Captive

by Hannah Steenbock

  “Shabs is doing the best he can.”

  “I know.” She hissed in helpless anger. “I know he is. And I know I can’t even be sure if you want to stay with me if you could. I don’t have a lot of status anymore.”

  “Ssheyrra. Stop this. Don’t play what-if with things that aren’t real.”

  She froze. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s useless to speculate. The world doesn’t allow us the choice. Live with the way the world is, and make the best of what you have. And right now, we have each other.”

  “Blessed Ancestors. Such wisdom.”

  He bit her to get her out of her dark mood. She hissed, but she also relaxed a little.

  “Good. And you know, Shabs is quite aware of what we are to each other. He supports us. We will be together again.”

  “That is true.” She sighed deeply. “I worry too much.”

  “Do you want pleasure?”

  “I do.” She sighed again. “All night long, if you can.”

  Zell laughed. “That depends on how hard you are on me. Last time was… very exhausting.”

  Her mood suddenly lightened. “I will try something else, then.”

  Zell swallowed.

  She started nibbling on him. “I want you to do nothing, nothing at all.”

  “You might have to tie me up for that.” Zell was being factious, but she laughed with delight.

  Moments later, he found himself spreadeagled on the bed, fully restrained, and regretted suggesting it. “Ssheyrra…”

  She nibbled his jaw. “Don’t worry. I will take good care of you. I’m learning how.”

  To his surprise and relief, she was very gentle with him, caressing him and encouraging his member with an inventiveness that held him spellbound. When she finally mounted him and rode him, she brought him to a single roaring release and then lay back down beside him, just touching him, stroking his skin and letting him recover before starting all over again in a slightly different way, teasing and exploring his entire body. It was gentle, considerate and more loving than he would have thought possible.

  And it did last all night. When morning dawned, she released him and curled up with him. She ran a finger in circles around Zell’s chest. “If we never see each other again, will you forget me?”

  “Of course not! And it’s only for a few days, Shabs said.”

  “He might find another lady to talk contracts with. And use you to sweeten the deal.”

  Zell laughed. “I really doubt that. I think that Ssasssal has very much dissuaded him from the idea.”

  “He would love to have children,” Ssheyrra said slowly. “And that takes a contract.”

  “So?”

  “I don’t have enough status to contract with him.”

  Zell pulled her towards him. “Do you really think that matters? You’re also regaining status already.”

  “Not enough. And yes, it matters. Contracting with me will lower his status, so he can’t.”

  “We live in a strange world.”

  “Yes.”

  She snuggled close to him. “Tell me you won’t forget me?”

  “Ssheyrra. I love you. I will never forget you.”

  After a while, she let him go.

  Zell looked back to see her standing at the door when the aircar took off. She looked forlorn, and he felt sad. His heart grew heavy when they left the trees behind, crossed over the wall and started to thread through the city, winding their way to Shabs’ town home. Just before they reached it and as the aircar angled to enter the garage, Zell saw a few people standing in front of it, holding signs.

  “Girma, did you see the signs?”

  “Only one.”

  “What did it say?”

  “Something about a ‘killer’“.

  Zell shrugged. Maybe it was normal for people in the city. He would never pretend to know what life in a Dile town was like.

  Shabs seemed unhappy when he led them to their rooms, without leashes and restraints. They had stopped bothering with that during their stay at the Sanctuaries.

  The door to their rooms whooshed open, and Zell noticed an unpleasant smell. He stopped Girma who wanted to run to their garden and greet her harebit.

  “Please wait here. Something is not right. Let Shabs and me check if there’s any danger.”

  Shabs gave him a strange look but he followed Zell to the inner yard. As soon as they stepped through the door to the garden, they stopped in shock.

  Someone had kicked over every single pot and stomped on the plants. Most of them were dead. And the little white harebit was lying on top of its hut.

