Chapter 7 #2
Once I finished, I took my hair down, combed it, and braided it again.
My stomach was growling at this point, and I desperately wanted coffee.
Or at least whatever passed for coffee here.
I debated waiting for Bokkan to return to the bedchamber and fetch me for breakfast, but my decision was made when I heard the murmur of male voices drifting down the hall.
I immediately picked up the dagger I’d taken off Talus yesterday. I wanted to tuck the sheath in the back of my pants at the base of my spine, but it was too large. Not to mention that the pants were too tight.
After a few moments of consideration, I took two of the leather strings Bokkan kept for tying off his hair and threaded them through the holes on each side of the sheath. Then, I tied the sheath to my thigh. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked.
Armed, I went to the door and slowly opened it, sticking my head into the empty hall. When I was sure no one else was around, I stepped out of the bedchamber, shutting the door behind me.
My steps were silent as I crept down the hall to the top of the stairs. The male voices were louder here and growing agitated. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I shouldn’t remain hidden.
“Silence!” The sharp command in Bokkan’s voice whipped through me.
Somehow, I knew that his men were in the house because of me. I wanted to turn my back on the issue, to ignore it, but I couldn’t. I’d made myself a promise long ago—I wouldn’t avoid things that frightened me. I would face them head-on and deal with them.
I also refused to let those bastards know that I was scared of them.
Taking a deep breath, I straightened my spine and started down the stairs. I reminded myself that I’d fought the best soldier in Bokkan’s group already, and I’d held my own. I could do it again if I had to.
When I reached the base of the stairs, I turned the corner and followed the sound of the voices down the hallway until I reached Bokkan’s office.
The door was open, revealing four huge daemons standing in front of Bokkan’s desk.
Their hands were clasped behind them, their feet shoulder-width apart, and their postures straight and tall.
Bokkan sat behind his desk, his pitch-black eyes burning with anger. I could feel his emotions from the doorway.
At once, all five of them looked toward me. My gaze met Bokkan’s hot one for a long moment, and his ire swelled, filling the room. When I tore my eyes from his and looked at the other four daemons, they were all staring at me with expressions of longing. Not lascivious but unsettling all the same.
“Leda, you should go to the kitchen so Masu can serve your breakfast,” Bokkan said, interrupting the uncomfortable silence in the room.
I scowled at the four daemons, not liking the way they seemed even more interested when they saw my displeased expression. Then, I directed my frown at Bokkan.
“If this little meeting is about me, I think I have a right to know what’s being discussed, don’t you?”
Bokkan sighed heavily, as though resigned. “Very well. If you insist, please come in and come stand next to me.”
I wanted to argue against it. To ask why he needed me to stand with him. But something told me now wasn’t the time.
Instead, I walked into the room, making sure to keep my distance from the other male daemons, and skirted around Bokkan’s huge desk. I stopped on his right side, but he gestured for me to go behind him and stand on his left.
Anxiety shimmered in my belly. He wore his sword on his left side, which meant he wanted me out of the way of his dominant hand if he had to draw it.
Did he expect trouble from these four daemons?
Once I came to a stop within arm’s reach, he scooted his chair away from the desk and leaned back. His posture seemed relaxed, but I realized he’d pushed his chair back so he would be able to get to his feet faster if he needed.
Shit, I should have stayed up in the bedchamber after all.
“Leda, these four daemons have requested the opportunity to court you.”
I blinked repeatedly, unsure what to make of his words.
“I’ve explained to them that they are in no position for a mate, considering they are still living in one room in my barracks, but they claim they are happy to purchase a small home if you so wish.”
“They?”
Bokkan didn’t look at me as he answered my question. His stare was locked on the daemons. “Yes, it seems the four of them want you, but they are also brothers in arms and have no wish to fight to the death for the right to court you. Therefore, they have decided they would share you.”
I wanted to gape at the four daemons across the desk, but forced myself to study them carefully. Unlike Talus and the other soldiers from yesterday, they weren’t leering at me. No, it was much worse. Their black eyes were almost… puppy-like.
I had no idea how to respond.
I leaned toward Bokkan and whispered, “Is this a, um… typical arrangement?”
