Page 81 of Victoria's Discovery

Thorn growled something under his breath that did not sound at all complementary and twisted around to scowl at him from under thebreffast nuk, whatever in the six hells that was supposed to be. It just looked like a table in the corner to him with a long, padded bench behind it and a smaller bench in front. Why not just call it a corner table?

“Why are females so damned confusing? They cannot even call a table a table. Each table has to have a different, nonsensical name.”

“What in the six hells are you going on about? No, no. Do not answer. I do not want to know. And I take it back. You are worse than a jilted norfdul!”

Had he said all that aloud? Well he blamed the lack of sleep.

Between the mad dash to get everyone in the complex outfitted with Rellik’s Veiling resistance chip, making sure everything was in place for Aria and her raiding party, his duties as a General solving problems and settling squabbles, running off to work on this house every available hour, and then being unable to sleep at night for thinking of Vee, Thegan was exhausted.

“If you do not stop just standing around, I will throw this bench at your head!”

Blinking, Thegan frowned down at his friend. “Well, you are awfully ill-tempered this day! Are you not sleeping, either?”

Thorn made good on his threat, so Thegan decided to be the better person and leave him to his growling.

“I will just have to try harder so she cannot avoid me,” he mumbled under his breath as he entered the complex, rubbing at the new knot on his forehead.

“She sounds like a fool.”

At the purring voice, Thegan jerked to a stop and frowned down at the female who’d just come around the corner, standing unexpectedly and uninvitedly close.

How in the hells did she sneak up on me?

The temptation to snap at her for speaking of Vee in such a way was strong, but sleep deprivation had not robbed him completely of his senses. As a General it was his duty to behave diplomatically. Still, he could not keep the irritation entirely from his voice.

“Do you require assistance?”

She smiled playfully, baring fangs, and hummed, “Oh, indeed. Much assistance.”

As though her blatant suggestion and offensive leer were not disturbing enough, she reached out with the clear intention of running her claws over his ‘jeens.’ Grimacing, Thegan stepped back before her touch could land.

A frown flickered across her brow at his withdrawal, but it was quickly replaced by a predatory grin and a flash of anticipation in her cold, orange eyes. “Mmm, you wish to play, then?”

Perhaps his patience had taken a blow after all, because at that Thegan quit trying to soften his grimace of distaste. Voice flat and expression turning stony, he clipped, “No.”

He narrowed his eyes at the outrage that twisted her features, turning her previously unexceptional face into something ugly and cruel, surprised at how upset she was when he thought he’d been rather mild with his rejection.

“You would deny me?” she hissed, fangs now bared in a snarl instead of a smile.

“Yes. Now move, female.”

Outrage turned to pure fury, leaving her shaking with the force of it. For a moment, Thegan wondered if the foolish hess was going to attack him. She may be large for a female, her eyes at level with his chin, and have fangs and claws to aid her, but she would not fare well should she try.

Fortunately, for her sake, she reined herself in before she did something ill-advised. With gritted teeth, she smoothed out her expression into something no less angry, but significantly colder.

“You will regret that.”

Entirely unable to help himself, Thegan snorted. “Doubtful.”

Stepping around her, he continued down the hall to the elevator, mind already turned back to Vee and how he could follow her around like a love-sick norfdul withoutlookinglike he was following her around like a love-sick norfdul.

* * *

Victoria madeappropriate noises at the enthusiastic, one-sided conversation Snitch was having as they headed for her room at the end of the day, but she was busy trying to untangle the puzzle that was Thegan. Not so much that she couldn’t keep an eye out for Catty, though. She’d definitely learned her lesson about wandering around daydreaming.

It seemed like every time she turned around that day, Thegan had been there, ready to help, or offer her a snack, or just to smile at her. Which was… really damn confusing even if, admittedly, she’d also liked it. A lot.

If nothing else, it made the Herculean task of outfitting the entire remaining population of the complex with Rellik’s chip a little less tedious and daunting.

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