“They can’t kill us,” said Axen. “But you’re right. They deliver a sharp pain if the Fraken think we are not behaving as we should. They also use it to get our attention when they wish to communicate with us. I’m expecting an unpleasant message to arrive at any time. The Fraken will grow weary of hunting for us. They will summon me.”
“Can you take the collar off?”
“It’s a sealed unit,” said Axen. “A Fraken attaches it to a warrior before they start to serve their time in the games. It stays on until we complete our five cycles. But it gives me a link to the Fraken and possibly the outside world.”
“What will you use that link for?”
“As a possible way out.” Axen watched Eloise’s reaction and thought he saw a spark of joy in her eyes. “It will be dangerous.”
“But we could get out? Together?”
“It’s possible.”
“Whatever it takes, I’ll do it,” said Eloise. “You know how these games work. There are weaknesses.”
“I do. And there are.” He waited for more questions from her about their escape plan, but they didn’t come.
“Let me see your collar.” Eloise rose to her knees and slid towards Axen. She tied the cover around her, fastening it in between her breasts. Axen couldn’t help but watch the movement as her fingers brushed her soft skin. When he’d carried her through the rainforest after she’d passed out, he’d almost been driven to distraction by the feel of her skin against his. And now, she was almost on top of him, her fingers raised towards the collar and a hesitant look in her eyes.
Axen lifted his chin, not wanting to scare her. Eloise watched him cautiously as she placed her fingers on the collar. She slid them around the entire circle of the collar, her hair touching his face as she leaned closer. “You’re right. There’s no clasp or way to get it undone.”
“The Fraken have a way,” said Axen. “But it’s too tight to slide anything underneath. I could not pry it off when I attempted to in the past.”
Eloise’s fingers continued to explore the collar, and he felt himself harden as he watched her. It would be so easy for him to take hold of her again and explore her body. What would she do? Scream and try to get away? Would she think he was going to harm her? Would she respond? He raised a hand and touched Eloise’s arm. She instantly froze.
“I want to inspect your injured arm.” Axen’s voice came out as a low grumble.
“It’s better.” Eloise sat back on her heels. “It throbs, but I can use it already.”
“May I remove the dressing and see for myself?”
Eloise nodded and extended her arm. “It still aches a bit.”
“I’ll be gentle,” said Axen. “I won’t hurt you.”
“I know. You’ve helped me before. Although, I’m still not sure why.”
Axen’s gaze locked onto Eloise. “Neither am I.” He unwrapped the dressings as if he was revealing a piece of ancient Vorten crystal. Her arm was pink, a healthy color. He saw her wince as he ran his hand over her arm and lightened his touch.
Some of the tension slid from his shoulders as he studied the injury. The bone was positioned well and already knitting together. The drugs he’d given Eloise were working better than he’d expected.
“What’s the verdict?”
“You should regain full use of this arm,” said Axen. “It appears humans respond well to alien medicine.”
“You should see us with the nanotechnology the Naztecs gifted us after we joined the Intergalactic Council,” said Eloise. “We thought we’d been handed a miracle.”
“It’s impressive technology.” Axen kept hold of Eloise’s arm and noticed she didn’t object. “We use them to heal battle injuries. But you need to keep a close eye on them. Sometimes, the nanobots get it into their tiny programming to mess with things that don’t need altering. They like to give evolution a jump forward by several hundred cycles. Sometimes, those results can be startling.”
Eloise looked down at her arm still being cradled in Axen’s hand. She still didn’t pull away. “What do you think of the Council? Do they condone these games?”
“I trust some of the Intergalactic Council members,” said Axen. “But you will know them better than I do. Do you consider what the Council does to be effective?”
“I’m too low in the ranks to know what goes on in all those closed-door meetings they enjoy having,” said Eloise. “But if you have plans to destroy these games, you’ll make enemies on the Council. Powerful people don’t always make the best decisions when it comes to the masses.”
“That happens too often.” Axen traced a finger down the back of Eloise’s arm until he reached her hand. He laced his fingers with hers.
Eloise inhaled sharply and her gaze went to Axen’s. “We need to beat these games. I don’t want to die.”
Axen looked at Eloise’s trembling mouth. She hid her fear well, but he wasn’t surprised to know she was terrified. He hoped she wasn’t terrified of him or, at least, she could see he wasn’t just a mindless killer. Her closeness muddled his thoughts, and he knew he should get some distance from Eloise. But he didn’t want to. She was so different from what he was used to. And, in this instance, different felt incredible.
“You’re not going to die.” Axen let out a long breath. “And I’m not going to kill you.”
Eloise exhaled as well. “Never?”
Axen shook his head. “Never what?”
“Do you mean, you’re not going to kill me today, or you’re never going to hurt me? We’re really getting out of these games together?”
Axen’s muscles tensed at the thought of being together with Eloise. He’d tried to ignore some of the fantasies that had run through his thoughts when it came to this female, but he’d failed. Now, the prospect was becoming very real. “I mean, you’re going to live. And yes, we’re going to get out of these games together.”
