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-Slight Trigger Warning of unconsented touching but nothing more-

Healer Rhea's POV

To say Rhea felt awful was an absolute understatement, yet as she had started to welcome back into the world of consciousness—She was instantly submerged by a new world of pain.
To start, her old burns were being brushed up against something tight and rough, and upon peeking her eye open, she caught the tight bindings securing her wrists together.
And apparently her ankles as well—Making her movement turn into a wiggle, looking madly ridiculously as she groaned once again.

With her breath picking up, and another groan coming from the pain in the back of her head, her memories had started to return, bit by bit.
Gods, she wasn't prepared, not at all.

Why did she suggest staying?

Rhea's inner voice about to criticize her last few choices, arms had started to pull her up—Leaving her to struggle and realize, quite quickly, that she was moving in a cart this entire time.

Clearly, she wasn't as aware as she should be.

"I'm no healer, Rhea. But I think you've managed a concussion." A voice claimed, and she hummed while pressing her cheek against a soft bit of warmth. And in a moment following, the arms entangled her to stay put. "Hurts."

"Yeah, I bet...Going to have to wake you up in a bit again. Make sure you stay with us." She nodded, knowing that it was something that she had to suffer through. And goddess, she would sell her soul for a bit of tea.

"Where are we?" She breathed out, her eyes opening and closing out of sync. Making the male hum, vibrating his entire body for Rhea to feel. "Been moving for a while, not sure which direction." Rhea cursed, but she peeked her eye open once more before catching sight of both Gilroy and Hawes, who offered her a kind smile—Even though they weren't in the best shape, given how bruised and battered they seemed.

"Okay?"

"What? I don't look beautiful?" Gilroy laughed at his own tease, and Hawes' body had started to shake in an attempt to keep his own reaction silent. Upon looking to her side, she caught Rolf, and it came as no surprise that Dane was the one acting as her personal pillow.

"Thanks." She whispered, knowing that those two were the ones to help her sit up. Or sit up as much as she could. "Wanted to do it earlier, but Gilroy said it'd be better to let you sleep out the pain as much as you could." A smile erupted on her face as she nodded in approval.

"Sounds like you're listening to me." She cooed, still battling with her body festering with an abnormal amount of pain. Granted, she couldn't get much sleep considering the carriage they were in continued to jostle back and forth with the shift in terrain.

"They're dumb, Rhea...They're trying to locate the brand we have." Rhea snorted, but she twisted her body, she caught a small tear in the cart's roof fabric and stilled—Catching sight of a few mangy wolves walking just on this side of the cart.

"Goodness..." She choked, nearly shivering at the utter fear that she hadn't managed to get over. Even with most of her freedom spent in Red Moon. There was still something unnerving at just viewing a large wolf.
Granted, she was well acquainted with them back home, just not going out of her way towards them.

There was only a handful of people she trusted, and out of them, there were only a few wolves—If that.

"Smell worse than they look too, and I don't even have their noses." Dane teased, boosting morale within the cart as some strangers seemed to find the comment just as funny. And Rhea found it within herself to offer a smile, but nothing had been returned—Given their circumstance.

For hours, those captives were forced to be bounce with every faulty move of the carriage, but Rhea kept a keen eye towards Rolf. Hoping to pass a few landmarks or catch the direction of the sun, anything to help her find a sense of direction.

But as the day turned into night, the men had started to grow anxious, and it wasn't a sure reason as to why one might grow worried as the sun began to set—But once the yelling had confirmed that they would be stopping for the night, Rhea had sighed in relief, making Hawes gulp nearly audible for the rest of the cart to hear.

"Whatever happens, you come back to us, alright? You come back." Dane said through gritted teeth, yet Rhea blinked with an uncertain hint of innocence that nearly caused Hawes to curse if he could. But damn it all, it had only struck Rhea then and there that was causing the men to worry for her.

Or worry what the Rogues might do to her.

With an order to leave the cart, they walked single file on either side and stumbled as their hobble hadn't managed well with their feet tied so close together. Making it difficult to move and impossible to even think about running.

Rhea made sure to keep a close eye on the wolves that had not yet shifted, there was no settling her beating heart, especially not when she had been instantly separated from Dane and Rolf's side.

"Let go of me!" She cried, but it disrupted the peace and provoked noise in the forest. Leaving them vulnerable to any wondering traveler that might catch a glimpse of what was happening, and thus—another set of arms had caught onto Rhea's struggling.

"Foolish girl, you'll get the entire stock killed. Is that what you want?" While Rhea was deemed smart in her choice in the academic field and her persistence to gain knowledge in everything herbology and medicine to perfect her healing.
This was not her finest moment.

Not when spit had coated the one wolf's cheek and the side of her chin, making her demand less a possibility and her punishment even more server.

Her guttural reaction to her being lifted up by her waist was to kick her feet back and forth as her assailants came forward, hungry for something she wasn't going to give.

Ever.

Her screams were utter torture for her friends as they too started to fight back at the fact that their packmate was being taken away. Leaving the leader stationed here to smirk in excitement for an untrained pack.
Clearly, these runaways have lost their sensibility, and he was just eager to do just that.

