DEE

I have a lot of time to think about things while in this cell. Often, I think about Vadnar and I, but right now, I wonder what's happening on Earth. Is NASA scrambling to find what happened to Trey and I? Is Kira working on reversing the portal? Is my mom devastated?

I don't see much of her nowadays. We live in different cities, and being an only child, our Christmas gatherings tend to be small. It's just her and I. Recently, she had been nagging me about getting a boyfriend. That's one of the reasons I keep her at arms length, but I still love her.

What would she think of my intergalactic situationship? I wouldn't call Vadnar my boyfriend, because we haven't had a conversation yet. But we're something, because the guy has mapped my sex with his tongue and swallowed my most intimate defeat.

After he unraveled me, we spoke briefly and then he held me in his embrace until I fell asleep. My stomach was tight with hunger, but I wanted to leave some food for Vadnar.

I slept soundly in his arms, pillowed by his muscles and blanketed by his warm breath.

I was vaguely aware of our surroundings. The coliseum never sleeps, distant clatter, footsteps and voices keeping it alive. I don't think Vadnar slept much, either. He's always on high alert, those watchful eyes of his always looking for danger and for ways to melt me.

It's morning now, and our latest bickering was over breakfast. He wanted me to eat the food I saved for him, but I knew he was starving. I lost the battle when he grunted, pulled me to his lap, and hand-fed me.

Now, he's on the floor, hauling himself up in a brutal set of push-ups. He's preparing to fight in the arena again. Although his muscles are bulging and his skin glistens, my anxiety dwarfs my sexual desire.

He's running low on energy and hasn't slept. At this rate, his streak of wins won't get far.

"Isn't that enough?" I ask, feeling overheated by watching him although I haven't moved a muscle.

"I'm fine," he says, his voice strained as he lifts himself for the hundred time.

I bite my lip to hold back my pleas. He knows his limits, and I need to trust him.

"And the enraged state?" I ask, glancing at the corner of the jail as I wait for guards to show up and haul him to the arena.

I'm ready to unroll his cock in my mouth and return the pleasure he brought me yesterday. We all need to pull our weight around here, and if I have to do that by being on my knees, then so be it.

Vadnar stops his manic exercise. He stands and approaches me. I remain seated on the bed, looking up at him with wide eyes. Even in these circumstances, where we don't have many options, Vadnar is unpredictable. We have grown close, but my body still innately recognizes him as a predator. Not even I'm safe from him, and he proved that last night when he devoured me.

"I will say this once, and I will not hear any of your back-talk," he says.

My lips part, surprised, because he has never drawn the line like this.

"I will go to the arena without the enraged state. You will not pleasure me on demand, because you are not a toy."

"But that's crazy!" I blurt. "I thought we agreed that I would be the one to help you prepare for the arena."

"I must protect you, Dee. Your body, and your mind. I will not use you sexually. I will survive the arena in my weaker form."

I can tell by the way he's looking at me that he will not bend on this.

"I'm already uneasy letting you watch the match. Do not ask for more."

With a grunt of displeasure, I cross my arms and look at a dirty corner of the cell.

His firm hand finds my chin and gently tugs my head to face him. With a grin, he adds, "Although you proved how greedy you can be by grinding on my face and denying me breath last night."

That sets my demeanor on fire, and I curl my fingers and toes as I look away in defeat.

He chuckles, and then drops back to the ground to continue his work-out.

-•-

It took a while to convince the ringleader to let me out of my cell. He was displeased that Vadnar wasn't in the enraged state, but he's so eager to have him fight in the arena again that he accepts Vadnar's terms.

It's interesting how much leverage Vadnar has even as a prisoner.

We're led to the arena. It's a massive pit of black sand. The sky above is clear, contrasting the storm in the arena as two young gladiators fight sluggishly. They're slow their attacks, preferring to doge than to strike. The crowd seems bored by the performance.

There are hundreds of Zolanos here. Men and women dressed in the finest of silks, laughing, drinking, and fondling each other.

We take a private staircase down to the arena, hidden from view. It's just Vadnar and I sitting in the dugout. His hands are bound, and the four guards watch him closely. Not that we could get anywhere with hundreds of eyes surrounding us.

A new prisoner is dragged in here. It takes me a moment to realize it's Hull.

He's going to fight Vadnar.

I watch wearily. He's aggravated, clearly in the enraged state. He's restrained at the hands and neck, a long rope tied around his neck. He looks at Vadnar and becomes more violent, struggling to charge at him. The guards keep him in place, and I can't help but worry about what's coming.

Hull's grunts and snarls are all I hear even as the host begins his announcements, yelling to the crowd and building the excitement.

A large, warm hand sets on my knee, and I realize I had been bouncing it. I smile at Vadnar, although it doesn't reach my eyes.

