Condemned

by Cari Silverwood

  The bale rocked back and forth and both of them came when she did, her muscles pulling against the bonds of metal, at the straps on her ankles, and excruciatingly aware of the mauleon claws digging into her bottom, jaw, and hair. Ecstasy struck her senseless and she cried out, shaking. At the last moment, with the blood in her arteries thumping hard, she sucked in a huge breath and then collapsed limp over the bale.

  Messiness spilled from her mouth, down her chin, and down her legs.

  The distant curses made her wonder if something bad had happened to the mauleons who’d watched. Exhausted by the birching and the sex, Avalon smiled dreamily.

  None of what had happened was right, her mind tried to tell her, but she shushed it, drifting as they freed her. Someone hoisted her into their arms and carried her away into the night.

  “When do we tell them, Zo? And I think I near killed my cock. There’s teeth scrapes down it. I should do her ass next time.”

  “Sure. Maybe. Eventually. We have to take this slow. We don’t tell them. Let me choose a time. Once in the mountains.”

  “Okay. I should go rescue Timin. I think he fell off that stack of bales. Seems like he’s already smitten.”

  “Yeah, with her cunt. Though you plowing her mouth didn’t help...”

  Avalon curled up, eyes closed, being gently rocked as the mauleon walked. It was like being in a ship. She’d been in one, once upon a time.

  Her eyes snapped open. What had just happened?

  She thought about wriggling to get down from whoever carried her. It was Zo. Zo of the blade-like eyebrows, and the black braid that currently wound past his neck and over her breasts. Zo with the zendokai tattoo of planetary circles and stars on his temple.

  Yeah, him.

  She reconsidered. She was comfortable, snuggly, happy even, though her jaw and lower parts ached as if she’d been reamed by a tree... an amazing, sexy tree.

  So she sighed and shut her eyes. Just this once. Well, maybe a few times.

  “Tell me, did you really intend to kill Timin?”

  His question was unexpected and uncomfortable.

  “I need to know.”

  Telling him the truth would be like laying out her soul. She never, ever did that.

  Revealing her true self was making herself vulnerable. It gave the enemy her weak points, told them where to hit her to do the most damage. She done that enough when young, and learned.

  “I...” She paused, drew a breath for strength, and looked up and saw Zo looking down. Those eyes. Arrgh. This was agonizing to say. “Yes and, ummm, no? I knew I should, but I couldn’t.”

  “Couldn’t? Because it was wrong to?”

  That was the crux of it. Was she the sort of person who killed the vulnerable, or was she the weak one who inevitably suffered?

  She said the only answer that came to her, that made sense. “Yes?”

  “Good. You’re excused then.”

  He began walking again.

  This time she leaned up and squinted at their destination. “A water trough?”

  “You know you have to get clean.”

  “Not—”

  “I am a sadist.” He dumped her in it.

  Her screams were the loudest of the night.

  The blanket and cuddling afterwards was lovely. The soap and scrubbing before that, not so much.

  In the morning Takk beckoned to her with a crooked finger. She’d learned. She went to him, if reluctantly.

  “Pull your leggings down and bend over that log.”

  Wide-eyed, she regarded the log then Takk. “Ummm. Why?”

  He dragged off his gloves and tucked them into his belt before he answered. “You don’t ask me why. Not unless you want extra punishment.”

  Fuck. Only scowling slightly, as in for about one millisecond, she trudged to the log, shuffled down her leggings to just below the crease of her butt. At the raising of his eyebrow, Avalon sighed and pulled them lower, to below knee level. When he nodded, she leaned over the log and found a spot on the ground to place her palms that wasn’t covered in small stones.

  “Good.” Takk grunted in satisfaction.

  Then, curse the stars above, she noticed the other mauleons gathering, chuckling at her predicament.

  “Checking her ass end for treachery too now, Takk?” Timin was full of smart comments today. She sent him a baleful glare. He only laughed louder. “If you could see what’s coming, girl. Just so you know, sir, she doesn’t look too cowed.”

