Merrie sat a block away from Lady Anasome's perfume shop and watched the street warily. Her cloak fluttered around her, the black shadow caressing her skin as the warm air streamed along her naked body. She had healed her injuries with transformation, but her skin still felt raw from the battle, as did her mind.
She had already forgotten parts of the battle and the blank spots bothered her. There was no reason she should have forgotten anything but whenever she or Tamin tried to recall the fight, there were hazy patches. She remembered ripping out throats and disemboweling her mercenaries, guards, and paladins. The fight was Sable dominated her mind, both in surprise that she held her own, but also the ferocity that the two alphas attacked each other. She hated Sable as much as she hated Bass.
But, what happened during those blank moment? Why didn't she chase down Bass and slaughter him as he ran? She couldn't remember and it frustrated her far more than the blank memories she experienced every time she went into Lady Anasome's store.
Tamin was out hunting for Bass and Sable, moving from shadow to shadow for some hint of the elusive rapist and murderer. Merrie could feel his attention and anger in the back of her mind, but they both knew it was a useless gesture. Bass was gone, no doubt fleeing back to Blood County.
Haviston also escaped. Elf handed him to the guards with the remains of his arm and the same warning, but less than an hour later, the psychic was gone.
The recent and public kidnapping had set the city on fire. Gossip poured down the roads, building up the attack into epic proportions and the news posters reflected the mood: Lady Anasome's terror, a fallen paladin declaring war on Lemetri, the corruption of good, and the gathering promise of war.
The paladins of Lemetri were the loudest as they publicly and repeatedly declared their intent to hunt down Bass and rid the world of the vile menace. She noticed they made no notice of which goddess Bass used to follow. Only that he was evil incarnate. To the north of the city, the paladins had set up a camp as they gathered paladins from all corners of Franome. Rumors said they were building an army a thousand men strong. It would take weeks to gather, but months to travel to Blood County. In response, money and gifts poured into the coffers of the church to fund their holy war, far more than it would take to wipe out a single mill in the furthest corner of the country.
Merrie felt joy in knowing that Bass would be killed once and for all. But, she didn't understand the guilty feeling that followed with her excitement. Something was wrong and she couldn't figure out what. There was something hidden in her thoughts and nothing she did seemed to answer the gaps in her memories.
She crouched over the edge of the roof. Her breasts scraped along the slate tiles and she shifted her body to drag her hard nipples along the rough edges. Peering over the edge, she looked at the two Resolutes trying to stand discretely in the shadows. It was hard not to attract attention while wearing the green, plate armor of the royal knights. Children and bystanders stood and stared at them.
Merrie shook her head and peered down the street. There were other Resolutes on the street surrounding the perfume shop, but she wasn't worried about those knights.
Loyal Alestri stood right at the entrance of the shop, her back straight and her spear firmly planted on the ground. She made no movement, she didn't twitch, nor did she even take a break. For ten hours the Loyal had been guarding the front of the store.
The business at the perfume store suffered at first until Lady Anasome had sharp words with the Loyal. Unlike anyone outside of the royal family, the Loyal responded. Alestri reluctantly moved a meter over and no further. The short distance was enough and soon there was a steady stream of customers lured by Lady Anasome's trials and the obvious protection of the Royal Family. Everyone knew that Lady Anasome danced in the high society circles, but it wasn't until the Loyal themselves guarded her from door that they realized how much influence she actually had. Seeing the lady ordering Alestri around also sent ripples of surprise and gossip down the streets.
Merrie needed to ask Lady Anasome and Rose what happened. The two perfumers had her answers, but Merrie couldn't find the opportunity to ask. The previous night, she tried to slip in, but the Loyal blocked her way with a shake of her head and a slam of her spear. The message was clear, Alestri would not let her into the store. There were secrets that needed to be kept and Merrie's relationship with Lady Anasome was one of them.
Reluctantly, she withdrew back to the shadows and waited. The need for answers burned brightly in her mind. She wanted to know why there were blank spots in her memories.
About midnight, long after the store closed, the front door opened and Rose stepped out. The young woman wore the same outfit as before: black shirt, black pants, slippers, and matching gloves. Merrie knew that she had dozens of identical outfits and Lady Anasome was obsessive about cleaning every scent from the fabric, but it gave a sense of timelessness to both the lady and her assistant.
In the two days since the fight, the physical scrapes and bruises had been healed by high society's finest healers, but Merrie could feel the damage still in her thoughts. The same scene replayed in her head, of that moment when Rose failed to save Lady Anasome. It was a constant background buzz, filled with guilt and regret.
Merrie understood it in a way no one else would. Rose was a beta and the same desire drove Merrie's, Sable's, and Dixie's actions. The only difference is that Rose's nature was just awakening and the attack on Lady Anasome would only further her descent into submission and protectiveness.
Ears drooping, Merrie wished she knew what to do. She wanted to protect Rose and shield her from ever bonding, but she could feel the power rising up inside the slender woman. There would be great joy in Rose's life and it was obvious who would be her mistress: Lady Anasome.
A thought of Rose on her hands and knees brought a smile to her lips. Merrie's tail wagged as she flowed over a street to the opposing roof. Her knees made no noise along clay tiles as she wound around flower pots and over a corroded gargoyle. Her breasts swung with her movement, thumping against the collar. (Hello, Rose.)
Below, Rose hesitated for only the shortest heartbeat before relief flooded through her mind. (Oh, Merrie!) And then regret began to leak into her thoughts as she remembered Merrie slaughtering the men trying to kill her and defending her lady.