Seconds later, his warmth is ripped away from me when he and Hull are hauled into the arena. Vadnar's bare footsteps are heavy on the black sand. My own feet itch to follow him, but all I can do is sit on this damn bench.

My anxiety soars along with the excitement of the arena as Hull and Vadnar appear on the sand. They stand many feet apart, awaiting to be released. Vadnar's shoulders are set, while Hull's are heaving.

I palm my chest with a trembling hand, unable to hide a whimper when the men are released.

Hill charges at full speed, rabid with bloodlust as Vadnar remains cool and unphased. The stadium is deafening above me as they realize Vadnar isn't in the enraged state.

Right as Hull is going to collide with him, Vadnar surges into the air, kicking Hull in the back of the head before flipping himself and landing on the sand. The move happened in a second, and the crowd went silent to process what they witnessed before going wilder than ever.

I find no peace, because I know the fight just began, and Hull is already staggering to his feet, looking angrier.

They slam into each other, bursting with punches and kicks that make me shield my eyes. Vadnar is on high defense as he blocks hit after hit, but Hull keeps swinging. He's all madness and rage while Vadnar shows a steelier, darker violence.

I'm disturbed by this version of him. Because there's no passion in his expression like when he looks at me. I nearly don't recognize him. Seeing him in the enraged state would have been more familiar.

The show ends when he grabs Hull by the neck, and single-handedly flips him onto his back. With his foot resting on the panting man's throat, he declares victory.

I'm sure bruises have begun to form where he got hit, and the cut at his cheekbone will swell, but the crowd doesn't see what I do. They see a dog where I see the man I adore beaten and exhausted.

I don't realize I'm crying until a tear splattered on my hand. I quickly clean up, and the guards beside me don't say a thing.

Hull and Vadnar are separated. Cloth is thrown onto the arena, tiny bits shaped like underwear. The women are showering the winner with their trophies.

Vadnar only has eyes for me as he returns to the dugout. His hands are bound again, but that doesn't stop me from wrapping my arms around him.

"They gave me a prize," he says, panting. "I requested another tub for you."

"I don't give a fuck about a tub! You need a medic. Where do you hurt?"

He shakes his head. "I'm fine. Listen closely. I am meeting all the other gladiators." His eyes relay all I need to know. Now that he's meeting the other captured masters, he can start networking. Already, he has rose through the ranks and gained respect. With time, he will have the men's trust and plan an escape with them.

But that's not enough. We need the support of the women for a shot at escape.

"I'll meet the women."

He looks at me incredulously. As usual, he's expecting me to sit back and let him do all the work. But I refuse. My mind is set on bonding with the women and getting their help.

I'm not sure what there is to bond over. These beautiful entertainers are confident enough to fuck gladiator after gladiator, living in thrill.

I'm a nerdy NASA scientist who doesn't even look like them. But I'll have to look past that. Vadnar needs my help.

"We'll speak more about this later," he grits, eyeing the guards around us.

Back in the cell, I fret over cleaning his cuts. We don't have anything except for the clean water in the tub and a strip of cloth. Vadnar doesn't flinch once as I scurry around him.

"I told you I'm fine," he says. "Although Hull might not be since he hasn't been brought back to his cell."

"I'll pass some food to him later."

"Why?" He grumbles. "I should have snapped his neck for touching you. He's lucky my grip slipped."

"Vadnar!"

He chuckles and rests his forehead against my tummy. Silence ensues, and one of my hands grips the cloth tightly as my free one slips into his soft hair.

"Vadnar," I breathe his name softly. "What are we?"

I'm selfish for asking this while he's injured, but the question has been weighing my mind.

He pauses. "Prisoners?"

"No, I meant..."

"Human and Zolan?"

"I meant like, friends."

"Oh." He lifts his head, and his eyes are calm as he replies, "that is simple. You are mine."

Fuck. I think my heart is beating faster than it was at the arena.

I have no response for him. I meekly continue to clean his wounds and hope my heart won't explode.

In typical Vadnar fashion, he pulls me to his lap without warning, and nuzzles his face into my neck. My eyes scan the cell for a distraction, not wanting to smile and risk being noticed by Vadnar.

My eyes find my wrist, and I frown when I notice a pattern there. Tiny English words have been scratched onto my skin, and I never noticed.

Dee, If you can read this, I'm coming for you. -Cherry

What? Cherry found a way to send this message through me. She must have gotten access to my DNA through the NASA archive.

She's looking for me. She's trying to bring me back home. The problem is... I don't want to return.

"Why is your heart so noisy?" Vadnar asks in a teasing tone.

I flip my wrist over to hide the message. "No reason."

"Don't lie to me, Dee."

But lying is all I can do, because he's already stressed by so much. I can't bring more to the table. I can't admit I might disappear one day.