Chapter 11
Eloise awoke the next morning after the first good night’s sleep she’d managed in almost two weeks. The prison cell the Fraken had kept her in had only had a hard, cold floor, and lights had blinded the women most of the time they were in there. There had also been the constant sounds of distress from other prisoners in the cell block, making terror and adrenalin race through her veins like a poison. But last night, lying in a cave with an alien she’d met only a few days ago, Eloise had slept peacefully.
After their talk last night about finding a way out of the games, Eloise had felt a sense of relief. It seemed neither of them knew exactly how to get out, although Axen had hinted at something to do with the Fraken comm links, but there was a steely determination inside of her that meant she wanted escape more than anything else.
She was sure that, between the two of them, they could find a way out. The Fraken couldn’t be perfect. There must be a flaw in their game plan. She would find it, and she would get out of this game alive.
And she was going to take Axen with her. He may have been bred for killing, but she’d seen last night that there was more to him than that. He’d had numerous opportunities to end her life, and he hadn’t done so. There was definitely more to this Vorten warrior than met the eye. And she wanted to learn more about him.
She turned over to find Axen sleeping next to her, his bare chest only inches from her. As much as she hated being his prey, she couldn’t help but admire his strength and form.
Eloise slid carefully from underneath the cover that lay across her. She discovered her clothes in a neat heap on one side of the cave. Axen must have placed them there for her to find when she woke up. They were dry but still had some bloodstains on them. Eloise didn’t care as she dressed swiftly. Once clothed, she turned to look at Axen again.
She tiptoed over to where he was sleeping and stared down at him. His skin was laced with battle scars, some of them lighter than others. Some looked fairly new and still had an angry pink glaze to them.
He had tattoos as well. A strange mixture of languages she didn’t re
cognize, images, and even a human word on his torso. It was trust. She wondered what it referred to. His trust in himself? His trust in those he fought alongside? Or a trust or value he lived by? The ink looked old and must have been done years ago. He also had a metallic piercing through one nipple, which Eloise would have liked to tug on and see how Axen reacted. The thought brought a smile to her face. Was this warrior passionate in every area of his life?
Eloise looked at the weapons on his weapons belt and chest harness that lay by his side. Should she be so trusting? He’d chased her through the rainforest with every intention of killing her. Could this be her opportunity to get rid of him? His talk about escape could be a ruse, designed to lull her into trusting him, only so he could destroy her in front of a baying audience.
She shook her head, confusion coursing through her. A few seconds ago, she’d been determined to get them both out, and now, she was looking at his weapons and trying to decide which one to sink into his heart.
These games were ruining her. Eloise wasn’t going to let the Fraken mess with her head anymore. Axen had saved her life. They both deserved to get out of this alive if they could only figure out how.
She studied the scars on his arms again, and a particularly jagged looking scar across his right bicep caught her attention. Eloise rested her fingers lightly on the scar and traced along it until the end point. His skin was smooth and warm to the touch, but slightly cooler than a human.
Her gaze raised to the deep scar over his eyebrow, and she gasped. Axen’s eyes were open.
***
Axen had felt Eloise’s fingers on him from the second she’d touched him. They felt like hot shivers of temptation as she’d explored his scars. He’d been in many battles and wore his scars with pride. They showed he was a worthy opponent, not afraid to go in and face any enemy head-on. It was easy enough to have scars removed, but he liked to have the physical proof that he was strong and unstoppable.
As he’d studied Eloise through half closed eyelids, he wondered what she made of his scars. Would she be impressed by them? Did Earth women think scars were something to be removed? Perhaps they liked physical perfection, and his form did not meet her expectations.
Whatever she thought, he couldn’t ignore how her touch made him hard, and he had to fight his urge to grab hold of her and lose himself in her scent and those soft curves that beckoned to him.
Axen raised his hand and entangled his fingers in Eloise’s hair. He didn’t even try to fight the urge, with her so close to him. He heard Eloise inhale as he touched her, but she didn’t pull back.
“How long have you been awake?” asked Eloise.
“Long enough,” said Axen. “I could smell you.”
“These clothes aren’t clean,” said Eloise. “But thanks for getting them dry.”
“Your clothes are fine,” said Axen. “It is your... feminine smell I recognized.” He opened his eyes fully and regarded her, seeing a blush cross her cheeks. “It is a good smell.”
Eloise shook her head. “I need a bath.”
“The best you can do in this game is another dip in the beast infested lake you jumped into the other night.”
“I’ll have to wait until we get out then,” said Eloise.
Axen kept his fingers entwined in her hair and slowly massaged her scalp. He was surprised when she leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.
“You slept?” he asked Eloise. “I was worried your injuries might keep you awake.” In truth, he was shocked to see she was still in the cave at all. He’d expected her to flee once his eyes had shut. And he’d barely slept, as he’d kept track of her movements. But her breathing had been deep and regular throughout the night, and he knew she’d slept well by his side. It gave him a deep sense of satisfaction to know she trusted him enough to do that.
“I did.” Eloise removed her hand from his arm, and he immediately missed the contact.
