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He's not wrong. Sleipnir eats a lot, and he has to be hungry after the long day we've had. I run my fingers over the wrapping. "How do I open this?"
Jerrok lets out a heavy sigh. "Must I do everything?" When Sleipnir growls, he lets out a second sigh, and then smiles brightly again. It feels so fake. I can practically cut the tension in the room. No wonder Sleipnir's so touchy.
I get to my feet, keeping my movements easy, and walk over to Jerrok. "You're making him nervous," I say in my most charming voice. "Let's not make the massive, fanged animal nervous, all right? Now, show me how to unwrap this."
He does without another word of protest, and reveals a dark-looking, tight, unpleasant-seeming raisin of a roast. As I watch, he adds a spoonful of water from the spout. Immediately, the rump expands, becoming juicy and increasing in size until it practically covers the table. Sleipnir approaches, his nostrils working, and when he puts his head up on the table, I reach out to push him back.
Jerrok stops me, grabbing my hand in his.
Startled at his touch, I look over at him as he puts another fake smile on his face. "Don't come between a predator and his meal," he murmurs, voice soft and pleasant.
Sleipnir won't do anything to me. I want to speak, to point this out, but the words have died in my throat. I feel strange. Part of me wants to rip my hand out of his grip, and part of me wants to linger, to wallow in the feeling of a gentle touch. It's been so long.
His thumb lightly skates over my knuckles, and then he lets me go, turning back to the noodles. "Come and eat so you can get out of my space."
Flustered, I step away, watching as Sleipnir drags the massive roast back out of the room to go eat somewhere in private. He's leaving a bloody trail, but I guess I can clean that up later. "You smell," I say absently, rubbing my hand.
"What?"
"You stink." I look over at Jerrok. "Don't touch me again. You're filthy."
With the world's saltiest “polite” smile, he slaps a steaming pile of noodles into a bowl and holds it out to me. "Your meal, princess."
I really dislike this guy.11JERROKThis is a keffing mess.
I'd wondered at why the va Sithai brothers had insisted on leaving their small, delicate human with me. I'd wondered why they were quick to leave my station, too, when they've lingered for meals and shared drinks in the past. It all makes sense now. They didn't want to confess about the carinoux.
And now I'm stuck with it AND the human until they return.
I think about it, and the scrappy little human who lifted her chin and snapped at me. She should be grateful that I let her stay here. She should be grateful that I fed her. That I don't just make a vid call to one of my corsair contacts and have them take her off my hands.
Instead, I keep thinking about the way she lashed out at me with her tongue, fearless in her anger. I think about the way that it changed so quickly, and how her tone went from biting to sweet. How she moved closer to me and put her hand on my chest.
My cock stirs at the memory.
My eyes sting and feel dry, and I take my goggles off for the second time this day to rub them. As I do, I notice the grease smears on my skin and I wonder what she thinks of my appearance. She probably finds me disgusting. If she could see my pathetic cybernetic parts under the layers of clothing I wear, her expression would likely change to pity.
I hate pity.
Just thinking about her irritates me. She's ruined my calm, and I suspect it won't be back until she leaves with that animal. In a way, I suppose I'm glad that it's here—that it's not the human taking massive, smelly shits in my terrarium. It's the carinoux. That's the only good thing about this situation, because that expensive creature is going to mow through my food supplies. No wonder Adiron was quick to offer more credits to pay for the female's board. He knew what he was getting me into.
I fantasize about choking him. Just a little. Just enough to get that dopey grin off his ever-smiling face. Funny how we both served together in the Threshian Wars and he rolled out of the conflicts completely unscathed, whereas I'm a mess. The universe is unfair that way. Adiron walked out of a year in the trenches with a smile. I walked out with one arm, one leg, and half my innards missing, and a head full of noise.
I need a carcinogel.
