Axen

by Arcadia Shield

  Eloise sighed and stared at the rough cave ceiling. It was the lightning strike that had fried Axen’s brain and made him react in such a way, but a tiny part of her still hoped he’d been genuine, and he wanted her as much as her treacherous body wanted him. At least now, she knew the truth. And it stung like the bite from a mutant crocodile.

  Axen didn’t want her. She was alone in this game. And when they got out, if they got out, she would still be alone.

  ***

  Axen strode through the rainforest, slashing at vines and stamping through the dense undergrowth. What had he been thinking, taking advantage of an injured woman? He felt like Fraken scum, abusing his power to get what he wanted.

  He had nothing to offer Eloise. He was a warrior, bred for hunting, killing, and destruction. She’d be better off without him. And she was a weakness for him, a distraction, and he was a fool for thinking he should help her escape this game. He should never have broached the possibility with her. He still didn’t have everything figured out in his head, but he’d tossed the idea at Eloise like a cheap gift, pretending he could make a difference and give her something she longed for.

  So why did his insides burn with anger at the thought of not getting free from this game and not being able to keep Eloise safe? His fingers went to the pouch on his weapons belt, and he felt inside it. He groaned as his fingers brushed across the hair he’d slashed off Eloise’s head. He was a monster. He remembered it all now, slashing the blade so close to her delicate flesh as he’d tried to kill her. He’d wanted her dead, wanted her on the ground in a bloody heap, as he’d used her blood to paint his flesh and roar a victory at the game audience. It was what the Fraken wanted, and at that moment, it had been his desire as well. His blood lust had been all he’d cared about. How could she stand to be close to him after he’d fought so hard to destroy her?

  Despite himself, Axen raised the hair to his nose and smelt it. He gave another groan, hating himself even more. If only Eloise didn’t smell so good. If only he had killed her the second he’d seen her, ignored her enticing scent, and done the job he was made to do. He’d be free now, back with the other warriors and able to rest before returning to the games for another victory. Another slaughter. But was that freedom? Being at the service of these Fraken deviants, who were intent on finding more prey, and making the Vorten kill for their entertainment and profit? He’d been doing this for such a long time, the idea of a different life filled him with uncertainty.

  It was one of the reasons he’d never tried to get out of a game before. He knew how to do this; this was what he was bred for, to be an effective killing machine. What had Eloise called him on the first day they’d met? An animal? And he was a cold-hearted killer with no concern about hurting others. As a gaming warrior, he had a place and a purpose. If he left the games, what then? Vorten would reject him. He couldn’t go home, couldn’t go back to protecting the Vortex as he longed to do. He’d be on the run, an outcast.

  But he’d stayed in the games for another reason. He’d never met any prey he considered worthy of taking a risk. Axen had fought other strong opponents, aliens with strange abilities and skills, prey who had been cunning and fast. Some who had even injured him and made him work for the kill. He always admired strength and courage, but none of them had convinced him to take the final step, break out of the game, and take his prey with him. Until now. Until Eloise.

  Meeting Eloise had shown him there was something more, something he wanted to grab hold of and protect until the last breath left his body. Axen wanted to change things, and he wanted to do it with Eloise by his side.

  But she wouldn’t want him now. After what he’d done to her, she’d be wise to run as fast and far away as she could. And she was smart too. She should be lying in a broken heap right now, but she kept finding ways to keep going in the game. He loved cleverness in his females. But it was her softness as well, the warmth of her skin on his and the taste of her mouth that overwhelmed him. She was the perfect combination of strength and softness.

  Axen grunted and kicked blindly at the ground. Eloise must only have kissed him because she thought it was her last option, a way to keep herself safe. That really was clever. She may have thought that, if she didn’t offer herself to him, he would kill her. The idea left a bitter taste in his mouth as he continued stomping through the rainforest.

  The collar around his neck buzzed, shocking him out of his thoughts. It was the Fraken summoning him to a comms post. He ignored it for a few moments, too angry to focus on anything other than the mess he’d made with Eloise.

  But the shocks grew in intensity, and the flesh around his neck burned. The Fraken wouldn’t stop until he’d linked in with them and given them an update as to what he was doing. He wanted to talk to them as well, ask them when they decided trying to kill a warrior with lightning became acceptable. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

  He’d love to rip off the collar, destroy this game, and be free of the Fraken forever. But this is what he did; he was a Vorten warrior, made to do the bidding of the Fraken for as long as his Elders insisted upon it. Why should he keep fighting against his true nature?

  “Eloise,” he breathed out. That was the reason why. She was the reason things were going to change.

  One more painful shock from the collar, and Axen switched direction and tuned into the low hum of an active comms post. The Fraken were going to punish him and Eloise for how he’d been playing this game. It was time to see how good a liar he really was and discover how much time he had left to get them free.

  Chapter 16

  The light was fading, and Eloise was still alone. Axen had been gone for hours, and she felt a tug of worry in her stomach. Had he abandoned her for good? Maybe he’d been injured again by another lightning strike and was lying somewhere in the rainforest. If so, he could look after himself this time. He’d rejected her; she would do the same to him.