  When Zell stepped closer, he could see that its paws had been nailed to the hut, and its belly had been slit open. The stench was horrible. Flies rose from the dead thing as they approached. The poor little animal must have suffered terribly.

  Shabs paled visibly. “Girma must not see this. And I cannot believe this has happened in my own home. I will find out who did this.”

  “Where can I take Girma?”

  “Just come with me. I will have everything cleaned up but it’ll take some time. I don’t understand why nobody took care of this before we came.”

  “The harebit only died yesterday,” Zell said and sighed. “We should have taken it with us.”

  They walked back to the entrance.

  “Girma, there is something wrong here. We need to wait somewhere else before it’s fixed.”

  “But I wanted to say hi to Lucky.” Girma pouted a little.

  “I’m sorry, Girma. It died. Someone must have not taken good care of it.”

  “Oh, no.” The girl sighed. “They are delicate.”

  “It’s not a nice sight, so we’ll wait for someone to take it away.” Zell hated not being able to tell her the full truth, but she was taking it fairly well.

  “I understand.” She sighed again.

  Shabs took them back into the corridor and up to another floor. “These are my own quarters. Enjoy them while I talk to my staff.”

  Zell was impressed. The rooms were large, bright and decorated with pictures of nature. There was one room with a large bed, another with a table and several chairs, and a third with couches and armchairs which looked inviting enough for long evenings of talking. He even saw some books. It had a fireplace, too, or so Zell thought when he saw the blackened rock. Suddenly, he missed the campfire talks with Elera, and his heart ached.

  Girma took his hand. “You look sad.”

  Zell sighed. “I miss my home,” he admitted. “The trees. My friends. It’s wonderful to have you, Shabs and Ssheyrra, but… I don’t even really know how much time has passed since I was caught. It still feels unreal.”

  “I know how you feel. I miss my Sanctuary. Visiting that other one was great, it felt almost like coming home, and yet… it wasn’t home.”

  “Yes.” He pulled her into an embrace. “I’m glad I have you, at least.” He bent and kissed her, persuading himself that being with Girma was enough.

  She giggled. “We can’t make love on Shabs’ bed,” she said, “or I would ask you to take me. We haven’t really spend much time together lately. There was always something to do. And Shabs needed me, and Ssheyrra needed you.”

  “That’s true.” He kissed her some more, and somehow, not being able to follow through was more stimulating than he had expected. He realized that it had truly been long since he and Girma had made love. Maybe it was time to reacquaint her body to his. He kissed her throat and ran one hand over her back, holding her close to him with the other.

  Oh, how he wanted more!

  He saw a thick, lush carpet, carried Girma over to it and put her down on it. She laughed. “Oh, Zell, this is still Shabs’ place. We should wait until we get back to our own.”

  Zell sighed. Girma was right. And yet, he had never needed her more than right now.

  He just curled around her, holding her tight. His body trembled with need, and she simply smiled at him, her hands signaling patienc
e, while her body indicated that she was ready for him.

  When Shabs returned, Zell simply picked up Girma and carried her in his arms. She clung to him and leaned her head to his.

  “It’s clear now.” Shabs took a close look at them and smiled. “And everything else can wait.”

  He showed them back to their rooms and left them alone. Zell glanced at the garden in the yard and saw that all pots had been righted, and some plants restored to them. The harebit hut was beyond his line of vision, but he didn’t doubt that it had been scrubbed and would house a new inhabitant soon.

  Girma wiggled in his arms, and he focused on her again. Moments later, they were on their bed, and Zell reveled in the familiar scents of the covers and her body.

  Slowly, he told himself, and took the time to explore Girma’s body and to renew his love for it. He kissed her shoulders, neck and breasts, worked his way down her belly and even kissed the place just above her entrance. Only then did he allow himself to enter her with his fingers, feeling the familiar folds, the warm well waiting for him. He loved the way she opened for him, how she sighed and moaned in pleasure when he caressed her.

