Chapter 20: A Clean Getaway

Issac’s manor, while perhaps not impressive by a global standard, was positively luxurious, compared to Ash’s campground. It was a refurbished stone building deep in District 1’s ruins; far from the wooden buildings of the strip. As the wagon rumbled down the uneven path cutting through mist and darkness, Ash saw little in the way of decoration. The imposing structure was two stories of worn stone, with front balconies housing wood-barricaded windows. A single gaslamp lit the front as they approached, backlighting several dog-girls in long navy cloaks who secured the wagon as Khukri helped Ash to the door.

Inside was hardly more elaborate. Every ten feet, a wooden frame with a wide base held a lantern on a hook; filling the smooth grey hallways with light. At a glance, Ash wouldn’t have guessed this was a ruin. There was no broken stonework or rotting wood, and every forgotten corner had been scrubbed clean. He entered, catching the scent of lavender, something he’d only smelled once or twice during the autumnal celebration. As he happily breathed it in, he chided himself. With his powers, Ash could’ve grown any number of beautiful flowers over the last year, lavender included, if only he’d taken a moment to enjoy himself instead of focusing everything on making money. Maybe this fresh start was a sign it was time to reevaluate what was really important.

“There’s cages on the ground floor for hunting dogs,” Issac said. “Maya’s been here before. She can pen up your wolf for the night.”

Ash’s fingers tightened around Khukri’s wrist as he forcibly kept his tone polite. “Khukri stays with me.”

Issac glanced between Ash and the security posted by the front door. “Ruari, I can assure your safety, but we don’t have any rooms with cages. Leaving a loose wolf in the house...”

“You can bar the door from the other side at night,” Ash insisted. “Wolves won’t stay obedient if they think you’re afraid of them, and putting iron bars between us is a pretty clear signal.”

With a long sigh, Issac waved the others away. “I suppose without her, you’d be sailing into the night in a cargo hold. Maya, get the rest of your pack locked up for the night. I’ll wake the serving staff and have them prepare meals. Come along, Ruari.” Issac marched up the stone stairs, motioning to a collared dog in a black robe who came to greet them. “Show Ruari and his hunter to their room, then prepare a bath. If any of my guests are still awake, they can join me. And Ruari?” Issac clapped Ash on the shoulder, offering a tired smile. “I’m glad you made it. Get some rest.”

Their assigned room was little more than four stone walls, a gaslamp stand, and the biggest bed he’d ever seen. Ash stared, dumbstruck, as he ran his fingers across the plush navy surface; almost recoiling as they sunk into the padding. He revelled in the silken blanket before snatching up a pillow and squeezing it between his palms. “Khukri? I think this might be the softest bed I’ve ever seen.”

Khukri stood at the far wall, giving the wooden hatch secured over the window a solid tug. With a nod, she brought an ear close and tapped it twice with her claws. “The lock’s on the inside, so I can get you out in a hurry, but it’s thick enough to hold back a mist wraith.”

The pillow smacked into the side of her head, causing Khukri to flail wildly before fixing her eyes on Ash. He grinned, flopping onto the bed and pressing his head into the blanket. “You can relax, Khukri; we’ve got Issac protecting us now. We won.”

Her dour expression stayed as she dropped next to him, pressing the pillow into his chest. “Before, I only had to protect you from your enemies,” she accused, running the back of her claw over the cut on his cheek. “Via could’ve taken out your eyes or taken off your fingers, and that’s if she really didn’t want to kill you. You can’t throw yourself on the blade like that.”

Ash grinned, choking back a laugh. “Says the girl who charged a velkammer?”

“That’s different,” she insisted. “My purpose isn't to survive, it's to obey.”

“Well.” Ash’s smile died. “I have a purpose too, and I needed to stop Via.”

Her discerning gaze swept over him before her hand trailed from his cheek to his chest, sending shivers down his spine. Despite spending most of his life only wearing a linen wrap, somehow the blanket around his waist still made him feel exposed. “Via said you stole an artifact from the Dusk Empire...”

With a sigh, Ash retracted to the edge of the bed. “I’ve stolen from my family, not an empire. Plus, I suspect that artifact she’s going on about doesn’t exist.”

“She lied, then?”

Khukri didn’t often pry into Ash’s personal life. She probably avoided anything that might incriminate him after she returned to her pack. Of course, now that Via opened that floodgate, Khukri’s speculation would be worse than whatever clarification he provided. “Via’s not a bad person, she believes what she’s been told.” He hesitated, trying to phrase this in the least insane way he could. “I think the emperor had powerful magic, and when he died the Dusk Empire needed to explain why they couldn’t use it anymore. So they invented some bullshit about an artifact that imprints a symbol on your back as a scapegoat.” He turned, letting Khukri get a look at the snapdragon imprinted on his fur.

