Feeling his gaze upon her, Cindra glanced down, her hand freezing in mid-pick as she blushed furiously. Her gray skin darkened and took on an almost blue tint.
Her cheeks burned more when he laughed, and her overly expressive eyes flashed with fear.
“Silly puppy,” Gabriel chided softly with a big smile plastered across his face.
Hope filled Cindra’s eyes, and she leaned toward him when he reached up to brush her cheek. Then she frowned down at him as he wiped some grease off her face.
He laughed again but held his messy fingers up to her in offering—which she quickly accepted.
Cindra sucked both fingers instantly into her mouth, and her powerful tongue licked the meat juice off. For several seconds she suckled insistently on his engulfed digits. Her mouth and tongue were so hot Gabriel thought his fingers might be burnt to charcoal before she finished.
Cindra raised a hand and captured his arm in a firm grip. She held him still as she withdrew his fingers but continued to lick them more sensuously.
A woman cleared her throat loudly and drew them both back to their surroundings.
Fighting down the urge to blush, a battle Cindra had long since abandoned, Gabriel turned to meet the scandalized gaze of a trio of women.
All three were human and at least twice his age. They wore the practical but well-crafted dresses common to the wives of merchants.
Each of them glared at him like he’d committed murder.
Cindra’s unnecessarily erotic cleanup had pushed him to full mast. With his manhood straining at his pants, he felt a little cocky. He maintained eye contact with the outraged ladies and winked saucily before pulling the tall beastkin down for a deep, sloppy kiss.
Either keen to help him torment the prudish busybodies, or just eager to taste him again, she met his embrace passionately. His lips had barely brushed her dark-gray ones before she opened her mouth and thrust her incredibly agile tongue against his.
Just like the last time he’d kissed the excitable monster girl, she quickly dominated the pace. His defenses lasted longer this time, by several seconds, but before he realized it, she had that limber muscle invading his mouth.
Her arms wrapped around him, tensing hard as steel while one hand gripped him with enough force to bruise him even through his armored coat.
The offended women muttered and huffed, but Gabriel pushed them out of his thoughts.
Cindra had closed her eyes when he kissed her, and he flinched when they suddenly snapped open. The bright-blue glow was shockingly intense so close.
Despite his fear of suffocating, they continued to kiss for several long minutes. Yielding and accepting that they were going to keep going until Cindra was satisfied, he ran his hands along her backside.
A glance behind his bonded revealed the trio of offended women rushing away. One of them kept looking back, blushing.
While Cindra’s armor concealed more of her spectacular body than seemed right at the moment, he still found it pleasurable to trace along the powerful muscles of her back before coming to her plump butt and grabbing both cheeks.
She must have liked that. When Gabriel grasped her ass and squeezed, she whimpered deep in her throat and started to grind her crotch against him.
Damn, she is so hot!
As their frantic makeout session continued to escalate, he felt sweat bead up all over. The wetness seemed especially damp along the front of his pants.
Gabriel smiled at the thought of Cindra being so wet for him. He found that idea incredibly arousing.
Then he realized that same dampness was pressed against his chest.
Cindra was sated not long after, and she released him. She pulled her pliable tongue back into her mouth after a final few licks across his face.
Licks that left a surprisingly familiar wetness—a lot like the one slowly soaking into his crotch and chest.
Did she do that on purpose?
He stepped back from the suddenly demure hellhound.
Between the greasy food and their kiss, she’d managed to drool all the way down her front.
She knew what she was doing.
Gabriel tried to glare at the innocent acting monster girl, but it quickly morphed into a smirk, and an amused chuckle slipped past his defenses.
Cindra raised her head slowly, setting her anxious gaze on his face. The tension in her shoulders vanished, and she beamed down at him happily.
“You are a very messy eater, aren’t you?” he teased.
She blushed again but smiled and nodded. “Saved you one, Packm—Gabriel,” Cindra whispered shyly.
He glanced down at her hand and realized she’d been holding on to a single skewer of perfectly seared meat the whole time.
Bet she even got the grease on my back.
Gabriel flashed her a grateful smile and accepted the snack. Still steaming, the oross meat was salty and crunchy on the outside but succulent and tender beneath the tasty crust.
Cindra watched him closely, so he ate it almost as quickly as she had. Though, he was careful not to eat the wooden skewer.
“Sorry Cindra got you messy,” she said, sounding not even a little sorry.
Of course, it’s Cindra not I when she’s being a brat.
He laughed again, which caused her to watch him intently until he smiled back.
“No big deal, Cindra.” Proving that he meant it, he focused internally and harnessed a positively tiny sliver of his total mana pool.
Not even enough to move the bar. Wonder if upgrading the Interface further will add more detail to that.
Gabriel formed the arcane glyphs and released the simple spell in seconds.
He stood still for a moment while the arcane energy washed over them and cleaned away all the dirt and grime they’d acquired and the sodden wetness of hellhound slobber.
A whimpering giggle from Cindra drew his attention back to his bonded. “Are you all right?”
She blushed again but nodded. “Is fine now, just tickled.”
