Beauty and The Beasts: Rain

57. Winston

5/5 update.  May 26th.  This is the final chapter of this book.  I'm planning for a epilogue chapter or two, but the book is complete!  I hope you all enjoyed it.  Thank you so much for the support!

     Winston had left the group and went ahead. The force was sufficient enough to see the female home safely. He needed to make sure the city wasn't seeing any negative effects with the absence of the ape king.

     Winston was accompanied by Rain and he accepted it. She struggled to keep up with his speed and he slowed slightly. When she grew tired, Brice would fly her on her back or Winston would carry her himself.

     The trip that should've taken almost two weeks was reduced to three days for them. They returned to the tiger castle and rested. Winston worked on the city while thinking. Damon's plan had worked, but it harmed another female. Damon should certainly be dead, but Isabella kept him alive by saying the words that she did. It still may not be enough to protect him.

     After Rain rested she approached Winston. He was busy collecting verbal reports from his guards. Rain watched and listened through half-lidded eyes. Winston was thorough and Rain had nothing but praise in her heart. She was glad she followed him back to the city. She was glad she moved back here after he and Third came for her.

     Winston caught her staring, but Rain didn't look away. Winston didn't break the eye contact until another beast forced him to. He surpassed a growl of irritation and went back to work. He was starting to understand something that must have been obvious to everyone else. He realized that 'dense' might have described him after all.

     Before he could dwell on it, news of ferals attacking the side of the city reached his ears. Rain's eyes glittered dangerously and his must have looked similar.

     It was a small unit and the guards deployed were handling it. They were on the side of the city were Rain lived. He was glad they had her cubs and Isabella's moved to the leopard castle. It wasn't the wisest move to keep all the transforming female cubs in one spot, but the castle was well defended since Winston had left to settle the affair with the ape king.

     Winston's intervention wasn't necessary, but Rain insisted on going. He sent more guards, but held some back. The arial scouts had not detected any greater forces in hiding, but they would be cautious in case.

     Rain did not stand for threats invading her territory. She went to home and found beasts in combat. The enemies corpses littered the ground and she knew the area would smell of blood and unfamiliar beasts for a while. She hissed and made her way to her home.

     Some beasts had trashed the place. By the time Rain went to join the battle, there were no more foes to kill. Rain hissed again and started cleaning her home. Brice joined her and Winston soon followed. Once the area was completely secured and absent of threats, Rain would send for her mates to come back with their cubs.

     They fully cleaned the house and tried to fix some of the broken furniture. The door was replaced and so was their table. The furs were hanging outside to dry after washing and Rain's family would arrive soon.

     There was a matter that Rain wanted to settle now, but Winston's eye bags made her pause. He was clearly exhausted. Perhaps she should w... Rain stopped. She was never one to put things off, but it was always something when it came to Winston. He hadn't rejected her advances, but he hadn't accepted them either. She was sure he must understand by now.

     "Winston, do you have anymore duties today?" Rain asked cautiously.

     "Patrolling the area and listening to those reports. Announcing the ape kings actions and settling the cities inhabitants." Winston responded cooly, but Rain could hear the fatigue in his voice.