Merrie woke up in agony. She ached from head to ankle, and everywhere between. With a gasp, she tried to curl up, but every muscle screamed out in agony and she slumped back. As she slid along the mattress, dried cum and blood scraped against the countless scratches that covered her body.
A sob tore out of her, but it only came out as a gasping wheeze. She inhaled and winced at the ache in her ribs and the scrape of air against her bruised throat. She exhaled and the pain of simply breathing brought tears to her eyes.
She hurt more than she thought possible. Rakin had used his fists and palms as much as his cock as he raped her. He impaled her ass while shoving her against the bricks. He forced her throat down on the edge of the bed as he pounded her into the bars. She had repeatedly triggered his rage and he took it out on her without mercy. Every time he tried to leave, she forced him to attack and rape her again.
Her pussy and ass burned. She tightened her muscles but gasped as she felt a sharp pain shooting up her spine. It felt like she had been impaled on a sword. Every twitch and pulse of her body ignited more pain. She parted her lips to cry out, painfully aware of how he bruised her mouth with his cruel pounding.
Trembling, she forced her eyes open. Her elbows brushed against her skin and she jerked at the discomfort. She reached up and wiped the dried cum from her face, gasping softly at the rawness around her eyes and cheeks. Globs of semen ran down her face and she rubbed it off before looking around blearily.
The room remained bright and painful, but her eyes had grown accustomed the lack of shadows. Dried blood stained the walls as did his cum. As she focused on them, the memories of how Rakin painted the walls with her body slammed into her.
It took her a second to realize that she didn't see Rakin. Gasping, she sat up with a cry and bit back the scream of agony from moving. She had failed and he left. She shook her head as fresh tears came. He was going to come back with the collar and she would become his slave forever.
She tried to get on her knees, but her legs failed her and she slammed back down on the mattress with a thud. The impact crushed her aching breasts between her body. When she lifted herself from the mattress, there were marks of fresh blood on the stained mattress.
Merrie reached out with her mind, knowing that she couldn't break through the shields. She was desperate to try though, to find some way of finding out if Rakin was coming back with the collar. To her surprise, she caught Rakin's thoughts still in the room.
Her breath coming faster with hope, she crawled toward the edge of the bed. Peeking over the edge, she saw him leaning against the side. His head was slumped back as he stared at the ceiling. His gauntlet was off and his left hand rested on his chest. It was pale with deep scars and burns. In one spot, she could see where a combat spell had melted the muscle inside his arm, leaving nothing but skin wrapped tightly around his bone.
Underneath his arm, his chest rose and fell with ragged gasps. Like her, he struggled to breathe. She knew the scars on his body intimately, they were burned into her mind from hours of fucking, but there were fresh ones on his knuckles, wrists, and knees from where he had mounted her against the bricks.
She inched further over the edge and looked below his arms. His cock was limp against his leg. It was thick and swollen. The veins continued to throb and the entire thing was an angry red. The scent of her pussy rose up from his body and his length glistened with drying juices.
Merrie let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't failed. She glanced up at the door and back down. He was still in the room and she wasn't collared.
She started to gather up energy to force him to fuck her again. The energy sputtered with the dread of being beaten. She couldn't take anymore; he had finally broken her. Her body hurt from the inside, every centimeter and every part. She looked at the bruises along her arms and the scratches the bricks left on her body. She looked like she had been in a war, but her opponent was just as exhausted as she was.
Everything burned but knowing that she prevented him from leaving gave her energy. She shuddered as she tilted herself to the side. The mattress peeled away from her body, ripping the impromptu glue of blood and cum from her skin. She reached down along her bruised and burned breasts to her sex. She wasn't surprise that she was soaked—she was an Alpha—but the skin had gotten so sensitive that even her touch brought a flash of pain. It felt like she had just finished a marathon fuck of a hundred thribans. Her nether lips were hot and painful, but gave no resistance as the tip of her arm slid into them. Pain and pleasure rose up, searing her senses and quickening her breath.
