by Zena Zion
Eliana raised her hands to his bare chest and felt the untrustworthy digits make their way to his shoulders before curling themselves decisively into the dark hair at the base of his neck.
Rox groaned and sat up, pulling her with him. He wrapped his arm around her so that he was cupping her jaw with one hand and her waist with the other.
His thumb rubbed slow, erotic circles near her earlobe and Eliana leaned into the kiss, her mind completely blank except for the primitive urges that guided her body.
When his mouth moved to her lower jaw and down her neck Eliana leaned her head back and released a lustful sigh.
The sound rocketed her brain back into the present and Eliana thrust Rox forcefully away from her. She remembered that Rox was only taking what he thought belonged to him, as if she were an item to be bought or used.
She clamped a hand over her swollen mouth and hugged her knees to her chest.
In the dimly lit room she could tell that Rox was struggling for control. Eliana was terrified of how he might react. She wondered if this was the first time Rox had ever been rejected. This afternoon did not count, she had not reciprocated then the way she had moments ago. Yes, she admitted silently, she had thoroughly reciprocated.
Rox shifted his legs painfully and Eliana tried not to think of the discomfort he must be feeling. If he was as similar to a human as she expected then she had just left him with a serious ache in the lower region.
“OK.” He took a deep, steadying breath. “Two beds, if you say so.” He looked at her very seriously. “You do say so, right? Because, if that was just a knee-jerk reaction then I am more than inclined to continue.”
Eliana nodded. Her hand was still clutched over her mouth as if its feeble grip could protect her if he decided to approach her again.
Without further comment Rox shifted off of the bed and slipped quietly into his own, a safe distance away.
“That’s all it takes?” Eliana blurted. Here she’d been thinking that she needed an elaborate plan to keep this dominant male away from anything he had set his mind to. Instead, one firm push had sent him away without so much as a second glance.
Rox rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
“…all it takes.” He muttered barely loud enough for her to hear. Then he leaned his head to look directly at her while he said, “Listen Earthling, I’m not about to convince a woman to go to bed with me. I don’t have to pay for my pleasure, contrary to what you might think. When the time comes for me to have you, it will be your decision and you’ll come to me without hesitation. Until then all it takes,” he used her words with force, “is for me to wait for the inevitable.”
Eliana’s jaw dropped at his statement.
“You are so certain, are you?” she spat. “You arrogant, self-centered, egotistical…” before she could finish he cut her off.
“Yes. I am certain. But, not for the reasons that you think.” Rox barked angrily.
“Oh? Enlighten me.” Eliana sat higher. It felt good to vent the anger that had been building for days at an unsuspecting victim.
Rox rolled away from her and faced the wall.
“Go to bed, human.” He said through clenched teeth.
“I hate you!” Eliana bawled and threw her pillow with full force at his back.
Rox grabbed the pillow and added it to his own without uttering a single word.
Eliana realized her mistake when she went to lay down facing the opposing wall. She’d thrown her only pillow at the brute and he had kept it.
Chapter 4
The next morning Eliana awoke to the sound of Rox’s bed descending into the floor. He stood casually leaning against the wall, watching her, as he chewed a bite from the steaming loaf of bread in his hand. She peeked under the blanket at her attire and realized that the sheer fabric would do very little to hide her body from the Heptonian’s gaze.
“Turn around.” She demanded.
The only response she received was a raised eyebrow and an expectant grin. He was toying with her and she did not like it one bit.
She repeated her command and with a chuckle, Rox complied.
“It isn’t as if you have anything that I haven’t seen before.” He teased.
Eliana dashed over to her pile of clothes, watching him out of the corner of her eye to ensure he remained facing the wall.
“There is no need for modesty between us. Heptonians and Earthlings are quite similar when it comes to anatomy. I promise, we have nothing that will shock each other.” He spoke casually while ripping small pieces from his bread. “That is, unless you’ve never seen a naked male before.”
Eliana felt a blush rise in her cheeks. She understood the concept of male anatomy, but had never actually viewed it in person.
Her silence caught his attention and Rox glanced over his shoulder. Eliana clutched the shirt, which she had been about to put on, to her front. She watched his eyes move upward from her legs, clad in dark riding pants. His gaze lingered temporarily on her flat stomach and bare shoulders before meeting her eyes.
Eliana watched his pupils contract and wondered why the thought of Rox watching her left her with a sense of exhilaration.
“You have at least viewed a male body before, haven’t you?” His voiced seemed a pitch lower than it had only moments earlier.
Eliana simply stared at him. She would not buy into his intimate conversation.
After a short period of silence, Rox revealed a knowing smile before turning his back on her once again.
“If you ever feel like resolving that issue…” He left the sentence to hang between them as Eliana finished dressing. She rolled her eyes and sighed at his over-confident attitude.
After an extremely elaborate breakfast, where Eliana observed with shock the massive quantity of food that the active warrior could consume in one sitting, the pair set off into the heart of the small market town.