  She laughed to herself. As if a warrior like Axen would truly desire her. He could break her like a dry branch. He’d seen for himself how easy she was to damage and how foolish she was when she’d run through the dark and snapped a bone in her arm. No wonder he didn’t want to be close to her when he had such incredible females on his own planet.

  Axen was capable of looking after himself and probably a dozen other individuals at the same time, without breaking a sweat. But Eloise couldn’t shake the concern she felt for him.

  She also couldn’t stop remembering how horrified he’d been when he’d come to his senses after the lightning strike and found himself on top of her.

  But the more Eloise thought about it, the more she realized he’d been focused on her injuries, not what they’d been doing to each other. Maybe that was the reason he’d left. Did he feel guilt for hurting her? She wasn’t sure it fit with the warrior way, to feel remorse for doing what you were bred to do.

  Eloise still couldn’t stop the traitorous thoughts seeping through her mind that he was also repulsed by her. She had initiated their kiss, after all. And when his realization had kicked in as to what was happening, he’d been quick enough to pull back and leave.

  She removed the bandage and wood strapping on her broken arm and carefully inspected the damage. It was healing neatly. Axen had set the bone cleanly, and the Medi-patches from his kit bag had sealed the wound. The ache in her arm was now just a dull throb.

  After giving herself another swipe with a Healing Stick, Eloise replaced the bandages and looked around the cave. She couldn’t stay there on her own for much longer. The Fraken would be wanting to see some game action soon, and if she didn’t provide it with Axen, they would send one of their beasts to move things along. She’d rather die at Axen’s hand than from one of the monstrosities the Fraken would thrust upon her.

  Maybe she could find a way out on her own. There had to be a back door out of the games. The Fraken had to come in and make repairs or alterations. And what did they do with the bodies of the victims in previous gam
es? Most likely, they left them to rot where they’d fallen. The thought sent a deep shudder running down her spine. Best not to think about what happened to the victims. She would be one soon, and she didn’t want to consider her body lying on the ground, growing cold as creatures picked over her and the viewers roared their joy at her death.

  Eloise checked through the bags she had and found two ration packs of food, the remains of the medical supplies, the blade Axen had given her, and a small amount of water. It was time to go. She hoisted the bags over her shoulder, made sure her boots were tightly tied, and headed out of the cave. She was on her own now and had to look after herself. Whatever Axen was doing, she couldn’t rely on him to come to her rescue.

  As much as she tried to keep calm as she walked, her gaze dashed around the rainforest, seeking out Axen. She had no idea what he was thinking. He might even have changed his mind about them working together to get out of the game and decided to get rid of her.

  Her stomach clenched at the thought. Just for a moment, she’d believed there was hope, a way out of this nightmare. But now, there was only the grim reality that the end was crashing towards her, and it would not be a gentle one.

  Eloise allowed her thoughts to wander as she continued into the trees. What would have happened if Axen hadn’t pulled back from her when they were in the cave together? Would his hands have gone lower? Would she have let him? Would his mouth have explored her curves and opened her up with his tongue. She shuddered again, but this time in delight. Although she hated herself for it, her desire for Axen was strong. But she had to keep that hidden from him. He didn’t feel the same for her. They needed to keep things professional. Maybe then, they’d have a better chance of getting out of the game alive.

  And it was ridiculous to think such things, anyway. A few days ago, he’d been trying to kill her. Hell, a few hours ago, he was swinging a blade at her and trying to take her head off. Axen was a killer, an alien; their ways were different, and she did not fit with him. Eloise would not waste time thinking about a future that could never be. If they did get out of this game alive, Axen would not want her. He would have no place for anyone so fragile.

  Eloise continued her journey slowly through the rainforest. She kept to the densely forested areas in the hopes the Fraken wouldn’t spot her and send anything after her. It was a trick Axen had shown her.

  Fraken used their ships’ radars and advanced satellite technology to enable remote access viewing of the games. And they had sentient drone technology that flew into the games when contestants and warriors went missing, to get a close-up view of the action. But she hadn’t spotted any drones, so she had to assume she was out of view. Perhaps they were more interested in whatever Axen was doing. She knew she was.

  He could be doing anything, including sharpening his blade and stalking her as she walked, oblivious to his closeness. She had no idea what went through that Vorten’s head, and it infuriated her to have him walk away without a proper explanation.

  Eloise had always thought she liked men who didn’t hide their emotions. Her last serious relationship, with a cheating liar called Damien, had been all about sharing emotions. He’d told her everything, including when he’d cheated on her. They’d been planning a future together, looking at getting some land far from the worst of the polluted areas on Earth, and trying to live as self-sufficiently as possible. There had even been talk of looking into the new radiation proofed apartments in one of the cities, although they’d cost far more than Eloise would ever earn in her life. But Damien had changed his mind, and let Eloise know he had feelings for several other women and how important it was to him to ensure he had a fertile woman to reproduce with, and he’d been uncertain as to how suitable she was when it came to producing children.

