Iris POV:
Bart: fruits?
Iris: yes, the pink ones in the bowl
I pointed to the bowl now discarded on the floor. Bart stood up from the bed, went to the bowl and picked up one of the four fruits left, he smelled it and said.
Bart: I haven't seen this kind of fruit before, but it smells like normal sweet fruit.
Iris: yeah, that's why I thought it's from a new traveling merchant.
We thought for a minute and decided to not eat more of the fruits so so Bart took the bowl and put it inside a skin on the table.
Now that I think about it I haven't seen the other boys since I woke up from my nap yesterday afternoon, so I asked Bart.
Iris: love where are Winston, Shuu and Zoren?
He stiffened as if remembering something important, he quickly came to my side and told me.
Bart: yesterday a huge pack of colosals was spotted near the city, they were close enough to sound the alarm.
Fear struck me colosals never came that close to the city. He noticed it and held my hand tightly, but continued.
Bart: the ape king made a four way attack tactic and demanded all two and above marked males to join the hunt, each family could only leave one three marked male to protect their female in case of danger not including cubs or one marked males.
Do that's the reason I didn't see them yesterday
Iris: how long would it take for the hunt to end?
Bart: since the colosals group is so big it could take a week or more I'm not sure, but it won't be easy, they will even give every male an emerald and fifteen cristales each.
This alarmed me if they were paying this much for a hunt, then it will be extremely dangerous and many won't return, my males my not return. As realization struck me tears started falling from my eyes I felt as if the world was falling apart.
Bart POV:
Iris had a terrified expresión on her face, she started breathing hard and tears started falling from her eyes. I didn't know what to do I had never been in such a situation so I did what my instincts told me. I got on the bed and pulled her to my chest reassuring her that everything would be alright and let her cry her emotions running raw for what seemed like forever until she calmed down and fell asleep in my arms out of exhaustion.
I laid her on the bed and went to prepare something for her to eat when she wakes up in a while. I knew I shouldn't feel like this, she was crying in fear, I knew she was worried for the others, but I felt happy, happy she cared this much for them, for us, for her family.
Iris POV:
I woke un just a little bit before lunch time and Bart wasn't here, he was probably outside cooking for us. I still felt uneasy like any of my marks would suddenly disappear or like something bad is about to happen, but decided I can't just seat around and wait for things to happen so I got up tree some random fur dress on and wet out to see Bart was about done cooking so I went to him and hugged him from the back, he stiffened for a moment but then relaxed.
Iris: I'm sorry Bart.
Bart turned around and put me on his lap.
Bart: sorry for what mate?
Iris: for crying so much like a spoiled little cub.
He chuckled lightly kissed the top of my head and said.
Bart: no need to apologize you can cry as much as you want it will never annoy me or the other males, in fact we would gladly spoil you rotten if you let us.
This made me smile a bit and then I gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Iris: thank you love
We ate and sat there for a while just making small talk. Until that uneasy feeling came back I told Bart and we decided to visit my mother in the castle for a while as a way to reassure me, an of course we would take the fruits with us so we could ask mother about them.
We filled a basket with some cushions, meat, some spices, some furs and of course the fruit. After we finished with that Bart shifted into his wolf shape and he was gorgeous I tell you.( ha you thought I will describe him? Wrong, that's private property ladies and gentlemen 😜)
He lowered himself to the ground so I could get on more easily while I was holding the basket, after I got confortable he started walking on a steady but stealthy pase just in case. He took a detour to the castle to make sure I would be safe, thankfully we didn't encounter any danger and arrived unharmed. The palace was pretty empty there were just a couple guards al level one, they let me in the minute they saw me and told me mother was in the royal room, I nodded and guided Bart there once at the door I got down from his back and he turned back to beast man shape and I handed him his fur skirt. I knocked on the door and after we where given permission we entered the room.
Mother instantly rose from her lavish chair squealing like a teenage cheerleader from my past world and approached me with open arms ready for a hug.
Mother: my beautiful cub came to visit!!!😍💗
This made me chuckle and open my arms just in time to be angulfed by the ball of pure sunshine energy that was my mother(don't get me wrong she isn't always all happy go luck, she can be scary and mean but she is actually pretty soft hearted )
Iris: Hi, mom
She broke the hug and said
Mother: my cub, it's nice to have you visit but what brings you here today?
Iris: I just heard of the hunt, and I am feeling quite uneasy.
Her expression hardened a little and she sighed
Mother: I know cub it is a hard time ahead of us, but don't worry our males are strong, I believe they will come back to us as soon as they can,we have to believe in them.
My eyes watered whit tears, but I held them in.
