The night passed quietly and Teri slept soundly even though her hands were tied together. The leader had not wanted to risk anything, he had stated while tying her up and telling her to lie down on the blanket next to his own. Apart from that he had done nothing to harm her, and she was relieved that she had not yet been reduced to camp mattress. But, she knew she had to act pretty soon. She hoped the men were more relaxed now and that they would not keep such a close eye on her this day. Especially, since she had been on her best behaviour yesterday.
She was in charge of breakfast this morning. That meant putting all the vegetables she could locate into a large bowl, and then serve as soon as it resembles a thick and strange looking mash. Easy, she thought glumly, as she cut the vegetables and poured them into the bowl. No need for a cooking degree to handle this, although she usually preferred microwaving her food. So far, the smell was far better than the looks. Oh well, if they were hungry enough they would probably eat anything - even trees.
Now it was time for the spices. She looked around her. No one was watching. Everyone seemed too busy with their own morning rituals. She reached into her pockets. She still had Loanna's herbs. Only, she was not certain what they would do. Perhaps nothing, since Loanna had given her the wrong herbs before. These ones should be a sleeping drought and a drug to induce impotence. If even one of them worked, she would be safe. She poured them in and hoped for the best, stirring the mixture together and started to prepare the serving.
"Breakfast is ready," she shouted to the dirty assembly.
One by one, they came forward and collected a large portion each of the food, before gulping it down with a complete lack of table manners. She was so busy with serving that she failed to eat something herself. No one asked her either, so she chewed on a carrot-looking fruit as she poured a coffee-smelling liquid into their glasses and sending them around.
Half an hour later, she still could not see any difference. Everybody was acting normal or as normal as she could tell after only two days in their company. She went to the outskirts of the camp to wash up. No one seemed to bother guarding her and she would not give them any reminders. If the drugs did not work she would still have to make a run for it, and she tried to keep to the outskirts of the camp as a preparation for her flight.
Then suddenly she heard some noises from the camp. One after another, the men ran into the forest as if something nasty was dogging their feet. It was actually working, and judging by the sound, Loanna had given her the wrong herbs this time as well. Instead of sleeping pills she had got a laxative. She wanted to shout with joy, but knew that would be a major mistake on her part.
She could hear sounds all over the forest of people barfing and she decided the time was right to make a graceful exit. She quickly moved further into the forest and away from the sounds from the camp. Soon, she picked up the direction of where she thought she had come from, and started to put as much distance between herself and the rebels as she could possibly obtain. As she ran, she laughed inside by the great success of Loanna's herbs.
This time, the joke was not on her and she thought that if she'd ever given the impotence drug to Connor, he would probably puke his stomach content all over the bed. Well, it was some sort of impotence, she would give Loanna that. It was difficult to fuck somebody when puking your stomach inside out, but the drug was still not working the way Loanna had said it would. Maybe the woman was not so good a healer as she was thought to be? Or perhaps she just had a hilarious time in giving Teri the wrong drugs all the time.
She ran through the forest until she became tired, but she kept on walking briskly. She had to get far away from the camp before the rebels where able to sit on their lizards again. Or horses, if they had any tucked away somewhere.
***
Suddenly she heard some strange noises in front of her and she threw herself behind a tree and carefully moved forward to see where the noise came from. It was Connor. And Morgan. And all the other soldiers from the palace. She was so pleased to see them - she could barely contain a cry of joy as she leapt forward and clung to Morgan as he passed by.
"I'm so glad to see you," she gasped happily, before giving all the men nearest to her a tight hug. "What took you so long?" she asked as she walked up to Connor and gave him a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. Connor was still angry from seeing her hugging Morgan and the rest of his men instead of her own mate. He scowled at her.
"Well, why don't you try telling us where you're going the next time, darling?" he snarled at her.
"Well," she huffed. "Thank
you
for the rescue. I even had to rescue myself, thank you very much. And I haven't even had breakfast yet."
"Where are the rebels, then?" Morgan asked.
"You mean what's left of them, I suppose. Right now they are hanging over some bushes and pouring their guts out. So if you want to defeat them, now would probably be a good time."
