Page 52 of Galaxy Games Four-Book Box Set (Galaxy Games)

52

The Best Thing to Happen Today

J ahzara Zedd

I love the money, but I hate my job. Sometimes I forget I conceived and pitched this concept to the network. Many network owners are high up on the Galactic Federation. They like keeping the masses entertained while subtly reminding them that people who don’t cooperate can receive unpleasant consequences.

Take the big, black-furred geneslave for example. My Federation contact told me to saddle him with the worst partner in the room. Although I’m not certain why, it was fun to watch his proud posture deflate as male after male was chosen before him.

The human female he was paired with will certainly be a liability in some of the challenges we have planned.

My work here is done. My vessel is waiting to take me back to headquarters. I can oversee the rest of The Game from there.

I can’t wait to get this over with. If it ends as planned, I’m counting on a generous bonus.

Sadie

Wow! Things are getting better and better. I mean, what were the odds I’d wind up with my first choice? I have to admit, my feelings are kind of bruised. I knew I wouldn’t be among the top choices, but last choice? That’s harsh.

Whatever. I’ve got Anubis.

When I glance at him, though, those gorgeous blue canine eyes are slit in anger. I might be happy with my partner, but I don’t think the feeling is mutual.

“Your cabins are numbered one through fifty in Universal. Your cabin number is the number of your team,” one of the staff says through overhead comms. “Follow the lights on the floor.”

We follow the lights and the other 98 people.

“Do you read Universal?” I ask.

He nods.

I wonder if he can talk. I mean, it is probably hard to articulate around all those sharp fangs. He still hasn’t said a word. Maybe no talking might be a good thing. We won’t be able to argue, right?

We find our door at the end of the hall. It looks similar to the cabin I had on my graduation cruise. It’s tiny, with no windows and a shower compartment so small I doubt Anubis will fit.

There aren’t any cute towel animals on this cruise, though. Instead, there are two piles of clothes at the foot of our bed, each topped with a backpack. We each grab a pack and inspect what’s inside. I dump everything out. He pulls each item out individually in an orderly, almost military, fashion.

His presence in this room seems bigger than when we were out in the hall. I knew he was tall and muscular, but standing here a few feet from each other points out our differences.

“What’s this?” I ask as I pick up a cylinder that’s shorter and slimmer than a pencil.

“Match.”

He talks! Damn. I was looking at the match and not his face. I want to see how he manages to speak. Of course, the sound of his language is nothing like English. Luckily, the subdural translator works well.

“One match?” That seems pretty stingy.

“Perpetual.”

“Oh.” It’s like a butane lighter. I guess that was a pretty dumb question.

There are what look like meal replacement bars and a canteen full of liquid. He takes a sip, then nods to me, indicating I should taste mine. I guess he’s not long on trust and wanted to ensure it was really water.

There’s a thin silver thing folded into a perfect square. When I open it, it’s big enough to use as a blanket, although it folds to the size of a piece of paper. He didn’t bother to unfold his. When I glance at him for explanation, he says, “Field blanket.”

I spend an inordinate amount of time re-folding until it’s perfect, then paw through the rest of the bag. There’s a wrist-comm in the front compartment. I’ll play with it later to make sure I know how to use it.

Also in the pouch is a four-inch multi-purpose knife, not sure what that’s for. He picks up his knife, then holds out his palm, and without thinking, I hand mine to him.

Holy shit! Did I just hand over a weapon to a male I’m going to be sharing a bed with? A male with, I glance over to confirm, fangs and sharp claws? That was perhaps the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. As a sudden flash of fear zaps through me, I force myself to take a couple of deep breaths to calm the sudden surge of adrenaline.

He stalks to the chair at the tiny table and uses the two blades to sharpen each other. I edge closer to watch. My dad had a fancy sharpening stone. Anubis is using the same angle and the same technique as my dad, but he doesn’t need a sharpening stone.

After a few moments honing each knife, he lifts his palm and shaves from his hairless palm up toward his wrist. He keeps grinding until both knives are sharp enough to shave his hair.

“Do you think we’re going to need the knives?” I ask.

He swivels his head slowly toward me, his brows lowered in consternation.

“What kind of game do you think this is?” he asks.

“I’d envisioned an Amazing Race scenario. Ms. Zedd said we’d go from point A to point B. I figured the hardest thing would be learning how to drive a hover.” I’ve been driven in hovers twice since I arrived in space. I think driving one would be fun.

“Amazing Race?”

How can anyone look so handsome when they’re glowering? The tips of his canines are peaking between his lips. Why, instead of scaring me, does it make desire pool low in my belly? And his tail is flicking, low to the ground. Reminds me of a cat right before he pounces. I don’t think we’re getting off to a great start.

“Yeah. The teams take off on this wild race, having to follow maps and outsmart the competition. And they’ll make it fun.”

He pauses as he looks me up and down. “What species are you?”

“Human. From Earth.”

“How long have you been off your planet?”

“Thirty-two days.”

“Your planet was… nice? You had fun? You got your needs met? You had… parents?”

I had parents ? Doesn’t everybody? “Yes.”

“Things are different here. We’re going to win even if I have to carry you every step of the way, but you have to be prepared. Nothing is fun. Nothing is easy. Expect to be tricked at every turn. We have to prepare. Try on the clothes and shoes they provided. I hope they fit better than what you’re wearing or I’ll have to make alterations.”

Alterations? By the look on his face, I’m not sure whether he wants to alter the clothes, or me.

A couple of days ago, they measured my feet. The shoes I try on fit perfectly and feel great to walk in. When I glance at his pile, I see they gave him sturdy black military boots.