Merrie sent a wave of comfort and love. (I see you have an audience.)
(I hate them. I hate that everyone is treating both of us like glass figurines now.) And then more guilt. (The Lady is okay with it, she's used to shifting the attention and keeping it from becoming a frenzy. But everyone treats me like a little girl. They go on about how dreadful it was that he kidnapped me and I should be thankful that I wasn't raped and murdered.)
In response, Merrie's anger began to bubble up remembering what Bass had done to her.
(It's Bass! I've known him since I was six years old. He is the sweetest man I have ever known. He wouldn't hurt me. He's like an uncle to me!)
Merrie's heart skipped a beat at the strength of Rose's affection toward Bass. There was something wrong (But…) She frowned and shook her head even though Rose couldn't see her. (He kidnaps women and rapes them. Rips off their arms and legs before—)
(You still don't remember, do you?)
The quiet, sad thought halted Merrie's tirade in an instant. (Remember?) She peeked over the edge of the roof to peer down at Rose below her. (Remember what?)
(You never remember, you know that?)
Merrie remembered the blank spots in her memory. (How do you know about that?)
(Merrie, you don't remember visiting the store, do you?)
Sadness filled Merrie. (No, but I can't figure out why.)
(I wish… I could show you. But, you don't remember unless…) An idea blossomed across Rose's thoughts, of an almost empty glass bottle in a steel cage. (I know!) And then guilt. (No, the Lady would kill me if I did that.)
(Did what?)
Rose stopped walking as her thoughts withdrew.
Behind her, the Resolutes came to a rattling stop. “Is there something wrong, madam?” asked one of them, a female.
(Merrie?)
Merrie's ears perked up at the hopeful tone in Rose's thoughts. (Yes?)
(If I get something, will you get me away from these knights? I want to talk to you in private… in person, not with my head.) With the thoughts came an image of a house for sale about a quarter mile away. It was a friend of Lady Anasome's old place, before his wife left him for another man; he was selling it to move to another city and purge the memories. (There? It's important.)
Merrie agreed. (Be careful, the Loyal knows when I use telepathy.)
Rose turned around to speak to the Resolute who spoke to her. “Sorry, I forgot something in the store. Can we go back?”
“No problem, madam.”
Cheeks flushed, Rose hurried back to the store with Merrie and the knights following. Her movements were nervous and jerky, but it was the storm of thoughts in her head that worried Merrie. There were images of the fight but other scenes, hundreds of them blurring in a mix too fast for her to focus. Merrie knew she could pull them out, but she didn't. She would find out soon enough what Rose wanted. Reluctantly, she withdrew her thoughts entirely so the Loyal couldn't detect her.
At the store, Rose ducked her head as she walked past Alestri and headed into the store. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Merrie waited for her to return. Seconds turned into minutes and then into an hour.
Merrie whimpered and settled down, her breath coming slowly as she waited. The seconds passed by with little ticks of her spell, reminding her of every moment closer she was to finding out the answers that haunted her.
Almost two hours later, Rose came out of the story. The blush on her cheeks was redder and her breath came in short pants. “S-Sorry,” she stammered as she clutched her canvas bag tightly to her chest. Her small breasts were barely visible under the canvas strap as she almost raced down the stairs.
The two knights followed as gracefully as they could, their armor scraping and clanking as they moved.
Merrie watched Alestri for a long moment, even after Rose was gone. The Loyal made no movement, no hint of anything besides standing at the door. Her armor was quiet, just the throb of protective magics that scared Merrie more than she could understand.
Holding her breath, she crawled to the far side of the roof and then transformed into a shadow. A rush of excitement filled her as her body flowed along the roofs and walls of houses and stores. She caressed along people, feeling their secret desires as she passed.
Too soon, she caught up to Rose who continued to rush down the road as she took the long way toward her destination. Merrie remained a shadow as she focused on the two Resolutes. They were powerful fighters and mages, but they didn't have the protections of the Loyals. With delicate fingers, she slipped into their shields and wove their thoughts into a domination and illusion spell.
The two knights slowed and came to a stop. In their mind, Rose had slowed down to a graceful walk as she headed for a park. They followed, seeing nothing out of the ordinary besides an apprentice who had a near-death experience with an immoral murderer.
Merrie pulled away and flowed up along the roofs again, dancing from peak to peak. (Your knights are gone.)
Rose's relief was palatable. (Thank you. Sorry that took so long, I needed to help the Lady go to bed.) Images of Rose helping Lady Anasome bath and dress flashed by, wrapped in a tight affection that brought a blush to Rose's cheeks.
With a smile, Merrie sent a wave of comfort and trailed after Rose, looking for any signs of more Resolutes or the Loyal following. After almost twenty minutes of walking, they reached the abandoned house. Merrie stepped across the Shadows to unlock the door from the inside and let Rose it.
“I feel naughty,” whispered Rose as she headed for a room near the center of the house. It used to be a library, but now the empty shelves were a reminder of a bitter divorce with only a handful of discarded books laying on the bare wood.
Merrie solidified in the dark corner and stepped into the room. Curls of dust rose around her. (I like places like these, they are peaceful. The darkness talk to me in places like this.)
Rose giggled nervously and carefully set down her bag. “Lady Anasome is going to kill me if she catches us, but I need you to remember something.”
Padding up to Rose, Merrie sat down on the ground.
