Still, in all she enjoyed their time together. Xavion was a highly intelligent, highly educated man, who obviously enjoyed learning new things. He made her feel smart. Conversations were never one sided, even though she knew that she knew less than a fraction of what he did. She told him about Earth and he told her about the hundreds of other planets he'd been to. He had even told her why he and his crew had chosen to become raiders.
They had been lying in bed, Mai snuggled happily in his arms. She asked him why they were flying slowly through space, what possible reason they could have for it. They had not taken anything from Earth except for captives and it just seemed like a lot of trouble to go through for that. 'We're Vampyrians. What else are we to do with eternity? We eat synthesized blood much of the time to survive. The absence of real blood makes one crave it all the more, so it tastes that much sweeter when we finally do get some. The information we gather as we go is always fascinating, since most intelligent species transmit it into space and we're able to copy everything as we arrive and leave. There is always a risk of dying, as well, either onboard the ship, or during the raid itself, a risk that is almost non-existent where we come from. Eternity is so much more...amusing this way.' It had felt like a light going on inside Mai's head. She understood them. She really understood them.
"I still don't understand why he won't let me join him! He made out like it was possible, so the stories have to be right about that at least, so why won't he bite me?" Does he...just not like me enough to do it? Or does he simply not want me around that long? She didn't want to think about either possibility.
Seducing him had turned out to be the easy part.
* * * *
"Everyone else is already in there. They said something about it being a season finale. I know how much you and Mai like that show, so I thought I'd let you know."
"I don't feel like it tonight."
"Well, then, let Mai come. She loves that show! I'll keep an eye on her for you, so you won't have to worry about Kadira. You can just stay in your cabin and rest. I'm sure you're sick of watching her all the time by now."
"That won't be necessary."
Xavion was unsure about Morto’s motives. He could not trust any of them to keep their hands off Mai, even if they weren't interested in biting her, which he couldn't be sure they weren't. Everyone was suspect now, and would become more so the longer they all went without fresh blood.
"You go on ahead to the rec. room. We'll just catch it later on."
"All right." Morto studied him a moment, looking almost hurt, as though he had somehow heard his thoughts. "I wouldn't harm her, you know." He turned his back on Xavion, striding down the hall.
"I know." At least, you wouldn't mean to. It meant a lot. But he still could not be trusted and frankly Xavion wasn’t too thrilled about Morto’s seeming attachment to Mai as far as that went.
Hell, I hardly trust myself any more.
Despite everything he could do, he had grown more and more attached to her, had started feeling strange feelings he had no name for, but instinct was a hard thing to overcome. The longer he went without fresh blood, the more intoxicating the scent of hers became. If she’d been Vampyrian, he would have been mated to her the second time they had sex, would have already shared blood with her, but he couldn't be sure that would not harm her and he couldn't bring himself to risk her death.
Hell, I'm not even sure I want a mate.
He knew the minute the thought crossed his mind that it was lie. The truth was the idea of taking a mate that wasn’t Mai no longer appealed to him at all. He was fairly certain if not for his fear of the results, he would already have staked his claim to her.
Running his hand through his hair and drawing a shuddering breath, Xavion leaned heavily against the door to the head. Mai had been in there a long time. He was more than a little tempted to go in himself. He never grew tired of looking at her beautiful body, or feeling and tasting it for that matter. Still, he knew that everyone needed a little privacy, so he fought hard to resist the urge to invade hers.
Far too attached.
He was startled out of his thoughts moments later as the door behind him opened. Catching himself on the frame, he turned.
"Finished already?"
Mai glared and swatted at him. "How did I know you'd be waiting outside the door?"
Xavion shrugged and started down the hall to the cabin. She followed closely behind, the light bobbing wildly with every step. He was almost used to the blinding thing now. The first time he had come into the room and it was off, he had been worried, but he quickly found that she, too, hated sleeping with it on. That fact alone had made everything considerably easier on him, even if it had not been done for his benefit.
He stood aside as she entered the room.
"I'm hungry. What are they making to eat tonight?"
"I have no idea, but knowing Vasili, it's probably some human dish. You’re far more vocally appreciative of his efforts than everyone else and it’s gotten to where he has no interest in pleasing anyone else. I'll be back with it in a minute."
"Don't rush." Mai smiled at him from her perch on the end of the bed. "I'll still be here when you get back."
It only took a few minutes to reach the mess hall, but it turned out Vasili had only just begun to cook.
"What's on the menu today?"
"I'm not sure yet. I can't decide between program six ninety two and seven zero one."
"What's the difference?"
Vasili gave him a stunned look, which quickly passed. "I guess you haven't watched anything since taking Mai, huh? The first is something the humans call stew, with beef, potatoes, carrots, and peas, all served over rice. The second is lobster stuffed with crab, butter, and chives, with baked potatoes on the side."
"So what's the problem? They both sound good."
"I wanted to make seven zero one, but I can't seem to get the replicator to work! It keeps spitting out these huge bugs. Not only that, but every time I try to cook one, the sensors say it's poisonous."
