Page 16 of Indentured Companion
What have I done?
Chapter 14
The Anti-K
Valerie
So his name is Vrajan. He says it like a purr with his deep voice. Melodic and exotic, and the n is drawn out a tad longer. I keep saying it over and over in my mind, and the urge to say it out loud plays on me. I mean, it’s just a name, but I’m the only one other than his Queen who knows it. Vrajan. When he looked me in my eyes and told me he would like me to call him by his name, a shiver went up my spine. It was a pleasant shiver. Right now I’m holding his gloved hand in mine as we walk through the streets towards a feeding site, and I’m feeling all giggly inside. What the hell? Knowing his name is intimate in the Korvis culture, but not mine. Yet, I’m still buzzing from the precious gift of knowing it. Man, he must have been really impressed with my answers in the interview. I wanted to be honest, but at the same time, I was conscious that I could doom his entire mission if I painted the Korvis in the wrong light.
Part of me wanted to answer the question about the feeding process. It really isn’t like the horror films portray. He doesn’t chase me down and terrify me. There is no wrapping his jaws around my throat, savaging me until blood sprays from my mouth. He doesn’t rip out a chunk of my neck when he’s done. It’s painful, sure, but he’s very quick. He spends more time tending to me afterwards than he did feeding from me. I didn’t answer that question, as Vrajan got in there first. Feeding was even more intimate than knowing his name, and evenIwanted to clock the pink Sacron when she suggested he feed on me and let her film it. Hard pass! Sneaky bitch even snatched herself a private conversation. I chew my lips and blush as I think about what she captured. I think about the sparkle in his lilac eyes and how close we were when he used a napkin to wipe marshmallow smear from my mouth. Talking about how crass I am and laughing over shoes…
My mind brought up the memory of him wrapping me in the black shrug. Vrajan is always so tender and caring. It’s really weird. I’m the eldest Stone, and I have always had to look after Cassie while my parents worked, and during this last year, my drunkard father. Before entering this contract with the Dynast, I can’t actually remember the last time anyone took care ofme.I sure as hell never enjoyed bubble baths and such soft bedding. Fine clothes and finer dining. I’m Merchant Caste, and I’m used to wearing cotton and leather. Coming home from inspecting the mining vessels with my father with grease smeared on my cheek. Even my hair is softer now it’s being properly treated.
I look up at Vrajan as we arrive at the same feeding site we always use. There aren’t many, as you can imagine. I don’t know what the building was before it was repurposed, but it’s a small metal box in essence. It’s the size of an apartment, has no windows, only one door, and it’s locked with a security code. We’ve used it plenty of times…but it’s never been covered in graffiti before.
“Ah. I wondered when this would happen.” Vrajan sighed and stared at red spray paint. It looks like a pair of fangs has been drawn in a circle, and then a cross through it.
“What does it mean?”
“It means the Anti-K movement found this feeding site.” He lifts my hand he’s holding to cup in both of his. Looking me in the eye, I can tell he’s frowning behind his veil. “I’m very sorry Miss Stone, but I do not trust that this feeding site is secure. We should leave for my cruiser and feed there instead. I’ll report this accordingly once we are home.” He coaxed me into walking again, and I can tell we are heading for the nearest space port. “And if you like, I can order you any shoes you like to be delivered to our ship? If you would prefer to wait to try them on, then we can make that a priority next time? Y-you understand that we need to leave, yes?”
“I don’t mind, of course, but who are the Anti-K movement?” If anything he increases our pace. With his longer strides, I’m nearly jogging to keep up. Woah, he’s spooked. My belly erupts with nervous butterflies and I suddenly want nothing more than to get back to the star cruiser as well. We march together and only slow when we reach the very public, highly patrolled transport terminal. I have to grin when we have far less problems going through exit customs this time. We barely exchange two words as we are processed and ushered through to the docks. “Dynast?” I ask tentatively once we walk through the last security door to the cruiser. Vrajan exhales with relief once we are secure on his ship, but doesn’t stop our pace. “Vrajan?” He looks at me at last and must have realised that I’m anxious about what just happened. He sighs and we slow our pace towards the command room. It hasn’t escaped my notice, that we are still escaping, and he is still holding my hand. “Vrajan? What just happened?”
“I’m really sorry. That was…I had hoped…” He huffed and dropped to sit in the chair facing the controls. He still held my left hand, and with his right he tapped a few buttons and initiated the disengage sequence. “I’m so sorry, Valerie.” He finally looked me in the eye and tugged on my hand so I came closer. “There are individuals who strongly believe that all of my people are monsters, and should never be allowed into Theskian space. They are angry, in fact, that I am here at all.”