Glancing at her, Rose blushed. “C-Could you put the cloak around you? You're kind of distracting.” Merrie could feel a latent sexuality boiling as Rose struggled with her growing affection and lust with Lady Anasome.
Merrie's cloak responded to her will, wrapping around her body and clothing it in pitch darkness. It tightened comfortingly around her but let the heavy metal collar free to press against her chest. She shivered at the sensation, still not used to the rush of energy that came with every thought of her bondage to herself.
“Thank you. Lady Anasome doesn't like it when I get excited and I'm…” she gulped as a flash of lust rose in her thoughts, “I'm not saying I want you, but…”
Merrie smiled and resisted the urge to wiggle her hips to inflame the young woman's lust. They weren't in the house for sex, but something else. (Remember what?)
“Oh, this.” Rose dug into the bag and Merrie's heart began to thump louder. She could feel the anticipation rising in the air. It came as a tingling along her skin, pooling in her stomach with the flutters of nervousness.
The young woman pulled out a plain looking bottle. There was no label and there was less than a centimeter's worth of liquid on the bottle.
Merrie had never seen it before, but something inside her responded to it. It was familiar as a dream that she couldn't remember. A soft moan rose in her throat and her tail began to wag. (What is it?)
Rose smiled bashfully. “Just remember first, okay?” She slid off the top and spritzed it in front of Merrie.
The mist of perfume enveloped Merrie and the world stopped. It was Crystalline Rose and the memories came rushing back, not of the rapist and the bitch but of loving Bass, Borias, and the others. She remembered the joy of submission and learning that she was more than just a kidnapped woman. She inhaled as more memories came, slamming into her with brutal clarity. There were no blank spots anymore, just the pure exhilaration of becoming who she was.
Merrie realized she was crying. Sniffing, she rubbed her cheek and looked at the glistening droplets that clung to her cropped wrist. (W-What?)
Rose had tears in her eyes. “Every time. It hurts so much to see you remembering and… forgetting.” She spritzed the bottle again.
(I remember,) sobbed Merrie. She didn't want to forget the joy that burned in her heart. And now she understood why she felt guilty every time she wished Bass dead or tortured. The emotions were laid bare and there was nothing she could avoid experiencing them once again.
“I-I know.”
Merrie had tried a thousand ways to remember the joy when the perfume faded. She had Lady Anasome write it down, but her eyes no longer saw the page. She tried to have them repeat it, but the words fell on deaf ears. Haviston's compulsion had dug itself deep into her mind, wrapping into her very being. It was in the seal over her despair, wrapped in the remains of Kine's bond, and it reached even into her forgotten memories. It had grown with her, matching her power and never giving her any escape.
Crystalline claws reached up and began to tear apart the joy.
Rose gasped and spritzed the perfume again. “Sorry. Your eyes turn color when you start to forget.”
(They do?)
“Yes,” Rose smiled. “They are bright blue when you remember and a dull gray when you don't. But, I needed you to remember. Okay?” She spritzed the bottle again. “I need an answer, an honest answer.”
Merrie fought the fear that she would lose everything. She panted with soft whines as she nodded.
“What is happening to me?”
With a start, Merrie started to ask a question, but then Rose was struggling to remember a memory. It bubbled up through her thoughts and Merrie sank into it.
Bass fought against the three paladins with his two-handed sword. The cafe around them had been destroyed with the four armored figures moving around. Hundreds of swords were embedded in the stone, walls, and even the sign above her. She didn't know where they came from, everything was moving too fast for her to focus.
Her Lady was in danger. More than once, one of the warrior's swords came swinging toward her and a strange tingling coursed over her skin. She wanted to reach out, but she couldn't. Fear gripped her heart and so did regret. She begged her body to respond, but she was helpless to defend the one woman who mattered more than life or death.
If it wasn't for Sable, Lady Anasome would have died. The naked woman who Rose always thought as just a playful girl had transformed into an armored hound and was fighting right next to Bass, moving with power and grace. Something flashed between them, a connection of some sort, that energy flowed back and forth with flashes of power. Every time she tried to focus on it, it disappeared from sight.
She couldn't think through the tingling. All that mattered was reaching out for Lady Anasome. It didn't matter if her limbs wouldn't move, she just had to reach… out…
Rose was sobbing as the images faded. “I'm so scared. What is happening to me? What did he do to me? He wouldn't hurt me, I know that, but every time I'm near him, I feel this!” She thumped the perfume bottle against her heart, right where the bond would come from.
Merrie sniffed at the tears. She remembered the same sensation, that hungry desire to reach out and connect to someone. (It's the bond.)
Rose spritzed the bottle again as she looked up. “T-The what?”
(The bond between people like me and Sable… and our masters. They call us Alphas, one of the True Submissives. It is why we both turn into hounds. Why Sable can summon armor and I can use shadows. It is a connection between us that…)
“I-I'm going to turn into a dog?” Rose shook her head and clutched the bottle tightly. “No, no, not that. I don't want to be a dog. I don't want anyone to cut off my arms!” Her voice echoed against the walls.
Merrie shook her head and reached out. (No! No one is going to crop you. That is,) she struggled with the words, (that is just how we ended up. Lady Anasome would never do that to you.)
Rose looked horrified. “You're right she wouldn't! She would never do that to me!”
“I wouldn't what?” came Lady Anasome's pissed voice from the door.
Rose shrieked and spun around. “Lady!?”
Lady Anasome stepped into the room, her face a mask of anger. The air around her rustled softly and curls of dust rose up around her feet. Her hands were pressed against her hips, the yellow gloves curled into fists. “Rose, why did you take that?”
