by Lilly Wilder
“You guys go up and rest before dinner. In an hour, I’ll be downstairs to pick you up and walk you to the cafeteria. I want to brief you on your first day of tryouts tomorrow.” He waved and set off, walking in the direction of the showers.
“What got into him?” Vivica’s eyes were wide open, with fear or excitement, I couldn’t tell.
“Clearly he’s nervous about Dart and Blink. The last thing I want is to make babies with those brutes.” Although I knew that most likely I wouldn’t have to be with a guy like them, I knew it could be a possibility, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go through with it either, but someone was going to have to. That was just the name of the game. We weren’t here to fall in love and these fucking sessions weren’t about our own personal pleasure. They were about serving the warriors.
“Freaking ick is right. I think I would choke on my own vomit if I had to get naked with those two.”
She was so human sometimes it made me laugh. “We don’t exactly have a choice, you know that right?” I was worried that she would puke right there in the dorm stairs.
“Yeah, that whole thing has got me questioning whether or not I made the right decision. Honestly, this has been a trip. From you, to this morning in the shower at orientation. It’s opened my eyes to how I’ve been living my life. But, I’m not sure if I’m ready to surrender myself to something like this. The lack of control really bothers me, you know?”
I knew exactly what she meant. When we’re talking about fucking hot people in the shower, I’m down. But did I believe in their cause enough to let someone like Dart or Blink do whatever they wanted with me? That seemed like quite the leap in logic and I just wasn’t sure that I was ready for it. Was anyone ever really ready for it? We skipped up the stairs and found our room with minimum fumbling. We’d only just arrived here after all. Our room was neat and had obviously been cleaned by some invisible staff. Our stuff had been splayed all over the place before we went to breakfast this morning. It was now neatly folded, arranged, or put away somewhere. They must have spent hours cleaning. A fresh light scent emanated from every linen. Vivica flopped onto the bed.
“I’m exhausted.” She kicked off her shoes and spread her arms and legs wide like she was making a snow angel.
“Me too.” I sat down on the edge of the bed and removed my shoes. My head was swimming with questions. But I could also not stop reliving that mind-blowing orgasm. Did I truly belong here? Or was I just blinded by the sex and danger of it all? “What are you going to do?” I asked Vivica while staring at the ceiling. Total silence. I looked over towards Vivica. Her hair was splayed in all directions across the comforter. Her eyes were closed, and her face was peaceful. She could have been a teenager instead of a twenty-five-year-old. “That’s a good idea.” I closed my eyes and followed her into a dreamless sleep.
-12-
Three thunderous knocks brought me back to consciousness.
“I told you all I would meet you downstairs in an hour. It’s been an hour and a half. Get your asses out of bed.” Arkan’s voice boomed through the flimsy plywood door.
Vivica sat up with a start. She turned towards me and yelped. “Cat. Get up. We’re late.”
“I’m up, I’m up.” It felt like I closed my eyes for two seconds. My thoughts were thick and like sludge. How was there more to the day? I got up and stamped into my shoes. Looking in the mirror that hung over the dresser in front of us, I attempted to comb my hair into submission. It was wild and stuck out in odd angles. From my appearance, it was abundantly clear that I’d just woken up. There were slight bags under my eyes and my skin was dry and colorless. I looked like shit. I turned towards Vivica, who was still flat on her back. I walked over to the other bed and grabbed her. “Get up.” She’d dozed back off. How in the world was she going to handle the rigorous tryouts I believed were in store for us?
“Okay, okay.” She muttered with her eyes still closed.
“Go wash your face. It will help you wake up.” Vivica stumbled to the bathroom while I went to go open the door for Arkan. Even though I remembered what he looked like, it was still startling to see his body in the frame of the doorway. His salt and pepper hair nearly crashed into the ceiling. I expected him to look stern and angry, but he had a gigantic smile on his face.
