Captive

by Hannah Steenbock

  “Hello,” he said.

  She took one good look at him and closed her eyes. “Get on with it.”

  He steeled himself for a difficult task. Then he reached out and caressed her cheek. Her eyes flew open again. Zell gave her a smile and repeated the caress.

  “What’s all that about?” she asked, her voice full of distrust.

  “Making love,” he said and sat on the bed next to her.

  Her eyes filled with tears and spilled over. He gently wiped them away.

  “Nobody has ever made love to me,” she whispered.

  “I’m here to do so.”

  She shook her head. “You’re a Stud. You’re here to get me preggers.”

  “That, too.” Zell smiled at her and put a hand on her arm. “But why can’t we have a few good days together and create a child at the same time?”

  She shook her head, fear entering her eyes. “I can’t do that. I just can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’ll take our child, and if you make love to me, it’ll break my heart.”

  Zell felt his heart ache when he understood the reasoning behind her words. “Truly?”

  She nodded, tears spilling over again. “That’s why I always fought the Studs. So I didn’t have to love the baby.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Zell bit his lower lip. “I thought it would make your life better if you didn’t get hurt in Breeding. I thought you would be happier when you could enjoy the sex.”

  She sobbed. “I wish I could. I have dreamed of a man who could make me happy. If only they didn’t take our children.”

  He bent to whisper into her ear. “Master will protect our child. He promised. I’m a favorite of his.”

  She stared at him, her mouth open, speechless. “You trust a Dile?”

  “I trust this one. Can you trust me?”

  Her eyes found his tribal mark and got even larger. “I… I might.”

  Zell smiled. “Then let me show you how your body should feel when making a child.”

  She gave him a weak nod, and Zell went to work, kissing her body and playing with her large folds.

  Soon, he had her writhing on the bed, raising her hips to him. “Would you like me to untie you?”

  “Yes, please. I want this to be as different as possible.”

  Zell wasn’t sure that was a good idea, but he wanted her to feel good. So he undid the restraints and could almost hear the gasps in the meeting room.

  It took no time at all to get her ready again. Her breasts were large and the nipples huge and hard. When he gently nibbled them, she moaned.

  “Please,” she begged, pulling him to her. “Please.”

  He mounted her, entering her wide, moist well with ease. It was almost too easy, and he missed the tight embrace of Girma’s body. His member reached her end quickly, and he realized he would have to be careful with this thrusting as she wasn’t quite deep enough for him. Even so, he took care to ride her well and bring her to a full release. He allowed himself his own release when she was panting with delight.

  She sank back, almost humming with satisfaction. Zell stretched out next to her, still caressing her breasts and belly, and she returned the favor.

  “That was wonderful,” she finally said. “No stud has ever treated me as more than just something to stick his member in. And most of them have hurt me.”

  “I would like to change that,” Zell said slowly. “Because just as the Dile don’t see us as people, Studs seem not to see Breeders as people.”

  “That is true.” She stared at him and then lifted a hand to his Tribal mark. “Are you a Wild One?”

  “I was, yes.”

  She shook her head in wonder. “I can feel the world shifting,” she said dreamily. “Wild Ones are real. A Dile and a Human trusting each other.” Her voice got very distant. “The stars are aligning to make a new world.”

  Zell stared at her. “What are you talking about?”

  She blinked. “Did I say anything?”

  “Something about the stars aligning.”

  She blushed. “Never mind that. I sometimes say weird things.”

  “Okay. I will leave you now, and come back later.”

  She sighed, then smiled. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to it.”

  He quickly used the bathroom to clean himself, and then he went to the door. The Rraussha opened it. They walked back to the meeting room next to each other, which seemed much more comfortable for her.

  Before she opened the door she stopped him. “I have never seen a Stud treat a Breeder like that before. Now I understand why Rraussha ladies like Chooman males.”

  “Oh?”

  She ducked her head a little. “Or is it different for ladies?”

  Zell shook his head. “No, Rraussha ladies can enjoy it just as much.”