Rakin struggled to his feet with a groan. He swayed for a moment, then headed for the door. “I-I need to go.” His voice cracked with his exhaustion. (I need to get out away from her.)
She shivered at his thoughts. They burned against his skin, flickering with heat and rage but sluggish with the hours of beating and fucking her. His shields had been shattered by her constant provoking. She knew his memories and thoughts as intimately as her master's, a thought that terrified her and brought a fresh surge of power.
She kept her arms between her legs as she looked up at him. Burrowing into her mind, she gathered up her fear and compressed it into a bolt of anger. With a gasp, she forced it into him. It exploded into a storm of anger, setting off the familiar rage.
Rakin stopped and his hands balled into fists. But then he shook his head. “N-No,” he growl, “Not again. We're done.”
Merrie jerked at the word. She straightened up and watched him with confusion. He had never resisted his own anger before. She watched as the energy crackling inside him sputtered; he was denying his very nature and source of his power.
Shuddering, he stepped forward again. His hand shook as he reached for the door.
She gathered up all the anger and despair she could, dredging the depths of her being. The strength of her emotion was pathetic, not even a hundredth of what she could do, but it was all she had remaining inside her broke mind.
Anger blossomed inside his mind, fueling the ever-present hatred. She felt energy crackling in the air as he spun around. But, as he turned, he staggered to the side before he could stop his movement. “No!”
At the sight of him, she gasped. There were dark shadows underneath his eyes. His body was pale and drawn. Even standing up, he was struggling to remain upright.
Curious, she reached out into his mind. She expected to see a storm of hatred and anger raging in his thoughts. But, even with her own magic pushing him to his limits, most of the fervor had dissipated. He was still angry, it fueled every action and every thought, but she had driven him into exhaustion. His stamina had been tapped and he was barely conscious. The only thing keeping him standing was his anger and the need to own her at all costs.
“No more.” He gasped. “I'm leaving now, bitch.”
He turned to open the door. His hand stretched out toward the middle and the runes flickered to life.
Merrie tried to send another bolt of anger, but her spell fizzled out. She had nothing left. She didn't know how many hours he raped her, but she had failed. Despair rose up inside her, turning the bricks around her black. She waited for the pleasure to destroy the darkness, but only pain cut through her body.
Rakin's palm struck the door. The runes flared and then died. With a groan, he planted his other hand on the door frame and tried again. The runes flickered and faded. With a groan, he slumped against the door. “Damn the gods.”
Her ears perked up as she watched him. It was the only part of her that was merely in pain instead of agony.
Rakin turned around and leaned against the door. “How did you do it? I don't even have enough to open the damned door.” He groaned and pushed himself away from the door. Inside his mind, the anger began to rise up again and she watched magic coursing along his body. “Is that what you want? To keep me in here with you?”
His bare feet smacked on the bricks. He lurched forward and caught himself. When he looked up with bloodshot eyes, there was a flicker of the anger that drove him. “Why? What are you doing?”
Merrie gulped to ease the tightness in her throat, but it felt like sand scraping down to her stomach. She shook as she forced herself on her knees and spread her legs. It was agony to settle down, but she didn't stop until her wrists returned to her collarbone and she opened her mouth.
Her bark was more of a gasp, but it was loud in the tiny brick room.
He shook his head. “No. No more fucking, no more begging.” He wheezed as he took a deep breath. “No more beating and no more punishments.” Rakin's voice was dull and listless. His eyes drooped as he leaned back against the door.
Merrie stared at him and he stared back at her. Every part of her body ached, but she was still conscious. She could feel his anger, but the flames of hatred were banked with exhaustion.
The idea of being tortured sickened her, but she realized they were both almost to the point of cracking. If she broke, she would become his slave forever. If he did, she… she didn't know what would happen. The only thing she knew was that if he left the room, she would also become his slave. Every path but one ended in the same place, an eternity of torment.
She dropped to the bed and crawled off it. Her legs didn't quite move, but she pulled herself onto the bricks. As her weight shoved her into the sharpness, she shuddered but lifted her gaze to the man who raped her.
