In the morning, Nakai woke up to Hera crawling up his body while Rara rubbed his face with a cold wash cloth. Nakai’s eyes were slightly puffy from his crying outburst. Hera kept crawling along Nakai’s torso until she was at face level and gave Nakai a big kiss, her voice almost shouting as she greeted Nakai.

 

“Morning Daddy~ Daddy okay?”

 

Nakai cleared his throat that felt dry and he patted Hera butt before sitting up.

 

“I’m okay, have you two had breakfast yet?”

 

Rara nodded his head before explaining rapidly to Nakai.

 

“These people came in with the food and ate a piece of everything! Hera started yelling at them because she thought they were stealing her food but I already knew what they were doing, I saw people do it in the palace back home too.”

 

Aggie came over with a bowl of soup for Nakai and carried both children away to play while Nakai got ready, Nakai was finishing up the last of his food when he got the call that Raia had arrived and was waiting in the back gardens. Before Nakai left, he walked into the bathroom and had a cold shower to clear his mind and get rid of the swelling in his face. With one last goodbye to the unknowing children, he left the palace. When Nakai had made it to the garden where Raia was waiting, Nera and Wang Xei were also waiting for him, Nera could see Nakai look around for Wang Lei and he answered before the question could be asked.

 

“I told Lei to stay with Karo, he’s too stressed and tired to look for Bao.”

 

“Let’s go then.”

 

Nakai was handed his weapons as he walked over to Raia, his voice was low as he told her what was happening.

 

“I need you to find Wang Bao, when you find him stay back until we get to you but make sure he doesn't get hurt.”

 

Raia mewled sadly when she heard Wang Bao had been taken again and she rubbed her face against Nakai’s chest before sprinting off, her large body disappearing into the trees. Both Wang Xei and Nera looked at Nakai as if he was crazy until Nakai turned around.

 

“Raia is going ahead, she’ll keep an eye on Wang Bao until we get to him.”

 

With nothing left to say the three men left the palace ground with a group of four other men, they couldn’t  bring too large of a group or any type of motor vehicle since it could draw unwanted attention from far away. 

 

. . . . . . . . .

 

When Wang Bao woke up, there was breakfast waiting for him, his chain allowed him to be able to walk around half of his room and he ate while walking around. Aside from when it was meal time, there was no other time he saw anyone that day, this carried on until three days had passed. Wang Bao was beginning to worry since his stomach and back were beginning to cramp up but there was no way he could get a blood transfusion. On the night of the third day, Wang Bao was trying to massage his own back when the two men came in, the old doctor following in behind, talking.

 

“Time to pack up, let’s head out.”

 

“Where are we going?”

 

Wang Bao watched as both men came closer and he clenched his fists, before he could do anything though, he was held down firmly. Wang Bao let out a shout from the pain in his stomach before he felt a sting in his arm, as his consciousness was slipping he could hear the old doctor yelling at the men for manhandling him.

 

When Wang Bao woke up he was in another cabin with the windows nailed shut, he didn’t know if they were already that way when they had arrived or if the two men had been ordered to do it. Wang Bao’s belly was aching terribly once Wang Bao was awake enough to sit up and he took in a sharp breath. He was still struggling to ignore the pain, when the old doctor came in, Wang Bao’s body had grown a lot during his return to the palace and his shirt was beginning to become too small, his round pot belly looked more like he was half way through the pregnancy rather than a little past the first trimester. The old doctor took one look at Wang Bao’s condition before walking out.

 

She returned only a minute later with an IV and a bag of clear liquid, Wang Bao watched her set up the Iv before she came over to him with a needle. When she went to push it into his arm, Wang Bao dodged out of the way. Since he couldn’t move properly at the moment he could only do this much to get an answer. The old doctor sighed before tapping the bag impatiently.

 

“This is Nakai’s healing enzyme. The two pints he gave was enough for three bags, I have them stored in the freezer for when you need it. Though after this there is only one so you’ll need to suck it up until the pain is close to killing you.”

 

After hearing this, Wang Bao let the old doctor put the IV in his arm and once ten minutes had passed, his body was able to relax. The old doctor roughly lifted Wang Bao’s straining shirt and rubbed over the firm skin. Wang Bao wanted to slap her hand away but she scowled at him when he lifted his hand. All he could do was glare back while spitting out a question.

 

“What do you plan on doing once the babies are born?”

 

“Since you will die during childbirth, I plan on taking the twins to a hidden place people like me find sanctuary in. After that a series of tests and experiments will be conducted to see the makeup of these little mixed things.”

 

Wang Bao wasn’t expecting that answer and his blood went cold, his hearing had muffled after the doctor stated coldly that he would die during labour but when he heard his babies would be at the hands of people like the old doctor, intense rage built up in his chest. Wang Bao swung his hand out and the back of his hand collided with the old doctor’s wrinkly face. His backhand was so hard that her old body fell to the ground with a thud. The two men barged through the door as soon as they heard the sound and the old doctor stood up from the ground, wiping the blood that had leaked from the corner of her mouth.