  “Figures. This is for your insolence and to remind you that you’re ours to do with as we please to. Don’t clench or this will feel worse.”

  What was he doing? Worried, she tried to look over her shoulder, but Zo had crouched on the other side of the log and he’d grabbed her hair and held her in place.

  “Keep still,” Zo instructed.

  She felt Takk pull apart the cheeks of her ass and something huge, wet, and slippery delve between them, clearly aiming at the hole there.

  “Things should not go there!” she hissed, wriggling, even though she knew he’d smack her for it.

  A second later a stinging blow landed on one cheek. “Don’t move, unless you want to be gagged, hog-tied, and maybe whatever else Timin can think up.” If that wasn’t Takk being annoyed and angry she didn’t know what was. “Head down. Be still. This is a butt plug. Once in, it won’t come out until I remove it. The better you behave, the less likely I will use it tomorrow.”

  Timin, from his grin, would have far worse inserted in her.

  Giving in was inevitable, so... she did.

  Zo was front and center, observing her as the plug traveled deeper, stretching her ass in ways it should not be stretched.

  She closed her eyes to lessen the embarrassment, only swearing quietly and whining once.

  “Almost there,” Timin observed. “Whoa, that plug is fucking enormous.”

  She stiffened and felt her muscles push the plug outward.

  “Timin...” Takk paused, sounding exasperated. “Shut up. Avalon, relax. Breathe slowly.”

  “I’m trying,” she said in a whisper, and as she did so the whole feeling of this situation morphed. Four males were watching her ass be violated and suddenly it was hot, and she knew this was arousing her, and she really wished it wasn’t. If Takk probed between her legs he’d know how wet she’d become.

  The plug slipped deeper then Takk gave it one last push. She felt the flinch of the ring of muscle and squeaked, dug her claws into the earth.

  “Done.” Zo tapped under her chin. “Look at me.”

  Struggling to control her panting, she opened her eyes and looked, twisting her lips, as if to say that was disgusting.

  “You liked that.” His words were almost a purr.

  “Didn’t.”

  “You went red when you said that.” He smiled and twisted his hand in her hair until she winced. “Did you lie?” He twisted harder.

  “Ow! Yes! Yes, yes. I did.”

  “Good to know.”

  Insufferable male.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Takk eyed the premises Kondio had disappeared into—the town’s drinking hole. They were heading into the mountains soon and he supposed it was the last chance for some liquor.

  “Maybe he’ll bring us some bottles of mead to warm us in the snow?”

  “Kon?” Zo followed the direction of Takk’s gaze. “I was hoping we’d miss the snow.”

  “It’s coming.” He nodded toward the range. Clouds hid the peaks and white dusted some of the lower slopes above the tree line. “Follow me. I need to talk to you. Timin, you and the girl can mind the florses. Lock her to you. No weapons, mind.”

  After a grimace, Timin unbuckled his weapon belt and tossed it to Zo.

  Takk waited until the scruffy mauleon had chained Avalon’s manacles to his wrist. The pungent lemony scent he’d noticed Zo spraying her with wafted upward. Made from picked berries, it was strong enough to make the florses avoid sniffing her, and they had a habi
t of that and biting when they were fidgety.

  Maybe he should spray himself. He had a hole or two in his sleeves from florse teeth.

  “Keep watch on her.” He poked a forefinger and claw in her direction and Timin grunted.

  “What else would I do? Can I take her in there? The Blue Reaver?”

  Blue Reaver was the tavern name. If he said yes, what trouble would he and Kon and the girl be likely to fall into?

  “No,” Zo spat out a reply before Takk could get his mouth open. “She’ll attract unwanted, uhh, attention. I’ll come back soon, once we talk.” He flicked a glance at Takk. “And relieve you.”

  “Pfft. Be quick. I’m no pet minder and I’m thirsty.”

  Again with the slightly odd behavior from Zo. He definitely needed to sort something out with him. Though he was as yet unsure what that something was.

  The steps up to the store were low and he took three at a time.