To reinstall their fear, start with the female first.

With an easy wave of his hand, the other subordinates had leveled all the humans to the ground and offered up a sword to the leader. This hadn't caught Rhea's until he stationed himself just behind Rhea's ear humming a greeting.

"Your previous Alpha failed...You've forgotten just how to deal with a purchase, hm?" The question stalled Rhea's pursuit, but as the adrenaline rush started to fall short, she caught sight of her males on the ground with a sword threatening them just at their necks.

One order, and they would be gone.

"N-no, don't!" She hurried to speak, but her chest continued to beat with panic, a fight still very much in her. And the leader was not amused.

"...I am Alpha Osmin, and you female, are going to warm my tent until we return back to the highlands." The man's nose had followed the trail at the base of Rhea's neck and up back to the top of her ear, enjoying the sensation of her fear increasing with each moment.

"Get them up and set for the night. Don't disturb me until morning. Have an issue, sort it out yourselves." Rhea hadn't caught a full look of Osmin, not when her eyes remained fixated on Dane—Who was more than tempted to risk everything to keep her safe, but there was nothing he could do.

Nothing to get them out of their imprisonment, so she shook her head—Tears blurring her line of sight as she was being dragged away, with nothing more than a limp bit of movement to steady herself properly.

And the wolf growled in approval.

"The smell of a human's tears, so loud and prominent—I'll have to have a taste of that." Osmin hummed, his tongue catching them before they fell to the ground. And it was as if the taste had erupted another set of arousal, one that was more than identifiable by the growing prick placed at her lower back.

Rhea didn't realize just how established this traveling pack was, not when there was another cart of humans being unloaded and staring as she was taken away. All men, as they seemed to be the bigger ticket item.

Why?

Why did the wolves want men?

"Do I get a name for you, little female? Or should I make one for you?" A name was important, it gave a person an identity—And yet she was underneath a false one for nearly half her own life.

"Rhea."

"Rhea?...Hmm. Tempting, so tempting." His voice was slowly becoming more demonic and feverish with every passing second she was being lugged closer to said tent. And surprise had faulted her as he'd ducked down and thrown her onto rather plush bedding, leaving her to scramble through the animal fur in an attempt to get out of Osmin's view.

"Fight me anymore this night, and I'll tear those males' heads off." He threatened, his claws gripping the better part of her chin in record of gaining her undivided attention.

"You wouldn't—They're too valuable." She sneered, and the wolf offered a widening grin, catching him an act. "They are, but you are ever more so. How long did it take to break you?" The mere words had caused her to gag once his scent assaulted her nostrils, but it wasn't until he popped open her corset and yanked the better part of her dress and overlayed off.

"I will not hurt you this night. Do not stop me."

Revealing the surprising feature, and Rhea had never in her life been more fond of her burn scars than now. That the ugly feature that plagued her, disabled her, was now reigning as the block between this wolf and his cock to her.

"Fascinating...And you're still willing to defy me?" Rhea could have smiled at the fact that Osmin confused her burns to a sense of torture, yet her eyes remained willful to his. "Defy you? You're nobody. Nothing." She spat, and the mere comment had caused the wolf's eyes to flick into a darkened gaze.

Yet his plan of marking her had ultimately failed, once he had caught the same brand on her wrist that found its way as a marking on her chest—A universal sign among the Rogue factions that she had already been claimed.

Yet Rhea had laid perfectly still, eyeing the wolf's fangs in a sense of panic and worry. They were sharp and deadly, and the tears had returned with ease as she wished for them to be quick.

Painless.

Hadn't she already suffered enough?

With her breasts out on display for the wolf's eyes to linger, Osmin had eyed them with more curiosity than a man looking for a quick fuck—A release. Yet Rhea didn't want to besmirch the wolf with all the power lingering over her.

"A claimed whore..." He whispered, his enacted claw taking to scratch the better part of Rhea's breasts, making sure to prick her nipple as she flinched at the sensitivity.

When Osmin's nose had collected to smelling her stomach, he huffed. Unable to find the source of his theory. "Who is your Alpha?" Rhea panicked, and damnit, her father had taught her better than to speak without thinking, as she whispered the first word to come to her defense.

"Severin."

"Alpha Severin...I don't think I've run across him. He must be doing well for himself if he's expecting a pup. Is that why the men are so protective of you?" She gasped, but Osmin tutted. Leaning onto his back legs as he smirked. "I suppose this Alpha Stephen would pay a hefty coin or two for your safe return." The smirk of his had kept Rhea pinned down as though he had an actual hold on her, yet as he pulled up one of the blankets, he gestured it over her body with a laugh.

"I won't fuck a female who's carrying another wolf's pup."
A Pup?!
What in goddess name was he sniffing?

In an effort to preserve her modesty, she hurried to fix the better part of her corset and reattach the seams while keeping tight to the animal fur, trying to get the blood from rushing back to her head—Praying that the Alpha remained ignorant to what was happening.

Rhea was confident that she was not pregnant, she had never been so close to a man in her life as she had been with Osmin—And he wasn't even a man!

