by Mary Auclair
How she longed for that feeling again, the warm embrace of those arms around her. Those fingers on her face, so gentle. So soothing.
No. Stop it, stupid girl. It’s the dehydration that’s making you crazy. He’s dangerous.
Rose raised her head and stared at Karian’s face. He hovered over her, exuding agile strength, with lean, hard muscles wrapping around his frame like a fit predator. Her gaze wandered to his broad, muscular chest. It was as hairless as his head, but that wasn’t what made her eyes widen. How could she not have noticed before? Her mind must have been mush.
The Eok’s chest was covered in scar marks, arranged in a swirly pattern, just like on his face. Dozens upon dozens of small incisions created bumps, decorating his flesh in a flashing display of the agony he had endured. It was the first time she stopped to really see him for what he was. He wasn’t just a force of nature. He was as deadly as any predator ever created, and probably as cruel. She shivered, deep inside, where all her fears lived. She was nothing but a mouse in front of him. Defenseless and insignificant.
“Those scars.” Rose pointed at his chest and face. “Where did you get them?”
“An Eok warrior marks his own body during the Rite, before the ancients of the Warrior’s Guild.”
Karian stepped to the edge of the cage and extended his powerful forearms through the bars, rotating them so she could see the dozens of scars running along his flesh. It was hard, but she held still. Inching away would be a display of weakness, and she couldn’t afford to show more than what she already had. It was too much as it was. Karian lifted his jaw in a proud gesture.
“I have more marks than any other males in three generations. Five-hundred-and-seventy-nine.”
The words shook her to her foundation. He had done this to himself, cut into his own flesh a staggering number of times. This time, Rose did inch back.
“Why?” Her voice was a high-pitched child’s song. “Why would you hurt yourself like that?”
“To prove my worth to the Warrior’s Guild and to my clan. Pain has to be mastered if one aspires to become a warrior. I can endure more pain than any other living warrior of my clan.” His eyes flashed in the darkness of the pod. “What about you, Pretty Thing?”
“I already asked you to call me Rose, not Pretty Thing. And no, I guess I can’t. Enduring pain isn’t one of my pastimes. Too bad for you I’m the one on the outside of the cage.”
For now.
The thought insinuated itself on her, dangerous and strangely appealing.
Karian’s confident smirk melted some, but not completely. She still had the advantage, but barely. Rose leaned against the thin padding of the seat, allowing the desperation to settle deep inside her bones. After all she had done, she was defeated without those emergency rations. Giving way to her frustration, she kicked a loose metal panel, sending it flying across the pod with a dead, hollow sound.
Then she saw it.
Small, oval and metallic—she had forgotten all about it. Arrik’s universal magnetic key. Rose picked it up and flipped it between her fingers, then her eyes went back to the cage. There was a similar indenture in the central panel that ran the length of the cage, about midway. The key fit right in. Her gaze locked with Karian’s. He was holding his breath, glaring at her with those unsettling eyes. The balance of power had just shifted and he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“Open the cage.” His tone was pure ice. It was a command, given by one used to ordering warriors thousands of time stronger than she was. “Open it now.”
“No.” She sustained his gaze, flipping her hair out of her face with a defiant lifting of her chin.
“Let me out of that cage and I will protect you, I will provide for you. You will never want for anything.”
“Maybe it’s me who will provide and care for you.” She couldn’t help the mocking tone of her voice. She’d had enough of being treated like a weakling. It was just so incredible that he would think she was stupid enough to let him loose. “From inside the cage. Who’s going to be a Pretty Thing now?”
Karian’s mouth reduced to a thin, cruel line and his eyes flashed with anger, but he kept silent. He didn’t answer, didn’t lose his temper, but began pacing in his cage. He could only walk three steps before reaching the bars, but he kept pacing relentlessly. Three steps one way, three steps the other way. Back and forth, back and forth. His eyes never left Rose, those blue flames shining like pieces ripped from a summer sky. A dark, mindless fear crept inside her mind at the sight of him.
