Page 5 of Kept By Her Obsessed Minotaurs

An involuntary moan escapes her lips as my thumb brushes against her nipple, the thin fabric of her tunic doing little to mask the sensation. The sound is a siren's call, a temptation that sends a jolt of desire coursing through me, followed swiftly by a surge of self-reproach. Her scent, earthy and sweet like fresh rain on sun-warmed soil, invades my senses, clouding my judgment.

I pull back abruptly, severing the connection between us. My fists clench at my sides, the roughness of my palms a stark reminder of who I am—and more importantly, who she is. A job.

"Humans are dangerous,"I mutter under my breath, the words meant more for myself than for her. The memory of Garron's downfall, the result of trusting a human woman, flashes through my mind like a warning beacon.

Mara's eyes are still on me, her expression a mix of fear and something else I can’t name. I stand, towering over her, my shadow casting her in darkness.

I turn away, needing the distance to regain my composure. The fire crackles beside us, a silent witness to the tension that hangs heavy in the air. I can feel her eyes on me, watching, waiting. But I don't look back. I can't. Not when my own resolve is starting to waver.

I take a deep breath, the cool night air filling my lungs. I need to stay focused, to remember why we're here. It's about the gold,about restoring our honor and returning home. It can't be about her.

With a growl, I storm back over to Mara. I reach forcibly into her satchel and my fingers close around a small pouch, heavy with the promise of gold. Pulling it free, I loosen the strings and glance inside, the dull glint of coin catching my eye. It isn’t much, but it’s more than I’d expect from a former slave.

“This isn’t a lot,” I say, my voice low and skeptical as I dump the coins into my palm. They’re warm, still holding the heat from her body. “What do you mean by ‘more’?”

Mara bites her lip, a gesture that’s becoming all too familiar and far too distracting. Her voice is trembling but steady, a testament to the steel beneath her fragile exterior. “I’ll explain… but only if you call your friends over first.”

I don’t move, don't speak. I just stare at her, the wheels in my mind turning, weighing her words.

The question is, why should I trust her? She’s a job, a means to an end. And yet, there’s a part of me that’s curious. I’ve always prided myself on being able to read people, to see through their facades to the truth underneath. But Mara is different. She’s a puzzle wrapped in a mystery, and for some reason, I want to solve her.

I glance over at Garron and Calo, their silhouettes barely visible against the backdrop of the darkened woods. They’re talking, their voices too low for me to make out the words. Garron’s posture is rigid, his usual stoicism replaced by a palpable tension. Calo, on the other hand, seems more relaxed, his body language betraying his youth and inexperience.

I grit my teeth, my grip tightening on the pouch. It’s a paltry sum, but it’s a start. And if Mara really does have more… it could change everything. We could finally return home, our honor restored. We could finally be free of this cursed existence,wandering from one job to the next, always looking over our shoulders.

I take a deep breath. I need to tread carefully here. One wrong move, and everything could come crashing down around us. But if there’s even the slightest chance that she’s telling the truth, I can’t afford to ignore it.

“Fine,” I say, my voice echoing in the stillness of the night. “I’ll get Garron and Calo. But if you’re lying to us, Mara, I promise you’ll regret it.”

With that, I turn on my heel and stride over to my companions, leaving Mara alone by the fire.

5

GARRON

The crackle of the fire is a distant murmur compared to the thunderous pulse pounding in my ears. Lazir, the one I trusted to keep his head clear, strides toward us with an odd look in his eyes—a mix of confusion and intrigue that sets my teeth on edge.

"She wants to talk," he says, jerking his head back toward the fire where the human female, Mara, sits. The flickering light dances across her face, highlighting the defiance in her gaze.

I exchange a glance with Calo, whose usual jovial demeanor has been replaced by a furrowed brow and a twitching tail—signs of nerves I haven't seen since our banishment. My lip curls in a silent snarl. We've been down this road before, and I'll be damned if I let history repeat itself.

We approach, and the sight of Mara, her clothes askew, sends a surge of anger through me. "What have you been doing with her?" I demand, my voice a low growl. My gaze bores into Lazir, searching for any sign of deceit. "Are you as stupid as Calo now?"

Calo stiffens beside me, his retort quick and defensive. "I'm not stupid," he grumbles, but the uncertainty in his eyes betrays him.

I ignore him, my attention fixed on Mara. "What is she doing tied up yet disheveled like this?" I snap, my glare shifting between her and Lazir. "She's somehow manipulating you. Both of you."

Lazir's jaw tightens, the muscles in his neck corded with barely contained irritation.

With a deliberate movement, Lazir tosses a pouch of gold to me. My hand snaps up, catching it mid-air. The weight of the coins feels substantial, real. My brow furrows as I untie the pouch, the firelight casting a warm glow over the gold within.

"Where did this come from?" I rumble, my gaze flicking from the pouch to Lazir, then settling on Mara. Her eyes are wide, almost luminous in the firelight, and her body is rigid with a mixture of fear and resolve. Fascinating.

"She gave it to me," Lazir replies, nodding toward Mara. "Says it's a deposit."

A deposit? I nearly scoff at the audacity. Instead, I let the silence hang, heavy and expectant, as I consider the human before me. She's slight, fragile even, but there's a steel in her eyes that I've seen in hardened warriors. It's intriguing, but I've been fooled by a human's facade before.

"I can pay you more than my master is offering," Mara interjects, her voice steady despite the tremor that threatens to betray her. "I want to hire you."

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