Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 91631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
The door to the antechamber opens. For a moment, I want to run. Just run away, screaming. Run into the courtyard where the gladiators are training, run past them, run to the trees and never look back. I'd never get there, but I'd die trying, at least…unless I didn't die.
That's the thought that stops me. That it'd be worse to try to escape and fail, and live to see the consequences.
So I step forward and move into the antechamber. I close my eyes as the scans move over me, looking for pathogens and hidden objects. When it beeps with approval, I open my eyes and the door whooshes open, splitting apart and sliding back so I can enter Crulden's cell.
Crulden hasn't moved from his spot on the bed.
He doesn't move when I step inside, either. There's a watchfulness to him, and my skin feels permanently prickled when his nostrils flare as he looks at me. He just sits on the edge of the bed and waits.
I remain where I am. My throat feels dry. My head feels fuzzy. I'm pretty sure if he touches me, I'm going to fall apart.
Instead, he looks back to the scientist. "Is this another trick?" His voice is deep, menacing. "The moment I let my guard down, are you going to take her away again?"
"She's yours," the scientist says.
Crulden gets to his feet.
"Provided—"
The gladiator turns swiftly toward the glass, lunging at the scientist on the other side. My heart leaps in my throat, my senses screaming. Outside, I can hear the scientist stumbling backward, away from the glass.
"Is. This. A. Trick." Crulden restates each word in a terrifying, firm voice.
"As long as you don't destroy her, she's yours," the scientist babbles. "And as long as you cooperate. That's all."
A long pause. I'm not sure I'm breathing. I'm not sure anyone is.
Crulden grunts.
The doors whoosh shut, fluttering my hair. My entire body quakes and I can't stop shaking. This is it, I tell myself. This is where he holds you down and rapes you. It's going to be okay. You'll live through this. You will. It'll pass. You can do this. You'll survive. You're strong.
My mental pep talk sounds like garbage bullshit, even to myself. I clench my jaw when Crulden's gaze swings in my direction. It's like now that he's decided that I'm his to keep, I get his attention. His nostrils flare, and then he moves toward me. Slow. Unhurried.
Terrifying.
He stands right in front of me, so close that I can see the hairs on his chest and the veins that thread under his skin. His pants are new and clean, and his claws look as if they've grown out again, which seems impossible…but then again, he sprouted spikes when he was threatened before, so what the fuck do I know? One of those dangerous, curled claws reaches out and touches the collar of my shift. He scrapes at something crusted onto me, and I realize I'm still covered in blood and gore from before. Ironic that they cleaned him up and not me—shows how much I'm worth to them.
Before I can take a breath, he grabs the front of my tunic in his fist and rips it off.
The fabric falls away, and I'm naked in front of Crulden.
My teeth chatter and clank together. I can't stop shaking. I can't. I'm always so brave, but today, I can't be. Today, I'm terrified.
He picks up the fabric of my shift and holds it out toward the glass, but his gaze remains utterly focused on my face. "This offends me."
"Put it in the slot and we'll have a cleaner-bot take care of it," the scientist says quickly.
I guess I get to be naked and trapped with Crulden.
12
CRULDEN
The female's scent offends me.
She's covered in a variety of smells that mask her normal scent, and I don't like this. Not one bit. Her scent is my favorite thing about her. They've given her to me, sure, but it's clear they've taken no effort with her. She wears the same filthy shift from the incident before, and her garment is ripe with the blood of others. More than that, I can smell other hands that have been on her, ooli and a'ani.
I don't like it. No one should touch her but me. She should smell like no one but me.
I shove the offending fabric out of the slot and snarl at the scientist. "I want food," I tell him. I remember that they didn't feed her well before, and it made her angry. "Enough for us both."
"Of course," the male says, and skitters away to do my bidding, as if I'm the master and him the slave.
I turn back toward the female. Her body quakes and she won't look at me. Now that her offending garment is gone, her smell is purer, but…she is covered in fear-smell. I heard some of the words they told her, picked up from their conversations.