Her mind started to rush back and forth in trying to figure out what might have suggested that she was expecting a pup. Wolves relied on scent much more than she expected, but perhaps that was a Rogue's downfall, they were more instinctive than a regular wolf?

The theories continued to swarm, but had relinquished as the front of the tent was pulled to the side by a Rogue as Hawes entered. And while he was a sight for sore eyes, he wouldn't be able to speak of what was happening outside, and not be able to comfort her with any words.

Yet her eyes fell down to the tray of food he was carrying, and Rhea's eyes widened in surprise. "Food?" She questioned and Hawes nodded and nicked his head towards the small area for a fire pit.

Rhea was reminded that during these times in between Rogue factions, they were servants while the wolves relaxed from the travel. So watching Hawes maneuver his way around the small tent with his ankles still tightly bound hurt her more than anything she had just endured.

"Are you all okay?" She whispered, her voice growing hoarse after her cries for help. And Hawes had turned towards her for a moment and then let out a firm nod, though she could most certainly read further into that.

His answer spoke of hesitation, but clearly, a male unable to fuck was certainly to dictate that frustration elsewhere.

"'etter uss—han ou." She quickly shook her head, wiping away the tears that started to form once again. And she managed to help him with the fire pit and force him to eat the given bit of her broth to drink.
Knowing full well that was the easiest for him to manage.

Hawes continued to make a few functioning noises, and Rhea smiled at what he was trying to do, so she leaned forward once more. "The Alpha thinks I'm pregnant. If they ask, say we're Alpha Severin." Hawes nodded, and within the next few passing breaths, her friend was forced to exit the tent.

Yet the possibility of keeping this all under wraps was starting to put Rhea's acting abilities to the test. If she could hide her identity, she could certainly pretend to be pregnant.

For sure, she's helped numerous humans give birth to pups, they were very hormonal, very picky in what types of food, and sensitive to sounds, smell, and so forth. If she could just embody that type of behavior, she could exaggerate the story completely.

But how long would she need to do this for?
Pups were very quick in comparison to how long a human carried a child for.

Rhea needed to be careful, but for now—Being held here by Osmin was not the end solution. Not at all. So as she looked around the room, she grabbed the extra blankets and created a small tent, something she remembered doing with her mother when she was young.

But her attention to this detail was to appear to be nesting, looking for protection as she's noted on the aspect. Many women who were carrying pups acted in this way, and damn it Rhea could see the appeal.

Comfort was certainly a blessing, considering their bodies were built for a nine-month pregnancy, and that duration was cut into a third—If that.

Yet this Alpha Osmin wouldn't know the finer details, not at all.

Upon setting up her station, she continued to nibble on the few bites of food given—And it was much better than she first assumed it would be. Though her stomach turned at the thought of the Rogues raid nearby settlements for their scraps.

Who was hurt to acquire this meal?

The idea of being found captured by the King had sentenced her to this—Yet what was the difference?

Her mind had swirled into a panic, one that she hadn't managed since the first day her adoptive parents had escorted her through the town—Issuing her as adopted from a family off East, where it burned drastically and left her bedridden until she healed.

The lie was easy, but the torment of eyes returning to her, the thought of being recognized was a fear that wasn't easy to overcome.

Even now, as she turned off to the side and heaved out the little food she had managed to swallow—Even when it started to taste like ash, the Rogue who was stationed outside the tent had barged through, eyes widened at the sight of the female hunched over.

"Alpha! The female is sick!" Would creating chaos be the best course of action? Or slitting her own throat save her the possibility of rape and torture?
Yet her body had sunk further, exhaustion waining thin as Rhea was hardly able to settle herself, making her curse herself for not thinking about her concision.

"Female, what is—Oh gods, get me clean water for us to boil. Damnit, when I tell you I'm going to charge Severin Double—Triple. What is it?" Rhea had looked towards him in a fit filled with hatred and distaste, and she huffed.

Knowing full well that wolves responded well to that, or not. As Osmin's nose twitched in annoyance.

"Too far."

"Hmm, was wondering when that would kick in. Made a nice nest out of my bed, didn't you? Fuck, I don't want this responsibility for myself, not when it's not even my pup."

"Sorry—For the inconvenience." Now that earned a sickening smirk, not that it helped Rhea's sour stomach. "Alpha Severin burned, didn't he?"

"Feels that way, my heart's been hurting for days..." The number of times she's diagnosed a broken heart to the other half to a mated pair after the whole had been cracked. Playing the part would ensure her survival, and her survival meant the possibility of managing her men.

"Can't drink rum while carrying a pup, know that."

"Tea. It was in my satchel." She whispered, spitting up once more before leaning back against the bed. Flinching at another round of orders being commanded by the Alpha as Rhea played up the act.

Rubbing a non aching breast and whispering a few pleas to the imaginary pup. Yet the soul presence of the Rogue Alpha was making her anxious, causing another onset of tears.

______

Date: 05/04/23

Time: 12:17

Words: 3264

Author's Note:

The group has been captured, and they've been claimed as a new shipment by Alpha Osmin.

Hopefully, the other humans can keep up appearances and play out the fact that Rhea is 'pregnant with a wolf pup'.

See you Saturday for another update!