by Ella Maven
“Wait, how—?” I was interrupted by the sound of a female voice coming from somewhere close.
A large silver alien appeared outside the room’s windows. By large, I meant about three times the size of Polu. She wore a long, flowing cape in a bright purple and nothing else. Four massive breasts hung from her chest, and they swayed, drooping down to her thighs, as she shuffled. Her stomach was a large flap of skin that nearly reached her feet. Intricate braids of white hair were twined on top of her head, and for lack of a better term, her skin was bedazzled. Piercings covered her ears and massive hoops pulled her earlobes down to her shoulders. Her breasts were each tipped with gleaming jeweled stars surrounding her nipples. Strands of different colored necklaces hung from her thick neck
“Jesus Christ,” I whispered. I skittered off the bed and raced to stand behind Sax.
“Eek! There she is!” She screeched in a voice like nails on a chalkboard. She clapped her meaty hands together. “She’s hiding now. I was promised unlimited viewing!”
She turned to the three Uldani men behind her. They were almost as decorated as she was. They wore long gowns that covered them nearly from head to toe. Their white hair sparkled, and each hand bore massive rings on each finger.
Hawn tapped that damn shock rod on the ground again. “Come out from behind the Drixonian, human.”
“What the fleck is going on?” Sax hissed.
“The wealthy are more than happy to spend some money to see a Drixonian warrior and his human bitch,” Polu said. “And they will see it. You show yourselves or we will just drug you for the next few rotations. How would you like that?”
“I won’t—” I began.
“Your body will eventually do what it’s supposed to do,” Polu said. “So, either smile and display for our guests, or we’ll stick a needle in your arm.”
My stomach rebelled and my mouth watered with the need to throw up. The female outside continued to screech, and Sax’s body was so tight, I thought he might go into a whirlwind of destruction any minute. I couldn’t let that happen. They’d hurt him. Kill him. And use me to do it.
I gripped his arm, squeezing slightly, before stepping out from behind him.
“She’s there!” She plastered herself to the window. “A golden-haired one at that. Pale flesh. Blue eyes.”
Her eyes raked over me, and despite my clothes, I felt naked and violated. I was just a zoo animal to her.
“Am I allowed to enter and touch the Drixonian?”
This time, my body went tight. Touch Sax? Like he was some blow-up doll? Oh, hell no.
A low growl rumbled from Sax, and even as Hawn tapped his shock rod on the ground, Sax didn’t stop his audible warning.
“No, Bura,” said one of the robed Uldani with her. “We cannot enter their room.”
“But why?” she cried. “I paid ten thousand rezes for this, and all I can do is look?”
“This isn’t a petting zoo,” I groused, and Hawn shot me a death glare.
“What did she just say?” the female—Bura—said.
Polu cleared his throat. “She said she’s honored to meet such a revered member of the Uldani society.”
The woman laughed, and her breasts jiggled. “As she should be.”
“And I’m sorry,” Polu continued. “For their safety and yours, this is observation only.”
“For everyone?” She sniffed.
“Absolutely. If we could allow anyone inside, it would be you,” Polu cajoled.
I wanted to hurl.
“Have him do his weapon thing,” Bura said. “I want to see. Maybe he can take off his pants?”
Now I wanted to cry. I couldn’t take this. Sax was so strong, so powerful, so proud. And he’d been reduced to this, an animal in a cage only wanted for his sperm. I wished more than anything I could see him free. The wind in his hair, the sun on his face. I bet he smiled a lot out of here. I could tell from the crinkles around his eyes.
“You don’t want to see that.” Another of the robed men frowned. “We more than satisfy you, don’t we?”
Another caressed her breasts, and for the first time in my life, I was grateful for jealousy.
“Fine,” Bura huffed. “But I’d like to see his machets please. I’ve heard of these. Maybe we can give him a basser youth to slice open.”
What the hell was a basser youth?
