t in uneven waves. She sat with her back against the cold stone wall, her k

ground vibrate. A low, frustrated growl rumbled in his chest, but beneath it, there was a frantic panic.

ard. "Crying is... not good. You are... you are a female. Females shoul

ot woman. Not lady. Female. Like she was a

yes red and puffy. "My name is

e

n's blood ran cold. The sound hadn't echoed off the stone walls; i

nal threshold de

cave wildly, her heart hammering against her ribs

s ears swiveling like a predator tracking prey. He scanne

duit System. Broadcast is limit

her like she had lost her mind. She clamped her mouth shut, thinki

omaly. As compensation, the system

d in her head. I want to go back to LA!

es lost. Return to

possible. She was never going back. The de

r, his hand outstretched. He

Downloading basic knowledge of t

someone had turned on a fire hose inside her skull. She cried

rutal law of the jungle. Females were rare, precious, and treated like proper

too weak. Upgrading to 'Beast

m the hike, the scrapes from the fall, the soreness in he

ortable 'Pocket Dimension' has b

eye, she saw a gray, depressing grid. It was

redulous. This is your ulti

e. System entering pe

! Give me some supplies! Food! Water!

Hint: Items of deep personal significance already bonded to your physical body m

ection died. Th

energized. A cryptic hint about items she already had. And she was still stuck in a cave wit

ut he was close. His mismatched eyes searched her face. "You

the monsters outside. He was rude, clueless, and definitely hiding

She wiped her face with the back of

e hoarse but steady. "I

crouched before her, studying her with those unsettlin

the name carefully, as if

her name in his deep, rough voice sent an unexpec

said quietl