This work is fiction. The work has no relationship with any person existing at any time anywhere whether real or imaginary or copywritten. Everything in this work is mea culpa.
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The pokegirl universe was first documented by Metroanime and to him all of us who reside or visit there owe a debt of thanks.
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Chapter 4
Jamie pulled the cloth tightly around the body and tucked it in one last time. Ginevra looked it over. “Do you wish me to dispose of it?”
He shook his head and moved the corpse into the far corner of the cave. “No, our latest acquisition may want to say goodbye to him after she’s been awakened. If we move it outside, it might draw ferals who’ll tear it apart or try to get in here for some company.”
“What about his gear?”
“We’ll go through it later.” He sighed and sniffed his hands. “I smell of death. I think a bath is in order before I tame her.” He grimaced. “She’s probably filthy too, so better yet, while I tame her. You’ll stand guard.”
“Of course I will.” Ginevra nodded towards the clothing they’d removed from the body before wrapping it. “After you bathe, I will wash those before we return to the cave.”
He nodded. “Now all we need to do is to find a stream or pool.”
The stream they found only came up to his knees at its deepest point, but it was sufficient for him to strip and clean up while his Daimon perched motionless on a nearby rock. The water was cold and he washed as quickly as he could before slipping his way to shore.
After rinsing his uniform and hanging it up to dry, he picked up the pokeball containing the Duelist. He glanced over at Ginevra. “I don’t want you to get involved. Do you need to move where you can’t see this?”
She turned to face him and became immobile again, her gold hair glittering in the sun. “Will you tame me later today?”
He nodded. “Once she’s been awakened, I’ll pokeball her while her mind adjusts. That’ll give me a chance to attend to you.”
“I will wait here.”
The Duelist stood dully once released, giving Jamie a chance to look her over. She was close to his height and had bright blue eyes. Her filthy hair was frizzy and roughly combed, hanging down to her knees. Ribs showed beneath her skin where it wasn’t covered by her ragged shirt. Jamie figured she’d fill out once she started eating better, her diet was probably mostly raw meat and the metabolisms of both humans and very near human pokegirls couldn’t handle a lot of that at any one time.
Her clothes were literally rotting on her thin frame and his eyes watered from her stench even a couple of meters away.
“Hi.” Her eyes swiveled to look at him and she frowned. He sighed. “I hope you didn’t damage her brain when you hit her, Ginevra. I’m not sure your healing spell is strong enough to deal with that.”
“She is a pokegirl. She should not be that weak.”
The Duelist didn’t react to the voice coming from behind her as she eyed Jamie. Curiosity began to grow in her eyes and she took a hesitant step toward him and then another.
Up close, she stank even worse as he started unbuttoning her shirt. She stood quietly, her eyes watching his as he slowly stripped her of her rags. “We’ll burn these,” he muttered. Taking her hand, he led her back into the stream.
She was fuller figured than he’d first thought, but that could wait until she was clean.
She sucked air in a hiss when they entered the cold water, but followed obediently until he stopped her. She began to fight when he tried to pull her to her knees so he could wash her. He struggled with her for a few seconds before kicking her legs out from under her and unceremoniously dumping her in the stream, carefully submerging her entire body by the simple expedient of standing on her back for a few seconds.
She sputtered and coughed water when he pulled her into a sitting position and shivered while he did what he could to wash her hair. Finally, he sighed. “Toss me my t-shirt.”
Ginevra wadded his shirt into a ball and hurled it at him. He caught it and dunked it into the water before using it as an improvised washcloth. For the stubborn patches, he used sand from the bottom of the stream.
When he was finished, her skin was pink from being scrubbed and her hair had gone from dirty brown to a rich red. He looked her hair over. “Ginevra, I’ll need my knife.” The Daimon silently waded out and handed it to him. He hacked off the Duelist’s hair level with her butt. “That’ll take care of the worst of the damage.” Ginevra leaned over and seemed to peer at the shivering Duelist as she accepted the knife back.
“Is she sick?”
Jamie glanced in Ginevra’s direction. “You may not notice it, but the water is like ice and it’s still overcast from last night.” He scooped the Duelist up in his arms. She squeaked and burrowed against his skin. “I’ll take her back to the cave and start a fire. We’re not going anywhere today.”
Ginevra hopped off the rock. “I’ll escort you back to the cave and then I’ll return here to wash those clothes. I’ll bring back yours when I return.” She started to say something else and stopped.
He flashed a grin. “Unless there is an emergency, I won’t stray while you’re gone; and if I do, it’ll be to run in your direction just as fast as I can.”
“Thank you.”
***
The fire hissed as Jamie fed it fresh wood. He’d piled wood around it to dry in the heat, but there hadn’t been time for any results as of yet. The dead Tamer’s gear had included a skillet and meat sizzled in it. The Duelist’s eyes glittered like sapphires in the firelight as she watched his every move. She didn’t react when Ginevra returned.
The Daimon settled down next to her Tamer. “She’s warm now and ready to be tamed. I found some berries for us to collect in the morning.” She took the stick he was using to stir the meat away from him. “I’ll keep dinner from burning. See to your new pokegirl.”
Jamie nodded. “Thanks.” He rose and offered his hand to the Duelist, who promptly slid her fingers into his. She stepped into his arms and they kissed, Jamie running his tongue across her lips until they parted and let him in. She gave a low moan and plastered her body against his.
They kept kissing as Jamie pulled her down to the grass. He kissed his way down her throat and bit her gently over the artery that pulsed in her neck. She gasped and shivered beneath him. He glanced up at her and worked his way lower until he could take a hard nipple into his mouth. She gave a sighing moan and tangled fingers in his hair as he suckled.
He reached up and cradled her other breast in his hand gently, before squeezing it and rolling the nipple between his fingers. The Duelist groaned and arched her body, lifting her breasts into his mouth and hand as she pulled down on his head. Her hips lifted rhythmically against him as the fire built in her body.
Jamie kissed his way down her belly and gently pulled her thighs apart as he ran his tongue into her navel. Her thighs were slick with her juices and he paused for a moment to inhale the scent that was uniquely hers before dropping his head and running his tongue the length of her.
Her moan was loud and filled with a wanton hunger that made his cock lurch. With each lick, he burrowed deeper, reveling in her taste. She tried to wrap her legs around his head and he forced them back apart as he delved into her core. Her body trembled and her moans grew louder in time to his strokes. Her hips raised and, unconsciously, she thrust herself at him in her blind search for the relief that he carefully denied her as he lapped.
