Mason checked the map in his mind using his Wayfinder power, deciding exactly where to take Rebecca. There was still plenty of unexplored areas around Nassau in various directions, so he could clear a little grey at the same time.
But there was a smaller, branching river from the main Southern artery heâd been meaning to follow, and decided that was best.
âThereâs probably nothing much interesting,â he said, âbut Iâve been meaning to scout a river a few miles away. Weâd have to follow it a few miles after that to be useful. Think youâre up to it?â
Rebeccaâs brow rose slightly, and she looked him from head to toe before she met his eyes. âI am if you are.â
He laughed at the reaction, remembering Rebecca was a player too. But sheâd been injured only a day before, so he kept his pace at a brisk walk. When she kept up without any problem at all, he sped up a little, and she matched him step for step.
âThat infirmary is pretty amazing,â she said after a mile or two. âI donât think a person is supposed to heal this quick, even with a good nurse like Aila.â
Mason shrugged. âAfter giant hyena-men, flying wizards, and trees as big as skyscrapers, Iâve pretty much just started accepting things.â
Rebecca smiled and shook her head. âYouâve seen some shit, havenât ya?â
âI guess I have.â Mason tried to block out some of the more gruesome memories that liked to haunt his dreams. âBut then I think we all have.â
Rebecca nodded at that, but said nothing more. They kept up the brisk walk and soon found the river, then walked along the bank as they talked about their tutorials.
Apparently Rebeccaâs had been a kind of maze filled with monsters, but sheâd found her companions along the wayâespecially Phuong.
âHe sounds impressive,â Mason said. âI look forward to working with him.â
âHe really is,â Rebecca beamed. âWe all would have died without him. He has a sword that comes out of nowhere, cuts things to ribbons.â
Mason grinned, then held out his hand, summoning Claw.
âA man after my own heart.â
Rebeccaâs eyes widened at the green blade. âDamn. Yeah thatâs what he does, except itâs blue. Why donât I get something cool like that? All I have is a stupid little disc thing.â
Mason laughed. âIâm sure youâve got your own tricks.â
They walked in silence a little while, appreciating the soft sounds of the river and the birds calling in the trees as Streak grumbled and ran on ahead in boredom. They talked about their lives before the Great Gameâgrowing up in Arksansas and Texas .
âYou donât have any kind of Texan accent,â Becky said after she learned heâd lived in Houston.
He shrugged. âWas born in the North somewhere. I remember the snow. Houston was just where my folks left me. No idea why. Accent never took.â
She pursed her lips and took his hand, but didnât say anything stupid like most people did. He wasnât sure if he could have liked the girlâs personality any more than he already did, but she was trying.
âMy life was the opposite,â she said after awhile. âFour brothers, three sisters, a ton of cousins and aunts and uncles. Donât think I was ever alone.â
âHoly shit,â Mason laughed, then turned more sober. âYou worry about them? How theyâre doing now, I mean?â
She nodded. âAll the time. But there ainât nothing I can do right now. Iâve had folk to protect since this all started. But Iâd be lying if I said I didnât want to keep busy. You know? Keep from thinking too much.â
Mason nodded, his turn to squeeze her hand.
âIf I can help you find them, I will,â he said, and meant it. The way Rebecca smiled made him want to stop walking right there and pull her to the ground.
Streak yapped once a little ahead, and Mason turned his attention and senses until he heard the same sound as the wolf. He smiled, and tugged Beckyâs hand.
âWhat is it?â Beckyâs face turned serious, and Mason wanted nothing more than to wipe away some of the bad memories sheâd already gained of this new world. Because not everything you found was bad.
âCome on. I think we have our picnic spot.â
He led her on until they were close enough she could hear the constant roar. Then the air changed slightly, growing damp and cool and filling with the rush of falling water.
âOh my God.â Beckyâs eyes widened as she saw the waterfall through a break in the trees. âItâs beautiful!â
They followed Streak as he sprinted ahead, ears down, likely used to stalking prey at such places. They emerged to some kind of giant pool, water falling from multiple angles, another river running South East from higher ground. Mason saw other, smaller pools around it, some emitting what looked like steam.
âItâs amazing,â Rebecca almost whispered. Mason smiled and pulled her forward.
âNow we just have to pick our spot. Iâm thinking there,â he gestured to a little grassy rise that overlooked the pool, then started climbing up. It was steep but doable without having to use their hands, and soon enough they looked out over the water from a mostly flat patch of grass surrounded by a few rocks.
There wasnât much space, so they had to sit close together as Mason opened his bag and took out some water bottles and lunch while Streak ran down and leapt into the pool. Rebecca smiled shyly and tried some of theâŠwhatever the hell Haley madeâŠeyes widening as she licked her lips.