He reached up and ruffled her thick mane of gray hair and smiled. “Good. Then perhaps we should continue our date?”
The tall beastkin tilted her head sharply and stared at him. “Date? Is that the thing where human males spend money to impress a female so she will suck his penis?” Cindra asked.
His smile turned brittle, and his lungs ceased working. It felt like the whole world froze for a long, silent moment.
Then she poked him between the eyes, careful not to cut him with her claw.
He shook his head clear and snorted. “I’m not even going to ask where you got that idea.”
“Lady snakes was edu—” Cindra cut off and frowned before starting again, “teac—” she cut off a second time, “learning me about your customs.” After struggling to explain herself, she looked away from him.
This time it was only his heart that seized up. “What’s wrong, Cindra? You can tell me.”
The statuesque monster girl sniffled loudly before she spoke. “Snakey said Cindra needs to change and act more ‘ladylike’ before Packmaster will mate with me and mark me with your seed.”
Gabriel stared at her in shock. The poor thing was practically sobbing at this point. Despite being a good four inches taller and at least eight-hundred pounds heavier, it was still a heart-wrenching sight.
Without thinking, he stepped close and wrapped his arms around her protectively. He nuzzled his face into her neck, feeling her cloak puffed up against him by her thick collar of fur.
“It’s okay, Cindra. You don’t need to change at all. I like the real you, so don’t worry about trying to act differently or anything.” He stroked her strong back soothingly.
She sniffled before rubbing her cheek against his hair. “Are you sure, Packmaster? Should Cin— should I act ‘ladylike’?”
He chuckled again and reached up to stroke her exposed cheek.
She leaned into his hand, and he stepped back enough to look her in the eyes.
“No. You
don’t need to act ladylike. And if you feel more comfortable referring to yourself by name, you don’t have to force yourself to do otherwise. Not for me. Not for anyone. Besides, I think it’s kind of cute.”
A few tears welled up in her eyes, but she smiled happily, still rubbing her cheek against his stroking hand.
“Now that we have that cleared up, how about we go look around the docks? Are you still hungry?”
Cindra glanced away then back and nodded.
“Okay. Lostbarrow has some great seafood. Maybe we can find a stall that sells cooked fish.”
She perked up in a flash, grasped his hand, and led him toward the waterfront.
Not sure if it was the heartfelt speech or the hint of food that had the larger effect.
Chuckling, he followed the eager hellhound across the district and down toward the docks.
◆◆◆
Two hours later, Gabriel was now leading Cindra along by the hand.
Whatever war was happening up north had made a far more direct impact on the docks than it had in the Merchants’ Quarter.
Refugees and soldiers had the whole area packed almost shoulder to shoulder. A variety of ships lined every pier, and a small army of stevedores hustled about, unloading cargo.
Gabriel and Cindra had spent most of the two hours fighting their way along the docks in hopes of finding a seafood stall.
Unfortunately, no one seemed willing to cook anything, as entire shiploads were bought up before they were even unloaded.
“Come on, Cindra, I’m sure we can get something tasty back at the inn,” he said in yet another attempt to cheer up his disappointed bonded.
She blew out a long breath but nodded.
“Sorry, Packmaster,” Cindra growled softly.
He winced at her mistake and pulled her closer. A glance around them revealed no one paying them any more mind than usual.
Well usual for an adventurer accompanied by one of the largest, most beautiful females in the city.
“We have to stay undercover up here. Remember not to say anything that would reveal the truth about any of us, okay?”
She looked bashful and nodded.
“Just make sure to call me Gabriel in public,” he said, then pulled her down to kiss her nose.
Instead of responding, she blushed and averted her gaze.
He shook his head and chuckled. “Whatever. We should head back and see if Sthuza has learned anything.”
Cindra was staring at her feet but nodded, and they proceeded to head back.
As they crossed the city again, he thought back on the few hours they’d spent walking around. Cindra had been excited by almost every new smell and sight they discovered, even though they didn’t manage to get her any fish. He found it refreshing to see such unbridled zest for life.
I’ve lived here for over twenty years and never seen anyone so excited just to take in the sights. Energetic company makes a world of difference in how enjoyable it is, I suppose.
While showing his bonded the few interesting spots people had mentioned over the years, he had kept alert for any rumors about Estrial, the baron, or the dungeon.
Didn’t learn much of anything worth knowing. People suspect the baron of buying more beastkin slaves, which, while disreputable, is perfectly legal.
I’d love to know if he’s changed his behavior since we killed so many of his guards and his only son. He knows about Meri, so he’s a threat we’ll have to eliminate.
The only people I heard talking about Estrial were busy discussing the finer points of her sex life. And what they would do if she invited them into it.
No one had anything to say about the dungeon. Gabriel wasn’t surprised, since most people who were interested in the dungeon hung out in the Guild Quarter.
As long as the baron doesn’t tell anyone about Meri, there shouldn’t be any renewed interest in the dungeon.
Still, a couple of men had argued about the increasing cost of Magic Stones over the past few years. Fewer monsters to kill meant fewer adventurers delving, which added up to a major reduction in the collection of the valuable resource.