That relief finally came when he sucked her clitoris into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it. She screamed and bucked, forcing him to hang on to her as her orgasm whipped through her body, leaving her spent and gasping for air.
He kissed his way up her trembling body and covered her mouth with his, hungrily. She draped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with all the fire that filled her.
Jamie rubbed his cock against her, angling up to stroke his length over her clitoris. She hissed in pleasure and wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to pull him inside her. He resisted for a moment before letting her win the struggle his heart wasn’t really in anyway.
Her eyes rolled up into her head as he sank slowly into her heat. Jamie rocked in and out her, moving deeper with each stroke, until he was fully sheathed in her tight warmth. She moaned in time to his thrusts, lifting her hips to meet him eagerly. Their bodies slapped together wetly and her eyes gleamed in the firelight as she locked her gaze with his.
He slowed and she whimpered as she used her legs to try to urge him to greater speed. He relented and drove into her quickly, her body rocking beneath his as she grunted in time to his thrusts. Nails raked lines of fire down his back and suddenly she screamed before sinking her teeth into his shoulder hard enough to draw blood. Jamie joined her, spilling his heat into her as he cried his pleasure into the wind.
After several minutes, he tried to ease his weight off her. Her eyes flashed open and she immediately clamped her limbs tightly around him. “Ok,” he murmured, “I won’t go anywhere.” She smiled slightly and relaxed, sleepily nestling him against her body.
***
The Duelist’s eyes fluttered open and she took a slow deep breath, savoring the warmth of the body she was spooned against. Hair tickled her nose and she carefully pressed her lips against the back of his neck in a gentle kiss. He stirred slightly and settled down again.
She sat up and looked around in the darkness. Coals gleamed redly nearby in an expertly banked fire, giving her enough light to see Ginevra curled up against Jamie’s front, her ass still pressed back against his groin from where they’d had sex before drifting off to sleep.
“You’re awake.” She jumped when he spoke and grabbed his shoulder to steady herself. He turned his head to look at her as the Daimon suddenly sat up, making her jump again.
The Duelist took a deep, shaky breath as she realized that she didn’t know this man. “I was feral, wasn’t I?”
Jamie slowly sat up as Ginevra silently slid to her feet and headed off. “Yes, you were. What do you remember?”
Emotions flitted rapidly across her face and sudden fear appeared. “My master is Marvin Gerrold. He’s been injured and I went for help.” She gave him a pleading look. “We need to get to him, sir. I know you tamed me, but he needs our help.”
Jamie looked into her eyes for a long moment before reaching for his gear. “Is this his pokedex?” He offered her the dex they’d found with the corpse.
The Duelist paled as she took it. “He’s dead, isn’t he?” There was a note in her voice that cried for him to lie to her.
That he would not do, not now. “We found this on the body of a dead Tamer. We haven’t been able to identify him but I think it could be Gerrold.”
Tears ran down her cheeks. “How long has it been?” It was the barest whisper.
His arms twitched as he fought the impulse to hold her. “From the condition of the body, it was at least a year. We have the gear and,” he hesitated, “the body, if you want to verify his identity and say goodbye.”
“I would like that,” she said in a wooden voice. “Thank you, sir. What should I call you?”
“My name is Jamie, but I’ll answer to almost anything you want to call me. What is your name?”
She stared at her hands. “I was born Madison Sinclair. At age sixteen, I thresholded into a Duelist. Marvin was a schoolmate and he captured me and claimed me. He didn’t change my name, sir. What are you going to name me?”
“I think that since you’ve been Madison up to now, there’s no reason to change it. Once we get back to the base, I’ll contact his family and let them know what happened. We can also contact yours if you’d like.”
“I’d like that, sir. I haven’t had word from them in a while.” A frown appeared and vanished. “Base, sir?” Are you a member of a criminal gang?” Her voice caught in her throat. “I’m sorry, sir, I meant to ask if we are part of such a group.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m a recruit in the Blue League Security Force. I was dropped near here as part of my survival training. I’m supposed to return to camp as soon as I can.”
A quick look of relief flickered on her face. “Yes, sir.”
“Madison, my family burns their dead. Will you have a problem with that?”
“Why don’t you bury them?” She blinked. “Sir.”
“It’s traditional, but it also keeps ferals from digging them up. I’d contact his family and see if they wanted to come get him, but I’ve got to keep communication silence for the duration of my mission.”
She nodded slowly. “Can I see him now?” She glanced down at herself. “Sir, do I have any clothes?”
Jamie handed her his uniform shirt before sliding on his pants. “That’ll have to do for now. We collected what gear he had and we’ll go through it in the morning to see if there’s something that you might want to wear.” The clothes that the body had been wearing had been ruined by the process of decay and Ginevra hadn’t been able to clean them. They’d been burned in the fire along with the rags Madison had been wearing before the Daimon had come to bed.
She slipped the shirt on and sealed it shut. “There should be a change of clothes for both me and Patsy. Did you find her pokeball?”
“No, but we’ll tear the cave apart in the morning to see if it’s there. What kind of pokegirl is she?”
“She’s a Neo Iczel, sir, and she was my alpha.” She paused. “How large is your harem, sir?”
“So far, it’s just you and Ginevra. She’s been my alpha by default up to this point, and will remain so until I evaluate you.”
“Does that mean you will be keeping me, sir?”
“Unless you can come up with a compelling reason for me not to, that is my intent.” He offered her his hand. She hesitated for an instant and let him pull her to her feet. “I know this is awkward. I’ve never rescued a pokegirl before and these circumstances are uncomfortable to say the least. I get the impression you are fond of Gerrold and I’m sorry we had to meet this way.”
She blinked and nodded slowly. “I vaguely remember being feral, but it’s like a nightmare that I’ve awakened from only to find out that I’m trapped in another nightmare now that I know he’s dead. He seemed like a good Tamer to me, even if I was always playing second fiddle to Patsy.” She looked away. “I have no idea what kind of a Tamer you are and that worries me, sir.”
Ginevra returned. “He’s a bad Tamer. He’s too nice.” A smile flickered on her lips. “He won’t let me push him around.”
Madison looked confused when Jamie started laughing. “If that’s your definition of a bad Tamer, then you are absolutely correct.” He sobered quickly. “I’ll take you to the remains.”
He led her into the cave and stopped at the shrouded body. She watched anxiously as he carefully unwrapped the head. Suddenly, she burst into tears and fled. Jamie rewrapped the corpse and went outside. Ginevra pointed. “She’s over there. I presume you’ll want to comfort her.”