"Are you sure the recipe doesn't call for bugs?" He stepped over to a pot and examined one of Vasili’s attempts. The bugs were huge and had a hard shell. He couldn’t imagine wanting to eat one the things. It seemed like a strange ingredient to a dish that was supposed to be a great delicacy, but he had noticed that many foods of the humans’ cuisine were odd.
Vasili lifted the lid of a pot and pointed inside. Large angry looking creatures scuttled inside, clicking great claws together and trying to climb out. Every time it looked like one might make it out, one of the others would grab its hind legs and pull it back in. They did not look the least appetizing to Xavion.
"I say, go with the stew. Seven zero one couldn't possibly taste good anyway."
Vasili sighed, nodding to himself. "It'll take a while for the stew to cook."
"I don't mind waiting."
"Were you--I mean, is that girl of yours still alive?"
"Yes, she is."
Vasili brightened. "How did she like the mushrooms and gravy?"
Xavion had a vision of Mai's face turning ever so slightly green, her eyes watering, and her mad dash for the head, and decided to lie.
"She enjoyed it. I'm sure she'll like this stew even better. Do me a favor and bring some to my cabin when you're finished."
Vasili nodded once, already busily programming the replicator.
Wondering to himself, not for the first time, if they had all gone more than a little crazy during their time in space, Xavion walked briskly to his room.
Chapter Seven
Mai lay back in bed, folding her hands behind her head and closing her eyes. She missed her freedom. She missed not having to ask to go to the bathroom, being able to watch T.V. whenever she wanted. She missed going out with her friends.
There was compensation. She loved being Xavion, talking to him, making love to him--when she could break through his determination to keep his distance--which he wavered back and forth about.
It struck her that Xavion would be a fun guy to go out with, but she probably would never get the chance to, all things considered. How long am I going to have to live like this?
The door slid open. Expecting Xavion, Mai opened her eyes and sat up.
Shock went through her, freezing her in place like a deer caught in a car’s headlights.
It was not Xavion's eyes that met her own, but the dark twisted gaze of Kadira. Her heart slammed against her ribcage and rebounded into her throat. Mai had to consciously force her body to move, to get out of the bed. She fairly flopped out, but managed to catch her feet and stood.
"What are you doing in here?"
"Shut up, you fucking whore." Kadira sneered at her, running his ugly black gaze over her body and sauntering toward her as though to claim a prize.
He was almost upon her when her adrenaline kicked in at last. She tried to run past him, to get to the door, all the while knowing that it was futile. The door would not open for her.
Kadira caught her around the waist, groping her body, squeezing her breasts painfully before digging his fingers into her cunt hard enough to make her wince with pain. "You're mine now."
"No!" Mai turned in his grip, raking her long nails hard down his face and taking his hide with it.
Screaming in pain and rage, he threw her to the bed. The impact stunned her. Before she could do more than roll over, he launched himself at her, crushing her beneath his weight.
Instinctively, Mai opened her mouth to scream in fear and anger, but she managed no more than a groan as Kadira punched her, first in the ribs, and then in the face. Everything went black. When she finally came to her senses, Kadira had her by the throat. He had torn her shirt apart, shredding it and was bending down, his intent clear as he bared his teeth above her breast.
In a blind panic, she lashed out, slamming her fist into his face and bloodying his nose, kicking ineffectually at him with her legs, arching off the bed in an attempt to buck him off of her.
Despite the bloody nose, he laughed, as if her antics only excited him more. Screaming for all she was worth, she went for his face again, digging her thumbs into his eye sockets. At that, he pulled back from her with a curse, slapping her several times across the face so hard blackness crowded around her again.
"You fucking cunt!" Grabbing at her arms, he caught both, pinning them to the bed on either side of her head and leaning in close again to bite her. Mai hit him with the only thing she had left to hit him with. Closing her eyes, she smashed her forehead against his nose, but she only managed to catch him twice and it didn’t have the desired effect. Instead of releasing her this time, he brought her arm down, crushing her throat with it.
The blackness, never far away, descended quickly again. Her heart beat so fast she felt it would surely burst inside of her. Try as she might, she could do no more than wiggle ineffectually. With his full weight barring down on her, she was unable to breathe and felt her strength slipping away as the blood pounded in her hair and her starved lungs struggled futilely.
Dimly, she realized this was death, the one thing she had feared so much that she had never really allowed herself to enjoy life. As everything again started to blacken around the edges it came to her that she would never see Xavion again, never feel his tender kisses, never feel him as a part of herself and that was the worst part of nothingness.
* * * *
Xavion knew something was wrong before he had even reached his door. Something inside of him hinted at it. His senses screamed it. Running now, he hit the door when it did not open fast enough. Inside, Kadira was on top of Mai, on his bed.
"You bastard!" In a rage, Xavion launched himself at Kadira, fangs barred. Kadira, whose face had been within inches of Mai's exposed breast, rolled away from her at the roar of rage. Half leaping, half falling from the bed, he managed to elude Xavion’s attack as he scuttled away.