Ash winced as her hands pressed into his back, sending a fresh wave of pain from the agitated cuts. “And you happened to have that symbol? Unlucky.”

“Yeah...” Ash stood, pulling away again. “I should really go clean these wounds before they bar us in here. I don’t want to fall asleep covered in filth.” Before she could stop him, Ash opened the door, coming face-to-face with the black-robed dog from earlier. She was shorter than the hunting dogs he’d examined, with long fur running down her ears and muzzle ranging in colour from tan to chocolate.

The moment he stepped out, she straightened, folding her hands over her stomach and lowering her head slightly. “Can I help you, Sir?”

“Uh, yeah.” Ash slid the door closed, eyeing the girl uneasily. “Issac said guests could join him for a bath. I could really use one.”

“Of course, Sir.” The small dog led him to a wing on the bottom level, trading his blanket for a plush towel. Like everything around here it was navy, with the Direwood Syndicate’s logo displayed prominently. She stopped, indicating two doors. “Issac and his guests are in the bath on the right, don’t worry about making a mess; someone will be along once you’re finished.”

Ash looked down at his filthy fur, cringing inwardly at how bad he must look for people to worry he’d soil a bath. “Thank you.” To her credit, the girl didn’t show disgust, she simply offered a small bow and withdrew. Ash’s shoulders tensed. He’d heard about communal bathing from his father’s stories, and it didn’t seem that different from swimming with boys from the island. From what he remembered, it was commonplace in the Dusk and Tsu empires. He’d never heard about it reaching the Othelan Republic though. Still, Issac was a man of class, and Ash wasn’t about to break his disguise so close to victory.

Warmth flowed over Ash’s skin, permeating his fur as he entered. Steam swirled about the room, glowing orange in the light of a brass brazier of hot coals in the centre. The smooth white and black marble beneath Ash’s feet caused him to stop, wiggling his toes as he appreciated the effort put into the remodel. Across the glowing embers, Issac sat in a semicircle indented in the ground with a bench, flanked on either side by some of the most heavily musclebound dogs Ash had ever seen.

For a moment everyone looked at Ash in stunned silence. Clearly, Ash had misjudged Issac. It was hard to imagine the elegant and refined man not only keeping his hardest labourers as guests in his estate, but sharing his private bath with them as well. No matter how hard Issac tried to project himself as a prince in an ivory tower, actions spoke louder than words, and this man was a man of the people. It took a moment for Ash to react, realizing his mistake and removing his towel as he rounded the coals.

Issac jumped to his feet, pulling a towel to his chest with one arm while staring wide-eyed. “Ruari! What’re you doing here?”

“I... uh.” Ash spun in place, letting Issac see the extent of the mess. “It’s been a bit of a day. I could use a bath, and you said guests were invited so...”

A pained expression crossed Issac’s face as he squeezed his eyes shut, running a frustrated hand up his muzzle. “You can’t possibly be that… Okay, I’ll be blunt. Do you want to have sex?”

Ash coughed, wondering where the hell that came from. “What? I mean, maybe someday… That's a bit of a personal question isn't it?”

A loud groan escaped Issac’s throat as he pointed to the exit. “Use the left door, Ruari. There’s plenty of coal, so help yourself.”

Ash hesitated, realizing he’d made some sort of faux pas the real Ruari might’ve avoided, but lacked the knowledge to pinpoint his mistake. Perhaps communal bathing was for relaxing, and bathing to remove dirt was done in private? Best to make a swift retreat. “Of course.” He bowed to the men as he backed away. “I apologize for the intrusion, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“It’s fine,” Issac said, still pointing, though his voice was strained.

After Ash escaped and shut the door behind him, he sighed, leaning against the wall to collect himself. This ruse was hard enough when no one knew anything about him. Maintaining it for five weeks after the scrutiny Via brought might’ve been more difficult than Ash anticipated. For now, he needed to clean his wounds. Agonizing over his mistakes could wait.

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The second room was colder, as he expected, though the braiser was already lit. The coals glowed invitingly, drawing him close, where he saw the bucket affixed over the heat. He leaned in, examining the intricate brass apparatus designed to fit snugly over the flames. Between the marble and metalwork, Ash felt like a king. It was likely even his father never enjoyed such luxuries back on the mainland. A smile crossed his lips as he dipped his fingers into the warm water; vowing to make the most of this. Last season he was a farmboy, and next season he’d be a traveller bound for Sibir, neither of which could expect such treatment.

