by Viola Grace
His expression was patient and very amused. “Would you like to begin?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “Yes, please.”
Sorrok moved behind her and corrected her stance, using his feet to kick hers as he adjusted her posture.
When he finally had her in the proper stance, her muscles were starting to hum with fatigue, but they had just gotten started.
They sparred in slow motion. He stopped and corrected her as they went until the proper position was second nature.
He noticed that she was exhausted before she did. “Halt, Lianne.”
She paused and looked at him with bleary eyes. “Had enough tutoring for the night?”
“You are tired. It is time for you to go home.” He took her hands and unwrapped them. He rubbed the reddened skin with his thumb. “I forgot you would discolour.”
She chuckled. “It will heal.”
Sorrok continued to rub her knuckles with his thumb. The soft velvet of his skin was an amazing contrast to the strength of his hands.
She swayed again, but this time, she noticed before he did. “I think you are right. I should definitely call it a night.”
He leaned in and whispered, “Just remember that if you want a Zjin-Rrassic, there is nothing like the real thing.”
Her blush went hot, and she scampered out of there as if she had been scorched.
Her guard stopped her. “Was he inappropriate?”
She blinked, and Sorrok was leaning in the open doorway. “No. He wasn’t. I am just not sure of what I am doing. This is quite the change of focus.”
Her escort nodded. “Good. I will be here when you finish in the change room.”
She nodded and turned back to Sorrok. “Thank you. That was definitely a better workout.”
“You should see what I can do with a full evening.” He winked and she escaped.
* * * *
Sorrok looked to Hunter Lianik. “Is this duty going to be difficult for you?”
The Luthin-Rrassic laughed. “Are you kidding? She smells like heaven when she sweats. I could follow her through a portal and onto another world.”
Sorrok gave him an even look. “So would I.”
“So, it’s like that?”
“It is like that. Hopefully, she will soon see it my way.” He looked toward the change room and sighed. “Take care of her.”
“Of course. It is my job.” Lianik smiled.
“And if you lay one hand on her, I will claw you in two from head to toe.”
Lianik smirked. “I understand you would have to try.”
Sorrok clapped him on the shoulder and went to get changed.
* * * *
It was both a relief and a disappointment that Sorrok was gone when she got out of the change room.
A short walk later and she was back at her place with the addition of a guard at her door. The end of a very weird day couldn’t come soon enough.
As Lianne stumbled around her apartment and got dressed for the day at work, she was positive that the previous day’s scenario had been caused by a food allergy she didn’t know she had. She went through the motions and pulled on her normal work clothing, thinking that everything was going to be normal. When she left for work, another escort confronted her.
“So, not a dream then.” The Luthin-Rrassic smiled, and his black-on-black eyes held her hypnotized for a moment.
He walked with her to the port and was forced to wait in the common area. He wasn’t cleared for access to the secured part of the port.
Mrtok came by halfway through her shift. “Whelling, come down.”
She secured the load she was working on and climbed down to face her boss.
“What’s up, sir?”
“Are you sure you want to be doing this when you could just be relaxing and going on endless introductions?”
Lianne grinned. “Yes, I am sure. Are the escorts getting in the way?”
“No, but your admirers are. They have flocked to the common room and are waiting for you to get off shift.”
Lianne swallowed. “Can I request overtime?”
“No. You agreed to this status; you are going to have to live with it. I just didn’t want you to be surprised when you left the side gate and snuck home.” He winked.
She grinned. “Very nice of you. Thanks.”
“Back to work. You are off in an hour.”
“I thought I had—”
“You have cleared your roster and that of two other operators and nearly emptied the warehouse. You are done in an hour. Finish your order and go.” Mrtok chuckled. “You may as well get one of the mixers out of the way. It will give you tomorrow off, and we should be stocked up again the day after.”
“So, you want me to finish up, go home and not come back tomorrow?”
“Yes. That is it precisely. You are having a stressful week. You need time to adapt.”
Lianne wrinkled her nose. “How can I adapt if I don’t get into a routine?”
“The socializing has to be part of your new life, so integrate that, and we will be waiting eagerly for you when you are ready. Don’t take too long though. You are my best loader.”
She chuckled and climbed back to her rig. She resumed picking and palletizing the load and was done far earlier than the allocated hour. Her paperwork was caught up, and she climbed down, leaving her machine shut off behind her.
A quick run to the bathroom and getting Mrtok to let her out the side door let her get away from the crowd in the common space.
She recognized two of the Hunters from the day before, and they simply fell into step beside her.
“Mrtok tipped you off?”
One of them nodded. “He takes this seriously, even if you do not.”
She blinked and took in his statement. He was right. Her conscious mind was refusing to accept that this was happening. She hadn’t been in danger from the men until now, so why would it change?
“You are expected to attend one of the gatherings this evening.”