  “Would you show me?”

  Zell almost laughed. That was the first time a Rraussha lady had invited him to a tryst. He lowered his eyes. “I apologize, lady. That is not my decision to make.”

  Her color darkened. “No, it is I who must apologize. For one moment, I thought…”

  He smiled. “That is a good dream to have. I hope you find your Chooman lover.”

  She sighed, but her color returned to normal. “Thank you.” With that, she opened the door to the meeting room.

  Several pairs of eyes greeted him, quite a few of them angry.

  “You have ruined her for us,” the Stud with the black hair yelled. “Now they’ll all demand to be coddled.”

  Zell took a deep breath. “Look at you. You are restrained like wild animals. Shackled to the chairs. And if the Master hadn’t decided differently, you’d be shackled to the wall, deprived of movement and choices.”

  They stared at him.

  “And I’m certain you don’t like being treated like an animal by the Diles, right?”

  They nodded reluctantly.

  “So why do you treat Breeders like animals? They are just as Human as you are. They are captives. They are made to produce babies. They have to give them up. And you dare to laugh at them?”

  The one with the black hair bit his lip, while the one with the pale hair gave him a challenging look.

  “So why aren’t you chained, huh? Why are you being coddled by that Master?”

  “He earned the right,” Shabs said, making both Studs and Rraussha swivel their heads to him. “He has proven he can be trusted.”

  “He’s a well-licking Dile-lover, that’s what he is!”

  Girma gave a bitter laugh. “And our Master has been called a pet-lover. You have no idea how funny that is. And you have no idea how star-breaking lucky you are.”

  They froze at the furious tone of her voice.

  “You didn’t have to watch two fellow Humans getting tortured to death like we did the other day. Screaming their lungs out in agony, having their bodies abused and mutilated in the most sadistic way, because one Dile wanted to get her fix in public. You get to have as much sex as you want. You get fed, and you live a life of safety here in the Sanctuaries, being a Stud. The worst that’ll eventually happen to you is being retired as Uncle. Thanks to your Master. You have no idea how hard life really is out there. You don’t even know how Breeders live, because you never bothered to ask.”

  They looked down.

  “The least you owe your fellow Humans, those women you simply take every day, is to treat them well and support them. Listen to them. Be more than just a walking member on legs. Grow up and be men. And stop complaining about someone who is!”

  “Wow.” The dark skinned one looked up at Girma with an open mouth. Then he exchanged looks with the other two Studs. They blushed.

  “Think about it,” Zell said quietly.

  “This is all for today,” Shabs announced. “I’ll have more vids available for you soon, since Zell is here to Breed one Breeder. You can learn much from him.”

  The guards released the Studs and took them back to their rooms.
Shabs buried his head in his hands. Zell went to embrace Girma.

  “That was well done.”

  “I hope. My heart broke when that Breeder talked about not wanting to love her children. I finally understood my mother.” Tears were running down her face.

  Ssheyrra had dark blotches moving on her skin. “I never thought about that. We have been treating all of you like dumb animals. Even though I thought I knew better.”

  “I’m not sure I can continue Breeding… Choomans,” Shabs said with a shaky voice. “I always tried to find good homes for them, and I have the longest intervals between children for my Breeders, but…”

  “But you couldn’t always be sure about the new owner, and you depend on that income.” Zell was stating a fact.

  “To a large degree, yes.” Shabs voice was a whisper. “I’m known for specialty Breeds. I have the only dark-skinned Stud who always sires dark children. His fees alone are impressive.”

  He looked up with despair in his eyes. “Our entire society and economy depends on using Choomans. I don’t know how to change that.”

  “We might try to create something completely new, at least here,” Zell said slowly. “Girma told me they produce most of their own food in the Sanctuaries. Can we grow any luxury food that would sell for a lot of money? Or create luxury items like the fur things Girma’s mother makes? Or ornamented leather bags? Leather shirts to adorn pets? I could even lead tours in the Wilderness. For a huge fee. And you can limit Breeding here to the replacement rate.”

