The return of villainess

Lisa didn't know if it was because of the guilt over the trap with the wolf or for some other reason, but something had subtly changed in Alec after they returned to the camp.

He had stuck close to her ever since the incident.

Now they were both at the same river as before. Alec was washing the dried blood off her dress while Lisa sat on the bank, wearing a new set of fur clothes and feeling somewhat disconnected from reality, not knowing what to say or do after the burst of tears she had just had. She no longer felt sad or devastated, just tired, like she had poured all her emotions out and now there was nothing left.

She stared vaguely at the river, just watching the water flow away, following its course to who knows where. Could she go away too? Lisa imagined herself surviving alone. She had never camped or even lived on a farm. All her food came from stores, and she barely knew how to cook anything that wasn't pre-made. Rationally, she knew she didn't stand a chance, but emotionally, she just wanted to run and screw the consequences. Why wasn't she the impulsive type who did things first and dealt with the fallout later?

In the book Beauty and Power, the protagonist Eleanor had all sorts of survival skills, was great at inventing new technologies from scratch, and even when she acted impulsively and did the dumbest things, not only did she survive, she always seemed to get lucky and improve her situation. Lisa still remembered the first scene in the book, when Eleanor and the villainess first arrived in the Beast World and were alone and lost in an abandoned forest. Still confused about what was happening, they were attacked by a pack of starving wild animals. At one point, Eleanor offered to distract the beasts while the villainess ran to get help. Just as she was about to be mauled to death, her protagonist's luck kicked in and she was miraculously saved by a handsome man. This man was super powerful and eventually fell in love with her.

Lisa wished she had that kind of luck, but all she had gotten since she arrived here were traumas.

She looked at Alec, who was absentmindedly washing the clothes. Would he let her leave? She had come here willingly and hadn't been treated like a prisoner, but would he let her go when she could make him and the other rabbits stronger?

Maybe if she were free, she too could get lucky like the protagonist and survive in the forest.

Lisa looked at the dense woods surrounding the river. The trees were unfamiliar, taller and darker than any she had known. Besides, they were close to camp, and even if Alec let her go freely into the forest, the others might not agree. She could make them stronger, and from what she had understood from the book she read, the males wanted strength more than anything. Strength meant status, respect, shelter, food, and most importantly, females.

Unfortunately, for the rabbits to grow stronger, Lisa would have to keep luring males to be slaughtered, one by one. That wasn't the life she wanted to live.

Maybe the forest and the unknown were the better choice.

She stood up, facing the trees. Before she could lose her nerve, she took one step forward, then another, and was halfway through the third when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Where do you think you're going, female?" Alec asked.

Lisa turned her head slowly and met a pair of intense red eyes staring back at her.

She pointed to the forest.

"It's dangerous" he shook his head. "You should stay here, with me."

Lisa pulled her arm. He didn't let go.

"Female" Alec said slowly "it's way too dangerous for you to be out there alone. If you want to go for a walk, I can take you later."

His expression was grim and his teeth clenched.

Lisa felt her heart pick up with apprehension, and the numbness she had been feeling began to fade.

She yanked her arm hard, finally breaking free, and walked toward the forest.

"I wouldn't go in there at night if I were you" Alec said, not far behind.

She ignored him.

"There are plenty of dangerous creatures out there who'd love to find a pretty, vulnerable female. I don't know what they'd do if they caught you." He went on.

Lisa stopped, a cold breeze brushing against her skin. Suddenly she felt watched. It was getting dark, and the forest looked even gloomier than before, silent and still, like it was waiting for its next prey to foolishly walk in. Lisa swallowed hard. Maybe going now wasn't a good idea.

She looked at Alec, still a little unsure.

"I can take you tomorrow" he said, stepping closer and placing both hands on her shoulders.

He was handsome, a redhead with bright red eyes, like the color of a rose... or blood. He had freed her from an auction full of beast-men who wanted to buy her like an object.

"This forest is ancient and dangerous" he said softly, turning her by the shoulders back toward the camp. "The creatures that live there are twisted and starving."

He was also the man who used her to make his companions stronger and just stood there watching when they died in front of her. Lisa had the impression he didn't care much about others of his kind. He seemed more like he was using the rabbits for his own benefit.

Lisa didn't want to be used.

"Female" he said in a more affectionate, almost sweet tone" it's getting cold now. Let's go back to the camp. There's a warm fire and some soup to make you comfortable."

Lisa found herself relaxing, almost against her will. Alec had also fed her, clothed her, and cared for her since she arrived in this world.

He picked up her dress, now clean, from the edge of the river, and with his free hand on her back, gently guided her back toward the camp.

"Let me take care of you" he said, and Lisa let him.

***

With a full belly and wrapped in a heavy fur blanket, Lisa lay in the center of the camp while watching the agitated males around her. Alec was lying not far from her, whether asleep or awake, she didn't know.

Night had fallen, and as promised, Alec had brought her back, and she had eaten and warmed up before trying to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep didn't come. The soup she had was made from vegetables, and even though she didn't know what kind they were, everything was delicious. She wasn't hungry or cold, but still couldn't close her eyes and simply fall asleep.

The rabbits were still excited about the slaughter, and Lisa overheard more than one side conversation where the beast-men asked when they'd kill the next target, but Alec never joined them. Lisa didn't know whether to be irritated or grateful about that. It was good that he stayed by her side, she didn't want to be alone, but he was also the one behind the plan that had killed the wolf earlier.

She didn't want to be around the other males either, nor did she want them getting near her. Even though Alec made it clear that none of them were interested in her and each had his own female from the rabbit clan, Lisa caught more than one of them staring at her for far too long to be purely platonic.

She didn't want them. Lisa felt like she'd never see rabbits the same way again after what she had witnessed.

A part of her couldn't stop wondering why the wolf's death had shocked her so much. He wasn't the first beast-man she had seen die in this world. But somehow this felt different. Maybe because his death didn't come from a fight, or from self-defense, or even from fleeing, like what happened when they left the village.

The wolf-man's death had been a simple, cold-blooded murder. And she was a part of it all. Her hands were just as stained with blood as those of the rabbits.

Alec had washed her dress, it could be worn again, but Lisa felt like it could never be cleaned of the bad memories tied to it.

She could still smell the wolf's blood, just like she could feel the weight of his gaze before he died. He had felt fear, in the end. Her stomach turned at the memory.

That night, she slept with that smell, and when she woke up, she thought maybe she and the rabbits were about to pay for what they had done.