Tess’s jaw began to twitch as though with fury, nose flaring, but she finally stepped back.
“Whatever…like she’s worth anything.” She turned, motioning for her girls to follow.
Kek laughed lowly, patting my shoulder. “What a bunch of toothless cunts.”
I stared at the floor.
“You’re welcome, by the way.” Kek leaned back, her hands going to her hips. “Looks as if I saved your ass from another beating. I mean, what the fuck? You were in bad shape when I left you last night. Did you actively go seek another fight?”
Slowly, I turned to her. Staring.
“What?”
“I don’t need your help. I am not a defenseless little lamb.”
“I can sense that. Believe me, I do not get any kind of weak vibe off you, which is why she had to challenge you with her buddies.” She leaned her weight on one foot. “But right now, you are not in the best condition. I don’t think you could have taken another beating. You can’t see yourself, but yeesh.” She cringed, motioning around my face and down my hunched figure.
If I looked half as bad as I felt on the inside, the outside must have been a horror show.
I studied Kek for a moment. Was I exchanging one bully for another one?
“Why are you protecting me? What’s in this for you?” The skin of my lip split at the tiny tug of my sneer. “You want me as your bitch? Is that it? Jump on the fresh meat, forcing me to become indebted to you?”
Kek folded her arms, tilting her head.
“Sexual favors? Slave? What is it?”
“I’m not against either one.” A grin hinted on her mouth. “But it’s not why.”
“Then why?”
Her eyes slid to the side, her shoulders rolling back. “I guess I just like you.”
“Like me?” I huffed. “You don’t even know me.”
“You seem cool.” She shrugged a shoulder, not looking at me. “I don’t have a lot of friends here.”
“And you thought we could be friends?” I turned fully to face her. “A human and a demon?”
Her blue eyes snapped to me.
“If you haven’t noticed, the normal rules don’t apply in here. Outside these walls, we might hate each other, try to kill the other, but in here, survival comes first. Not species.”
Trust was fragile, and I wanted to keep my walls up, but for some reason, I believed her. “Tad mentioned the other demons don’t like you. Why?”
A knowing smile pursed her lips. “Seeing if I’m a smart association to have?”
“As you said…it’s about survival in here.”
She chuckled, bobbing her head. “Fuck, I like you, little lamb.”
“So?”
“I find them tedious and boring.” Her eyes leveled with mine. “All they talk about is the good ol’ days. Lounging around resembling pampered royalty, living off the fear our kind can cause on the outside. They forget we are impotent in here.”
My lids narrowed.
“And I don’t like them.” Her arms went out. “Demons don’t usually tolerate each other. We don’t hang out in clubs or enjoy being around each other. We’re territorial with large egos. Here, all the rules are bent, forcing us together like a band that hates each other but still has to perform together. We aren’t a pack kind of species. We want to be the lone wolves. Leaders.”
“Way too many metaphors in your explanation.”
“See?” She gestured to me. “You have some sass. They are dull as shit.”
“But why don’t they like you?”
“Because I don’t care about reminiscing the old days before the wall fell. It’s gone. Get over it. I’m an in-the-present kind of girl. Plus, I tell them they are dull as shit and cunts.” She gripped the ends of her braid. “Not really a people person.”
Yeah. Me neither.
“Don’t worry; I won’t sit with you at lunch or anything. I have appearances to keep up as well.” She rolled her eyes as she traveled to the toilets. “And the sexual favors…they will only be once a week.” She winked over her shoulder.
“Kek.”
“Kidding.” She laughed. “Though once you go demon…”
Hobbling after her, I didn’t even hesitate a moment to use the toilet. Funny how fast your standards dropped away when survival becomes your number one priority.
Chapter 15
If food fell on the floor in the Markos’ dining room, the idea of picking it up and eating it would be scandalous. Uncivilized. Here, hunger had made me do just that at breakfast. Even beat up, I was about to cut an asshole for toast.
All I got was a half-eaten slice of bread and lukewarm coffee, but it was a