“What are you doing?”
Merrie crawled toward him, her left arm barely able to handle her weight. It was agony with the bricks scraping her knees and her exhaustion dragging her down. Even her tail hung down against her buttocks, the hair scraping against her sensitive pussy and thighs.
“Stop,” Rakin said. His face grew pale as she crawled toward him. She felt fear around her as he stood up straighter.
She almost gave up and dropped to the ground, but somehow she managed to crawl in front of him. Settling down, she forced her knees apart. Scabs tore open as she settled down and looked up at him. With a gasping bark, she brought her wrists up and begged again.
“N-No.” He said, his voice cracking. When she didn't move, he lifted his hand. It came down, slapping her across the face. The agony was intense against her other injuries.
She sobbed from the pain and slumped to the side. His blow opened cuts in her face. Droplets of blood splattered down on the bricks. It sank down into the mortar. She fought against the pain and her desire to crawl into a ball. With a whimper, she got back into a begging position.
(Not again!) He slapped her again, throwing his entire weight into the blow. As she was slammed into ground, he dropped to his knees. She felt the pain bursting across his thoughts, it provoked his own anger. (I have to get away from her. I have to leave!)
Rakin staggered back to his feet, his hand dripping with blood. As he straightened up, he was shaking violently. He looked down at her with glazed eyes and shook his head. “S-Stay.”
Merrie cringed, waiting for the rush of the command but it never came. She inhaled sharply and looked up at him. He couldn't dominate her, not with his exhaustion.
Rakin's eyes opened wider. “D-Down.”
There was no rush to obey, no thrill of submission. She forced herself back to her knees and barked.
He slapped her. The blow left stars across her vision but she remained on her knees. She cringed at the burning on her cheek and the drip of blood running down her breasts. Tensing up, she took a deep breath and barked again. She reached down inside her, to the very core of her being. It was the liquid sexuality that fueled her soul. It was the very nature of her submission and lust. Pulling on it, she brought it up in her mind and let it radiate from her body.
Rakin's cock twitched and he groaned in pain. Shaking hands came down to cover his length and he shook his head violently. “No!” He glared down at her. “Don't you dare.”
Merrie arched her back, lifting her bruised and battered breasts closer. Her nipples grew harder with the idea of submission and the anticipation of him beating her once again. No matter what happened, she couldn't give up. Even if her insides were torn open and she was bleeding to death.
Rakin exhaled, a gasping noise that threatened to turn into a growl. Even though he was exhausted, she could feel him pulling on his own core of power, the source of his magic and his endless hatred.
She didn't know which one would survive, her lust or his anger, but she had nothing left to lose. Gulping at her dry throat, she nuzzled his fingers with her nose. As their skin touched, she sent a bolt of lust searing through his senses.
He froze as pain blossomed from his responding cock. It raised his anger and power flowed through him. “I said stop!” He yanked his hand from his crotch and backhanded her.
The world exploded into sharp agony as she was thrown across the room. The remnants of his strength spell flared along the bricks behind him. The energy was golden streaked with red. Merrie cried out as she forced herself off the wall, ignoring the fresh trickle of blood that poured down the side of her head.
“Stop!”
She shuddered at the command, a flicker of lust rising up. She clung to it as she got back into a begging position. As soon as she brought her wrists up, she barked and sent out a pulse of exhausted lust.
Rakin stormed over, his hand rising up. Magic coursed along his body as golden red flames rose up. The heat burned against her skin and she recognized the patterns of a strength spell. Along with it was the insanity of his rage, the self control shattering with his exhaustion.
Merrie's breath caught in her throat. He wasn't pulling back his blow and she was barely able to stand, much less resist another strike.
The world slowed down as he came down, the magic blinding her.
Something snapped inside her. The despair rose up and she was moving before her mind recognized the reaction.
With speed she didn't knew she had, she leaned forward and bit his cock with all her flagging strength. It wasn't a solid bite and she missed the veins, but a flood of blood splattered against the back of her throat.
