by E J Darling
An hour later, and three fights in, two of which were him against three, Teak was feeling good. It’d been too long since he’d really fought, the last time being on his own planet, and it felt incredible. Power flowed through his veins as his heart steadily pumped blood through his body, fueling his every polished move. Few connected blows to his body, but the ones that did left heavy marks.
There was ample time between matches for Teak to watch the alcove that held the council members. He tried to look interested in the fights, but as he paced the side of the pit, his attention was on them. Males had come to sit and talk with them, not about the environment and conservation he was sure, and many females had stopped by as well. By the time he’d watched the third female go inside the alcove, drop to her knees in front of one of them, and graciously leave without so much as a credit her way, he’d nearly hopped out of the pits and smashed their faces in.
Teak ducked a giant gray fist. He’d been matched with the Jifferent, one on one, for his last match of the night. The creature’s flesh didn’t give as much as Teak hoped it would, but the male’s left eye was swollen shut, he was favoring his right arm, and as the male swayed side to side, Teak could feel the match turning in his favor… just like they had all night. There was a reason he was still here, still breathing in this life despite his career choices and life choices, he was damn good at what he did.
The Sca-riin scum he’d killed on Sapili Prime hadn’t been a fight. They were slow, too big to fight off someone like him, and had been an easy kill despite what Maeve and Keeli thought at the time. Once you know an opponent’s weakness, it’s easy to exploit. They’d been easy enough.
The Jifferent on the other hand, now that had been a fight. They’d put on a good show, Wilsit had gotten a substantial amount of credits for the fight, and now it was time to end it all. Teak jumped into the air spun, his opponent not expecting him to have enough energy to manage such a move, and brought his booted heel down on the male’s face.
He fell to his back instantly. Teak heard his body thump to the ground the moment he landed on his knees; his back turned on his opponent. It made sounds, confirming to Teak that it was not dead, and he sucked in a loaded breath.
His head hung back, his eyes in the cave ceiling. Stalactites hung ominously overhead like beautiful, massive needles of death. His opponent was loud over the nearly quiet crowd, sucking in life saving air that he wouldn’t need in another moment or two.
Panting, Teak rose to his feet and turned on the Jifferent. He didn’t know his name, didn’t really care either, because in a moment the male would be dead, and Teak wouldn’t be. That was the only thing that mattered to him right now. With no weapon, and no other way to kill him in a humane way, Teak sealed the male’s fate the moment he’d brought his heel down on him. His neck was broken, and there was nothing anyone could do for him now.
The moment his gasping ended, the crowd went wild. The ones who’d bet on Teak were cheering and screaming, throwing things down into the pit of victory. The ones who hadn’t, were booing, and chanting about cheating the system… whatever that meant.
There was no system in fighting. You either got your ass kicked, or you didn’t. You either won, or you lost. Fighting and sex were two of the simplest things in the universe.
Wilsit smiled at him from above, nodding his approval. Teak returned it with a tip of his head. He’d just won nearly a thousand credits in one night and despite how his body felt, he couldn’t have been more relieved. His lip was bleeding from a bay claw of a Hilpig who’d gotten too close in the first match, and his shoulder was torn open from the horn of a Vallient that tried to gut him. Luckily, he’d rolled out of the way at the last moment and the shoulder injury was all he got. But, he got the credits and earned them.
Teak jogged to the ladder that hung down from the sheer face of the pit, the only way out. Wilsit was waiting for him at the top, his hand out for support. Teak took it respectively, but the moment he got to his feet, he was stopped dead in his tracks.
The alcove, where the three council members sat, now had a fourth occupant, and he and Teak locked eyes immediately. There was no going back, they’d seen each other in that dark, cesspool of illegal activity. The question was, if Teak was there to win Maevelin’s freedom and pay his debts, what was Captain Roth Myler doing there?
Twenty-Three
It’d been six days since they’d arrived back on her home planet. Säiph was cozied up at the end of her bed as usual, the sky looked the same as it always did, and she sat, bare assed on her bed, legs crossed, elbows on her thighs, staring at the only thing in her room that currently held her interest. Teak appeared to be deep asleep, but she figured he wasn’t truly. He never was.
“Why do you always smell so good in the morning?” His eyes were still tightly shut, but a faint smile pulled his full lips. “And I bet if I opened my eyes and saw you right now, I’d have you on your back before you could blink.”
Säiph growled behind her and Maeve giggled. She never thought she’d be as brazen as she was now, but after all the nights she’d spent with Teak, there was nothing to be embarrassed about anymore. “And I bet, Säiph would have you on yours before you could blink.”
“Probably.”
Just as he’d warned, Teak had an arm around her and her back bounced against the soft surface of the bed as his body covered hers. Säiph growled in protest, baring his teeth, but Teak growled right back, and her brave protector leapt from the bed and out to the balcony. They’d been playing that game for days and Maeve was starting to think Teak may actually win that battle of wills. “You’re not supposed to be here. You know?”
