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And Rane’s body language was an open book.
He laughed derisively. “What? Nothing to say? Didn’t realize you were stupid as well as ugly, puny human!”
He was sweating. That wasn’t water dripping down his neck or off his temple. His eyes were just a bit too wide. Crazed. His hands were still clenched into tight fists. If it weren’t for the golden claw caps he wore, no doubt he’d be cutting into his own palms. That was either a sign of deep fear or deep rage, but she didn’t think this was anger. Nothing else about his body language matched up to that.
He took a step her way, scoffing. “I can’t believe you actually even came here. I mean, how foolish can a person get? Is naivety and gullibility a trait of humans? You just go off into the unknown chasing after a male you’ve never even spoken to before?!”
What was he afraid of? Certainly not her. Then, his mother?
Ah. Yes, that had to be it. His mother had been the one to bring her here. She must have been the one sending Sandy those romantic messages promising her all good things. For whatever reason, Elffa brought Sandy here as a mate for her son, and that made Rane absolutely terrified. Whatever his mother was planning was a horror he couldn’t bear, so it was better that he lash out and insult her than risk her remaining here.
“You’re really just going to sit there?” He laughed, the sound bordering on unhinged, as he took another step her way. “Go on! Say something! Prove you’re not as useless of a lump as you look! Huh!?”
So, then, that brought up a question: Was this an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend situation, or a no-friends-on-either-side situation?
“I should have known,” he continued, walking right over to her. Looming over her. Doing his best to look intimidating when his crest was only giving sad, wet bird vibes.
That was how people used the word ‘vibes’ right? She actually hadn’t gotten to use the word before, so she hoped she was doing it right. Slang changed so fast; it really was impossible to keep up with if you weren’t involved with people regularly.
Maybe she shouldn’t even bother. She definitely wasn’t going to involve herself with people after all this. The moment she got back to Earth, she’d find a new home out at the end of a long, empty drive and make that her own old lady house. She didn’t want adventures this bad. No, instead, she’d settle for space to sit and knit in the sunshine, with a room just for her projects, and a nice kitchen with-
“Are you even listening?” Rane demanded to know, jerking her back to reality. “Stop ignoring me, you… you…”
Sandy blinked as he struggled to find a word. Driven to the brink by her insistence on silence. But he had yet to prove he deserved her words, and she was getting a lot out of him just by watching. So, she kept her tongue as he sputtered, then turned with a huff.
“Fine. Sit there. Doing nothing! I don’t care what you do!” He walked back to the other side of the room, then turned back around, glaring at her. “Y-You think I don’t have so many more, better females, huh? I fuck a new one each night! I don’t even remember their names. You think I’ll remember someone as… as… you!”
Oh, he was starting to spiral. That was probably bad. She was half tempted to say something now, but, again, she kept her silence.
And that made him insane because he was stomping back towards her, raging in the face of her equanimity.
“You really think you can be mated to me?” He asked, breathless and wild. “I’m famous! I’m infamous! Everyone knows that I’m a whore! A druggie! A drunkard! There isn’t a vice I haven’t been treated for overdosing on! I’ve had orgies with multiple females and still came out of it unsatisfied! Ha ha! And you think you can please me! You really think you’re a good match for me, huh? You’re delusional!”
Spiraling hard. His word choices were pretty interesting too. He didn’t say there wasn’t a drug he hadn’t enjoyed, he said overdosed on. And no female satisfied him didn’t sound like he was just too much to please, but more like he was unable to be pleased.
Interesting.
And very telling.
“Say something!” He roared, his voice breaking as he rushed towards her-
-only to trip over his own feet and collapse onto all fours before her. Breathing hard. A sound suspiciously like a choked cry coming from his throat as his head drooped and his back arched up, like he was about to be sick.
“Just say something,” he begged, hands shaking, claw caps digging into the carpet.
She was silent, watching him without comment as he broke down in front of her.
“Please…” he finally gasped, sitting back.
He wasn’t crying, but his expression was devastated. Staring at her with such fathomless despair, it struck her right in the chest. He was really hurting. Not because of her silence. Whatever was happening between him and his mother, he was just as much a victim – if not more.
Sandy finally moved. She leaned forward, taking his face in her hands. He flinched like she might be about to strike him, but her touch was soft as she stroked his cheeks.
“It’s okay,” she told him simply. “You’re okay.”
He blinked, then his entire face collapsed. Broken. He sobbed once, his eyes filling with tears as he grabbed for her. Desperate. Needy. He latched onto her like a drowning man clutching for the only piece of driftwood in a tumultuous sea. Her legs opened, welcoming him, as he buried his face into her belly and cried.
“Sh,” she whispered, stroking his crest with one hand, his back with the other.
