Mrs. Spaulding shook her head, stray strands of brown hair whipping loose. “No need, dear. But I do believe I have the answer if you three are willing to share a double room,” she said, her eyes glinting mischievously as she looked from his bonded back to Gabriel.
His cheeks flushed, and he practically groaned in humiliation when Sthuza chuckled.
“Two beds would be most acceptable, Mrs. Spaulding,” Sthuza said graciously.
They both grinned conspiratorially and stepped away to acquire her solution.
A minute ago, she was getting onto me for chasing Estrial like a lovestruck teen, and now she’s practically throwing me into bed with two other adventurers.
‘I like her, Master.’
It didn’t take the pair long to return, smiles on both their faces.
“Okay, dearie, this is the key for the third-floor suite on the left. It’s three times the size of your old one and has two beds. Mr. Gavins was more than happy to downsize to your much less expensive room,” the innkeeper said.
Gabriel hesitated to take the offered key, suddenly reminded that he had spent almost all of his money before delving into the dungeon. And of course, anything he’d had left was stolen by the assholes that murdered him.
“I took the liberty of paying for a full week, Ma—Gabriel,” his Prime said.
They both glanced at the older woman, but she showed no sign of acknowledging Sthuza’s near slip.
He relaxed and accepted the key. “Thanks.”
Mrs. Spaulding left them to it after only a few more minutes of worried hovering and questioning.
She seems more concerned about me than my own mother was.
Sthuza smiled after he led his bonded into their room. ‘I get the impression that she is fond of you, Master.’
The sturdy oak door was no different from the one to his old room, back on the second floor.
But that was the only similarity he saw between the two. The lodging they had traded for was a single room and easily three times as large as the one he’d first rented. A thick curtain was pushed back against the far wall but could be pulled across the room between two inviting looking beds.
Proper beds, at least as much as one could find outside of a noble’s estate. Blackened iron frames held the wide mattresses off the ground. A quick test of their firmness revealed them to be soft, but not too soft.
I’d rather sleep in the dungeon to take advantage of the denser Aether, but that would draw too much attention. It’s not normal for adventurers to delve back to back. Since we need to stay here, we might as well enjoy the beds.
He glanced around the rest of the room as Cindra entered and shut the door. The bright floral patterns decorating the bedcovers and the curtains that concealed the large window were not to his taste. But he had no intention of complaining.
We’re lucky that guy wanted to swap. I don’t mind getting cozy with them, but that tiny bed I had last time would hardly be enough for me alone now.
‘With only two beds, Master, how ever shall we decide on our sleeping arrangements?’
His face flushed at his Prime’s teasing, but she was innocently unpacking when he glanced over.
He forgot all about the humor, watching the disguised monster girl methodically take out armfuls of clothes, three large pillows, and a random assortment of bottles and jars.
“How many dimensional bags do you have?”
“A few, Master,” Sthuza replied without turning from her task. “Though none that would hold Cindra’s sword. We should look for one that can. She drew too many curious looks carrying it through the city.”
A loud bark slightly preceded Cindra leaping onto the leftmost bed. The hellhound was still in her humanoid form, but down on all fours as she ruffled the comforter and spun around chasing her tail.
Gabriel shook his head. “Cindra, stop that.”
It took her a bit to settle, but she slowed and eventually wiggled her leather-clad ass toward him delightfully before curling up in the center.
“I suppose that settles our sleeping arrangements,” Gabriel said as soft snoring escaped from his now snoozing bonded.
Kind of odd she’d want to take a nap this early.
With Cindra asleep, he spent several minutes helping Sthuza organize the supplies she’d unpacked.
Not long after they’d finished, and he was starting to think they should test out the other bed, someone knocked on the door.
“Gabriel? I brought you and your lady friends some of my stew,” Mrs. Spaulding called through the door.
He leapt up, but before he could get there, Sthuza opened the door and stepped into the hall.
