31. Chapter Thirty-One

Cally

I doubt even Alice in Wonderland found her life as odd and surreal as I do right now. As if meeting a rutting elk-guy wasn’t enough, I’ve fallen for him big-time, am confined to this humongous property, and am about to shack up with someone I’ve known less than a handful of days.

But wait, there’s more.

Colonel Slater himself escorts us out of the Army office building and through what appears to be the military area of the base and then gives us a tour.

“Here are the Army offices. Over there is where the enlisted men sleep.” He gestures broadly. “We only allow males on base, other than the handpicked civilian females we invited to help the splicers—shit, we’re supposed to call them hybrids, though I’m not sure that name will ever stick.”

He picks up the pace, then glances behind to ensure we’re following him.

“The women were chosen to help create a tourist attraction on what we call Main Street. It’s leftover from an old television show that depicted the Old West. It’s been here since the 60s and looks like a ghost town.”

He points at a V-shaped building made of what looks like reclaimed wood.

“The north wing is for women. To the south is the splicer wing. They’re connected with a common rec area.”

They look new, yet were built to fit in with the Old West theme, as opposed to the shiny new, metallic military structures we just passed.

“And here’s Main Street.”

We turn onto a wide dirt street, bounded on both sides by raised wooden walkways that border wooden buildings.

“This is Wild About Ice Cream. Best I’ve ever tasted. It’s open every day. Here we have Mane Street Fashions. Since we don’t have any tourists, there’s little inventory, just window dressing for now. Our bookstore, Between the Covers, is fully stocked, but we’ve also got a free lending library in the rec area.”

“So, when the world learns about the splicers, people will be able to come here, see them, get to know them?”

“We thought long and hard about how to introduce them to the world without putting them on display, making them a spectacle. Eventually, our dream is for the males to walk free anywhere on Earth, visit the Louvre or the Grand Canyon if they wish. In the meantime, they’re getting socialized here and will get some on-the-job experience. People can visit, interact, and see that there’s nothing to fear.”

Although I’m not happy about being confined to this base for the next twenty months, I can’t help liking Colonel Slater. It’s obvious how much affection he has for the splicers, and how much time and effort he’s put into making their lives livable, one step at a time.

Just as I’m taking in the beauty of his plan, a lion-man barges out of the shop we’re approaching: Sugar and Splice Bakery.

Did Slater just say the words, “nothing to fear?” My heart is galloping in terror as the splicer turns our way and bares his teeth at us. No. They’re not teeth. They’re freaking fangs and they’re as long as my little finger.

Tater Tot is growling with menace, baring his teeth and pawing at the ground, standing between me and what we both perceive as a threat.

“Dog,” the splicer says amiably, standing still, assessing Tater. “The first I’ve met in person.”

“Tater!” I’ve never heard Sylas’s voice so forceful. “Down!” When the dog doesn’t immediately comply, Sylas repeats his command, slashing his arm in the visual cue even though Tater’s eyes are on the lion-like splicer.

Tater complies, lying on his belly. But he’s still snarling.

The male snaps his jaws, just once. When I gasp, he mumbles, “Just establishing dominance,” with a careless shrug.

I’m in fight-or-flight mode and would run away if Sylas wasn’t tightly gripping my hand. As I pull against his firm hold, Sylas says, “Noble, meet Calliope Quinn. She’s the newest addition to Splicer Town.”

“Nonono.” I’m not sure those words came out as words at all since they were mostly breath. My mouth is dry as a desert and I’m afraid to say anything louder than a whisper for fear of attracting more of the lion-man’s attention, although he’s looking straight at me.

“And you’ve already met Tater Tot.” To punctuate Sylas’s remark, Tater lifts his hind end off the ground as if he’s about to lunge, then thinks better of it.

“Pleased to meet you, Calliope.” I don’t know how he manages it, but he actually shows more of his fangs as he asks, “Is it your first day here?”

It takes me a moment to realize he’s speaking to me, but my mind finally puts his words into a meaningful sentence and I manage to nod my head.

“I’m… not your first splicer?” He pointedly gestures to where Sylas’s fingers are twined with mine.

“You’re her first predator,” Sylas offers, his tone good-natured. “The first one with three-inch fangs.”

It’s only when Noble laughs that I realize his predatorial display of teeth has actually been an increasingly wide and genuine smile.

“You’ll get used to us in no time.” His eyebrows flash toward his hairline as he again looks at my fingers twined in Sylas’s. “Looks like you’ve already discovered some of the joys of being with a splicer. My mate… uh, wife… uh, woman, Jenna, says cuddling with someone with fur is the only way to go.”

“You’re… mated?” I ask.

“Yeah. You’ll meet her. The love of my life.”

“You’ll meet everyone when you’re ready,” the colonel adds. “Plenty of opportunities in the dining room, or walking down Main Street of Splicer Town, er… Rattlesnake Flats.” He mumbles to himself, “I’ve got to start calling it that.” Louder, he says, “Let me finish the grand tour and then I’ll show you to your Quonset.”

Noble lets out a satisfied chuff. “You work fast, Sylas. Already assigned to a Quonset? Go you.”

That was a bit forward and I want to be offended, but how can I resent the male’s well-wishes when he’s so obviously happy for us?

As we walk, Slater offhandedly points to the storefronts that are going to be a yoga studio, a hair salon that is already doing makeovers for what Sylas calls the Lucky Twenty, and a fire-your-own pottery place that isn’t up and running yet but will be called Hybrid Hands Pottery.

As we cut between two of the storefronts, Slater points and says, “There’s a nice lake in that direction. Bigger than the swimming hole near where you’ve been staying.” Then he skirts the military area where his office is housed. The area beyond it is dotted with Quonsets slightly larger than the one we’ve been staying in.

“We considered more conventional housing, but at the rate you young people are coupling up, we decided to stick with Quonsets. They go up fast and can be tricked out inside to feel quite homey. Here we are.”

He steps to the one farthest from both Main Street and the military. He gestures and says, “It’s open. I’ll leave you here. There’s a comm right inside the doorway. If you need anything, press the button. You’ll settle in quickly.”

He turns to step away, then keeps moving to come full circle as he looks first at me and then Sylas.

“Don’t quote me, Ms. Quinn, but you’ve got shit luck. You got stuck here through no fault of your own. I hope that in time you’ll find it tolerable and perhaps find it in your heart to forgive the military for forcing you to stay.”

He’s taken several strides toward his office before my mind catches up enough to call him back. “Colonel? I forgive you already. Life is full of tough decisions and you’re doing an amazing job.”

It strikes me that I have no idea what these males were like when he found them over three years ago: abused, caged, and trained as killers. That they are now the smiling, kind, extraordinary males they are today had a lot to do with the colonel in charge of their treatment.

“The next year and a half of my life is going to be more than tolerable, Colonel, at least if I have anything to say about it. I’m going to be great.” I tuck my arm around Sylas while I flash the colonel a genuine smile. “Thanks.”