Sobbing, Rose shook her head. “I-I'm sorry, I had to know. And the only way if she remembered.”
“That is a private scent, Rose. That is a promise I made to the Duchess that it wouldn't leave my vault!” Anasome's voice rose up. “You broke that promise!”
“I'm sorry!” The bottle clattered to the ground, rolling in a circle. Rose dropped to the ground next to it, her knees slamming against the ground as she buried her face in her hands. “I'm so sorry!”
The emotions were rising up. Merrie could feel the intensity growing around them. The anger and fear, it was becoming sharper with every passing second. With a gasp, Merrie saw the air between them growing hazier as a shifting line formed in the dust and air. It danced, not like a leash or a chain, but as a visible current of air that swirled around the two women.
With a gasp, Merrie projected what she saw. (The bond.)
Lady Anasome blanched. She held out her hand and a wave of scent washed through the room. It was of a summer day with delicate floral scents and the hint of salt water. Merrie could almost picture herself in a garden by the sea, despite the fact she had never been near the ocean in her life; that would require her to leave Franome.
Instantly, Rose quieted. “I'm sorry, Lady, I'm so sorry,” she whispered but the tears were no longer flowing. Her fear and sorrow and desperation faded away as if they were drained.
The current between them faded with both of their calmed emotions. Merrie shivered at the sight of it, watching Rose as a shudder coursed through her mind. There was an emptiness inside the young woman, as if she had been rejected a million times in a single moment. The aching hole in her heart sent a sympathetic pain through Merrie.
There was nothing Merrie could say or project that would ease the pain. She knew what Sable and Dixie must have felt watching Merrie go through the same thing.
The anger faded from Lady Anasome's face. With a cry, she rushed over and dropped to her knees to pull Rose into a tight hug. “Oh, honey, I didn't mean to yell.”
But, deep inside, Merrie could feel Rose's power responding to the sharp emotions. It came from her submission to the lady's order. Merrie remembered pushing the limits with Kine for the same reason, because the sharp words became her power and the rush that came from disobedience.
Rose clutched to Lady Anasome, her black gloves clutching to yellow-clad shoulders. “I shouldn't have. I know it. But, I had to. I didn't know what it was!”
Lady Anasome pulled off her glove with her teeth. Her hands were soft and delicate. With tears in her eyes, she stroked Rose's dark hair. “It's okay, little one. It's okay.”
She looked over to Merrie. “What happened? What is she talking about?”
Ears plastered to her head, Merrie sent a quick burst of memories.
Lady Anasome's face grew pale. “No,” she said in a whisper, “not my Rose. She can't be an Alpha.”
Rose clutched her Lady tighter. “I'm sorry, I didn't know what was happening.”
“Oh, Rose, when did this start?”
“A-About a year ago. I was helping you d-dress and then I got this strange feeling that I should reach out… but I couldn't. I didn't know what was happening.”
Anasome tensed. “I remember that night. You suddenly go so scared and ran out of the room. Oh, baby,” she stroked Rose's hair and held the sobbing girl to her chest. “It's going to be okay. I promise.”
“I don't want to be a dog!”
Lady Anasome's mouth opened for a moment. “Oh, Rose, that isn't how it works. You don't have to be a dog to be an Alpha.”
“What about Sable and Merrie?”
“Sable is because Bass finds that to be the most attractive thing in the world. She's cropped because that what turns him on.”
“A-And Merrie?”
“Bass finds cropped women a turn on. Merrie's path just took her through his fantasies. If she met a dominate that liked collars and leashes, that would be her fate.”
Rose pulled her face away from Lady Anasome, the tears glistening on her cheeks. “W-What do you want?”
Lady Anasome smiled and cupped her chin with her bare hand. “Same thing I always wanted from you. An apprentice who knows when to shut up, do what I say, and not talk back.”
“I-I can do that.”
“I know, baby, I know. The only problem we're going to have is how to handle the fact your my sister's daughter.”
Rose blushed. “We don't have to… do that, you know.”
Lady Anasome chuckled softly. “Not as long as you smell, my dear. I'm not into that thing so your virtue is safe from me.”
“G-Good,” but there was a longing in Rose's thoughts, a desire for more than domination. It was a girlish desire that had been growing in the years since the two were together.
Merrie was intruding on their private thoughts. She inched back toward the shadows.
“What this does mean is that we need to take a trip. If this is what you are, and I trust Merrie on this, then you need to learn what it means to be a Submissive otherwise one of us could get hurt.”
“A trip?”
Merrie stopped at ax cold anticipation that burned in her veins.
"To Bass'."
A jerk shuddered through Merrie as an anger began to boil up inside her. Crystalline claws gripped her tightly as she stared at the two women. They were talking about bring her back to the Mill.
“Sable and Dixie can show you what it means. You'll like Dixie, it sounds like he's a lot of fun. And he's a Copier silfae. You haven't met one of them. Bass says he's like Lady Giff's little puppy. All bark and no bite.”
Rose giggled. She saw nothing but Lady Anasome.
“What about Merrie?”
Darkness gathered around Merrie. She knew the words were coming out before the left Lady Anasome's lips.
“We'll take her with us. It will be—”
Shadows exploded around Merrie as the anger and rage slammed through her thoughts. (I will not go back!)
Black tentacles burst out from behind Merrie, shooting forward toward the two women.
