Page 40 of Warlord's Mate

“See! It wants to eat us!”

The one making all the fuss jumped to his feet and grabbed the other one's arm, pulling on him until he stood and hurried across camp.

“What was that all about?”

Marcy looked up as Krista walked into her line of sight. She picked up one of the stools and set it down beside her.

“They were talking about us ugly humans.”

Krista laughed. “We’re ugly?”

“Apparently.” Marcy picked up another root and started cutting it. “One of them wants to get a piece of human ass, while the other was horrified at the very thought.”

“Well, let’s hope he persuades the other to forget about it. Not that you have to worry about getting cornered by any of them.”

Marcy gave her an apologetic smile. “I’ve not said anything but have—” She couldn’t bring herself to ask if she’d been raped so let the question hang.

Krista shook her head. “Unbelievably, no one has even attempted it or acted as if they were going to. Even the one who carried Dawn off screaming never touched her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Krista reached into the basket and pulled out one of the roots. “After you stormed off that night, the warlord walked into the tent the one who took Dawn went into and made him let her go. I’m surprised you didn’t hear the uproar.”

“I didn’t, but then again, I was so mad I couldn’t hear much of anything.

“Well, before the warlord followed you into his hut, he told everyone the females were off limits. That we weren’t to be touched until we gave them permission to do so and if they didn’t like it, they were welcome to leave his camp.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“It could certainly be worse. No one liked the new decree but so far everyone’s kept their hands to themselves.”

“That’s bullshit!” Dawn pushed her way into the conversation. “That big ass thing that thinks he owns me is grabby and if I didn’t fight him off, I’d spend my days on my back.”

Krista rolled her eyes. “Stop being so dramatic. The warlord told him he had to have your permission to bed you so it’s not like he’s pulling you underneath him on a nightly basis. Besides, he caught you. He saw you before the others even knew I was there. I guess to him, you are his.”

“What does that have to do with anything? The warlord might have told him he had to ask first, but that hasn’t stopped him from copping a feel anytime the mood strikes.”

Marcy ignored Dawn’s outburst and looked back at Krista. “So, no one caught you?”

“No.” She threw a peeved look at Dawn. “Someone ratted me out or I would have never been seen at all.”

“Like I wanted to be taken alone.”

Krista scoffed. “It’s not been too terrible. At least I’m not stuck in a tiny cell watching others take a crap in a bucket.”

Marcy laughed. “There is that.”

“And I think I’ve got an alien suitor.” She grinned. “The one with snow white skin and the black marks around his eyes. I think his name is Kyre. He takes a bit to get used to, but he’s been kind of sweet so far.”

“Well, that’s something, I guess.”

An empty basket hit the ground at her feet. Marcy looked up to find Jityria staring at her. “Cayen needs more xilum berries. Go get them.”

Marcy bit her tongue to keep from telling Jityria to go find them herself but stood like a good little slave. “Are you going with me?”

Jityria snorted a laugh. “No,sevit. If I could go, I wouldn’t have told you to.”

“Then who is going?”