The girl burst out laughing. “Danger? Where? You haven’t seen anything out here other than us, have you?” She wiped away nonexistent tears from her eyes. “You can’t mate with her anyway,” the girl continued. “My mother, chaperone, whatever, it doesn’t matter.”

Jackson choked on his water, and Knox sat stunned. Isaiah’s face turned bright red, the poor modest kid.

“Mate? Little girl, what do you know about ‘mating’?” Tristen looked down at the little girl and smirked.

“Well, the normal term is courting, but I think you can use either when you’re talking about her. I’ve heard my father use it a few times,” she shrugged and picked at the dirt in front of her.

Jackson turned to look at Knox, who still hadn’t moved. Tristen was trying and failing to hold in his laughter.

“Does your culture use the term ‘mating’?” Bernard leaned forward, staring at the girl.

“No, but I was under the impression you savages did,” she leaned towards Bernard. Knox could see the amusement dancing in the flames reflected in her mirror-like eyes. She was taunting him.

Bernard leaned over to Knox and whispered, “perhaps you were right in saying we should tie her up. This girl is nothing but trouble.”

“She must be a real animal in the sheets!” Tristen howled, no longer able to contain himself. The few of the men joined in, but they quickly sobered with a single glance from Knox.

“That doesn’t sound like something a little girl like yourself should hear her father saying about her mother,” Knox leaned forward, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. The girl was in a talkative mood, and he would take advantage of it while he could.

“Why do you keep calling her my mother? We aren’t related. We don’t even look alike!” The little girl burst out laughing again. Knox looked for the supposed sharp teeth, but they looked normal to him.

“Alright, then who is she to you?” Knox pressed, but the girl just waved his question off. “Who is she then?” Knox tried again, but the girl stayed silent.

“I really don’t see why you can’t tell us who she is,” Jackson rested his chin on his fist. The girl simply shrugged.

“Well,” Knox slapped his thighs and stood up. “You’re stuck with us either way. And since you seem to know your way around here, you’re going to lead us to the other side of this forest.” Knox walked away and started to clean the dinner things. He didn’t have time to put up with some snotty little girl’s games. He had things to do, and she wasn’t going to get in his way.

“I don’t think so,” the girl responded. She crossed her arms and sat where she was.

“We’ll see about that,” Knox turned back to her and met her gaze. She didn’t back down and either did he. He wasn’t going to give in to some spoiled brat. He may not hurt her physically, but she wasn’t going to be able to go anywhere without him until she brought him to the edge of the damned forest.

The girl didn’t respond, and she didn’t put up a fight when he ordered her to be bound hand and foot for the night. Knox felt a little guilty that he was going to such extremes, but he planned to reward her handsomely once he reached his destination. They just had to get there first. He’d figure out a way to bribe her to make her a more willing participant, but until then, she would have no choice.

Knox took first watch that night. He hadn’t bothered with the tent, leaving the girl to sleep out with the rest of them, and allowing him to keep an eye on her. She didn’t bother to engage with him, she lay down, her back to him. He huffed and took it as a win. He couldn’t believe he prided himself in winning against a little girl, but he wasn’t going to let it phase him.