Page 2 of Their Beast Mate

She shook her head and moved her cart along the hallway. "You humans amuse me. You have blunt teeth, weigh as much as a duster, and paint your fingernails that break when you wash plates. If someone attacked you, what would you do?"

"Talk my way out of it.” It wasn't like I didn't known nearly everyone in the building wanted to have sex, so I chose my partners carefully. There were only a few I enjoyed. "Also, I could run."

"They're faster. They'd catch you. Then what?"

"I'd try to speak to them again."

"No. Just no. Them boys talk about you, them boys like you, but none of them are your… pair. None of them are worth losing this paid wage over. You hear me, girl?"

"None of them are my pair. I hear you." Although I knew this already, from what Shanice told me about mating, my shoulders slumped.

And what do you know? Betrile patted my hand. "Hey, there, now. It's only because… well, because. It has nothing to do with you. Take the machete. Don't lose this job over any of them."

I was processing her speech, when she pointed at the door behind me. “Two of the Alpha Beast’s warriors are coming in later today. We need that room to shine. Start there."

My trainer shut the door across from where I stood. I looked down the hall. It was nine and change in the morning, so beasts had gone about their day. Some lingered, however. Like the one leaning against the doorjamb—completely naked with pale eyes and claws. I smiled and lifted my machete. "I'm licensed to maim today." I waved the damned weapon, careful not to drop it and cut my feet off.

He laughed.

I winked at him, then knocked twice on the door. "Housekeeping." The door opened. I was pretty sure some kind of tech scanned me, to confirm I really was the housekeeper. I entered the room, and the door closed. "Housekeeping," I shouted, in case anyone occupied the room and hadn't heard me from the outside. I left the cart in the middle of the space that held two beds and a pair of nightstands. All appeared shiny, except for a bit of dust covering the entertainment center and the large chest in the corner. Duster rag in hand, I started with the chest.

It had a lock.

Of course I didn't try to open it, though it was left unlocked.

Still, I wondered about its contents. If I ever had a chest in my house, it would be filled with toys. And not the for-babies variety. I giggled at my dirty thoughts and proceeded to daydream about the bracelet I’d buy with my first paycheck.

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