Bo and the Beast (Book #1) (Completed)

15. Lunch With The Beast

"Why won't you eat it?" he asked, as if this was a casual conversation all of a sudden.

Bo blinked. "What?"

"What is it that's making you want to fight the entire room to avoid eating a few mouthfuls of a vegetable?"

Bo floundered for a moment, unsure of how to answer now that he'd asked. It wasn't the way of the aliens, to try and figure out the motives behind someone's actions. They were more of the "shoot first, ask questions later" sort.

"The memories it dregs up might be happy for you, but they are nightmares to me," she said through gritted teeth.

"What memories are these?" the Beast asked.

"None of your business," she barked. "I'm not obligated to share the terrors of my youth with one of the scum that caused it in the first place."

The Beast got his feet, his height unfolding slowly in front of her. He walked to stand in front of her, but didn't make any move to restrain her. Still, she couldn't stand being next to one of them.

"You disgust me," she said, heart hammering in her chest.

A smile worked at the edges of his mouth, but it was not one of smug power or amusement. It seemed sad and empty, like he had lost the meaning of a smile. "You aren't the first to say that to me," he said. Bo's brows furrowed. Who had said anything at all to the Beast of Lyx? Any human would have been too busy screaming their last breath away.

The Beast, seeming to wipe away the earlier hints of emotion, swept a hand in the direction of the table. "Why don't we sit back down? I can have Chan make you a new dish with more suitable vegetation."

Bo blinked but couldn't respond. She hadn't really thought he would cave or do what she asked. She had been expecting—in fact, wanting—a fight from him. Instead, he calmly walked back to his seat and began to eat his meal again. Bo half-turned to look at the door to the dining room, where Chan was just leaving. She could still storm out and go to her room, hoping to show him that he wasn't going to dictate any part of her life, including sitting at the dinner table. But her stomach rumbled and she realized she hadn't had anything proper to eat in days. Not to mention that her mouth watered a bit at the prospect of eating fresh produce that was so crisp and green.

The Beast, perhaps sensing her hesitation, glanced up. "Don't worry. Chan can make anything taste good, even if he is a robot."

Bo edged toward her seat and sat down, but kept up her frowning so that he knew she wasn't giving in. "How can he cut things if he only has those clamps?" she asked.

The Beast seemed surprised that she would ask such a question. He set his fork down and looked across the table at her. "You are interested in how the robots work?"

"Of course," she replied, before she remembered that she wasn't going to give the alien more than she could help.

"Their hand attachments are interchangeable. A strong magnet keeps them in place, but they can turn it off and on in order to reattach new ones. Chan has a knife model and some more dexterous finger models. But he'll often cut the meat with his lasers."

Bo's eyes widened. Well, she had to remember these robots had deadly lasers whenever she decided to escape. She wasn't too keen on losing a hand or a leg. Or a head.

A few minutes later, Chan appeared with a new dish. He did indeed have a different pair of attachments at the end of what could be called his arms. They were metal fingers, and held the platter much as a person's might. Chan placed the meal in front of Bo, and she uncovered it to find a salad identical to the one she had before, only without the alien food. Chan whipped away the old one as she finally picked up a fork and dug in.

After they had cleaned their plates and eaten a loaf of bread Dent brought in, the Beast signaled that she should stand and follow him out. The walked into the entrance hall, where Bo adjusted the top of her strapless dress and tried not to stare at the alien before her.

"I will give you the rest of today as a break," the Beast said. "Tomorrow, however, you need to be awake at dawn to report to Dent and get your assignments for the day."

Bo cocked an eyebrow. "Assignments?"

"Cleaning and other chores," the Beast replied. "The Service-Matons will let you know what to do when the time comes." After he finished speaking, his gaze slipped away from her. As if it was pulled by a magnet, it moved to the hallway they had just exited, and toward the large sliding doors that hid the room where he had made her stand in front of the rose paintings. Bo realized that he was done with her now, and his attention had moved on to other things.

"Fine," she said.

He didn't answer her or say goodbye. He merely walked to the sliding door and slipped through them into the dark depths beyond. Bo felt a shiver run up her spine, but shook it off as she climbed the grand staircase and headed for her room. She could finally be free of the dress, and she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and forget that this nightmare ever existed.