By then, the twin suns had almost completed their descent in the alien sky and darkness was invading the pod at a racing speed. She wouldn’t be able to see a thing in a few minutes.
Looking away was against all her survival instincts but she did it anyway. She ignored Karian pointedly as she got back to her wobbly feet and started arranging the cushions from the seats in a semblance of bed. She couldn’t afford to lose time worrying about him. If he ever got out of that cage, she was as good as dead. He might not have killed her before, but now he was sure to take revenge. She might as well concentrate on her other problems. Taking a slow, burning breath, she decided to push the Eok out of her mind.
She was dehydrating faster than she had calculated. Rose didn’t have the two to three days she originally thought she had. She was going to be dead by this time tomorrow if she didn’t find water.
THE NEXT DAY, by the end of the morning, Rose sat down on her makeshift bed, holding her head in her hands, trying to massage away the headache that dug deep inside the folds of her brain. The Eok hadn’t said a word since she’d refused to open the cage. That was right before sunset the day before, when she still had her mind intact. After a long night of teeth-shattering cold, she wasn’t sure she had all her marbles anymore.
Her lips were cracked, and she could feel the dry, leathery skin when she passed her sticky tongue over them. The heat was rising again, and this time Rose was going to be dead before the cold of the night came down again. It was such a sad end to her heroic escape, so tragic, she would have laughed if she wasn’t so damn tired.
“Give me the key, Pretty Thing.” Karian’s voice broke the emptiness of the pod. It wasn’t his usual mocking tone, it was full of concern and warmth. “I’ll get the emergency rations out. You need water, bad, you’re just too stubborn to admit it.”
She turned her head and gazed into dazzling blue eyes. She could see the pattern of the scars for what they were, now. It was impressive, and forced respect. She wondered how old Karian had been when he had marked his flesh like that. There was so much she didn’t know, so much she wished she’d learned about him.
You’re losing it. Focus.
Rose shook her head, and was rewarded with a flash of white hot pain searing through her vision. This creature wasn’t her friend. He was a predator, and she would do well to remember it. His attractiveness was the pretty colors on a venomous snake, or the softness of a mountain lion’s fur: a lure, a disguise to hide how deadly he was.
“I’m not giving you the key.”
Karian glared at her, his blue eyes shining and his jugular veins pulsating with fury. His jaw twitched with anger but he remained silent. He was a closed-mouth son of a bitch when he wanted to be. She was counting on his anger, hoping it would make him reckless, desperate.
If he called her bluff, she would lose. Rose wouldn’t let him die in the cage. There was no sense in wasting both their lives. He didn’t need to know that, though. Not yet.
Her best hope was to convince Karian that his survival was tied to hers. The Eok knew where to find the supplies. The only thing he cared about was getting out of the cage. That key was her only leverage, and she twisted it between her palms, taunting him, trying to lure him into giving the information away.
“Don’t be foolish, little human.” Karian spoke with an even voice, but the anger lying underneath was almost enough to make her crumble and give up the key. Almost. “You’ll never survive without me.”
“And you will shrivel up, little by little, if I don’t let you out. It will be a long, lonely, agonizing death.” Rose managed a smirk, even if it hurt like hell to stretch her lips and all she wanted was to curl up and die. “I don’t envy you your superior strength.”
This got to him. He roared and punched the bars of his cage but they didn’t even rattle. It was the first time he gave way to his temper. Rose turned her head away, allowing her hair to hide her face. Her smile remained, truer this time. She had done it. She’d won her bluff. After a while, her smile faded and she lifted her gaze to him again.
Karian resumed his pacing and pursed his lips, exposing his fangs. The clear display of hostility was scary enough to make her scramble across the floor, as far away as she could from him. He was even more formidable when he was angry, his muscles rippling with aggression. Every inch of him was screaming lethal force, and Rose suddenly became his target.
A few more turns, then he stopped. His irises reflected the light, and when he shifted his body to face her, Rose couldn’t help but tremble. So much power, he could break her in a snap.
