Broken

.5.

"Rhex?" I looked up at his face and he gave a short nod before handing me a bowl. I took it with a confused frown, the food inside looked strange but it smelled alright. A fork appeared in my vision and I smiled before taking it. I crossed my legs, shifting on the bed.

The mattress tilted and I looked over as Rhex sat on the bed beside me, a bowl in his hands as well. I looked at my bowl and took a forkful of the strange slightly brown mush. I sniffed it experimentally and shrugged before taking a bite. It had a slightly spicy taste and was slightly chewy but I found it didn't mind it. It filled my stomach so I wasn't going to complain.

I finished what was in my bowl and straightened my legs before carefully standing up. The cold tiles underneath my feet seemed to jolt my entire body. I became aware Rhex had stood up as well. He took my bowl and walked out of the room without a word. I followed him, curious as to where I was. The door opened to a hallway and I could see Rhex as he turned a corner into what looked to be a bright room. I walked after him, looking around the doorway into a room that looked like a kitchen. Rhex placed the dishes into what looked to be a rack inside of a cloudy bubble.

"Rhex?" At my voice he looked over his shoulder, the look in his eyes questioning. "Is this the kitchen?" He raised an eyebrow and walked over pulling a small device out of his pocket. He held it up in front of my face before grasping my chin in his other hand and turning my face to the side. He slipped it around my ear and placed part of it in my ear. I shuddered at the strange feeling it gave me right before he seemed to turn it on. A piercing squeal filled my ear and I flinched, wincing at the painful noise. It stopped and Rhex turned my face back so I was facing him. I watched as he took out an identical device and put it in his own ear.

"Can you hear me?" A rough voice with smooth edges filled my ears and sent a shiver down my spine. I pressed my hand to my mouth, eyes wide. "Liv, can you understand what I am saying?" His mouth didn't match the words but it was his voice.

I nodded quickly, a sudden smile on my face. "I can hear you." I watched as the corner of his mouth moved upwards slightly. "What is this?" I pointed at my ear and he shrugged.

"A military grade translator. I took two of them from the military bay after I brought you here." He moved to the back of the space and moved around a corner, I followed him. The room I walked into seemed to be a living room, there were several chairs and a sofa. The glass table in front of the sofa was cluttered with some books and what looked to be some parts of a gun.

"You stole them?" I watched as he picked up the parts and started assembling them rather quickly. It looked like he had done it a thousand times before.

"Borrowed is a more appropriate term. They were meant for integrated Human-Orrian combat units. We don't use them because we don't integrate with humans anymore so no one will miss them." His words made me feel slightly cold and I wrapped my arms around my stomach, attempting to quell the faint tremors I felt growing inside of my muscles.

"Why not?" The words felt smaller than I had intended and Rhex didn't look at me as he slid the last part into place on what looked to be a rifle with a scope. He looked it over, as if double checking his work.

"The Council has declared it to be so. We must listen to the Council on matters such as that." His voice seemed stiff and I felt slightly hurt, it was like a rejection. He was my soulmate and I wondered if he hated the fact he was now tied to a human. I felt myself hunch forward like I had against the stares as he had walked me to the vibrating room.

"Then what about us?" The words made him freeze and he looked up, his face blank.

"We never should have been mated." The words made me wince, a phantom pain seemed to slice through me at his bluntness. I looked down at the floor, not wanting to see the blank look on his face. "A Human-Orrian pairing has never happened and it goes against all of our traditions and laws because you go against all of our laws." I forced myself to look at him and his expression softened as he set the weapon down on the glass table before standing up.