“A bit worn out, eh?” He continued to grin cheesily. Arkan was mighty proud of himself, huh? Shapeshifter, human, vampire, they were all the same. A man was a man, I guess. He thought with one orgasm, he ruled the world and, in a way, he kinda did have bragging rights. That man knew what he was doing and I certainly wasn’t done exploring my time with him. I gave him my sexiest look, followed by a big grin.
“Well, you gave me quite the orientation. I wasn’t expecting it. But, it was a welcome addition to my life. I hope that I can repeat it.’
His face grew stony. He crossed the gap between us, coming so close that our noses were almost touching. I could feel his hot breath on my face. My skin tingled. He put his hands on my hips. “That can never happen again.”
I leaned my body into him, closing the gap further so that only a hair’s gap stood in between our lips. For a second, he looked as if he would kiss me, but he pulled his head back. “Are you going to be trouble?”
I placed a soft kiss on his lips. My soul burned with desire. His strong arms pulled me into him. For a moment, we were lost in a passionate embrace. My lips and tongue explored his, gently and forcefully, and then gently again. I craned my neck to keep our bodies aligned, his height was certainly easier spanned horizontally. When was the last time I’d ever felt like I needed a man this desperately? Had I ever? Men had mostly been props for me, simply toys to play with, while women and I had our fun. They were living sex toys, used to gel the gaps of boredom and pass the time. A means to an end. Could I possibly be developing feelings for him? He seemed so familiar. Known.
“Uh. I don’t mean to interrupt, but aren’t we supposed to be headed to dinner.” Vivica’s voice cut through our make out session. Arkan took a giant step back away from me and cleared his throat.
“Um. Yeah. Let’s go.” He turned and walked out the apartment door. What a drama queen. This was fun. What harm could it be to have a little romance with a retired breeder? I mean obviously he wouldn’t be able to be jealous and hold any of the breeder activities against me, right? He’s been through it all before, plus he was apparently a rule breaker. Jealousy had never played a large role in my life and I refused to let it now.
We shuffled out and I closed the door behind me. Going down the stairs, I noticed my inner thighs twinging. I guess we’d done a bit more workout than I thought.
When we made it to the cafeteria, it was stuffed with women and warriors alike. I spotted Eva laughing heartily at something an attractive redhead whispered in her ear. A blonde woman sat in the lap of a short-tanned man with a square jaw. The food was placed on four different tables, I’m guessing, due to the crowd. I surveyed the room. Were there any empty seats?
“Over here.” Arkan pointed to a long table with a few empty spots at the end. Someone’s trash was sitting on the tabletop. Arkan swept up the garbage in one swift motion and tossed it in the garbage behind him. “Lazy bastards. The trash is right here.”
My heart swelled a bit. He really seemed so pure. Not innocent, just good through and through. It was a pleasure to see. I’d met so few people who were good. Most of them operated with a consistent selfish agenda. Which is probably why I always do. My pleasure has always been a steady constant on my mind. Prioritized above all else. That’s probably why I never had a relationship, except for Maya. If you could call it that, considering I’d fucked three practical strangers after breakfast. How had my life become this way? I couldn’t for a second think that my mother would be proud of me. Although I know she had her proclivities. There were plenty of men that made their way in and out of her tent at night. Most of them were never seen again.
“Sit down and h
old the space or these animals will take it. I’ll grab you some food.”
His inflection was clear. No protests. This was happening. I decided to lean into it. Probably the opposite of what he would expect. “Whatever you say.” His eyes bulged out and he swallowed hard. Arkan cleared his throat again. I sat down at the table and stared up at him with doe like eyes, but he avoided my gaze. I was going to get good at this submissive thing. If this is what gets shapeshifters’ rocks off, this was the new me. I might be a witch, but I could be a shapeshifter too. Instead of being a stubborn selfish witch only after her own pleasure, I was going to be the most compliant submissive little dove that this tribe had ever seen. Arkan started towards the food.