Both men were on their feet again in an instant. Breathing heavily, they faced off, tense, each now looking for an opening of advantage. "How dare you touch her!" Xavion snarled, his mind clouded with rage, not daring to look at Mai for fear of what he might see as he placed himself between Kadira and the bed.
"How dare you flaunt her before us, you son of bitch!" Kadira growled, cursing him. "She's just a fucking snack. A nothing! I'm only doing what you don't have the balls to do."
Something inside Xavion snapped then. Rushing Kadira he curled the fingers of one hand tightly around his throat and began punching him in the face with all his might, barely registering the counterpunches Kadira slammed into his chest and belly, mindless in his need to pulverize the man into a mass of quivering jelly. And still, he was almost surprised when Kadira collapsed.
Disgusted, Xavion let him fall to the floor and kicked him hard, supremely satisfied at the wet thud Kadira made against the wall when he hit.
When he was certain Kadira was not merely feigning, he whirled and rushed to kneel beside the bed, terrified of what he would find but desperate to do what he could for her. For several moments, he couldn’t even bring himself to touch her, to seek her pulse, to know for certain that he had lost her. Kadira had torn her clothes off. She was covered in blood and dark purple bruises. He felt like screaming in frustration and anger, made all the worse for having no longer having an available target.
"Mai! Mai, wake up!"
She didn’t stir and his heart failed him. A vice seemed to tighten around his chest. His throat closed around a painful knot of misery.
She looked so small, so fragile. He should have guarded her more carefully.
Climbing in beside her, he pulled her onto his lap, wrapping her tightly in his arms and wiping irritably at his eyes as they blurred, only to have his vision worsen again within moments.
"Mai?"
She moaned when he placed his hand against her neck, feeling for a pulse.
"Mai!" Gladness filled him that was almost as painful as the misery of before.
She jerked all over, her eyes flying open, the wildness of terror in them. "Xavion! Oh thank God! I thought you wouldn't come back in time! Where is he? Did you--"
He pulled her close, tucking her head against his shoulder and rocking back and forth with her, so relieved that she was still alive he could hardly speak. "Mai ... I'm so ... so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean for any of it to happen. Can you ever forgive me? Where did he hurt you?" His eyes had grown so blurry he could not see at all, which irritated him more than it would have if he had been completely rational. Why the hell is that happening?
"I think I'll be all right."
He stroked her gently. “You’re hurt, sweeting. I need to know where you’re hurt. The blood...."
At that, Mai shuttered but struggled to pull away from him and looked down at herself. Reaching for the sheet, she wiped some of the blood off, looking at it in revulsion.
"It's not mine."
That stopped him.
"What?"
"It's his." She held out her bloody hands. A number of her nails were broken and two were torn to the quick. As her meaning slowly dawned on him, Xavion was at once angry and almost giddy. The anger was irrational. He felt almost as though he had made a fool of himself over nothing, but he was so relieved that none of the blood was hers....
"You'll be all right? You’re not hurt?"
Mai’s chin wobbled. Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t say I wasn’t hurt--he hurt me--I fought him and he--he....” She stopped, massaging her throat and swallowing with an effort. “But I’ll be alright."
He set her a little away from him, examining the bruises that were already visible and others that were darkening and realized that it wasn’t from lack of trying on Kadira’s part that she seemed to have nothing but bruises.
A moan from the other side of the room brought Xavion focus completely around to Kadira. Shifting, he settled Mai gently on the bed beside him.
"I have to go. That piece of shit ... I have to dispose of hi
m." Mai seemed almost panicked when he moved to stand, clutching at him a little frantically.
He paused to soothe her. "I'll be right back." He smoothed her hair, running his fingers lightly along her cheek and jaw. "Stay here."
With that, he strode across the room, digging his fingers into Kadira’s hair and then dragging Kadira from the room behind him.
Slamming his fist against the com. when he reached the corridor, he summoned the others to the main hall, before going there himself.
He had not gone far, before Morto met him.
"You got him at last!" Morto sneered at the barely conscious Kadira, but his face grew pale when he met Xavion's eyes. "He didn't--"
"No. Go. Stay with her. I'll be back as soon as I've dealt with this."
Morto nodded slowly, paused to spit on Kadira in contempt as he passed, and then rushed down the hall.
Xavion turned to watch him speculatively for a moment, but he felt Morto, if anyone, could be trusted at a time like this and he really didn't like the idea of Mai being all alone right now. Not after all she had been through.
He would almost have preferred to turn Kadira over to the others so that he could stay with Mai himself, but he was captain. It was his responsibility to deal with Kadira, and not one he could delegate.
That being the case, the sooner he dealt with taking out the trash, the better. Sighing, he dragged his prisoner to the main hall, a little surprised to find that everyone else had already gathered and were waiting for him, talking excitedly amongst themselves.
"All right! You got him!" Romand grinned ecstatically. "See, Vasili, I told you he'd get that bastard this time, didn't I?"
Raiders of Vampyra Page 5