“Hello, Master.”

Ash jumped, strained muscles turning to meet Khukri’s gaze as she approached. Her tail swished freely as she glowed from the flames, letting his eyes roam over her naked fur. She offered a pleased smile as he stumbled back, clutching his towel to his stomach so it hung over his exposed privates. “Khukri? What’re you doing here?”

“I always wash after a hunt,” she said, motioning to the fire. “I started warming the water for us.”

Ash let out a nervous chuckle. “Th-thank you.”

In an instant, Khukri crossed the distance between them, leaning into his personal space and causing his throat to seal. “Don’t be afraid, Master. I’ll be gentle.” She lifted a small towel, pressing warm water onto his cheek.

“N-no!” Ash choked out, trying to back away.

Khukri firmly grabbed his wrist, locking eyes as she pulled him back. “I’m worried about you,” she insisted. “You make decisions that put yourself in danger. Don’t push me away.” The words were kind, but Ash couldn’t help but hear a threat underlying her words. “Let me fulfill my purpose. Let me protect you.”

His muscles involuntarily seized, mind screaming to run, to fight, to do anything but stay in this room one more minute. However, this was Khukri, the girl who saved his life not four hours prior. The danger he felt had to be fabricated, a product of his own mind and a lifetime of idiotic bias telling him the world was full of girls ready to strike the moment he let his guard down. He took a deep calming breath before offering a shy smile. “I’ve never...”

“Just relax.” Khukri steadied him by the fire, letting warmth flow up his legs and across his back. “My packmates have been wounded in hunts before. I’ll take care of you.” She pressed the cloth against his face again, wiping filth from his muzzle.

He tried to relax, to act like this was normal. Then Khukri seized an antler in one hand and leaned in, dragging her tongue across his cheek. A spasm ran down his entire body, making him jerk back, only to stiffen as she held him firm. “W-what…?”

The grip on his antler held, but Khukri pulled back, waiting until he looked her in the eyes before she spoke. “Hunting packs don’t have tools like yours, but our tongues are good at removing dirt from wounds. It’s not as good as medicine, but our saliva helps prevent infection, at least, that’s what the trainer at camp taught us.” A moment passed before she reached down, grabbing his free hand. “It’s safe, see? Aah...” Khukri left her mouth open, letting her tongue hang freely as she pressed his fingers against the soft warm muscle.

Ash’s lungs started again as he rolled her tongue over his fingers for a few moments. It was true; his tools were all in the District 4 warehouse, along with all his medicine and clothing. While he’d never heard of such practices, his father’s stories and books only went so far, and he’d already agreed to trust Khukri with his safety. “Sorry,” he mumbled, lowering his hand, though he couldn’t help the feeling that she was enjoying his discomfort just a bit too much.

Khukri’s tongue flowed across his cheek, sending shivers down his spine as the fur warmed with her attention. When she was satisfied, Khukri pulled back and wiped the area with a warm towel. “If I let go, can you hold still?” she asked, giving him a playful smirk. “I need to get the cuts on your back, but if you keep twitching you might hurt me.”

He nodded, resolving to hold still no matter what. After all, she’d already licked his face; that was about as startling as it got.

The grip on his antler released as Khukri circled, dipping the cloth into the water and wringing it over the embers, releasing a cloud of steam that swept down his lungs and permeated his fur. When the cloth pressed into the back of his head, hot water gushed down his back and soaked his fur, drenching him more as she scrubbed. After three or four more trips to the brass pan, water ran down his legs and pooled beneath him. He winced as the scrubbing moved to the open wound, sending flashes of pain as the early infection flared. Soon, Khukri leaned into him, breasts pressing against his back as she draped over his shoulder and gently wrapped her arms around him. “Can you hold this?”

A mixture of exhaustion and nerves dulled Ash’s thoughts, delaying him entirely too long to take the cloth, though she didn’t seem to mind. True to his word, Ash held still while she set her hands on his shoulders and ran her tongue over his back, cleaning the slashes with gentle licks.

“The picture is nice,” Khukri said, reaching around him to take the cloth. “That’s Deianira’s symbol, isn’t it? My camp didn’t have much use for religion, but it looks familiar. Whatever happened a year ago must have really affected you, especially if you don’t have plenty of money to have it dyed.”

“It was the most important thing that ever happened to me,” Ash admitted, wary of saying too much.

“Your purpose is religious then?” Khukri’s voice lowered as she knelt; pressing the cloth into his legs.

