Chapter
Isprintdownthehalls, thankful I don’t run into anyone. Concentrating on the turns and counting doors keeps me from breaking into tears. I only pass one other Orcleen, a female who’s pushing a tray down the hall like she’s delivering room service or something.
Slowing my steps, I reach out to pull open the door to the Temple, noticing Serlo heading toward me. I try to gather my thoughts, weighing how much I’m going to mention while I convince him and the others to let me go through the Dishif. Lying is looking like the best idea right now. I probably only have until Cal’s done fucking...
Tears well up in my eyes as the door swings open under my palm. Wiping my face, I smile brightly. “Hi...”
Well, that’s fucking stupid.No one can understand me.
Undeterred, I walk quickly around the exterior of the Temple where all the trainees still are paired off, thrusting sticks at each other. Thank God the portal is right out in the open. I’ve been hanging out here all day, so no one will question me in front of it again.
I start up the stairs, determined to act as casual as possible. But Serlo’s call from across the room has me pausing. “Edith!” I glance over the rail but continue bouncing up the steps at a moderate speed before he tries to stop me. He’s waving me over, but I just wave back like I misunderstood.
Unfortunately, another sound is quickly replacing the blood pounding in my ears. Growling. Loud and obnoxious... angry growling.
I’m not an idiot. I recognized my name in there too.Fuck! That was quick.
Cal sounds really fucking pissed off. But then I remember how mad I am. He’s the two-timing mother fucker.
Turning around, I brace my back against the wall next to the Dishif, determined not to let him intimidate me. I’m the one who’s hurt! He can go to fucking hell.
Cal streaks across the floor, flying up the stairs, and screeching to a halt in front of me. He looks... infuriated and... confused. His rumbling growl continues a mile a minute as he leans over in my face, scolding me from the looks of it.
Crossing my arms, I lean back against the wall as I hiss, “You know I can’t understand a fucking thing you’re saying.” When he stops blinking at me, I reach out, slapping my hand across his face.
It really fucking hurts! But I ignore my throbbing palm, too angry to contemplate whether I’ve broken my wrist. “Fuck you, you motherfucker! What do you think I am? A toy you can set aside while you fuck around on me? Did you think I was just going to ignore you?” When he growls a response, I screech, “Don’t give me any shit!”
My voice escalates as he picks me up at the waist, and I beat on his shoulder and back while he walks back down the stairs. “Don’t act like you’re the one who’s hurt! I didn’t have a naked man in the house! Is that how it works around here, huh?”
When Cal settles me on my feet, I spot Serlo marching toward us with a determined look on his face.“I have it,”he signs, and my eyes widen. He’s pinching something between his fingers, and it takes a moment for my muddled mind to realize what it is.
“The translator?!”I step away from Cal, but he follows me, wrapping his gigantic body around me possessively. Stiffening, I throw out my arms to get some space and take another step forward.“That’s great! We had a pretty major misunderstanding.”
“Really? I never would have guessed that.”Serlo holds up his hands and signs clumsily.“Technically, you don’t have to sign to me any longer. I’ve already put one in. I took the components out of your collars. It wasn’t a big deal to duplicate the program on the chips they used with my replicator. And they did not tie the translation chips in with the shock and kill features. So now, I’ve put them in these.”
His hand goes to my ear before I get a good look. But whatever. Cal’s already holding me from behind when the strange device wiggles into my ear canal.
It only takes a second before his hands move away, and he’s reaching up to Cal. It tickles for a few seconds, but I’m too dismayed and angry to bother laughing. I’m more relieved that I get to give Cal a piece of my mind.
“... so you shouldn’t have any issues understanding the basics. I did mine and Emma’s first, and she’s interested in changing some of the words in the translation program. She says they’re ‘funky’.”
“Thank you, Serlo.” Covering my left ear, I marvel at how it’s as if I’m hearing him in both ears. So strange.
Cal echoes his thanks too, and Serlo smiles. “Emma also mentioned she wants to add slang. Perhaps there are changes you’d like to add too. If you’re going to be living with it, you all should make it more customized.”
“Sure....”
“We have to go,” Cal cuts in. “Now won’t work for us. We’ll arrange something in the next day or so.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you because you’re not having us both, motherfucker,” I yell at him. “If fucking around is the norm here in your world, then I’m out of here. Sela’ve. Adios.”
Cal’s mouth is hanging open, surprise clear on his face at my outburst. Serlo sprints away, going back to join the wide-eyed trainees, frozen on the floor with Luc and Nako.
Instead of calming me down, I just get more riled up. “Can you understand me?” When he nods, I go off. “What the fuck, Cal? What the fuck? I thought we were supposed to be special to each other and shit?”
I wave my hands in the air between us. “The whole mating thing or whatever? I don’t settle for sloppy seconds! I thought we were committed and loyal to each other. Do you even know what that means?”
I don’t wait for an answer, too hyped up as I pull my hair up off my heated skin, holding it on the top of my head. “That’s supposed to mean we don’t fuck anyone else. If you think I’m going to stick around while you share your dick, you’re so fucking wrong. I’m out of here! Baloo andyoucan kiss my ass.”