Page 51 of The Cursed Kingdom

If they made rat traps large enough for him, I’d stand back and happily watch as the metal snap breaks his spine and traps him in place. He can suffocate, bleed out, or starve to death forall I care. He’s shown me no kindness, and I won’t offer any in return.

Seconds pass, and I quickly realize I’m not getting an answer. I’m not surprised. I huff, returning to my spot and lying down. Sunlight shines in my face, practically blinding me. I don’t know how these two expect me to sleep under these conditions, and I grab one of the arms of my sweatshirt and place it over my eyes. It barely works, and I rely on my hearing to keep tabs on what’s happening around me.

Eventually, I doze off, but never into a deep rest. Never to the point of being unaware of my surroundings. It’s a sad sleep that leaves me feeling more exhausted than refreshed, but I know it’s the best I’m going to get.

Kie falls asleep quickly—I know because I glance at him every few minutes to check. Mason doesn’t sleep, and every time I sneak a look at him, he’s already staring at me. There’s no mistaking that I’m the target of his vibrant-green eyes.

My sweatshirt sleeve is decent at blocking out the sun, but I still feel the rays hitting the exposed skin of my arms and legs. It’s not overly hot, but it will leave me sunburnt.

Hours pass before the pressure on my bladder grows too intense to ignore, and I shove my sweatshirt off my face before turning toward Mason.

As expected, he’s already watching me, and his back and shoulder muscles shift as I sit up. I bet he’s preparing for a chase. He’s probably spent this entire day fantasizing about burying his teeth deep into my flesh and ripping me into shreds.

I know he wants to. He hasn’t kept that desire hidden.

“I need to use the bathroom,” I say.

My throat is still raw from his earlier choking, and I can hear it in my voice. It’s rough, like I’ve been smoking cigarettes regularly for the past thirty years.

Mason doesn’t move, his hulking animal form painfully still.

I’m unsure what to make of it, and I swallow past the lump in my throat as I push myself up to my feet. My knees shake as they’re made to hold up my weight, and I bend them with a slight wince.

The ground crunches underneath my feet, and I refuse to turn my back to Mason as I inch away. I’m afraid he’ll chase me if I move too quickly, and I stop breathing as he rises from his seated position and follows me.

I figured this would happen, but it doesn’t alleviate my fear. He has no intention of letting me out of his sight.

The only benefit to not drinking water is how infrequent my bodily functions are. I’m a shy shitter, too, but hopefully that won’t be an issue. My asshole won’t even consider opening when it knows it’s being watched.

I walk until Kie is out of sight, but I stay close enough that he’ll hopefully hear if Mason decides this is his opportunity to kill me. Kie seems intent on keeping me alive, so sticking by him is probably my best bet.

My hands are sweaty, and I press my quivering lips together as I make eye contact with Mason. He may be in his animal form, but I can tell his mind is still that of his human form—or whatever they call it. I don’t want him watching me.

“Can you turn around?” I ask.

Mason sits on his butt, still facing me.

I hate him, and I look around before stepping behind a scarce bush. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. My fingers shake as I crouch and pull down my leggings, careful not to expose too much of myself.

Mason watches me the entire time, and I do the same to him. Thankfully, though, his eyes never travel downward. He probably thinks he’s chivalrous by not staring between my legs, but I hardly see it that way.

I force out my pee as quickly as possible before using a nearby leaf to wipe and pulling back up my leggings. The bandages on my knees tug with the movement, and I take a second to adjust them before stepping out from behind the bush.

I want to say something snarky, but I bite my tongue. Insulting Mason might very well be a death sentence.

He leads us back to Kie, and I obediently follow. The sun is well past its peak, leaving only a few hours of daylight left. I’ll take this time to observe and, hopefully, discover some of my kidnappers’ weaknesses.

I doubt it will be physical, but there has to besomethingthey’re sensitive to. They’re quiet, but if I can get them talking, maybe I can learn something useful.

Chapter Twenty

ABBY

KIE’S AWAKE AND rolling up his sleeping pad when Mason and I return from the bathroom stop. That was a quick rest. I step around Mason’s animal form and grab my bag.

Neither man pays me any mind, and I lean against a tree before pulling out one of my beef jerky sticks and a few nuts. I doubt these two plan to feed or give me any breaks today, and I rush to get something in my stomach while Kie finishes packing.

“Did she sleep?” Kie asks Mason.

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