The demon wolf hung in the restraints, silver fur damp with sweat despite the morning chill. Her yellow eyes burned with defiance as William circled her slowly, studying every detail of her restrained form.
"You can stare all you want," she snarled. "I won't tell you anything about my tribe."
"We'll see about that." William's hand reached out, fingers hovering just above her shoulder. The demon wolf tensed immediately, every muscle coiling tight in anticipation.
When his fingers finally made contact, trailing down her arm with deliberate slowness, her entire body jerked against the bindings. "That's... that's nothing," she gasped out, trying to maintain her composure.
"Nothing?" William's fingers pressed into her side, just below her ribs, and the demon wolf's back arched violently. A strangled sound escaped her throat before she could stop it.
"Ah! W-what are you..." Her words dissolved into ragged breathing.
"Interesting reaction," William observed, his touch moving to trace along her spine. Each vertebra received careful attention, and with each one the demon wolf's breathing grew more unsteady. "Your kind seems much more sensitive than I expected."
"Stop... talking like I'm some kind of..." She tried to sound angry, but her voice came out breathy and weak. "Some kind of experiment..."
"But you are," William said simply. His hands found her hips, gripping firmly, and the demon wolf's whole body shuddered. "I need to understand how demon wolves respond. You're teaching me so much already."
"I'm not... teaching you... anything..." she panted, her tail curling tight against her will.
William's fingers traced up her sides, deliberately slow, and the demon wolf bit down hard on her lip to suppress the sound trying to escape. Her wolf ears flattened completely against her head.
"Your body is very honest, even when your mouth isn't," William noted. His touch found the base of her tail, and the demon wolf's control shattered instantly.
"No! Not there!" she yelped, her body convulsing in the restraints. "Don't touch—ah!"
William's fingers worked the sensitive area with methodical precision. The demon wolf thrashed desperately, her head shaking side to side, but there was nowhere to escape. Sensation flooded through her, overwhelming and inescapable.
"Please... stop..." The words slipped out weakly. "I can't... it's too much..."
"Too much already?" William's other hand joined the first, working in tandem. "But we've barely started."
The demon wolf's breathing had become completely ragged. Her body trembled continuously, muscles alternating between rigid tension and helpless shaking. Sweat ran down her skin in rivulets, making her fur stick in damp patches.
"Look at you," William murmured, his breath warm against her ear. "So proud before. What happened to all that defiance?"
"I... I'm still..." she tried to protest, but her voice had no strength left in it.
"Still what? Still resisting?" His hands moved to new areas, exploring with clinical interest. When his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot on her inner thigh, the demon wolf's entire body seized.
"AH! There! Don't... don't touch there!" Her voice rose desperately.
"Here?" William pressed the spot again, and the demon wolf's back arched so severely it looked painful. "You're right, very sensitive. I should remember that."
"No... no please..." Tears were starting to form at the corners of her eyes. "I can't take... my body can't..."
"Can't what?" William's touch became even more focused. "Can't handle this? But you're a strong demon wolf warrior. Surely you can endure a little interrogation."
The demon wolf tried to respond, but only broken sounds came out. Her mind was becoming foggy, thoughts scattering under the relentless assault of sensation. Every nerve felt raw and oversensitive. Every touch sent electricity racing through her.
William stepped back briefly, giving her a moment to catch her breath. The demon wolf hung limp in the restraints, chest heaving, eyes glazed and unfocused.
"Ready to talk now?" he asked.
She shook her head weakly, that stubborn core still refusing despite everything.
"Wrong answer." William moved behind her this time, and the demon wolf's ears swiveled anxiously, trying to track him by sound.
"Wait... what are you..." Her voice was hoarse with exhaustion.
William's hands gripped her shoulders from behind, and she flinched violently. His touch slid lower, tracing down her back with agonizing slowness. When his fingers reached the small of her back, the demon wolf's breathing hitched into something close to a sob.
