Hunger

by Harmony Raines

  “You are only half dressed,” he stated.

  “The pants didn’t fit me.”

  “You will not leave the space cruiser until we reach my home. You should be covered up.”

  “Ishk, she is covered up, down to her knees. Many Earth women wear more revealing clothes.” Okil smiled reassuringly at Evie as he spoke.

  “I do not care what other Earth women wear. She is mine and I do not want every other Karalian to be looking at her.” As if that settled the matter, Ishk went to the control deck and Evie took her place next to Okil.

  “I guess at least he cares,” she joked, but she felt uneasy.

  “He’ll come around. We have not had females on our planet since our mothers died. Most don’t know how to react.”

  “He is ashamed of me, isn’t he?” she asked frankly.

  “He has no reason to be. You are beautiful, Evie, now all that dirt is off. And you smell better too.”

  “I keep telling myself if I survived Earth, I can survive Karal. But now I’m not so sure.”

  “It will all turn out alright. Trust me.”

  And then Evie turned away from him and looked out of the window, because his mouth might have said one thing but his eyes said another. She might just regret not being killed by the men in the warehouse, even before the day was over.

  Karal grew bigger and bigger as they descended towards the planet. She could see trees in the distance and signs of life all around them. The colour of the grass was vibrant, and she saw animals moving across what looked like a savannah. Her parents had kept a few hens in the back garden for eggs, and once, when she was young, they had a kitten. It was one thing she missed above all else when she moved to the city, that there was only enough food for humans, no one had pets anymore, and even the rats had to compete with humans for scraps.

  Ishk steered them down to what looked like a runway. It was a smooth landing. She wouldn’t have expected anything else from the alien; she had a feeling he was more than a little conceited and wanted to be seen as the best at everything. That was the undertone of his comments about Evie: she wasn’t good enough.

  Once they were firmly on the ground, she was surprised when the spaceship was steered out of the complex, instead of them disembarking. “Don’t we have to switch to another vehicle?” she asked Okil.

  “No, these space cruisers are able to cope with all altitudes and terrain. One vehicle for everything—space travel, crossing water, and driving on the land. As they’re solar powered, they go for miles on the sun’s rays.”

  “I see. That is clever. Your species must be very good at invention.”

  Okil laughed. “Not really. We learn from other species we encounter and use their technology where we can. Sometimes we refine it.”

  “I see. So what happens now?” Her eyes returned to the view out of the window.

  “We go to the tower.” He pointed towards a large building in the distance; a spire, similar to a cathedral, rose above it. “I will leave the cruiser and then Ishk will take you to his house.”

  “I see.” She didn’t ask any more, trying to watch the new world as it was unveiled to her. However, it was hard to get excited about it when her only companion was going to be the sullen alien who hated her.

  The great tower came into view, tall and impressive, and she wondered if it had been built by one of Ishk’s ancestors to spread fear into his fellow men. Around the base of the tower was a large collection of buildings, with other cruisers parked outside. Karalians commuted too, she smiled, not so different to humans of the past.

  Okil rose from his seat. “I hope you enjoy our planet, Evie. I won’t forget the clothes I promised.” Then he left. As the door slid shut behind him, she had never felt more alone. The Karalian, Ishk, did not turn around, and did not even acknowledge her existence. Instead, he headed away from the tower, speeding over empty roads, taking her away from Okil.

  Whatever happened now, she was entirely in his hands. A thought that gave her no thrill. All she could hope was that he would give her some understanding and patience while she tried to get used to these abrupt changes, but she doubted his answer would be anything less than, you entered the lottery, what did you expect? As he held her down on the bed and forced her to have sex with him.

  Chapter Nine – Ishk

  What was he supposed to do with her now they were alone? He accelerated, taking them as fast as he could to his house where he would not have to be in such close proximity to her. His body seemed to be acutely aware of hers, his erection still uncomfortable at the thought of seeing her naked again.

  I will prevail, he thought, grateful when he saw his house appear in the distance.

  Although part of the Hier Council, he was expected to live in a small house, they all were. Resources were precious, not something to be wasted on big houses, not when they spent so many years living alone. Although, that would soon change when she gave him a child. All he had to do was put one inside her womb.

  Now he did wish he had gone through the human reproduction simulation. But he had watched enough animals mate, he was sure he could stick his cock inside her and fill her with his seed. Certainly, he was hard enough, and when they pulled up outside his house, he thought that it might be best to take her to his bed now, make her kneel before him and fuck her.

  Get her out of his system so that she didn’t consume his thoughts, which was what she was doing right now.

  Turning to face her, he took in the fear that flickered across her face, only to be hidden behind a soft smile. She was trying to charm him, to ensnare him with her feminine wiles. This female was going to be sorely mistaken if she thought he was going to be that much of a pushover.

  “This way,” he said, opening the door, waiting for the ramp to go down, while watching her pick up the bag with her belongings in it and then come to stand beside him.