He just shook his head and strode in the indicated direction.
Madison was sitting on a log and holding her head in her hands as she sobbed. Jamie settled down next to her, carefully not touching her in case she wanted left alone.
She cried for several more minutes before suddenly climbing into his lap and curling up in his arms as fresh sobs erupted from her. He held her close as she wept. Finally, her sobs slowed until she was supping.
Eventually, she looked up at him. She was not a girl who could cry and stay pretty; her eyes and nose were red and blotchy. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
Jamie’s arms tightened. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. He was a major part of your life. It makes sense that his leaving is painful.”
“But pokegirls aren’t supposed to care about that sort of thing once they’re bonded to another Tamer.”
“That’s crap. My mother and my father love each other, but she remembers her first Tamer as her first true love and she still misses him.”
Madison’s mouth dropped. “Really? What kind of pokegirl is she?”
“She’s a Unicorn.”
“I’m surprised your father didn’t run her through a conditioning cycle.”
Jamie grinned. “He’d never do that. He loves her too much. Besides, she’d have to be in a pokeball for that to be possible and she’s never been captured in one. You can’t capture a Unicorn against her will and she’s always been dead set against that. Father doesn’t care either way.”
“Never? Isn’t that illegal?”
“No, it’s not. It is unusual, but then so are my parents.”
She pushed away from him gently. “You’re wet.”
He chuckled softly. “I think that’s your fault.”
She smiled. “Maybe you’re right, sir.” A sigh escaped her. “Is it normal for me to be mad that he died and left me alone?”
“Yes, it is.”
“That’s good, because if he were in front of me, I’d beat him senseless.”
***
Ginevra had knocked down some trees and Madison’s dragon had trimmed them by biting off the errant branches before arranging them for the bonfire. Jamie and Madison had carefully placed Marvin Gerrold’s earthly remains on top of the pile and then the Duelist had lit the pyre. It had smoldered for a bit before finally catching, but now flames roared skyward.
In the light cast by the fire, Jamie motioned Madison to sit next to him. She did so, warily watching Ginevra as she settled down. “How can you tell where she’s looking?”
“I see everywhere around me at all times. If Jamie wants you next to him, it does not bother me. You are no threat.”
Madison bristled slightly. “Patsy hated it when Marvin showed me any favor over her. What happens if I become one?”
“I will kill you.”
Jamie’s lips thinned. “You will kill no one without my express permission. Am I clear?”
The Daimon’s tail twitched. “Yes, my master.” Her head twisted to regard Madison. “See, he won’t let me push him around. He is a terrible Tamer.”
Jamie reached over and pulled Gerrold’s pack over. “If you two are done, it’s time to see if there’re any clothes for Madison in here.” The time spent in the cave hadn’t helped the backpack; it was soiled with ground-in grime and there were some rips where rodents had tried to tunnel into it. Suddenly, he paused and looked over at Ginevra. “Can you see through clothes?”
“Your right foot is developing blisters from wearing wet socks all of the time.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Is there anything in the pack that will bite me?”
“No.”
He nodded and stopped as another thought struck him. “Can you search the cave for Patsy’s pokeball without us having to excavate it?”
Her head swiveled to face his and he got the distinct impression she was surprised. “That is something that I hadn’t considered and, yes, I will do so immediately.” She vanished silently into the cave.
“Are you two delta bonded?”
“No, we’re not.” He frowned. “Sometimes I know what she’s feeling, but I’m not sure that’s from any sort of bond.”
“You could just be very intuitive. Or the bond might be forming slowly.” Madison began trying to open the backpack and finally growled in annoyance. Jamie, who’d heard real growls, thought it cute. “This knot is impossible. I’ll need your knife.” She began picking at the knot with the knifepoint. “Sir, why do you have her in the first place? Infernals are supposed to be difficult to work with and are fairly unpopular.” She shot a quick look in his direction. “And, without trying to insult anyone, you seem normal enough. Sir.”
“She was given to me when I became a recruit and we’re not allowed to trade. The policy is to make do with what we’re given. Fortunately, we seem to suit each other.” He shrugged. “She’s not that bad.”
“You’re fond of her.” Madison made a triumphant noise as the knot started to come undone.
“She’s been my only pokegirl for several months now.” He smiled when she looked up at him disbelievingly. “Fine, I’ve grown fond of her.”
“If you are unwilling to be honest with anyone else, sir, you need to be honest with yourself.”
“I take it Patsy didn’t like you because you were usually right?”
She flashed him a grin as her eyes twinkled merrily. “You’re quite perceptive.” She blinked when the backpack spilled open. “Finally!” On top was a photo album. It had opened to show a picture of a grinning Madison with her arm around the waist of a longhaired man with a goatee. On his other side was a haughty looking woman with pumpkin orange hair done in a spray of thin braids. Suddenly, Madison was blinking back tears.
Jamie pulled the pack from her and put it to his other side before gathering her into his arms as she started crying again.
***
You have a message. It has no return address header, so it’s probably from your grandfather.
Jamie glanced over at his pokedex and nodded. Carefully, so not to wake Madison, who was asleep with her head in his lap, he leaned over and retrieved it.
After she’d cried herself to sleep, he’d gone on to empty out her former Tamer’s pack. The pickings were lean, but when you had nothing, anything was a step up. Mentally, he ran through the list of what he’d found. There was a stun gun for defense. It was too bad the batteries were flat and they had no way to charge it. Still, it made a dandy nutcracker.
A week’s worth of dried fruit. The bag had been chewed through by mice and it was garbage. The blanket had been chewed as well, but since he didn’t have one before he decided it was serviceable enough to keep. It stank of rodent urine and needed washed.
He’d flipped through the photo album and seen a thumbnail of Marvin Gerrold’s life. He looked like an average Tamer who’d had the misfortune to be cursed with a Neo Iczel. Occasionally, another pokegirl appeared in a picture, but never in two. Madison was the only one who predated Patsy and the only one who hadn’t been gotten rid of. Jamie really wished he could break the DNA lockout on Gerrold’s pokedex, but he didn’t have those kinds of override codes in his pokedex. He made a mental note to see if his father would let him fix that when he returned home.
There had been a t-shirt and some pants that should fit Madison in the pack. They were probably Gerrold's and would be a bit roomy on her, but they were all he’d been able to find and she’d wear them if he had to order her.
