Demonic Po*nstar System

Chapter 410: Meeting Varek

”Can you answer one more question?” Kaiden asked.

Naira was about to be overcome with sheer frustration and anger, but hearing the intensity of his question, she forced her mind to snap out of it. She wiped her tears that began to form due to her stress.

”Yes, I’ll answer anything I can!”

Kaiden nodded, appreciating her determination. ”Where are the other awakened, or as you call them, Marked? The hunters we’ve seen are nothing but ordinary men. Considering that about 15 in every 100 humans should be Marked, in a tribe this size, you should have a handful, if not dozens of them. Where are they?”

Naira’s fingers trembled as she stroked her mother’s face.

”Varek.”

Her voice dropped so low it sounded as if she were talking to herself. ”He does not like rivals. He has ruled the tribe for more than five years already. When he took the position, he killed anyone who stood against him - or had the chance to rebel later, namely any Marked.”

She shook her head, as if in disbelief that this was truly her reality. Then, she resolved to continue, ”After that, if a child received the blessing, they were executed on the spot. He is the one man who holds the whole tribe’s strength in his fist. The hunters you met are barely more valuable than we sacrificial gatherers now that the monsters have arrived. The real power lies in his palm alone.”

Luna’s low voice sounded. ”Varek’s power... Do you know what it does exactly?”

Naira swallowed. She glanced toward the sleeping woman on the pallet, then back at Kaiden.

She was about to part her lips. But before she could force a word out, the door to the room opened. A woman stepped in. She wore simple but neat clothing of her people. Her hair was braided tightly. She bowed.

”The leader wishes to see you,” she said in a clear voice.

Aria straightened. Her eyes cut toward the woman, sharp as a blade. ”We are not leaving Naira here alone. I do not like this.”

The woman’s mouth curved upwards. It was not a smile that warmed the room. ”Leader Varek said Naira may come with the esteemed guests. He noticed how you looked at her.”

Naira blinked, every breath in her chest skittering. She had never once seen Varek look her way, but now she was treated as a guest?

Considering the horrible life she led in the past week since her father’s death, the girl never expected this.

Though she knew better than anyone that she was not ’invited,’ but ordered to come at once. She wanted to stay with Lira, worried for her safety. But she was ordered away from her side.

”What about her mother?” Nyx, ever the social butterfly, noticed the same problem.

”She will be cared for,” the woman answered. ”I will nurse her. I am the healer of the tribe.”

All eyes swung back to Naira, asking for confirmation. She stared at the healer, at the sleeping mother, then down at her own hands. The memory of the whip and the guard’s laugh sat heavily in her stomach. She hesitated only a second, then lifted her chin and nodded.

That was when Kaiden stepped forward, towering over the woman. His voice became hostile, full of threat. His wrathful aura seeped out of his skin, lowering the temperature in the room.

”If anything happens to Lira while we are gone, I will kill you.”

The woman’s knees trembled even before he said the words. His hateful aura was more than enough to get the message across. It took a few long seconds until she managed to collect herself enough to say,

”I will not let harm touch her.”

Kaiden scanned the healer’s face for deceit. He saw the lines around the woman’s mouth, the calluses, the stubborn set of her jaw. For a second, the two of them measured each other, man to woman, stranger to stranger. Then Kaiden inclined his head.

”All right. Let’s go.”

Naira brushed her mother’s cheek one more time. Her fingers trembled, but she pressed on. Then she looked at Kaiden and nodded.

...

What had looked like a simple home from the outside was, in truth, a network of connected chambers, woven together by wood, bone, and sun-baked clay. The deeper they went, the more refined the surroundings became.

Two women led the way. Both were dressed in the same tribal fashion Naira and her mother wore, though they were certainly more decorated. Airy fabrics bound with cords of leather and polished bone ornaments could be seen.

But there was something that caught Kaiden’s attention; their asses and thighs featured less covering than what Naira wore, and their hips swayed heavily with every step they took as they walked. It quickly became clear it wasn’t accidental. Their steps were deliberate, and every swaying of their hips was done in clear attempts at seduction.

The soft jingling of their ornaments and skin... it was an open invitation.

Kaiden felt his girls reach out to him to notify him as they, too, realized what was going on. But they did not have to worry. Trtuhfully, he was unimpressed.

’Cute attempt,’ he thought dryly. But when a man had women like Aria, Luna, Nyx, and Bastet warming his bed every night, a little swaying wasn’t going to turn his head. Their curves, their strength, their presence... it was in a different league altogether.

He almost chuckled under his breath at the show, until it hit him; he wasn’t the only man here.

Kaiden’s head turned. His eyes landed first on Diaz. The rogue had his arms crossed, his expression cool and unreadable. His gaze was fixed forward, not even flicking toward the women. He did not get baited.

Then came Thomas.

The big man’s eyes weren’t just wandering... they were glued to the sight ahead. It wasn’t until Kaiden placed a firm hand on his shoulder and gave a small shake of his head that Thomas jolted back to awareness.

The man’s face flushed bright red as he stammered out an incoherent grunt and turned away, pretending to study the walls instead. Diaz smirked out of the corner of his mouth but said nothing.

Kaiden merely sighed.

They reached a tall archway guarded by two silent men holding spears. One of the women leading them stepped forward, bowed, and said softly, ”We have brought the esteemed guests.”

A voice answered from within. ”Come in.”

The group entered.

The chamber they stepped into was the grandest yet. The walls were adorned with totems, hides of slain beasts, and intricate carvings of bone that depicted hunts, victories, and sacrifices. Incense burned in the corners, the scent of which was thick and earthy.

At the far end sat a throne of bones, upon which Varek sat.

He was tall even while seated, his shoulders broad and posture confident.

At his feet sat a dozen women, leaning against his legs and throne. They were all beautiful, severely underdressed, and silent. Their eyes were empty, their smiles painted on like masks.

Varek rose slowly, spreading his arms wide. His tone was smooth, cultured in a way that didn’t match the rustic surroundings.

”Welcome, guests from afar.”

His smile widened. He gestured to seats prepared.

”Please. I insist you sample the hospitality of my tribe.”