"Please... I'll... I'll tell you something..." she gasped out. "Just... just give me a moment..."
"Something? I want everything." His hands gripped her hips again, pulling her back slightly. The demon wolf whimpered at the contact.
"I can't... I need..." Her words were incoherent now, mind too scattered to form complete thoughts.
William's interrogation continued without mercy. His touch explored every sensitive point he'd discovered, then found new ones. The demon wolf's responses became more and more pronounced. Her voice rose in desperate pleas and protests that held no real resistance anymore. Her body responded to every touch with increasing intensity, past the point of conscious control.
"Stop! Please stop!" The words burst out in a desperate wail. "I can't anymore! My body will break! It'll really break!" She was sobbing now, the proud warrior completely shattered. "Everything! I'll tell you everything! Whatever you want to know! Just please... please no more..."
Her voice cut off abruptly. Her eyes rolled back, pupils dilating to pinpoints. Her body went completely rigid, every muscle locked tight for several long moments. Then suddenly she went entirely limp, consciousness slipping away.
William caught her weight in the restraints, adjusting them so she wouldn't hurt herself. He studied her unconscious form with mixture of satisfaction and slight concern.
"Definitely pushed too far on the first session," he muttered. Her breathing was shallow but steady, her body still twitching occasionally with aftershocks. "Though the results were... educational."
He loosened some of the restraints but kept her limbs secured, then settled down to wait. His mind worked through the implications. If all demon wolves were this responsive, this sensitive, it would be valuable strategic information. But he suspected this one might be unique.
After ten minutes, the demon wolf finally awoke.
Her eyes opened slowly, unfocused and confused. For several moments, she seemed unsure of where she was or what had happened. Then her gaze found William, and everything came crashing back.
Her entire body went rigid with panic. Her fur bristled instantly. Her breathing quickened to near hyperventilation. "No... no no no..." she whimpered.
"Calm down," William said, his tone even. "I'm not touching you."
"Stay... stay away from me!" Her voice cracked with terror.
"I will. If you answer my questions." William shifted slightly, and the demon wolf flinched violently at the movement.
"I'll talk! I'll tell you! Everything!" The words tumbled out desperately. "Please don't... I really can't survive another round. I'll die! I swear I'll die!"
Her complete submission was absolute. Every line of her body showed total defeat. The fierce warrior was gone, replaced by someone thoroughly broken.
"Good," William said, relaxing back into his seat. "Let's start simple. Tell me about your tribe's numbers."
The information poured out without hesitation. The demon wolf told him everything, the fighter's number, elder positions, their guardian details, territorial boundaries, hunting patterns, and weaknesses in their defenses. She held nothing back, answering every question before he even finished asking it.
When William had extracted every tactical detail, he moved to more personal questions. "What's your name?"
The demon wolf's ears drooped. "I... I don't have one. We don't use names. Demon wolves identify by scent."
"That won't work for you anymore," William said. "You need a name if you're going to serve me."
Her yellow eyes widened slightly at the implication. "Serve you?"
"Did you think I'd just let you go?" William asked. "No, you're mine now. And every servant needs a name." He considered for a moment. "Ibuki. That will be yours."
"Ibuki..." she repeated softly, the unfamiliar syllables strange on her tongue. Her ears twitched. "That's... my name now?"
"It is. Get used to it."
Ibuki lowered her gaze, something complex crossing her face. Fear was dominant, but beneath it was something else, maybe acceptance, maybe the faint stirring of relief that she'd survived. "Yes... Master William."
Before William could continue, Serena's voice called out nearby. "Master William! I've been searching for you."
William's eyes widened for an instant, but the shock faded just as fast. His mind was already rearranging possibilities like pieces on a tactical board."The Lamia tribe… with them, the balance of power could shift."
"Master?" The lamia approached, her eyes widening slightly when she saw Ibuki's restrained, exhausted state.