were with the process. Carefully sneaking back into the bedroom, she approached her mate, and gently shook her awake. Watching her mate always brought a bit a of peace to Sayaka, she watched as Miyuki’s eyes fluttered open, followed by a yawn as she stretched.

Sayaka wasn’t aware that she spaced off, as she felt her cheek being stroked. Coming back to reality, she tilted to head, and pressed a kiss into her mate’s palm. “It’s time to head for the funeral pyre.” She whispered, reaching out to help Miyuki sit up. “Can you walk?”

Miyuki nodded, before attempting to stand up. Her legs felt a little better, but she still needed a bit more support from her shewolf. “I’ve got you.” Sayaka spoke a moment later, her arm wrapped around her waist. “We’ll take it slow.”

“Thank you.” Miyuki muttered gratefully. She leaned heavily on Sayaka, giving the shewolf whatever comfort she could offer through contact.

They walked quietly towards where the funeral pyre was to happen, the shewolf leading down the river where a Sylvan tree was perched precariously on the bank as it drooped over the bank, it’s leaves almost touching the water. Miyuki would have considered this another beautiful sight but the mournful atmosphere around her only made her see how sad and weary the tree looked.

Along the treeline stood shewolves, waiting for the ceremony to start and allowing those in charge of preparing the pyre work. The shewolves that blocked the path towards the bank parted for Sayaka and Miyuki. They met up with Kei and Akari, the two standing closest to the bank and in front of them, floating in the water were several rafts. Each one had a pyre, ready to be lit and taken away by the current.

The Alpha and the Beta met each other’s gaze before Sayaka broke it, turning around to face that have gathered. She sighted Yuka and Kumi amongst the Sakae crowd, nodding towards them in acknowledgement. “Miyuki, why don’t you and Akari stay with Kumi for a bit.”

“Alright.” Miyuki acquiesced, stepping out of Sayaka’s embrace but kept hold of the shewolf’s hand. Akari kissed the Beta’s cheek, her tail lazily caressing Kei as she walked to stand beside Miyuki. “What are you and Kei going to do?”

“We’ll make just a few prayers and send our sisters home.” Miyuki nodded, finally making her way to Kumi and Yuka. She stumbled a bit but Akari was quick to keep her steady. Sayaka and Kei made their way to the water’s edge.

The priestesses began their prayers using their ancestors tongue. Their voices were low, almost a murmur but the shewolves clearly understood what they were saying. The forest and river seem to come alive, responding to the ancient language that they only hear on such rare occasions or long ago in the past.

Sayaka looked at Keira, leading the chorus. The pup had been Nana’s protege, someone her friend had treated more like a daughter than a student. Now with her friend gone, she’d been forced to take on the role as a High Priestess too soon. She was young, far too young to take on such a heavy burden and should be enjoying her youth instead.

She felt a stab of guilt from inadvertently ruining someone’s life.

“Let’s send them home.” Kei spoke, placing a hand on the Alpha’s shoulder to guide them towards a bonfire by the bank. Two archers were waiting for them, prepping the arrows they need to use to light up the pyres.

Sayaka and Kei each took a bow from the archers just as the priestesses began pushing the rafts off the bank. A eulogy wasn’t needed for this, the scent of tears from those who grieved and the prayers from the priestesses were enough. They nocked the arrows, aiming high before releasing them.

Everyone watched with baited breath as the arrows sailed through the air, before landing on the rafts. The fire began to spread, slowly as the rafts moved further away. They fired arrows two at a time and not once did they ever miss. By the time they had lit the last pyre, Sayaka’s eyes were blurry, barely able to see past the tears welling up in her eyes but still managing to stop them from falling. The last pyre that had been set ablaze was Aina’s and as she watched the raft be taken away by the river she felt the pang of loss in her heart.

She and Kei leaned against each other, arms wrapped around each other’s waist in an attempt to comfort the other. They felt like pups again that Aina would coddle and make sure that they’d eaten when they were on their walkabout together.

The chanting died down, as everyone remained silent. It was the final act before the service was over, where everyone would watch the last raft fade away, the silence was for their respect of their fallen sisters.

Wiping her eyes, Sayaka glanced up at the sky, the sun was nearly gone for the day. By the time the sun was fully down, her sisters would be in the eternal hunting grounds, about to enjoy one of many blissful nights, watching over those still remaining on the ground. Feeling Kei shift, the two turned to face the crowd, they were waiting to be dismissed, and with a nod they slowly began to do so. Kumi and Yuka hesitated in taking their leave but the Sakae Alpha thought better of it, Sayaka might want to be alone with Miyuki right now.

The two continued to stand at the bank, just holding each other, unaware of their mates coming towards them. Only when they were pulled away from each other, and being embraced by their mates did they realize what happened. Sayaka buried her face into Miyuki's neck, hot tears streaming down her face. The human was trying get best to comfort her.

Looking over at Akari, she noticed they were both crying, but Kei was in worse shape than Akari. Both of them were blaming themselves for failing but Miyuki thought that Kei was taking it much harder than Sayaka.

She kissed the top of the shewolf’s head, it wouldn’t do for the rest of Namba to see their Alpha like this. “Let’s go back home and get some rest. Tomorrow is another day for us.”

Sayaka took a deep breath, forcing herself to stop the tears. They waved their goodbye at Akari and Kei though Akari was the only who saw it before leaving.It was time to finally stop the tears, she’d shed enough and there’s no more use in crying. They had nothing to worry about now, except for the little things in their life.