His head gave a very small shake, but he voiced the denial as well. “No, it’s not. And it would be considered extremely disrespectful if proposed to a female daemon. Actually, it would be a fucking insult.”
“I see,” I murmured.
I straightened and fixed a hard stare on the four daemons. They shifted on their feet, but their hands remained their back.
“While your offer is… interesting,” I said. “I think I’ll pass.”
All four of them frowned at me in confusion.
Bokkan chose that moment to get to his feet and plant his hands on his desk. Every muscle in his arms stood out in stark relief as he leaned forward.
“Her answer is no,” he growled out. “And even if it wasn’t, I would be telling you no. You four know that your offer is distasteful. Especially considering Leda is my guest.”
“But she’s hu—”
The daemons and I all jumped when Bokkan’s huge fist crashed down on his desk. I swore the wood cracked, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the ferocity of his profile. His lips were pulled back into a vicious snarl, and I thought I saw red lights dancing along the edges of his black eyes.
“I explained myself last night in the barracks. I should not be having to do it again. This will be the final time. Leda may be human, but I have no doubt she was brought here against her will, without a daemon bargain. Even if she was, I would not condone the treatment you soldiers were intending to give her. Therefore, she is my guest. She is under my protection. Which means any insult to her is an insult to me!” Bokkan’s final words were a roar.
I gasped as he leaped on top of his desk and dropped to the floor on the other side. His tail sliced through the air behind him, the movement as agitated as his words.
“Any harm done to her is harm to me!” he bellowed.
They didn’t back up, but they all flinched as he closed in on them.
“Am I clear?”
Almost simultaneously, the four daemons jerked their heads in a single nod.
“Good. Now, I’m going to tell you what will happen. Leda will be treated with respect and honor while she is here. She will be treated no differently than Masu. I will cut off any finger that touches her. If you bed her, forcibly or willingly, I will castrate you. Do you fucking understand me?”
Once again, all four daemons nodded.
“Since I dislike repeating myself, you will leave my office, and you four will go tell the rest of the soldiers. That everything I said to all of you last night still holds true. And that the next male who tries to convince me to let them have Leda will suffer. You will also find Commander Guldan and tell him I want to see him right fucking now.” He gave them a split second to nod again, before continuing.
“Good. Get out of my godsdamned sight before I lose my temper.”
The four daemons filed out in silence, shutting the door behind them. Bokkan stood still, his entire body tense, as he stared at the door. After a long, tense moment, his shoulders heaved as he took a deep breath and sighed.
When he faced me, he still looked exceptionally pissed, but no longer on the verge of committing murder. “If any of them approaches you, tell me immediately,” he said. “And if they touch you, don’t hesitate to kill them. You won’t face any repercussions from my men or me.”
“So, you’re saying I get to keep my knife?”
“Yes. And I’m going to get you another one. Maybe two.”
“I would appreciate that,” I said.
Before he could respond, there was a sharp rap at the door.
“Enter!” Bokkan called out.
The door opened to reveal his commander, Guldan. Bokkan turned to face him, the tension returning to his body.
“I spoke to the four soldiers who sent you here. Did they tell you what we discussed?”
“A bit,” Guldan replied.
“Okay, then let me reiterate. If anyone touches Leda, with or without her permission, I will remove their fingers. If they bed her, again with or without her permission, I will remove their cock. She is my guest and is under my protection. Anyone who does not treat her as such will be whipped. I explained all of this to them last night but it seems my words didn’t sink in.
It is now your job to make sure they fully comprehend me. Do you understand, Guldan?”
His commander’s eyes moved back and forth between Bokkan and me before he answered, “Yes.”
Bokkan moved closer to him. “I’m not sure why you decided buying a human female to pimp out to my soldiers was a good idea, but it wasn’t.
Even if she signed a bargain, it was highly likely they would accidentally harm her.
Maybe even permanently injure her. That is never acceptable, even if a human agreed to come to our realm. ”
His commander’s back straightened, his shoulders growing rigid. “Understood.”
“You’re dismissed,” Bokkan barked out.
The commander left the room without looking in my direction again. It was clear that he was unhappy. No, not just unhappy. Pissed off.
I could only hope that this wouldn’t come back to bite Bokkan on the ass. Or me. As far as I could tell, I had no status here other than whatever Bokkan was willing to grant me.