There were no shoes and Gerrold’s boots had decayed with his corpse. But the knife he’d worn had been ok, if a bit rusty. And Gerrold had put a diamond sharpener into his pack, which had been cheerfully appropriated by Jamie. Ginevra had it now and was working on the rusty blade.
The real treasure had been in a plastic bag and wrapped in a towel. It had been some kind of emergency kit, which didn’t make a lot of sense to Jamie to be stuffed into your backpack, but maybe it was a “not much of an” emergency kit. He’d have put an emergency kit into something that thieves wouldn’t have stolen first. It held some matches, a small folding knife, some fishhooks and line, a bar of soap, a mirror and a small plastic case, which he hadn’t opened yet. He hadn’t opened it for the simple fact that when he was opening the bundle, it had slithered out of reach, and he didn’t want to wake Madison to retrieve it. Everything was wrapped inside three pair of clean dry socks. Personally, Jamie was happiest for the socks. Anyone who’d done any real hiking wanted dry socks and his were soaking wet, which was causing the blisters Ginevra had seen. He planned to change into a dry pair just as soon as he could, as long as he didn’t disturb Madison’s rest.
There had also been the ubiquitous collection of pokeballs, all of which were empty. Still, waste not, want not and he’d put them with his other stuff.
He spoke in a low voice, knowing she would be able to hear him. “Ginevra.” A moment later, she appeared silently out of the darkness. The fire made the golden highlights in her skin and her gold hair glow in the darkness. “I’ve got a message from my grandfather. He’s not big on chitchat, so it’s probably something important and I want you to hear it, too.”
“What about her?”
“She’s not my alpha, you are.”
The Daimon smiled slightly as she settled gracefully to the ground next to him. “Flattery does have its uses.” A chuckle was his only response as he activated the pokedex.
The image of his grandfather was a dozen centimeters high. It bowed in Jamie’s direction. “Good morning, evening or night, depending on when you receive this.” A grin appeared on his face and fangs gleamed whitely. “When your mother officially left the Conservatory, Devon and Katherine were quick to consolidate their power; while doing so, they actually purged some of your mother’s connections there. Because of that, if she wants someone killed who isn’t close by, she has to hire assassins from me. That will change in the next several decades as she builds a new network of agents, but it means that, for the time being, I’m relatively safe from her no matter how angry she is with me right now.”
“The reason I’m telling you this is because she’s angry at me because of you; we both know that sometimes she takes her ire out on secondary targets if she can’t reach her primary. It’s a bad habit and smacks of unprofessional behavior, but she’s still young and I’ll use that to excuse her occasional failing.”
“Your mother has been using Aggie to monitor your progress through your pokedex.” Jamie blinked and stared at the piece of what he’d thought was harmless electronics as Kerrik continued. “I don’t really have a problem with that, but she knows that you have captured a Duelist who has but one card and was making plans for you to stumble onto a cache of the most useful ones.” White furred ears flicked irritably. “Your brother Graeme has always been willing to accept her little bits of aid, but I know that you want to make your own way in the world. I respect that and so I’ve moved to block her, which explains her current state of anger towards me. I’ve also had her spying privileges revoked in regards to you, which probably means that she’ll be upset for some time to come.” He didn’t look very disturbed at that thought. “She’ll also try to find a way around my protection; this isn’t the first time I’ve had to play guardian angel for one of my kids to protect them from another guardian angel and, frankly, she doesn’t have a prayer of winning this one. However, I’m sure she’ll use her attempts as a learning experience.”
“I know you can’t reply and I’ve deleted all traces that this message was ever delivered to you.” Another quick flash of teeth. “And I’ve had a talk with Aggie and Selene about privacy and they’ve decided, out of the good of their electronic souls, to respect yours.” His ears canted sideways with humor. “That and my vicious threats. I, of course, will still monitor your progress; but I won’t do it through anything as crude as your pokedex nor will I interfere, unless you specifically request it. You’ve done a good job so far and I want to congratulate you on both of your pokegirls, as well as your decision to walk your path as alone as you can.” He paused as another thought seemed strike him. “Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I have taken the liberty of informing Dorothea what kind of pokegirl Poppet gave you and she’s almost done yelling at her for it. Curiously enough, Svetlana already knew and wasn’t worried.” He shrugged and smiled. “Good luck, Jamie, and we’ll be expecting you to drop by after boot camp is over and before your OCS class starts.” The image vanished.
“Your grandfather is protecting us?”
Jamie shook his head. “No, when he said he wouldn’t interfere, he was deadly serious. If I die without asking him for help, he won’t do anything to stop it from happening. On the other hand, if I do call him, he’ll come without questioning the situation. He may smack me afterwards, but only in private.”
Ginevra nodded. “If we are on our own, it is good to know. Are you going to give your pet the cards?”
“What cards?”
“The cards in there.” She pointed at the plastic case he hadn’t opened yet.
“Is there anything you can’t see through?”
“I haven’t found anything.” She paused. “I am sorry that there wasn’t another pokegirl in the cave.”
“I’m not. Neo Iczels are supposed to be real trouble in a harem for everyone involved.” He shook his head. “That, we do not need.”
“Are they more trouble than Infernals are supposed to be?”
Jamie flashed a smile. “I thought you might overhear that conversation. You are wanted here. I hope you don’t have any doubts about that fact.”
“Sometimes even a troublesome and pushy infernal likes to hear that she is wanted.”
Jamie pulled her to him and kissed her noisily. “I’ll keep that in mind. Now, hand me that case as you go back on watch.”
The Daimon tossed him the small plastic box before sauntering off.
***
“How do I look?” Madison twirled for his inspection. He had to admit, she did look cute. Gerrold’s pants had been too long for her, so she’d chopped the legs off and turned them into shorts. She had protested about wearing the shirt and so she now wore his t-shirt tied to expose her midriff. He’d taken one of the pant legs and turned it into strips to make her a belt and some ties for her hair, which she’d put into a ponytail. He wished he had shoes for her, but her feet were too small for his boots and he needed them anyway. He couldn’t go into a pokeball for transport.
“Very cute.”
She dimpled. “Thank you, sir. I just wish I had a hat.”
“You like hats?”
“I love them. Someday, I’ll have lots of hats, um, with your permission, of course.” Her eyes darkened briefly.
Jamie was in no mood for another of her crying jags. Quickly, he dug his rumpled beret from his pocket. “Here.” He tossed it to her. “A hat for the lady.”
She stared at it, turning it around in her hands. “For me?”
