The lamia settlement wasn't what William had pictured. Instead of traditional buildings, the place had these weird mud huts everywhere. Round, squat things that reminded him of pottery kilns, half buried in the dirt like someone had given up building them properly.
"Practical design for Lamia Tribe," William muttered. The underground structure would stay cool and damp, perfect for cold-blooded creatures trying to get decent sleep. He could see why they'd choose this style. Living partially underground probably helped with temperature regulation too, especially during the hottest parts of the day.
Security was a joke here. One bored male lamia every ten meters, barely paying attention. They could whisper freely without worry. The patrols seemed more symbolic than functional, like the inner circle didn't actually expect any real threats. What William couldn't ignore was the fortress wall cutting through the center of the settlement like a scar.
"That wall," William said, tilting his head toward it. "What's that for?"
Serena's expression soured instantly. "That's where the real power lives. We're nothing out here. This whole place runs on a three-tier system. Outer circle, that's us. Middle circle, slightly better. Inner circle behind those walls, they're a special being around here."
"Special being?"
"They control everything. Food, resources, and mates. We outer circle lamia girl, don't get to pick our partners. Every male in this tribe belongs to the inner circle by birthright. Middle tier exists to kiss their asses basically."
William blinked. "That's feudalism with extra steps."
"It's been like this forever. They justify it with genetics."
"What kind of genetics?"
"The more you look like a snake, the higher you rank. Our old queen looked like she never evolved past being a serpent. Full scales, massive tail, fangs, the whole package. No human features whatsoever. They worship that here."
William made a face. "Yeah, I'm good. Giant snakes aren't my thing."
He wrapped an arm around Serena's waist, pulling her close enough to smell her skin. "I like you exactly as you are. Way better than some real snakes."
The change was immediate. Serena practically glowed, her cheeks flushing pink. The other girls traveling with them grinned like idiots, clearly thrilled by his preference. William felt Serena's body heat spike, warmth pooling in her belly where his essence still sat from their activities an hour ago. If they weren't on a mission, he'd bet on food that these girls would drag him into the nearest building right now.
Serena took a breath, steadying herself. "Middle tier is the in-between. More scales than us, bigger frames. Not full snake mode but heading that direction."
She gestured at a specific hut ahead. "That one belongs to my closest friend. She's outer circle like me. We can crash there temporarily. She won't snitch."
"You sure about that?"
"Yeah, I've known her since we were kids. She's a trustworthy person."
They walked up to the dwelling. Serena knocked three times, paused, knocked twice more. Some kind of code, apparently.
Footsteps inside. The door cracked open.
A lamia girl peered out, annoyance written all over her face, until she actually saw who was standing there.
"Serena?!" The door flew open. "Where the hell have you been?!"
She lunged forward, wrapping Serena in a tight hug. Then immediately jerked backward, eyes going wide with alarm.
"Wait. Something's on you. On your back. Serena, what is that? Oh god, did you get infected by some parasite?"
"Shut up!" Serena's face went pale. She and the other girls moved as one unit, hands clamping over their friend's mouth as they physically shoved her backward into the house. The last girl yanked the door shut behind them.
Inside, Serena finally let go. "I'm not infected, you idiot. That's my master. I left the lamia tribe. This was my choice."
Her friend stared. "Your master? Left the lamia tribe? Serena, what are you talking about?"
Right. The tribe thought they were just missing. Nobody knew about the betrayal because Serena and her group had vanished without explanation after their first encounter with William. They'd gone looking for him at the Fox tribe area and never came back. The leadership probably assumed they'd been killed or captured somewhere along the way.
"Master William, you can dismount. We're safe here."
Serena braced herself as William climbed off her back. The second he did, she gasped, thighs pressing together reflexively.
A wet, continuous sound filled the room.
Her friend froze, watching in shock as a thick stream of fluid poured from between Serena's legs, splashing onto her floor in a growing puddle.
"Thanks for the ride," William said casually, brushing dirt off his pants.
"Of course, Master William. Anytime." Serena's voice came out strained. Both hands shot down, one pressed between her legs trying to stem the flow, the other cradling her lower belly protectively. Every drop that escaped felt like a loss. She'd become addicted to the sensation of fullness, the warmth of his seed inside her. It was her new favorite thing.
"Serena," her friend murmured in confusion, "Please explain… where have you been? And who is he?"
Serena gestured at William while still trying to contain the mess. "This is William. He's the demon king. My new lord. I came back to overthrow the leadership of the Lamia Tribe."
The words "demon king" hit like cold water. Her friend went very still, eyes flicking to William briefly before returning to Serena.
"Overthrow," she repeated slowly.
"Yeah. But relax, we're not touching the outer circle or the middle circle. Just the inner circle. Join us, serve William as we do, and you'll be fine. Better than fine, actually."
"You all planning to take the tribe by force?!"
Serena exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders settling as she met William's eyes."Don't mistake this for some grand mission," William said, calm on the surface, but every word edged with restrained fury.
"Our monster race was never meant to rot. Monsters exist to hunt, to rise, to tear our way forward with fang and instinct.""So why would you all waste their life obeying dead-blooded cowards who've forgotten what strength even feels like?""If the path ahead is blocked, then the monster race must rip it open to the future!"
William lifted his chin toward the distant wall dividing the settlement."The outer circle listens to me. The middle circle will follow once they realize the balance is shifting. And when the time comes…"William's fingers curled, claws glinting faintly."…the inner circle will fall like rotten branches."
Alya swallowed hard, the room suddenly feeling smaller, heavier.
Serena stepped closer, lowering her voice."That's why Alya, before any of that, we need to know what changed while I was gone. Tell me everything you've heard, every whisper, every strange movement. Start from the beginning."
Serena knew how the inner circle operated. Those narcissists were always scheming, always shifting power dynamics. A few days could mean major changes.
Her friend, whose name was apparently Alya, looked like her brain had short-circuited. "You just walked into my house and casually announced treason."
"Alya. Focus."
"Right!" Alya shook her head hard. "Okay. Yes. Changes. There have been changes. The inner circle's been weird lately. More guards patrolling, more closed-door meetings. Something big is brewing up there, but nobody knows what."