  Unable to bear being so close to her, he went down the ramp before it touched the ground, jumping the last two feet to land easily on the ground. The female waited, and then walked awkwardly towards him. She was in some discomfort, but he could not let himself soften. For all he knew she might be putting it on for his benefit. She had already wrapped Okil around her finger; he would not be her next victim. He had watched them, seeing them flirt with each other. Well she would learn that Ishk was the only one who would take her to bed. Faithfulness was mandatory.

  Until Ishk tired of her and she conceived his child, then she would be sent to the breeding house. If Okil still wanted her, he would be welcome to his turn. It would show Okil that his place was always behind a member of the Hier Council. Maybe by then Ishk would be the Hier Ruler. Yes, that had a good ring to it. Ishk, Hier Ruler of Karal.

  Once he got the female settled, he would go to the tower and begin to spread discontent. Then he would come back and use this female’s body for his own gratification. That was what she was here for, to please him.

  Chapter Ten – Evie

  Evie had seen pictures of lions and tigers, predators long since extinct from Earth. The look in Ishk’s eyes reminded her of them. And she was his prey. She should be pleased. That was the sole reason for her being here; if he didn’t have sex with her, then presumably she would be shipped back to earth.

  As she followed him to his house, taking in big lungfuls of clean air, she knew she didn’t want that. Karal was where she wanted to live; there was beauty and life here. Even if it meant being degraded by Ishk?

  That was something she couldn’t answer. Having avoided becoming a prostitute on Earth, it did seem hypocritical to be about to become one on Karal for the price of clean air and food. Food. Her stomach rumbled audibly, and she felt faint with hunger. It had been so long since she had eaten a proper meal. She had lost all track of time, but she imagined they had been travelling for at least half a day. She needed to eat.

  Ishk opened the door and went inside, leaving her standing like a fool. She felt as though she should be invited in, or maybe he had a kennel o
r outhouse he planned to make her sleep in. Whichever it was, she felt uneasy.

  “What are you doing?” he asked suspiciously, coming back to the door.

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me in your house.”

  “Where else are you doing to go?” he asked crossly. “I don’t have time for games.”

  “I know you don’t like me, Ishk, and I know you probably wish I was more to your taste, whatever that is. But do you have to be so rude?” She knew she would be better to keep her mouth shut, but she hadn’t done anything wrong. He really was a jerk.

  Reeling from her words, he took a step towards her. Evie cringed, she knew she did, ever so slightly, because unlike the men from Earth, he was big, and if he hit her, it would most likely break her nose. Colours skimmed across his face and she longed to be able to reach out and touch them, to see if they she could feel the current of electricity that carried them, under his skin.

  “Please, come inside.”

  At that moment, she wanted to be the person doing the hitting, but he wasn’t worth it. Ishk was a bully and the more time she spent with him, the more she just didn’t like him. Perhaps all Karalians were like Ishk. Okil might be the only decent Karalian on the whole planet—no wonder he was sent back to Earth so often. He was a good ambassador, whereas Ishk totalled every reason to not enter the lottery.

  “Thank you,” she said evenly, stepping over the threshold into a cool hallway. From there he led her into a small sitting room, which overlooked a beautiful garden. So full of life, so full of colour. “I love your garden. Do you tend it yourself?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I don’t know. You don’t seem the type?”

  He looked bemused. “The type? Pleases explain what type you think I am.”

  “Well…” She knew she had dug herself a nice hole. Smiling at her own joke, she said, “Gardening usually requires patience.”

  “I am a patient man. The Phellus, for example,” he said, pointing out of the window to a tall plant that had new leaves on. “Takes five years until the first bloom. I was worried I would miss it while I was away on Earth. See the bud on top of the stem?”

  “Yes.”

  “That will be opening any day now. I would call that patience.”

  “Perhaps. A gardener also has to accept that not all plants grow perfectly, that sometimes it is those imperfection that make a garden.”

  “Imperfections? I see what you are trying to do. You are trying to persuade me that your … imperfections are charming, that I should learn to love them.”

  She smiled widely now. “No, Ishk, if I may call you Ishk, or do you have a title you would prefer such a lowly animal such as me to call you?” He shook his head and a hint of her humour was mirrored in his eyes. “So, Ishk, I realised when I first met you that there was never going to be anything I could do to make you like me.”

  “Perceptive.”

  “Not really, you don’t hide your disgust of me. I am sorry I don’t please you. But I believe once I conceive your child I will be taken somewhere else.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Yes, the breeding house.”

  “Then if we both try to get through the unpleasant act of making a child, we can then live our lives apart. You will probably never see me again.”

  He laughed. “You are different from the others. Or is this some kind of game that Earth women play? Push me away, tell me you don’t want me and then hope I beg like a dog for you to stay?”

  Evie sighed. “I think we should both be honest. I entered the lottery to escape life on Earth. Look at me, Ishk. What do you see?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “I understand why you don’t want me. I know what I am to you. In the same way that I understand why I don’t want to be with a man like you. But we are supposed to make this child, that is the deal. So let’s do it. I just want some peace and to be safe.” She felt her tears welling in her eyes and tried to brush them away.