  He had forgotten how warm she was, compared to Ssheyrra. When he entered her slowly, he was surprised by her enthusiastic welcome. Her well opened for him, pulled him in and enfolded him like no other. He couldn’t hold back. He withdrew and thrust deeply into her, overwhelmed by his need.

  She matched every move of his, with a new confidence, with joy and love. Zell reveled in finding her grown in this way, and he concentrated on bringing her to release after release before allowing one for himself.

  Finally, they just lay next to each other, with him still inside her, enjoying the feeling of being loved completely. He caressed her back, and she was lazily snuggled against his chest.

  This moment of being together, being with Girma and making love was a kind of home, he realized after a while, very much unlike his old one, but still home.

  They fell asleep still savoring the bliss of coming home.

  Chapter 26

  “I have bad news.” Shabs didn’t even apologize for barging in on them, although he did bring breakfast. “I found who destroyed your garden. Two of my staff admitted to it, and I have let them go.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Not your fault. However, even the rest of my people here are angry, and they were willing to tell me why.”

  “Oh?”

  “They are afraid of the Wild One we have in the home.” Shabs’ voice was dripping with venom.

  Zell closed his eyes. “Don’t tell me. Sshirr and Ssasssal.”

  “Indeed.”

  “What have they done?”

  Shabs was pale and shaking with fury. “They have taken vids from past Hunts, ones where Wild Ones fought back and killed Rraussha. They cut them into new ones with a shocking punch. And they are telling people there is a Wild One in town that’s just waiting to come and get them.”

  “Oh, stars.”

  “And people believe it, of course.” Girma had silently come up behind Zell.

  “Yes. So far, they haven’t named me or you, but of course, my staff has figured it out. And I’m sure that Ssasssal will soon send people over here.”

  “The guards from the court know.” Girma was frowning.

  Zell started pacing. “It doesn’t matter. It’s only a question of time until Ssasssal increases the pressure on Shabs. This will not end well. And I have no idea what to do.”

  “We need to find a way to make people see you as hero,” Girma said. “I just don’t know how.”

  Shabs grinned. “I do. We’ll create vids of our own, with an adorable Zell, being gorgeous, lovable and sexy.”

  Zell groaned.

  The next day, a camera crew arrived, with scripts for several scenes.

  Zell found himself on the bed, petting a harmless brown harebit, displaying his manhood, with Girma sitting in the background. He had never felt sillier.

  The second scene had him working out, with his body oiled, in different poses that showed off his pectorals and thighs. And one kneeling at Girma’s feet, with a male Rraussha looking on in the role of the benevolent master, holding his leash.

  Zell almost rebelled against that one.

  “They must see that you’re not a threat. They must see you as romantic pet, not as a raving killer,” the head of the camera crew insisted.

  “I do understand.” Zell frowned. “But it’s ridiculous.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  The both managed a laugh, and then Zell knelt down again.

  “Perfect! The ladies will love it!”

  Zell got up and looked at the Rraussha with the camera. “And you are not afraid of me?”

  The Rraussha grinned. “Not at all. I can see you are logical, cooperative and intelligent. The Wild Ones they showed in those vids? Those were fighting for their lives. I don’t blame them for hitting a Hunter as hard as they could. You’re not, you’re relaxed, and a natural for the camera.”

  “Thank you.” Zell bowed his head. “Would you tell your friends?”

  “Hey, I might at that.” The Rraussha lowered his voice. “Can you imagine who I worked with today? A real, living Wild One! And he was clever, oh, yes, but also just a great person to work with. Something like that?”

  “That’s perfect.”

  “It’s also the truth.” The Rraussha sobered quickly. “I’m appalled at the nonsense they are spreading, and I can tell it’s deliberate. Too bad people are believing it. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

  “Thank you again.”

  “We’ll get those vids up and running as soon as possible. You’d be surprised at the story we’ll spin.”

  Even before those vids could be presented to the public, the first crowd of protesters gathered in front of Shabs’ house.

