Chapter 11: Ever-tease (2)
As we strolled past the tightly packed stalls, a sharp voice cut through the murmurs of the market. At first, I barely registered it, just another argument in the background noise of the city.
But then I heard it, words choked with fear, a thick accent, pleading.
Nora tensed beside me.
I followed the sound, my gaze drawn to the mouth of a shadowed alley. A man was backed against the wall, his wide eyes darting around like a trapped animal. Towering over him was a bear-woman, her claws lazily trailing down his chest as she chuckled.
“Come on, stray.” The word rolled off her tongue like an insult, something laced with disgust. “You’re not trying to run, are you?”
The man flinched, his breath shaky. “P-Please, I-I didn’t do anything-”
She leaned in, fangs flashing as she smirked. “Who asked you? Now be a good fucking mongrel and keep quiet.”
It was then that I noticed it. The thick black collar around his neck with a peculiar design, something about it looked too precise, too distinct. It wasn’t just a piece of clothing. It meant something.
My stomach twisted.
Before I could say anything, Nora grabbed my wrist, her grip tight. “We’re leaving.”
I resisted, my gaze still locked on the scene. “Nora, what-”
“Now.”
She yanked me away before I could protest further, dragging me back into the flow of people. Only when we had put enough distance between us did she finally let go, exhaling sharply.
I turned to her, my chest tight with unease. “What the hell was that?”
Nora didn’t answer immediately. She looked ahead, her expression unreadable. “A non-citizen,” she finally said. “No rights. No protections. People can do whatever they want to them, and no one will stop them.”
I swallowed, my throat dry. “You mean that collar-”
“Marks them,” she confirmed. “Tells everyone exactly what they are. That’s why no one intervenes.”
My skin crawled. The way the bear-woman had played with him, the terror in his voice, it wasn’t just cruelty… It was casual. Like it was normal.
My voice was hoarse. “Are there more cases like this?”
Nora sighed, her gaze flickering toward me. “Do you really want to see more men getting pushed around like that?”
The weight of her words settled in my gut like a stone.
She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “It’s still dime a dozen. They pop up in your feed sometimes.” She tried to sound casual, but there was something forced about it.
I pressed my lips together, hesitating before asking the next question. “And… slavery?”
She was silent for a long moment. Then, without looking at me, she murmured, “Mhm.”
That single sound carried too much.
I opened my mouth to ask more, but she cut me off before I could speak further. “Let’s not talk about it,” she said, her tone soft but firm. “I want to enjoy spending time with you, not sour the whole mood.”
Before I could protest, she shifted the conversation entirely, pulling me close as she raised her phone. “Now, smile for the camera~”
I barely had a chance to react before the click went off, as she pressed against me in a way that felt too close for comfort.
“Alright, done,” Nora said, clicking something before I could see.
I tried to get over the sinking feeling settled in my gut. I leaned over, only to see the latest post glaring back at me.
"Just got engaged <3 #MineForever #TrueLove #CoupleGoals #LuckyToHaveHim"
And there, attached to it, was our photo, me stiff and confused, her looking way too pleased with herself.
I nearly snatched the device. “What the hell, Nora?!”
I lunged for the phone, but Nora was quicker, twisting away with a giggle and holding it just out of my reach. I swiped again, only for her to dance backward, her wings fluttering ever so slightly as she dangled the device like bait.
“Give it back,” I growled.
“Aw, but don’t you want to see how many likes we’re getting?” she teased, tapping the screen.
I made another grab, but before my fingers could even brush the phone, her other hand shot out and caught my wrist.
In an instant, she twisted me around and shoved me back; not too hard, but enough that my back met the wall.
My breath hitched as she stepped in close, still pinning my wrist effortlessly in place.
A smirk played on her lips. “You always forget, Markus.” She squeezed my wrist just enough to remind me how easily she was restraining me. “I may be the younger sibling, but I’m still stronger than you.”
I glared at her, testing her grip, but she didn't budge. Damn it.
Her smirk deepened as she tilted her head, her antennae twitching with amusement. Then, in a voice just soft enough for only me to hear, she whispered, “You wanted kids, right?”
My entire body locked up.
“How about we start now?” she purred, eyes gleaming with mischief.
My heart nearly jumped out of my throat. “I was joking!” I blurted, voice cracking as I tried to backpedal, both figuratively and literally.
Nora let out a breathy chuckle, her grip still firm. “Oh, brother,” she sighed, her voice dripping with amusement. “This is a joke too.”
Her free hand slid under my chin as she turned toward the gathering crowd, grinning. The moment I realized just how many eyes were on us, some amused, some scandalized.
"Nora, you're making a scene," I hissed.
I barely had time to react before I felt it. Her breath, slow and deliberate, ghosting against the side of my neck.
My body tensed. It wasn’t playful anymore. Not the same teasing nonsense she had been spewing the whole evening. This was different.
The weight of her grip, the heat of her body pressing against me, the way her voice took on a low, almost reverent tone.
"You know, Markus," she murmured, her lips dangerously close to my skin, "I’ve been thinking. Maybe I should just keep you all to myself."
A pit formed in my stomach.
She exhaled softly, like she was savoring the moment. "Wouldn’t that be nice?"
"Nora-"
"No one else to interfere. No one else to pull you away." Her grip tightened, fingers curling around my wrist with unnerving ease. "You wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore. I’d take care of you. You wouldn’t have to lift a finger."
The way she said it, so natural, so certain, it made my skin crawl. I tried to pull away, but she barely budged.
"And of course," she continued, her voice dipping lower, almost breathless, "I'd make sure you never left. No matter what. I'd tie your limbs if I had to, chain you up somewhere only I knew about.
"I wonder…" she sighed, almost dreamily, "...how long it would take before you'd just give in? Before you'd finally accept that you're mine?"
My chest tightened. "Nora, you're-"
"Shh." She leaned in, and I felt something wet drag lightly against my skin. Her tongue. "Maybe I should just make you mine properly. Right here. Right now."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
"You wanted kids, didn’t you?" Her voice was lilting, almost sing-song. "Well, what's stopping us?"
My blood froze.
She let out a breathy laugh. "I could break you, you know? I could make it so you only ever looked at me, thought of me. Wouldn’t that be so much easier?"
I struggled harder this time, but she was stronger. My pulse pounded in my ears. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t just teasing anymore.
"Nora," I ground out, "this isn’t funny."
She finally pulled back enough for me to see her face.
There was nothing there. No amusement, no playfulness. Just an unsettling emptiness, like she had already decided something I wasn’t privy to.
Then, just as suddenly as it came, it was gone.
The smirk returned, playful and light, as if nothing had happened. She tilted her head, releasing me in an exaggerated motion.
"Wow, you should’ve seen your face," she teased. "So serious! You didn’t actually think I meant all that, did you?"
I swallowed, my throat dry.
"Relax, relax," she hummed, poking my cheek before stepping back fully. "It was just a joke. You’re so stiff, Markus. Maybe you really do need someone to take care of you."
I forced out a shaky breath, my body still locked in place.
"Oh, and brother? Don’t go saying you want kids to any other woman," Nora murmured. "I can't assure what they'd do to you, or what I’d do…"
I didn’t even know what to say at that point.