Vivica rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re doing. Don’t underestimate their rules. He can’t have you. That’s why it is so tempting. You keep playing with fire though…” she trailed off.
I knew she was right. Getting burned was a possibility. Hell, changing my ways was a risk. In my entire life, I’d never understood how women could submit themselves to anyone, let alone men. There was nothing exciting or interesting about it. It seemed like a weak thing to do. A loss. But, Arkan was different. There was nothing menacing or scary about him. He wasn’t trying to force me into doing anything. He wasn’t even asking. His preferences were stated. It was up to me to make the choice. It wasn’t a jump or a leap of faith. It was a sexual experiment in which I was willingly enrolling. My whole adult life had been chasing pleasure, but yet I’d never even come close to what I’d experienced inside that bathhouse. Was it the submission? Or was it Arkan? Or, perhaps, was it the newness of fucking more than two other people at once? I needed to know. And there was only one way to find out. I had to try it again.
“Where’d you go?” Vivica snapped her fingers in front of my face.
“I’m just thinking. Remember when we were talking about whether we could take it or not?”
“Yeah. I’m still not sure. I’m taking it one day at a time. I’d like to see the tryouts first. Then I will decide.” She played with a straw wrapper that she must have found on the table. She bunched it up and stretched it out again. What was Vivica worried about?
“Are you thinking about Dart and Blink?” I certainly was. But, could having sex with someone ugly be the worst thing? Maybe they could surprise me, just as Arkan had. I couldn’t imagine it, but yet again I hadn’t imagined any of this. It simply unfolded before me.
Vivica nodded solemnly. “Maybe I could get around having sex with them after a while. But…having their babies? Putting up with the day in and day out? That’s the reality of this. Once we’re chosen, we’re stuck with one of them. They aren’t going to pass us around once we’re knocked up, right?”
I hadn’t even thought of that. One person. Certainly, the warriors couldn’t expect monogamy. What were the rules exactly? Would sleeping with Vivica be breaking the rules? Arkan? What would happen to me if they found out? “I’m not sure about any of this really. My mind changes by the minute.”
“Let’s try not to think about it. Besides, we’ve got tryouts to complete. We’re acting like we’ve gotten the jobs!”
We both exchanged glances and burst into uncontrollable laughter. We’ve been acting like this is a sure thing, yet we could be sent home at any moment! We were both still laughing when Arkan returned balancing three trays of food.
“What, are you planning to fatten us up before the slaughter?” Vivica cried. I examined the plates on the trays, piled high with dressed spinach leaves and grilled steak. A medley of vegetables, a dip platter with crudités and baked sweet potatoes were on the other tray. Not a bit of mayonnaise or refined carb within the bunch. What a disappointment. Who in the world could get fat off of this food? If they kept this up, I was going to lose weight. Although I could spare a few pounds, I really didn’t want to change my figure. Curves are my thing. The last thing I wanted do was lose them.
“You all need to eat well. Imagine if you were an athlete. You wouldn’t be stuffing yourself with candy bars and soda. You need proper nutrition to perform your duties well.”
“Sir, yes sir.” I saluted Arkan. He furrowed his brow. Maybe that was a tad overboard. Vivica slapped my arm. “Thanks. It looks great. I’m starving.” My stomach grumbled. Come to think about it, it makes sense only having healthy food around. With an appetite like today’s, I might be gaining weight in here after all. For a few minutes, we all ate in silence. I was halfway through a mouthful of spinach, when Arkan spoke up.
“You know I used to be one of the lead warriors.”
Both Vivica and I exchanged glances but kept silent. I wanted to hear where this was going.
