Page 78 of Dark Witch Resurrection
Hearing footsteps approaching, she put her coffee cup down and turned around with her professional smile in place.
Seeing who the customer was, the smile slid off her face.
Borga.
What the hell was she doing in the café?
She was a pureblooded Kra-ell, so it wasn't like she was there to order a cappuccino and a pastry.
There could be only one reason, and that was to taunt Marina. For some reason, the female despised her and made it her mission to make Marina's life miserable.
She knew the reason, but it was as unhinged as the female herself was. Kra-ell were not supposed to be possessive or demand exclusivity from their bed partners, but since Borga had given Mo-red a son, she had convinced herself that he belonged to her and gave every female he ever looked at the stink eye.
The thing was, Marina had never been with the pureblooded male. The extent of their interaction had been him smiling at her a couple of times, which, given how severe the Kra-ell usually were, had given Borga ideas.
"Well, well, well," Borga drawled, her voice dripping with disdain. "If it isn't the little blue-haired koraba."
Koraba sounded like the name of an animal from the Kra-ell home planet, which probably had some unfavorable characteristics for Borga to hurl it so derisively at Marina.
Marina affected a neutral expression. "What can I get for you, Borga?"
The female leaned against the counter, her lips curving in a cruel smile. "I need my house cleaned. You are a maid. Figure it out. Or are you too busy servicing your immortal when you are not working in the café for pocket money?"
Behind her, Marina heard Wonder's intake of breath, and tension practically crackled in the air. Hopefully, Wonder would stay out of it and let her handle it herself.
Rising to Borga's bait would only make things worse.
The female thrived on conflict and used her so-called power over those she considered beneath her, whether hybrids or humans. Engaging with her would only feed that twisted need, and Marina wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing that she had gotten under her skin.
"I'm sorry, Borga," she said evenly, meeting the female's gaze without flinching. "But I'm afraid I can't help you with that. If you are not here for coffee or pastries, I will have to ask you to step aside so I can assist the next customer in line."
Borga's eyes flashed with anger, her nostrils flaring as she leaned in close. "Don't use that tone with me, human," she hissed. "You might think that you are all that because you are an immortal's plaything, but you are nothing, just a novelty that will wear off sooner or later."
Borga was trying to get a rise out of her, the words designed to cut and wound and leave her feeling small and insignificant, but a small, treacherous part of her couldn't help but wonder if there was a kernel of truth buried beneath the vitriol. After all, what did she have to offer someone like Peter?
"That's enough, Borga," Wonder said, her voice low and menacing. "You need to leave. Now."
Since Borga had spoken to Marina in Kra-ell, her tone alone must have annoyed Wonder enough for her to intervene.
The Kra-ell female sneered, her gaze flicking dismissively over Wonder's face. "Or what? You'll make me? You and what army?"
Even Marina's surprise over Borga's mastery of English couldn't diminish her panic as the two females squared off, their bodies coiled with tension and radiating aggression.
Wonder was a big female, but she was immortal, and as a pureblooded Kra-ell, Borga was much stronger and definitely more vicious.
She didn't want Wonder to get hurt because of her.
"I don't need an army to teach a conceited, rude female her place." Wonder leaned over the counter, staring Borga down.
Aliya sidled over to Wonder. "And if she needs help teaching you some manners, I happen to be an excellent teacher." She put her arm around Wonder's shoulders.
"A hybrid and an immortal defending a worthless human." Borga snorted. "I can hand you both your asses without breaking a sweat."
"You can try," Aliya snarled, her eyes flashing red and her fangs on full display.
Damn, the girl was scary. Marina was glad that Aliya was on her side.
Borga must have thought so too, because she took a step back. "As much as I would have enjoyed tearing you two a new one, we are under compulsion not to harm each other." She spun on her heel, and as she stalked away, she flipped them the finger.