Page 15 of Free Beast Mate

Cole cleaned and happily chatted about his life in Community Forty-four. I learned that Hasel, Mayhem’s aunt and one of my favorite elders, made the best olive bread, that the kid had lived under Mayhem’s care and had met Torrent as well. I itched to ask about Vice and Jamie but didn’t want to disturb the kid as he rambled on and on about how he wanted to be a beast warrior, but ended up fucking it all up and becoming John’s minion instead.

“You have more minions?” I asked John.

“One more. A minionette.”

Hm. “Where is Adam?”

“Don’t know.”

“If the kid gets in trouble for talking to me, it’s gonna piss me off. Ya feel me?”

“Yes, princess.”

Okay. He liked to call me princess. It grated on my nerves, but I held back my anger, ’cause…John was stupid. Tough, nice guy, but stupid. “Where’s the girl who comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays?” I asked.

“Home. Suspended. Healing. She’ll be back next week.” From his pocket, he pulled out…a bullet, and rolled it between his fingers. A nervous gesture.

My brain scrambled, rewound what he’d said. “Healing?”

Cole spoke from the bathroom. “Adam lashed her for stealing bread and offering her pussy to you.”

“I will lash you next for cursing,” John told the kid.

Man, I loved this kid. Where the hell had he been all my captivity? “Is Adam off-duty now?” I asked John.

“He’ll also be back next week.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“I bet. You gonna eat?”

“Nah, I’ll save it for next week.” I watched John carefully to see if he’d pick up on my intent, but no, John kept playing with his bullet. A stupid guard with a chatterbox child who would tell me everything I wanted to know about life on Earth made me content. For now.

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