The response was immediate. Rakin stumbled back and lost his balance. With a scream, he crashed into the floor. His eyes glowed red as he surged back to his feet. “You bitch!”
A second later, he slammed her into the wall again. The bricks tore at her face and body as she slid down. Before she hit the ground, he grabbed her hair and threw her across the room again.
Merrie's body crunched against the wall and she plummeted to the ground. The impact drove the air out of her lungs. Gaping for air, she watched as Rakin sprint across the room after her. His entire body glowed with magic, the flames licking the air and smoke rising up from him.
As he knelt down to grab her by her breast, she snapped out and bit down on his arm. Her teeth pierced flesh as she bore all of her strength into hurting him.
Rakin snarled and jammed his hands into her chest. His fingers burned her skin as he yanked her up by her tit and pulled her up. Throwing her against the wall, he grabbed her head and slammed her face-first into the wall.
Merrie's scream was interrupted by the crunch of her nose. She flailed at the wall but Rakin yanked her back. With a grunt, he slammed her forward again.
As the bricks rushed toward her, Merrie dug into her soul and used the growing fear for a domination spell. The runes exploded across her vision and then burst out from her mind.
The psionic spell tore apart Rakin's ragged shields and plunged into his mind. He stopped with her bleeding nose millimeters from the sharp brick wall. His entire body shook with the effort to crush her.
“N-No,” he growled and the anger rose up. It tore at her spell, breaking it apart.
Merrie dug deeper, pulling on the dark cloud of despair and fear that filled her. It came from the hole in her soul but it was power. The bricks in front of her turned black as she reinforced her spell.
Rakin snarled, his body trembling as he strained to crush her against the wall. His anger boiled out of his mind. It burned her own thoughts as the bricks in front of them swirled from black to red.
She fought back, pumping more of herself into the spell until the world lost its color and the painfully familiar despair coursed through her veins. There was no pleasure to dissipate the despair.
Her emotions slammed into Rakin's endless rage. The room became a storm of black and red as both of them threw themselves into the spell.
(I will not lose to her!) His thoughts were a brand against her mind. He was as clear as any other submissive; his dominance over her had been broken.
Merrie retreated deeper into her mind. She barely had enough to keep going, but she dug deeper until she reached the darkness in her soul, the hole left by her master. Yanking it up, she felt part of her life slipping away as she slammed it into Rakin.
She didn't bother fueling her spell, but poured the black despair directly into his storm of rage. It howled inside both of their minds, tearing their thoughts and shredding their memories.
They both screamed in agony, their hoarse voices filling the room. Merrie felt her vocal cords tearing and the taste of copper poured down her throat. She couldn't feel anything but rage, but she couldn't give up. She could never surrender to him.
(Never! I cannot lose!?) His thoughts cracked and she felt fear tainting his thoughts. His anger sputtered for the briefest of moments before the rage burned away his fear. (I'm her real master!)
Merrie's eyes snapped open. She stared into the eyes of her rapist and realized she had one last weapon again him.
She remembered her true master. She recalled the look as he reached out for her, his body burning away because Rakin had killed him. She focused on the agony she felt as her soul ripped. The blackness that filled her as she screamed out for him, her vocal cords ripping and blood pouring out of every hole in her body. She took every memory of that horrible night and threw it at Rakin.
He froze, his eyes growing wide. His breath stopped in his lungs as he realized what was happening. He had no more shields, no defenses against her. The intimate brutality and exhaustion had brought them too close and she clung to it with everything she had.
He dropped to his knees with a crunch but he didn't flinch. Instead, his eyes glazed over as the rage inside him fought desperately against the endless horror that Merrie had lived through that night. It flared like a candle in the dark, burning bright for one painful moment.
The room and his mind plunged into darkness. The light was still there, but every brick had turned to the blackest of nights.
Merrie felt her despair pouring out of her and Rakin's mind cracking as it tried to take it all in. His eyes rolled back and his skin paled as the memories ripped apart his life.