Rose gasped and shoved Lady Anasome away as the tentacles punched into the air where the lady once knelt. She stumbled back. “Merrie!? What are you—”
Rose's scream echoed against the walls. She flung herself away as more tentacles punched into the floor near her. Her slippers scraped against the dust as she slammed into the wall and rolled away as the tentacles followed after her and punched holes into the wall and floors with each wild strike.
“What is she doing!?” Lady Anasome screamed as she ducked back. “Rose!”
Merrie shifted into a shadow hound. (You will never take me back to the mill!) Her mental voice slammed into both of them with all her emotions. She felt their minds straining to keep their sanity through the anger. (I will never go back!)
Lady Anasome dropped to the ground. “The bottle!”
Rose gasp and stumbled for it. In her mind, she was already spritzing it.
(No!) Merrie's cloak snapped out and grabbed the cloak. It wrapped around it and Merrie drew the shadows around her. The room grew icy and fog poured around her as the absolute darkness gathered in the cloak.
There was a crack as the glass began to corrode. Inside, the perfume boiled and then began to dissolve into black mist. Shadows sucked into the bottle and then faded, leaving nothing but crumbling glass shards to plummet to the ground. There was no scent other than the ethereal smell of Shadows.
Rose gasped as she stared at Merrie. The fear burned brightly in her mind and she was shimmering with currents of air.
With a snarl, Merrie lashed out with her cloak. It caught Rose in the stomach and threw her into the bookcases. She hit the wall with a crunch before falling to the ground. She left a smear of blood on the wall behind her.
“Rose!”
(Never!) They were going to take her back to the Mill. She could never allow that. Her cloak rose up into a snake and hovered over Rose, the sharp point forming into a killing spike.
Lady Anasome's scream echoed shrilly off the walls.
Merrie's cloak surged forward.
An explosion ripped Merrie from the floor and threw her back. Before she hit the wall, she saw a flash of green plate armor and a massive spear slashing down at her body. She flowed back but the spear sliced through her cloak. The edges of the fabric burned brightly and curled back as the power tore through it.
Alestri's foot slammed into the ground as she rammed the butt of her spear into Merrie's chest.
The impact drove the air out of Merrie's lungs as she was thrown back. She felt the wall of the house looming over her, but then her world exploded into pain and agony as the force of Alestri's blow drove her through it. Rocks shattered along her back and head before she was tossed into the street.
Merrie bounced, her limbs flailing helplessly for balance. She could see the ground rushing up at her and cringed at the impact.
The air slammed into her as Loyal Alestri teleported back into Merrie's path. Her spear burned brilliantly with magic as she swung it with a killing blow.
Merrie's heart froze as she saw the eldritch energies burning off the blade. She threw her arm in front of her, knowing that it wouldn't even slow the Loyal's attack.
Tamin burst out of the darkness and chomped down on the shaft of Alestri's weapon. His body swung around, but he yanked back and spoiled the Loyal's attack. The massive spear narrowly avoided Merrie's muzzle and slammed into the cobblestones at her paws. The ground caved in around Merrie as a three-meter wide crater appeared underneath her.
Along the street in both directions, a shock wave burst windows, cracked stone, and tossed planters down the street. Smoke rose up around her, acidic and burning the back of Merrie's throat.
Merrie slid toward the blade and she frantically jumped into the shadows to avoid cutting herself on the glowing blade.
(Alpha!? Are you injured?) Tamin appeared next to her.
Rage still drove Merrie's thoughts. With rapid succession, she cast her combat spells. Tamin joined in with his own and Merrie noticed he was using magic almost as fluently as she was. In less than a second, they were both wreathed in liquid shadows and diving back across.
They caught Alestri between them. Tamin hit her high and Merrie struck low, biting down on the plate armor and throwing her head up. Her cloak snapped forward and crawled for a joint. But, instead of slipping into the gap between the plates, it slammed against the metal. Alestri had no joints in her armor, or the armor was melted into her body giving no gap between skin and armor.
The Loyal flipped to her feet. Or, Merrie thought she landed on her feet because Alestri was moving before Merrie could comprehend the striking of the boots against the shattered cobblestones. Alestri shot forward with a wide sweep of her spear. Power burst out from the swing as a wave of pure force.
Merrie melted and Tamin jumped into the Shadows as Alestri brought her weapon around.
A wave of force exploded out from the spear and it tore up the street, ripping the cobblestones and shattering walls for almost three city blocks before stopping. The front of a building peeled away from its foundation and crumbled into dust.
She started to form again, but the spear piercing her shadow form and she shuddered from the pain. Flowing to the side, she tried to avoid the attacks but the Loyal hammered down with brutal accuracy, slashing into Merrie's shadow form as fast as she could move. The air stank of ozone and magic as the Loyal attacked without giving Merrie a chance to do anything.
Tamin burst out of the darkness, but Alestri back-handed him. The impact cracked bone and he flew back through the front of a building.
(Tamin!) Merrie screamed and reached out for him.
Alestri's spear slammed into her stomach and into the shadow beneath her. Power crackled around her and she felt her body burning from the inside.
She could taste the regeneration taking hold, but even with all of her defenses, she wasn't capable of handling the Loyal on her own. With a flash, she got an idea. Merrie shoved past the pain and formed her body. The blade of the spear tore through her stomach, slicing through organs and flesh as she solidified. The pain was intense and almost blinding, but she ordered herself to keep moving even if her body failed.
Snarling, she clawed for the loyal, using shadows as tentacles and her own bloody paws to wrap around the spear and Alestri's arm. And then, with all her might, she pulled herself toward the Shadows.