Rox carried all of their belongings in the leather pack that was strapped diagonally across his back. Once again, Eliana was forced to keep up with his massive stride as he guided them toward a row of dark cylinders from which people seemed to be coming and going with remarkable speed.
They approached the line that had formed in front of the cylinders that read, Rathsmura. It appeared to Eliana that one tube was for individuals arriving in the market town, while the other seemed to be taking them away.
The line shortened and Eliana became suddenly nervous. It did not seem that anyone who had disappeared, had returned. The cylinders were small and she could see the row of buildings behind them.
What she could not figure out was where the dozens of groups that had entered in the last ten minutes had gone. The doors would open. Those waiting in line would file in. Then the doors would close and, when they opened for the second time, the chamber would once again be empty.
When they were first in line Eliana felt ill. She knew from her journey to Hepton that she did not do well with alien modes of transportation. When the slaver’s space shuttle had entered hyper-speed she had felt as if all of her organs were going to explode.
She tugged gently on Rox’s pack, feeling very much like a child attempting to gain the attention of an adult. He looked down at her and she knew that he recognized the concern on her face when he laid a cool hand on her bare shoulder.
“You’ll be fine.” He consoled, “Remember that our bodies aren’t so different from your own. This is simply the fastest way to travel on my planet.”
Eliana nodded and swallowed deeply. Rox words had not calmed her fears. In fact, the mention of speed had initiated the sensation of ice on the surface of her trembling skin.
She followed him cautiously into the chamber. Rox paid for two seats, which instantly rose from the center of the circular flooring. Eliana mimicked his actions as Rox buckled himself into the seat beside her. He reached over and checked that her harness was secure before looking very seriously at Eliana with his steely eyes.
She was waiting for
him to say something when she realized that he had flipped his hand, palm upward, onto the divider between their seats.
Eliana recognized that he was giving her the opportunity to hold on to his hand to calm her fears. In a moment of pure stubborn pride, Eliana shook her head and refused his offer.
She stared straight ahead as the capsule rocketed into the ground at a speed that made her stomach clench. She now understood the method of transportation. It was some sort of massive, underground pneumatic tube.
The blur of colors flashing past the windows of the tube made Eliana suddenly nauseas. She covered her eyes with her hands and began to rock back and forth in her seat. This was quite possibly the worst experience of her life.
With slow contact Eliana felt the solid muscle of Rox’s arms wrap around her shoulders as he held her firmly against his side. Somehow, enveloped by his immovable strength, Eliana experienced a sense of security that calmed her panicked reaction. She buried her face in his chest and allowed Rox to hold her close, protecting her body with his own.
When they arrived at their destination fifteen minutes later Eliana felt moderately foolish for her reaction. She refused to acknowledge any form of gratitude for the moment of comfort. Her pride, and embarrassment, would not allow Eliana to admit that she had been afraid, especially not to a macho warrior who barely exhibited any emotions.
As they exited the capsule Eliana refused to make eye contact with her captor. Instead, she lowered her shoulders and stared straight ahead as she followed him silently through a series of well-lit tunnels.
There were no windows in the tunnels, only a series of vents that released sweet smelling air into the space. She began to wonder if they were still underground.
“Welcome to Rathsmura.” Rox stated in short tones. It had not taken him long to return to his terse behavior.
Her suspicions were confirmed when they entered into a single, massive tunnel that had hundreds of branches leading off into all different sections of the city. The central tunnel was nine stories high with each level appearing to be devoted to increasing economic status. Rox guided her into a lift and pressed a button for the eighth floor.
Eliana watched with interest as they literally rose from the poverty of level one to the glittering opulence of level eight. Before exiting the lift, Rox inserted his hand into a scanner that unlocked the entrance to this elite section of the city.
He strode briskly off the lift without a backward glance.
“What about me?” Eliana asked, chasing after him.
“What about you?” he countered.
“Will that scanner thing work on me? How will I return to this level if I’m alone?” She had been wondering if her slave duties would include running errands and purchasing goods. If so, she thought, she might have a chance to find someone that would help her escape.
“Slaves aren’t registered in the system.” He stopped abruptly and turned to face her with a formidable expression. “What is your name, human?”
For the first time it occurred to her that he had yet to refer to her by anything other than her sex or species.
“Eliana.” She revealed in a whisper.
“Let me make one thing perfectly clear to you, Eliana.” He leaned forward so that his face was close to hers. “On Hepton slaves are not people. They are possessions. You will not have the ability to move between levels without permission. Do not let my behavior mislead you. You will be treated like an object by anyone else that you meet. At best, you can hope to be ignored. At worst…” he trailed off. “Let’s just hope that you are ignored.”
Without waiting for a response, Rox continued down the length of the marble balcony.
“What is this place?” Eliana jogged to catch up.
He cast a brief sideways glance in her direction while deciding on his answer.
“This place is my home.”
Eliana did not understand how a soldier could afford to live on the second highest level of this immense underground Capital. Maybe, she wondered, he was raised in a wealthy family.