“You’ll have to get used to wearing one, anyway. You will be expected to wear a uniform while we’re on active duty.”
She placed it on her head and threw him a sloppy salute. “Yes sir!”
Jamie sighed and turned the beret to face to the front. “We’ll work on saluting later.”
“Yes sir.”
“Madison?” When she turned, he offered her the cards he’d found in the case. “Here. I don’t know if they’re useful or not, but this is all I’ve got for you right now. I’ll get you more cards later.”
She took them slowly. “Cards,” she breathed. Expertly, she rifled through them. “These will be very useful, sir.”
“Why don’t you explain them to me? I don’t really know a lot about Duelists.”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Duelists are magic pokegirls, but our real strength comes from our cards, not from any spells. We can learn spells and I’ve always wanted to learn to summon items, so I could never be far from my cards. I can summon my cards, but with summoning spells I can be much more useful.”
“I want you to learn everything that you can. If someone takes your cards away, I don’t want you to be helpless.”
“I will, sir. We can use the powers inherent in any card, activating them to produce whatever is in them.”
“The entry mentions that Duelists won’t use CardCaptor cards.”
She looked confused for a second. “Of course not. That wouldn’t be right.”
“Why not?”
Her confused look became one of pity. “You can’t understand, sir. It just isn’t.”
“Could you activate them?”
“Sir, I’d never try to.”
Jamie dropped the line of questioning. “Ok. How about the cards you have now?”
“Sir, if my dragon was whole, it could fly and take us almost anywhere. It’s also very tough. Two of the cards you’ve given me are monsters, too.” She held up a card showing an odd figure carrying a rather ungainly looking sword. “This is a Minomushi Warrior and he’s made of rock.” She switched cards and showed him one with a woman wearing pieces of a blue dress in strategic places. “This is the Water Girl. She tough, too, and can fire blasts of water and ice.”
A third card was held out for his inspection. “This is Final Flame. It allows me to throw bolts of fire at my targets. This last card is Dian Keto the Cure Master. I can heal wounds on me, my monsters or anyone else.” She put them into his hands. “You have to formally give them to me or allow me to use your cards before I can use them.”
“I, Jamie Harris Wolf, give these cards to you, Madison.” He placed the cards into her hands and they glowed briefly.
The Duelist squealed happily and hugged him. “Thank you, sir, for trusting me with them. Nobody has ever given me cards before to be my very own. Marvin was worried that if he lost me in a battle that he’d have to rebuild his collection.” She sighed. “He loaned them to me to take, but they were lost.”
“I will give you more later on, I promise.”
“But, sir, these cards are valuable. If you lose me, then they’ll be gone too.”
He smiled. “Madison, I’m not a Tamer and I’m not interested in battling. When I leave the military or go into the reserves, I’ll become a Tradesman or a Watcher. I’m not going to lose you.”
He was hugged again.
“We need to be going.” Ginevra turned to face them. “The smoke from the fire will call more ferals.”
Jamie’s eyes narrowed. “More?”
“I was hungry. As you instructed me to, I didn’t kill her, but you said that you do not need more pokegirls at this time. I don’t want to feed from you unless it’s necessary. Then you’ll be at your full strength and able to sustain me for longer.” A smile flickered when he raised an eyebrow. “It was a feral borne Merrowl, nothing worth trying to capture.”
Jamie shook his head slowly. “You know that decision should be mine to make, not yours. Stop trying to manipulate me.”
Ginevra’s head cocked before bobbing briefly. “Very well, my master.”
“Ginevra, point. Madison, you’re with me.” He settled the strap of the survival kit over his shoulder firmly. “Onward to the base.”
***
Madison sighed and dropped tiredly onto the rock as Jamie piled up wood for the fire. She pulled a card from her pocket and pointed it at herself. Jamie paused and watched as she was suddenly covered in a green glow for a moment. The cuts on her legs and feet vanished and she suddenly looked much less weary. Then she turned the card to point at him and he felt a weird sensation. When it faded, he felt better.
“What does it do?”
She aimed it at Ginevra and activated it again. “It heals any damage you’ve taken, as well as removes the waste products from your body. We could go on for several more hours, but we need to be careful, sir. It does not replenish the energy in the cells and, eventually, someone would collapse when they ran out.” A rueful smile appeared. “I’d probably be first. You two are in much better shape than I am.”
“If I remain the alpha, that deficiency will be corrected.”
Madison nodded. “Yes, and if I become alpha it will still be fixed.”
Jamie smothered a smile. They’d been going on like that all day. It was good to see that Madison was trying to fit in. He supposed it was the optimism of the entire breed that allowed the Duelist to try to put the loss of her Tamer behind her. Or maybe it was something programmed in by Sukebe when he made them. He didn’t really care what it was, he was just glad she wasn’t crying anymore.
It could be only temporary.
“I’ll take what I can get,” he muttered.
Ginevra turned her head in his direction. “You need to stop doing that. It will one day give away things that others should not know.”
Madison just looked puzzled.
She’s right.
Jamie shot his Daimon a glare. I know, but it’s so easy to vocalize my responses. I’ll try to get better. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He finished arranging the firewood. “Madison, can you start this with a low powered flame attack from your fire card?”
She giggled. “It’s called Final Flame and, yes.” She switched her healing card for another and aimed it at the firewood. A tiny jet of flame leaped from the card and played over the bottom of the stack, igniting it. “Fire is a card that a CardCaptor would have, sir.”
“Just how powerful is that card at full strength?”
She smiled. “I could set the forest ablaze with it. It’s not the most powerful card of its type, but it is very strong. This one is excited to be used.”
He gave her a cautious look. “Excited? Are you telling me that it feels?”
“I’m not sure, but to me cards feel different ways. I’ve always wanted to meet another Duelist and ask her if it’s the same way for all of us, but I never have.”
“What about posting your question to a forum or chat room?”
She gave him a blank look. “I can’t read, sir.”
Thanks to Selene and his father, Jamie could speak several languages fluently. In none of them could he find a word to express the disgust he felt at her simple admission. Growing up on Caomh Sith, he’d never interacted with pokegirls who hadn’t had a basic education and it still surprised him when he found one. She paled at his expression. “Sir, did I do something wrong?”
“No, but I am curious. If you’re illiterate, how do you know what the cards are?”
She shrugged. “I just do. I know any card when I hold it.”
“You will learn to read just as soon as we have time and material to start your lessons.”
“I’d like that, sir, but what use is it?”