“We should start making plans for the game.” Axen sat up in a smooth movement as he eased his fingers from Eloise’s hair. “The Fraken will not be far away now. They may even be waiting for us to come out of this cave. They will know something is wrong. I have never lost a game before.”
He instantly saw disgust cross Eloise’s face as she turned away from him.
“But I have never played a game with a human before,” said Axen. “You are my first, and I promised you last night that I will not kill you.”
Eloise turned back and looked at him in silence for a few seconds. “How did you get the scar over your eye?” She raised her hand and hovered her fingers over his eyebrow.
“From a fight.”
“When you were in the games?”
“From my father.”
“Your father beat you?”
“He never beat me,” said Axen. “He taught me how to fight.”
“When did you start training to be a warrior?”
“It is all I know,” said Axen. “My father gave me this scar when I was seven of your Earth years old.”
Eloise gasped and her fingers stroked across the scar. “Only seven. Only a child.”
“On Vorten, warriors are not seen as vulnerable, even when we are young,” said Axen. “We are trained and drilled in the ways of the warriors as soon as we can stand. It is the Vorten life. It is my life.”
“It’s a harsh way to live life,” said Eloise. “Children should not be drilled. They should have the opportunity to play and enjoy life before they are thrust into the violent, chaotic world we have created for them.”
Axen shrugged, at a loss for words. “It is our way.”
Eloise tilted her head to one side. “That doesn’t make it the right way.”
“To be a successful warrior, either defending the Vortex or taking part in these Fraken games, you have to be well trained. If you lose, you die.”
Eloise shook her head. “I know this is what you do, but it still shocks me.”
Axen ground his teeth together, hating that Eloise questioned his upbringing. She was doing more than that; she was questioning the ways of his people. And, what was worse, he was also having doubts and had been for some time. “We need to move. We have to start entertaining the Fraken and their audience. We need to give them a good show. The Fraken will want things to get more exciting for their gamblers, or they will lose audience and e-credits. If they do so, they won’t hesitate in sacrificing both of us.”
Eloise took a deep breath before nodding. “What will we do?”
“This is new for both of us,” said Axen. “And I didn’t mention it last night, because I didn’t want to get your hopes up, but there is a way out of this, and I know how to get it open, providing we can fool the Fraken long enough.”
“A back door out of the games?” Eloise’s face lit up. “Then we need to go there, now.”
“It’s not as simple as that,” said Axen. “But I may have a way. We will be the first to try it. There’s a high chance it will fail.”
“And if it does, we’re both dead,” said Eloise.
Axen pulled out a ration pouch of food from his bag, determined to take Eloise’s mind off their chances of survival. What he had planned was risky, and the likelihood of being caught was high. “I never speak of death before breakfast. First, we eat, then we play.”
Chapter 12
Biting the inside of her cheek to stop from asking more questions, Eloise watched as Axen spent a few moments putting ration packs, a medical kit, and water into a bag before handing it to her. “You will need this.”
She took the bag from him and placed it over her shoulder, adjusting it to a comfortable fit. “What now?”
“Now you run.”
Eloise shuffled her feet. “Act like you’re chasing me?”
“Exactly that,” said Axen.
Eloise was torn. Part of her did still want to flee from Axen. She hadn’t entirely forgiven him for chasing her and scaring her through the rainforest when they first met. But he was also her protector; he’
d saved her from a grisly death and had helped her when she’d fallen down the drop and broken her arm. He’d also helped to heal her and promised her safety. If she didn’t run and make it look good, the Fraken would hunt them down and exterminate them.
“The plan is, I give you a head start,” said Axen. “Get as far away from me as you can.”
“The Fraken will be watching,” said Eloise.
“Let them watch. And make it look good. Show yourself as fearful. Make a few errors and act unskilled in this environment. But whatever you do, get a healthy distance away from me. I’m an excellent tracker and will be able to hunt you down quickly. We need to make this look good.”
Eloise bristled. “I’m not completely incompetent. I have been camping before.”
Axen smiled at her, his features softening. “This is very different from a trip into the wilds, where you have all the equipment you need. The Fraken want to see you scared and hurting. They will be pleased to see you’ve injured your arm. Make it look worse than it really is.”
“And what will you be doing?”
“I will be acting like I usually do,” said Axen. “I will be tracking you. But I will take my time. When the Fraken summon me to explain myself, I will simply tell them I’m using your own weaknesses to my advantage. You have already fallen and hurt yourself. You have almost been eaten by one of their beasts. It will only be a matter of time before you put yourself out of action, and I can simply take you down with a swipe of my blade.”
Eloise glared up at Axen. “You can try.”
“I will.” His grin intensified, and he caught hold of Eloise’s shoulders. “But it will be just an act.”
“How will you track me?”
“From the trail you leave behind,” said Axen. “There will be broken branches and evidence of your footfalls. And of course, your scent.”
“My scent? You mentioned that earlier.”
“It is... unusual,” said Axen. “I’ve never smelt anything like it before.”
Axen Page 8