  Ssheyrra laughed at Shabs’ stunned expression.

  “He’s doing it again,” she said with a wide grin.

  “What?” Shabs looked completely confused.

  “Surprising us all.”

  Shabs laughed, a little grimly. “Let’s go to my house here. It’s much more comfortable than this room.”

  He took them to another building that rose higher than all the others. Once they were inside, he showed them the balcony overlooking the Sanctuaries and the hub building.

  “It’s beautiful, as always,” Ssheyrra said.

  Zell agreed. He could see the Fences around the individual Sanctuaries, and the little houses and the gardens that Girma had mentioned. At least he assumed that the regular rows of plants were not natural. He heard a few babies cry, and his heart ached again.

  “It’s okay to live there,” Girma said after a while. “It’s a lot of work work, and sometimes, it’s a bit difficult to live with the same people all the time, but I felt safe.”

  “I have shuffled Breeders around when things got very heated.” Shabs sounded thoughtful. “And I can see now why you both needed to get out of that small room. I’m glad I listened to you, Zell. I have learned so much.” He smiled a little. “Even though I thought it was quite unseemly for a pet to make demands.”

  Zell laughed with him. “I’m not really a pet, you know.”

  Shabs stared at him.

  “I’m a Wild One. I’m used to making decisions, to taking risks and to being my own master. Capturing me didn’t take that away. That’s why I spoke out. That’s why I’m doing what I’m doing. None of your pets could do that, I think.”

  “I… see.”

  “He’s right. He is totally right.” Ssheyrra was staring at him. “We have no real concept for what Zell is. He might be the first fully developed Chooman I got to know.” Silence reigned after her words.

  “Most Wild Ones are broken after being caught,” Zell said eventually. “Or sent to the Games and Hunts to get killed. We provide a much better challenge to Hunters than normal pets.”

  “There are still Hunts?” Ssheyrra sounded shocked.

  “Yes.” Shabs color changed to dark. “Sometimes. I have never allowed one of mine to be sent there. Or permitted a Hunt on my lands.”

  “But you caught me.”

  “Yes.” Shabs once again buried his face in his hands. “I needed to prove I was not allowing a wild Tribe to live on my lands unchecked.”

  “We actually limit our breeding and the Tribe is growing slowly. Practically not at all.” Zell’s voice was quiet. “Because life is harsh, and many are killed young.”

  He showed them one leg with white scars on it. “Acid flower. I was pushed into them as a kid.”

  “And you let kids near them? We burn them when we find any.”

  “Oh, they are useful. We…” He took a deep breath. “We use their acid to make patterns in tough leather. Or stain wood. Or clean stone tools. Disarm metal traps.”

  Ssheyrra's mouth dropped open. “That’s culture. Right there.”

  Zell closed his eyes for a moment, then took another deep breath. “Yes, it is. We are intelligent people, Ssheyrra. We have a history, stories and dreams. We have as much technology as possible. We are, just like you, a star-traveling species. When are you going to accept that?”

  Ssheyrra buried her face in her hands just like Shads. “Dear Ancestors. I needed that verbal slap in my face.”

  She looked up. “I apologize, Zell. It is hard to go against everything I was taught when I was younger. How did you ever stop hating us?”

  “When I realized that you two are Rraussha. I still dislike Diles very much.”

  Shabs sighed. “I can’t change the whole world in a few days, Zell. You have given me much to think about. And I will set changes in motion, at least where I have control. Please believe me. And please bear with me.”

  Zell stretched out his hand to touch him. “I will. And I know that we Humans will have to change, too. Girma is an example of that.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. You have overcome your conditioning from the Sanctuary. You have learned to love a Dile, or rather, a Rraussha.”

  “Girma loves me?” It was Shabs’ turn to stare again.

  She smiled. “Yes, I do. I’m happy when you’re happy.”

  For a moment, purple circles appeared on his skin. Girma rose to kiss him on the cheek.

