by Lilly Wilder
“Well what the fuck does that mean?”
Kara sighed. “I’m not sure.”
She shot Arkan a dirty look like he’d ruined all the fun. Arkan shrugged sheepishly and held out his hands to me. I guess he wanted me to get up. I reached for his hands. He swept me off my back to standing effortlessly.
“Arkan doesn’t have an assigned breeder. In our tribe the warriors and the breeders are partnered. Once you move out of those phases, you become retired. Then those jobs and those partners are no longer available to you.
“But we just...” I pointed to both of them.
“Because of our loyal service to the tribe and our renowned self-control…” she shot him a dirty look; “we’ve been allowed to conduct training on all of the new breeders. It’s only once a year, so it is kind of like summer camp for us. Arkan was a warrior when I was a breeder. We’re a bit nostalgic about that time in our lives.”
“Am I going to get kicked out?” My heart clenched. The last hour was the most engaging experience I’ve had in years. I couldn’t leave it. Not just yet.
Kara patted my arm. “No honey. You’re not going to get kicked out. If anything happens, it’s going to be to Mr. Arkan here. But, I do have to warn you. If you are pregnant, you would usually belong to Arkan. The problem is we’ve already got a breeder shortage. That means that you would need to perform your service to some of the other warriors and then once you give birth, you would need to be paired with one of them. Fights have already tripled around here. The warriors are simply attacking each other at this point. We can’t take any more of it. Our tribe won’t survive. We thought we could recruit enough to where there wouldn’t be any sharing, but it seems as if some of the ladies have already relinquished their spots.”
“Some left?” Vivica asked.
Kara shrugged. “Last night. Two for medical reasons. The doctor uncovered some major problems that were being hidden with magic or potions, things of that nature. Seven others left during orientation. They didn’t want to participate.”
“How many breeders do you need?” Ten leaving didn’t seem so bad. I mean, there were still eighty women available.
Arkan and Kara exchanged glances. “Ninety”.
“So, there’s already not enough?”
Arkan shook his head sadly. “When I was a warrior, the women in our tribe were five times the men. There were breeding women, women that hunted, and women that raised the children and handled the hospitals. The warriors were also a small proportion of the men. Many men were partnered with their mates for life and had retired. Those couples handled various jobs within the camps. That was back at the peak of our society.”
“What happened?” It sounded quite dangerous that they were going to have women being shared by warriors. What if they fell in love? Doesn’t jealousy play a factor?
“Humans.” Vivica winced. “Population density exploded in humans with their discovery of technology. Trapping bears became shooting bears with guns. And then instead of hunting for food, they began to hunt for sport. We are not violent, at least unless we need to be. Our forefathers didn’t stand a chance.”
“We’ve been trying to repopulate for years, but it’s a vicious cycle. The less babies that are born, the less mating options there are. And of course, less people to hunt. Less food means more babies, and the cycle begins again.”
Kara’s somber face was so out of place with her naked body, I almost laughed out loud. A few minutes ago, we’d all been high on pleasure and dopamine. Now, we’re practically fatalists. “That sounds awful. I’m glad we’re here to help.” I really meant it. There was something about the shapeshifters that I identified with. Shapeshifting wasn’t witchcraft, but it was magic. Usually witches were considered part of the fringe with their sexual desire and behaviors, but shapeshifters were welcoming, and they certainly knew how to bring pleasure. I had to help them. We had to help them.
I grabbed one of Kara’s hands and one of Arkan’s. Nodding to Vivica, I spoke. “Listen. I promise you. We’re here to stay. And we’re going to do our best. We’re not shapeshifters, but we can do this.” Vivica nodded her head vigorously. Her hair was a wet mess and her cheeks were flushed. She looked halfway to fainting. We were certainly going to have to toughen her up. Her right breast had a mark that looked like a blooming bruise and her torso was covered in light scratches. She had some adjusting to do, sure. But could a human possibly survive the taxing breeding schedule of the shapeshifters’ clan? I mean, we were only on orientation day and already I was experiencing something new. Vivica had never been with a woman before she met me and now she’d been in her first foursome. What else could be waiting down the line for us?