  “You are lying,” he said.

  “No, Ishk, I am not. You can think what you want of me. I don’t care. I am not here to tell you that humans are worth saving, because you seem to have already made your mind up. I have no idea of the politics of your planet, and I don’t care. I’m too tired to care.” More tears. “Damn it.” She turned away from him and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of the tunic.

  “You are right. I do not want you. I want a child because it is my duty. For that purpose I was matched with you.” He moved into the next room, a small kitchen and opened cupboards getting food out and beginning to prepare it. “You will eat and then rest. I have work to do and will return later. Then we will … make a child. All I ask, is your word that you will not leave the house while I am out. If you do you will be punished.”

  The way he looked at her told her he might just enjoy seeing her punished.

  “I give you my word.”

  Evie watched him work, her mouth watering as he took strange foods, chopped them up and then expertly turned them into a dish that smelled so delicious, she found herself clutching the side of the counter to stop herself from grabbing the spoon from him.

  When it was ready, he instructed her to take the plates and cutlery outside and place them on a table facing the garden. Then he brought the food out and they ate together, although he didn’t say a word to her, and apart from thanking him for the food, which she tried not to shovel into her mouth too quickly, she didn’t speak to him.

  When they were finished, she tiredly got up and helped him clear the table. He washed the dishes and she dried them, leaving them on the counter so that he could put them away. Once the kitchen was clean, he took her to the bedroom.

  The enormity of the situation hit her as she looked at the bed. Although all she wanted to do was lie down and sleep, she knew that soon, he would return and expect her to have sex with him.

  “Bathroom is here.” He opened a door off the bedroom and showed her a bathroom, which kind of looked self-explanatory, and then he turned to face her. “Remember, do not leave the house.”

  “Don’t worry. I think I only have enough strength in me to get to the bed.”

  “Then rest until I return.”

  He left her alone. She stood waiting for him to leave the house, feeling awkward to be in his bedroom. However, as soon as the door closed and she heard the cruiser start up, she limped to the bed, lay down, still fully clothed, and although she needed the bathroom, she couldn’t face getting up and walking the short distance. Her hunger satisfied, warm and safe, her eyes closed and she slept properly for the first time in five years.

  Chapter Eleven – Ishk

  Thoughts of her were still in his head as he drove back to the tower. He planned to speak to one of the other council members and find out what news there was for support to have the human females all sent to the breeding house. Before he left for Earth there had been a small but strong following who did not want the females from Earth to pollute Karal.

  In their minds, the females should be shut away and only used for mating purposes. Which was still his intention towards Evie. He sighed. He must not think of her by name. She was no more than a vessel for breeding the next generation of Karalians. He must never forget that.

  Parking his cruiser, he went in to the tower, passing the guards who knew better than to challenge him. He was heading to the lower chambers when a voice called his name.

  “Hier Ruler. I did not expect to see you here so late.” Ishk turned back to greet his superior.

  “I could say the same about you, Ishk. Don’t tell me you have tired of your female already.”

  “No. She is sleeping.”

  “You have already performed the mating with her?” Lytril, Hier Ruler of Karal, asked.

  As if it was his business.

  Ishk shook his head. “No, Hier Ruler. As Okil has presumably already informed you, she is a little beaten up.”

  “In what way?” Lytril was either very good at this game or truly ha
d no clue.

  “She had been taken by two humans and held captive. They planned to ransom her to us. As the lottery winner they believed she would be of value. They subdued her forcefully, for want of a better phrase.”

  Lytril came closer. “I have not read Okil’s report yet, or seen him; I was in a meeting with the Hier Commander when you returned. Was it dealt with?”

  “Okil terminated one of the persons involved; the other was framed for the murder. We believe he has since been terminated by the Earth police.”

  “Good,” Lytril said, looking hard at Ishk. “The female. You have not softened, then, Ishk?”

  “No. Hier Ruler, the female is not to my taste. I will mate with her as is my duty, and then she will be sent to the breeding house. There she will remain until the child is born. What you do with her after that is up to you.”

  “I thought your time on Earth might have given you some insight into humans.”

  “It did, which is why she will be going to the breeding house. They are vermin, Hier Ruler. She has given me her word she will not leave my house. When she goes to the breeding house she, along with any others, must be detained. I will insist they are not given free run of our planet.”

  “I understand that you do not look on them favourably. She will go to the breeding house if she conceives in the next few weeks. After that the females are to be allowed to live on the island of Grenvet. You know I have given my word on that.”

  “I know,” Ishk said, keeping the anger from his voice. “It is I who am tasked with relocating any of our people who do not wish to live with the females in such close proximity.”

  The Hier Ruler bowed. “Then I will let you get on with your work.”

  Ishk smiled, his thoughts on the Hier Ruler under control so that the colours did not race across his skin. But he knew that there needed to be a change in the way things worked on Karal. He went off to meet his fellow conspirator; he had no intention of allowing Grenvet to be violated by human females.