“The ceiling.” He talked with resentment, the words harsh. “Behind the central panel, the one with the three triangles engraved in one corner. That’s where you’ll find the supplies. Use your key to open it.”
“Thank you.”
Rose sustained his gaze for a few seconds, then struggled to her feet. She had to blink a few times to force her eyes to focus, then she saw them. Three triangles, engraved in the sterile gray of the ceiling panel. Standing on the tips of her toes, she reached as high as her arms could. The panel was too high; she couldn’t reach it. Frustrated, she looked around. The pod was mainly empty, there wasn’t much she could use to step on to reach for the panel. Then her eyes landed on the seat, the only one she hadn’t destroyed. Yes, that would do. Rose walked over to it, and pulled it right under the panel with the carved triangle.
“You’d better pray I don’t break my neck.”
With one last look at Karian, Rose put one foot on the unsteady seat, and then the other. She almost lost her balance, then regained it at the last minute. Karian gasped, but kept silent as she used the key to unlock it and proceeded to push the panel sideways until it tipped out of balance. It clanged on the floor with a metallic bang. Water, bags and bags of water were neatly piled on one side of a large storage space, while on the other side were stored packs of labeled food rations.
“We’re saved! There’s enough food and water for weeks!” Rose turned to Karian, who was staring at her with an undecipherable expression. “Don’t you see, we’re not dead yet!”
CHAPTER 5
ROSE
Rose sat on the floor in the mounting heat, draining her third water ration, then threw the discarded synthetic envelope away. Guilt washed over her at the knowledge that she was using up her meager rations too fast, but she couldn’t help it. She was so thirsty; water was being sucked up by her dehydrated body like a sponge. Already her lips felt soft, her tongue less raspy. She stopped herself short of picking up a fourth bag and crossed her arms over her chest. She needed to control herself, or she was a walking corpse with a brief relief.
Her eyes wandered to the opening in the pod’s wall. The light was fading again.
With trembling hands, she began to sort and count the food and water. It wasn’t nearly as much as she’d thought. Not nearly enough. She had maybe three weeks’ worth, and that was only for her own needs.
Rose’s eyes found Karian’s gaze, across from her in the pod. She held his intense stare, refusing to break the contact first. With his size, this reduced the rations by more than half. She gulped. They had a week, maybe two if they were careful.
Then her eyes widened and guilt bit at her. She had forgotten all about him. He had endured the days of heat without demands or complaints, but he had to be as thirsty as she was.
Rose tore her eyes from Karian’s mesmerizing gaze and looked at the pile of water rations. Seconds passed, and she bit her lower lip. When she looked up again, Karian followed her gaze to the water. He didn’t need to say anything. Shame burned up her cheeks, and she hated herself for the hesitation.
Without waiting, she reached for a single pouch, then added two more and got to her feet. She felt steadier already. The water was flooding through her body, hydrating her parched flesh. The relief was only one more reminder that Karian needed water as much as she did.
“Here, take this.” Rose approached without thinking and handed the water to the Eok. “Let me know if you need more.”
He reached out, fast as a snake, and wrapped his powerful hands around her smaller wrists with an iron grip. As soon as his skin came in contact with hers, an electric shock traveled up her arm, making every hair stand on end. His fingers were strong and rough in a pleasant, masculine way. A flash of those hands, running along her body, came to her mind, but she pushed it away as fast as it came. She didn’t have time to reflect on how good his contact was. She had been reckless, and now she was at his mercy.
A wave of panic surged inside her and Rose struggled to get free, but it was useless. He was too strong. She stopped struggling. No need to lose precious energy fighting a losing fight.
“You won’t survive as long if you share with me.” Karian’s gaze bored into hers. He narrowed his eyes and studied her face for a reaction. “Why?”
“Because no creature deserves to die of thirst and hunger. Take it. No need to thank me.” Rose shook the rations in her hands, still holding the bags. “But just a warning. The key is on the floor, by the rations. I don’t have it on me. If you kill me now, you’re stuck.”