  Inside were aisles of food, housewares, ammunition, cheap weapons and accessories, packs, and a multitude of gear necessary for trekking through the wild mountains and or farming. A good store. He nodded to the few female and male mauleons also perusing the stock.

  After picking up a box to hold their purchases he trekked down the front aisle and came to a table set up before the wide window. From the cup stains and crumbs he figured this was for customers who needed to rest their feet. Maybe further into the store they sold hot beverages. Worth considering.

  Takk lowered the box to the floor and slid into a chair. “Have a seat. Let’s talk.”

  Looking wary, Zo sat. “About? Sir?” He looked stoic, too stoic.

  “Tell me.”

  “Sorry? I know nothing of whatever—”

  He took a stab in the dark. “Tell me or I sell her to a local.”

  Zo blinked, studied his clasped hands.

  “Ohhh, you’ve gone red. So it is her.”

  “Me, red?”

  “Near enough.” Takk waited. “We are not leaving this table until you spit it out.” Through the smeared glass of the window he checked how Timin was handling Avalon. Both were looking grumpy. Normal. “Well? Since you and Kon screwed her you’ve been dousing her in perfume and acting like she’s made of platinum.”

  Zo sighed, slid lower in his seat.

  “We can’t have secrets like this. You know that.” He had to admit she was cute and pretty. Especially that ass when it showed like it was as she bent to adjust something on her black boots. The leggings were pale gray and showed the crease where butt met thigh and every detail where they curved between her legs.

  “You’re feeling it, aren’t you?”

  “Huh?” He glanced back at Zo to find he’d gone all serious. “What am I feeling?”

  “The attraction to her. Yes, yes, I know she’s female but it’s more than that. You stuck your fingers in her cunt back at the cell. Did you taste her?”

  “No. I did not.” Slowly, Takk shook his head. “Why? I wouldn’t.” Then he smiled to remove the sting. “You know I don’t fuck humans, or huleons.”

  “I believe she’s what the old ones called an efsana, a super attractor. Her hormonal storm grabs onto any male mauleon, creates a torm reaction, in any of us. Efsana are supposed to occur in huleons more than purebred but are rare. I thought it a myth until I tasted her.”

  Zo sat forward, entwining claw against claw as if they fascinated him. He looked up at Takk.

  Taste. As if he’d do that with a huleon. “You are serious?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “So that’s why you used the perfume. I knew it was odd. If she is this efsana, you dared to keep her with us knowing this? Without saying? You’re forcing this on me, knowing my preferences.”

  “I never did, sir. The perfume was to prevent any compulsion. However...” He frowned. “I do insist we don’t sell her. I think this will run its course in her.”

  “You didn’t tell Timin either.”

  “No. I was actually hoping this would help him.”

  “Help a mauleon who is suffering depression after a head wound by making him lust after a female?” His lip curled.

  To his credit, Zo looked anguished. “That does sound bad. It felt like fate when I realized what we had. We are all wounded in more ways than physical, than leg or head or whatever.”

  Takk leaned back, stretched out his legs to the side of the table, and he sighed. “Fuck it, Zo. You can’t. I’m not even sure she’s a nice person, let alone a suitable mate. As if we can decide what someone else wants. She’s a thief. She steals for a living.”

  “We’re soldiers. We kill for a living.”

  “Were.” They were going home. “Farmers again soon.” The gods alone knew what Timin would do. He couldn’t go back to making small machinery. He’d cut off a hand by accident. “But, you have a point.”

  “She’s as adrift as we are. A victim of politics. Hated by her own family. And she told me why she didn’t shoot Timin. Because it felt wrong. I like her. I do!”

  “Of course you do. Of course she said that. The irony is he can’t smell her anyway. I’ll bet you didn’t know the brain injury took away his sense of smell?” He nodded out the window at her and Timin, and noticed Timin sitting on the ground, legs out toward the middle of the street. A cart was bearing down on him. Dust flew from the hooves of the florses drawing it.

  Was he fitting again?

  He thrust himself to his feet. At his consternation, Zo turned to look over his shoulder.

  The cart went by without touching Timin. He let out a long breath. “Thought he was going to get run over.”