Iris: you are right mother
After that we went to the garden and Bart set the furs and cushions kind of like bonfire stile. Bart went to cook for us whit mother's make while we talked about the past weeks and some random things until I spotted the fruit bowl not far from us.
Iris: mother I have something to ask you
Mother: what is it my cub?
Iris: watch are the fruits you sent me yesterday called?
She made a puzzled face and said
Mother: cub I did not send you anything yesterday
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion picking up the bowl and giving it to her.
Iris: Yesterday a two striped leopard came to my den saying you sent this fruits to me.
Mother: no cub that wasn't my doing, did you eat some of them?
Iris: yes mother this is the reason I wanted to talk to you in the first place, after I ate two of them I felt feverish and my entire body hurt, I thought I was sick until I smelled Bart scent and we ended up matting and after that I did not feel sick anymore.
Mother got concerned by wat I told her so she called Marcus over( mental note cause I think I didn't mention it in previous chapters: Marcus is a 2 marked fox beast doctor, they don't usually level up since they focus more on healing and knowledge, as a doctor he isn't required to go to battle since he is needed to treat sick females)
When he arrived she welcomed him and motioned for him to seat at her other side.
Marcus: why did you call me mate
She gave him the bowl of fruit
Mother: the cub resived this fruits yesterday can you tell us what they are?
Bart came over with our food and gave us our portions,
Marcus: it looks like a normal pink fuss fruit, but let me take a look
We started eating while he examined the fruit carefully
He took one out of the bowl and looked at it from all angles, then he sliced it open whit his claws and then he smelled it, lastly he took a look at the seeds of the fruit and that's when his face contorted in horror.
Mother: what happened Marcus?
We all paid attention to him
Marcus: this is not a pink fuss fruit, this is a similar fruit in apeareace called mating fruit.
I sighed in relief that didn't sound so bad, but my relief didn't last as Marcus looked at me and worriedly asked.
Marcus: cub did you eat any?
I nodded and said
Iris: two fruits
He panicked and hurriedly asked
Marcus: have you had your heat since you matted for the first time?
Iris: no
He sighed in relief, Wich made me even more confused than I was at first
Bart was really quiet
Mother: what's going on Marcus?
Marcus: as the name suggest the pink matting
Fruit can make a female go into a state similar to an estrous, but unlike a normal estrous it is said to be extremely painful for the female if she doesn't mate right away with a male, if the female survives the pain she wouldn't be able to have cubs in the future, but having you here looking this healthy I guess you did mate.
All three of us were horrified by this and Bart hugged me protectively but what Marcus said next made me shiver in fear.
Marcus: what's worse is that if you had had your estrous cycle you would most likely be carrying cubs when you ingested the fruits.
Mother: why would that be bad.
Marcus had a serious expresión on his face
Marcus: because the pink matting fruit is poisonous to females who are carrying cubs, you wouldn't have felt any pain for three days, but after that your insides would start rotting, it would be extremely painful and we wouldn't be able to save you.
Hearing this the bowl in my hands slipped and I blacked out.
Bart POV:
Marcus: because the pink matting fruit is poisonous to females who are carrying cubs, you wouldn't have felt any pain for three days, but after that your insides would start rotting, it would be extremely painful and we wouldn't be able to save you.
After hearing this iris fell unconscious, Marcus ran over to us and checked her quickly. Then he looked at the queen for approval who hastily nodded
Marcus: she is okay, but needs to rest I suggest you stay here untill her other mates come from the hunt.
I thought for a little and looked at the queen asking for permission, to what she nodded again.
Bart: then we will stay here until then
After I agreed the took me to an empty room inside the castle a guard brought the furs we where laying on until now and put the on the floor I laid my female there and the queen sat at her side.
Queen: Bart you should go bring some more furs and other things so she would be confortable when she wakes up.
I nodded
Bart: please look after her for me while I'm not here.
She nodded and I left the castle, I ran full speed to our den, everything that has happened the past couple of days made me realize that iris isn't safe in the city at least not anymore. As I neared the den what is saw made me stop on my tracks.
Everything was destroyed, our weeks of hard work where in taters right in front of me. I sniffed the ground trying to find who did this, and I got a scent that shoked me to the core colosals?... no... a beast man??.... a feral!?!? ...No many of them they had been watching us for some time.
I hurriedly went into the den and took everything that could be saved mainly clothes and furs and my mates jewelry, there wasn't any food left back outside I noticed the hammock was fine so I took it down and put everything in it tying it as a makeshift bag and ran back to the castle.
Here you go guys, sorry I haven't been here for the past months I'm currently very busy and barely have time to sleep I also moved houses and I'm still bringing my stuff over to my new place hopefully I won't die in the process 💀
Love you all😘❤️