೯⠀⁺ ⠀ 𖥻 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 | 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝⠀ᰋ

╠47╣

"Running burns a lot of fat, how about you guys give it a try too?" the odd-eyed man proclaimed, a bemused grin stretching across his face as he stood casually near Noah and Rezef . However, the scene wasn't nearly as inspirational as he intended; Rezef had already succumbed to the heat and fainted, and Noah, after managing to utter a single word, followed suit.

"Finn..."

With a sigh, Finn gently placed the unconscious bodies of Noah and Rezef beneath a shady tree nearby. He then turned to face the group of men in front of him, a playful smirk curling at the corners of his lips.

A palpable tension filled the air as everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Finn's grin, unnerving in nature, gave off a vibe that screamed maniac more than motivator. It was the kind of smile that made you question your life choices—was running really such a bad idea?

"Aren't you running away?" he asked, his tone dripping with genuine curiosity. It was almost as if he were conducting a social experiment, assessing how much fear he could instill with just a quirk of his lips.

"What nerve do you have to order us around?" one of the braver men shot back defiantly, his voice shaking slightly as several others murmured their shaky agreement. Little did they know, standing up to Finn was like taunting a grizzly bear with a steak dinner. A fatal miscalculation.

"I see," Finn said thoughtfully, tilting his head slightly as if considering their responses. "It's been quite a while since I've had the pleasure of ending someone's miserable existence, so please don’t hold it against me if I happen to get a bit... carried away. Just a little 'friendly' persuasion, you know?"

As the implication of those words settled in, an air of dread washed over the onlookers. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion—not a single soul could intervene. They all knew what was bound to happen next. Finn was clearly not inviting them for a jog in the park, and things were about to take a rather unfortunate turn.

*MEANWHILE AT THE HOUSE*

Azura was snugly situated in the bedroom, sipping on her favorite juice, reveling in a moment of calm amidst the chaos surrounding them. Just as she was starting to relax, she heard a voice echoing through the house, tinged with confusion.

"We're not really out of firewood. Where exactly did Finn go?" Asher exclaimed, freshly back from their storage cell, brows furrowed in perplexity.

"I think something is wrong... he never leaves like this..." Leon said, rising to his feet with a look of concern. Winston, who had been busy in the kitchen, joined him.

"I'll go follow his scent and see what he's up to," Leon declared, shifting into his beast form with an urgency that Asher couldn’t help but agree with. They all knew that Finn was a wildcard, and if anyone were to discover him out there, it was bound to stir up trouble.

Leon wasted no time; he dashed out, leaving a whirlwind of unease in his wake.

Asher contemplated heading to the bedroom to join Azura and fill her in on the alarming situation. However, just as he began to move, an unexpected sound halted him—someone was knocking at the door. He quickly signaled to Winston to stay with Azura, ensuring she wouldn’t be alone during this tension-filled moment.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of a young woman, her face streaked with tears and her body shaking with sobs. Asher felt at a loss, unsure of how to address the obvious distress standing before him.

"Excuse me, what happened?" he asked gently, but his words seemed to vanish into thin air as the woman continued to cry, inconsolable in her grief.

Hearing the commotion, Azura stepped out of the bedroom, her brow creased with concern. Upon seeing the stranger weeping on the threshold and her mate looking bewildered, she rushed forward, her instincts taking charge.

Winston followed her out,  making sure she doesn't  stumble or anything,  he did try to tell her that she should sleep , they didn't want her to know anything as they weren't certain themselves,  but azura being azura ,

"Who is she? And why is she crying?" Azura implored, ushering the distressed woman inside and helping her into a chair. Yet, the sobs didn’t abate; they only intensified.

Asher lingered at the entrance, feeling helpless as neither he nor winston seemed to know how to address the surge of emotion that filled the room.

"What happened to you? Why are you crying like this?" Azura gently prompted, desperately trying to pull the woman from her state of panic. She reminded herself to stay calm—stressing out would do no one any good, especially given her condition.

"A beastman is mercilessly slaughtering my settlement! He—he is killing the men! Please help!" the woman pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. Her fear was palpable, and Azura felt a pang of dread at the thought of such violence erupting so close to them. Who was this beastman? Why was he on a rampage?

A cold shiver ran down Azura's spine as reality set in: if the woman had fled here, it meant the threat was dangerously close. The beastman could follow her scent straight to their home.

"Darling, calm down, take deep breaths," Asher said softly, placing a reassuring hand on Azura's back, whispering soothing nonsense that he hoped would settle both her and himself. "It's safe here. No one is going to harm you or this lady. You're safe; nothing can ever happen to you.”

Azura nodded, attempting to draw strength from his words, and instinctively reached out to embrace the sobbing woman, who gradually began to settle down.

" no , he'll come here , please , save me. Please save me ...... "
The woman sobbed harder as she clung onto azura desperately.

"Asher, could you and winston  please go deal with him?" Azura asked, glancing at the other female, who was still trembling with fear.

"No, I'm not leaving you alone. We’ll wait here and see if he comes. Leaving you by yourself? Absolutely not," Asher replied firmly, as protective as ever. While the loathsome beastman posed a real danger, abandoning Azura was simply not an option in his mind.

" Asher is right.  Darling we can't leave you alone by yourself in such circumstances.  "
Winston said firmly .

"But I’m safe! Nothing will happen to me!" Azura protested, the pregnancy hormones swirling within her, feeding her fear and amplifying her sense of urgency regarding the danger that lurked outside.

Asher sighed heavily, his gaze locking with winston and then back to azura, and in that moment, he tried to convey all the love and assurance that words couldn’t encompass. "Darling, no means no," he said matter-of-factly, his tone leaving little room for argument.

"But people are dying, Asher! Winston ,  You could save them if you’d just go," Azura countered, She didn’t truly understand why her emotions were spiraling out of control, but the thought of innocents being slaughtered had wedged a weight in her chest that she couldn’t shake off. She knew she was being overly dramatic but she herself didn't know why. 

"Why are you crying? It hurts me, darling," Winston replied, wiping away the tears from her cheeks, feeling the burden of her anguish settle heavily on his own heart. Asher too found himself getting soft seeing azura's condition .

Stealing a glance at the other woman, who had begun to regain her composure, he recalled a rumor he had heard about a small settlement of the wolf tribe nearby—which validated the woman’s story. Suddenly, he felt uneasy. He desperately hoped that Finn and Leon would hurry back before things escalated further. And he was glad that Winston was here .............. seriously.

"Fine, darling. I'll go alone , winston will be staying here with you for safety purposes , don't worry leon and finn are out for firewood , they will be here soon too . Take care of yourself. I won’t be able to bear it if anything were to happen to you or our little fairy, hmmm? I’ll be back before you know it," Asher promised, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead and caressing her baby bump.

He looked at winston ,

Who was about to protest but settled for it as knowing Asher,  it would be no big deal .

"Alright," Azura replied, getting up to escort him to the door with winston. She watched him take off, fading into the distance, and as she turned to close the door,