 

When the two men came closer she put her hand up, instructing them while narrowing her eyes at Wang Bao.

 

“Just a strike to the face each, we can’t handle him too hard right now.”

 

Before Wang Bao could strike one of the men, his hair was tugged painfully and a hard punch was thrown to his face. Wang Bao let out a grunt from the pain, when the other man threw a punch, his was both harder and lower, colliding more with Wang Bao’s jaw than his cheek. After everyone had left his room, Wang Bao’s face had already swelled up on one side and he could feel one of his teeth had become loose. Wang Bao took the pain though as the last of Nakai’s enzymes passed through his veins. Wang Bao was able to find comfort as he watched the large bag slowly empty inside him, to be able to have some part of Nakai inside him was all he needed to dull the rest of the pain in his body.

 

. . . . . . . . .

 

After a week of following Raia’s tracking device, Nakai saw she was still on the move. Nakai would’ve had them camp had she been roaming around randomly but Nakai could see on his phone that she was moving forward without diverting, if she did have Wang Bao’s scent then they were still a far way away from finding him. Just when Nakai was going to suggest they rest for the night, he saw the shadow of a small building in the distance. There was no sign of people but they couldn't be too sure so Nakai ordered everyone to fan out, moving to surround the entire building. When they were finally sure there was no one, Nakai kicked the door down. He, Nera and Wang Xei looked inside the cabin while the troops stood outside to keep watch. When Wang Xei stepped into the cabin he only needed to take a small look at the inside before understanding what they were standing in.

 

“These cabins are scattered around the sacred forest, back in the day, people would walk into the forest thinking they would find enlightenment or enter a higher state of mind. It’s said that the deeper you venture into the forest, the more extreme the power becomes.”

 

It was obvious Wang Xei didn’t believe the words he was saying and Nakai walked into the back room. He walked over to the bed as soon as he saw it and found four drill holes, Nakai also noticed there were nails lining the windows that stopped them from opening. When Wang Xei came into the room too he saw Nakai sniffing the pillow and leaned against the doorway.

 

“Does Bao know you’re into sheet sniffing?”

 

Nakai ignored Wang Xei’s comment and stood back up, throwing the pillow to the humerus man. Wang Xei took one sniff of the material and understood why Nakai had sniffed it, he threw the pillow back while stating what they both knew.

 

“Bao’s scent, it’s only faint so they must’ve left at least two days ago.”

 

“Do you know where the cabins are in this forest?”

 

Wang Xei shook his head as they walked out of the small room. When they made their way out, Nera was walking along the perimeter of the cabin. Although it was dark, he could see subtle differences in the texture of the dirt. When Nakai came closer to see what he had found, Nera pointed to the ground.

 

“They are travelling on motorbikes, though one is dragging something like a sled or trailer.”

 

Nakai looked at the closeness of the trees and figured it would be a trailer since a sled would be too hard to maneuver through the trees. Since they knew they were at least two days behind, the group camped for the night in the cabin. In the morning, Nakai checked Raia’s tracker like usual and found she had stopped moving. When Nakai checked the distance between him he figured it would take another week at least on foot for them to get to her. Since they had a destination in sight,  Nakai made everyone pick up the pace.

 

. . . . . . . . . .

 

Wang Bao was becoming quite frustrated with his situation, his cheek was no longer swollen but the bruise was being stubborn. Wang Bao had only been hit two times since the old doctor was serious about keeping the fetuses' condition perfect. Just like at the previous cabin, Wang Bao only saw the two men and old doctor when it was meal and scan time. When the ultrasound was being set up, Wang Bao opened his mouth and asked the old doctor something that had been on his mind.

 

“Why did you poison the food? I thought you wanted no harm to come to the babies.”

 

“I heard that kid had been the one to eat the food first. Don’t worry, it’s just a coma. The plan was to comatose you to make it easier but we have to deal with you now.”

 

Wang Bao was shocked silent as he felt the cold jelly hit his belly. When he heard the heartbeat of the babies inside him, Wang Bao sputtered out another question, his voice higher in pitch from worry.

 

“H-How is he supposed to wake up from a coma?!”

 

“If they’re clever enough, they’ll figure it out.”

 

The scan was done by the time the old doctor answered bluntly and everything was packed away. Just like that, Wang Bao was left alone for the remainder of the day, all he could do for entertainment was walk around his room or look out the window. Since Wang Bao was tired he chose the latter. He watched as the last of the light could be seen through the gaps in the trees before the sky fell into twilight. While Wang Bao was boredly playing with the nails in the wood, he caught sight of something in the corner of his eyes. This caused Wang Bao to focus as he looked out the window, it wasn’t long until he saw two large cat eyes. At first Wang Bao jumped back in fear but then he felt the bright eyes looked familiar, before he could get  a good look, the animal had disappeared from his sight. Wang Bao tried to look at where the creature had run off to but his attempts earned him nothing.