âOh my God. This is so good.â
Mason flinched, knowing he couldnât begin to claim credit. âHaley made it. I can cook, but uh, nothing fancy. Bachelor jock kind of foods.â
âI like your honesty,â she laughed, then her expression faded a little. âHaley is pretty amazing. Sheâs yourâŠassistant, right?â
Mason felt the urge to get up and run away. He chewed for several bites too long before he nodded. âYeah. I actually saved her in a dungeon. She wasâŠa reward, I guess? A bonded contract, if you know what that means.â
Rebecca shrugged like she probably didnât. He could tell she wanted to ask, âhave you slept with her?â, but she didnât. She looked so cute and sexy and shy he knew he had to do something, or change the subject. OrâŠoh, fuck it.
He leaned forward and raised her chin with a finger, then kissed her lips.
She hesitated, clearly unsure and nervous, then she kissed him back. Her lips moving against his shot a lance of fire straight through his body, and his dick twitched in his pants. He was happy for a minute just to explore her lips and tongue, but finally pressed himself closer, running his hands down her body as he eased her onto her back. She was panting beneath him, looking up with her big brown eyes as she quirked a brow.
âAre you telling me you
really
didnât know about this place in advance? That this ainât some elaborate plan to romance me?â
Mason couldnât stop the laugh. âSwear to God. I had no idea. But Iâm really happy itâs here, and youâre sharing it with me.â
Her look softened again.
âMe too.â
Then he lowered himself enough to kiss her, feeling her push into his chest as he ran his hands up her legs. She closed her eyes as he kissed down her neck and opened her blouse enough to get a hand inside to cup a breast through her bra.
âMmm,â she moaned and already seemed a little on edge.
But he couldnât stop touching her, and raised himself up to get a hand all the way up her leg to her wide hips, then down her thigh towards his target. Her body went slightly rigid the closer he came, but she didnât stop him. He kept his hand outside her jeans, but fortunately it was a stretchy material he could feel right through. He ran his fingers between her legs and cupped her sex.
âDoes that feel good?â
âMmhmm.â
âThatâs what I want,â he kissed her closed eyelids, working down to her lips. âI want you to feel good whenever youâre with me. Safe, and good.â
âI think I do already,â she said between heavy breaths.
Her bra clipped from the front, so he unhooked it. Her chest was rising and falling with quick breaths as he ran a thumb over her small breasts and pert nipples, then kissed his way to suck on them.
She practically bucked against his mouth like a horse.
OK
, he decided.
Sensitive nipples.
He slowed down and went easy, but the girl was twisting in his hands, practically crushing the one between her legs as she pant.
âUm, Mason, I think I, umâŠâ
âRelax, darling,â he said as he kept touching. âI wonât go any further than you want me to. We can stay just like this.â
She  put her hands in his hair and moaned, and he could feel heat flushing up her chest and neck. She was so responsive it was incredible. He couldnât wait to actually start fingering her and getting her reallyâŠ
Rebecca cried out and arched her back as her eyes fluttered and she pushed her whole body against his hands. She held her breath, and Mason blinked in surprise as he realized she was cumming.
âOh God,â she finally breathed and sagged against the ground, steady breaths as she licked her lips and draped a wrist across her forehead. Mason was hard as a rock.
He just watched the beautiful girl in her post-orgasmic bliss, loving the sight and smell and feel of her. Finally she grabbed his shirt and practically yanked him down to her lips, her tongue wild and seeking his as she moaned against his mouth.
When she finally let him breathe, she opened her eyes and looked a little embarrassed. âI donât um,â she covered her face with her hands, then took them off and slowly reached down to touch the hard erection pressed against her hip. âI donât know what to do with that. Iâve never, um, Iâm a virgin.â
Masonâs breath practically caught in his throat. He could tell she was inexperienced, but holy shit.
Rebecca covered her freckled face again and groaned. âAh hell now you think Iâm a little girl.â
Mason wanted to find and kill whoever convinced women they should have experience.
âStop that,â he moved her hands away and stared into her eyes. âYou have no idea how turned on I am right now. Being a virgin is a good thing, not a bad thing.â
âReally?â She didnât look convinced, and he wanted to pull out his erection and show her exactly what he meant. But he started by burying his tongue in her mouth as he groped her tits and ass.
âReally,â he said when he could talk, and Rebecca was still wiggling her hips beneath him, and whether intentionally or not, it was driving him mad.
âI feel so wet,â she said, which didnât help. âBut Iâm not sure Iâm ready for sex. I think I want to wait a little while.â
âFor what?â Mason practically groaned but managed to keep his tone simply curious.
âFor me to feel like a lady,â Rebecca said with a bit more conviction, âand for you to feel like a gentleman.â
He laughed at that, loving the way the girl talked. âIâm no gentleman,â he growled, then forced his mind to take control of his dick. âBut we can wait.â
âYou donât mind?â she said, looking the nervous virgin again.
âOh I mind,â he chuckled. âBut youâre worth the wait.â
She smiled and kissed him, and he felt his painful hard on practically bursting through both sets of fabric to get what it wanted. Rebecca kept on grinding against it, either innocently or cruelly or perhaps both. Finally she looked at him with another shy, if slightly devious grin.
âBut I suppose I could help with that. With my, um, hands, and mouth. If youâre willing to teach me.â
Mason practically came right there.
âSure,â he said, as if it wasnât the best, most rewarding task a man could think of. âI can teach you.â
Oh hi there.
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