Page 7 of Pyne

“I didn’t exactly say I didn’t want to eat, Becca. Slaves—and former slaves—never turn down an opportunity for food. You never know where your next meal is coming from.”

“Fair enough.” She gives me a small, understanding smile before grabbing the room service menu and scanning it intently. “Hmm, the Crater Cakes are surprisingly delicious, despite the unappetizing name. And the Starlight Stew is my personal favorite.”

I lean back in my chair, watching as she appears to silently command herself to pull it together. Her shoulders straighten, her graceful neck elongates, and her jaw sets with conviction. Even after the crushing defeat we just suffered, Becca’sresilience and determination shine through. It’s a quality I’ve come to appreciate in our short time together.

“Order whatever you think is best, chef. I trust your judgment.” I flash her a grin. “Well, in food choices, at least. Your taste in baking partners might need some work.”

She glances up from the menu, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “Oh, I don’t know, Pyne. You may be a disaster in the kitchen, but you keep things interesting.”

I clutch my heart in mock hurt. “Disaster? You wound me, Becca. And here I thought we were bonding over our shared culinary catastrophe.”

I lean forward, my expression turning serious. “Speaking of which… I want to apologize again for being the weakest link in our little endeavor. I know how much winning this competition means to you, and I feel like I let you down.”

Becca sets down the menu, her gaze softening. “Pyne, you don’t need to apologize. We’re a team, remember? We win or lose together.”

She reaches across the table and places her hand over mine, sending a jolt of awareness from the point of contact straight to my cock. “Besides, it’s not like I was expecting you to be a master baker. You’re a gladiator, not a pastry chef.”

I chuckle, turning my hand over to lace my fingers with hers. “True. But I still want to pull my weight. I may not be able towhip up a perfect soufflé, but I’m determined to help us come out on top.”

“I know you tried hard today.” She squeezes my hand gently. “And that’s what matters. We’ll figure this out together. Even if it means a few more kitchen disasters along the way.”

Our gazes collide, speaking about more than flour and baking powder. Becca does us both a favor by cutting the awkward silence with, “Now, let’s order some food and strategize for tomorrow’s immunity challenge. I have a feeling your non-baking skills might come in handy.”

As Becca picks up the communicator to place our order, it strikes me how different this is than what I bargained for when I came to this planet. When I agreed to that cestus match, I never imagined I’d end up in a high-stakes baking competition, let alone partnered with a pretty human who makes my heart race and my tail twitch.

But as we sit here, laughing, plotting, and making fun of our competition over a meal of local delicacies, I realize that maybe this detour could lead to something even sweeter than victory. And I find myself looking forward to every messy, thrilling, sugar-coated moment of it.

Chapter Six

Becca

The studio is abuzz with nervous energy as we gather for the immunity challenge. Glancing around at the other teams, I size up our competition. There’s the sleek, insectoid duo from Zorgax Prime, their antennae twitching with anticipation. The zombie couple looks decidedly low energy. The burly, reptilian siblings from Gorn look like they could crush a car with their bare claws. And the ethereal, shimmering beings from Iridia seem to float above the fray, their delicate features betraying no emotion.

I feel a nudge at my side and turn to see Pyne, his tail flicking behind him. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us, eh, sugarplum?”

I can’t help but smile at the nickname, even as I roll my eyes. “How do you know what a sugarplum is?”

“I’ve lived onboard theDevil’s Playgroundfor a standard year with a group of human women. I know a bit about your culture, some of your holidays, and I even know a well-used human word—fuck.”

Honestly, I can’t tell if he meant that as a joke or not, but I quip, “Well, let’s not let the competition fuck us over. Right?”

He chuckles, the sound igniting something deep in my gut, maybe lower. “That’s the spirit, Becca. We’ll show ‘em what Team… what are we called again?”

“Arisha called us the Galactic Love Muffins.” I wonder how much the highly paid consultants got for that stupid moniker.

“Ah, right. Well, we’ll show ‘em what we Love Muffins are made of!”

As if on cue, Arisha sashays onto the stage, her sequined dress casting pinpricks of light across the room. “Welcome back, bakers!” She pauses, spears Pyne with an apologetic look and says, “Welcome back, bakers andgladiator. I hope you’re ready for a challenge that’s out of this world!”

She pauses for dramatic effect, her gaze sweeping over the remaining assembled teams. “Today, you’ll compete in a cosmic obstacle course that will test your speed, agility, and teamwork. But there’s a twist!”

A holographic display flickers to life behind her, showing a dizzying array of floating platforms, tunnels, and barriers, all revolving around a central, glowing orb.

“You’ll be navigating this course in zero gravity!” Arisha announces gleefully. “Each team must work together to collect as many stardust tokens as possible from the orb and make it back to their starting platform within the time limit. The team with the most tokens wins immunity for the baking challenge.”

Murmurs of excitement and anxiety ripple through the group. My stomach flutters with nerves, as I bunch my lips in worry. Then I remind myself this is exactly the kind of challenge where Pyne’s gladiator skills could shine—if I don’t drag us both down.

As if reading my mind, he leans in close, his breath warm against my ear. “Don’t worry, sugarplum. I’ve got this. Stick close and follow my lead.”

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