Page 86 of The Cursed Kingdom

We’re huddled under a tarp in the middle of the night, and we all know I wouldn’t get far if I tried. And I’ve tried.

“You found me,” I eventually say, breaking the silence.

Kie nods, his head bobbing. “We did.”

Mason grumbles, and Kie makes an annoyed clicking sound with his mouth. I’m mildly impressed with their ability to communicate without words, and I bet they were full of laughs when tracking me through the forest. They probably had a great time mocking my attempt to escape.

I honestly thought I’d succeeded for a minute there, but that was foolish thinking.

“How far are we from the portal?” I ask.

“We’re making good time. We should be there tomorrow afternoon, maybe in the evening if you’re—” Kie clears his throat before continuing. “Ifwe’reslow.”

Tomorrow? I thought it would take longer than that. I was hoping, at least.

I lick my dried, cracked lips. “I suppose there’s no changing your mind about giving me to Zaha.”

I already know the answer, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

I should lie and tell them I have young children back home. Most people, at least ones with any semblance of a heart, would feel bad separating children from their parents. I could tell them I have a three-year-old and an infant, the two arguably cutest ages.

“I—” I begin to say just that, but I freeze and stop at the last minute.

It’s probably not a good idea to draw attention to my life back in the human realm. I don’t want either of these men looking into it. I don’t want them to find Lill.

“What?” Kie asks, noticing my slip-up.

Mason begins moving, his body contorting into uncomfortable positions as he returns to his human-like form. The sounds his body makes as it transforms are disgusting, and I swallow back bile as it happens right beside me.

He could’ve easily left the comfort of the tarp to do this, and I subtly inch closer to Kie as Mason transforms from an animal to a naked man. I was already caught peeking at him once, and I make a pointed effort to stare straight ahead this time.

Kie reaches into his bag and pulls out Mason’s clothing, and I wordlessly tug his pants down my legs. They’re too large for me, and I shove them off in record time.

Mason puts on the black gloves Kie tosses at him first, and I notice how he moves away from me the second my bare legs are exposed. He truly is terrified of touching me.

I should find a way to use that to my benefit—see if I can get him to squeal and run away from me like young boys do when they’re going through agirls have cootiesphase. I bet he would.

It would be so fucking satisfying to be Mason’s mate.

These people put a lot of value into their bonds, and I’d love to see the horror spread across his face as he realizes the woman he’s been treating like livestock is actually the person he’s destined to spend the rest of his life with.

I bet Kie would be upset, too. Something is going on between him and Mason, and I can’t lie and say I wouldn’t find joy in causing him some pain.

In my fantasy world, Mason would find out the moment he handed me over to Zaha. He’d go from excitement to finally being rid of me to desperation to save me, and I hope he’d live the rest of his days with regret.

Everybody talks about how intense the mate bond is, and I hope to consume his every thought until the day he dies. I don’t care what happens to me as long as Mason’s miserable.

I’m petty, and I want him to suffer.

The chances of being his mate are slim to none, but I think I’ll touch him, anyway. The second he and Kie offer me to Zaha, I’m going to rip off my gloves and touch his face. I’m going to run my greasy, dirty palms all over his perfect skin.

Maybe I’ll even shove a finger into his mouth. He’ll gag on it—just as he deserves.

If it works, if I’m somehow his mate, it’ll be the best revenge ever. If not, well, it’ll be too late to kill me, and at least I’ll have the memory of pissing him off to keep me going.

Chapter Thirty-Four

ABBY

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