Lianne stumbled, and the guard on her left put a hand under her elbow to steady her. He released her as soon as she was stable.
She muttered, “I thought I was able to pick my mixer.”
“You must attend one every week, and the week ends tomorrow.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I am on a work schedule.”
The guard on the right murmured with a smile, “We are cheating.”
It went from serious to silly with that one statement. She snickered the entire way home.
When she entered her apartment, saw the wardrobe rack, things got serious again.
“Aw hell.” She went to her com and called Lisa.
“Lianne, damn. You look rough. What is the emergency?” Lisa frowned with concern.
“I have a fashion emergency. I require your assistance.”
Lisa disconnected the call, and Lianne grinned, starting a mental timer.
When the surprised yelp came through the door, it was better than a doorbell. Lianne was wrapped in a towel with another around her hair when she opened her door. Lisa was standing and staring at her guards with wide eyes.
Lianne grinned and hauled her friend past the men who were there to keep other men away.
Lisa gasped in scandalized surprise. “What are they doing here?”
Lianne frowned and hauled her buddy over to the rack. “I have to go to a mixer tonight, and if you find me something to wear, I will tell you all about it.”
Lisa nodded and started flicking through the dresses and their matching shoe bags. “How weird is it that they are all in your size?”
“Not that weird. Yesterday was a very weird day.”
She sat and brushed out her hair while Lisa picked out likely outfits, and she told her the story.
At one point, Lisa pulled her to her feet and started holding outfits up against her. “And you agreed to this?”
“Sure.
Tell me what choice I had.” Lianne quirked her lips.
Lisa paused. “Good point. You were busted, and you owned it. Good for you. What is with the hunk squad outside?”
“Oh, because I have a desired skillset, I get to keep my job instead of being segregated with the other Breeders.”
Lisa frowned. “Why would you want to?”
Lianne looked at her and blinked. “Because I like what I do. I am more than just a walking womb.”
“You spend your days preparing shipments to supply members of the same race that kidnapped and blackmailed us. It isn’t really that great.”
Lianne stared at her friend. “That is really how you think of it?”
“Not just your job. My job too. I would make a break for it, but there isn’t anywhere to go.” Lisa smiled. “Here. Try this one.”
Lianne grabbed the selection and went into her bedroom. She changed into the draped dress with simple lines.
She heard a voice call out, “Put on that metal belt. If it’s up for display, show it off.”
Lianne rolled her eyes but belted the silky dress, exaggerating her waist. On the plus side, it kept the wrap of the dress from flapping and exposing her up to the crotch.
The shoes that went with the dress were a sandal with a low heel. They were comfortable and surprisingly stylish.
She couldn’t do much with her hair, so she pinned it off her face in a high cascade that tumbled over her shoulders. It was different from the braid she tended to wear on a daily basis.
Lianne scowled at her reflection before returning to Lisa for a final fussing over.
Lisa didn’t disappoint. She fussed, finger curled Lianne’s hair and finally stepped back. “You look really good. I hope you have fun.”
Lianne gave her a wry smile. “I thought I was working for our enslavers.”
“You are, but so am I. It was the same deal for both of us, and so far, we have kept up our end of the bargain. From what I can see, the Rrassic are doing the same.” Lisa grinned. “No shame in having fun with them. I have dabbled a little myself but not with Hunters. I stick to the service guys. They are far easier to dismiss the morning after. Something tells me a Hunter would be hard to shake.”
Lianne glanced to the door. “You know they can hear you, right?”
Lisa’s cheeks flared hot. “Um, no I didn’t know that.”
“Well, since you are going to walk me out, let’s see if their faces betray what they heard.” Lianne grinned. Lisa had just made it fun for her again.
She headed to the door and opened it, facing two grinning Hunters. “Lisa, I think they heard you.”
The muttered cursing made the men grin all the more.
Chapter Six
She wasn’t allowed to walk. She had to sit in one of the small transports with her two bodyguards and let them drive her to her first mixer.
She cleared her throat. “You know, you freaked Lisa out.”
The man next to her turned his head. “You did warn her we could hear her. Too late, but you did.”
“You didn’t have to look at her like she was edible.”
He grinned. “It was fun. Knowing that she is willing to walk out with the Rrassic is definitely a good thing to know. Not every male wants a Breeder.”
Lianne blinked. “Oh. Right. That makes sense, I suppose.”
“It is the same thing that women like your friend is after. Just a little fun.” He paused. “She is right about one thing. If a Hunter has a woman and wants to keep her, she isn’t getting away.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“You will learn. If anything happens inside the mixer, grip your band, and it will send out a beacon. Every Hunter in the area will be at your side in seconds. You are not alone in there. You are safe.”
She rubbed her hands together. “Anything else I should know?”
“We will be here to take you home when you have had enough of the crowd.”
Just like that, they were there. The low, flat building hummed with a silent energy. Whatever was going on in there had the same reinforcements as the induction centre. No sounds were getting out.
