3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

P yne

As I enter the room, my tail is still twitching in irritation. The nerve of the Cryosynes and that horrible Arisha person, changing what I’m here for, cutting off my comms with the Devil’s Playground , and making me feel like drack if I didn’t want to rescue the human. And now, I’m being forced to share a room with her, although I must admit, she’s pretty and seems pleasant enough.

After taking a quick survey of our quarters, I note it’s small, with one large bed, a tiny bathroom, and not much else. Becca looks angry. The human females on the ship call themselves “pissed off” when their lips tighten into a single line and their nostrils flare like that.

“Well, this is cozy,” I mutter, trying to break the tension.

Becca glares at me, her brown eyes narrowing to slits. “Cozy? Cozy? I may be a slave, gladiator, but I’m not your slave. Don’t get any ideas about what will happen in that bed, because you won’t be in it!”

Raising my arms, bent at the elbows with my palms facing her in surrender, I keep my eyes focused on the floor, signaling defeat like a prey animal to a predator. Having lived on the ship for over a standard year, I’ve witnessed several tiffs between my fellow gladiators and their human mates. It quickly became clear that although the males outweigh their mates by twice, they never, ever win arguments with human females.

I’m too smart to go head-to-head with Becca. Which doesn’t mean I won’t be sleeping in that bed tonight. We gladiators have our ways…

“Whoa there, spitfire. I’m a gladiator, not a barbarian. Besides, I like my females willing and eager.”

She scoffs, folding her arms across her chest. “Well, you can keep dreaming, buddy. Because this female is definitely not willing or eager.”

She’s so angry, if she were from planet Vulcanus, her scorching gaze would incinerate me on the spot.

I clutch my chest, feigning hurt. “Ouch. You wound me, Becca. And here I thought we were going to be the best of friends.”

“Friends? Ha!” She rolls her eyes. “Let’s get one thing straight. We’re partners in this ridiculous competition, nothing more.”

“Did you know your eyes sparkle like marquets when you’re angry,” I tease, enjoying the way her cheeks flush with indignation.

“ Marquets . Is that another name for steaming piles of sh—”

“They’re sought-after gemstones on my planet.”

My compliment stopped her cold. She takes a deep breath, clearly trying to regain her composure. “Look, if we’re going to be stuck together, we need some ground rules.”

I nod, my expression turning serious. “Agreed. Rule number one: no hogging the covers.”

She blinks at me, momentarily thrown off balance. “What? No. I said you couldn’t—”

“Rule number two,” I interrupt, holding up two fingers. “No snoring. I need my beauty sleep. After all, Arisha said I’d be a fan favorite because of my assets .” I slash her a smile designed to calm her down. Since she keeps a straight face, I turn my back to her and move my hips as I twitch my tail. When I turn back around, she looks even angrier.

Becca stares at me for a moment, then shakes her head. “You’re not taking this seriously.”

Sighing, I drop the playful act. “I am, Becca. I know this isn’t easy for you. But we’re in this together, whether we like it or not. So we might as well make the best of it.”

She studies me, her expression softening. “Fine. But I have some actual rules. No touching me without my permission. And no peeking while I’m in the bathroom.”

I hold up my hands. “On my honor, I’ll be a perfect gentlemale.”

She snorts. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

I grin, my tail swishing behind me. “You wound me again, Becca. I’m not just a pretty face, you know. I have hidden depths.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Hidden depths? Like what, the ability to bake a cake?”

I shrug. “Hey, you never know. Under your guidance, I might become a culinary genius.”

Becca laughs, shaking her head. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

As we continue to banter, I can’t help but feel a spark of attraction toward this fiery human. She’s beautiful, yes, but it’s her spirit that draws me in. The way she refuses to back down, holding her own with a male who could throw her halfway across a regulation-size arena.

I’m stuck on this planet until my comrades fix the problem on Sanctuary and return to this sector. Although I came for a cestus match, I’m okay earning money in the kitchen. I snort at that idea. I don’t even know how to turn on a hotbox. Before I was abducted and forced into slavery, I had servants who cooked. As a slave, I ate whatever slop was put before me.

I’m fine playing along with this competition as long as I get my pay in the end. And Becca? She said no touching without permission. Who knows, maybe she might enjoy sharing a bed with me. She wouldn’t be the first human to fall for a gladiator.