“Our strong was extremely strong then. I was strong then. There were more warriors than breeders, but it was an accepted fate. Only the strongest got them. Of course, there was some sharing on the downlow, some of the shapeshifters were into swinging. There were also plenty of shapeshifter groupies that loved to have their fun with the warriors. But for the most part, it was all behind-the-scenes. Kept quiet. Everything was perfect. There was plenty of food, water, space, the air was clean and we weren’t challenged by anything or anyone. That is until the first human appeared. He stumbled into our camp. No one could believe it at first. Our forest was cloaked in magic and it was supposed to be invisible. But, he found it all the same. The council was furious. They even exiled the witch who was responsible for the break in the forest. At the time, we’d gotten so lazy, we even outsourced our magic. We were rich, bloated and arrogant. And it cost us.”
He stared at the wall, his eyes were glazed over, as if he was watching the story he was telling. Vivica and I stared on. His silence was unnerving. Arkan remained perfectly still amongst the chaos of the dining hall. He turned to look at us, but there was no recognition on his face. Did he even see us? “What happened?” I prodded.
He shook his head and continued on. “We were nice to him. He ate our food, walked through our grounds, and even played a soccer game with our warriors. It was disgusting how we laughed at him, made fun of his weakness, slowness, and lack of reflexes. Our strong muscles were the only things we thought about. The only things we thought that mattered. I’m so ashamed.” His voice cracked and he bent his head.
Where could this story be going? Why did it pain him so? I put my hand on his back, but he instantly straightened and pulled from my touch.
“After he arrived, we treated him with kindness and respect. We didn’t know any better. There was no fear. When he strolled into the woods, the gossip was rampant. Women confessed their crushes on the human, men chuckled about him being a slowpoke as he called it. Everyone recounted his good humor. But then, the first of us fell ill. It was Vero, one of our best hunters. He went from lifting trees with one hand to crumpled in a ball asking for his mother in a matter of hours. The contents of his stomach and bowels poured from between his lips…” He paused and looked at us both sheepishly.
I put down my fork mid bite. Vivica followed suit. I wanted to hear more. “Go on. We’re done.”
“He was just the first, but it was a mighty blow. People were spooked. What could have taken down our strongest warrior? And then of course, when the symptoms in the second tribe member started, people knew it had to do with the human. The second victim was a little girl. She was nine or so.” His voice cracked again. “Angel. My angel.”
My hand shot out instinctively to cover his. This time he didn’t move away.
“One by one, we watched helplessly as more members of the tribe went from completely healthy to dead in less than forty-eight hours. It was as if someone had swept the dirt from under our feet. By the tenth, we figured to bury the bodies in graves instead of performing funeral rites. When the body count hit over one hundred, we had to start using mass graves.”
Vivica gasped and put her hand to her heart. I squeezed Arkan’s hand, making sure that he knew that I was there, with him.
“That winter wa
s the leanest on record. We were weakened to the brink with the lack of hunters and warriors. The losses and the lack of breeders and babies born put a dent in our population, about twenty percent at my count. However, our measures were successful and burying the bodies worked in stopping the spread, although we were completely broken hearted from not being able to perform funerals. After the spring, nobody else was getting sick and we began to feel hopeful again. But, we were wrong. One night, a band of humans burst into our camps. They carried guns and bombs and knives. We were able to fight them off, but not before they’d slaughtered thousands of our women and children. Many of the warriors also fell to their guns and bombs. We were crumpled and weak and were set to starve to death, when Dart and Blink arrived. They were lone hunters looking to find some temporary shelter and a few meals. They found us barely surviving and offered to help. Of course, it came with a price. But, we accepted it, so what can we do now?”
He turned and looked straight into my eyes. “I can warn you about them, but I cannot stop them from taking you. The tribe needs them to rebuild. With their virility, we’ve been able to make positive headway on our numbers again. With this new breeding program, inviting non-shapeshifters into our fold, we hope to at least be able to survive and become a faint glimmer of what we used to be. I’ve given everything I have to this place and I can’t see it fall. Understand that. Please.” He grabbed my hand in his. “I want what is good for the tribe and for our future. And I hope you do too.”
