Of Another Dimension (21 page)

"Fuck you! Chub!" I yelled, glaring at him.

"You little..."

Chub came running in and hopped up on the bed.

"This isn't over," Teivel warned.

I made a fake whimpering noise and Chub growled a warning at Teivel.

Heh. Heh.

Teivel pointed a finger at Chub.

"You ungrateful little mutt! I saved you from those assholes that were trying to terminate you and
this
is the thanks I get?!"

Chub nipped at his finger.

Good boy!

Teivel pulled his hand back and stomped from the room, slamming the door shut behind him with a jarring thud.

I stared at the closed door for a few minutes.

I settled once I knew he was really gone.

Contemplating all that he'd said, I groaned and pushed my hair off of my face.

Face it
, Lil, ol’ girl, you
are
being a little dramatic...

...you could have at least talked to them before they left and sorted it all out... or shouted at them... maybe smacked them a
round a little...

But nooo, what happened?

Hiding in the bedroom under the blankets like a spoiled... youngling.

"Alright
, Lil, you have four days and then you have to put on your big girl panties and sort this all out," I coached myself.

I got up, went to the bathroom, stripped down and hopped into the bath tub.

I really don't think I'll ever get used to calling it a bathing bowl...

I soaped up my hair and let it sit for a minute. I leaned forward a little to 'shoo' Chub away from the tub when soap got in my eyes.

"Ow! Shit!" I closed my eyes and tried to wipe the soap off of them.

"Oh
, great, you're up!"

"Get out!" I scolded, eyes still shut and burning like hell.

"Hurry up!"

"Why are you still here?" I shrieked.

"Oh, right."

There was a snick and the bathroom door shut.

I let my legs slide down so they weren't hiding my good bits anymore.

"Stupid soap," I muttered, scrubbing at my eyes, "Stupid Sodradens and their stupid boundary issues."

I held my breath and ducked under the water.

Sinking to the bottom, I ran my fingers through my hair and made sure all the soap was out.

I blinked my eyes open a couple of times and relief washed through me.

They don't sting anymore!

I looked around under the water and glanced up at the ceiling.

A red face peered down at me from over the rim of the tub and I screamed under the water, bubbles rushing up to the surface as I raged at 'T'.

He reached a hand down into the water and pulled me up by my hair, yellow eyes regarding me steadily.

I splutter
ed and coughed as I surfaced. Reaching up, I tried to pry his hand off, but it didn't budge.

Thrashing around, all I managed to do was tug on my hair as he held me captive.

I cussed and spit at him, spewing expletives any potty mouth would be proud of.

Didn't faze him.

"You can't kill yourself
now
," he said impatiently, ignoring my tirade, "I told Kieve and Sieren I'd watch over you."

He let out a long suffering sigh and glanced
down at my breasts.

"Besides..." he murmured distractedly,
leaning forward to try and get a peek at me under the water, "I'm hungry and everything I try to make always comes out burnt. You need to feed me."

Oh! I'm going to kill him!
I raged.

"Chub! Chub!" I called out, splashing water at him.

There was a snarl and a thud from the other side of the bathroom door, followed by a few more.

Teivel grinned.

I glared.

"Get your other half to cook for you," I snapped.

He let go of my hair and waved his hand on the plate that drains the water.

I to
ssed the soap container at him.

It hit him i
n the shoulder and bounced off.

Once again, he was unfazed.

Stupid bastard didn't even flinch.

He rummaged under the sink and popped back up when he found a towel, tossing it at my face.

"Hurry up!" he called out cheerfully, "Time's
a
wastin'."

"I hate you," I grumbled
, my voice muffled from the towel.

I tugged it off and saw his retreating back as the bedroom door shut behind him.

"This is gonna be a
long
four days," I groaned.

"You should have kissed and ma
de up with your men!" Teivel called out gleefully from the hall. "Now you're stuck with
me!
"

He cackled maniacally.

"I am soooo spitting in his food," I growled.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!" I bellowed back.

****

"What happened in here?" I asked dumbfounded as I gaped at the kitchen.

This is madness!

Pans and pots were strewn everywhere and ingredients were scattered all over the counters, trickling down onto the floor.

Unidentifiable globs and liquids were on the floor and the table.

Ewww!

"I told you. Everything I try to make, I burn."

He shrugged and walked over to a blackened pan, sniffing a little at the contents.

He gagged and cupped his hand over his mouth, holding the pan out in front of him.

He rushed to the backdoor and opened it, swiftly tossing the pan out.

"What the hell did you do in here? I can't cook in this... insanity!"

I turned around to leave, but he grabbed the back of my shirt, holding me in place.

"Where do you think
you're
going?" he growled and yanked me back.

"Where do you
think
I'm going, satan?! I'm running for cover! I want to be protected when one of your creations tries to
eat
you! Release me!"