“What makes you think I have any intention of hurting you?” He smiled and pulled her closer through the bars of the cage. “There are much more enjoyable ways of spending my time with you.”
“Try, and you’re not going to find them so enjoyable.”
But from the way her guts twisted and her stomach fluttered, Rose knew it was an empty threat. There was no mistaking her attraction to the Eok. As dangerous as he was, she began to suspect there was more to the handsome warrior than pure violence and savagery. She let him pull her closer, tilting her head up to sustain his gaze, her heart hammering against her ribs and her breath coming in increasingly faster succession. She didn’t allow her stare to falter, answering challenge for challenge. Soon, too soon, she was standing so close to him that his breath brushed her lips.
He looked down at her, his mouth slightly open. She could see the tips of his fangs, and it sent a shudder along her spine, tingling every one of her nerve endings with unwelcome arousal. His grip on her wrists softened and his fingers brushed up her arms. His touch was gentle and warm, and when he pulled her again, heat flared inside her, burning up her lips and spreading heat down lower in her belly. They were so close, her cheeks touched the metal bars.
Karian’s gaze slid to her lips.
He kept his eyes open as he lowered his head, his eyes locked with Rose’s. She gazed into the majestic depths, feeling like heaven was coming down on her. His lips closed on hers, and she shut her eyes under the shock of the contact. His lips were firm and supple, and he massaged Rose’s with a gentleness that surprised her. His tongue slipped between his lips and caressed hers, asking for permission. A wave of passion replaced the fear she once felt and she gave way willingly, greeting his tongue with hers. His taste invaded her mouth and a wave of warmth spread between her legs.
Karian took possession of her mouth, wiping away any thoughts she had that weren’t about him. He replaced them with a desire that burned so hot, she dissolved under it. His hands moved along her arms and slid up her elbows, circling her waist. He pulled her closer until her breasts touched his hard chest, crushing her into him through the bars. He owned every bit of her, and she melted into his kiss. A wild desire shot through her, and she found herself wishing he would rip the clothes off her body and lay his hard flesh upon her.
Then heaven wit
hdrew and Rose was cold, her eyes closed and her mouth open.
His hands released her, and she opened her eyes. A single water ration was pulled from her fingers, and he kept his eyes on her as he ripped it open with his fangs. Karian drank the whole pouch in one long sip, then threw the bag on the floor of the cage.
“Don’t you want more?” The question was honest, and she blinked through the fog of passion that still held her in its embrace. She wasn’t even sure if she was talking about the water or the kiss. “I’ll give you more if you want.”
“No, I have enough for a while.” Karian looked at Rose in that strangely intense way he had. “Thank you.”
She nodded, then stepped back. She turned her face away, unable to sustain his gaze any longer. She would be lost if she allowed herself to be swallowed by those deep, shining blue eyes. There was something in them, something soft and full of need under the heavy blanket of steel. It tore her heart apart. There was danger there, in more ways than she could count.
He’s trying to trick you. You stupid, stupid girl.
Rose couldn’t trust him. If she did, he was going to be the death of her.
In a daze, she walked back to the pile of rations. She had to forget that kiss. Survival was all that mattered, and she would do well to remember it. And to remember that her Eok companion was a threat, and not to be trusted.
Rose grabbed two small pouches of food rations in translucent plastic. Studying the gray sludge, she grimaced, then tossed one to Karian. She ripped hers open and stared as a drop of gray goop dropped on her fingertip. This was supposed to be food, but it didn’t look like it.
She turned the pouch around in her hands and read the claims on the label. This gray sludge was a protein, mineral and vitamins complete meal, enhanced with meat stew flavors. She brought it to her nose and smelled. Disgusted, she pushed the pack away from her nose. She had no choice, she needed the nourishment. There was no space left for the faint of heart in this life. As long as it didn’t make her ill, Rose would lap up every drop of it.
