CHASE WAS PISSED. Of all the ridiculous things Hunter had him do, this annoyed him the most. He began to wonder what the human woman was thinking, looking so pointedly at the draperies and candelabra as they walked down the hall. This was called ‘perspective taking.’ It was something that humans did, and it was something that Chase resented more and more as it began to come to him more naturally. It was the one drawback of his cinema hobby: learning too much about humans.
“Where are you taking me?” the woman asked in a voice that she probably considered acceptable, but which was loud and grating to Chase. He chose to ignore her. With the exception of Kevin Kelly, he very, very rarely spoke to humans, and Hunter’s little personal quest was not going to change this. The woman already knew where they were going – Hunter had explained it. She was just being thick and overly dramatic because she was nervous.
“Hey you!” she yelled, stopping short. Chase spun on his heels, furious, and saw her gasp at his expression. She was obviously frightened now, and he felt a grim satisfaction in that. He had to remind himself that this pathetic creature, this human, was oblivious to what he was. She was also unaware that she was beneath him in every way, including their respective positions on the food chain.
“I just want to know where you’re taking me,” she said, appearing to question if she should hold her ground.
Chase sighed. “My cousin,” he said, despising the word, “has already explained to you that I am taking you to your private quarters. You have no idea how fortunate that makes you.”
“Well, where are we?”
Chase was disgusted that he had somehow stumbled into a conversation with a human. Hunter’s human. Humans were not for conversations, they were for serving you and for eating. But at least she had started walking again. He let his mind wander as he spoke. “The underground city,” he replied. “My family lives here.”
“Under where?” she asked.
“Under New York.”
“You mean …”
“I’m done now,” he interrupted. “Here is your room.” He pointed to a door on the right.
“What’s going on here?” she asked. “Is this some kind of …”
“Hunter will be by later to explain things.” Chase cut her off, hoping the conversation was at last coming to an end.
“I don’t want to see that bastard again.”
“I don’t blame you.”
He turned the handle and pushed the door inward, opening it to reveal a small, simple room with a bed, a wash basin, and a toilet. It looked like an exceptionally clean prison cell. He saw Kate’s appraisal of the room, assuming she was looking for a possible escape.
“There’s no lock,” he informed her. “But you won’t have an easy time opening it.” He smiled slightly, then turned to leave.
“What’s your hurry?” she asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, turning back to her. “I was unaware you enjoyed my company.”
“It’s just … I’m really freaked out.”
“Look, woman …”
“Kate.”
Chase paused. This woman had some real balls on her.
“Look, Kate. Really, what you’re doing right now is telling the boogeyman that you’re afraid of the dark. I do enjoy the irony, but I have to go. I’m hungry.”
“But you just ate,” she said blankly.
Chase flashed her a huge smile, spun on his heels, and walked away, slamming the door behind him.
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