New World with Four Husbands

The carriage ride remained silent for almost an hour, the only sound coming from the rocking and bumping of the wooden vehicle as it made its way down the rocky road.

The group sat awkwardly in silence, each occupied with their own thoughts and emotions.

Coco stayed huddled with Konoha, her face still buried in the creature's belly, her body tense and withdrawn, not bothering to make small small talks with any of them.

The mediators sat silently, stealing glances between each other and at Coco, but none daring to speak or break the silence, especially not after Coco made it clear that she was not in the mood.

However, a sudden knock on the door of the carriage snapped the group out of their thoughts, then followed by someone on the outside of the moving carriage calling out in a deep, velvety voice.

"Coco?"

The unexpected interruption shattered the silence, causing everyone's attention to turn towards the door.

Coco slowly emerged from the creature's soft fur and looked up from Konoha's belly, her eyes narrowing in confusion as she tried to recognize whom the voice belonged to.

"Ah." Coco blinked and let go of Konoha, who jumped to the floor of the carriage with a soft thump, "Excuse me, Zaque. Let me just.."

Zaque raised an eyebrow and was about to ask what Coco meant by what she said, but she suddenly leaned towards him, who was sitting right beside the door, and called out a soft, "Sinclair?"

Coco's voice was barely a whisper in the small space, but it was loud enough for the hybrid to hear.

Unbeknownst to her, Zaque's body tensed as she leaned close to him, his heart pounding in his chest, and his breath caught in his throat.

Her face was suddenly so close to his, her presence overwhelmingly intimate and unexpected.

He could feel his own breathing grow shallow, the scent of her skin and the heat of her body against his sending a thrill throughout his entire being.

He couldn't help, but glance sideways at her, his gaze fixated on her lips, the close proximity making his mind go dizzy.

Though, that dizziness was quick to fade away when Coco opened the door, making his heart drop to his stomach out of sheer fright.

Zaque reached out and pulled Coco close to his body, his arm wrapping around her waist in a firm grasp, his movements swift, his touch protective as he drew her close, his fingers gripping her tightly.

The motion was so sudden and unexpected that Coco had no time to react, her body being pulled towards him with an unstoppable force.

Her left side collided with his chest, the impact causing her to stumble against his body for a moment before he stabilized, his strong arms wrapping tightly around her, pinning her in place against him.

The carriage is still moving for goodness' sake! Zaque wanted to scold her, but he kept silent, only holding her securely against him.

Then, Coco opened the door, not bothering to comment on Zaque's actions.

Outside the door, she was greeted by the sight of Sinclair, perched effortlessly on a galloping white horse outside the carriage, the animal keeping pace with the carriage, its hooves thundering on the hard ground in time with the carriage's movement.

Sinclair sat elegantly on the horse's back, his expression unreadable as he sat comfortably in the saddle, the reins held firmly in his hand as he guided the animal alongside the carriage.

His handsome face was stern, but a small smile graced his lips as he caught sight of Coco, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary.

"Master." Sinclair greeted Coco, voice dripping with respect, as he lowered his head slightly, "My husband wanted to know if you have experienced the transportation port before, because for first time users, it may cause side effects."

"Side effects?" Coco blinked, her gaze flickering back and forth between the horse and Sinclair, her expression a combination of amazement and surprise.

The previous memory of her telling Jacques about who she truly is temporarily forgotten.

"Nanausea, vomiting, dizziness, and cold sweats." Sinclair listed the side effects, " Other potential symptoms of those include pale skin, headache, drowsiness, and excessive salivation that may lead to hyperventilation."

".. Damn." Coco commented, her eyebrows furrowed in worry, "Hopefully, I won't feel any of those."

"I hope so, too." Sinclair expressed his worry towards his master, "This will be your first time to experience the transportation port, yes? I believe that it would help if you have someone or something to hold onto."

Coco nodded her head in understanding. "Okay, I have Konoha with me. I can just hug her."

She felt Zaque's grip tightened around her a little, but she ignored it and continued speaking. "I'll try not to be a bother. If it comes down to it, I can just knock myself out to make the journey easier."

"Yes.. Hopefully you won't have to resort to that.." Sinclair murmured, slowly trailing off, "Unfortunately, we will be using two transportation ports so please hang in there."

"What? Two—"

"We will be arriving at the port in five!" Alithe informed everyone, his voice loud and booming in the air.

"Yes, two transportation ports." Sinclair affirmed with a smile, "We have so much luggage and people with us so we have to use two ports to get to the city."

"Okay.. I don't have any idea about the geography of this.. Place so I'll leave you to it for now." Coco laughed nervously, "Just let me know if we're there, okay? Just so I can prepare myself—"

"We're here!" Alithe's scream echoed in the background.

"— mentally.." Coco continued what she was saying, then she let out a sigh, "I guess I have to prepare myself now."

"You'll be fine." Zaque said, squeezing Coco's hips, "Me and your other three husbands are here. Just hold onto us if you feel sick after."

"Seems like everything will be fine." Sinclair chirped.