Ash hesitated, wondering how much he could give away without sounding like a total lunatic. Religion was broad though, and she already knew he was heading to Sibir, so what harm could it do? “Yeah. Deianira calls me to Sibir.” Well, technically he was Deianira, but that little tidbit could stay hidden.

Khukri crawled around him, looking up as she knelt between his legs. “Master?” She pulled on the towel, but his fingers clenched.

“Uh, there’s no cuts down there,” Ash said quickly. “I can finish-”

She looked up sharply, cutting his words short. “Master?” The threat returned to her voice. “You never stop halfway when you clean me.”

That wasn’t fair, he cleaned her the way he cleaned the aibax after they got dirty because she wanted to be treated like a beast! What was she doing cleaning him anyway? Since when did any beast clean their owner? He opened his mouth to protest that his private parts were down there, only to shut it when he realized making bathing sexual made his past behaviour so much worse. Finally, Ash released his grip, letting Khukri toss it to a dry section of the room. “Via hit me down there,” he mumbled. “There’s swelling in that area so...”

“I’ll be gentle,” she said again, pressing the cloth into his thigh.

Ash closed his eyes, thinking of math, history, anything from his father’s books to distract him as the fabric ran up his groin; her fingers massaging warm water into the fur around the opening near his sheath.

“Am I hurting you?” she asked, raising up on her knees, breasts pressing into his waist as she moved the cloth higher.

Instinctively his eyes opened, looking down at Khukri as she pressed the cloth into his stomach, streaming water down his front and onto her fur, soaking it until he could easily see the outline of her breasts. “N-no.” It was hard to concentrate on anything else, and to his horror, he started to stiffen. His cock slipped from the sheath inside him, pressing into her fur as she ground against him. It slid higher, pressing between her breasts and prodding her.

A flicker of confusion crossed her face as she knelt lower, finally catching sight of the red protrusion. Khukri’s teeth sank into her lower lip for a moment, chin angling down before she breathed out a soft: “Oh…”

The steam felt so much hotter than Ash remembered, and his lungs seized as he stumbled away, turning to hide what little dignity he had left. “I’m sorry! I just, I didn’t mean-”

Before he could fully turn, her hand moved, gently grasping his length and squeezing so he couldn’t slip away. “You said you’d stop with the twitching!”

Ash stared down, open-mouthed as he tried to find the words, only for nothing to come.

“I said I’d be careful…” Khukri reminded him, almost pouting as she guided him back. “I’m not stupid. I know that’s sensitive.” An almost petulant sigh left her lips. Her head tilted sideways, eyes half-lidded as she took in his size. After a brief moment, she dropped the cloth - instead, cupping handfuls of warm water and pouring them gently over the length before massaging it with both hands.

The pulsing pressure from her fingers ran through Ash’s body, causing more of him to slide free, growing under her touch until he’d fully stiffened. After a moment the wolf stopped, wrapping one hand around the base, then her other hand on top of that, looking confused at the remaining uncovered length. Before long, she started moving again, dragging her hands slowly up and down as she toyed with him. Waves of pleasure flooded his mind as she continued to rub, wrenching an unconscious groan from his lips, and a hand resting on her head.

Khukri raised a brow as she stopped, the edges of her lips turning to a small grin as her half-opened mouth hovered inches from his cock. He felt each soft, hot breath as she spoke. “Yes, Master?”

He swallowed, trying to collect himself as he looked down at her curious, parted lips. Finally, Ash’s senses returned and he scratched behind her ears, giving a pained smile. “I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me.”

“Of course, Master.” Khukri released him, standing with the cloth to wipe down his chest and arms, never acknowledging the raging erection she nestled between her thighs.

Hate flowed through Ash’s blood as she finished, pressing herself into his arms for a tight hug. Khukri was his innocent protector trying to keep him clean and safe, and he had to be this goddamn pervert, drooling at the girl on her knees. There had to be something between abject terror and horny, right? What the hell was wrong with him?

“All clean,” she said, giving him a happy smile. “We’d better let them lock us in and get to bed. You’ll need your rest to recover.”

Ash’s cock throbbed painfully at the thought of climbing into bed with his pet wolf. “You go on ahead,” he said, gritting his teeth. “I need a few minutes alone, to dry off and use the bathroom.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, cocking her head. “I don’t mind waiting.”

“I’m sure. Go ahead and get the bed warm for us.”

Khukri nodded and stepped back, but as his dick bounced free he could’ve sworn there was a hint of a smirk. He watched her go, tail swishing playfully as she stopped at the door to let her eyes roam over his exposed body for a change, then disappeared.