Page 4 of Rogue: Planet Athion
He cursed softly and ran a hand over his bald head. Unlike Marlon, Anton had no issues shaving his hair off. It gave him a dangerous air, even though I knew he was a total teddy bear. Over the past three months, we’d fallen into an easy camaraderie, which of late had turned into light flirting. Being around Anton took the edge off this place. Being around him made it easy to pretend this was just some kind of crazy retreat, that once our stint here was over, we’d be able to walk off, hand in hand, back to the real world.
“It’ll be four on four,” Anton said. “We just keep you off the grid for this one.”
If only. “Marick made it clear I’d be in the pit.”
Marlon’s hands fell on my shoulders from behind. “In that case, we train hard, and we get ready to kick some Pack ass. The trio are on board too.”
The next two hours were taken up with the weights, sparring, and then the treadmill. By the time we hit the steam baths my body was ready to be soaked to hell.
There was no privacy here, and the first couple of weeks had felt like hell, but the guys had jumped in and provided a barrier. They’d kept the trio off my back and given me the time I needed to adjust. I’d been in the arena. I’d held my own, and my body … It was nothing more than a weapon now. One I kept in working order by training.
Showering beside the guys didn’t freak me out like it used to. And soaking with them in what was essentially a huge, pool-size jacuzzi didn’t bother me either. It would be the high life if we were allowed to leave, but a cage was a cage no matter how many creature comforts you threw into it.
We sat on the bench, submerged to our shoulders in the frothing hot water, and closed our eyes.
“How many days until the match, do you think?” Killion asked from his spot opposite Anton and me.
“The longer, the better,” Anton replied.
I sighed. “I just want to get it over with.”
Marlon was silent, his expression musing.
We were all wondering the same thing, wondering if I’d be here after the match. The house may be divided, but in the arena, we worked together—Trads and all. I’d fought alongside the trio against House Axar, and we’d beaten them. It was highly possible I’d be sent in with them again. It was always four against four. Or at least it had been since I’d been in residence. Although I’d prefer to be in the arena with Marlon, Killion, and Anton, there was no denying that the trio would probably give me better odds of winning. Marlon was on par with the Trads in terms of strength and agility, and Killion and Anton were skilled fighters, making up for their lack of power with technique. Anton had studied martial arts on Earth, and Killion had boxed professionally in his past life. But the Pack was a different beast. They were brutal and coordinated, and I wasn’t sure the human men would be able to hold their own for as long as we needed against them.
But this wasn’t something I needed to voice. All it would do was offend, sow doubt, or both. There was nothing to do but wait for the match and take it from there. Anton, who was seated beside me, leaned in so his shoulder brushed mine.
“I think maybe the lovebirds could do with a little privacy?”
Sure enough, Marlon and Killion were doing the eyeing-each-other-up thing. They’d shifted close, and even though they were wreathed in steam and at least a meter away on the opposite side of the pool, it was obvious what was about to go down. There was definitely some action happening beneath the water. A wave of heat washed over me—desire, want, need. How long had it been since I’d been touched with consensual passion? How long since I’d wanted to be touched? This was a new bloom, one that had died out for a while. But as my body changed, my desires intensified; it was a cycle every few weeks. And it seemed like one was coming on now.
“Rogue? Are you okay?”
Rogue … The name they’d given me after my first match in the pit. But the way he said it, soft and tentative and filled with genuine concern, made it hard not to want to claim it completely. I turned to look at him, not bothering to hide the desire in my eyes, and a stab of satisfaction shot through me at the heat that flared in his. Yes, it would be easy to straddle him, to take him inside me and ride out the tension that was simmering in my veins, and from the look he was giving me, he’d be happy to oblige, and if I’d been sure that it would end at just sex, then I’d have taken what I needed.
But Anton meant more to me than just sex. He was my friend and my anchor in this crazy, fucked-up situation. In this prison where death could claim either of us at any time, being with Anton made me feel safe, it allowed me to dream of the possibility of an afterward. Sex would introduce complications, intensity, and confusion. It would introduce fear of discovery and fear of loss.
“Rogue?” It was a question on so many levels.
I lowered my lids and smiled. “Yeah, we should give them some privacy.”
He blew out a breath and tucked in his chin. “Right. I’ll go first.”
He climbed out, offering me an unobstructed view of his broad shoulders and muscled back, which tapered down to slender hips and a delectable ass. Yep, the man had an ass any woman would love to get her hands on.
He paused to glance over his shoulder, his brown eyes twinkling knowingly. “Had a good look?”
I cleared my throat and averted my gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He walked away with a chuckle that reverberated through me, and a moment later I followed. “Have fun, guys!”
But Marlon and Killion were already too busy to respond.
Anton was partially dressed by the time I caught up to him in the changing room. He passed me my clothes and turned his back to give me privacy. I dressed quickly, and we headed back toward our rooms. It would be lockdown soon, and then the gruel would be delivered. After that, we would be confined to our cells till the next day. Thank goodness our cells were close enough for us to converse through the barred sections of our doors.
We came abreast of Anton’s cell, but he didn’t stop; he continued walking me to my cell.
“Very gentlemanly of you.” I stepped over the threshold. “But don’t expect me to invite you in for coffee.”
