Page 61 of Captured By the Scaled Outlaw
“Then don’t go back.”
I grunt, angry, my jaw clenched.
“‘Don’t go back’?” I shake my head disapprovingly. “You think I’ll relinquish my total freedom to stay imprisoned forever in that damned facility? Are you stupid?” I ball my fists. “Ihaveto go back to my life, you ingrate.”
Lowell wiggles his eyebrows, amused. “I love when you call me horrible names with the same mouth that choked on my cock.”
I blink so fast I’m dizzy. My face is dusted with pink.
Tilting his head, he leans forward. “You know I love it when you’re angry with me, yet you do it anyway.”
Coughing, I find my voice although it’s meek. “Because I hate you,” I say.
He smiles so wide his eyes close. “You do, huh? Then I guess I won’t ask you to join Gaia 4.I never intended to put you back in a cell. That’d be stupid. With your talents, we’d be on the same team.”
My eyes go wide, blood draining from my face. “Huh?”
He must be having fever-induced delusions.
“Your intelligence is being wasted on bureaucracy and worthlesspaperwork. Toiling away for decades with nothing to show for it, not even a dent made in the massive, oppressive machine. In the years you’ve worked there, what have you accomplished? More railways and pipelines have been built than habitats restored, more species extinct than rehabilitated.” The smug look on his face boils my blood. “With Nilsan, you’re screaming into the wind. But with me, you can accomplish your goals… as well as satisfy the desires you’re forced to suppress.” His tone is arrogant — not that I’d expect anything less. But this time, it grates on my nerves more than usual and I’m unsure why.
I turn my face away from him. “I don’t want to talk about this. We’ve already discussed this; I’m not like you, I’ll never be like you, and I’m not joining your terrorist organization.”
Lowell shrugs. “You’ll come back to me. I know it.”
Come back,as if he’s somehowhomefor me, something to return to. My face is so red, I fear a vein might burst. Insecurity drills into my brain like a worm, doubt layered across every thought.
“You’re too sure of yourself, asshole.”
Laying his head on the bedroll, he closes his eyes. “And you’re in denial. Forever a gentle idealist with a loose grip on reality.”
I’m fuming to the point where my teeth are clenched, my eyes wide with an accusatory finger pointed.
“Stop trying to intellectualize everything I do! Maybe if you spent a fraction of your brain power and charisma trying to secure an alliance with any neighboring cities — whohateNilsan — you’d be better off. But instead, you chose to tormentme, someone who wantsnothingto do with you, like the damned idiot you are.”
Lowell recoils, his eyes shooting open in surprise.
I exhale shakily, pinching the bridge of my nose while regaining my composure. When I look back at Lowell, his eyes carry hurt.
There is a pang of regret in my heart. I didn’t mean to speak with him with such vitriol. But maybe there are some truths to his words,truths I’m willfully ignoring.
“I’m sorry… that was harsh,” I sigh, cradling my head in my hands.
Lowell shifts positions, still cautious of me. His expression remains wounded.
“Listen, you have a valid point, but I’ve tried to speak with government leaders about pooling resources to thwart Nilsan. They all made it clear they wanted nothing to do with me. I’ve racked up quite a reputation, as you know.”
“Did you ever try again, recently?” I ask, darting my gaze to anywhere but his. “With political tension on the rise, they may be more willing.”
He shakes his head. “No. Being called a godless, brainless monster by nearly every leader has a way of putting a person off of diplomacy.”
Now it’s my turn to be surprised. “What? Did they call you that? To yourface?”
“Yeah,” he replies solemnly, hiding behind a grin that doesn’t extend to his eyes. “I found out pretty early into the creation of Gaia 4 that my species was universally hated. A long history of aggression doesn’t mix well with cities that value peace.”
My heart softens, mouth dropping ajar.
“I’m not as stupid as you think, May.” He scratches at the scales below the base of his skull. “I was just a kid when I started all of this, so I’ve made a lot of mistakes that I can’t take back. Even if I have regrets, I don’t waste time living in them, even if it’s uncomfortable.” Lowell’s tone is pointed and confident.