Glad she didn’t drop her disguise when we came in here.
Enhanced as his hearing was, he could only make out parts of the whispered conversation before Sthuza returned alone. She carried a wooden tray laden with three large bowls, a tall pitcher of ale, and three mugs.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, a little surprised at Sthuza’s effort to keep him from overhearing.
Her face reddened slightly, but she flashed a happy smile and nodded. “Everything is fine, Master. Mrs. Spaulding just had a few questions.”
Not entirely sure how to feel about her blushing and vague answers, Gabriel shrugged and focused on the food. The bowls were filled with a hearty lentil stew. It was the regular lunch served at the Careless Queen.
He half-expected Cindra to ignore the vegetarian dish and keep snoozing. On the contrary, the hellhound leapt from the bed and rushed over before Sthuza could set the tray down.
“Ooo! Smells great. Is this bowl Cindra’s?” she asked while bouncing. Her breasts threatened to capture his attention, but Sthuza scolded her when the floorboards creaked.
Once Cindra calmed down, the trio sat on the floor. Gabriel took a moment to savor the fragrant scent of Mrs. Spaulding’s cooking, letting it cool before his first bite.
After tasting it, he turned to Cindra and blinked. She was busy mopping up the last dregs with her long, blue tongue.
She turned to him with a bright smile. “That was good! Will we eat more of it soon?”
Sthuza hissed, but Gabriel chuckled and nodded. “I’m sure we can arrange something. Though you may not be interested in any others once you try her oross stew. It’s the reason they’re able to stay open. Wait until tonight. The place will be packed for dinner.”
Cindra returned to the bed and went right back to napping. It didn’t take him and Sthuza much longer to finish the thick lentil stew. Once she piled their dishes back on the tray, he stood and turned his attention to their mission.
“Getting this far was a lot easier than I expected. I’m surprised we had no trouble with the dungeon guards,” Gabriel said, sitting on the bed next to Cindra. Smiling down at her, he gently stroked her unruly hair.
Sthuza set the tray outside their door, then walked over to sit beside him.
Definitely wouldn’t have been able to sit like this with them both on my old bed.
“Thank you, by the way, for covering the bill,” he said. “I can’t believe I completely forgot about money until she offered me the key to the room.”
Sthuza leaned close and kissed his cheek softly, her lips barely grazing his skin. “It is my purpose to support and protect you, Master, just as you must protect and support Lady Merideva.”
Her green eyes flashed, and her voice took on an amused tone. “Plus, I had a sneaking suspicion that you might not have any coin on you since you wore nothing but that hideous robe a few days ago.”
Gabriel couldn’t help but laugh and accidentally dragged his hand across Cindra’s face, waking her.
The well-built monster girl stretched her arms high overhead, pulling her form-fitting armor even tighter. Her luminescent eyes snapped open and watched him.
“Hello, Packmaster.” She yawned, revealing lethal fangs and an impressive blue tongue. “Did you want to mate now? Cindra is ready.”
He grinned at her and leaned dow
n to plant a kiss on the tip of her cute nose. “Not right now, you silly puppy, we need to plan out our next step.”
Already large, her blue eyes widened further—almost comically—and she slid across the bed to snuggle into his side. “Whenever you’re ready, Cindra is good to go!”
He just nodded and gently rubbed her head.
Guess I’m finally coming to terms with their flagrant sexuality. Didn’t even feel a hint of embarrassment that time.
“For the moment, I’d say we’re safe here. But as long as we’re outside of the dungeon, Meri is horribly exposed,” he began, changing the subject and drawing both monster girls’ attention.
“Yes, Master. I am most uncomfortable with the thought of leaving her security to Cuix and the goblins. Kestria’s tribe helps, but they will need time to learn the terrain. And even forty of them would be of little use against a serious threat.”
Cindra nodded at the gorgon’s words but remained quiet. Instead, she nuzzled her face against him and worked her head under his arm until he resumed stroking her silky ears.