“After that, the human can disrobe. You won’t be jealous about that, will you Hima?”
“No,” the one pinching her nipple said with a sick smile aimed at me. “I’d love to see how her cunt differs from yours.”
Sax hadn’t stopped growling beside me. “Step back,” he muttered out of the side of his mouth in two gritted words.
Instinctively, I stepped away. “What—?”
With a roar, Sax unleashed the blades beneath his skin. With one fluid motion, he crouched and then leapt into the air. He landed in front of the wall, bringing his fists down to slam them against the glass. The entire panel rattled, and I screamed, ducking into a crouch with my hands over my head because I swore the whole thing would shatter.
The Uldani female screamed. The males shrieked. I peeked between my fingers to watch them shuffling her away from the window quickly as Sax continued to rage and pound at the glass, his form terrifying with his blades whistling through the air and his tail whipping the ground.
A Kulk grabbed me off the floor and held me with my hands behind my back, I kicked and tried to get free, but there was no use.
I watched in horror as Polu and Hawn descended on Sax. They shocked him in the back, the thighs, repeatedly. He was in some sort of trance as he still roared and battled. His eyes were two black holes of agony as he advanced, swiping at them. I couldn’t believe he still stood with the number of volts they inflicted on his body.
“Sax, please!” I hollered. “Just stop!”
He halted and finally, his eyes glazed over. He stumbled, and his big body crashed to the ground in a heap. The Kulk shoved me away, and I slammed to the floor on my hands and knees, sending bolts of pain through my limbs. The door clanged shut, and I barely registered we were alone as I scrambled over to Sax. I picked up his head, cradling him to my stomach as my tears wet his skin. “I can’t keep watching you go through that,” I sobbed. “Please.”
“Did it … for you,” his lips barely moved, and his words were indecipherable.
“What?”
“So … you didn’t … have to … show those … assholes … your body.”
“But I would have done it. I would have saved you this pain!” I cried.
“Your body … is mine.” His eyes opened, and they were still completely black, spearing through me like lasers. “They don’t get … to see.”
His eyes closed, and I held him in my lap, stunned, as his body trembled with pain. And that was when I knew, with a choking dread, we were never getting out. They would never let us. We would die here.
“You can’t keep sacrificing yourself for me” I whispered, but he was unconscious now, his head a dead weight in my lap. “Because soon there won’t be anything left to sacrifice.”
Six
Val
For a long time, no one bothered us. At least, it felt like a long time. I had no way to tell how many hours had passed, and the overhead lights never dimmed. It was like being stuck on a never-ending hospital shift.
I rubbed my eyes and adjusted Sax’s head on my lap. After he’d collapsed, I’d dragged his body over to the bed. I still wasn’t quite sure how I’d gotten him onto the soft bedding, but with a lot of grunting and sweating, I’d been able to get him on the more comfortable surface.
I’d yelled for more medicine, but no one had come. Sax’s injuries seemed to be healing fast—at a faster rate than a humans for sure. The shock sites remained angry but were no longer open wounds.
I’d rebraided his hair. I told myself it was because I was bored and needed something to do, but I couldn’t seem to stop touching him. At first, his b
reathing had been choppy and pained, but eventually it had evened out and now he just seemed to be sleeping rather than passed out.
I missed him—missed him being awake and fully aware. His watchful presence and easy nature kept me sane. Now my mind spun and spun with all the possible torture our captors could inflict on us.
I willed myself to think of something else, but my mind didn’t feel strong enough. I was tired. Bone-fucking-tired. I felt like I hadn’t slept in years. When my mom was diagnosed with cancer, she’d attacked treatment with vengeance, and I’d launched into caregiver mode. No one warned me how our relationship would change. How she’d shift from my mother to my charge. How I’d lose my best friend, because I couldn’t vent to her about how scared I was of losing her, or how much it killed me to watch her waste away.
