Page 50 of The Cursed Kingdom

My legs ache with the urge to get up and run after Mason, maybe even fight him for the animal, but I doubt that’ll get me far. He’d probably just laugh and knock me over—or something equally rude.

Mason finally returns just as Kie pulls the cooked meat off the fire, and he shifts back into his human-like form before quickly redressing. I stare at the hot food, twiddling my thumbs. I’m so hungry, and I can barely contain my shock as Mason grabs one of the largest pieces, grunts, and drops it into my lap. I suppose this means it’s for me.

I bite back a smile as I bring it to my mouth. The flavorless, overcooked meat is by far the best thing I’ve ever eaten, and I devour the entire thing in record time. There’s so much, I find myself forcing the last bites down, mildly aware I’m going to be sick if I eat too much more.

I don’t care. I’m truly full for the first time in days, and it feels amazing.

Kie and Mason sit on the opposite side of the fire, quietly whispering as they eat. I can’t hear what they’re saying, which I’m sure is intentional. I’m probably the topic of discussion. That realization makes me nervous, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

I already have enough to stress over, mainly my impending slavery to Zaha. What will she be like? Will I ever see my family and home again? I fear I already know the answer to that, and I swallow down the bile threatening to rise up my throat.

I’ve been avoiding acknowledging the inevitable, choosing to live in blissful ignorance and the blind hope that things will improve for me, but it’s time to consider the possibility that it won’t. Coming to this realm was a risk, one that didn’t pay off.

I should’ve listened to Lill. I wasn’t prepared for this world, and I won’t survive.

I shove my last bite of meat into my mouth. I’m too full, my stomach bulging, but I can’t stop eating. I want to eat until I explode.

“Do you two not have any water?” I ask. It’s hard to believe.

“No.” It’s Kie who answers. “Our bodies don’t need water as yours does, and we intended to drink at the river in the troll lands.”

I force myself into an upright position. My stomach protests the movement, and I’m sure I’m far from graceful as I struggle to sit up.

Mason watches with poorly concealed humor, his lips twitching and his eyebrows raised. He probably thinks it’s funny to watch me struggle, and I bet the sick fuck even takes pleasure in it. He seems like the type of person who finds enjoyment in misery.

It’s no wonder the faeries hate him.

“What will Zaha do to me?” I ask, my voice cracking. I wince.

My question is met with silence, and I clench my hands into tight fists as I stare down Kie. He avoids eye contact, busying himself with putting out the fire and returning to his sleeping pad. It infuriates me. The least he can do is detail the fate he’s unilaterally signing me up for.

Mason returns to his animal form and resumes stalking around camp.

“Well?” I push.

Kie rolls over, giving me his back. I shift my focus to Mason. I assume he can’t speak in his animal form, but he can hear. I can tell by the slight twitching of his pointed ears whenever I speak.

My gaze lingers on his bright-green eyes before shifting to his mouth. His long, sharp teeth aren’t currently visible, but I’llnever forget how it felt to have them snarling and snapping only inches from my face.

They were huge, the largest probably the length of my forearm. He could kill me with one purposeful bite, and there’s nothing I could do to stop it.

Mason stares at me, his eyes unblinking as he sits on his haunches beside Kie.

I lick my lips. “I deserve to know.”

Mason stated that killing me would be a better option, and even he seemed concerned with the possibility of one of Zaha’s brothers stepping in to take me. Kie seemed convinced they wouldn’t want a human with a blood disease, which is far from encouraging. Why would they care about my blood?

I don’t have a blood disease. What will happen if they discover that?

There’s a very good chance I won’t be able to escape from Kie and Mason, and I deserve to know what to expect once they drag me into the gods’ realm.

My mind is running rampant with thoughts of rape, torture, and potentially even blood harvesting, but those are human assumptions. I’m not dealing with humans, and what they have in mind might be something I’ve never heard of and can’t even conceptualize.

Mason lies on his belly and rests his paws under his chin, still staring at me.

I want to throw a rock at his oversized, hairy head.

Better yet, I want to bash a rock against it until his skull is mush. I’ve never been the type of woman to cower away from killing spiders, cockroaches, and tiny vermin, and I doubt I’ll feel any different with this shifter.

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