I breathe a sigh of relief in the bathroom when the jeans-like pants and long-sleeved shirt fit well. My braless state, while no big deal in the horrendous ball gown, is going to be a definite handicap while running a race.

When I emerge from the bathroom, I lift my arms and ask, “Okay?” Not that I need his approval. It just seems he has a better idea of what to expect than I do.

He nods, then appears to see me for the first time. The nods become slower as he uses them to inspect me up and down. For a moment, I thought he might be interested, but that’s squashed when he says, “You’re even smaller than I thought.”

He doesn’t hide his disappointment in my stature.

“Can you grab a knife and help me cut this up?” I ask as I hold up my dress.

He lifts an eyebrow and approaches without the knife.

“We’ll need…” I start to say, but he interrupts by holding up one finger tipped by a very sharp claw.

I direct him to cut two squares of cloth, then return to the bathroom. One day when I was still in high school, I folded two of my dad’s bandanas into triangles, then tied them in a knot between my breasts, at the nape of my neck, and behind my back. It made a halter top that was effective at keeping the girls in place and looked pretty sexy to boot.

I tie the front and neck knots, but skip tying the back after I assure myself it will fit. After removing it, I slip into the now shortened blue gown, then return to the bedroom to go to sleep.

His back is to me as he re-packs my pack. He’s nothing if not efficient. When he turns to look at me, he asks, “What are you doing?”

“Going to bed. We’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

He shakes his head. “You didn’t listen to what I told you. There will be surprises, although they’ll be less surprising if we’re prepared. You’re going to sleep in your clothes, your pack will be ready to go, sitting near the doorway. Your knife is on your bedside table in case someone enters without permission during the night.” He tips his head, pointing at the bathroom door with his chin. “Change.”

After stalking to the bathroom for the third time, I decide to take a shower to cool off and have a moment to think. First, I give myself credit for rolling with a lot of punches over the last month. I mean, stolen from my bed, the two miserable auctions, the pairing ceremony where I was picked last, the aliens , for goodness sakes.

Then I take a moment to hate handsome Anubis, who, by the way, hasn’t even asked my name. Well, I haven’t asked his name, either. Now that I’ve calmed down, I accept I’m a stranger in a strange land. He’s lived here his whole life. If he thinks shit is about to turn real, I’ll follow his instincts.

After toweling dry, I put on my bottoms, but can’t quite tie the knot on my halter. Walking into the room, I turn my back to him and ask for his help. No help is forthcoming for so long, I finally turn to look at him. He’s standing near the table. I’m at the foot of the bed. By the look on his face, it’s very clear he heard me.

Jackals are like wolves, right? Because the phrase, “all the better to eat you up,” is ringing loudly in my ears.

He’s looking at me as if he’s never seen a woman before. Hands at his sides, body stiff like it’s at attention, and gaze glued to me.

“Uh…” I’d say his name to call him back from wherever his mind ran away to, but I don’t know it. “What’s your name?”

“1213.”

He says it “twelve thirteen,” although he gives me no eye contact, just eats me up with his gaze.

“Can you tie this? So I can put on my clothes, go to bed, to wait for the surprise?”

Oh shit. I was talking about the surprise he warned me about. Does he think I’m talking about the package he’s packing under that black leather kilt?

He steps closer, efficiently ties the knot at my back, then takes a shower.

I go to bed wondering how Twelve is going to fit on this mattress and what he’s going to do to me when he gets out here.

I must have fallen asleep, because I’m woken by earsplitting klaxons and red lights blaring.

By the time I pry my eyes open, Twelve is at the door grabbing his bag and giving me a look that says I should get my ass moving. Where did he sleep? Or did he sleep at all?

“Follow the lights on the floor to the exit ramp. The order you arrive will determine your starting order,” a male voice says over comms. Because of Twelve’s forward-thinking, we’re out the door in less than a minute.

1213

Although we were at the end of the hall, we arrive second at the exit ramp. While we wait, holding a tag with the number two on it, I consider what might come next. As I do that, the reality of the situation hits me.

I was irritated last night when I was chosen last at the pairing ceremony. It just convinced me the game is rigged. I’m going to have to try twice as hard as anyone else to win this game. My partner seems motivated to win, which may be the only thing she has going for her. I wasn’t nice to her. I should rectify that because she doesn’t want to be here any more than I do and she’s been kind.

“What’s your name?”

“Sadie.”

“When they tell us to start, there’s going to be a surge from behind. You could get trampled. I suggest you climb on my back until we’re out of the melee.”

I thought it was a considerate suggestion. The look on her face indicates otherwise. Her mouth pops open as if she’s ready to give a surly retort, then snaps closed as she appears to think better of it.

“You think it will be that bad?”

“Yes.” I remove my pack and put it on my front so it covers my chest. It will throw off my balance a bit, but not enough to make a difference. “As soon as they say start, put your hands on my shoulders and jump. I’ll do the rest.”

“I’m not helpless.”

“I understand. But you are the shortest person in this game. By far. And you’re not strong.”

She nods, slides behind me, then places her hands on my waist as she readies herself.

I’ve never touched a female before. No. That’s not true. I’ve been touched by females. There were several at the genefarm. Some medics and some scientists. They touched me when they wanted. Never, not once, was their touch pleasant, or even neutral.

Sadie’s hands are soft, respectful. Even when she’s jostled from behind and stumbles against me, she tries not to hurt me. I make a promise to myself to be nicer to her. I was quiet last night, angry, but she’s done nothing to harm me and we need to work together. I have a feeling being awakened by klaxons in the middle of the night is the best thing that will happen to us today.