“Who’s going to keep me from you? Hmm?” He whispered in her ear, the heat from his lips ran a shutter down her skin and delicately touched her lobe. “Roth? That damned animal you insist on keeping in here? Or maybe your master himself?”
“All of the above,” she said with a smile.
Teak sipped her lips. He wasn’t naked, but damn did she wish he were. He’d put her to bed the same way every night, completely sated and love drunk. She never slept so well in her life. Then again, she wasn’t the one going out at night, was she? There was little doubt he believed her to be unaware of what he was doing, and that was half true. All she knew is that every day she woke up, he looked worse and worse.
“May I ask you a question?”
“You are my master; you may ask me anything.”
Teak rolled off her and onto his back, resting his head on his bicep. Maeve moved to her side and propped her head up on her knuckles as she studied his body. Her fingers roamed his torso and all the hills and valleys she loved so much. Where there used to be perfection, there were bruises and deep cuts half healed by the time she spotted them in the early mornings.
Being well versed in alien knowledge, she knew the healing rates of the Turnish race. Incredible was what it was. If she’d gotten a cut as bad as he did, it would take her weeks to fully heal. It took him maybe a day depending on the severity. “Where do you go when you leave at night?”
She was only met with silence and that stone cold way he could shut her out so easily. It pissed her off when he did it, as if she meant nothing when she knew she did. He made a complete turnaround since that first day back to her planet and had been the male she found on Slave Row… mostly.
“You look like hell, and you get worse every day. One morning I’m going to wake up and you won’t be here. So, answer me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Teak inhaled deep but kept his eyes on the tall ceiling above the bed. “Because you are good, Mahla. You are too good for me.”
“I’m nothing but a slave. Tell me.”
He seemed to pretend as if she wasn’t pushing for answers, and rage boiled inside her. Words flew from her mouth before she could think or take them back. “That’s an order, Teakin.”
His head darted towards her and the look in his eyes tore her heart fro
m her chest. She’d never done that before, never ordered him to do anything by command. When they were in this room together, they were free from bonds and equals. She knew then she’d nearly shattered their fragile ecosystem.
Maeve told herself she’d never do anything like that to him, but there she was. She wanted to take it back that instant, but she couldn’t. You can’t take back something you said just because it hurt someone. The words stick around in the air, coming back just when you think they’ve left for good and it becomes fresh in your mind again. Damn it.
For a long painful moment, she thought something inside him crumbled, or maybe that was inside her. He looked at her differently, coldly. Teak slid from the bed and stood at the side; his head still raised high.
“Teak please, I–”
“Don’t,” he interrupted. “If I tell you this, your life will be in danger. Zekekiel will be able to protect you if it comes to that but know that I mean nothing to him.” She didn’t like where this was going. “There is an underground city outside Purabora called Subterranea. Alongside the slew of illegal activity housed within it, there is a fighting pit.”
“Teak, please stop.” She didn’t want to hear any of it after all.
He reached in the pocket of his pants and tossed out a slim metal card with a chip in the middle. “There are currently two thousand credits on that and tonight I will have more.”
“No, you won’t.” Her resolve was getting better and anger was beginning to replace that terrible feeling of rejection that left a black spot on her heart.
“I told you I would pay your slave debt and I am.”
Maeve threw the credits back to Teak, not wanting the morally soiled thing anywhere near her, and slid off the other side of the bed. Shrugging on a thin robe and tying it around her waist, Maeve rounded it and when she reached Teak’s side, her hand whipped out and she slapped him across the face. He basically slapped her across the face when he admitted to being a criminal and leading a secret life behind her back. It hurt too much.
He held firm, never giving any indication she’d done anything to him. “Is that what you want?” She slapped him again. If that was what he wanted, if that was how he chose to deal with the darkness inside him, then she’d do it where he was safe.
Species died in that place every day. She knew human’s that never came back after trying their hands in the fights. Some females even, trying to pay off their debts by prostituting their bodies, never heard from again. That wouldn’t be him. She didn’t save his life so he could forfeit it.
“You want someone to hit you? Beat the shit out of you?” She slapped him again, this time his eyes began to change to that pitch black that used to scare the shit out of her, now all it did was confirm he had emotions. “You want someone to use your body for their gain? Do you want to die? I gave my freedom up so you didn’t have to use your body for others, and now you’re shitting on my sacrifice.” Maeve raised her arm again, but the moment she moved to bring it across his face, his hand clasped her wrist, stopping her instantly.
“I do what I must.” Was the only thing he said.
“Don’t. We. All.” Maeve snapped back.
She could barely see him through her tears. He was slowly killing himself for her and didn’t even have the balls to tell her. What had he planned to do? Fight until he couldn’t move anymore and make sure his credits got to Zeke with his dying breath? Damn him!
“Stop.” He growled as she fought to get her wrist free. Maeve wanted to beat on him herself, make herself feel better, even though she knew it wouldn’t help. To hell with logic. She was always the logical one, the good one. She looked up at him, but all she saw was herself in the black abyss of his eyes. “I keep my promises.”
“Fuck your promises!” Maeve tried to pull her wrist from his grasp again, but he only held her tighter. Teak wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him where she could feel every ridge and divot of his sculpted body. “I forbid you.”
