Page 31 of Rebel Fates

Tethered naked on the bed, I am utterly vulnerable.

Instead of approaching me, he sits down on a chair by the door and stares at me.

He’s much more reserved than he was before my escape attempt and getting sick on Leva’s fuel. It’s disconcerting how much his behavior has shifted toward me. I don’t like it.

“What?” I ask with a snip.

“I’m trying to figure you out,” he says simply.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” My forehead crinkles in confusion.

Then suddenly, the intense body heat I had when Serrat washandlingme is gone. I shiver and pull my legs closer to my body in a vain attempt to stay warm.

“Are you cold?”

When I nod, Zeek stands up, finds a thin blanket and tucks it over me.

I don’t thank him. I could have done it myself if they did not strap me down. And he should have thought of giving me a blanket long before now.

He sits on the side of the bed and stares at me again. It’s a little unnerving. He isn’t quite like bulls on Earth, he is a predator, and my subconscious doesn’t like his predatory eyes staring at me like I’m what’s for dinner.

“What are you trying to figure out?” I ask.

“I’ve seen a few humans, but never talked to one. I thought humans were more docile than you seem to be.”

“I’m sure the people you saw were slaves, beaten down.” I grimace. “They’d given up.”

“You don’t seem like you would ever give up,” Zeek says with admiration.

My eyes burn with unshed tears. I’ve given up plenty of times before. I remind myself that I also pulled myself out of those dangerous situations.

Zeek notices my mood change and frowns. But he says nothing about the reddening of my eyes. Instead, he continues his thought, “Even if it was brave of you, I advise to not pull on Serrat’s ears again. You escaped the Tirbs. But you fight us, even when we are only trying to help.”

“Serrat said I’m not safe here. The way he orders me around and doesn’t tell me what’s going on… well, it doesn’t exactly feel like he wants to help me.”

“We didn’t kill you.” Zeek shrugs. “We don’twantto kill you.”

I try to keep myself calm and breathe slowly. That seems like that would be their usual move with a trespasser. “Do you kill a lot?”

“Enough.” He drops his gaze.

“Why?” I dare to ask. “To protect yourselves or because you like to do it?”

“Sometimes, it’s necessary.” He looks up and studies my face. “Does that make you hate me?”

“I don’t know the details. So, no?” I shake my head. “There have been times when I thought I was going to have to kill to survive.”

“Since you left Earth? With us?”

“Before I left…. And with the Tirbs. But I haven’t thought I needed to kill you three, even though I have been worried what might happen to me.”

“I don’t mean to scare you.” His golden eyes dim.

“You haven’t. Serrat did a bit.”

He leans in. “Don’t worry, we’ll try to keep you alive.”

Try?

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