"What happened?"
"I spiked their breakfast for them."
"They actually let
you
cook for them?" Connor asked disbelieving. "They must be damn brave or insanely stupid."
Teri ignored him. "And Morgan, don't bring along this fancy piece," she said while pointing at Connor. "They want his head on a platter so he might get himself injured."
"What? You don't think I can take care of myself?" Connor growled.
"You are one thing, but the others can not waste time keeping you safe all the time. You politicians are only good with words, not weapons. So you are sorely out of practise. All you have been doing lately is fucking women and that is hardly the best experience when dealing with murderers. Besides it is
you
they want, and they kidnapped me to insure you would step by."
Connor just continued scowling at her, while Morgan tried to maintain his composure but failing miserably. "What did you give them?" Morgan asked in a strangled voice.
"A mixture of drugs. One to induce impotence and the other a sleeping powder."
"What?" both men blurted out.
"Well, they did not work as planned so I believe they will first empty their stomachs then go to sleep again."
"And where did you get those kinds of drugs?" Connor asked suspiciously.
Teri avoided looking at him, and answered, "From Loanna, of course." She glanced quickly at Connor and noticed he had a very clear idea about who she originally had thought about as a Ginny pig for those drugs, but he didn't elaborate it right now.
Hopefully he would forget all about it, she thought. Or thinking about it, he deserved some impotence drug just for sleeping around, that lousy bastard. Hopefully he would start treating her better now that he knew she was armed with these kinds of weapons. Or he would give into her demands. She would not live with a man who dared to flaunt his mistresses in front of her. She would not accept that.
***
The journey back to the palace was passed in silence between Connor and Teri. The rebels had been caught while they were being sick all over the forest. It had not been a pretty sight, as Morgan had laughingly explained to all that would listen. And he had jokingly offered Teri a place in his squadron as bait and poisoner.
Teri had laughingly refused the honour, but Morgan was still bragging about what good use a woman could be when she employed her upper faculties. The good humour spread through the entire army as everyone gave into the relief of winning such an easy victory. Only the rebels' leader had escaped. Teri could not remember if he had eaten any of the breakfast, but it seemed he had mysteriously managed to get away from their army.
They had searched for hours in the woods, but no one had caught the least site of him. Still, the remains of his once proud but still dirty followers were now safely stored in the cells at the centre of Ziota city. Rumours had spread quickly through the city of the rebels defeat and many people had shoved up to cheer as they walked through the city. Relief was evident in all their faces, and Connor was happy to have solved at least one of his problems.
Now, all that remained was to send out a warrant for the leader, and get his mate into his bed again. She had avoided him all since their meeting in the forest. Instead she had laughed and enjoyed herself among his men and particularly in the company of Morgan. He was becoming angry when looking at his mate surrounded by other men.
Men that were smiling at her and congratulating her on a job well done. Some even hugged her, and that made him want to tear the men apart, limb by limb. Only
he
should be allowed to touch his mate, and he sent the men a murderous look watching them shirk away from her right away. Teri noticed his scowl and turned her back on him and continued talking to those that still dared being around her. Connor wanted to grab her hard to him, and never let her go again. She would get the spanking of her life for scaring him like that.
She had let herself get kidnapped and dragged through the forest. Making him think she had been killed or raped or even worse, then suddenly emerging from the woods as if nothing serious had happened at all. She was still as cocksure as ever and she seemed to have been treated well. At least that was what little he had picked up from her explanation to Morgan. She would not speak to him about it, and the thought depressed him. He was her
mate
. It was he who should be comforting her, saving her, telling her the criminals would never hurt her again. Instead she acted as if nothing dangerous had happened at all, while he felt like a quivering idiot for worrying so much about her welfare. This mating thing was more difficult than he had ever imagined it would be.
***
"Go to the bedroom!" Connor ordered Teri as soon as they stepped into the palace. The soldiers was noisily roaming around and settling down in their barracks after a long nights work.
"No, I won't be treated as a child," Teri answered angrily.