Ginevra whipped around so quickly that Jamie and Madison jumped. “It is of tremendous use,” she growled, “and you will begin lessons as soon as we get back to camp.” She moved over to crouch next to Jamie and dropped her voice. “Perhaps you could arrange for her to go to Caomh Sith for expedited lessons, my master. That is how I learned.”
“I thought Devon wanted all the Conservatory pokegirls to learn to read.”
“I was not interested in anything other than combat, so I never bothered to learn. When it was decided that I was to be yours, I was sent to Caomh Sith and introduced to Selene.” She touched his hand. “For that reason alone, I would be grateful to be your pokegirl. Reading has made many things much easier.”
“Hopefully, there are other reasons too.”
She pulled her hand away and he got the distinct impression he was being glared at. “One or two have occurred over the months, but you should listen to me more.”
“I listen to you all of the time.”
“You should do what I want more often.”
“Suddenly we’re talking about sex? I thought I did.”
“You are impossible.” Ginevra got up and stalked away. “I will stand guard until dinner is ready.”
Madison frowned. “I could put my cards on guard duty.”
“I said I will stand guard.”
The Duelist gave him a confused look. “Why is she angry, sir?”
“I’m not sure. I also suspect she’s not sure either.”
Ginevra’s voice came floating back. “I am not angry!”
***
Ginevra watched Jamie as he felt his chin before raising the knife to continue shaving. “Why do you do that? Nobody can see you.”
“In addition to the regulations forbidding recruits from having them, I don’t want a beard.” He ran his hand over his chin once more. “You did a wonderful job putting a razor edge on this knife. It’s better than I’ve ever been able to do.”
“Are you changing the subject?”
“There wasn’t anything else to discuss. I’m not going to grow a beard, even in the wilderness.” He glanced at her. “Even if I did, we should make it back to the base today and I really don’t want to listen to Hines berating me for facial hair when I could have done something about it beforehand.”
“She can be rather strident. It’s annoying.”
He chuckled. “That it is.”
“What will she think of me?” Madison finished tying her braid.
Jamie smirked. “I don’t think she’ll have anything to say about your facial hair.”
The Duelist stuck out her tongue in his direction. “You understand the question.”
Ginevra scowled. “You will treat our Tamer with respect.”
“Why? You don’t.”
Jamie put the knife down before his laughter caused him to slice something off. “She’s right.”
The Daimon’s mouth firmed. “Alpha’s prerogative.”
“Now you sound like Patsy.” Madison turned to him. “I’d like a ruling on that, sir.”
Jamie looked from one to the other. “I didn’t consider Madison’s actions disrespectful. I’m glad she’s fitting in. However, both of you need to remember that, as soon as we get to the base, we’ll be back under their rules; they expect to hear what they consider proper respect coming from you.” He gave the Daimon a hard look. “Madison doesn’t know all of their rules yet, but you do.”
“Should I become a Youma again?”
“No, I think it’s time they knew you’ve evolved. Considering the surveillance net they have, they may know already and just be biding their time to smack me with it.”
“That is unlikely. I have not been a Daimon within view of their surveillance devices.”
“The fact that you can see through things doesn’t make you omniscient. What if it’s something that you didn’t recognize as being a bug?”
She stopped her response and tilted her head thoughtfully. “I had not considered that possibility.” Her eyes narrowed. “Your course is the best one.”
“Does it bother you that I might be right?”
She nodded. “It does. I want to be the master in our relationship but, so far, you have proven that you deserve it more than I do. I do not like that fact.”
Jamie nodded. “I can appreciate your desires, but if you want to be the boss badly enough, you should consider finding another Tamer. Your new form would appeal to many Tamers, some of whom would prove much more malleable than I am.”
Her eyes narrowed even further. “I want to be the master here.”
“Then get used to disappointment.”
She hissed loudly. “I do not like that.”
Jamie shrugged. “If one of us has to be disappointed, I’ll pick you every time. Right now, you can boss Madison. Isn’t that enough?”
“I want to be the master.”
“Tough.”
She hissed again and slashed bark from the tree next to her with her tail spines. “Yes, it is.”
Madison watched with wide eyes as the Daimon stalked away. “Why do you keep her? I’d be worried that she’d kill me in my sleep.”
“While she’s been trying to bring me around to her way of thinking, Ginevra has been nothing less than utterly loyal to me since we met. I won’t betray that. Besides, she’s cute whether she’s angry or not.”
There was the sound of a tree cracking somewhere outside their line of sight and Jamie’s eyes suddenly danced with suppressed laugher. “She’s not sure if she wants to be cute,” he explained quietly.
Madison’s mouth dropped open. “She can hear us?”
“Ginevra has superior hearing and vision. I’m not exactly sure what her limits are and I think she’s deliberately trying to keep me from finding out. However, I’m proud to have her in my harem and I’m willing to let her have a few secrets. I know she won’t let her pride get in the way of our mission or of protecting me.” He wiped his face with a cloth and tucked everything into his kit. “It’s time to get back on the road.”
The Duelist hopped to her feet and gave him a parade ground salute. She’d been practicing. “Yes, sir.”
***
Ginevra slipped through the brush and stopped in front of him. “The base is up ahead. There appear to be sentries.” She smiled slowly. “They are fellow recruits who undoubtedly returned early. We could avoid them easily and sneak into the perimeter without them ever finding out.”
Jamie shook his head slowly. “While I’m sure that would be fun, I’m not going to screw anyone over just for your entertainment.”
The Daimon nodded. “I thought that would be your answer. I should stay near you then, since they have not seen me since I evolved. Bullets would do me minimal harm even if I allowed them to hit, but I do not wish to battle to no purpose.”
“That sounds wise. While I’m sure you could defeat their pokegirls, they’re not worth the trouble.”
Ginevra looked pleased for an instant before suspicion appeared. “Are you flattering me?”
“Yes, but I’m using the truth to do it.” She went back to looking pleased.
Madison watched them with an amused smile.
Ginevra finally halted. “The closest sentry is ahead ten meters. If you do not want to scare them and possibly get shot at, we should announce our presence here.”
Jamie nodded and raised his voice. “Hello the camp! Recruit Wolf returning!”
There was a sudden scurry of activity. “Advance and be recognized.”
Jamie shrugged and moved slowly forward. “Well, it took nearly a week, but I made it.”
The sentry, who he recognized as a young man named Barnes, aimed his R4 at Jamie. “Halt. Who is your barracks commander?”
“Corporal Hines.”
