"I'm sorry," Baron caressed Skaris' empty eyesocket, making sure to be gentle with his touch. He licked the scar, tasting the rain and mud.
Skaris' heavy scars and the missing eye were a result of Baron's doing. He and other beastmen almost killed Skaris. It was before they became Madam's mates.
Baron had ripped Skaris' eye out of his skull, when he was under the influence of the beastmen community's prejudices.
They were taught that all beastmen abandoned by their females and had their bond broken were to be killed. A broken bond would break a beastman's spirit, making him turn insane and a danger to all females around him.
"Hey," Michael called for them when I was close to passing the entrance, "If you are going to have sex, I'm going to need an invitation. Or I'm telling on you, and you are going to be very, very sorry."
Baron lifted his hand, a middle finger aimed at the tent.
I had no idea what that gesture meant, but it made Michael laugh, "A yes? Great. I will get the lube," and disappeared back inside.
Baron licked the scar once more before tugging the blindfold over Skaris' eye. He then pulled him up and they both sat in the rain, watching me run around the tent.
I hoped they would go back inside, but they didn't. They continued sitting there, until I ran out of strength to even stand and fell on my hands and knees, panting.
Michael didn't tell me how many laps I had to run, so I didn't know when to stop. I didn't know if the number would be enough.
I also didn't know what the punishment would be if I stopped on my own, without being told to. They were very vague when it came to their commands and instructions. I could only guess and hope my guesses were right.
"Not until you faint," Baron said as if reading my thoughts, a bit more stern now, "And it has to be a real one. No acting."
I crawled, forcing my body to move, dragging myself forward. One hand in front of the other, one knee after the other.
I felt like I was back in the circus again, performing my very best, with the whip cracking just above my head.
The only difference was that there was no whip, and the audience was watching me for free, my performance was for them only.
I turned to the females and saw that I had scared them enough for them wanting to leave.
That's one of the ways I kept my spot in the circus, by scaring off the competition. Nobody wanted to take the black sheep's place when they knew they would be abused and humiliated.
Was this the right approach?
Was this the way to keep my spot here?
Other females would have killed themselves by now, I've seen it happen. And that's how I survived until now, through others' death, because I was the only one who was stupid enough to hope that one day things would get better. That one day the audience would grow to love the black sheep.
I didn't know how I was going to faint, since I always had to do the opposite of it. I was forced to stay awake and aware no matter the pain or exhaustion.
The owners would have to use their beast auras to make me pass out, as they did the last time. My body was conditioned to remain conscious no matter what.
I got up, just for my legs to disobey. I planted my palm into the mud to catch myself.
Crack.
My arm gave out and my face hit the muddy ground.
"Did her bone...?" Baron's voice faded in the background, "Dammit."
His feet splashed in the puddle, getting closer.
I turned my head, seeing his feet right in front of my eyes. His clawed toes curled into the mud, and I could smell his anxiety.
He picked me up and I groaned in pain. The moment my arm moved, pain shot up violently. I clutched it against my chest, but it wouldn't obey.
"How bad is it?" Michael squeaked, sensing it as well.
"She fractured her wrist," Baron's voice was calm, but I could hear his heart pounding against his ribcage, "the fall broke her arm."
"We are so dead. So, so dead," Michael walked inside the tent, cursing, "We didn't even touch her. What the hell? How do you break yourself by running in circles? This is ridiculous."
Baron carried me in and laid me on the mat.
Skaris watched from the entrance, "I'll take the blame, so we are even. You don't tell on me to Vick and Romeo, and I won't tell on you to Dear."
"Deal…but what about sex?" Michael carried a box with medical supplies and handed it to Baron, "This stress calls for a good fucking. It might shut Little Miss up, too."
I groaned in response, the pain taking over my senses.
Whatever fantasies Michael had, I was not in the condition to be a part of them.
Baron ignored Michael and opened the box.
Michael tried to open my legs to unlock my chastity belt, "You won't tell anyone about this, right, Little Miss? You will keep it a secret? You won't be a snitch, right?"
I didn't reply, not trusting my voice. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth I would start screaming.
Michael huffed, "She's ignoring me. She's definitely a snitch." He stepped back, throwing his hands in the air, "If I get sent on another mission because of this, I'm blaming you, Little Miss." And went to sulk in his throne.
"At least help me to fix her arm," Baron said, pulling out fabric strips, "Don't just sit there like a useless lump."
"And risk breaking her more? She has the bones of a dried twig. I can't even..." Michael rubbed his face with his hands, "I have to think of how to explain this to the others."
Skaris went out again, into the rain. The sheep female's screams of terror soon followed, and I flinched at the loud sounds. Then silence. Then another scream started, making me dizzy.
Skaris returned after the third scream went quiet, his hair and clothes were drenched. He sat beside my head, his thumb rubbing against my scalp, then moved down to my neck, then down again, all the way to the arms, as if mapping my body. He stopped at the broken bone and squeezed.
I let out a scream, arching my back.
Skaris didn't let go, he squeezed and pulled the bone, forcing it to move back into place.
He then let go and Baron quickly began to wrap the arm in the fabric.
I panted and blinked the tears away, my head falling to the side.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
We got some new readers, yay!
I might write another chapter for the influx of powerstones too.
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