#o&e.

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.