 

. . . . . . . . .

 

Wang Bao found they were moving every few days and every time, they would put him to sleep. Ever since he saw those cat eyes, Wang Bao felt they belonged to Raia meaning Nakai was close by. Holding onto the small sliver of hope, Wang Bao was able to somewhat relax into the care of the old doctor and time began to pass by. Before he knew it, he had been gone one month and they were moving again. Wang Bao had started feeling the pain from the fetuses growing inside him, since he had been told that there was only one transfusion bag left. To help ease the pain, Wang Bao took to meditating more often.

 

By the time another month was passing by, the pain was beginning to become unbearable and Wang Bao felt he wouldn’ be able to make it much longer. The weight combined with the never ending growth was taking its toll on his body and he could no longer eat properly, though his hunger was the size of a giant. Like the last pregnancy, Wang Baos belly continued to grow rounder while the rest of his body slimmed down. When the old doctor noticed the growth of the fetuses had slowed down, she clicked her tongue while glaring at Wang Bao.

 

“I wanted to pack it up tomorrow since we’re close to the border but the constant drugging is putting strain on the fetuses, your weight isn’t helping either! What, our food isn’t good enough anymore?”

 

“Try living in my body and see if you can stomach anything.”

 

Wang Bao glared at the old doctor while she looked back at him with a thoughtful expression.

 

“Do you want the transfusion? If not, suck it up and start eating properly.”

 

Wang Bao thought about it when he felt a hunger pain mixed with a violent jolt inside him and he winced, once he was able to catch his breath again Wang Bao mumbled out tiredly.

 

“Give me the transfusion.”

 

“Good answer. I would have needed to put a feeding tube down your throat otherwise.”

 

Wang Bao wanted to kick the woman but all he could do was close his eyes and wish the pain away. As the transfusion was happening, instead of the old doctor leaving the room like usual she stayed back. Wang Bao could see the woman was in a bad mood but couldn’t care less since he had his own issues. It looked like the old doctor had gotten sick of Wang Bao’s attitude since she grabbed Wang Bao’s face to force him to look at her.

 

“You should be grateful to me. I gave you food, healing enzymes and I even checked your fetuses. If I wanted to, I could cut you open and sell your dead fetuses to the black market, if I so wished.”

 

Just like last time, Wang Bao couldn’t handle hearing the old doctor talk about his unborn children in such a way. His throat was already collared and chained so it inhibited his movements but it didn’t stop Wang Bao from attacking the woman. Wang Bao could see the transfusion had finished and he ripped the thick needle out of his arm, stabbing it into the old woman's face multiple times. The two men barged into the room as soon as they heard the old doctor scream in horrific pain. One man quickly ran behind Wang Bao and wrapped the chain around his neck, cutting off his air while the other pulled the old doctor away, her face drenched in blood. When the man saw the damage done by Wang Bao, he lunged towards him and threw heavy punches to Wang Bao’s face. Because Wang Bao’s air was being cut off, his reaction was slow as he tried to block the hits. His weak arms took the more heavy blows but they were swiftly held down and more fists collided with his skin. Wang Bao’s consciousness was quickly fading when the loud roar of a cat echoed off the quiet forest.

 

Everyone in the cabin froze before the window was smashed to thousands of tiny shards. Wang Bao could feel the chain loosen around his neck and he coughed painfully before taking in a large mouthful of air. With blood clouding most of his vision, Wang Bao could see Raia taking no mercy on the three abductors in the room. Her claws sliced through the man that had been choking Wang Bao and his lifeless body dropped to the ground instantly, covering a large amount of the floor in his dark red blood. The old doctor had never seen Raia or any type of beast this large and with her ravaged face, she ran towards the door, her exit was quickly blocked by the furry beast and her screaming voice was cut off when Raia’s mouth covered her entire head.

 

The last man had watched the bloody scene unfold in front of him in only seconds, his brain was unable to register what had just happened but it knew he was in trouble. Instead of trying to run, he fell to the ground, sitting in his own piss while begging to be left alone. Raia let out a growl while she slowly crept closer to the man, her fur was on end as her white eyes narrowed. When her bloody face was against the other man’s, she let out an ear crushing roar, the man screamed before his body was thrown out the smashed window..Raiai had been staying back ever since she found Wang Bao as per order by Nakai, she had been forced to watch Wang Bao sit in pain day and night while also being subjected to the grotesque description of what was to come to his unborn children. Seeing Wang Bao turn pale or burn with anger had made Raia angry but when she saw the man in front of her attack Wang Bao maliciously, she had had enough. 

 

Wang Bao was already passed out as Raiai tortured the man by using one of her large paws to slowly push the man’s face deep into the dirt. Her growling grew quieter so she could listen to the man scream until she felt the hard skull break beneath her, the man’s blood seeping into the black soil.