Chapter 26: S*x in a canoe (NSFW)

Chapter 26: S*x in a canoe (NSFW)

Mason and Haley moved slowly in the dark as Mason looked for a decent tree to sleep in. Haley was quiet, and walked a little ways away from him, which he didn’t like but didn’t try to stop. The moon wasn’t that bright, however, and after Haley tripped once or twice Mason finally crossed the distance and took her hand. They walked in silence for a little while.

“Did it bother you? Killing him?” she finally asked.

Mason wished he could avoid the conversation, but did his best to think that over. “No. Players are soldiers now. Soldiers kill soldiers. That’s just how it is.”

“But...why did you kill him?”

“I already said. He was my enemy.”Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com

“Was he? He hadn’t tried to hurt you. I mean he was pretty vile and...”

“Do I tell you how to be a civilian?” he snapped.

“No,” she said quietly.

Mason felt his annoyance build in the silence. How to communicate a lifetime of instinct? Of knowing who was cruel and vindictive and just needed to be stopped by someone? “He was just waiting. Understand?" he tried. "He wanted to kill me and take you, and he was just waiting. Everything else was just bullshit.”

“How do you know?”

Mason snorted, no idea how to explain himself, yet knowing deep in his bones he was right. Even before the system made him into...whatever the hell he was, he'd known. “Because he was a predator. We know each other." The truth in those words made him feel strange. "In this fucked up world I don’t leave guys like that at my back. Not anymore.”

“Aren’t you worried...about the others?”

“No.” He took a deep breath, stopped and looked Haley in the eye. “You wanted risk. You wanted a man like me. This is what it looks like. And when I find people who’d kill me just to have you, or people who think the vulnerability in others makes them targets, I’m going to end them. Understood? And I don’t need or want your permission. So this is the last time we’ll talk about it.”

She nodded, and he angrily circled the tree he’d chosen for a bed, looking for a good way up. It had thick branches and wasn’t easy to climb, which made it ideal.

“I need the vines.”

“Oh. OK.” She took them from her hidden storage, and he climbed up and tied one to the branch he wanted. If it was just him he’d just tie himself to the tree as he’d done before, but with Haley he decided to make something more comfortable. After a few moments of debate, he decided to build a kind of hammock.

“What are you doing?” Haley eventually called up.

“We’re going to sleep in the tree. It’s much safer.”

“Oh.” He heard the concern in her voice, but she’d get over it. He had to make several trips down to get cloth, the bedroll, more vines and some leaves, but when he was finished he had to admit he’d made a pretty damn cozy hammock. The work cleared his mind, and improved his mood. Finally he set up his traps at the bottom of the tree, then helped Haley climb up.

“We should get some sleep,” he said, actually tired and still sore from the long day of running and carrying her. Then he stripped down to his boxers and climbed onto the swinging bed. “It’s cold tonight. Sorry if you don’t want to, but you’ll need to share body heat.”

Her eyes stared off as she accessed her storage, and like magic her windbreaker and khaki’s vanished, leaving her in just a t-shirt and white panties. She crawled into the swing, which pulled them together no matter how they moved or what they intended. Haley didn’t seem repulsed by him, at least, hugging herself against his chest. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mason whispered.

“It’s going to get worse. Millions died to make the kinds of governments we had. It’s the wild West now. Maybe more wild than that. Except with monsters.”

“I know.” Haley squeezed him tighter. “It’s just different. Seeing it.”

“Yeah.”

Haley wrapped her arms around him and cuddled more properly, and the soft warmth felt like slipping into a bath.

“Good thing I got you,” she said.

“Good thing,” he agreed, and squeezed her back.

He could see the shape of her body in the moonlight, and though he wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about the results of the day, it seemed not only was he not bothered by killing an asshole like Frank, the mortal risk of such things made him feel...very much alive. That he was young and had a beautiful woman in his arms felt more important to him than some petty argument or whatever nonsense people wasted their time and lives with instead of doing what they wanted. And all he could think was, I could die tomorrow. And if he could die tomorrow, why on earth would he waste his time tonight?

She giggled, and she was so adorable and sexy he wanted to reward her, working his hands down to her breasts, and between her legs, to pleasure her in slow, gentle strokes. He could tell she was sore and sensitive, so he took his time and kept it slow, and by the time he could smell burnt sausage she was clutching the edge of the tub and flushing as she cried out and came. She panted and just breathed as the burning went to char, then licked her lips and rolled her eyes as she tried to open them.

“This job has great benefits.”

Mason chuckled, then left her to relax as he fixed more food and made them coffee. By the time she’d dressed and removed most of their tools and vines and bedding back to storage, Mason gave her a quick hug and frowned.

“Aren’t you worried about getting pregnant?”

Haley snorted. “If we’re both alive in nine months, I think we’ll call it a win.”

“Good point.” Mason picked up the last few loops of vine and rubbed his chin as he thought of the hammock.

“Anyway,” Haley grinned. “It gives me more experience to, um, take it inside.”

Mason nearly choked. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” She laughed. “I leveled again after the barrel.” Her face went slightly pink at the memory. “I guess it wants us to make lots of babies.”

“Give out magic powers,” Mason shook his head. “Why didn’t the government think of that. Well, it’ll probably help with the birth rate. Also, I think I’m going to make you a harness.”

“You’re going to make me a what?”

Mason spent the next several minutes creating a kind of rope swing for Haley to sit on as he carried her. It was crude and not that comfortable, but would help strap her in and even out the pressure and rubbing a bit around her body. They tried it out, and Haley seemed pleased, so they carried on back through the forest, with Mason moving at inhuman speed.

“What happens when we find your brother?” Haley asked him a little while later.

“We go somewhere safe.” Mason shrugged. “We build levels so we can handle anything. Why, what do you think?”

“Well,” Haley didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Like I said, this is...a game, with people like you competing against whatever this thing throws at you. And until we make some kind of...organized resistance, I don’t think it ends.”

“Not my problem.”

“But I think it is, patron, master,” she smiled into his neck and wrapped herself around his shoulders. “Because if you keep leveling like you are, I think you’ll be...well, one of the main players. And I think in this new world, that makes you, um, sort of like a king.”

Mason frowned, not liking the truth he detected in her words.

“I don’t want to be a king. But Blake would love it. We’ll just give him the crown, he’ll know what to do.”

Haley nodded. “That might work. But...he’ll need to be powerful. He can’t just rely on you.”

Mason wasn’t sure about that. But it wasn’t impossible. Blake was very smart, very charismatic. Back in the old world he was on track to be a CEO, or anyway someone important. He was the one with a bright future, the one with plans and ambition, the will and the tools to bring people together for some grand project.

“Blake was always the one to watch,” he said quietly. “I was just his weird brother. Everyone loved him, or at least who they thought he was. And so did I.” He smiled. “I just loved him first.”

“You have to be careful,” Haley said, and Mason gave her a questioning glance. “Hearing my world-beating, monster killing badass man say such mushy things is making me wet. And I can’t take another round.”

Mason grinned, unable to feel anything but pleased that a woman couldn’t handle any more of him.

“Hold on,” he said. “Let’s burn off some of that sexual energy.” He activated Aspect of the Cheetah, and ran.

Author's Note:

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