Barnes grinned. “You’re dumber than the last one. Hines runs the girl’s barracks.”
“I am well aware of that. Perhaps you missed my name. I’m Wolf. I happen to be the only guy in the girl’s barracks and Hines is my barracks commander.”
Madison muttered something uncomplimentary about Barnes and blushed when her Tamer glanced at her.
Barnes blinked and nodded at the Boobisaur next to him. “Barbie, let the corporal know that one of her lost chicks may have returned.” He lowered the rifle. “Sit down. We’ve had two people show up claiming to be recruits. It turns out they were criminals of some sort.” He shrugged. “I think they were trying to sneak in and raid the armory. Now our orders are that none of the returnees are allowed in until they’re verified by their barracks commander.”
Jamie nodded and leaned against a tree trunk. “Ginevra, Madison, make yourselves comfortable.” Ginevra had been edging around behind Barnes and Jamie got the distinct impression that he was being glared at as she moved over to sit next to him.
Fifteen minutes passed before Barbie came back with a familiar Amachoke. Hines looked him over critically. “You’re out of uniform.” She gave him a brief smile. “Welcome back, Wolf. Considering how far out you were dropped, you must have made good time.” She glanced at Madison. “Who’s she?” She glanced at Ginevra and then did a double take. “And who is that one? Where is your Youma?”
“That’s Madison, corporal. She’s mine.” He suppressed a grin and nodded towards his Daimon. “And that’s Ginevra. She evolved.”
Hines held out her hand. “Pokedex.”
Pushy, isn’t she?
Jamie handed it over. She’s probably having a bad time. She does worry about her charges and it’s unlikely they’re all back.
Hines looked up after scanning Madison and Ginevra both. “Where did you get her? They’re not commonly found in the wilderness.”
“Corporal, may I speak to you in private?”
Hines glanced over at Barnes, who was almost quivering in his eagerness to know what was going on. “This way, Wolf. Bring your girls.” She led him onto the base grounds and stopped near their barracks. “So, care to explain where you caught a Duelist in the wilderness? You’d better not have salvaged her in battle.”
“Corporal, Madison’s Tamer died in the wilderness while she was trying to get help. She went feral while trying to get that help and we found her and caught her.” He took a deep breath. “I brought back his pokedex so I can get his address. I told Madison that I would contact his family and let them know he’s dead.”
Hines looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding. “Get cleaned up and put on your dress uniform before you contact them.” She held out her hand. “Give me his pokedex.” She quickly bypassed it with her tool before handing it back. “As long as you don’t close it, or pull the battery, you can access the information on it.”
“Thank you, corporal.”
Hines stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Jamie, you don’t have to do this. I can have command call them.” Madison eyed them curiously while Ginevra looked impassive as usual.
Outside of combat training, the corporal had never touched him and she’d never used his first name before. He appreciated the gesture but shook his head negatively. “I am going to be an officer and it’s unlikely that this will be the last time I’ll have to make this call. I found him and I will be the one to call his family.”
Hines stepped back and nodded. “If you approach the rest of your responsibilities with that attitude, I’d be proud to serve under you. I’ll let the com building know you’ll need to make the call and they’ll be waiting for you. Now move, recruit.”
***
Jamie tucked his beret under his arm and nodded to the technician watching from the window in the wall. The screen he was facing ran from the ceiling almost to the floor. It flickered and then the word ‘connecting’ appeared, along with a timer in the lower right corner.
An image appeared. It was a woman in her mid to late fifties with hard eyes. She looked him up and down and a slight frown appeared. “You’re either out of uniform or a recruit. Which is it?”
When Jamie blinked in surprise, she smiled warmly. “I’m a retired sergeant, son. Now, who are you and why have you contacted me?”
He took a deep breath. “I am Recruit Jamie Wolf and I must ask if you are Caroline Gerrold.”
Her face smoothed at his formal tone. “I’m Caroline Gerrold.” She suddenly looked grim. “Has something happened to Rodney?”
“I don’t know anything about a Rodney.” He continued as she relaxed slightly. “It is my grave duty to report that Marvin Gerrold has been found and that he is dead.”
Caroline took a deep breath. “He’s been gone for two years without any messages. I knew he was dead.” She looked at him curiously. “Why are you informing me of this, and not the local sheriff or some other league official?”
“I found his body and I wanted to inform you myself, in case you had any questions.”
She nodded slowly. “That’s very kind of you. Could you give me the details about how he died and where?”
He nodded. “I’ll tell you what I know. I’m doing basic at Camp McDermott. While I was on my survival exercise, I found his body inside a cave. There were no signs of violence and Madison told me he became ill. The symptoms she listed sound like he had an aneurism or stroke. Whatever happened, he was completely incapacitated.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Madison is still alive? What about Patsy?”
“Madison went for help and was injured in a flash flood. She went feral and I captured her in the vicinity of the cave where your son’s body was found. Apparently, she went back to it after going feral and was living in it until I found her. Nobody knows what happened to Patsy, but we searched the area and found no evidence of her.” He hesitated for a moment. “I couldn’t be sure that Marvin’s body would be safe after I captured Madison, so I cremated him according to the rituals of my family. I have some of his ashes if you want them.” They were in the plastic case the cards had been in.
Caroline looked thoughtful. “I know he was having problems with Patsy and I’d been urging him to replace her with something more pliant to his wants. She could have teleported him somewhere he could get medical help.” She shook herself with an effort. “I would appreciate it if you scattered his ashes on the base. He was never militarily minded, but that way I’ll know he’s with my family. Thank you, Wolf.” She gave him another curious look. “Where will you be heading after basic?”
“I’ll be attending OCS in London, ma’am.”
She nodded. “I’m sure you’ll do well.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m afraid I have to go, recruit. Thank you for letting me know what happened.” Tears glittered in her eyes as she cut the connection.
Jamie rubbed his eyes tiredly. “That was a very short conversation, so why do I feel so wrung out?”
“That is never an easy call to make, and if it ever becomes easy, you need to stop making them.” Jamie whirled to face a man wearing lieutenant’s insignia. “I’m Lieutenant Rodriguez and I run the communications building. I’ve had to make several of those calls myself, so I know just how draining they are.” He read Jamie’s nametag. “Wolf? You’re Hines’ star pupil, aren’t you?”
“Sir?”
Rodriquez grinned at Jamie’s confused look. “She wouldn’t have said it where you could hear it, but I understand you’re the best in her barracks.” His smile grew. “I also understand that you should graduate in the top five of the class overall. Don’t tell her I said anything, she’s fierce when riled.”