The transport was pulled up a few feet from the door, and as she got out of the vehicle, the door swung open.
* * * *
Sorrok checked on the last of the documentation and grinned when his wristband buzzed. Lianne Whelling was at the mixer. It was just the thing to help him unwind.
He stood, stretched and filed his intention of attendance with Lianne Whelling as his reason. A minute later, his authorization came through, and he was off to change and prepare for an evening of dancing. He might even ask Lianne.
* * * *
She had been expecting a bacchanal, and it was more of a tea party.
A woman separated from the group of thirty or so and approached with a smile. “You look confused, so I am guessing you are new.”
Lianne nodded. “I am.”
“Well, first thing you did when you came in was you were scanned in. Now, you just have to remain here as long as you are comfortable. I am Sarah, and you can ask me anything you like as the evening goes on.”
Music was playing, but it was slow with an easy dancing beat. “Do we have to dance?”
“No, but you can’t dance alone. You have to pick a partner.”
“I thought that they would be asking.”
“Nope. It is all up to you—well, us.” Sarah smiled. “I will walk you through an evening.”
Lianne followed her to the crowd and introduced her to the other ladies. The variety of physical attributes confirmed that the Rrassic didn’t have a type. They were after all types of human women.
“So, music plays, and if you see a guy you want to dance with, you go over and get him. After a few songs, the men put on a display of dance and athleticism that is a little weird to our senses, and we are expected to pick a team to display the same. We tend to randomize it, and if your bracelet lights up, you are on the girls’ team. We get a short briefing, and we take on the guys, so to speak. After that, there are usually more couples’ dances, and we all go home. Some go off to try compatibility, and others have a day planned tomorrow, but we leave and that is the end of the mixer. There are another two next week.”
Lianne looked across the room to where over a hundred Rrassic of differing types were looking toward the ladies. Lianne was looking for gold eyes on a dark background, and she found several pairs, including the ones she was looking for.
She took a glass of water and gulped it down. With a stiff back and a determined set to her shoulders, she entered the dance floor and crossed toward the male side. To her amusement, they froze. She walked along the wall of men who stared at her with nostrils flaring, and she stopped in front of Sorrok.
“Would you care to dance?”
He grinned. “I would.”
She held out her hand. “I am a very bad dancer, but this might get me a little even for the training yesterday.”
He took her hand, and they walked to the centre of the dance floor.
“The Rrassic dances don’t allow for too much body contact, which is a pity. You look delightfully soft this evening.”
“You are going to have to show me what to do here.”
He smiled. “It is a good thing that I know you take to instruction.”
They stood on the empty dance floor, and he took her hands. She watched his face and took the lead from him as they stepped left, right, left twice and then right once. It was like a folk dance she had learned in school.
When they were moving to the music, he changed the steps, and she suddenly found them back to back. The steps were the same.
As the music progressed, they turned, faced each other again, stepped and spun. She no sooner mastered one step then he added another. They were eventually spinning, stepping, he lifted her and set her down, and all to the very sedate, evenly paced music.
When there was silen
ce around them, Sorrok inclined his head. “Thank you for that dance.”
She was sweaty, and her limbs were shaking, but she inclined her head. “You are welcome. Thank you for saying yes.”
He smiled and walked her back to the ladies’ side of the mixer. A few of the ladies waved coyly at him, and he inclined his head.
Lianne stepped back into the crowd, and Sorrok walked across the space and returned to the men’s side.
Sarah came up to her side as Lianne grabbed a few glasses of water.
“I see you already have the hang of this, Lianne.”
Lianne smiled tightly. “I just wanted to get it over with. Now, I can say that I am holding to the letter of my agreement.”
“You did that. You seem very comfortable with Hunter Sorrok.” Sarah gave her a sly smile.
“He has kicked my ass in the last twenty-four hours. I am familiar with how he moves. He wouldn’t get gropey or step on my feet.” She smiled.
“That sounds intriguing.”
“It has been an odd week.” She looked over at the men’s section and noted that they all dressed the same. The shirts were wrap vests that were belted with a wide sash. The snug trousers were tucked into tall, soft boots. Everything was in unrelieved black and only the variety of skin and hide set them apart.
“So, just the Luthin, Regiz and Zjin here tonight?”
“I have heard that a Saya might be coming, but they don’t tend to arrive at these group events.”
“I haven’t seen one of those.” She had felt him, but she hadn’t gotten a look at him.
“I have seen one. He was lovely, pointed ears, looked like an elf lord. The third eye is the big tipoff though. It looks right though you.”
Sarah pushed her blonde hair over her shoulder to hide her shiver.
Lianne noted the gesture but sipped at her water.
“We have alcohol if you wanted some.” Sarah smiled and gestured toward the bar. Another human female was manning the bar and pouring cocktails and wine for the ladies.