Mark and the rest of the group fell into an odd rhythm. The road was long and full of detours. Two out of every three villages they stumbled through would be avoided. Some of the hamlets were far too closely guarded for them to want to risk sneaking through. So they’d have to take a long detour around to avoid drawing attention. The same thing would happen when they spotted caravans or large groups of people traveling the roads.

From time to time, they’d stumble onto a hamlet that had been destroyed by the ferals. The wild maidens themselves popped up often, but never with a force or size that couldn’t be easily scared off by the illusionist fox. Brye marked the pace for them. She scouted and determined how unlikely escape would be if things became hairy. It was an open secret that her objective was to ensure they got Mark to the Boss.

And all the while, Noah would mostly remain bound, gagged, and blind. The mouse would eat normal food one out of ten times, the rest being more of the berries. Each time, Mark would be left wondering whether this was a needless risk, whether he was setting himself up for another betrayal. Sooner or later, he’d have to decide on whether he could trust untying her and letting her act on her own.

“Aubria is only a couple of days away.”

Brye stepped out of the bushes, seemingly having appeared out of thin air. Which could have very well been the case, considering her teleportation powers. Not that the encroaching darkness around them did any good to discern details, anyway.

“They’re currently having some refugee issues.”

“Just how far are we from that place?” Mark asked.

“You could get there in just one day. It’d be one good long walk.”

“Good luck with the guards.” Shery snorted, shaking her head. “We’re going to want to get in without getting interrogated along the way.”

“What’s so important about this village?”

“City.”

“Where I come from, a small city has a million or two people at least.” Mark replied.

“Tiny city, then.” The fox sat down next to the backpacks. “I’ll need to get inside to see if things are as they should, then arrange to get you all entry.”

“If Lee is still alive, he owes me some big favors.” Shery crossed her arms.

“If Lee’s still in charge, then that dimwit will have bigger things to worry about than a favor or two.” Brye snorted, kicking Noah. The diminutive mouse squeaked and huddled against the tree. “The place must be a mess, and we’ll have to tell the Boss about the deal with the Court getting burnt to the ground.”

“At least they didn’t get to the cache.”

“Fuck.”

“What?”

“We’re going to want to go for the cuddle angle.”

Shery shot Mark a look, then at Brye. “You’re shitting me.”

“Do you want to go back there and check on the cache and empty it if it’s been left untouched?”

“Shit.”

“Told you.”

Mark watched the small exchange with a frown. “I’ll at least be rid of you two.”

“Don’t go throwing us away so quickly.” A quick smirk and the fox appeared on his lap. “We’ll probably end up stuck with each other for a while. Not that I’m complaining.”

“I am.” Shery raised her hand. “I most certainly am.”

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“So what happens after you hand me over.” It wasn’t a question so much as a glaring proclamation.

“You’ll get put into the prettiest and comfiest room they have while they try to figure out what to do with you.”

Shery snorted and rolled her eyes.

“The Boss will want to meet you.” Brye’s words came without the taunting smug edge they usually carried, but a hard certainty. There was something in the way she looked at him that felt like a warning. “What he does after that will depend on you.”

“He’ll either want to use me or lock me up, apparently.”

She shifted on his lap, turning to face him in full, straddling him, her arms wrapping around his neck. Golden eyes looked into his with that edge of warning within them. Her fingers pressed into his hair, pulling away as he shook his head. That edge to her gaze wasn’t gone, however.

“Take what you want, Mark.”

“What?”

“That’s the offer you get.” She leaned forward, pinning his shoulders against the tree. “You want something, you take it. If you couldn’t, then it just means you weren’t powerful enough.”

Brye flinched as a pebble hit her on the back of the head. She turned to glare at Shery.

“You don’t need a speech. Go fuck already.” The gray skinned maiden rolled her eyes.

“I was trying to get him to be more open about the cuddle angle.”

“You psychics don’t make a straightforward plan, even if your lives depended on it.” Shery sighed, turning to Mark. “Cuddle angle is we suck you off and ask pretty please.”

“Pretty please what?”

With a groan, Brye let go of his shoulders and vanished from his lap. “Yeah, you ruined the mood, bitch.” She appeared at the opposite side of the clearing.

Shery grunted. “Pretty please don’t break the bond with us.”

“Why the fuck wouldn’t I?”

“Ideally, the question would be asked while you had less blood flowing through your head.” Brye stated. “We’re no Doggirls just happily wagging our tails at your every word. But we’re a heck of a lot better option than the alternatives.”

Mark leveled a glare at her, scowl deepening.

“She’s got a point.” Shery snorted. “Not that our word means anything here.”

“Just imagine it like this.” Brye sat down against her own tree-trunk. “The Boss gives you a maiden. She obeys you, complies with your commands, but she will put you in a plush box the instant you toe out of line.”

“Mhm, and what’s the difference between that and this?” He scowled. “If I make a run for it, you’ll just drag me back. If I open my mouth, you’ll shut it.”

“You never struck me as someone who’s a stickler to any rules that aren’t your own.” Brye smirked. “I’m a selfish bitch. I don’t care about the rules so long as I end up on top.”

“Or getting pounded from behind.”

“Suck it, flat-ass.”

“Cunt for brains.”

“Would you two shut up!?”

Mark’s voice came out with a growl. “If either of you were half as selfish as you claim to be, you wouldn’t be going through half the shit we’ve been through just to get me to that Boss of yours.”

Their expressions shifted as he said this. They glanced at each other for a moment. There was something dark in those eyes. Shery shook her head intensely, and Brye’s lips thinned. “There’s no alternative.”

“What are the alternatives?”

“We either go back to base and report, try to escape the kingdom, or try to stay in the kingdom and pretend we are just some simple humble traders.” Brye said, counting off of her fingers. “Trying to escape would involve going out through the eastern ridges. Suicide with a different name. And option three is a sword hanging over our heads as we wait to get found out either by knights or by the Boss.”

“Not going to ask whether we join the Court?” Shery sneered.

“Fuck them.” Mark shook his head. “That crone wanted to sell her own daughter, you can’t trust someone like that.”

Brye stiffened, her eyes turning to him with a surprised look. Her attention quickly shifted towards Noah as she started to grunt and wriggle madly on the spot. The mouse started to speak into the gag, albeit her voice only coming out muffled. The wires and blindfold were too well placed, however, and she couldn’t free herself. So Mark leaned over and pulled the gag out of the way.

“Guenes.”

Her voice came with a pant, a slight squeak of a thing.

“Not possible.” Shery shook her head. “We’d have to cross half the kingdom without getting caught. The feral rush was a miracle. We couldn’t have gotten this far otherwise.”

“Mark will be locked up. His blood is pure. He’s worth more as a breeder.”

Brye’s brows furrowed as she teleported in front of the mouse, putting the gag back into place. “If anyone wanted to use you as a breeder, you’d get royalty treatment. No way a human woman would let herself get knocked up by a nobody.”

As she said this, her gaze lowered to the ground, frowning, deep in thought. The same expression Shery was showing. Both maidens shared a look. Something went unspoken, but there was surprise in their eyes.

“Don’t let her get into your head.” Shery said.

Somehow, Mark felt the words were directed at Brye, and not at him.