“Well, it’s safe to say you both passed your orientation. Should we get cleaned up and then go for a walk? I’ll introduce you to some of the warriors and show you around a bit more.”
“That sounds great. Where is the shower gel? Or did we use it all.” Vivica giggled.
“I think we’ve used up all of the water in the damn camp.” I noticed that the water jets were still on.
“You’ll find that shapeshifters have a way of making do.” Arkan winked and waved. All of the water stopped. He waved again. The water began to pour from the jets again.
“That’s awesome!” Vivica tried it. Nothing happened. “Well. I guess I’ll learn how eventually.” That was doubtful. But I guess it wouldn’t harm her to believe it.
“And by the way, if you could not mention what happened here with Arkan. At least, until we get a little further on in the process. There’s no need to rile up anyone, especially as fragile as things have been lately.”
“Tell them what?” Vivica stuck out her tongue.
“What happens in orientation, stays in orientation.” I winked at them both.
Arkan picked up the shower gel from the floor and squirted some into his palm.
“Now get your asses under those jets so we can get out of here. I’m starving.”
He turned back toward Kara. “And go feed that raven of yours. It kept me up half the night squawking.” Her eyes turned from warm and bright to stone. That pet bird must be a sensitive topic between them. She nodded and then left without another word.
After quick showers, we dressed and headed out into the sunshine. When I saw all of their happy, smiling faces, I realized I was smiling too. How long had it been since I felt happy for no reason? Maybe I’d found my purpose. My place. Was I home? Great group sex, food, safety, and acceptance. What more could a girl ask for?
“I’m craving a gigantic steak.” Arkan linked arms with me. Vivica grabbed Kara’s hand and we set off towards the dining hall, with the shouts of the soccer players still echoing in the distance behind us.
-10-
After we tore into several days’ worth of lunches, Kara needed to return to her work.
Kara addressed both Vivica and I. “I’ll report the outcome of our orientation. You’ll start first thing in the morning with tryouts. Arkan will take you both to meet the warriors. Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. You’re going to need it.” She popped another grape into her mouth and then stood up at the table, still munching. “It was a pleasure. I truly hope we can do it again sometime.” Before we could respond, she was already speed walking towards the door.
“She’s not one for emotional window dressing, is she?”
Vivica snorted. “Yeah, I guess not. From the sound of it, we were both involved in completing a questionnaire or something.”
“Don’t take it personally. It’s just her way. I’ve known her a long time.” Something stirred in my chest when he said it. The look in his eyes told me he was remembering better days. Arkan was attractive, but his age definitely did show, particularly in the sunlight. He had crinkles around his eyes and creases on his forehead. The man was still gorgeous, but he was definitely on the other side of forty.
“What do we need to know about meeting the warriors?” I p
robed. I wanted to make sure that we were leading the group. Now I know that Arkan broke the rules for me, my confidence shot through the roof. He must have sensed my ability and desire to please. Why else would he have made such a dangerous move?
He cleared his throat and put down the cucumber slice he was fiddling with. “Out of the thirty, there are only two you need to look out for, one they call Dart and another named Blink. What can I say shapeshifters are big on idiotic nicknames?”
“Look out for them? How?”
“They are two of our fiercest warriors, which is why we have to keep them and placate them. But, in other times, most likely, they would have been outed from the tribe. They are loose cannons.” His arms were draped across the chair backs casually, but his eyes glowed with intensity. The cafeteria only held a few girls at the far corner. Their giggles cutting through the hum of the industrial fridges and muttering of the cafeteria workers.
“How do you suggest we treat them?” It seemed to be a delicate subject, so I didn’t want to step on his toes or make him feel like I was pressuring him for information. Vivica glanced at me, but she didn’t say anything.