Alestri teleported away, but Merrie was wrapped around her spear and flew with her. The darkness flowed around them, chocking and suffocating as the world flashed around them in rapid-fire teleportation.
Merrie drew on the power of her collar, pulling on the energy stored inside it. She was defending her mistress and the power surged through her. Pain was nothing compared to the need to give everything to the one she truly loved. Between one teleportation and another, she yanked with all her might and threw Alestri into the endless dark of the Shadows.
Surrounding by the utter black that she drew power from, it took no effort for Merrie to melt into shadows and dissipated. She flowed away from Alestri and left the Loyal stranded in the absolute darkness.
Her body bled from her injuries. She drew the shadows into her, filling in her injuries like the way she repaired her cloak. It took a moment to orient herself and she came back through the Shadows meters away from Lady Anasome and Rose. She landed in utter silence and began to work her way around the room along the shadows, her lip pulled back in a snarl.
They wanted to take her to the Mill. They were friends of Bass and therefore her enemies.
Rose sobbed as she clutched to Lady Anasome. Her black outfit contrasted with the lady's yellow. Sobs tore through the younger woman. “Why did she do that? I was so scared, I tried… I wanted to…”
“I know,” Lady Anasome said softly, “I know. The Loyal will stop…” Her voice trailed off as she lifted her head. She turned to look directly at Merrie.
Merrie shivered in the lady's gaze. She was moving silently, but somehow Lady Anasome knew exactly where she was.
“Merrie,” Lady Anasome said in a calm voice. “Are you… sane?”
Merrie's growl broke the darkness as she regarded her enemies. She would never be taken to the mill, she would never let her mistress be kidnapped again. She would die before it would ever happen. Shadows grew hard-edged around her as she gathered her power. Her growl shook the air as the wood rotted around her and the shadows grew hard-edge.
She would kill them before they took her.
Rose whimpered and clutched Lady Anasome tighter, peeking at Merrie from underneath her arm. Merrie could feel the fear rolling off her, surrounding her in a cloud of terror.
Merrie planted her feet and charged, her body blurring with the magic burning her veins. In a flash, she was on them with her mouth open to bit down on Lady Anasome's neck and end the threat forever.
“No!” screamed Rose with a flash of power. She shoved Lady Anasome away as she half-stood up, trying to crawl away from Merrie's attack.
Merrie bit down on Rose's arm, her teeth easily slicing through the black fabric of her shirt and the delicate flesh underneath. An explosion of blood poured out of her mouth as Merrie continued to bite down, crunching through the bones of Rose's arm until her teeth slammed together with a jolt of pain.
Rose's scream filled the room in a shrill sound. Blood poured down her arm and chest, soaking through the black fabric before puddling in a growing pool of blood and urine.
Ignoring the screaming girl, Merrie planted one foot against Rose's right breast and shoved out. With a wet tearing noise, she tore the arm from Rose's shoulder and spun around in the shower of crimson that poured out.
“Rose!” Lady Anasome's voice rose up.
“R-Run…” gasped Rose as she clutched her arm. Blood poured out from her fingers, dripping off her black gloves in wet splatters. “Run!”
Merrie snarled and surged forward. She caught Rose by her other shoulder and picked her up, snapping her head back and forth.
Rose screamed as she flew back and forth, the wet popping noise of a dislocated jaw resonating through Merrie's tightly clamped teeth. Her feet sailed back and forth. With one hard snap, Rose's foot caught on the edge of a bookshelf and there was a wet snapping noise as the bone broke and punched through the skin. The jagged end of the white bone was dripping red.
Shaking harder, Merrie bit down to break through the shoulder until the arm ripped off with a wet tearing sensation.
Rose thumped to the ground with a sob, blood spurting from both severed arms. She sobbed as she tried to roll over. “M-Merrie, w-why?”
(I will never go back!) Merrie's mental scream caused Rose to flinch.
“Rose! No, not my Rose!”
“P-Please,” sobbed Rose as she sobbed, “run away. Save yourself.” As she spoke, the air grew tense and tingling. It coursed along Merrie's skin, but it wasn't her bonding that was beginning to take place. She could feel the power filling Rose, an intense energy that warped the air around her.
Merrie froze as sanity returned to her from the force of Anasome's despair and Rose's bonding. She spit out the bloody limb and stared down at the frail, thin girl underneath her. The blood was pouring out faster; it was only moments before Rose bled to death.
The stench of blood rose up and Merrie felt it coursing along her check. Gasping, she stepped back as a blood-red current of air stretched out from Rose's chest to Lady Anasome's. It was thin and wafting, but it was just as solid as Merrie's shadowy chain and the Sable's line of force.
Rose's chest rose and fell as she stared at her dripping fingers. And then, she took a deep breath. Energy blossomed around her as red mist rose up from her fingers and drifted to her noise. It sank into her and her body began to glow with a ruddy light. Her eyes slowly closed and then opened, but when she looked at Merrie, she looked with slitted red eyes.
Merrie's hackles rose and she stepped back to dig her paws into the torn up floor for purchase. As the power rippled around her, the floor boards began to rot away.
Rose's body shimmered and faded away, turning into a whirlwind of red mist before reforming into a giant cat the size of a tiger with red on red stripes. Her snarl filled the room as she got to her feet. The impact of Rose's paws shook the room. (You will not hurt my Lady!) Rose's mental voice slammed into Merrie.