“Yes sir. Thank you, sir.”
***
“Well, aren’t you pretty? Hot date, Wolf?”
Jamie stopped in the doorway to his room. “Good to see you too, Cherry. I guess the feral pokegirls survived your exercise.”
Chambers laughed as he started to take off his dress uniform. “I couldn’t keep them all; it wouldn’t be fair to all the mediocre Tamers out there.”
“Has Dee-Dee returned?”
“Yeah, she broke her arm and is under the care of our wonderful nurse.” She grimaced. “I think I’d have just not reported it. It would probably hurt less overall.” She dropped heavily onto his bunk. “So how was your trip?”
“Ladies first.”
“We got jumped by a group of Buzzbreasts on the second day and captured two before squashing them. I’m of two minds about keeping one of them. I don’t have any flying pokegirls, but on the other hand, I’ve already got two and this isn’t the time to be breaking in someone new.”
Jamie nodded. “Not to mention, they’re not the brightest pokegirls and teaching one of them military etiquette is going to be hard.”
“It’s going to be a stone bitch.” Cherry grimaced. “That settles that. I was really looking forward to working with the air units, too.”
“So, catch something else. There are plenty of flying pokegirls who’d take well to military life.”
“You’re right, I will. So how did your jaunt go?”
“I caught a feral and found a dead Tamer. That’s why I was dressed up; I had to contact his family and let them know.”
“That’s rough. What kind of feral did you catch?”
“A Duelist. She had belonged to the dead Tamer.”
“Wow. They’re really rare.” She flashed him another grin. “It’s a good thing for you that we’re in the military or I’d take her from you.”
“Sure you would. Cherry, it’s a nice world you live in, but sometimes you need to join the rest of us in this one.”
She snickered. “So, what’s her name and what’s she like?” She batted her eyelashes at him.
“Her name is Madison, she’s a cuter redhead than you and I’m not fixing you up with a date.” He hung his uniform up and started putting on his fatigues. “Have you been to see Doyle?”
“Yeah, she’s bitchy. I couldn’t stay long; we don’t really have much free time since we’re standing guard duty in rotation.” She looked him over critically. “Now that you’re here, maybe I’ll have fewer watches to stand.”
“I believe that the amount of make-work expands to engulf all the available personnel plus one, so you’re dreaming. I heard there were some people trying to pass themselves off as BLSF personnel to get to the armory.”
She nodded. “They got pretty violent when they were found out, too. They deployed pokegirls and started breaking things and hurting people. That’s how Dee-Dee’s arm got broken. She only survived because Leslie took most of the hit.”
“How’s Leslie?”
“She’s been healed and is angry more than anything else.”
“An angry Amachoke is just what we need.”
Cherry nodded. “We don’t need another one.” She blinked and looked around suddenly. “Whew, no Hines.”
“Don’t push your luck invoking her.” He finished dressing. “I’m going to rescue Ginevra and Madison from the healing machines and then get some chow. Are you coming?”
Cherry shook her head sadly. “You must have had a rough time out there if you miss the food they serve here.”
“I never said I missed it, I merely said I was going to eat it.”
“Oh. In that case, sure, I’ll come along. Don’t forget that you’re buying the beer once we get out of here.”
“It’ll be my pleasure.”
***
Doyle was rotating her arm when Jamie entered the room. “Does it still hurt?”
She grimaced. “Hi, Jamie. I don’t think she healed it completely.”
“Um, a broken arm isn’t that big a deal, why are you still in the infirmary?” He picked up her chart and leafed through the pages.
She smiled. “She’s out of victims.”
“Are you aware that you almost died?”
She blinked. “No, I wasn’t. You can read that?”
“One of my mothers is a NurseJoy and I did some work in her clinic.” He put the chart down. “You had a thromboembolism from the injuries you sustained.”
“What is that?”
“You threw a clot from your broken arm and it tried to kill you.” He pulled a pokeball from his belt and released his Duelist. “Madison, this is Doyle. Heal her.”
Madison produced a card and aimed it at Doyle. “Yes, sir.” The air around Doyle turned green for a heartbeat. “All done.”
Doyle stretched her arm out. “Oh, that’s lovely. Who is she and where did she come from?”
Madison snapped to attention. “Sir, I am Madison and I am Recruit Wolf’s pokegirl. He captured me while I was feral.”
Doyle looked her over critically. “You’ve done a good job with her, especially in less than a week. What is she?”
Madison looked over at Jamie, who nodded. “I’m a Duelist, sir.”
Doyle shook her head. “Wolf, only you could find an urban pokegirl in the wilderness.” She grinned suddenly. “You’re buying the beer, right?”
“Beer or whatever you decide you want.”
“You know, for a man, you haven’t been bad company. I wonder if they’ll let us room together at OCS.” They’d discovered early on that all three of them were slated for Officer Candidate School in London. “Cherry can room with us, too, if she can stop ogling my pokegirls.” She smiled slowly. “Is she interested in Madison?”
“I think she’s interested in anything that doesn’t have a dick and she hasn’t been with, so yes. Ginevra evolved to Daimon and Cherry wants some of that as well.”
“Is she that attractive now?”
“Sir, yes, she is.” Madison settled down on the arm of Jamie’s chair. “She’s not interested in anyone but Jamie, um, our master, although she’ll be with me if she has to.”
“I see this one is learning bad habits from Ginevra. Why’s she only interested in you?”
Madison smiled. “Probably it’s because he was the only one who has consistently wanted her, sir.”
“You’ve got a smart one here, Wolf. Is she going to be your alpha?”
“I’m still working out all the pitfalls in changing alphas right now. Both of them have admirable qualities that translate into good leadership aptitude.”
“Sir, if I become your alpha, Ginevra would be free to be your constant guard while I handled harem business.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Jamie didn’t look especially enthused at the thought. He frowned at a thought. “I’ll go find the nurse and let her know you’ve taken a turn for the better. Hopefully, she won’t hurt me because of it.”
Dee-Dee laughed. “If she does, you’ve got an excellent healer there.”
“That makes it so much better.”
***
Name: Wolf, Jamie Harris
Age: 17
Residence: Caomh Sith, Blue Continent
Region: Scotland
Status: Active
Rank: 15
Security Clearance: Epsilon
Licenses
Tamer Y
Master Tamer Y
Researcher N
Watcher N
Breeder N
Active Harem
Species Name
Daimon Ginevra
Duelist Madison
Badges: None