Gloom shoots a look over at me.
"We barely have enough food for myself and Killer," Alice continues, referring to me with my made up “glad” name. She crosses her arms over her chest. "So, if you want to be part of this crew, you eat the worm. Then, we don't have to worry about feeding you. And when we leave, we'll have it removed."
"Oh." Gloom rubs his stomach. "What if…what if I promise to find my own food? I really like eating."
"Worm or nothing," Alice demands. Kef me, that's hot. I shift in place, hoping no one notices I have the hardest of hard-ons with how aggressive my female is being. "Are you with us or are you just lying?"
He swallows hard, the poor kid, and gives another look at the tube in my hand. "Does this thing tell if you're lying, too?"
"Yes," Alice says immediately.
I swallow a laugh and clear my throat, trying to remain cool. "If you've been lying to us, you might want to confess now or we'll let the carinoux eat you."
Gloom shifts on his feet, and I'm fascinated at how he hides zero feelings. How did he survive as a gladiator this long? "Uh…" He rakes a clawed hand through his hair, and it sticks straight up again. "I haven't been entirely truthful."
"Spit it out," I say calmly, my hand casually moving toward my knife.
"I said I've won a few bouts and I've killed a few clones. That I won a dinner with my master." His cheeks flush a darker color. "I guess I made it sound like I'm one of the glads in training."
"And you're not."
"Not exactly, no." Gloom eyes the tube with a mixture of horror. "I mean, I didn't lie when I said I got taken from my home. That was true. It's just…not the entire story?" When Alice makes an impatient gesture with her hand, the splice continues. "I'm part clone. My father-creator was a lab tech that inserted his personal DNA into a batch and I got combined with that of a praxiian gladiator. I know splices are supposed to be new creations but…" He shrugs. "By the time it was found out, they'd already invested a good deal of time and creds into my care so I was sold along with a batch of, ah, discounted purchases."
Oof.
He gives us an awkward, apologetic smile. "I did mention that Lord Sir likes to buy cheap to turn a profit? I was cheap."
Alice just shakes her head as Gloom gives the tube of inukni a little shake. "How on Earth did you last so long as a gladiator?"
"Uh…" Gloom says.
Oh no. I want to pinch the spot between my brows, just like Alice is. "Spit it out," I say. "We'll find out either way."
"Did I say I was a gladiator?" His cheeks are dark blue and I could swear his tufted hair bristles a bit.
"Yes." Alice's eyes are showing so much white that I'm pretty sure she wants to choke him. I'm also pretty sure it would make my cock even harder if she did.
"So…yeah." He clicks his tongue against his teeth. "Well…"
"You said there were four gladiators out here hunting clones," Alice reminds him. "And you're supposed to bring back a dead one as a trophy."
"Oh, actually I said there were four of us out here, and the gladiators are supposed to hunt a clone and bring him back dead," Gloom says brightly. He wrinkles his nose at the inukni tube hovering near his mouth. "It's just that…" He mumbles the rest in a low voice, so low it's inaudible.
"What's that?"
"I'm the clone they're hunting," he mutters a bit louder. "If you must know."
Alice's nostrils flare and her hands curl into fists. I immediately scoop up my female, my arm under her thighs and her practically over my shoulder. "One moment, please." I hold up a finger and march away a few paces before my mate loses her mind and attacks the fool, because then Sterre really will eat his face and we need him for information.
"I'll just wait here." Gloom shakes the tube again. "With these."
Alice flails against me, and for a brief heartbeat, I think she's struggling to get away. It takes me a breath to realize that her flailing is her shooting rude gestures at our new friend. I carry her to the far side of the tree and set her down. Her mouth is set into a hard line and she looks ready to tear his hair off. Which…a very sexy look.
I cup her face. "Breathe, Sunshine."
"I'm going to kill him," she says through clenched teeth.
"The good news is that I don't think he's out to hurt us."
"Of course not!" She stabs a finger in his direction. "He's the fucking fox and he's going to bring all the hounds on our fucking doorstep! And he's too stupid to realize it! He's putting us in danger, Kas!"