I heard voices above me, accompanied by loud footsteps. My heart thumped vigorously almost as if to match; each time they stopped close my body tensed up. I held my breath until they passed us by; strong palpitations continuing to intensify with growing perspiration. 

Stuck closely with no room left for comfort, it was inevitable that we had to squeeze our bodies together in order to fit. As we were clasped together in this narrow space, the sweat emanating from our heated contact of pressed bodies collectively brewed the small container with a heavy smell. 

I grew a little light-headed, struggling to clear up my clouded thoughts. It would actually be strange if I didn’t feel arousal from this situation, seeing that it is a completely natural, physiological reaction for men. I could feel her soft but slightly unstable breathing close to me, exhaling heated heaves that tickled and brought me closer to the edge. 

Although I could tell that she was also feeling uncomfortable staying in this position, I wished she would stop squirming around. It was hard to contain every and every unconscious movement she made with her conspicuous spillage of breasts. 

Anyway, this room didn’t contain much if I remember correctly, so I wouldn’t have to stay in this precarious predicament for long. Adding on to the strenuous reaction on my waist, I might also turn increasingly claustrophobic if this keeps up. 

It was fortunate that this wasn’t going to happen, as I sensed the commotion receding in the room. It would only be a matter of time before they left completely. As I had anticipated, the soldiers’ voices and footsteps faded into the distance once they realized that there was nothing left in this room besides the rubble created from the broken cage. Of course, if they’d taken the time to inspect the debris, they might have just found two heads poking out of the wreckage.

“Haah… finally, they’re gone.” I muttered exasperatingly. Having a moment of ease, I chuckled lightly and leaned my head against the girl’s shoulder.

I didn’t step out right away, however. It was only after a good minute of waiting in silence, before I gathered up my courage to come out from hiding. After regaining my bearings, I then pulled the girl out of the rubble. After spending a suffocating amount of time in that cramped enclosure, her forehead was now filled with sweat. Her expression looked pale, and her internal wounds seemed to have worsened somehow. I didn’t waste any more time, and promptly carried her on my back after shifting my backpack to my front. Although I was also feeling considerably tired, her body was lighter than the average person so I was still able to hold her weight well. 

Coming close to the door, I leaned the side of my face close and listened for a brief moment. When I had gotten a silent confirmation, I opened the door and left the room with careful steps. There were still presences around so I had to maintain my alertness to react before approaching each corner. Eventually, we managed to come to an open passageway, the final obstacle that we had to break through. And therein lies a problem—There was a soldier outside the door which led to the outside. Even though his back was facing me, if he ever decided to turn around at any time…

Should I risk it? I began to contemplate my chances of success seriously. 

...However, when I heard a weak cough behind my back, I recalled.

This girl didn’t have much time left. If I didn’t hurry up, the girl might die before I even managed to leave this place. At this moment, I decided to buck the odds.

I made a straight dash through the open passage—My heart raced as I ran madly, not even making sure if the soldier had noticed me. 

I ran with all my strength. And eventually.

My gamble had paid off— We made it out undetected.

As soon as we made it outside, I quickly cut into a small alley without any signs of people. I took a moment to catch my breath, before placing the girl down gently against a wall. 

I removed my cloak and wrapped it around her wolf ears like a turban. Her tail wasn’t very long either, it was probably possible to hide it if I take this and...

“Nnn—!” When I heard her whimper softly, I immediately let go of her tail.

Thinking that I might have aggravated an injury on her body, I quickly apologized in my head. Still, she can’t go anywhere looking like this. I had to take some liberties here even if it might hurt her. But at the very least, I wanted to let her know that I didn’t mean any harm. 

It was then that I thought of something I could do. 

This girl was a beast-kin, and that means that she had animal attributes right? I used to own a cat, so it might be possible to use that experience to see if I can induce a similar instinctive behavior in her. After all, wolves were sort of like cats...?

Since there was nothing to lose, I decided to put it to the test. I brought myself closer. “Don’t worry,” I whispered into her ear. Her body jolted backwards, clearly agitated from the closeness of my voice. 

“I won’t hurt you.” I began petting her head. Cats have different preferences for petting, thus I decided to start from a safer area. With some tolerance and gentleness, it was possible to build trust with a feline friend this way. Patting the head is the first step to having her get used to my touch.

“Can you tell? I’m not a bad person...” I suggested, as I continued to stroke her hair in rhythmic waves.

“...Mm…” Her body still retained some tension, but it didn’t seem like she disliked it entirely. I took this as the go-ahead, so I started kneading behind her ears. 

“Uu…” Her voice turned mellow and her ears started to twitch cutely. 

...I think I have a nosebleed. Wolf-girl’s tail started to wag, and that means that she’s had enough headpats and wanted me to stop. Regretfully parting away from the silkiness of her wolf ears, I proceeded to the next step. I moved my hand under her chin next and gave it a good rub, bringing her expression even closer to rapture. 

“Mmn…”

While keeping an eye out for her tail movements, I took my time with it. Cats can sense impatience, and one would lose progress if they overstepped their boundaries. It was imperative that she remained as relaxed as possible before I worked on her more sensitive areas.

“Here, you like it here?”

“Nna-hh…” Her tail starts wagging again, so I removed my hands.

I placed my palm on her belly next and gently caressed it. Her ears twitched a few times, and her body squirmed. The petting was pleasure enough to make her drool despite being unconscious; an unguarded smile revealed the purest of her emotions.

“...I think I went a bit too far.” I coughed awkwardly and turned my gaze away until she recollected herself. When I eventually moved my hand down to the base of her tail and gave it a few strokes. Her tail felt fluffy and warm, just like cotton. 

...But I had already seen the countless scars behind her powder blue fur. They were the untold stories that reminded me that she had suffered for a long time as a slave…

“It’s going to be okay now…” I smiled gently, and patted it one last time before letting go. The wolf girl no longer showed any resistance and submissively accepted my touch, so I carefully curled her tail inwardly in between her legs, tucking it around her stomach region and carried her again on my back.

… … ...

I took an unpopular route back to the dormitory. Since I knew the inner district like the palm of my hand, it didn’t take me too long before I arrived there safely. I climbed a flight of stairs, and walked to the other end of the building. I took out my guild card and tapped on the front of the door. 

After hearing a click, the entrance opened. I entered the apartment quickly, and closed the door after me before anyone spotted me with the girl behind my back.