As Meri grows, the dungeon will become more profitable again. What kind of changes will that cause in the city? Lostbarrow has been in decline for a century or so. Need to be careful that we don’t draw too much attention too fast.
They made it back to the inn without any real issues. When they went inside, a few men stared at Cindra longer than was proper, and Gabriel found their lust-filled gazes offensive. Once again, the fiery need to defend his Pack filled him.
I should kill them for looking at her like that!
‘Calm yourself, Master. The hound’s bond is influencing your thoughts again. Please hurry up to the room. I believe I have found a clue.’
Sthuza’s voice in his head had an instant effect, and his anger cooled as quickly as it had heated.
Gabriel was eager to see his Prime. He’d missed her more than he’d expected given the few hours they’d been apart, so he led his second bonded through the mostly empty tavern.
Thankfully they didn’t encounter Mrs. Spaulding this time and were able to reach their room with ease.
He’d barely opened the door when Sthuza rushed over and embraced him. “Master, it is good to see you again,” she whispered in his ear.
She pulled away again a moment later and led them all over to the ruffled bed Cindra had claimed earlier.
“It seems that your date was a success,” the gorgon said with a wry look as she watched the hellhound practically melt against his side. Her expression didn’t prevent her from sitting next to him.
“Cindra loved it! Packmaster was amazing!” the hellhound gushed. She leaned toward her fellow bonded and looked like she wanted to hug the slender gorgon.
“Yes, well, while you two were otherwise occupied,” Sthuza said. “I have discovered a potential lead.”
“You mentioned that. What did you find? Did you have any trouble?” Gabriel asked eagerly.
Sthuza leaned in against him, bookending him with the hellhound, and sighed.
She shook her head at his worried look. “There was no trouble, Master. But it was harder than I had expected.”
“To find information on Estrial?”
“Well, yes, that too, but it was mostly how differently the people at the Guild behaved. I fear I may need to study up on modern social etiquette more thoroughly if we are to do much infiltration work,” she said primly. Sthuza seemed absolutely shocked and appalled by the experience, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“As long as you’re safe, I’m not too worried about it. So, what did you learn?”
“Several people saw her and her fellow traitors visit the Guild the night they… betrayed you. Then they left the city via the west gate.”
He nodded and sighed as he struggled to consider just what kind of lead Estrial could have by now.
How far could they have gotten in five days?
Sthuza brushed a hand along his jawline and drew his attention back to her. “That is not the interesting part.” She paused to smile. “After investigating further, I found a woman who saw them return to the city two nights ago with a captive beastkin female of some sort.”
“Did Estrial, by any chance, sell her to the baron?” Gabriel asked after he thought back to one of the few things he’d heard.
Sthuza’s eyebrows rose, and then she smiled, nodding. “Yes, Master. They were seen entering the castle with her in tow, and they left a short time later without their prisoner. They spent the night, then left the city again in the morning.”
He grinned.
“We’re not that far behind Estrial then. We can definitely catch them if we hurry,” Gabriel said, and he didn’t even try to contain the excitement in his voice.
She smiled softly but shook her head. “We could do so, but I am concerned that they exited via the east gate yesterday.”
His expression faltered. “But they went out the west gate the fi
rst time. That means we can’t be certain they’re actually headed east.”
She nodded. “That is my concern, Master. If Cindra had encountered one of them, I expect that she could easily track them and lead us right to them…”
“But she never met them, and Cuix’s goblins ate my corpse, so no scent to pick up,” he finished for her, then paused. “You have something more, don’t you?”
“I was very thorough, Master,” she said archly. “The beastkin slave was restrained by the two humans in the party during their trip to the castle. If they were that close to her the entire time, Cindra might be able to pick up their scent. Or perhaps, the beastkin could be convinced to aid us.”
“Aid us? Why do you think that?”
Sthuza stared at him in disappointment. “Really, Master? A beastkin abducted in the wild by a party of adventurers and then sold to a notorious noble? I would expect her to beg for a chance at revenge.”
“Good point. Which just leaves breaking into the baron’s castle and rescuing her before the bastard tires of her and kills her or ships her off,” Gabriel said.
“Almost. Technically we only need to break into the prison, which is in a separate building outside of the wall.”
That would be a lot easier.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Gabriel was a little surprised to learn the baron had a separate prison outside of the castle proper. It had once been used to house dangerous prisoners away from the nobles.
From what Sthuza had gathered, the baron had converted the lower floors of the prison into a sex dungeon. All because his wife didn’t want him to play with his slaves in the family estate.
Further evidence of the corrupt noble’s morally bankrupt life meant little to Gabriel at this point. He had despised the man for over a decade because of how Kelith had bullied him. His bonded hated the baron both for the attack on Meri, and what Kelith did to Gabriel.
Since the plan to steal Meri was the baron’s, Kelith might have been telling the truth about his father being the one that set Gabriel up.
Still doesn’t mean the arrogant shit wasn’t a complete prick.
Gabriel shook his head to clear out the unnecessary thoughts and focused on the tour through the wealthiest section of town.
Dungeon Bound 2 Page 13