Sax twitched in his sleep, and I smoothed my hand over his chest to soothe him. The only positive out of this entire experience was that I’d had the chance to meet him. I couldn’t imagine being locked in a room with anyone else. Hell, even my mom would have gotten on my nerves long ago. But Sax? He was so strong, so proud. I’d never met anyone with a conviction as strong as his. And his commitment to protecting me at the cost of his own suffering was out of this world.
I’d never known a man like him. Hell, I didn’t know anyone like him. Did they exist? Probably, but I surely hadn’t met them. With every fiber of my being, I hated that a male like him was wasting away in this fucking place.
He stirred again, and this time his eyes opened, his gaze immediately alert. Unlike me, he didn’t need three presses of the snooze button and two cups of coffee to form a complete sentence in the morning. He raised his hand and grimaced.
“Don’t move.” I gripped his hand and lowered it back to his side. “You need to heal.”
He squeezed my fingers. “I’m okay.”
“I’m pretty sure the number of volts they gave you would kill a rhino. Just relax.”
He raised a nubbed brow. “A rhino?”
“It’s an Earth animal. They’re big and they have a horn.” I cupped my fingers against my forehead to mimic the bone shape. “Their hides are tough, and when they’re mad, they’ll charge anything.”
He grinned. “I’m big with horns. I have tough skin too and if anything threatens my female, I’ll charge. Are you saying I’m a rhino?”
“You’re cuter than a rhino.” I was flirting with him. How did he manage to get me to flirt in this hell? But I’d do anything to keep that grin on his face after what he’d gone through.
His mouth dropped in exaggerated defense. “Cute? I’m terrifyingly handsome.”
I shook my head. “Fine, I concede.”
He laughed, but the sound cut off on a wince as his face paled. “They really flecked me up this time.”
At the reminder of what happened, all amusement between us vanished. “Sax, that was fucking horrible.”
He struggled to a sitting position, and I hovered my hands over him anxiously. He batted them away before plopping next to me on a moan, his back against the wall and his legs stretched out in front of him. “Fleck those assholes.”
“Look, I know you’re strong, but there is no way your body can keep taking that punishment.”
He closed his eyes and his shoulders heaved. I expected him to brush off my words or deny it, but instead he spoke a resigned, “I know.”
His acknowledgement of his own mortality hit me like a slap. “Then why did you do that?”
“I wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t stand the thought of you stripped in front of them.” He turned his head and locked gazes with mine.
“Who were those Uldani?”
“The elite,” he said. “Wealthy. You said you saw some of Alazar when you arrived here—remember the small pods floating above the tall buildings?”
“Yes.”
“That’s where the wealthiest Uldani live.”
“What’s their society like?”
“She mentioned a basser youth, remember?”
“Yes, what did she mean?”
“The poorest of the Uldani. They live underground and mine for garmin, which they use for construction. The class above that lives on the ground in small homes. Then the business class live in the tall buildings, and the elite, which is mostly just inherited wealth, live in the air pods. The classes do not mix.”
“So, this elite … female paid to see us?”
“I’m sure none of them know the military and Borhan have launched a breeding program. It’s why this is all done quietly underground. But they need funds, and what better way to make some money than let some Uldani bitch ogle us?”
I shuddered. “I hope they don’t come back.”
“I’m thinking they won’t try that again. It wasn’t exactly a success.”
“I’ve been wondering. Haven’t they found a way to harvest your sperm and impregnate me another way that doesn’t involve mating? On Earth, we can collect sperm, store it, and inject it into the female.”
“No,” Sax said. “I hear them talking about how they’ve to collect seed from Drixonians before the uprising, but they were never able to keep it viable. I’m sure Borhan is working on it, though. The longer we’re here and refuse to do their bidding, the more they are pushing Borhan for an alternative.”
“Is he capable of developing something?”