“Wait?” I raise a brow and open my mouth in shock and anger. “You mean Anti-K stands for Anti Korvis? Like, there’s a group against your entire species?”
“Yes, and they lobby daily, legally, to the Theskian council. Demanding for the safety of all civilised life everywhere, that I and all of my kind are banished. Some even call for our extermination.”
“Mother fuckers.” I am outraged on his behalf. “And that red spray paint was, what? Their calling card?” I hold his hand tighter, and he’s visibly relaxing now that our cruiser is flying away from the dock into our position orbiting the station. “Yes. In other words, those bastards think it’s okay to use terror tactics on you?”
“Exactly, yes.” Vrajan entered the final command register we were locked in orbit, and he then rose to his feet. “I have come face to face with their symbol before. On the walls outside of Theskian Parliament, and on random doorways around the base. Never so brazenly on a feeding site, though.” His deep voice was sad, and that pissed me off almost as much as what he said next. “I am very sorry you had to see that. Having you with me and seeing the Anti-K’s hateful image on the feeding site, made me worry they might be nearby. And that terrified me. Thinking of you being targeted because of me…I panicked.” His lilac eyes lowered with shame. “I’ve been pelted with eggs, coins, screeched at with vile abuse, and never once have I lost my composure.” He cupped both my hands to his chest. “But the thought of the Anti-K movement targetingyoujust…I…”
“Hey?” I move closer to him and look up into his eyes. “One, I’m okay. Two, hopefully after the interview we did today you’ve drummed up some more support. Three, and most importantly, if those bigoted assholeswerenearby and came at me, I’d kick them in the balls. Speciest bastards.” He chuckled and a twinkle returned to his eyes.
“Well, none the less, I can breathe easily now that we’re home.” He leans down and closes his eyes to rest his brow to mine. I smile, glad he’s feeling better, and then I realise how intimate this gesture is. My hands are on his green chiffon clad chest with his hands cupping them there. His brow pressed to mine. I stare at his veiled face, only his eyes visible, and as they open I become trapped in his diamond pupils. “Safe and sound.”
Chapter 15
Pain
Valerie.
The rumble of his stomach broke the tenderness ofwhateverwas happening between us, and I welcome the distraction.
“You still need to feed.”
“Iamrather hungry.” He chuckles and releases me to bashfully fuss his gloved hands together. I roll my eyes at how flustered he is about biting my neck.
“AndI’mrather bloated.” I hold my stomach. I don’t feel bigger, per se, but I feel uncomfortable. It’s always the same when we’re due a feed.
“Indeed.” He agrees with me and rubs the sides of his neck. “My phyrodox glands are swollen in readiness.” I nod with curiosity and we both walk towards my bedroom. I don the position and sit on the edge of the bed. He walks over to a set of drawers to my left to get some Regen pills for me. As he walks over with two in one palm and a glass of water in the other, he watches as I reach behind my neck. I undo the fashion collar the dress came with. I wince from both the movement and the tug of the fabric on my bruised neck. Vrajan’s eyes fixate on my bruised bite wound. “You are still in discomfort?”
“Yes.” I hiss as I tentatively bring my fingers to ghost over the four swollen puncture wounds. “The longer it has been since you’ve fed on me, the more I seem to recover, but I haven’t been pain or discomfort free since before I met you.” I chuckle, but realise that my words have hurt him. Vrajan drops his gaze to the floor and sinks down into his frame. “N-no, I mean, that I’musedto it, so don’t worry.” Shit. Me and my big mouth.
“You are used to being in pain…” He closes his eyes, and I kick myself. Fuck. I feel like I’ve just kicked a puppy on his birthday. I mean, itdoeshurt. A lot. And since I can’t use pain meds because it would make Vrajan sick, I’m always aching or stinging.
“It’s alright.” He lifts his eyes to look at me. I smile and sweep my long brown hair away from the left side of my neck. “I knew what I signed up for, and I know you can’t help it.” His eyes widen a fraction. “You aren’t hurting me on purpose, Vrajan. It’s part of the feeding process. It hurts, okay, but with the Regen pills I recover, and you’re taking great care of me, so don’t worry about it.” Why does he seem close to tears? “Hey.” I get up off the bed and walk up to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to upset you.” He can’t help it, damn it. He feeds by biting me and drinking a few mouthfuls of my blood. I feel horrible, because he’s really upset. “I’m alright.” I pry his fingers open to retrieve the Regen Pills. “See?” I pop them in my mouth, hold his hand around the glass of water, and drink from it to swallow the pills. “Come on Vrajan.”