“Honestly, if I had my way, you would both stay the hell away from them. Try not to catch their eye. They lean towards the sadistic side and are very rough on their breeders. Our medical professionals check the health of all breeders and make recommendations as to whether or not they continue with their roles. Most of theirs don’t last more than one time.”
Vivica’s mouth hung open. If they were that hard on them, how in the world could they be allowed to continue?
“But, why does the tribe let them continue if they aren’t treating the breeders well. Aren’t they under some obligation to keep them healthy?” Vivica’s hopeful pleading was shrill and desperate. I’m sure she felt the same way.
Arkan paused and sighed loudly. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again. I’m sure he’d thought long and hard about this and was careful he didn’t say anything that would betray his tribe. Although, I sensed by even telling us this at all, he was already betraying their confidence. “It’s because of their virility. Each breeder of each of them has never produced less than three babies at a time. Our tribe is desperate. We depend on them for survival, even though we hate it.”
“Three babies at a time?” Vivica’s face went pale.
Witches were known to birth twins, but never more than that. I figured I was born to make twins, but I didn’t know how I would hold up with more than that. Although, I’m not really sure anyone was ever really prepared to birth one baby, let alone more than one.
“Unfortunately, they are incredibly virile and there is something about them that causes the breeders to produce multiples with abandon. We haven’t been able to figure it out yet. And unfortunately, they also are ferocious warriors and we need the protection now more than ever.”
“I don’t want three.” Vivica’s face was still pale. Her eyes took on a glossy sheen, almost as if she were seconds away from sobs.
“I told you both before, you’re body no longer belongs to you. If that’s a problem, you’re free to leave. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. We aren’t holding you here. And we don’t want you to stay if it isn’t for you.”
I put my hand on Vivica’s hand. “Let’s go meet the warriors. You can meet everyone and then make your decision tonight.” She smiled briefly, but still looked worried.
“I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure the multiples thing is pretty rare statistically for a human. Just stay away from those two and most likely you will be fine.”
Vivica gulped loudly. “Okay, let’s go meet them.”
We all stood up and brought our trays to dump them out in the trash. I had very little food left on my plate, just crumpled napkins and the tray liner. I hated wasting food. Growing up nomad was fun and unconventional, but I never had excess of anything. When we were on the road, in particular, it was better to do without if we could. Sometimes, we were dependent on people that we’d just met or people that we didn’t want to be dependent on. My mom always tried to provide me with protection and learning experiences. Minimalism was definitely something that I carried over into my adulthood. But, sometimes I’m not sure if that was a conscious choice.
Arkan looked at the clock on the wall. “They might be finishing up their soccer games by now. It’s almost four.”
“They’ve been playing since this morning!” Vivica exclaimed.
Arkan smiled. “Why is that surprising?”
“That’s almost six hours!” Her expression was as if he’d told her they were landing spaceships on the moon today and she was expected to pilot one.
“And they are the most powerful shapeshifters around. They have an unbelievable amount of energy to burn and things get a bit…hairy…if they don’t. Pardon the pun.”
If playing soccer for six hours a day was simply an activity to occupy them, I couldn’t imagine what they would be capable of in the bedroom. “Come on let’s go. Enough talking about warriors. I want to see what all the fuss is about.” My face was flushed, and I felt butterflies in my stomach. Arkan was the best male lover I’d ever experienced. If he was a retired warrior past his prime…what would a marathon session with a real warrior be like? Arkan shot me a look that I couldn’t decipher, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he simply walked straight out the double doors to the cafeteria. Both Vivica and I scrambled to keep up.
“You shouldn’t have said that Catalina. I think he’s sweet on you.”
I turned to look at her, but she was facing the doors. I didn’t ask why she said that. I already knew what she was talking about. Arkan had broken a rule. A big one. And if he was already enamored with me enough to do that, drama was most definitely on its way.