Sax sighed. “Before you got here, Borhan was working on a drug for me, one that would turn me into a beast who wanted to do nothing but mate. He thought he was successful, but I only acted like it worked, so they wouldn’t develop something that actually did.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Yeah, they figured out I was acting. That did not make them happy.”
“How did they find out?”
“They wanted me to mate with Fra-kee. They shoved me in a cell with her, and even though I pretended, they found out. After Daz and Fra-kee escaped, my acting was just one of many things they punished me for.”
“Sax, this has to end.” I had seen so many people in pain, I thought I was fairly good at handling it. But watching Sax groan and wince, his body littered with wounds, nearly killed me.
He brushed his fingers over my cheek. “The good news is they usually let me heal before they beat me up again.”
“In what world is that good news?”
He laughed, and I could barely believe he found humor in this. “This world, Val.”
“I don’t like it,” I huffed.
“I like it a fleck of a lot more now that I’ve met you.”
He smiled at me, and I waited for the flush of heat in my cheeks to die down before speaking. “Tell me about your life before you were taken by the Uldani. I’m tired of our identities being nothing but victims.”
“I had a good life. As good as it can be knowing you’re the last generation of your species to live. Or so we thought.” He glanced at me before continuing. “Our clavas is profitable because my brother is a good drexel. We farm, hunt, and trade with other clavases. Everyone has a job, which keeps us out of trouble. Usually.” He grinned, his focus going a little hazy as he retreated into his memories. “I love to ride my bike with my friend Xavy. He’s got a fast bike like mine, and we race each other or just fleck around and make agility courses.”
I liked thinking about Sax racing with his friends or sitting around a fire with a good meal. I twisted until I rested on my hip, my elbow in the bed and my head propped on my fist. “I picture you being the one that makes everyone laugh.”
He grinned. “You are picturing right. My brothers were the solemn ones.”
I sobered, remembering he told me his one brother died. “So, you … you’re the only relative your brother has left?”
“Correct.” His voice went hoarse, and I had to swallow around the lump in my throat.
He coughed once. “Tell me about you. Your life on Earth.”
It didn’t hurt as much anymore to remember my life. I didn’t want to forget and talking helped me ret
reat into good memories. “Well, you know I’m a nurse. I work long hours, but I love my job, so it’s not so bad. My, uh, my mom was my best friend, but she died a few months ago.”
Sax slid down so he rested beside me. He brushed my hair over my shoulders and his fingers tickled the rim of my ear. The sympathetic look on his face nearly broke me. “I’m sorry you lost your mother. I didn’t know mine for long, but I hold onto the memories I do have of her. I wish I had more. What about your father?”
“He died about seven years ago.”
“Fleck,” he muttered and dropped a kiss on my forehead. “I’m sorry.”
I sniffed as I fought to keep the tears at bay. “I’m never getting home, am I?”
Pain burned through his purple eyes. “No, sweet Val. Even if we got out of here, we have no ships at all, let alone ones that travel that far. Only the Rahguls do, and they’d bring you right back here.”
I nodded and let the tears fall. “I knew that,” I whispered. “In my heart, I did. But hearing it feels like a death sentence.”
“I won’t let it be a death sentence,” he said, his jaw clenching. “You will not die here, Val. I vow it.”
I wanted to believe him, and I was sure he believed himself. But I couldn’t help but feel like he was making a promise he couldn’t keep.
Sax
One rotation passed. Then two. Then three and four. We were in an endless cycle of eating, sleeping, and talking about anything that would take our minds off the fact that we were trapped. Whenever I could, I exercised. My muscles were no longer sore, and I felt my body return close to its fighting form.
Yet, I had no plan. I couldn’t tear through these walls with my machets. Every day, the Uldani came to take Valerie to the lab to draw her blood and take her temperature. She said they never hurt her, and barely even talked to her, but I paced the room like a caged salibri the entire time she was gone. Other than that, the door never opened; Kulks delivered whatever we needed through the door’s hatch.