“Now that we’ve made it to the city, I can’t help but worry that we’ll be too late,” he confessed.
Sthuza nodded and reached up to idly run her hands along her auburn locks. “It is essential that Estrial and her cohorts are not alerted to your survival. Since they did not report your death, I doubt anyone here would bother to tell them about your return. But they may have allies at the Guild Hall. To avoid that possibility, I believe it best if I head there alone.”
A frown formed on Gabriel’s face as his hand paused. He froze there for a moment until Cindra nudged him.
He sighed and resumed petting her. “Yeah, I see what you’re getting at. Someone there might recognize me and remember that I delved with Estrial. I was in there every day after I registered, practically begging for a party to join.”
She nodded. “Yes, Master. You should also stay away from the Academy, and anyone related to the recently deceased Kelith, just to be safe.”
The reminder that Kelith, his longtime bully, was dead did much to lessen his anxiety.
That’s one problem I don’t have to worry about anymore. Always seemed like I couldn’t escape his harassment.
‘Yes, Master. We have survived until now, and you have defeated your oldest tormentor. Soon we will deal with the rest.’
Hearing his Prime’s soothing presence in his mind further calmed his fear and worry, allowing him to relax. “Once we deal with Estrial and recover the crystal, we can take our time and decide what to do about the baron.”
Gabriel paused for a moment, his gaze slack as he thought. “Perhaps Cindra and I could do some scouting as well.” He held up a hand to stop Sthuza from interrupting.
“Not anywhere where we’d likely find her. Just loiter about and get a better feel for the city. I didn’t really get out much before, and it might be helpful to know what’s what currently.”
He framed his thoughts to reach his Prime. I was thinking it might help me bond with Cindra better if I took her on a date. Her focus on sex is a little excessive, so I want to see what she’s like outside of battle and mating. Maybe it would help us better understand each other.
Sthuza frowned, her beautiful human face scrunching up as she put her mind to work. “I suppose that does make sense,” she said at last. “Though I must admit, I have some fear for your safety here without me by your side.”
“I’ll have Cindra with me,” he said.
Her frown deepened. “Yesss, Massster, that isss what I meant.”
A wide grin spread across his face at her sibilant response, and he beckoned her closer with his free hand.
She glared at him, for only a second, then scooted over and draped herself almost as tightly to him as the hellhound on his other side.
She pouted her lips at him, and he kissed her, unable to resist how cute it made her look.
Though I kind of miss the green skin.
Eyes closed, Sthuza moaned softly into his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Cindra rubbed against them, adding to the experience.
After several pleasurable minutes hugging both his bonded while kissing his Prime, he pulled back with a satisfied sigh.
“As much as I’m enjoying sitting here with you two, it’s already afternoon. We can’t risk leaving the Core unguarded any longer than we have to.”
Both monster girls nodded.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Gabriel and his bonded left their room fifteen minutes later. Much of that time had been spent restoring the hellhound’s suspiciously disturbed leather armor.
Sthuza headed out the front door while he and Cindra dropped off their dirty dishes and thanked Mrs. Spaulding for the delicious stew.
The pair exited as soon as the beaming matron released them both from a surprisingly powerful hug.
Before they’d left their room, Sthuza had passed over a coin purse with dozens of copper and twenty silver pieces. He’d initially worried it was all of her money. That concern vanished when the gorgon revealed the other hundred silver pieces and fifty plus gold coins she had stashed in another pouch.
Gabriel grew up in Lostbarrow but had spent most of his life within the confines of the Academy’s extensive campus.
Not like I ever had the time or money to venture outside much.
“So, Cindra, is there anywhere you would like to visit?”
She tilted her large head down toward him and cocked it curiously to one side. “Back to the bed?”
Gabriel stopped halfway to slapping his face. Instead, he ran the raised hand through his dark hair and sighed.