-11-
When we arrived at the soccer field, I started to get an understanding of why Arkan was telling us to be careful. Without even asking, it was abundantly clear who Dart and Blink were. Two gigantic muscular men that stood a foot above the rest of the warriors. They both had the ugliest and most twisted faces I had ever seen. Their skin was like warped tree bark. Scratches and scars were visible on every exposed inch of skin. One of them had an enormous open gash above his beady left eye. The other eye bulged as if someone was squeezing him until he popped. The other had two missing fingers and a noticeable chunk of flesh missing from his cheek. There was probably no more than five percent body fat between the two of them. With legs like tree trunks, they powered back and forth on the field. It appeared as if they were on opposite teams, but, in reality, it was simply a game of one on one, with spectators that happened to run back and forth. Sweat poured from the other warriors. Although some of them had some prior battle wounds, a scar here, a divot there, none of them were as twisted and scarred as Dart and Blink. In fact, some of them were quite attractive. Blondes, brunettes, even the occasional ginger, the soccer team was like a catalog of delicious diversity. Which, I guess is also what we were to them. Diversifying the gene pool my ass. This was a straight up meat market. As we approached, the warriors began to take their eyes off of the game and give us the once over. Wanting to make a good first impression, I pushed out my tits and sucked in my stomach. I guess it will all come out in the wash later, but I didn’t want to get overlooked. My large boobs sometimes make me look heavier than I am, depending on the type of clothes I’m wearing. Hence, why I loved stretchy dresses. They cling to the cola bottle figure that I’ve eaten so many Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to maintain.
“Hey ya’ll come here for a second. I’ve got two new recruits for you.” All of the men standing on the field turned to look our way. Immediately, they forgot about the game and jogged to meet us on the far corner of the field. Dart and Blink were the first ones to reach us. It only took a few seconds to figure out who was who.
“I’m Dart.” The one with the missing fingers held out his good hand. “And this is my brother Blink.” He pointe
d to Mr. Eye Gash, who simply nodded and grunted.
Eye Gash was significantly uglier than Dart. Although from far away they looked about the same size, Blink stood about a foot taller than his brother. Dart’s beady eyes shifted back and forth between Vivica and I. I could feel him undressing us, his stare penetrating right through my dress.
“Who are these delicious treats?”
Ugh. Blech. What a leach.
Arkan skipped over that comment, but I could tell it irked him. “This is Vivica and Catalina. They were a bit late to their orientation, so we’re just now introducing them.”
“Well hello, hello. I can’t wait to see how you ladies perform during tryouts,” he licked his lips.
Vivica gasped and then covered her mouth. I don’t know if I could have sex with this man if they offered me gold for life. What a troll. Blink seemed like someone I could be sympathetic to, but Dart was absolutely gross.
A tall blonde with eyes the color of the sea said. “Hello, ladies. I’ve heard there is a human here?”
Vivica blushed. “That’s me.” The man looked her up and down approvingly.
“Well, although I’m sure the human world is mourning a great loss, their loss is my gain.” He leaned down and grabbed her hand and kissed it. Vivica fluttered her eyelashes and smiled. Her flush crept from her cheeks down through her neck and upper chest. A swarthy hunk of man with a full beard and moustache winked at me.
“Don’t worry sugar, there’s plenty of us interested in you too.” Not that I was worried about that. I was more worried about Vivica getting carried away and attached to one person too fast. She was quite malleable, and I didn’t want anyone taking advantage of her. Despite the fact that we were here to serve, the whole thing had to be her choice. That was the key. I smiled sweetly. I didn’t want him to think I was an asshole. Arkan put his hand on my back.
“Okay ladies, it’s time to go.” He gave us a small shove. Was it a protective gesture or was he just in a hurry? We both waved goodbye and smiled. Although most of them got right back to the game, I could feel eyes burning a hole in the back of my neck. When I turned around to look, Dart smiled wide enough that I could see all his teeth. His mouth was nearly a black hole, only a few yellow squares remained. My head snapped back to look towards the front and I hurried after Arkan, who was setting a record breaking pace across the tall grass to the sidewalk. Arkan didn’t say a word until we got back to our dorms.