“Do you?” He growled low, sending vibrations throughout her entire body. Heat flooded her sex and something in his scent had her mind in a flurry.
“Yes.” She was much less convincing that time.
Teak smiled just before her feet left the ground and she was on her back once again. This time with no protection from Säiph. Her legs spread wide, Teak laid himself atop her, grinding himself against her. Her robe had ridden up to her waist and was doing nothing to hide her body now, which only drove them both on.
“I will do as you say,” he whispered, “if only you say it. My life is yours.” He rolled his hips again, and gripped her hair, forcing her chin up to look at him but it didn’t hurt. No, it only drove her mad with lust. “My body is yours. But I have made you a vow and I will not break that either.”
Maeve gasped as he leaned down to kiss her lips. It wasn’t sweet or romantic. It was a punishment inflicted on purpose for what she’d said to him, and he dominated the kiss like he did everything else. Finally, he released her and raised up.
When she finally found her voice again, it was only to further her protests. “I can’t have you killing yourself for me, Teak. I can’t.”
“I ask you, not as your slave, but as your–” Teak paused.
“Equal.” She added for him. “You are my equal, Teak.” She meant that with everything inside her.
“Then, I ask you as my equal.” He’d changed the language, to something more natural, more intimate. He spoke Turnish into her ear and she melted. “Let me do this, for you, for me. Soon, I’ll have enough credits to buy your freedom and you and I can leave this place.”
Those words panged in her heart. “What’s wrong with this place, Teak?” This was her home, it was all she knew, and the thought of actually leaving scared her more than she’d realized until then. She just wanted freedom, to go where she wanted when she wanted, she never thought about actually leaving Ascena Pura.
“You could never truly be happy here, Maeve. I promise you that. There are things about this place, about your master, you don’t understand.”
“What do you mean?”
He wasn’t making any sense to her. What role did Zekekiel play in Teak’s mind that would bring him to say such things. Her master had let him live, had let him stay near her in his home. Why was there suddenly a question about everything in her life?
“Don’t worry about anything right now, okay?”
Maeve nodded. “Okay.” It was a lie to humor him only. She would most definitely worry about everything he just said.
He kissed her again, this time for pleasure, and pulled away with a light smack. “Now, you have work to do and I need to leave you to it.”
“Where will you go while I slave away over alien languages and tedious paperwork?” She was happy to be off the dark subject.
“I have work of my own to do.” Teak sipped her lips once more and dragged a moan from her. “On second thought, my work can wait.”
Twenty-Four
Teak exited Maeve’s room the same way he always did. Out the balcony, across the outer wall, and back to his own balcony.
Vint had been very candid about sleeping arrangements, and if he got caught in Maeve’s room he didn’t think the corrupt asshole would be so generous with keeping his knowledge of Teak being on Ascena Pura a secret. He feared if he gave Vint any sort of ammunition, Teak would find himself on a transport back to Sapili Prime. If he was lucky. If he wasn’t lucky, Vint was more than good on his word and Teak would be hanging by a rope on his command.
Luckily, the male was also a champion for privacy. So, no one entered her room without a tasteful knock first, giving him ample time to hide while someone brought her work or messages.
Once he was back in his room, Teak ruffled his untouched bed, and headed out the double doors where the male who watched him waited. With a false smile and a tip of the head, Teak greeted him. “Morning, my shadow.”
“My name is Yilo.” The tall slender male said. He was Human
like Maeve, but they looked nothing alike in Teak’s opinion. His hair and eyes were dark like his own, and he stood taller than she.
Teak huffed a laugh. “I don’t care.”
He imagined his little shadow not spending too much time in the slums because he looked healthy enough and obviously ate well. His body type was natural and not the cause of malnutrition in the least.
Teak muttered a silent curse. He’d almost given Maevelin too much information about those very same slums. Eventually, she’d have to know. He doubted she’d let it go. She’d need some sort of information on why it would be impossible for her to stay here when she was free.
Ascena Pura didn’t take care of their Humans like they told the galaxy they did. It was common knowledge the Tallek and their subspecies had taken it upon themselves to give the Humans sanctuary. Even after they started to integrate them as slaves, everyone still left the Tallek alone. Who cares if they paid them a shitty wage? They were still owned by their masters and forced to pay their debt for the luxury.
The last week had been full of information gathering. What had become a fight to win Maeve credits, had ended up being much bigger.
Roth hadn’t stuck around the home since they saw each other that first night at The Pit, but when he did, Teak could barely control his anger. The male told Teak he’d been requested to follow him. To make sure he wasn’t doing anything to Maeve that would give Vint any reason to end his life, or turn him over to the authorities. Half of that Teak believed, the unknown half still rubbed Teak the wrong way, but he hadn’t been given the chance to corner the male and ask him more questions without other eyes and ears around.
Teak needed to get his mind off the subject, off all the dark parts of his tiny world right now. He slammed his bedroom door, jarring the young male a little, and stepped across the hallway to knock on Keeli’s door. She answered almost immediately.