Merrie charged. She came up underneath Rose's neck and bit down on her neck, her teeth piercing fur. There was a flood of blood as Merrie flipped her over and the impact shook the entire house. With a surge of strength, she dug into Rose's throat, tearing through flesh and fur until she had a mouth-full. And, with all her might, she yanked back and tore Rose's throat out.
A wet gurgling noise filled the air and blood sprayed everywhere as Rose thumped to the ground, her massive tiger form cracking the floorboards from the impact. The arterial spray shot out for a few seconds and then quickly became just a river of blood pooling at Merrie's paws.
Lady Anasome's knees hit the ground as she let out a sob. “No,” she gasped.
Merrie stared at Rose's twitching form until the blood-flecked legs stopped moving. With a growl, she turned on Lady Anasome.
But, Anasome wasn't cowering anymore. Her face was screwed with concentration as she held out her hands in front of her. Between her palms, a yellow mist boiled in her palms. Streamers of it spread out across the ground and Merrie drank in the smell of lemongrass and sage. It was a peaceful smell but it wasn't strong enough to stop Merrie.
Merrie stepped forward and growled. (I won't come back.)
Lady Anasome gasped as she concentrated on her hands. The mist grew thick like pea soup.
(That won't stop me.)
The lady looked up with a hard look. She spread out her fingers and the mist exploded from her fingers. It washed over Merrie, the scent strong and powerful, but then it passed.
Merrie took another step. (I will not—)
A sharp pain pierced her back paw. Merrie shook her foot, but the pain only grew more intense as four fangs shoved deeper into the joint and an intense burning sensation raced up her leg.
Her growl stopped in an instant. Merrie looked down to see a snake had bitten into her leg. It was a long serpent, about two meters long, with yellow and black patterned scaled down its length.
Merrie shook her leg harder, trying to dislodge the snake.
It held on as poison continued to shoot up her legs, sending tremors and burning pain across her nerves.
Panic cutting into her anger, Merrie melted into shadows and reformed a meter away.
The snake didn't follow the reflexively movement. It thumped to the ground and slithered quickly toward Lady Anasome.
Merrie glanced back at Rose, but to her surprise, the large form of the blood-red tiger gone. Only a bloody smear gave any hint that Rose had fallen. She turned back just as the snake reached Lady Anasome.
Instead of rearing back in fear, Lady Anasome reached down and the snake coiled up her arm before sliding into her lap. The lady held up her left hand and the air wavered around her fingers. The scent of leather and spice filled the air, surrounding both snake and woman in a barely visible cloud.
The snake's form blurred and expanded, filling into a woman's body that Lady Anasome cradled tightly. It took Merrie only a heartbeat to recognize the woman and feel the thoughts that came from the newly bonded alpha.
It was Rose, but the young woman shown no sign of having her arms torn off her or her throat ripped out. Not even a scar marred the almost flawless pale flesh of her body. She was naked, though, with a thick bush of hair between her legs and more underneath her arms. It smelled of leather and sweat.
“Well,” gasped Lady Anasome, “now we know—”
An explosion of air caught Merrie on the side as Loyal Alestri teleported in. Her spear tore through the floor as it caught Merrie in the side. The impact shattered Merrie's ribs and threw her through the wall, across the gap between houses, and threw the outer wall of the neighboring home. Wooden beams and stone braces snapped across her back before she landed in someone's living room.
Alestri came jumping in, her spear in an overhead strike. The blade tore through the outer wall and the ceiling of the room as it came down.
“Stop!” screamed Lady Anasome and Rose at the same time, their voices blurring together.
Everything stopped as the blade came to a halt, the sharp edge leaving a scratch from Merrie's forehead to her sternum. Energy rolled off the weapon, burning Merrie's skin and blackening her flesh.
“Alestri, order her!”
“What?” came the crystalline voice, filled with anger and rage. The Loyal's armor was blackened and corroded. The smell of Shadows hung thickly around her. Deep gouges marred the green surface and there was black blood coating her arm from her knuckles to her upper shoulder.
Merrie panted as she looked for some way to attack.
“Order her to sit, stay, anything!” snapped Anasome.
“Loyal Alestri says stay.”
It wasn't a command, it was a confused response to the lady's order. Merrie snarled as she gathered up her power. Around her, the darkness deepened into sharp lines.
“Order her to beg before she attacks!”
“Loyal Alestri—” Power rippled off the armor as Alestri began a true command.
Merrie tried to order herself to disobey, but it was too late.
“—says beg!” The command exploded from the Loyal, blowing apart the room and the floor above them. Windows shattered across the street as the echoes of her voice echoed painfully in Merrie's head. The domination spell that came with it grabbed Merrie with the force of a hurricane and slammed into her, piercing through shield and her protections as if they were paper. Her collar grew hot and burned her skin as it rose up, but Merrie was already submitting.
She snapped into place, heedless of the spear against her. But, no blade sliced into her as she came into place, her wrist at her collar in the perfect position.
Her body exploded into an orgasm, the pleasure becoming an instant singularity of ecstasy as she obeyed the command that crashed into her. It spread out from her mind in a wave of power, striking every mind except for the armored woman in front of her.
There were royal knights and guards outside, rushing toward the battle. All of them dropped to their knees as they came. She felt people in the next room, the next house, and even among the World Tree drop as they were struck with the strongest orgasm of their lives. It kept rippling out, beyond the limits of the city and into the countryside. Villages and cities exploded into orgasm and then more beyond that. Thousands, hundreds of thousand people orgasmed at her submission. Each one of them became a star in a field of white in her mind. And, with an intensity of a knife, they rippled back at her.