(You want to be my master?) Her thoughts were dripping with the despair that almost consumed her life and the anger toward the man who killed her master. (You want to bind your soul to mine!? Then have it! Take what's in my heart!)
She shoved every memory of that night into him, pouring it in until it spilled out of his consciousness and sank deep into his soul. She felt his spirit corroding from the onslaught of her memories.
Rakin's mouth opened as he tried to fight back and find some way of saving himself. His thoughts shattered in the darkness and there wasn't even a light left in his mind. His thoughts crumbled into insanity and she gathered up the worst of her pain to destroy him forever.
Tamin's presence slammed into her. (Alpha!)
The bright flash of her pack disrupted her memories. She tried to cling to it, to slaughter Rakin, but then a wave of compassion, love, and concern filled her. It poured into her and soothed over the aches and exhaustion.
Her domination spell faded and both she and Rakin dropped to the ground. She landed against the brick, unable to stop her momentum until her forehead slammed into the floor. She let out a long sob from her ruined throat.
Behind her, Rakin crumbled to the bricks with a groan. The coppery stench of blood filled the air along with the scorched smell of magic.
Struggling to breath, Merrie pushed herself off the wall and staggered to her wrists and knees. Turning around, she looked at the man who kidnapped her.
Rakin had one hand on his crotch, squeezing down as blood oozed from between his fingers. His eyes were deep and sunken as he looked at her. There was no anger left in his eyes, just a dull look of a broken man. But, his mind had survived. She could fell coherent thoughts rising up through the devastated remains.
She limped to him, looking down at the man she feared. She knew the spell that would destroy his soul forever. It hovered over the edge of her mind and the shield protecting the room had been destroyed between their final struggle.
“K-Kill me,” blood flecked Rakin's lips. “I can't stop you.”
She delved into his mind and found only a wasteland. No rage stormed in his thoughts. No magic flowed through his veins. He was an empty shell of man. The source of his power was gone and she knew there was nothing else she could do. (No.)
His raspy inhale filled the room. “Your voice. I forgot how it s-sounded. But, you aren't crying. I always dreamed I'd hear you cry.”
Merrie turned away and crawled to the door. As she reached it, she plunged herself back into his mind and pulled out the spell to unlock it. He let out a soft cry as she ripped it from his mind. Using a fraction of Tamin's energy that now flowed through the shadowy leash, she cast it and pressed her severed arm against the door.
Bolts clicked and the door swung open. She looked down an empty hallway and felt a strange sense of relief.
“You're just leaving?”
(Yes,) she said. She could still feel her despair in her soul, the aching hole left by her master. But, his rage had burned it over, sealing it behind a scab. She knew it was there, but it no longer raged just inside her control. Like Rakin, she had been burned clean by their final fight. She looked over her shoulder, her bloody hair sticking to her face. (You will never be my master.)
Rakin curled into a ball, clutching his privates as his sweat- and blood-soaked body shook violently.
It took twenty minutes to crawl down the hallway to the stairs at the far end. She left behind a trail of blood and cum, the crimson splattered echoing loudly against the brick walls. The floor cut at her body, but it was small pains compared to the agony that had tortured her.
As she reached the end of the hallway, the connection between her and Tamin grew stronger. (I'm coming for you, Alpha, and I will kill anyone between me and you.)
Merrie smiled with pride and sent a pulse of affection down the connection. With a groan, she forced herself up on the stair and began the long painful climb up. Every movement was agony and every step a mountain, but she finally reached the top. She came out into a training room that looked like the Puppy Mill's. Cages of various sizes were on one wall. On the other, whips and chains hung from their spot.
She could feel Rakin's passion in the arrangement. He lavished attention on this room, fantasizing about every thing he would do to her. She knew each whip intimately, having been tortured in his mind in a thousand fantasies. The chains, the manacles, and even the knives had left their mark in her memories.
As she limped toward the center of the room, she heard the sounds of combat. The floor shook from an explosion and the chandelier above her swayed dangerously. Smell of smoke and fire drifted around her and she smiled. Scorch had survived.
(Tamin, is Nir safe?)