  “He’s not as far out as it looks, plus, guess what, Avalon waved them off. She’s there on the other side of the florse. Perspective, and...” Zo grinned. “Fate?”

  “Oh, fuck your zendokai fate.” He double checked where Timin was and saw that Zo was right. She was warding off traffic and he wasn’t really as far out as it’d looked, or at risk. “So you say you’ve used that scent to shield us from her, but what about her? What if she’s bonded to us? And don’t get ideas I’m concerned about her.”

  Zo snorted. “Me? Do that? You’re obviously not attracted to her.” His grin spread, a knowing grin that Takk pretended to ignore. “But, as to her, there’s nothing I can do about it if it has happened. Maybe that’s why she’s out there, doing that?”

  “And you’re okay with her wanting all of us?” It seemed a valid question.

  “Why would I not be?”

  Then Takk realized that of course, this was Zo’s purpose from the beginning. It did raise certain interesting points. What if some of what he thought came true? What if she helped his soldiers?

  “Zendokai philosophy?” he mused. “I’ve not yet decided if I’m a believer.”

  “One is never too old for zendokai. Just don’t sell her and I’ll promise to hold your hand and guide you, youngling.”

  Takk threw back his head and let out a belly laugh. “We’ll see. On the other side of the range. They might say they don’t want her, then we have to contend with her being the holder of some dubious political information. How would you hide her forever? I figure at least we gave her a chance to survive.” That didn’t seem to meet with Zo’s approval. “Okay. Let’s get the purchases done. We should be at the start of the pass middle of tomorrow, if we leave here early in the morning. Oh, and when are you going to tell Timin about her?”

  Zo shot him an aggrieved look.

  “Yes, you do have to.” He rubbed his itchy nose. “And you’d better hope this super attraction wears off soon. My nose is not happy. I think I’m allergic to lemony.”

  It must wear off. Otherwise you could never take the girl anywhere without drawing in a whole lot of horny mauleons. And that would be damn inconvenient, even at a religious site like Omage.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Timin crooked a brow and glared up at the female. She’d been standing over him since he started to recover, maybe since before that, looking l
ike some sort of nanny guard, waving off traffic. He’d hauled his butt backward closer to the footpath and was now using it for back support but still she remained. Of course there was the chain linking them—his wrist to hers.

  He snapped the chain, growled at her. “Stop doing that!”

  “I’m only helping you!” The harshness in her voice said maybe her actions were involuntary.

  “Who told you to?”

  “No one.” She swept a hand through her long red hair, making it swish over her shoulders. The sun flickered through the outer strands. “I figured you needed help, even if you are an asshole.”

  His glare faltered. Did this snippy huleon think he’d not punish her, if he cared to?

  “Well, stop doing it. You’re making me look a fool. As if having fits isn’t bad enough, I’ve got you standing there like a fucking lighthouse.”

  Avalon sniffed. “A lighthouse would have a light. Next time I’ll be sure to have one and wave it about. You do know that having fits is just an injury, not a declaration of mental incompetence? You got that in war. Fuck them, man. Just give them the finger if they think that. I would.”

  That was some speech. The girl sounded as if she knew all about being targeted, being the underdog. Zo had said as much.

  He made himself speak more quietly. “I’m not a man. I’m mauleon.”

  “Where I come from we say man for mauleon too, sometimes. Just words.” Then she sat down next to him and looked around as if she regretted sitting, twisting up her mouth. “I did it because I owe you. I should never have almost shot you.”

  She locked eyes with him.

  Amused, he thought that through. “So now we are even?”

  “Yes?”

  “Promise you won’t be my lighthouse anymore?”

  “Why?”

  His sigh came out angry, because he was. Being forced to admit this out loud automatically made him angry. “It makes me look a lesser mauleon. Unfit.”

  He could see her poking her tongue at the inside of her mouth while she thought. Quite the luscious rosy-red mouth, but he’d noticed that days ago, he’d just ignored her desirability. Because who would ever look at a male who had seizures like he did and think him worth getting in bed with?