"Apex predators...really have their own set of problems, don't they?" I said, "The world is their hunting ground and yet they are still unsatisfied…"
Madam smirked at that, "We like a good challenge, and if you have never shown up, one of us would have to take on that role eventually. But the furthest they got was taking a dick in their ass, and they don't even view it as a form of submission, but a way to say, hey, I can take anything you can throw at me. And then throw it back at you twice as hard."
She continued, "It's hot to watch, but it only feeds their alpha complex. We are a bunch of horny and competitive bastards who are at each other's throats, but at the same time can't live without the other."
My cheeks heated up when she took my hand in hers again.
"Don't make Baron and Skaris fool you into believing that they are not as competitive as the rest of us. They are the main reason why we ended with this predicament. It's all their fault," she said, "If you want to blame anyone, blame their excessive need to provide and turning everyone into useless decorations…Fucking assholes, the both of them," she muttered.
"..." I didn't know how to respond, so I just listened, fascinated by her world and its inner workings.
The way she spoke about her family was so passionate that I couldn't help but feel drawn in, wanting to know more, and more, and more.
It was usually the owners who did the talking during their secret meetings behind Madam's back.
Madam rarely opened up and was always somewhere in the background, so this was a rare experience that I wanted to last a little longer.
"... You are a lot more talkative today," I noted, hoping it would encourage her to keep talking.
Madam paused, and the corner of her lip lifted into a crooked smile, "Am I? I was trying to bore you to sleep."
"Sleep?" I repeated, looking at the sun, "Now?"
She stopped smiling and looked away, "Let's pretend I didn't say a thing."
"...Alright," I nodded, and we began walking again, "I never liked a male before but now I like so many. I also hate being around people, but I also hate being alone. What would you call this phenomenon, Madam?"
Madam chuckled, "A sheep in heat who wants to be fucked and then left alone to bask in her afterglow."
I stomped my foot in frustration.
"I...I was being serious," I said, feeling my cheeks burning when I realized my misbehavior, "It's...it's a serious problem...for me."
She hummed in thought, "Try not being a sheep in heat. It might help."
I groaned and looked down. Madam made it sound too easy!
"I'm trying," I whined, "But the more I try, the more it...it... keeps happening. Even when it shouldn't. Even when I should be thinking about something else, all I can think about is this...this..."
"Sex," Madam said.
"Yes," I agreed, nodding, "That."
"Then we have a solution to your problem," she announced, "Have sex."
"It's not that simple," I protested.
"It is that simple," she insisted, "You have nine dicks at your disposal. Use them."
"I can't just...use them," I argued and looked up at her again, "It's not that simple. It's not like...like using your hand."
I explained, "I can't just...go to them and... and...What if...what if they are not in the mood? What if...if they don't want to do it with me? I'm not good as you are at...at..." I waved my hands around, "At... this stuff."
"Mm, that might be a problem," she said, her expression thoughtful, "You are right. They might say no."
"I knew it!" I exclaimed, feeling triumphant, and then immediately deflated. "Oh."
Madam glanced at me, her lips pressed tightly together to keep herself from laughing.
"When did you learn to touch yourself?" she asked, "I mean, with your hands."
"It's normal for females to prepare themselves before mating. To ease the pain and...and to get slick enough to receive a male without injury," I explained and looked away, "I...I saw a few females do it in the past before mating...I didn't have the tools to practice, so...I could only use my hands."
"Did you enjoy watching them?" Madam asked curiously.
"Helps the slick come out faster," I replied quickly, avoiding the question.
If I said I liked that, wouldn't it sound too disloyal? What if they thought I liked those females better? I...I didn't like them better... I was just curious and...and...
"Why did you kiss me? Is it normal for females to kiss each other? Is that why you did it? You thought it was normal?"
"I...I thought it was normal for you. The owners said Madam likes females, so I...I thought it's normal for you. I didn't do it because I thought it was normal for me. It's...it's not normal for me to do that with another female. I...I don't think so."
Her smile widened, and something told me I would regret not telling her the truth.
"I see," she said, "So you just did it to please me, not because you wanted to. You just want to get along with me."
"Y-yes," I stuttered.
"I see," she repeated, her smile growing even wider, "I see. You are a very considerate girl," she said, patting my head, "So considerate."
I smiled shyly at her compliment, thinking how our relationship might turn for better from now on and how naive of me it was to believe that.
I didn't realize that her praises came with a hidden meaning, and that the smile on her face was meant to hide the hurt, not to express joy.
That's what the owners said when I retold this story during one of our secret meetings (skipping the part where Madam badmouthed them).
Yes, I became a part of their club, which was first established by Vick, Kurus and Moyu.
I thought they accepted me in too fast, but they said they established the club the SAME DAY they met each other.
They said I was a slow addition because their standards had grown higher.
Umm… I looked down at myself, doubting their words. Their standards had grown higher? Really? Where?
At that time, Madam was single, yet refused to take in a male.
Not because she didn't want to have a family, but because she was afraid of losing it, according to the owners.
She kept her face and body covered, so everyone thought she was an ugly woman.
She was even known for mistreating males, so no males showed interest in her, just how she preferred it.
Madam would have hidden her beauty in this world too if the owners didn't snatch, anything she could have used as a face cover, away from her.
It made me even more curious about how was Madam able to charm the owners.
"She was so desperate to become my female," Michael boasted about his first meeting with Madam, "That her males had to beg me to meet her."
"Kurus kidnapped you," Baron corrected Michael.
"We were looking for a new punching bag that could take the blows in our stead," Moyu explained into more details, "The infamous Desert King, known for kidnapping females, looked like a perfect fit."
"..." I watched Michael start a verbal fight with Baron and Moyu, defending his pride.
Meanwhile Kurus, the one responsible for Michael's kidnapping, was silently sewing me a new dress under the shade of the tree, showing no reaction to their words.
Kurus, Skaris, and Karrak were all silent types, rarely joining the club meetings unless it was an emergency.
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I didn't know why, but Madam started avoiding me and didn't talk to me anymore after our little talk. No teasing or playing or anything of that nature, just a simple nod or a shake of her head, nothing more.
She would then spend more time with the owners as if feeling guilty of not giving them enough attention or making them feel left out.
I should feel happy for them, but what was this guilt I was feeling? I couldn't stop thinking about our little moment, when she was so close... so close... The moment when everything felt right, until it didn't.
It hurt.
Her indifference hurt.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
I just signed a contract with webnovel, yey! You can expect a character list with their images soon. All nine owners and madam. 🥰
I don't plan to lock chapters until I complete this novel, so stay active through powerstones and comments because it'll be the only motivation I'll have + voluntary donations, of course. 🙏😅
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