Tamin's thoughts were colored with blood and violence as he finished tearing the stomach out of a guard. (Badly injured but safe. Kirin has been watching over her the last few days.)
(Days?) She could barely dredge up enough energy to be surprised.
(Four since the night you were taken from me. Four lonely nights of us hunting for any sign of you.)
(How did you find me? I couldn't reach out.)
(Your connection drew me close and then I went to where the Shadows fear not tread. The Lords were circling and I just followed the death and dark.) Love radiated through the connection, followed by a brief flash of anger.
A scream echoed down the hall before it ended abruptly. At the far end of the room was an open door. Six men rushed past, their swords out and wearing Rakin's colors.
She projected the image to Tamin.
(I see them, Alpha. They are about to die.)
“Surprise!” cheered Elf, the large man's voice high-pitched and excited. A howling filled the hall.
One of the guards ran past as a swarm of obsidian butterflies punched through his body in a bursts of blood. Each one was as black as night and sparkling with thousands of different colors. His scream echoed loudly as his body was shredded and he fell to the ground in a bloody heap. His head exploded before it struck the ground and a shower of bloody butterflies continued down the hall.
A moment later, three guards backed into view. They were cowering behind shields as the obsidian butterflies poured against them. There was a flash of brilliant white as an energy whip sliced through the wall of the training room and curled around the shield of the nearest man. He fell back as his upper chest slid from his bottom.
The second dropped as Tamin appeared from behind him in a burst of shadows. He took out the man's knee as her cloak exploded from his back in two giant wings before clamping down on the third man's chest. His scream ended abruptly as the cloak poured into his mouth and burst out of his stomach.
The hound and her cloak were racing into the room before the bodies hit the ground.
Merrie smiled, tears burning her eyes, and pulled herself into a begging position. It was agony, but knowing her pack was there gave her strength.
Tamin radiated love and relief as he skidded to a halt. He was covered in blood and gore as he panted. Then, as gentle as a puppy, he reached over and pressed his head against her shoulder. (I love you, Alpha.) With his touch, she felt him take her pain and the sharp agonies slipped away.
She gasped at the relief and tears ran down her face.
Her cloak slipped around her, wrapping back around her back but fluttering to avoid touching her injuries.
Scorch ran past the door, his body surrounded by white flames. A heartbeat later, he called out, “Bitch!? Turn around!”
He slammed into Elf as the two collided into the door frame. Merrie saw a flash of an eye patch as the fire mage fell to the ground.
Elf managed to remain standing. Multi-color butterflies spun around him as he peered into the room. His small, strap-on wings, fluttered as he hopped into the room. “Bitchy! Bitchy!”
Stepping into sight, Pristine leaned over and helped Scorch up. She was dressed in her normal leathers, but held a brightly glowing whip in her hand. She glanced up and snapped out her hand. The whip sliced through the wall and there was a thud of a body hitting the ground.
Merrie leaned into Tamin and let out a sigh.
Elf slid to a halt. His eyes were wide for a moment and she felt a pang of despair fill him. He sighed and reached out to stroke her, but pulled back. “Oh, honey. He hurt you. That bad man hurt you. Just tell me where he is and Elfie will take care of him.”
With a nod, Merrie reached out for Tamin. He opened himself up and she drew power from him. With a shiver, she transformed into a hound and back into a human. As the fur stripped off, the scratches faded into her skin and the worst of her cuts scabbed over.
(Again, Alpha,) ordered Tamin, his protective thoughts pushing her to transform again with a thrill of obedience.
Her body rippled between hound and human five more times before the injuries ceased to heal. The aches and pains remained, but they were no longer the bloody gashes that covered her body. She was covered in scratches, but her nose was no longer broken and the sharp pains in her sex had faded into an ache.
Scorch stopped in front of her. There were tears in his one good eye. His other was covered in a patch. Sword slashes and magic burns covering his body. But the injures didn't look fresh and she could sense magical healing seeping through his veins. He smiled and crouched down in front of her. “We're suppose to be saving you.”
