Calvin stared down at his plate. It was the same as always. Some sort of gruel made of leftovers and mixed with vitamins. It kept them alive, but they never got full. They were never truly satisfied. Every once in a while, their clients would feed them. He hated that he longed for those moments. Tasting real food, sweet things, salty things, was such a treat that he found himself looking forward to holidays. The single women always seemed to flock there on those days, wanting to pretend to have a partner, a relationship. He could entertain them if he got to eat. He hated himself for that. He hated to feel obligated, to feel excited about scraps. But they certainly were better than what he was used to. He was beginning to feel a hint of fury build in him at the realization.
"Was it that bad?"
Calvin recognized the voice and felt the corners of his mouth upturn to the beginnings of a smile. He looked up, finding one of the few friendly faces he came into contact with on a regular basis.
Courtney still looked very young, her features revealing a soft innocence that he envied. Her spotted mane fell into her green-yellow eyes and she quickly tucked it behind her ear. Her face was round, gentle, her eyes very large and bright. As always, she wore a genuine smile as if she couldn't feel the collar that was latched securely around her neck. At least the females were allowed thin dresses. Their breasts were hidden, obscured. That was probably to keep the handlers under control more than anything else.
"It was horrible," he said ominously. He had to force himself not to smile too much. He had taken a shine to her over the past few months, treating her like a kid sister. It was borderline impossible for him to be angry near her. Her smile was so damned infectious. He doubted that she had a mean bone in her entire body. She was a leopard, something akin to his beast. It made him feel comfortable, at home, near her. It also made him almost violently protective.
"Ah, I guessed that." She slid next to him, her own bowl of slop coming with her. "I heard the guards talking."
"About?" he asked.
"You."
She winked at him and scraped some of her food into his bowl. He immediately reached up his hand. He wanted to stop her. After all, they were only fed once per day. Calvin certainly didn't want to take her food. She glared at him and offered a soft growl in return. Calvin finally let her do what she wanted. She often did that. He was much larger and she tried her best to take care of him.
"So what were they saying about me?" He picked up his spoon and shoved a spoon of the food into his mouth. It was cold, clashing with his that was still slightly warm. It was difficult to keep the stuff down while hot, cold it was almost vomit inducing.
"Apparently you pleased your human very well."
"I usually do."
She blushed and he fought the urge to laugh out loud.
"Yeah, but this... She left them a huge tip." She let a scowl show on her features. It was one of the few times he had ever seen her look so upset. So angry. Seeing her smile slip was so out of character that he froze with the spoon in his mouth for a short moment.
"I always earn big tips," he finally said before enduring another bite. It was getting harder to swallow. He needed to speed up.
"They kept it for themselves."
Calvin offered a small shrug. It was expected. Shifters couldn't own things, couldn't have money. Hell, they couldn't even eat real food unless their owners gave it to them.
"It happens, Courtney." He gently bumped against her with his shoulder playfully. "It doesn't matter. What would I do with money?"
"It does matter." She looked up at him, meeting his orange eyes once more. "Doesn't this piss you off?"
"You know that it does. There's just nothing that I can do about it." He pointed at his collar and then hers. "Neither one of us can do shit about it. It's just the way it is."
She growled and hissed under her breath for a few more minutes. She was getting older, more restless. He understood that. She was eighteen now and that meant one thing. Of course she knew that. He certainly did.
"Hey, why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" He wanted to distract her quickly. Somehow.
"Who told you that?" she asked. Her words cracked subtly and he felt his protective nature spring up. He wanted to say the right thing, but he didn't know what that was.
His silence was telling.
"One of the handlers, wasn't it?"