Me: Losing your work upset you?
Cora: Yes. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills and buy groceries.
Translation: Groceries- food purchased in stores.
My mate was worried she wouldn’t have the credits she needed toeat? I growled through my teeth.
“Not having any luck, nephew?” Zacal asked, too pleased with himself.
“Don’t worry about my luck.”
Me: That’s taken care of now.
Cora: Um. Yes, it is. Thanks?
Me: You shouldn’t have to worry about having food to eat. Don’t thank me for that.
Cora: I feel like I should, though.
Me: No. You have your groceries now?
Cora: Yes. I went shopping this morning, and I’m stocked up on snacks and seltzer. I’ll think of you when I have dinner.
Me: Just me?
Cora: You and Qhev. Filling my fridge was a team effort.
I shifted on my feet as I got the translation forfridge. I wanted her to eat well, but I didn’t want any other male filling anything for her. I’d already decided she would be my mate. It only took one look at her profile picture to make up my mind, but I’d barely slept last night, staring at it anyway.
Me: Qhev is daernir?
Cora: Yeah. He’s the one I sent the eyeliner tutorial to.
Me: What’s his name? Just Qhev?
Cora: I’m not going to tell you that.
Me: I’m just curious, Aneah.
Less than a day, and I was already lying to my future mate. This is why I’ll never deserve a female. I know how to treat them, I just don’t want to burden them with the reality of my life. In this case, the reality was that I’d look thisQhevup and pay hima visit. Whether he survived that visit would be up to him. All he had to do was never contact Cora again, and I’d let him keep one of his kneecaps intact.
Cora: What if telling you violates BMM’s terms of service? Do you want me to get banned?
Me: No.
She made a good point. I’d have to find this guy some other way. It was better not to bother her with the details anyway.
Me: Did you put the makeup on your eyes today?
Cora: I did, actually. It seemed to bring me good luck yesterday, so I thought I’d try it again.
Me: Show me.
There was no response for a few minutes. And I used the time to check in with our soldiers. Everyone was in position, but I couldn’t let anything go wrong after running my mouth to the boss. I checked the time, impatient to be done with this meeting. Masoh was running late. Yet another insult to add to the tally.
“If he doesn’t show in the next five minutes, I’m going to go find him and kill him,” I said, checking my messages again.
“Generous of you to wait that long,” Zacal noted. Was he bemused or disapproving? I couldn’t tell. “What is that noise?” he asked when my nexus frame finally plinked with a new message from Cora.