Exhausted, Merrie could only cock her head and give him a sheepish whine.
Pristine rested her hand on Scorch's shoulder. “Where is Rakin?”
Tamin responded with her thoughts, standing up and heading toward the stairs leading into the basement and her cell. He growled as he peered down into the darkness.
Pristine and Scorch were already moving toward it.
Elf stroked her cheek. “Is he alive, sweetie?”
Merrie barked.
“Not for long,” growl Scorch. Flames burned along his body as he wrapped himself in fire magic.
Merrie looked over her shoulder as Scorch started down the stairs. The walls glowed from his flames. They would kill Rakin and then it would be over. She thought about Jacir and Bass, both who had their lives devastated by the man bleeding to death on the ground of her cell. It would all be over in a flash of heat and screaming.
It was Jacir's memory that pushed her into action. For hours, she let him beat her as he struggled to find closure with the loss of his love. If it wasn't for those hours of submission that she would have never had the strength to keep Rakin in the room. But, no matter how many times he fantasied about Pris dying, it was that one memory of Rakin laughing about murdering Pris that Merrie could never erase. And if Scorch killed him, she could never heal that last burning memory.
Her eyes flickered to the side to Tamin. The hound nodded and stepped into the Shadows. Almost instantly, he came back across in the middle of the stairs and blocked Scorch.
Scorch stopped in mid-step. “What? Move out of the way! I'm going to kill him.”
Merrie and Tamin growled at the same time, the vibrations from their chest filling the room and hallway. She almost fell as she turned around to look at the flames filling the stairwell.
“Bitch! Move your damn dog!”
She shook her head.
Tamin stepped forward, but Scorch responded by drawing the flames to him. The heat poured out of the stairs.
Pristine stepped back, sweat prickling her brow. “Bitch? What is going on?” She looked back at Merrie with a confused look.
(Don't kill him.)
Both Pristine and Elf jerked at her thoughts.
Scorch's anger rose up and the flames poured out of the stairwell. “Like the hells I won't. He hurt my Nir!”
Tamin held his ground, but he had to look away as the flames licked his fur.
(Don't!) Merrie's domination spell slammed into Scorch.
There was a thud and the flames died out. A second later, Scorch's much calmer and confused voice drifted up the stairs. “Why am I sitting?”
Elf stood up and headed toward the stairs. “We aren't killing him, Scorchy-poo.”
“Why not?” Scorch's anger returned, “He attacked Nir… the guild.”
Elf glanced at Pristine who reluctantly nodded. He leaned and spoke down the stairs. “Because Bitchy must have beaten him. You know the laws. If we don't catch him attacking the guild, we can't legally kill him.”
“This is Rakin!” Scorch stormed up the stairs. “This guy weasels out of everything thrown at him. He managed to attack us after the bastard lost his money, his county, everything. If we throw him in jail, he's going to bribe or sneak out. Kill him now, before he gets away!”
Elf shook his head and held out his hands. “It's the law, Scorchy.”
“Fuck the law! I'm killing him—”
Merrie reached out and gripped Scorch's mind. With a sigh, she clamped down on his thoughts and sent him into unconsciousness.
Scorch's eyes rolled into his head and he crumbled to the ground. Before he fell back into the stairs, Tamin caught him and held him up.
Elf smirked and looked away.
“Bitch,” warned Pristine, “we do not dominate our friends.”
Ears drooping, Merrie lowered her head and whined. She released Scorch and woke him up.
Scorch groaned and sat up. “Did Bitch just knock me out?”
Elf patted him on the shoulder. “Yes, honey, but you weren't listening. And this is Bitchy's choice, not yours.”
Pristine stepped around both men and knelt down in front of Merrie. “Are you sure? Really sure? Rakin doesn't fear the legal system. You'll be letting him go if we arrest him.”
Merrie reached out for Rakin. He was alive, but barely. She could feel his broken, shattered thoughts as he focused on clutching his ruined crotch. He had no more anger, no more rage.
She focused on Pristine and barked.