  “I love Zell, too. Very much so. And I think I really like Ssheyrra.”

  “Thank you. I’m learning to respect you. I’m not sure about love,” Ssheyrra said. “I don’t know what it feels like.”

  Girma grinned. “It’s a happy feeling. And sometimes, it’s like an ache in your heart. And sometimes you feel like you’ll burst, because you’re so full of love.” She got up and danced around them, kissing Zell, kissing Shabs, and finally planting a kiss on Ssheyrra’s cheek. “Today, I’m very happy. The only thing missing now is a little sex.”

  Zell laughed outright. “I still have to do my duty with the Breeder, but after that, I’ll do my best for you.”

  “We can wait for you.” Girma grinned.

  “I’d like you tonight,” Shabs said and pulled her into his lap.

  She giggled. “You got me.”

  Zell’s eyes went to Ssheyrra, and she nodded, very quietly. It was easy for him to go and please the Breeder with that promise for the night.

  Chapter 18

  The days passed slowly. Zell went to the Breeder’s room twice a day, and stayed a bit to talk to her. She warmed towards him, and he was afraid he’d have to break her heart. On the other hand, he was fairly certain she had already conceived.

  He was surprised he had enough stamina to please Girma or Ssheyrra, whoever chose him. They even went to visit a Sanctuary one day, where Girma explained the plants to him. He patted a gueep and marveled at the woolly fur.

  He looked up when one of the old men limped towards them in a hurry, waving his arms and croaking words. The hairs on the back of Zell’s neck rose. He turned to the Auntie showing him around.

  “Do you have knife? A sharp one?”

  “I have one to skin the harebits,” she offered after a while.

  “Too blunt. Anything really sharp?”

  She thought hard while Zell watched then man limp closer, breathless now.

  “The small one we cut leather with.”

  “Bring it. Quickly!”

  “Yes, yes.” S
he walked off.

  Shabs gave Zell a strange look. “What do you need a knife for?”

  Zell blinked a few times, remembering that the Rraussha was technically his master and owner. He pointed to the old man. “There’s trouble coming. I can see it and sense it.”

  “He’s a Wild One,” Ssheyrra said. “Trust him.”

  Zell cocked his head, then his eyes hardened. “I need you out of this Sanctuary, and all the Breeders and kids, too. If I’m right, there’s a really dangerous beast breaking in, and it could kill all of you.”

  He snagged the leather tool from the Auntie and sighed at its inadequacy. He wished he still had his spears. Then he tore two poles from the roof of a hut and grabbed a leather cord. With quick movements, he tied the knife between the poles.

  Shabs was still staring at him. “You’re making a spear.”

  “Yes. A horribly inadequate one.” Zell looked up once then focused on the weapon again.

  The old man had reached them. “Boar,” he gasped. “Run. Oh, run!” He stumbled past them.

  Zell felt fear rise in his throat. “Shabs, get everyone out of here now. If they aren’t fast enough, get them in a large tree, or up on a roof. Now!”

  “But…”

  “Yes, I know, you’re my Master. But you don’t know anything about megaboars, and I do.” He kept winding the cord around the poles.

  “A megaboar… It’ll kill you, Zell.”

  “Not if I can help it. But I can’t focus on that beast if you’re in danger, too. Get everyone out of here. They don’t stop attacking until nobody is moving.”

  “I understand.” Shabs turned and left. Screams of fear sounded behind him, babies cried and one old person shuffled along slowly. For a long moment, Zell felt terribly alone, well aware that he might not see his friends again, that the tiny leather knife was not enough to kill the beast. Then he took a deep breath, touched his Tribal mark and chose the place of his stand.

  Megaboar were the result of a breeding attempt that had been interrupted by the arrival of the Rraussha. The scientists had managed to create boars of the size wanted, but not yet bred the extreme aggressiveness out of them. The beasts had escaped in the chaos that resulted from the invasion and established a firm hold in the fertile forests of their world.