Merrie gasped as she felt it rushing toward her. It was too much, even for her. Desperate, she connected to the collar and used it as a sink of power like Tamin did. As the ecstasy crashed into her, she poured it into the metal ring.
The light around her faded and the shadows grew dark as the pleasure filled the collar. At first, it felt like it was pouring into a bottomless pit, but moments later, the collar began to fill and spill out into Merrie. An orgasm rippled through her body and she clamped down as wet juices poured out of her sex and her body grew slick with need. It added to the blood puddling underneath her and filled the air with her excitement.
“Loyal Alestri has identified the source of the spontaneous orgasms that have inflicted this city,” came the sullen, crystalline voice. “Obvious with hindsight.”
Lady Anasome staggered up, holding her naked Rose.
“Loyal Alestri does not suggest Lady Anasome come closer. This woman is guilty of treason and will be—”
“Quiet, please. It isn't her fault.” Lady Anasome's voice was harsh as she knelt down next to Merrie.
Merrie felt the rage inside her boiling. Lady Anasome was going to take her back to the mill.
And then the scent of Crystalline Rose drifted past her and the memories came rushing back. With a gasp, she realized what she had done. (N-No.) She shook her head. (I didn't—)
“Quiet, please.” Repeated Lady Anasome. “I know. You have a charm on you and no one knew what it would do to you. But, you have to break it, Merrie.”
(I-I can't. I can't remember long enough. And I destroyed…) Despair slammed into her. She had destroyed her only happiness. But, when she inhaled, she could still smell it. (How?)
Lady Anasome knelt in the rubble and held up her hands. Between her palms, the mist formed a rose in her hand. It was the smell that kept her sane. “I make scents. It's my power.” She smiled and the tears in her eyes glistened. “It also brought Rose back to life. I have to thank you, in some way you triggered something I feared most of my life.”
Tears ran down Merrie's cheeks. (I didn't meant to hurt her.)
“It's okay, you didn't know. But, it does mean that we need to remove this charm on you. And the only way is to go back. Back to the mill.”
Merrie tensed, waiting for the anger, but the perfume held it back.
“You can't do this on your own, Merrie. You need Haviston.”
(How? I almost killed Haviston.) Merrie whimpered as the memories slammed into him. (I cropped him.)
“He will help you. I promise.” She gasped and sweat prickled her brow. “But first, we're going to make you a new scent. One that I'm not bound to use and one that will keep your memories were they belong,” her voice lowered into a strained whimper, “in your heart.”
Tears ran down Merrie's cheeks. (But Crystalline Rose is the only scent that keeps my anger away.)
“Right now, it is, but not for long. We can start with it—”
The scent of the beloved perfume rose around her.
“—but I can feel other memories in your heart. Smells that call to you, ones that bring a smile. There is a farm somewhere, I can smell it. A kitchen with warm porridge and a crackling fire. Of an old man who much love you very much.”
Merrie inhaled and suddenly she was in her grandfather's kitchen, remembering what it was like to eat oatmeal with her feet dangling off the chair. He was next to her, his arms wrapped around her as he held her tight.
“And you love Bass… and Tabitha… and Sable… and Dixie…” With each name, scents of the masters and alphas of the mill drifted around her, blending with each other into a sweet smell that brought more tears streaming down Merrie's face.
“I can smell the mill and baths around you.”
Merrie inhaled, drinking in the intense smells as Lady Anasome described them.
“But there is more, but I don't know their names. There is this…” The smell of Shadows drifted past her and then of Kine and Rimmy and her pack, the memories swirling together into an intoxicating world of intense feelings.
Merrie sobbed but she couldn't move. Alestri's command still held her down, but it was the scent that was dominating her. She could feel the submission boiling in her body, an inferno in her sex and another in her heart.
“Of course, there is lovely Tamin. And you wouldn't be you if it wasn't for the scent of sex, would it? Just a hint of cum, men, and women.”
The smells filled her, giving her clarity but keeping the insane anger at bay. Merrie gasped as she reached out for Tamin.
The hound responded, groggy and in pain. She sent a surge of power through their connection and felt his body melt into shadows and reform as he began to recover from his injuries.
“One last scent, but I don't understand why it would make you happy.” The mist between Lady Anasome's palms turned into a darkness that Merrie felt pulsing in her veins. The smell was familiar and as painful as the three days of rape. It was of brick and blood and metal and Rakin.
Merrie sobbed as she smiled. (Rakin.)
“You are a complicated girl, Merrie.” Her eyes brightened. “And I think I know the name of this scent.”
Rose held out a glass bottle and Lady Anasome poured the mist into it. It liquefied at the bottom, gathering until the glass was filled to the brim. With a practiced flare, Rose twisted a cap on it and sealed it shut.
Lady Anasome picked it out of Rose's hands and turned it around. “You will go back to the Mill, Merrie. And you will break this charm on you. And when you do, then you'll be safe and you can come back home. That is an order, do you understand, my little Complicated Bitch?”
And then she set the bottle of Merrie's private scent on the cloak puddled at the bitch's knees.
Merrie stared down at it as the tears poured freely to the ground. She took in a deep breath, but it wasn't a scent that she could tell but memories. Memories that clung to her skin and kept the crystalline anger at bay.
She looked up and sobbed.
“Do you understand?”
Over Lady Anasome's shoulder was Alestri, ready to strike again.
Merrie focused on the woman in front of her and barked softly.
“Good girl.”