"I'm hungry and I want food.
You
are going to make it," he demanded, leaning his massive frame down towards me, getting into my face.

I pushed back, going on tip toe to get into his until we were practically nose to nose.

His eyes flashed with yellow fire.

I pursed my lips and held steady when he pushed his chest against mine and growled at me, the warmth of his chest seeping into my shirt.

I chest bumped him and growled back, startling him.

Scowl still in place, he licked his lips and glanced down at my mouth.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure out what I could do to gain the upper hand.

Obviously
, the whole stand my ground thing isn't working.

I eyed the yellow eyed bastard and smiled evilly as an idea began to form in my mind.

Ha! Why didn't I think of it before?

Kill him with kindness!

"And to think," I said sweetly, "You were downright cheerful a bit ago. I was just beginning to think you'd finally gotten that pole out of your ass."

Okay... so maybe that wasn't so sweet. Try again
, Lil!

"What?!" he roared.

Someone doesn't like to be teased.

Hmmm...

"Why, Teivie, my sweet, you shouldn't say things like that," I cooed, batting my lashes at him, "I might think you like me... like,
like me,
like me."

He blinked at me and grimaced, deflating a little. He let go of my shirt and backed up.

Huh.

It... worked.

Then why don't I feel victorious?

My brow wrinkled as I thought about it.

This is a cheap win... if one could call it that...

Was it the fake flirting?

He completely shut off after I did that. It was like a switch flipped.

Ugh! I get it!

He's worried I might try to snare him next or something...

I rolled my eyes.

Heaven forbid he dirty himself with a human.

"I don't even understand the last half of what you just said," he grumbled and glared at me.

"Don't worry, evil eyes, I have no intentions of staining your Sodradenly virtue with my distasteful human-ness or trying to jiggle your...
charms
.
If you even have any
. I was just trying to get your goat," I muttered under my breath.

Teivel looked at me with an odd expression on his face, like he was constipated suddenly and flushed blue.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said through clenched teeth.

I rubbed my forehead and laughed bitterly.

"Whatever. Look, I don't care. Go off and do whatever it is that you
do
... go play with your intended or something. I'm sure she would just
love
that. Maybe she'll stop treating me like a damned leper." I let my hands fall to my sides and took a deep breath. "I'm tired of arguing and fighting with you all the time."

I dropped the tough act and looked up at him, letting the gamut of emotions I was feeling seep into my countenance.

He appeared to take note of that and studied me intently, his eyes taking everything in, like he was truly looking at
me
for once and not Kieve's human mate.

"It's actually kind of depressing that we can't even be in the same room for ten seconds together without threatening or insulting each other."

I gave his face a scrutinizing stare and saw the same tiredness and weariness in him that I'd begun to feel creeping in on me.

"Ignore me." I waved my hand around flippantly,
going for a light tone. "I'm being silly. Your mate trying to swap you around with his brother will do that to a gal."

I sighed and marched back into the kitchen.

Now… to business.

Guess I'm gonna have to brave the danger zone if I want to eat tonight.

"Sieren cares for you as deeply as Kieve. You know this as well as I do," Teivel said quietly from behind me.

"No,
I don't know
. Sieren and I have never talked about anything like that until recently. Just the other day, in fact, when he was trying to hump me in the mud pit," I argued sardonically.

"Then let me tell you. You may find this hard to believe, but Sieren is usually quiet."

I gave him a disbelieving look.

He gave me a hard one.

"He teases and jokes with Kieve and me, but he doesn't typically join in on conversations otherwise."

"You are so full of shit," I scoffed.

Sieren, quiet?

The dude never shuts up!

He shrugged.

"It's true. You can ask your
precious Kieve
if you don't believe me."

He turned at that, effectively dismissing me and grabbed a towel, walking over to the table to mop up the mystery liquids he'd spilled everywhere.

Teila walked into the room, fur coat on and a small clutch in her hand.

"Well, I can't stay a minute longer in this shack you call a house," she said in a shrill tone.

We both turned so we were facing her.

She was giving us both the snub, snotty snob face securely in place.

Uh oh... do I sense a tsunami in evil twin paradise?

Looks like the pre honeymoon is over...

"Adios!" I grinned, saluting her smartly, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!"

Huzzah! The bitch is leaving!

Whooo hooo!

Dreams really do come true!

"Good luck," Teivel said coldly, giving Teila the stink eye.

She smirked and held her hand out.

"I need a transmitter and then I'll be rid of
all
of you," she said haughtily.

She wiggled her fingers, indicating Teivel should hand one over.

"Hate to break it to you, gartnack, but we don't
have
a transmitter," he sneered.

He didn't sound or look sorry to tell her that in the least.

I grinned as I watched the exchange.

Hee hee hee!

I like watching him in action when I'm not on the receiving end. It's actually really fun!