  “Would it help if you paraded me out there in full restraints?” Zell wasn’t looking forward to that experience.

  “You would do that?”

  “Yes. If you think it would calm people down.”

  Shabs shook his head. “I don’t want to do that. Let’s wait for those vids to do their work.”

  The first vid with him and the harebit resulted in fan mail by many Rraussha, several offering money to ‘borrow’ him.

  “Maybe we should accept some of those offers,” Zell said. “Just to get some first-hand reports out there that I’m a good lover, not a killer.”

  Shabs shook his head. “Jealousy is a dangerous emotion. Let them dream about you, or having someone like you.”

  They did more vids, one of them showing him with flowers. It was hard not to explode into laughter about getting so exited and wax poetic over some simple flowers, but the film crews reassured him that many Rraussha ladies would swoon over that.

  Zell was getting more fan mail, and the protesters in front of his house were opposed by others who expressed their support for the noble Wild One.

  He found he was breathing more easily.

  Chapter 27

  A week later it started working too well. Supporters and enemies of the Wild One clashed in the city one evening, spurred to a frenzy by vids from Ssasssals’ side encouraging violence. Enforcers had to separate the mobs.

  They watched the reporting in Shabs’ rooms together with Ssheyrra who had come in from the sanctuary, as the fights went on for a whole night, with houses and aircars burning and Enforcers being attacked.

  They also watched the three Leaders arguing on camera. Zell had never even seen any of them. Two were male, one was female, and they all looked bigger than any Rraussha he had seen. All of them wore robes in the same style the judge had worn, except they were dyed a dark red. The color looked so much like Human blood that he shuddered.

  One of the males argued in favor of the Wild Ones, while the other male was adamant about killing them all, as well as searching out and eliminating the Tribes. The female tried to convince both that a middle path would serve the society b
est, to no avail. Her logic appealed to Zell, but it seemed a voice of reason was not welcome when fires burned in the city.

  “Who are they?” he asked. “I mean, aside from being your Leaders.”

  “Ssrassho is the second female to become a Leader,” Ssheyrra explained. “I still don’t know how she made it to the seat, but she has been a decisive factor, since she sometimes sides with Sshoshen and sometimes with Rheresh.”

  “Oh, so she plays them both?” Zell grinned.

  “There is nothing playful about being a Leader,” Shabs said after a while. “It’s a difficult task, and they carry much responsibility. That’s why I dislike the extreme hate Sshoshen shows for Choomans. He usually wants to regulate everything, and controlling Choomans is his way of gaining favor for his plans.”

  “Has Rhreresh always been in our favor?” Girma asked.

  “No, but he has jumped on the bandwagon for the Wild Ones, and now he can’t back down without losing face. He dislikes Ssasssal, and I think that’s why he did it. He is more lenient about Choomans in general, though.” Shabs sighed. “He didn’t have time to talk to us, although I asked.”

  The reporting went back to the fires and the clashes in the streets.

  “I don’t like this at all, Shabs,” Zell said after a while, with Girma snuggled close. “That rioting will force the Leaders to do something about me.”

  “It’s not about you,” Shabs said.

  “No, Zell’s right,” Ssheyrra said. “He is the figure head for this, even if our side tells people to be peaceful. We should head out to the Sanctuary.”

  Shabs shook his head. “It’s easier to protect my home here.”

  “What if the Leaders decide to eliminate Zell?” Girma’s voice was very small. “We always culled gueep that were fighting. We didn’t tolerate troublemakers, and, well, Zell is only a pet.” She bit her lip.

  Shabs took a deep breath. “Zell is still officially mine. And I think I can protect him. I will talk to more people.” He left his rooms.

  “How much influence does Shabs have with the Leaders?” Zell wondered out loud.

  “Hopefully enough”, Ssheyrra answered. “But no Leader can tolerate rioting for long, and they will look to end this. I believe you’re right to be concerned.”