Page 10 of A Monster’s Future

“Oh, let me guess. It’s only off-limits to me because you say so.” I was suddenly done dealing with his bullshit. He wanted to play this game? Well then, he was about to meet his match.

I sauntered right into his space and plopped down on the only chair like I owned it. Then, I picked up the nearest tool and started fiddling with it.

“Go,” he growled, his voice rough.

“Make me.”

He stared me down like he thought he could intimidate me. Ha! As if. His grumpy ass didn’t scare me.

His tail flicked, the triangular tip waving behind him. “This isn’t a game.”

“I’m not playing. Ashtrr is right, why the hell are you an ass to me? Why do you hate me so much?”

His mouth moved like he was chewing his cheek. Just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer, he deflated and said, “I do not hate you.”

“Then why forbid me to do everything? Why lie about my health? Why try to control everything I do?”

He was gritting his teeth so loudly I could hear the gnashing. We stared at each other, neither of us willing to back down, until my communicator rang from my pocket.

Grtirr stared at me with those brooding, dark eyes, his posture stiff.

From the tone, I knew it was a message from Kat. But he didn’t need to know that. I saw how he’d reacted to Ashtrr. He’d nearly blown a gasket when he suspected there was some history between us, which was just infuriating considering Grtirr had no interest in me himself. He acted like touching me was a chore; he just didn’t want me to have any fun. The temptation to watch this grumpy alien’s head explode was just too delicious to pass up.

“Hey, look, that must be my date messaging. Have fun with—” I gestured vaguely toward the hulking mass of the hovercraft behind him before flashing him my sexiest smile. “Whatever this thing is. Try not to scuff the paint.”

“Your date?” Grtirr’s voice dropped a whole damned octave, turning all growly in a way that made my toes curl.

Ugh, why did my body have to react to him like this? It wasn’t fair. Didn’t it know that we literally hated each other?

“Bye.” I didn’t wait for the interrogation. I spun on my heel and skipped away, light on my socked feet.

I kept my quick pace, my heart thumping against my ribs with a mix of adrenaline and mischief. I didn’t let myself slow down until I reached the access ladder. I climbed with practiced ease, glad that Clara and I had been putting that swimming pond to good use. I was in the best shape of my life, which was pretty damn easy considering life was tough in Nova Vita.

Still, I was puffing slightly as I reached the upper deck and navigated the winding turns of the ship. By the time I reached the crew quarters hallway, Kat was already leaning against her door, waiting for me. So were Chris and Charlene.

Kat was our designated lifeline for this mission. I was in way over my head; I’d never actually done anything like this before. Unlike Dana, who had spent years as a media reporter, I was winging it. Chris and Charlene had also never done business with a corporation as large as Vossell Industries. Though, to Chris’s credit, he’d negotiated with both the Kadrixans and the Vokiren on their turf, so I knew he was made of tough stuff.

Kat had spent the bulk of her adult life trailing a few paces behind an uppity—and very corrupt—Nova Vitan councilor. She’d sat through enough dry diplomatic summits and back-room political deals for a lifetime. She’d seen it all and knew exactly what to do, so at least I knew I’d be learning from the best.

“Ready for your crash course?” she asked, her eyes landing on the empty cup I’d picked back up from next to the hatch.

Oops, I’d forgotten to drop that off in the kitchen.

“Where did you get that? I could do with some caffeine,” Chris said, pushing himself off his door frame.

“Me too,” Kat said.

“The replicators in the mess hall are working,” I told them, holding the cup up. “I need to go return this anyway.”

“That’s a plan,” Chris said with a wide grin. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 6: Grtirr

A date? The words had me clenching my fists into tight balls. Julie, my Julie, was going on a date? With whom?

I knew what dates were. They were part of human courting rituals, a way to test if someone would make a suitable life partner. Sometimes they just used them as an excuse to share sex. The thought of Julie sitting across from some male, laughing at his jokes, letting him touch her, made my claws dig into my palms hard enough to draw blood.

I gritted my teeth, suddenly unable to focus on my work.