“Not exactly what I had in mind. No problem, we’ll just walk around for a while and see what looks interesting, okay?”
She tilted her head to the other side, and her brilliant blue eyes stared without blinking. Several seconds after it became rather awkward, she smiled and nodded.
Then she reached over and slipped her powerful hand into his, interlacing their fingers.
Definitely don’t understand her well enough yet. I have no clue what she was thinking about.
With no particular destination in mind, Gabriel led her back through the marketplace, pointing out the few stores and other businesses that he recognized.
They had passed the permanent buildings and were weaving their way through the crowded main square of the Merchants’ Quarter when a sharp jerk on his arm nearly ripped it from his shoulder.
Then he was moving to the left, his feet sliding across the stone-paved street.
He turned to look and was unsurprised to see Cindra pushing her way through the crowd of shoppers. Heads turned, and people blinked at what he hoped they saw as an oversized inutari.
“Cindra, stop. Calm down,” Gabriel called out to no avail.
The towering monster girl continued to carelessly deflect anyone and everyone out of her path. A few seconds later, a scent caught his attention.
Ah. Meat cart.
More heads turned, and the crowded parted to let her pass.
Gabriel surrendered to the inevitable and started to walk. He followed his drooling companion over to a soot-stained wooden cart.
The dwarf behind it had his attention split between the customers lined up and the hot grill. When the crowd parted to let Cindra approach the cart, he looked up and blinked.
Gabriel and the dwarf both stared expectantly at the drooling Beastkin.
Cindra ignored them. She continued to drool, her eyes locked onto the skewers of glistening seared oross cooking just beyond her reach.
The proprietor’s eyes shifted to Gabriel, and he grinned.
“I’d like to get tw—”
Cindra growled, startling both men.
“Make that fou—”
Another growl, this time soundly suspiciously like it came from the hellhound’s midsection.
“Si—”
He winced when a bronze covered elbow banged into his ribs.
“Maybe ya need an even doz
en, lad?” the dwarf said as a toothy grin split his thick red beard.
Gabriel chuckled, and his face heated, but he nodded. Both their grins widened when Cindra didn’t interrupt him again.
Monster and Dungeon Master waited patiently as the older dwarf spent a few minutes carefully checking and turning the grilling meat. The hellhound continued to drool. It reached the point that Gabriel became slightly alarmed at the sheer volume she was producing.
The dwarf seemed more amused than disturbed, so Gabriel let it go. He kept his attention on the crowd that slowly shifted around them now that Cindra didn’t look likely to maul anyone.
“Here you are, lad, a dozen oross skewers for ya and ya lovely lady,” the dwarf said with another toothy smile. “Be twenty coppers.”
Gabriel nodded and withdrew the necessary coinage from the purse Sthuza had given him. While he handed it over, Cindra accepted the bundle of savory grilled meat. He thanked the dwarf, then sighed when he noticed the proprietor’s dumbfounded look and turned back to his bonded.
Cindra stood there with six large wooden skewers peeking out between her brilliant white fangs.
Opening his mouth to speak, he paused when the apparently starving woman let out a throaty moan. Or maybe it was the crunch of fire-hardened skewers snapping as she messily chewed the street food that made him hesitate.
Twitching at the astonishing display, Gabriel turned back to the proprietor and flashed a crazed, broken smile.
The dwarf didn’t seem to notice. His brown eyes were wide open and locked on the beautiful beastkin. She had devoured enough food for an ogre, skewers and all.
Gabriel sighed heavily and grabbed Cindra by the arm, then led her away from the staring crowd.
She followed along without resistance, her focus entirely on savoring what remained of the meat.
By the time Gabriel had dragged her far enough from the people who had directly witnessed her outrageous behavior, she’d finished eating. She hadn’t put her gloves back on when they left the inn and was now using one wicked-looking claw to pick pieces out from between her fangs.
Hope no one notices those claws. They’re nothing like the nails an inutari would have.
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