  Eloise had kicked him out of their two-room apartment and then got mad. Then upset, then realistic about the fact she was most likely infertile, and Damien wasn’t being so stupid. Eloise had taken anti-radiation medication, and it gave a decent level of protection from the worst of the poisoning symptoms, but there was no guarantee about anything else.

  As much as she’d enjoyed kicking Damien out, it had left Eloise with a cautious guard around her heart when it came to relationships. Axen had been the first in a long time to stir her interest. Maybe it was because she knew she’d never be able to have him. She could lust after someone unobtainable, without the risk of getting hurt.

  A smile slid across Eloise’s face. She’d love to let Axen loose on Damien to teach him a lesson in how to treat people. She shook her head. They weren’t even an item. Axen had fled just like Damien. She couldn’t even get him to stay in the same cave with her.

  Eloise pushed through a clump of densely packed trees, her thoughts jumbled around Axen and how to survive the game. A movement caught her eye, and she froze.

  ***

  “Why is the human still alive?” The scowling face of Death Wish shone back at Axen, his narrow gaze pinned to him, and his wide mouth of sharp teeth exposed.

  “To keep your viewers entertained.” Axen kept his face neutral. The Fraken angered quickly.

  “This game has been running for days,” snarled Death Wish. “The gamers want action.”

  “Are you losing viewers?” asked Axen. “I anticipated your lightning storm would have kept them entertained.”

  Death Wish sneered at him. “For a short while. They enjoyed seeing you incapacitated. But they want more from you. They expect more from our best warrior.”

  “I’m playing with the human woman,” said Axen. “She scares easily.”

  “You lie. You helped her.”

  “Only to prolong everyone’s enjoyment.”

  “We watched you pull her from the drop.”

  “You’d rather I left her to perish from infection?” Axen’s gaze remained fixed on Death Wish. “That wouldn’t have been popular with your audience.”

  Death Wish snapped his teeth at Axen. “You are hiding something.”

  “I am playing your game.”

  “I watched you after you were struck by lightning.”

  “I did try to kill her then.”

  Death Wish grated out an angry laugh. “You could barely keep hold of your blade. And then you vanished from view. At one point, I thought I saw the human dragging you.”

  Axen stifled a growl. “Your audience is amused by that?”

  Death Wish leaned closer to the screen, his yellow eyes burning into Axen. “What are you hiding from us?”

  “I can hide nothing from you,” said Axen. “You see everything I do in here.”

  Death Wish shook his head and tapped a sharp talon on the comms screen. “You have been in these games long enough to know that’s not true. This is your fourth cycle with us?”

  Axen nodded. And he’d hated every second of it. “I am your longest serving warrior.”

  “Therefore, you know you can hide if you really want to,” said Death Wish. “From now on, stick to the main fighting areas. Our viewers seek a show.”

  Axen nodded again.

  “Disobey this command, and we will be forced to enter the games ourselves. You would not want that.”

  Axen stared at Death Wish, refusing to drop his gaze. He knew this Fraken well enough to know he despised anyone who challenged him.

  “Obey me.” Death Wish punched a button to activate Axen’s shock collar.

  Axen hissed in pain and dropped to his knees, grabbing the comms post as he did so. The shock had been bad, but he’d been waiting for this opportunity. It was time to act.

  Raising his hand to the side of the access panel on the comms post, Axen eased it open with his fingers.

  Axen had run through hundreds of simulations with Urel to get a message through undetected, but he wasn’t sure how successful it would be when using Fraken technology in real time. The Fraken could intercept the message before it arrived and discover what he was attempting. But it was the only way he could save Eloise and get free from the game. />
  He hit a combination of buttons in the access panel as discreetly as possible, not certain how much the Fraken and their audience would be able to see, and then hit the final button. The message was on its way. Axen looked up and let out a breath. It just needed to reach the right people, and everything would change.

  “On your feet,” snapped Death Wish.

  Axen stood slowly as he eased the panel back into place. No one looking at the access panel would see what he’d done.

  “Tell me again what you plan to do to this human woman,” said Death Wish.

  “I will follow your earlier instruction, paint myself with her blood as I ravish her.” The words made him feel sick.

  “Make sure you do it in full view of everyone,” said Death Wish. “You must want to ensure viewers know you are still a warrior and haven’t lost your fighting instinct.”

  “My fighting instinct is fine.”

  “If you disobey us, we will be happy to come in and help you. I’d like to test your instincts, myself.” Death Wish smiled cruelly as he sent another wave of pain through Axen’s collar.

  Axen deliberately buckled his knees to make it seem like the pain was defeating him. It gave him a perfect opportunity to check the side panel again. It looked untouched. Now, he just had to wait.

  As he climbed to his feet, his thoughts were on his warrior friend, Bladen. He was the next step in his plan to escape. Bladen was a true and loyal warrior. They’d grown up together, fighting side-by-side in training, and then joining the same squad. Bladen loathed the Fraken as much as he did. Axen hoped he would join him in this epic battle he had planned. Bladen just needed to pass on the message to Urel to give Axen a chance of getting out with Eloise.