“Do your parents live here?” She could tell that she was annoying him with her ceaseless questioning but could not resist the temptation so long as he continued to answer.
“No.”
“Were you raised in Rathsmura?” Maybe his family was on the ninth floor.
“Yes.” He turned a corner and was briefly out of her sightline.
“Well, where are they?” she persisted.
Rox stopped once again and turned to her with a sigh.
“My parents died on the fourth floor when I was a few years old.” His eyes narrowed. “I was raised in the Juvenile Pre-Military Ward, something that you would consider an orphanage. On Hepton, however, acceptance into our military is an honor and the single most prestigious career available. Hence,” he gestured at the space around him, “the eighth terrace.”
Eliana chewed her lower lip. She was starting to understand that there was more to Rox than just a brute force warrior. She was not dealing with a low-level jarhead, but rather an elite member of this extremely powerful society.
For the rest of the day Eliana followed Rox silently as he completed a number of nominal tasks. It was apparent that he had been away from the city for quite some time as passerby continually paused to welcome his return.
When this happened Eliana stood quietly behind Rox, using his body as a shield from the curious eyes of the other Heptonians. She did not know what Rox had meant about not wanting to be noticed, but she was positive that she did not want to find out.
Eliana was surprised to see that nightfall was simulated in the underground city by the dimming of the lights in the central tunnel. As the balcony darkened Rox led her down a path full of doorways that was decorated entirely in shimmering gold. In the fading light Eliana thought that the hallway looked like a thousand twinkling stars.
Rox came to pause in front of a large golden door on which he placed his hand. The door flashed green for an instant, as it read his palm, before swinging open into an elegant, but minimalist, living space.
Eliana took unhurried steps into the grand central room. It was decorated entirely in white, with hints of emerald green accents hidden throughout the design. There was something extremely masculine about the space, and yet, it was beautiful.
She was stunned to see the furniture resting firmly atop the floor. She supposed that in a permanent residence there would be no need for the room to convert as easily as the temporarily lodgings of the previous night.
Just then there was a gentle knock at the door that drew Rox’s attention. He allowed two well-armed males to enter.
“Sir, we are reporting for duty. The regiment is pleased to hear that you have returned safely.” Eliana was interested to find that the soldiers addressed Rox with a tone of reverence.
“What news?” Rox asked.
“We lost two shuttles in the Orion Arm. The rest returned early this morning.” The solider that spoke was the taller of the two. He had bright orange hair that was tied in a knot at the base of his skull. Rox nodded and the soldier continued.
“Commander Xargo has requested your presence for the evening meal. He is pleased to hear about,” his eyes shifted quickly to Eliana and then away again, “your purchase.”
Rox swore vehemently.
“Sir, you could leave her here.” The smaller man offered.
“No. Xargo will take that as an insult.” Rox strode quickly over to a wall and began pushing a series of buttons that magically created a doorway on the far side of the room.
Eliana stood rooted in the corner. She did not have a positive feeling about the conversation unfolding in front of her.
Rox opened the door and tossed his pack inside. Pointing with dramatic flare at the door he turned suddenly toward Eliana.
“You, put on whatever formalwear you chose. The attendant will be with you shortly.” When Eliana did not move Rox gave her a swift push toward the doorway.
“What�
��s happening?” she delayed.
“We are invited to dinner. Now, go.” Before she closed the door Rox called for her attention one more time. “Eliana, you’ll need to remember what I said about not being noticed. It would be best if you refrained from speaking tonight.”
Eliana nodded before shutting the door. She turned just in time to see an elderly Heptonian woman enter the room through a doorway that disappeared behind her.
Once again, Eliana went through the bathing ritual. She argued passionately with the woman, about the undergarment that she had planned to wear with the dress, until the attendant finally threw her hands up in frustration and allowed Eliana to have her way.
The woman applied a dramatic layer of makeup, lining Eliana’s eyes with what appeared to be tiny specks of crushed emerald and dusting her cheeks with a pale golden powder.
As the woman pinned and braided Elaina’s hair into an elegant updo, she explained the expected behavior of a female slave.
“You don’t speak. If you think they are speaking to you, you are wrong. They are speaking to your master.” She informed. “You stand along the wall with the other slaves. Only we, Heptonian women, sit at the table with the men. Do not move unless your master tells you to.
“You keep your head bowed and your eyes on the ground. Do not make eye contact with any male but your master, this brings about the lusts in them and is insulting to your owner.”
Eliana listened attentively and nodded her understanding. Blend into the wall, she thought, all she had to do was blend into the wall.
When Eliana had finished dressing she returned to the central chamber to find Rox waiting, alone.
He had changed as well and was now wearing a pair of midnight blue pants that had a shimmering golden waistband. His muscular torso remained bare. Eliana noticed a thin golden band that encircled Rox’s toned arm. It curved into the elaborate shape of Hepton’s two suns, the same image as the tattoo on the woman’s forehead in the market village.
